View Full Version : Prattlin' Dave's HiFi Rambles...
Pretty sure it was BBC4 Dave, but precisely when I don't remember. :scratch:
Just looked it up: it was shown on BBC4 30 May 2014.
Pretty sure it was BBC4 Dave, but precisely when I don't remember. :scratch:
Just looked it up: it was shown on BBC4 30 May 2014.
Damn, will have gone from iPlayer by now then :(
Thanks for looking Barry ;)
Synergy is mentioned a lot on this forum and there have been instances where I thought I'd achieved this, and in certain respects I had. The BTE passive/Quad 306 pairing for example, which came about through my early discussions with Anthony at BTE who matched the performance of the unit he built for me to exactly suit the Quad. The addition of a pair of RFC's excellent Neptune IC's between the BTE and the Quad allowed the pairing to breath easily resulting in extra depth and sparkle. With the DM2's on the end of this combination much of this extra clarity found its way into my ears, however as others have commented previously (thinking particularly of DSJR here), there is a warm fluffiness to the DM2's lower registers which pervades everything. I'd convinced myself this was not the case of course simply because the B&W's do just about everything else so well.
For whatever reason pairing the Skibo's with the BTE/Quad combo has not been quite so successful. This was rather surprising as the ART's are quality items that are superbly built and which, as a bonus, look rather splendid. My personal opinion on the matter is that our listening room is far too small for the Skibo's to really stretch their legs properly and so consequently they overpower the room when they get excited. It is entirely possible that there may be some sort of electrical mis-match in play here too as the Skibo's sound cleaner and more dynamic hooked up to a JVC AX-A3 integrated in the other system, which brings me to the MA's.
I continue to be bowled over by the R852's they really are very special indeed. Their presence and tonal accuracy is utterly beguiling, it doesn't matter what I throw at them they just get on with the job effortlessly leaving me totally rapt in the music. It's as if all the speakers I have ever owned were placed in a pot and the best aspects of each were drawn off and instilled into these fairly modestly sized boxes. In reference to one of my earlier posts, the MA's appear to be the piece of the puzzle which has been missing up until now :)
I have removed the Gear City IC's from between the Quad & BTE in the near-field system and replaced them with my RFC Neptune's. Velly inellesting!!! There is a big improvement in bass depth with the Neptune's installed, surprisingly big actually, however other aspects of performance have suffered somewhat. The sparkle seems to have disappeared from the mids and highs and the presentation now sounds bass heavy, constrained and flat in nature which is very surprising and a little disappointing.
When I first installed the Neptunes into the main system its configuration was a little different to what it is now. For a start the pre was a Classé DR5 and the rest of the components were connected via various sets of Belkin PureAV Silver IC's, speakers were B&W DM2's. Introducing the Neptune's into this setup brought about an immediate improvement in clarity. I no longer use any of the Belkin's in either system (I found them to be a little course and unrefined as my system improved) and of course the Classé has made way for the BTE passive with its variable and fixed outputs, the former driving the 306 and MA R852's in the near field system and the latter feeding the JVC AX-A3 which in turn drives a pair of ART Skibo's, which replaced the DM2's in the main system.
For months now I have been complaining that the Skibo's were sounding a little flat and lifeless in the big rig, however after tonight's experience I am wondering whether they were actually the culprits. I will explore this further based on what I am hearing this evening but I suspect the Neptune's may be 'it'. We will see, or rather hear, tomorrow :eyebrows:
For my own curiosity I just wacked in a pair of Belkins in place of the Neptune's and whadya know, bottom end clout to rival the Neptune's but with most of the sparkle and airiness of the Gear City's. Now I am totally bloody confused... :lol:
I'm wondering if the Furutech FP-126 plugs fitted to the Neptunes might be responsible. I only mention this because I had a pair of RFC Pluto's here for a while and they were magnificent, only just losing out to the Klotz MC5000 based cables I currently run between the DAC and the BTE in outright clarity. I'll need to order the materials to make a 2m set of MC5000 based IC's pretty sharpish I think ;)
Further from my posts yesterday it is apparent that the Belkins sound somewhat more balanced in my system than the other two IC's however they lack ultimate resolution. I am in a quandary now as I am missing the gorgeous mid-range and top end clarity of the Gear City's however I do not want to lose the bass heft of either the Neptune's nor the Belkin's. Scratchy heady time... :scratch:
Your experiences with interconnect cables pretty much exactly mirrors my own over the past few month's Dave. With some cables good bass but shut-in mids, with others lovely top end but no bass. I also found the Belkin to be the best compromise but as you say a little coarse. I think that the fact is that passive pre-amps like we both use are super-sensitive to the charcteristics of the cables used.
On Tuesday I took delivery of some NVA SSC (they use very low reactance cable) and these do seem to have solved my issues with quite pleasing results.
Your experiences with interconnect cables pretty much exactly mirrors my own over the past few month's Dave. With some cables good bass but shut-in mids, with others lovely top end but no bass. I also found the Belkin to be the best compromise but as you say a little coarse. I think that the fact is that passive pre-amps like we both use are super-sensitive to the charcteristics of the cables used.
On Tuesday I took delivery of some NVA SSC (they use very low reactance cable) and these do seem to have solved my issues with quite pleasing results.
That's an interesting observation Martin, I don't suppose you happen have a spare 2m run of SSC's I could borrow for a week so I can assess them? A cheeky request granted but I very much doubt Richard would indulge me in this endeavour and I am loath to purchase a pair on spec as I predict I'd be lumbered with them should they not fit the bill :eyebrows:
Sorry Dave but I don't - I only bought the two pairs that I needed to do a trial. I do intend to get anither set for the phono stage but that seems to be dis/u.s at the moment, one thing after another here. I've got a couple of pairs of SC I could send you but I found them a bit bass light and lacking a bit in terms of tonal colour but they do give a good indication of what the SSC does.
Anyways I'm sure if they don't work out for you NVA will refund you. If not I will take them off your hands for the purchase price, can't say fairer than that. You do need the full loom though, source to pre and pre to power. I've only had mine two days so I don't want to commit myself fully yet but so far I *think* they have solved all of my issues.
Fair enough Martin, thank you :)
The 306/BTE combo is such a good pairing that I need to search out the best way to get the most out of it, the IC's I've experimented with so far indicate this. Finding an IC which plays to the combo's strengths is crucial in my book so I am not ruling anything out. I'd like to take you up on your offer to try the SC1's however it would be best to leave it for a couple of weeks to enable me to reimburse the P&P. Big changes to our financial situation are afoot right now but all should be sorted by then leaving us much better off. The Skibo's will be up for sale this weekend so if all goes well and they sell quickly I may be able to bring that date forward somewhat if that suits? ;)
The Grand Wazoo
24-09-2014, 13:46
The Belkins are still working for me. I have never given a thought to changing wires sinceI plugged them in. And that was exactly the point of the exercise - to stop farting about with bits of wire that make miniscule differences and to go back to enjoying music again.
Dave I'm not bothered about the postage it is next to nothing anyway. PM me your address and I will put the SC in the post for you either Saturday morning or on Monday.
Chris - there is nothing I hate more than pissing about with interconnects but I had got to the point where the interconnects were the only things that were fecking everything up so I wasn't left with much choice ;)
This would explain a great deal actually, especially where the Neptune's are concerned, as my impression of them was very good using the DR5. Just goes to show how much different components can affect the soundscape, doesn't it?
This would explain a great deal actually, especially where the Neptune's are concerned, as my impression of them was very good using the DR5. Just goes to show how much different components can affect the soundscape, doesn't it?
Yes it does. My all time favourite interconnect for twenty years was the Audioquest Turquoise that served well through many integrated and pre-power systems but with the passive pre it makes the sound a little 'stodgy' and just not right.
Lots of heads scratching went on, as I said, I pretty much went through an identical process to you. At some points my gut would say 'something is wrong' but when I listened in an analytical way to try and spot what exactly the problem was I just couldn't put my finger on it. Very frustrating.
