What's your systems Good and Bad points

[tfarney]

Tim said.


Not with some simple open baffles it isn't.

Yes, but I don't have the physical space for open baffles. Instead, I've been considering single full-range drivers in a desktop, nearfield configuration, perhaps with a carefully integrated sub. But my 90 year-old father moved in with us last week. I think I'll be the AOS resident headphone geek for a while yet.

Tim

[Yomanze]

I use an Exposure 2010S with MC Phono Card into a pair of Amphion Argon2 speakers and a Stax Basic System II electrostatic headphone rig. CD players include (all modded) Rotel 965BX, Marantz CD65DX (a TDA1541A pearl) and a Sony PlayStation 1 (surprising analogue sound).

Strengths of my system are the coherence of the stereo image and the realism of vocals, which I feel is down to my DL103 modifications and the speakers, which make use of an unusual waveguide time-align the tweeter and give the same dispersion characteristics to the mid/bass. For what it is I don't feel there are any weaknesses (except my CD players), but the amp has probably become the weak link (as I mainly listen to vinyl) and I am looking at making a DIY Avondale NCC200 alternative.

Stax headphones simply provide unmatched transparency and detail (great for testing system changes), but are let down by a lack of 'slam' or 'punch' compared to dynamic headphones.

Other weaknesses are that I live in a flat and can't play it loud enough. Another weakness is that my digital setup has been utterly left for dead in comparison to vinyl so will be getting a new DAC to bring it up to speed.

[gary]

Hi Yomanze
I was fortunate to hear Stax lambada signatures at a hifi show a few years ago and what an experience if I remember the were driven by valves and were brilliant I could have sat there all day, frightning price though

[tfarney]

I use an Exposure 2010S with MC Phono Card into a pair of Amphion Argon2 speakers and a Stax Basic System II electrostatic headphone rig. CD players include (all modded) Rotel 965BX, Marantz CD65DX (a TDA1541A pearl) and a Sony PlayStation 1 (surprising analogue sound).

Strengths of my system are the coherence of the stereo image and the realism of vocals, which I feel is down to my DL103 modifications and the speakers, which make use of an unusual waveguide time-align the tweeter and give the same dispersion characteristics to the mid/bass. For what it is I don't feel there are any weaknesses (except my CD players), but the amp has probably become the weak link (as I mainly listen to vinyl) and I am looking at making a DIY Avondale NCC200 alternative.

Stax headphones simply provide unmatched transparency and detail (great for testing system changes), but are let down by a lack of 'slam' or 'punch' compared to dynamic headphones.

Other weaknesses are that I live in a flat and can't play it loud enough. Another weakness is that my digital setup has been utterly left for dead in comparison to vinyl so will be getting a new DAC to bring it up to speed.

Stax rock details, but more importantly, deliver an incredibly coherent, lifelike vocal midrange. I really miss the dynamics of dynamics, however.

Tim

[John]

On the vinyl side I am very happy with even though I still plan to take this further!!! The music almost reminds me of a live concert with its impact emotion and dynamics. However the Laptop DAC side is not as good on some music there is a tendency for it to sound harsh in the treble region mostly on my Pain of Salvation ( I am pretty sure its not the recording) tracks. Think its the DAC or using USB and not sure how I will sort it out perhaps an audiocom upgrade or maybe even radical re-think in how to get the best from computer audio side of my system.

[Iain Sinclair]

I guess your pre has a stepped attenuator.

Quite possibly, but reading a review of the Border Patrol power amp on AN Other forum, I think the gain is set too high; to quote from the review, which exactly matches my own experience:

'when playing CD I effectively had binary volume control - minimum on the premap was off, next step of the volume was acceptable volume, second step was far too loud'

This can be 'fixed' by BP, and I'll have it done when funds permit, but with daughter number 2 off to university next month it might be some time before they do!

[zenith2134]

I use a vintage EL84 integrated amp (12wpc) with Fisher XP-9C's. The amp has been recapped, and the speakers had the crossovers checked, and the woofers refoamed.

The strengths: a midrange to die for, sweet highs, strong bass, extremely non-fatiguing sound.

Weaknesses: rolled off in the highest treble ranges, complicated tone path...4 tone controls,loudness switch, channel balance switch, plus 2 volume controls, and a single master gain. 10 tubers get Hot in the summertime!!

[tfarney]

I use a vintage EL84 integrated amp (12wpc) with Fisher XP-9C's. The amp has been recapped, and the speakers had the crossovers checked, and the woofers refoamed.

The strengths: a midrange to die for, sweet highs, strong bass, extremely non-fatiguing sound.

Weaknesses: rolled off in the highest treble ranges, complicated tone path...4 tone controls,loudness switch, channel balance switch, plus 2 volume controls, and a single master gain. 10 tubers get Hot in the summertime!!

I love rolled off in the highest treble ranges. I play music. I have spent a lifetime in the presence of live music. There is almost nothing musical up there, just air and artifacts. The highest treble regions are, for the most part, hifi, not music.

Tim

[nat8808]

High treble exists in real life too so you could say that it is 'real' rather than just 'hifi'.

My personal preference is actually not geared towards music but getting some real life magically transported into my living space that shouldn't ordinarilly be there. Music is included within that too of course.

My system doesn't convince me that what i am listening to is there in the room enough but it does do both music and hifi equally ok (oddly enough). Perhaps I'm listening to the wrong stuff and should record my own... The room is honky too.