OK, first thoughts about the XO's. This is yesterdays listening.
I was very sceptical (as always) about what to expect from these reference level external cross overs that I ordered from RFC. The final component selection
was ultimately made by Paul (owner of RFC), the communication was not lacking in any way shape or form. Paul would now be the proud owner of an Oscar for his
customer service if I could award him one. Aftercare was exemplary and a real lesson in how to handle your customers. The XO were supplied in a couple of wooden
boxes (at my request) which Paul varnished and French polished free of charge. I supplied the WBT binding posts, which when compared against the standard Tannoy
efforts are a considerable upgrade. Paul tried a few new things with this design including a new wiring layout which kept signal paths short and utilises a
star-earth (common earthing point). All wiring inside the XO is high quality ultra-pure OFC (UPOFC), point to point soldered with very high purity silver solder.
The recommended burn in period was 5 hours and I must admit that plumbing the XO straight into the Valve system I own left me a little disappointed to begin with.
The same old wallowing bass, a lack of clarity to some vocalists, a disjointed soundstage etc was still present. Fastforward 15 hours of usage and the XO are now
a completely different beast. I have tried playing heavy rock (deep purple) and complicated prog rock (Dream theater, ELP) through the Tannoy's and have quite often
been very disappointed much preferring them in my more analytical solid state ATC/Sugden/Technics 1210 system. So how would the new XO perform in the valve system
and how would they perform with prog and heavy metal? Read on....
15 hours of pretty continual usage burned the XO in nicely. I decided to cue my minty copy of Deep Purple Live in Japan and listen to side one. It's all you will
ever need if you want screaming power vocals, complex guitar solo's and hammond organ playing to match Bach. I can honestly say that my Tannoy's can now do rock!
Sometimes you buy a piece of kit and it puts a smile on your face, this is the RFC external XO. Richie Blackmore's guitar playing exhibited a fluidity and visceral
punch that I have never heard before with valves. Bass was solid, slab like, rythmical, constant, just slap bang in the middle of the soundstage. And, the banshee
that is Gillan was in my face shouting at me with anguish off the vinyl. Fantastic stuff. I've nver heard Deep Purple like this before. The second album to go
through the system today was Iron Maiden's Powerslave. Again, two songs that stick out are Powerslave and Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner. I know these songs like the
back of my hand and always use them to gauge any new components entering my system. Again the RFC XO did not let the side down. My only complaint was that Bruce
Dickinson did sound a little "thin" then I realised that the soundstage of the vinyl had changed. Bruce was further back in the soundstage, the guitars had better
seperation and Steve 'Arris bass playing was a little more defined than normal. WOW! The final challenge for the big Tannoy's and the XO's was Dream Theater's song
Dark Eternal Night from the Systematic Chaos album. OMG! Mike Portney's double bass drums sounded massive in my modest listening room. John Petrucci's guitar
playing cut through the air like a cutting laser, fast, intricate, a note never missed. John Myung's bass was more tuneful than ever. The old wardrobes had a fleet
of foot that I had never previously heard before. So what can I conclude about heavy metal and prog now? Well, the Tannoys's can now mosh like the best of em and
become all intellectual and technical with complicated passages of music. This is pretty impressive to say that I only wanted to use the Tannoys for Jazz/Vocal/
Classical on the valve system.
I will be doing some more listening and commenting as i get time.
SS
CD Teac VRDS25X(Audiotuned) DECK 1210 Mat Crystal Audio Mods MN Base/Bearing/Platter+Ebony armboard Feet Isonoe PSU Paul Hynes SR7EHD-27XL/DCSXL Ag DC lead/3 Stage Regs/Recap PCB+No Pitch/Strobe/Light ARM SME V(Kondo Ag Rewire&Tags) MC Cadenza Black FGS CABLES Arm Yannis SPD-4 IC Yannis 222 Litz+Ag bullets Power WAR PRE ATC SCA2 SPEAKERS ATC 50ASL STANDS Atacama PHONO Sugden Masterclass PA4 SUT Ortofon ST80SE POWER PSAudio P10
VALVE
PRE Croft Epoch(Modded) AMP Sondex S100 (Modded) SPEAKERS Tannoy 15"MG+RFC Warwick cabs+ Ref XO + Batpure supertweeters DECK Garrard 301 Mat Teunto Bearings 401(Bastin) Plinth Bamboo Arms 3009/3012 PSU Eagle+Tachometer MC Ag Meister II/FGS + Ortofon SPU MONO CABLES Arm Yannis 420.5 Litz+ SpeakerPC Tripple C+WBT-0681 Ag IC Oyaide FTVS-510 AgWBT 0110Ag Phonostages Paradise(4 Box Mega-Modded) / Croft Musicmaker