I have just switched out the generic, multi-strand ICE speaker cable in the near-field system for the Talk 3 from the big rig and as such there has been another leap in performance, things are sounding very nice now via the MA's. There is a lot of cohesion present and female voices in particular sound magnificent. The old back is a bit sore now, however when I've recovered a bit I'll put the Neptune's back in as I have a hunch ;)
Sovereign
25-09-2014, 11:52
Dave, did you try the Koltz mic cable I sent ?
Dave, did you try the Koltz mic cable I sent ?
Not yet James, one of the many jobs on my to-do list. I need a few bits from the same supplier for a couple of other projects so I intend to combine the lot and order at the beginning of next month :)
Okay, it's official, I'm in hifi heaven... Tarra...!!! :wave:
brian2957
25-09-2014, 20:38
Eh ! :scratch:
I was playing Bri as in; "This is bloody brilliant, can't be bothered to write any more, cyaz!!!" :D
istari_knight
27-09-2014, 13:59
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/istari_knight9/240726_zps675cc957.jpg
:D
For clarification purposes this is the current system configuration:
The only sources I am currently using are the Arcam CD72 and my music server. They both run into the Rega DAC; the CD72 via a good quality optical lead of indeterminate manufacture sourced from MCRU (freebie) and the server via a Profigold digi-coax lead (I forget the model but it's a good'un).
The Rega is connected to the BTE passive via a pair of Brian's excellent Klotz MC5000 based IC's and the BTE drives the Quad 306 through a set of Belkins PureAV Silver IC's. Speakers are the MA's and cables are Talk 3's. The main system is in bits just now ;)
The purpose of this exercise is to determine what will eventually end up in the main system once I have sourced some open framed speaker stands for the MA's :)
I have been playing with various types of IC's over the past couple of months, the goal being to settle on a particular cable which gives the best results in my system. It has been an interesting experiment which is close to revealing a result so watch this space ;)
I am no technical wizard - damn, I even struggle to describe what I hear to you guys so I guess I am not reviewer material either then :D I do know what I want when it comes to musical presentation though, that being a natural, unforced and texturally rich soundscape full of dynamics and I seem to have found this in spades in regards to one particular manufacturers IC's. As far as the components in my system are concerned I am reasonably happy with my current collection however I have been bumbling along until recently using a mixed bag of IC's from various manufacturers and as such I have mixed and matched them to achieve the best sound I can from what I have available.
Just under two weeks ago Macca of this parish sent me a couple of sets of NVA Soundcords to evaluate and to be brutally honest I wasn't expecting all that much from them. The plugs they are terminated with are nothing to write home about for example although the cable is quite interesting. Both sets are very short which presented me with a bit of a problem as my power amp normally resides between my speakers, well away from the rest of the equipment and a good three metres from my BTE passive. Initially I ran a single set between my Rega DAC and the BTE with slightly mixed results, however over the weekend I reorganised my kit so that I could utilise the second set between the passive and the 306.
Once everything was connected up as neatly as I could manage I nonchalantly fired up the system with pretty low expectations, these are NVA's introductory IC's after all and even Richard Dunn, NVA's owner/proprietor, states as much in his ebay listing for them and therefore they are priced accordingly. Imagine my surprise then when from out of the speakers poured the most lusciously natural soundscape I have ever heard from any system I have ever owned. Truly, I cannot find a single fault with the presentation, it is quite simply beautiful to behold. Richard Dunn is no cuddly Care Bear as many will know, in fact he has built himself a castle and seems content to let fly his trebuchets from the battlements at whomever might be passing, however from the evidence apparent here he does know a thing or two about designing excellent sounding IC's. I am now considering grabbing a couple of pairs of SSC's to see what the SC's more expensive cousins might bring to the party.
I am keen to borrow a set of Brian's MC5000 based IC's so I can repeat this experiment with these if anyone can help me out, I own a set already so I just need the single set. The MC5000/MS Audio combo work slightly better in a single run between DAC and passive therefore I'd like to complete the run between passive and power amp to determine which cable will best suit the system and my ears ;)
Some good imagery there, Dave ;) I thought you might be able to use those cables seeing as you already had the passive pre on the go. I wasn't expecting you to find them to be quite so effective, though.
Based on your experiences and my own and considering that a competent digital source is just pennies these days you can get a passive pre for say £200, a compatible power amp (QUAD seem to be a good bet) for around the same, couple of sets of SC, speakers to taste and that's it: you get a high end sound that will take the pepsi challenge against the mega-money stuff all for well under a grand. (unless you go mad with the speakers). It is food for thought.
Some good imagery there, Dave ;) I thought you might be able to use those cables seeing as you already had the passive pre on the go. I wasn't expecting you to find them to be quite so effective, though.
Based on your experiences and my own and considering that a competent digital source is just pennies these days you can get a passive pre for say £200, a compatible power amp (QUAD seem to be a good bet) for around the same, couple of sets of SC, speakers to taste and that's it: you get a high end sound that will take the pepsi challenge against the mega-money stuff all for well under a grand. (unless you go mad with the speakers). It is food for thought.
It's certainly an 'ear-opener' Martin and no mistake. A pair of SSC's have just arrived chez Marco and are now installed between the BTE and Quad. First impressions are encouraging, as if a window onto the landscape has been opened that much wider. This is turning out to be a most enjoyable and revealing experiment :)
A full loom of SSC's currently resides in the system and I've got to be honest the resulting sound is very infectious. I'm not going to get into all that bollox about sparkly highs and bass 'rolling in the deep', suffice it to say that everything just sounds right. Only one small issue remains, and that is the prickly hedgehog which is Richard Dunn. He has decided in his infinite wisdom that I am the scum of the Earth and he has threatened to cancel any order I put in via his ebay shop. So, what to do? The obvious solution would be for Mr Dunn to stop being a twonk and actually take my money, he is meant to be a businessman after all, but I don't expect that will happen. Another option would be to source and purchase the cable NVA uses in the construction of its SC's and SSC's for myself. This would be my preferred option as I could then use a plug of my choice, perhaps KLE Harmony's or MS Audio's excellent items. Does anyone know where I can source the cable in question?
Canetoad
19-10-2014, 04:10
That's a difficult question to answer if we don't know what the cable is? :scratch:
That's a difficult question to answer if we don't know what the cable is? :scratch:
I am hoping somebody does Bernie, I seem to recall that NVA is not the only company to use it in their IC's ;)
brian2957
19-10-2014, 07:09
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/231279417573?limghlpsr=true&hlpv=2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=108&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=108&ff19=0
Apparently this is them . Can't be 100% sure though .
I am no technical wizard - damn, I even struggle to describe what I hear to you guys so I guess I am not reviewer material either then :D I do know what I want when it comes to musical presentation though, that being a natural, unforced and texturally rich soundscape full of dynamics and I seem to have found this in spades in regards to one particular manufacturers IC's. As far as the components in my system are concerned I am reasonably happy with my current collection however I have been bumbling along until recently using a mixed bag of IC's from various manufacturers and as such I have mixed and matched them to achieve the best sound I can from what I have available.
Just under two weeks ago Macca of this parish sent me a couple of sets of NVA Soundcords to evaluate and to be brutally honest I wasn't expecting all that much from them. The plugs they are terminated with are nothing to write home about for example although the cable is quite interesting. Both sets are very short which presented me with a bit of a problem as my power amp normally resides between my speakers, well away from the rest of the equipment and a good three metres from my BTE passive. Initially I ran a single set between my Rega DAC and the BTE with slightly mixed results, however over the weekend I reorganised my kit so that I could utilise the second set between the passive and the 306.
Once everything was connected up as neatly as I could manage I nonchalantly fired up the system with pretty low expectations, these are NVA's introductory IC's after all and even Richard Dunn, NVA's owner/proprietor, states as much in his ebay listing for them and therefore they are priced accordingly. Imagine my surprise then when from out of the speakers poured the most lusciously natural soundscape I have ever heard from any system I have ever owned. Truly, I cannot find a single fault with the presentation, it is quite simply beautiful to behold. Richard Dunn is no cuddly Care Bear as many will know, in fact he has built himself a castle and seems content to let fly his trebuchets from the battlements at whomever might be passing, however from the evidence apparent here he does know a thing or two about designing excellent sounding IC's. I am now considering grabbing a couple of pairs of SSC's to see what the SC's more expensive cousins might bring to the party.
I am keen to borrow a set of Brian's MC5000 based IC's so I can repeat this experiment with these if anyone can help me out, I own a set already so I just need the single set. The MC5000/MS Audio combo work slightly better in a single run between DAC and passive therefore I'd like to complete the run between passive and power amp to determine which cable will best suit the system and my ears ;)
ey0wvGiAH9g
A full loom of SSC's currently resides in the system and I've got to be honest the resulting sound is very infectious. I'm not going to get into all that bollox about sparkly highs and bass 'rolling in the deep', suffice it to say that everything just sounds right. Only one small issue remains, and that is the prickly hedgehog which is Richard Dunn. He has decided in his infinite wisdom that I am the scum of the Earth and he has threatened to cancel any order I put in via his ebay shop. So, what to do? The obvious solution would be for Mr Dunn to stop being a twonk and actually take my money, he is meant to be a businessman after all, but I don't expect that will happen. Another option would be to source and purchase the cable NVA uses in the construction of its SC's and SSC's for myself. This would be my preferred option as I could then use a plug of my choice, perhaps KLE Harmony's or MS Audio's excellent items. Does anyone know where I can source the cable in question?
Hi Dave,
I've visited NVA Towers a few times lately and although I've seen drums of the cable, there's no label to identify where it comes from. All I know is what the Doc has posted, that it's (the version he uses) sourced from the US and NOT the far east I believe, for best quality cable internals. I tried to look as well and gave up. By the way, SSC isn't 'just' twin SC, there's loads of faffing about with heatshrink over the entire length of the cables, plus a woven jacket on top of that to 'finish' it off. So again, labour intensive over the stock SC, which is very simple.
I'm sure that if you put in an official order, you'd be supplied I think...
istari_knight
19-10-2014, 11:28
Time to invent an alias Dave :lol:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/231279417573?limghlpsr=true&hlpv=2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=108&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=108&ff19=0
Apparently this is them . Can't be 100% sure though .
That's double the cost of the SC and the plugs are no better either!!!!!
P.S. DON'T judge the SC plugs on appearance. I've used them with other cables now and they're really good and easy to solder up ;)
Mr Kipling
19-10-2014, 12:04
Who was that masked man?
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/10/19/8ubuzequ.jpg
Well I'll be horn-swaggled! Dave off to place an order at the NVA ranch.
Hi-Ho Silver-Plated. Awwayyyyyy…
Hi Dave,
I've visited NVA Towers a few times lately and although I've seen drums of the cable, there's no label to identify where it comes from. All I know is what the Doc has posted, that it's (the version he uses) sourced from the US and NOT the far east I believe, for best quality cable internals. I tried to look as well and gave up. By the way, SSC isn't 'just' twin SC, there's loads of faffing about with heatshrink over the entire length of the cables, plus a woven jacket on top of that to 'finish' it off. So again, labour intensive over the stock SC, which is very simple.
I'm sure that if you put in an official order, you'd be supplied I think...
I am not questioning the Doc's ability to construct a decent cable which is why I'd happily order two sets of SSC's from NVA, however the Doc has categorically stated in Elsewhere On The Web on HFS that should I put an order in he will cancel it. I take the Doc at his word so until I hear otherwise then I will continue down this route. I am not f*cking about when I write that to date these are the best sounding IC's I've installed in my system. They may not be the ultimate IC's for every application but in this system they enable it to produce such an effortless presentation that I've stopped looking at other options. If the Doc stops being intransigent and behaves like the businessman he purports to be then he will get my order today, it really is as simple as that Dave.
I've sent the Doc a PM on HFS, all I've asked for is a simple yes or no answer as to whether he will supply me.
Do you have an account on HFS? if so, why not join in. The thing I've found about the Doc is that he is to one's face the way he is online - NO two or more faces! We disagree on some things and he chews my arse off occasionally, but he usually has good reason to and I feel we've BOTH learned from the exchanges, me especially as I'm still a bit naïve about human nature even with my seventh decade lurking in the distance :eek: He's alright really, but will definitely not suffer fools gladly and it's these clever fools who then get all uppity and wind him up at every opportunity! All I can say is that it's been great being able to share so much industry experience, especially the 70's before Linn and Naim all but ruined the UK side of it. I wouldn't say we disagree about 70's audio either, as some of it was and remains really good today and 'BBC Legacy' speakers apart, we agree on most of it ;) (I love early 70's AR speakers too, but can see huge benefits in both ways of doing things...)
He's alright really, but will definitely not suffer fools gladly
Neither do I, which is why he has until 5pm to respond to my PM on HFS before I pull the trigger on the cable and ancillaries awaiting my attention elsewhere. I refuse to play his silly games Dave, he can either add to his takings for the week or not, a simple yes or no is required via PM.
Time to invent an alias Dave :lol:
Got one already, Alien Boy... :lol:
I should retire from this then, but I want to say that - PLEASE - don't turn this into a testosterone battle of wits! The cables are good as you've discovered, so are the Klotz ones as Brian makes them (my own home made sets have the screen connected at one end and I'm damned if I can hear a difference. It's easier not to use the screens I admit in this instance), but there are slight differences, if nothing like the kind of musical-involvement differences I get from changing electronic components in the system.
Such a shame that arguments start and nobody wants to back down. Life's too fuggin' short!
I should retire from this then, but I want to say that - PLEASE - don't turn this into a testosterone battle of wits! The cables are good as you've discovered, so are the Klotz ones as Brian makes them (my own home made sets have the screen connected at one end and I'm damned if I can hear a difference. It's easier not to use the screens I admit in this instance), but there are slight differences, if nothing like the kind of musical-involvement differences I get from changing electronic components in the system.
Such a shame that arguments start and nobody wants to back down. Life's too fuggin' short!
No testosterone fuelled angst here Dave, all I'm trying to do is purchase a set of cables from a vendor who sells cables, is that too much to ask? :lol:
I'm guessing Doc is chuntering away about this in his usual inimitable style on EOTW, however I refuse to read his ramblings there, he needs to reply to my PM one way or the other as time is of the essence ;)
Then place the fuggin order :lol:
Then place the fuggin order :lol:
And give him the satisfaction of refusing it? Not before he has confirmed this with me first, it's a simple matter of courtesy Dave. It won't kill him and who knows, he may even feel better about life afterwards... :D
As the excellent version of Sheryl Crows Safe & Sound from the film K-Pax draws to a close so the clock fast approaches 5pm, over to you Richard ;)
Now here's an odd thing. I have just removed the SSC's from the system and re-installed the SC's in their place, and I swear there is an improvement in SQ across the board. Time for a beer and a fag while I sit and contemplate this. Feel free to comment as I am left scratching my head :scratch:
EDIT: I'm not alone in this by the way, Jo has just commented that she had been wondering when I would put the SC's back in as the system had lost its magic since I fitted the SSC's, now she tells me... :doh:
Personally I think its the brain remembering the sound and the pleasure centre kicking in.;)
Whatever it is Grant I am left wondering whether it is worth spending nigh on 100 pounds when I've got this... :eyebrows:
It will always be a temptation .... BUY BUY BUY:eyebrows:
I bought these for the MA's a couple of days ago, just need to pick them up from Sandhurst now...
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTE1Nlg4NzM=/z/irwAAOSwr81UMn8m/$_57.JPG
walpurgis
20-10-2014, 22:27
I bought these for the MA's a couple of days ago, just need to pick them up from Sandhurst now...
Only about ten miles from me Dave. Want me to collect? I can bring them up to you in a week or two. I did say I could drop by with a certain something you were interested in. PM me.
On order: 2x5.5m terminated Van Damme HiFi Series 6mm speaker cables. I'm curious :eyebrows:
Considering all the changes which will be taking place in the system over the next few days I thought it would be just the right time to remind myself exactly where I began my second foray into audiophiledom getting on for five years ago now :eyebrows:
http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/9b2fd9f9-193f-43bb-8fcb-61b8b53635e6.jpg (http://s1019.photobucket.com/user/Sgtgrash/media/Hifi%20Stuff/9b2fd9f9-193f-43bb-8fcb-61b8b53635e6.jpg.html)
The only thing in this photo which survived to make it into the current system is the Sony MD player/recorder...
On order: 2x5.5m terminated Van Damme HiFi Series 6mm speaker cables. I'm curious :eyebrows:
The cables above turned up at ten past nine this morning and I wasted no time moving the MA's onto the tops of the Skibo's bass bins so I could install them, as it happens the bass bin enclosures are almost the same dimensions as the Custom Design stands Geoff is bringing over for me next week. First impressions straight out of the bag are a bit 'meh' tbh so fingers crossed, I'm hoping against hope that they just need a little time to settle in as they weren't cheap. Perhaps moving the MA's to a different location in the room might have some bearing on this too, time will tell... :rolleyes:
istari_knight
24-10-2014, 11:52
What were you using before the VD's ?
Mr Kipling
24-10-2014, 12:07
The stands look nicely proportioned. Do you know much about them?
What were you using before the VD's ?
2x2.5m lengths of Cable Talk Talk 3 James
The stands look nicely proportioned. Do you know much about them?
Only that they are just a few months old and the chap I bought them from (who works for Audio T in Reading) had them fabricated by Custom Designs. They cost over 400 quid, I paid £99 for them :)
istari_knight
24-10-2014, 12:19
The stands look nicely proportioned. Do you know much about them?
Sitting the MA's sitting atop the bass bins may be having a large negative influence on the sound... Always has done for me when I've placed standmounts on top of floorstanders.. Or is decoupling involved ?
I've not tried the VD hifi stuff but their 2.5mm studio cable has been in my system for around 7 years now, I disliked it initially & joined Jerry in bashing it... The main criticism IIRC was how it made everything sound dull as dishwater which is probably accurate if you're used to silver/silver plated cables accentuating the HF. I can't be arsed changing it now anyway :D
Sitting the MA's sitting atop the bass bins may be having a large negative influence on the sound... Always has done for me when I've placed standmounts on top of floorstanders.. Or is decoupling involved ?
I'm thinking along the same lines James. A large, wooden walled chamber with a hefty but dormant 8" woofer inside isn't likely to be ideal as a speaker stand. There are four urethane feet atop each enclosure to support the uppermost section of the Skibo's, the MA's are sitting on those :)
I've not tried the VD hifi stuff but their 2.5mm studio cable has been in my system for around 7 years now, I disliked it initially & joined Jerry in bashing it... The main criticism IIRC was how it made everything sound dull as dishwater which is probably accurate if you're used to silver/silver plated cables accentuating the HF. I can't be arsed changing it now anyway :D
I took a punt and just hope that they open out a bit with extended use otherwise I'm 130 odd quid out of pocket :doh:
Bought some talk 3.1 a couple of days ago non terminated. Think I paid too much but what the hey! Must get it terminated and try it.
Let us know if you go back to it Dave.
istari_knight
24-10-2014, 12:33
I took a punt and just hope that they open out a bit with extended use otherwise I'm 130 odd quid out of pocket :doh:
Yeah, give 'em a week before judging... Often the best stuff doesn't grab you right away [stuff that does becomes tedious in the long term IME !] The real test will be if/when you plumb the Cable talk back in after a while :eyebrows:
Yeah, give 'em a week before judging... Often the best stuff doesn't grab you right away [stuff that does becomes tedious in the long term IME !] The real test will be if/when you plumb the Cable talk back in after a while :eyebrows:
The Talk 3 I have here is too short James, I'd need to order two 5.5m runs or relocate the speakers back where they were, which rather negates me buying the stands as there is nowhere to site them on that side of the room unfortunately.
istari_knight
24-10-2014, 14:10
Oh bugger :(
You do like making life hard for yerself !
It's been interesting listening to the VD's gradually come on song today, there is quite a marked difference now to how they were sounding early this morning. Initially the presentation was somewhat confused and quite mellow from the mids upwards with the bass being tight and tuneful, which is a world apart from how they sound this evening. Bass is still tight and tuneful, a little more so than earlier perhaps, but from the midrange upwards things have gotten very lively indeed, a bit too lively actually to a point where I had to take some sort of action to attenuate it because presentational balance had been shifted upstairs. Had I been using a pre-amp with tone controls I'd have checked to see if the bass control had been turned down and the treble turned up, that's how marked this was. Out came the SSC's and in went the SC's which has redressed the balance. I didn't do this on a whim by the way, I've noted before that in this system the SC's offer a more balanced presentation than the SSC's. Intriguing stuff. This may change in the future as the VD's settle in but for now, at least I can listen to music without wincing. I like plenty of detail but things had become unpleasantly forensic... :stalks:
brian2957
24-10-2014, 22:41
:sofa:Cables don't burn in do they :uhho: Looks like you're in for an interesting few days Dave :eyebrows:
walpurgis
24-10-2014, 22:50
:sofa:Cables don't burn in do they :uhho: Looks like you're in for an interesting few days Dave :eyebrows:
Not in my opinion. But your ears and brain adjust and 'tune in' to system changes, giving that impression.
Not in my opinion. But your ears and brain adjust and 'tune in' to system changes, giving that impression.
+1 :D
+2 ,there's even a burn in machine available to negate those effects
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mtEs6jls-8U/Um8aQ9Dv3oI/AAAAAAABG9Q/dihBYCFbjXY/s400/requiem.png
walpurgis
24-10-2014, 23:20
+2 ,there's even a burn in machine available to negate those effects
Hang on. You've lost me a bit Paul.
If 'burn in' is not a real phenomenon, why do you need a machine to do it? :scratch:
If cable manufacturers can burn their cables in seems only fair that we can burn our brains in
even if both machines do naff all:eyebrows:
by the way I'm just back from the pub:drinking:
cheers
Paul
Not in my opinion. But your ears and brain adjust and 'tune in' to system changes, giving that impression.
Over such a short period Geoff? This was not a subtle change dude and frankly I am utterly surprised at the difference in presentation between this morning and this evening. we are not just talking about my ears or perceptions here btw. You need to read my post above Geoff ;)
Anyway, that's enough music for today, time for bed :)
Not in my opinion. But your ears and brain adjust and 'tune in' to system changes, giving that impression.
That's what I would have said up until last week. But The SSC I am using have changed in character with use, I'm almost 100% about it. Although very unlikely it could be the speaker crossover or the Cd player I suppose so I can't say for certain. But it is definitely not my ear and brain adjusting. I've never heard cable burn in before now.
As documented previously I moved the Monitor Audio R852's onto the bases of the Skibo's a few days ago and it turned out to be a terrible decision. The room acoustics (standing waves or whatnot) completely killed the presentation resulting in recessed lower mid and bass performance. I jumped the gun and attributed this to the VD cables I purchased recently but this is not the case at all, so consequently I have moved the 852's back to their previous location where they are once again performing brilliantly. The upshot of this is that I have purchased a cracking pair of stands I cannot use just now, however we will be moving house sometime over the next eighteen months therefore I shall hang on to them as I may be able to make use of them in the future.
I now have a full loom of NVA SSC's in the system and they are performing magnificently. Of all the IC's I have trialled over the past month or so it was the SSC's which just pipped this esteemed collection of cables to the finishing post in this system. I've learnt a lot about the system and my listening room as a result of this exercise so it was time well spent, mind you I am looking forward to simply sitting down to listen to music for the foreseeable :)
brian2957
28-10-2014, 14:01
Nice one Dave , glad the SSCs are doing the biz for you . All you need is a new room now matey :lol:
Please let us know how you get on with the VD speaker cable .
Nice one Dave , glad the SSCs are doing the biz for you . All you need is a new room now matey :lol:
Please let us know how you get on with the VD speaker cable .
Indeed, I could always try posting a WTD request in Private Exhibitions... :lol:
Gonna install the VD in a few minutes, will keep you posted ;)
brian2957
28-10-2014, 14:05
Indeed, I could always try posting a WTD request in Private Exhibitions... :lol:
Yup , I'm sure someone will have one just lying around :lol:
The VD HiFi Series 6mim speaker cables are now installed and one thing which is immediately apparent is a vast, three dimensional space in which the performers ply their trade, this is incredibly impressive. Bass notes have a little more solidity and depth. There is an increased sense of openness throughout the frequency range, the presentation is utterly effortless. More listening required, I'll be back later ;)
brian2957
28-10-2014, 16:11
Mmmm ! Keep it coming Dave , sounds interesting already :)
I thought you said previosuly that the VD cable was a bit dissapointing Dave?
The individual character of instruments is more apparent - Cassandra Wilson breathing on the track Deep Blue from the album Another Country can be heard for the first time - Tonal ambience is stunning, these are good cables. Oh, and I am hearing all this on tracks playing from Spotify at only 160kbps. I will move to higher resolution files and CD's in a little while, but for the moment I've not heard Spotify sound as good as this before... :stalks:
I thought you said previosuly that the VD cable was a bit dissapointing Dave?
I did, I was being a tit. The problem was down to the location of the speakers, they are now back where they were previously and the whole shebang sounds frickin' amazing... \o/
brian2957
28-10-2014, 16:36
Is this the same cable mate http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180714473389?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
I'm not sure whether to get the cables terminated like you did . I've got some good banana plugs here and it would be a shame to waste them.
Is this the same cable mate http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180714473389?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
That be it Bri but hang six good buddy, you know what I'm like with first impressions as Macca has just pointed out :lol: Mind you Jo has just commented that things sound more 'musical' so there must be something in it ;)
brian2957
28-10-2014, 16:43
:popcorn::popcorn::wave:
A slight hardness which was apparent before has gone. Please bear in mind that not only have I replaced the Talk 3 with the VD cables today but I'm also now running a full loom of SSC's rather than SC's... By the way Martin, that was a very good call ;)
Listen to this track as it is a stunning recording. Clichés be damned, the band is here in this room, the cymbals in particular sound absolutely luscious :stalks:
spotify:track:1Cy9nQCTIkKBrHx90CIgXk
but I'm also now running a full loom of SSC's rather than SC's... By the way Martin, that was a very good call ;)
Mate, since I put those things in I look forward every night to getting home and sticking some sounds on. Passive pre amps with those interconnects is a combo that is just breathtakingly good. I wish I had discovered it years ago.
Is this the same cable mate http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180714473389?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
I'm not sure whether to get the cables terminated like you did . I've got some good banana plugs here and it would be a shame to waste them.
I had them terminated for convenience sake Brian, the workmanship is excellent and the plugs ain't too shabby either :)
David Crosby and Graham Nash's self-titled album on now and again there's this sense of effortless quality to it, it just sounds so 'right'. I am so glad I spent the last month getting to grips with the cable situation, it has paid off in spades. I have to agree with Martin, if you are running a passive pre-amp you at least need to audition a full loom of NVA SSC's for yourself if what I am hearing is anything to go by. Likewise, beg steal or borrow some Van Damme HiFi Series 6mm speaker cables to trial. I can't guaranty your experience will mirror mine but you do need to at least try these cables in your system for your own peace of mind ;)
spotify:album:3lTMPNMmOqPMreAoEG2BwM
Is this the same cable mate http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180714473389?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
I'm not sure whether to get the cables terminated like you did . I've got some good banana plugs here and it would be a shame to waste them.
Good cable. I nearly bought some recently. not too dear ready made if you only need shortish runs too.
Mod request: Could one of you kindly change the title of my blog to The Daily Prattle please? The title change is dedicated to a very good friend of mine ;)
As of today I am the proud owner of a Meridian 206 CDP courtesy of Geoff (Walpurgis), it's an early Chrissy prezzie from Jo.
http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/95e80259-7e7d-4d5b-a842-9289194e18d7.jpg (http://s1019.photobucket.com/user/Sgtgrash/media/Hifi%20Stuff/95e80259-7e7d-4d5b-a842-9289194e18d7.jpg.html)
I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Geoff who not only delivered the Meridian but he also picked up and delivered the stands I bought recently from an ebay seller. Geoff and Tibby, his lovely Lurcher, arrived around 9:30 this morning and left at 3 this afternoon. We spent a cracking few hours listening to music and discussing all sorts. Geoff also brought his impressive Monarchy Audio M220 DAC (is that correct Geoff?) to the party. I want one... :drool: I did offer to look after it for him but he didn't seem all that keen to me... :lol:
It was good to meet you at last Geoff and once I'd heard the Meridian there was no way it was going back with you. Thank you so much mate, next time I'll pop down to yours for the return match... :D
How does it sound? Bloody marvellous actually. I've tried it through the Rega DAC and straight into the BTE via it's analogue outputs and I much prefer the latter configuration, especially outputting via the Sound Cords. Geoff and I tried it with several different IC's while he was here however I completely forgot about the SC's. I installed them about half an hour ago and man they are absolutely the way to go, simply stunning SQ :stalks:
walpurgis
31-10-2014, 19:36
Glad you're pleased Dave. I really enjoyed the visit, it was good to meet you. You have a nice system there. I was very impressed at the way the Quad 306 seems so well matched with the Monitor Audio speakers, nice clarity and great driver integration, with fine levels of transparency. (yeah, sorry I had to take the M22C back :))
southall-1998
31-10-2014, 19:40
Good CD Player the 206. Before Geoff, that 206 was mines.
S.
Glad you're pleased Dave. I really enjoyed the visit. You have a nice system there. I was very impressed at the way the Quad 306 seems so well matched with the Monitor Audio speakers, nice clarity and great driver integration, with fine levels of transparency. (yeah, sorry I had to take the M22C back :))
Man I wish I'd remembered the SC's while you were still here because you really need to hear this now, words fail me. I really enjoyed today, hope you had an easy trip home fella :respect:
Good CD Player the 206. Before Geoff, that 206 was mines.
S.
I congratulate you both on how well you have looked after it, it is like new :)
No doubt regular readers have noted the change of blog title, the new title is dedicated to a very special person indeed, you know who you are... :kiss:
I've conducted some listening tests using various CD's from my collection to determine whether I prefer listening via the Meridians analogue outs or as a transport into the Rega and the result is conclusive. There is an increased sense of depth and resolution when outputting directly into the pre-amp whereas through the Rega the presentation is flatter and a little less dynamic in comparison. The Meridian is currently outputting into the DAC through a digi-coax cable, however later I intend to try out an optical lead as previously, when using the Arcam as a transport, the presentation was slightly more dynamic using this style of connection.
Meridian used all manner of impedance (mis)matching when coupling their units together, according to Paul Miller, so I'm not surprised if the Rega DAC sounded flat in comparison (it shouldn't do, but I'm not surprised). I had a 207 for a while in the late 80's and liked the CD player, but not so much the overly 'stripped out' sound of the preamp it featured.
One other thing - if you have a GOOD 206, don't let it go, as Meridian changed the innards of their stuff all the time (hifi dave was constantly being asked to replace his dem stock as there'd been 'improvements' carried out every few months and this was during the life of the 206!).
The Meridian is currently outputting into the DAC through a digi-coax cable, however later I intend to try out an optical lead as previously, when using the Arcam as a transport, the presentation was slightly more dynamic using this style of connection.
In the past, when I have compared optical and coaxial methods of connection I have thought pretty much the opposite and I thought the optical was smoother but the coaxial was more dynamic.
Meridian changed the innards of their stuff all the time (hifi dave was constantly being asked to replace his dem stock as there'd been 'improvements' carried out every few months and this was during the life of the 206!).
That reminds me very much of Linn's approach to amplifier design - and very blooming irritating it was too!
That reminds me very much of Linn's approach to amplifier design - and very blooming irritating it was too!
I lost count how many times a Karik/Numerik changed in 1995 alone - was at least three from memory and not all to do with different component batches! They all sounded slightly different too :(
I have ain itch I really need to scratch... Born out of recent positive experiences listening to a couple of humble Japanese integrated amps, I want... no, I need to try out a top notch, battleship build Jap amp from the late 1970's/1980's. A few examples spring to mind: Pioneer SA-9800/8800 - Pioneer SA-9500 - Technics SU-V900 - Marantz PM7200 (bit later that one, but very good none-the-less) - Trio KA- 801
I have a Pioneer SA-410 here just now and it is a wee gem of an amp considering its modest origins. It's built like a tank and sports machined, billet aluminium knobs. Considering it was aimed at the budget market all those years ago it actually sounds bloody fantastic, comfortably outperforming all the amplification I currently own. I think my days of using separate pre/power combos are drawing to a close ;)
istari_knight
06-12-2014, 19:38
Please don't try a PM7200 Dave, your ears won't thank you ! ...Also they are more "upper budget" than "battleship" and made in China/Malaysia not Japan :D
If Marantz, seek out PM4/PM94/Maybe PM17 :thumbsup: [seriously the 7200 is naff bud.]
Please don't try a PM7200 Dave, your ears won't thank you ! ...Also they are more "upper budget" than "battleship" and made in China/Malaysia not Japan :D
If Marantz, seek out PM4/PM94/Maybe PM17 :thumbsup: [seriously the 7200 is naff bud.]
Fair enough dude, I will steer clear of the 7200 then ;)
The more I listen to this SA-410 the more I'm impressed by it, it exerts a grip on the R852's that I wouldn't have thought possible from a lowly 25wpc amp and it is as tuneful as you like. Where it does fall down is in soundstage presentation where there is little depth to the image (width is excellent however). which is a shame because otherwise I would be looking for another for myself.
istari_knight
07-12-2014, 16:24
I see silver Pioneer in your future Dave :D I always found them a bit bright with the stereotypical transistor sound but admittedly haven't tried the 410... You may have found the sweet spot.
Who knows how it would perform after being brought back up to spec ?
I see silver Pioneer in your future Dave :D I always found them a bit bright with the stereotypical transistor sound but admittedly haven't tried the 410... You may have found the sweet spot.
Who knows how it would perform after being brought back up to spec ?
The chap I bought it from sorted all that out with a service James, apparently it is in fine fettle which is born out through listening. It does sound a bit thin and bright from cold but once warmed up and on song (which takes around 20mins) it loses its hard edge completely and really settles into its stride :)
Floyddroid
07-12-2014, 17:03
Nice
I have an existing thread in The Gallery somewhere, but I neglected to subscribe to it and now I can't find it, so I've decided to begin another ... :lol: (I'll add as much info and photos as I can in stages)
I've been a music lover as long as I can remember thanks to my late father. It was he who also piqued my interest in Hi-Fi when he brought home a very expensive Marantz separates system back in the early 1970's. I remember the massive argument between him and my mother very well :eyebrows:
My adventures in Hi-Fi began around 1980 when I acquired a Rigonda Corvette TT, a Sony TA73 integrated amp and a pair of Videoton Minimax speakers. The story behind this system is documented elsewhere on the forum, so I won't repeat myself here, only to say that if anyone knows of a pair of Minimax's up for sale to PM me please as I'd love to acquire another pair.
After an extended period out of the Hi-Fi game, I rediscovered the bug again early in 2010 when I won a system on eBay for £120. This consisted of a NAD CD524, a NAD 3140 integrated amp and a pair of Mission 773's.
http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/MySystem3.jpghttp://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/Mission773sfrontgrillsoff.jpg
I added a Thorens TD316 fitted with a Linn LVX+ tonearm and Linn Basik cart fitted with an ATN95e stylus, a Cambridge Audio 540p phonostage and the vintage Sony ST73 tuner you can see in the pics. The Sony MD player I owned already. The system it came from couldn't really be defined as Hi-Fi so I haven't included it on here. All the above were picked up on eBay for the princely sum of £125.
I paid under £150 (inclusive of cabling) for that little lot Steve which made it all the sweeter. The only item there which is still in my system is the MD player :)
I've been having a play. Until earlier this evening I'd been running the Rega DAC into the Pioneer SA-410 (yes, it's still here) via a cheap as chips set of Gotham GAC-1 IC's and the whole shebang was sounding very nice indeed. About an hour ago I swapped the Gotham's out for some RFC Neptunes I once ran between my various pre & power amps. JEEPERS CREEPERS!!! Talk about taking things to another level, this is one seriously capable amplifier, truly it is. No system I have ever owned has sounded as good as this does currently. Oh, and now there is some serious 3D hoohaa going on in the soundstage. Anyone on a restrictive budget who is looking for a seriously musical, gutsy and pacey presentation need look no further. Choose the supporting components and cabling carefully and you will have a system to be proud of for a reasonably modest sum.
I spent a very pleasant afternoon and early evening around at my good friend Aaron's gaff yesterday for a bit of a listening sesh and a chinwag. It's been over two years since I was last able to get out and visit people due to ill health and not having a car, so we had a bit of catching up to do.
I have known Aaron since the early 1980's and he has always hankered after owning a decent system after listening to a few of mine through the intervening years, but circumstances always seemed to get in the way of him assembling one. Over the past year I've been helping him and his partner, Karen, put a system together and during my visit yesterday I got to hear the fruits of our labours for the very first time.
The system is comprised of a Pioneer PDS-702 stable platter CDP, a Marantz PM66SE integrated amp, Technics SJ-MD 100 mini-disk player/recorder, Pioneer F304-RDS tuner plus a pair of black KEF Q35.2 speakers. I sourced the CDP and amp from ebay on Aaron's behalf and both came in at under 50 quid, and unusually at this price, both units came with their respective remote controls. Some of the system cabling has come from my box of spares: A set of original mk1 NVA Soundpipes connect the CDP & amp together, there are a couple of sets of Monster IC's (I forget which model) in there somewhere too, plus a couple of lengths of Sharkwire speaker cable which I once ran in my system and which is an excellent sounding cable. The KEF's once belonged to me and were surplus to requirements. All the equipment is in excellent shape and sits very well on another item once belonging to me which you can see in the piccy below housing some of my gear from yesteryear (it's the rack you're looking for btw :) )
http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/fc67e463-5bbb-4201-8ff5-9fddbeb51d5e.jpg (http://s1019.photobucket.com/user/Sgtgrash/media/Hifi%20Stuff/fc67e463-5bbb-4201-8ff5-9fddbeb51d5e.jpg.html)
At a pinch the system cost a little over £150 to put together and considering the modest outlay it sounds excellent. I once owned a PM66SE myself and always found it to be a little bright sounding, the KEf's on the other hand are a little laid back at the top end so the two compliment one another well, ultimately resulting in a very engaging listen. The key to this system though is the utterly superb and very capable Pioneer PD-S702 cd player, a machine I rate up there with my own Meridian 206.
There is some very good karma going on in this system and listening to Come Away With Me, Norah Jones wonderful debut album, really illustrated its capabilities. This is a system which majors in imaging, that has much to do with the dual concentric drivers in the KEF's I suspect. Every instrument was locked tightly in its place and Miss Jones tremendous vocals just oozed emotion from every pore. The depth of field available from this system is truly impressive, bettering that from mine in some instances. Fleetwood Mac's Rumours went on next and this was propelled along with vim and vigour, I don't think my foot stopped tapping once throughout the entire album. The seminal track, The Chain, fairly bounced along and it was clearly obvious the band were very much 'in the zone' when performing it.
In conclusion this is a system I would be proud to own as it is sounds so much better than the sum of its parts might suggest, it is musical, pacey and generates a massive soundstage for the performers to exist in, what more could one ask for? :)
p.s I shall post some pics later when Aaron sends them to me :)
walpurgis
11-12-2014, 12:49
So you're mobile again then Dave. Good for you, bet that makes things a lot easier and more pleasant. :)
So you're mobile again then Dave. Good for you, bet that makes things a lot easier and more pleasant. :)
Sort of Geoff, I'm relying on the missus to drive me about just now as I need to apply for a replacement driving licence as the 'card' element of mine has gone walkies :(
My new toy, a Trio KA-801... :)
http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/Triofront.jpg (http://s1019.photobucket.com/user/Sgtgrash/media/Hifi%20Stuff/Triofront.jpg.html)
http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/a8d1e090-484e-407e-80ed-ba7832d0662e.jpg (http://s1019.photobucket.com/user/Sgtgrash/media/Hifi%20Stuff/a8d1e090-484e-407e-80ed-ba7832d0662e.jpg.html)
Firebottle
12-12-2014, 16:44
Hope it sounds as good as it looks Dave :eek:
Hope it sounds as good as it looks Dave :eek:
It does look good though, doesn't it? :) I 'ave it on good authority that it's rather nifty at carrying a tune... :band:
The innards...
http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/b0f04ce0-964c-4364-b854-7a4df6952746.jpg (http://s1019.photobucket.com/user/Sgtgrash/media/Hifi%20Stuff/b0f04ce0-964c-4364-b854-7a4df6952746.jpg.html)
southall-1998
12-12-2014, 17:19
I've always admired the innards from those 70's amps. Puts a lot of modern offerings to shame!!
S.
Lovely looking amp and it looks to be in great condition.
Lovely looking amp and it looks to be in great condition.
Thanks Paul :)
The plan is to have it returned to original condition. For example the toggle switch sleeves are not original (the Trio items are machined from billet aluminium and are flat paddle types), however I'm not going to be anal about it, the replacements don't look too bad at all ;)
You're right. The replacements are most acceptable. TBH if you hadn't have mentioned it, I wouldn't have noticed.
Well, the Trio is home and in the system, It is still warming up yet already it is demonstrating its qualities. I'm not going to write an awful lot about it just yet, both it and me need time to acclimatise, first impressions are very promising however :)
istari_knight
14-12-2014, 21:51
:yesbruv:
The good news James is that the chap I got it from has had several 701's and a couple of 801's and he is pretty sure he has a full set of the correct toggle switch sleeves he can send me, which is very good news.
Now the Trio has had a couple of hours to warm up it is really strutting its stuff, man this thing is so revealing, although not in an unpleasant way. It'll sure as hell let you know if a recording isn't up to par though. I will have to invest in some Rothwell attenuators as it becomes unbearably loud past the 9 o'clock position, I have the volume set to half mast on the PC to compensate. I note the Meridian's output can be varied via its remote when hooked up via its analogue outputs, so I'm covered for the moment.
Hi Dave
Seems you have some sort of Seventies amp revivalist meeting going on down here. ;) Not that I'm objecting but I am interested. I did a fair few of the decent Seventies integrated amps back in the Nineties and whilst they had things to offer I didn't really think they were anything special. Have you found some sort of secret that brings out the best in them? If so what is it?
Fooked if I know Martin but my ears ain't lying, there are some fabulous sounds comin' outta the speakers just now and frankly my friend I'm lovin' it, lovin' it, lovin' it!!! :D
brian2957
14-12-2014, 23:01
Dave , by adjusting the volume on the meridian you are effectively attenuating the output . So no need for seperate attenuators which can kill the sound . Just adjust the volume out of the Meridian incrementally until you hit the ' sweet spot ' . Take note of where that is on the Meridian then control the volume using the amp . No need for attenuators . I would do the same with the digital control on the computer and forget about the attenuators .
+1. Attenuators cause more problems than they cure.
Loving the VU meters, dude! Enjoy ya choonz :)
Marco.
Dave , by adjusting the volume on the meridian you are effectively attenuating the output . So no need for seperate attenuators which can kill the sound . Just adjust the volume out of the Meridian incrementally until you hit the ' sweet spot ' . Take note of where that is on the Meridian then control the volume using the amp . No need for attenuators . I would do the same with the digital control on the computer and forget about the attenuators .
That's what I intend to do with the Meridian Brian, and I have already done so on the 'puter ;) It does mean I won't be able to run the Meridian through the DAC but hey ho, it sounds just as good singing solo... :lol:
I'm renaming the Trio: From now on it will be known as Evander Holyfield coz it's a big friggin' bruiser :stalks: :lol:
brian2957
14-12-2014, 23:15
Nice one Dave , glad the amp is hitting the spot . Seriously though , attenuators are a very last resort buddy .
Nice one Dave , glad the amp is hitting the spot . Seriously though , attenuators are a very last resort buddy .
As good as the BTE/306 combo is, the Trio shows it a very clean pair of heals (clean being the operative word), I reckon I understand why you like your big 770ES so much now ;)
walpurgis
14-12-2014, 23:26
The '01 series Trio amps were highly regarded when they came out Dave. I've always fancied one, but not got my hands on one yet. One day maybe (or a big Luxman/Sansui).
The '01 series Trio amps were highly regarded when they came out Dave. I've always fancied one, but not got my hands on one yet. One day maybe (or a big Luxman/Sansui).
Thank you Geoff :) I have to say I am absolutely stoked as it it offers a huge step up in SQ from my previous amplification. It will be leaving me again shortly as I am sending it to James (Istari Knight) for a complete service and MOT so I am confident it will perform even better when it returns ;)
walpurgis
14-12-2014, 23:40
That is a real Japanese 'Classic' and not to be parted with, one of the best sounding integrateds about at the time and still a class act now. I may even be able to find a review or brochure somewhere. I'll have a look. :)
That is a real Japanese 'Classic' and not to be parted with, one of the best sounding integrateds about at the time and still a class act now. I may even be able to find a review or brochure somewhere. I'll have a look. :)
That would be fantastic Geoff, thank you so much ;)
Nice one Dave , glad the amp is hitting the spot . Seriously though , attenuators are a very last resort buddy .
It is looking as if attenuators are on the cards after all, the volume buttons on the 206 remote do not adjust the output :doh:
brian2957
15-12-2014, 09:26
Can you not use the little BTE passive Dave ?
Can you not use the little BTE passive Dave ?
I could give that a go, I'll try it a little later as I am all aches and pains after yesterdays trip... :wheniwasaboy:
Have you tried using the attenuator switch on the front panel? The default position on my amp is -15db which I use for the dac and tuner. For the turntable I use 0db of attenuation.
Have you tried using the attenuator switch on the front panel? The default position on my amp is -15db which I use for the dac and tuner. For the turntable I use 0db of attenuation.
Isn't that kinda like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted Paul? :scratch:
Isn't that kinda like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted Paul? :scratch:
As far as I can tell Dave, using the attenuator switch has no impact on sq. My switch is 3 way with the central default position being -15db, Up gives 0db and down -30db of attenuation. At the time of purchase I did some reading about this on the Kenwood/Trio forum on Audiokarma and, IIRC, most people use the default position (-15db), the claim being it was designed to be used in this way.
As far as I can tell Dave, using the attenuator switch has no impact on sq. My switch is 3 way with the central default position being -15db, Up gives 0db and down -30db of attenuation. At the time of purchase I did some reading about this on Audiokarma and, IIRC, most people use the default position (-15db), the claim being it was designed to be used in this way.
I'll try that as well then although I'm stuck with default or -20db :eyebrows:
You may as well try it at -20db and see how it sounds. Nothing to lose.
You may as well try it at -20db and see how it sounds. Nothing to lose.
I'll give it a go Paul and we'll see how I get on with it ;)
The Trio has been in my system now for a little over 80 hours and it took around 36 of those to really come on song as it hadn't been in use for quite a while before that. In light of the above it is perhaps time to write a few words about how it is faring in the system, and to that end it is faring very well indeed. There are those who would contend that amplifiers cannot and do not affect the overall sound of a system, to which I would reply; Balderdash!!!
The BTE/Quad 306 pre/power combo I ran previously has great merit and they have both served me well for a goodly while now, however the KA-801 is in an entirely different league, in fact I'd go as far to state that the Trio is the first truly high end amp I have owned in SQ terms. I could prattle on about this, that and the other but to be honest you've heard it all before one hundred and one times on various threads, including this one. Suffice it to say that the extras this amplifier brings to the table exist across the board, despite the fact that no service engineer has been inside the beast since it left the factory nearly thirty six years ago.
Sometime in January I will be shipping the Trio to James (Istari Knight) who has kindly offered to completely refurbish it for me, both inside and out, and frankly that has me all a'flutter as it sounds bloody marvellous in its current state of tune, therefore I can only imagine how it will perform once James has worked his magic on it... :respect:
tubehunter
18-12-2014, 14:03
Yes these are very nice amps, detailed and punchy.
I had a KA7100 awhile back, picked it up very cheaply as the output protection relays were dirty, a quick clean and good as new.
I also made some White Oak cheeks for it, looked great.
http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t350/halx00/small_zpsb8aa1591.jpg (http://s514.photobucket.com/user/halx00/media/small_zpsb8aa1591.jpg.html)
Yes these are very nice amps, detailed and punchy.
I had a KA7100 awhile back, picked it up very cheaply as the output protection relays were dirty, a quick clean and good as new.
I also made some White Oak cheeks for it, looked great.
http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t350/halx00/small_zpsb8aa1591.jpg (http://s514.photobucket.com/user/halx00/media/small_zpsb8aa1591.jpg.html)
Oh my that is a lovely amp, the white oak cheeks really enhance the aesthetics too. Duncaaaan??? :D
Trio did some mid 70's models with a champagne gold finish and big knurled volume control. these were very sweet too as I remember, but maybe lower down in the range?
I've not had too much to say on the forum of late for two reasons: One is that I have never been so happy with my system as I am right now, it sounds very sweet indeed and so I have been listening to lots of music, the second is that I have got back into online gaming.
A couple of weeks ago a friend highly recommended an MMO called Eldevin to me so after two grind free years I decided to give it a shot and now I'm hooked. For those who enjoy farting around in virtual worlds, Eldevin appears to have been developed by people who actually care about and play MMO's, and from the neat little in-game touches I'm guessing they've played all the well known suspects and more besides. A lot of thought and care has been lavished on this browser based game and frankly it is the best example of its ilk I have ever played, beating many a dedicated title in actual fact. There are aspects of WoW, Runescape, Anarchy Online, League Of Legends, etc, etc, contained within. The skills system is solid and extensive, there are thousands of quests to do which to date have neither been repetitive nor boring and the games storyline is epic and reads more like a good fantasy novel. Eldevin can be played for free or you can stump up £4.99 a month and reap all the benefits a paid account delivers. The website can be found here (https://www.eldevin.com/) if you fancy giving it a go ;)
http://www11.onrpg.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/EldevinMassiveUpdate.jpg
The Skibo's have finally departed for pastures new, in fact they now reside in my friend Aaron's system, his partner bought them from me for his birthday. He is very happy with them as is his missus, which is half the battle won. They are currently working on a solution to deter their cats from using them as scratching posts :)
I am toying with the idea of keeping the DM2's as both myself and Jo are reluctant to part with them. One of the Coles tweeters needs replacing however I have destroyed three of the damned things to date therefore I am reluctant to do the work myself as the drivers are not cheap and my confidence has taken a bit of a knock... :rolleyes:
I have decided to provisionally dip my toe back in the water after the unpleasantness of a few months ago, which led to me upping sticks. I'd just like to state that Geoff (Walpurgis) is a thoroughly decent chap. I had a nice chat on the phone with the gentleman concerned a couple of days ago and as is our wont, the conversation soon turned to ..... aircraft. Yup, Geoff and I share a passion for old flying machines. Hifi? Dunno what all the fuss is about... :)
wiicrackpot
28-07-2015, 10:39
Hi Dave, you and Geoff are tops, two of the few i have time for in here, :cool:
sometimes it's good to step away and look at it from a different perspective and come back reborn. :D
Ditto regarding the hifi bit, as long as its reliable and sounds decent plus gives me enjoyment, i don't get too hung up about it.
Hi Dave, you and Geoff are tops, two of the few i have time for in here, :cool:
sometimes it's good to step away and look at it from a different perspective and come back reborn. :D
Thanks buddy, although I very much doubt I'll survive here for long, I'm still fuming over the appalling treatment metered out to James (Istari Knight) by 'his-nibs'. There are members I've missed interacting with here and you are one of them ;)
Ali Tait
28-07-2015, 11:10
Hi Dave, nice to see you around again. :-)
...as for my system, there's not much to report really as very little has changed. I built myself a new music server which is performing well above expectations, and which ably demonstrates just how far things have moved on since my previous build. I listen almost exclusively to file based audio via Foobar these days as I find it offers the best sound reproduction via this system by a country mile.
Hi Dave
Good to see you back but please leave the past in the past - James recieved a public apology, if that was not enough for him then there it is. No more discussion of this, please.
Thanks buddy, although I very much doubt I'll survive here for long, I'm still fuming over the appalling treatment metered out to James (Istari Knight) by 'his-nibs'. There are members I've missed interacting with here and you are one of them ;)
It's good to have you back, Dave, but not if the only reason for your return is to rake over old coals, so please knock that on the head. Any further references to what's happened in the past will be removed without further warning.
If you're to post here, it MUST be for positive reasons only, and to talk about hi-fi and music.
Marco.
Hi Dave, nice to see you around again. :-)
Thanks Ali, bit weird to be back TBH. I can almost hear the frenetic 'tippety-tapping' of keyboards elsewhere as speculation about my return abounds. They'll be very wrong as usual... :cool:
brian2957
28-07-2015, 11:43
Ello mate . nice to see you back :)
And it's 'meted out' not 'metered out', unless you work for the leccy board!
Ali Tait
28-07-2015, 11:51
Who gives a flying ferk what they think, wouldn't worry about it Dave.
Firebottle
28-07-2015, 12:07
Good to see you here again Dave, always enjoyed your postings :thumbsup:
Thanks Ali, bit weird to be back TBH. I can almost hear the frenetic 'tippety-tapping' of keyboards elsewhere as speculation about my return abounds. They'll be very wrong as usual... :cool:
now, now: think positive :lol::rfl:
Floyddroid
28-07-2015, 12:31
I have no idea what happened, neither do i need to know. Thought i hadn't seen any posts by you for a while and it's good to see you back good sir. You always seemed to answer my posts in a positive manner. BTW, I am a Messerschmitt BF109E fan. Welcome back.
Gordon Steadman
28-07-2015, 12:46
Hi Dave,
Welcome back.
Gordon Steadman
28-07-2015, 12:49
I have know idea what happened, neither do i need to know. Thought i hadn't seen any posts by you for a while and it's good to see you back good sir. You always seemed to answer my posts in a positive manner. BTW, I am a Messerschmidt 109E fan. Welcome back.
Hmmm....not nearly as pretty as a Spit but OK in a blunt Germanic sort of way I guess. I make weather planes (vanes) but haven't done a 109 yet. Might have a play but a Lancaster comes first, four props whirring in the wind:rolleyes:
Canetoad
29-07-2015, 09:06
Hi Dave. :)
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