Hello from Cape Town !

[Ari]

I am a 46 year old reborn stereo audio enthusiast . In my early 20's I owned an entry-level NAD Integrated/CD Player/Turntable combo with AR bookshelves . After a couple of years I found myself to be broke and sold said bits of equipment :doh: , and for years afterwards went the economy route of my desktop with on-board sound to affordable 2.1 active speaker systems ( Creative , Microlab et al ) . For years I believed this to be the way to go , and probably couldn't afford anything better , being a struggling shoemaker . Then , 10 years ago I accidentally landed a job as a props fabricator in the film industry . My newly found liquidity first went the way of high-end motherboards , graphics cards ,cpu's and water-cooling systems . I then started wondering about good sound again .

I started off with a Rotel RA-985BX integrated amp , and 500 series B&W 570 and some cheap cd player ( all 2nd hand ) . Shortly afterwards I went to look at a Lenco L75 I intended buying , only to find a Thorens TD125 Mk2 with SME 3009 S2 Imp tonearm . Now here is an item I've been dreaming about for years . From there on , I've been through loads of different amplifiers , pre-amps , cd players , turntables , phono stages and tonearms . Mostly 2nd hand components that I try to move on , so-as to enjoy and discover another piece .

Currently , some of the favourite pieces :

Hypex uCD400HG w HXR monoblocks

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/t31.0-8/11143304_10153566007142193_7974199084907989304_o.j pg

Electrocompaniet EC4.6 ( pic from the web )

http://img.aussieaudiomart.com/uploads/large/669034-electrocompaniet_ec46_fully_balanced_preamplifier. jpg

Mullard 5-20 refurbished to Claus Byrich specs

http://i1371.photobucket.com/albums/ag292/curlycat77/MonoL_zpsab34099c.jpg

I like all genre's of music , I come from an Indie back ground : Sonic Youth , Husker Du , Butthole Surfers , Pixies , Minutemen , Firehose .

These days I listen to Jazz , Classical , Electro and even some Pop . :)

Recently I've been listening to :

The Pat Metheny Group - Tap - Book of Angels
The Flaming Lips - The Terror
A Perfect Circle - Thirteenth Step
Robert Rich - Seven Veils
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
The Delines - Colfax

[r100]

Hi Ari, I really enjoyed reading through your story :) !!
all the best and a big welcome

ru

[Ari]

Hi Ari, I really enjoyed reading through your story :) !!
all the best and a big welcome

ru

Thanks for the warm welcome R100 . I've been perusing this forum a couple of years now , and have wanted to join , but always got kicked out by the registration process . Last night I decided to email Marco , who helped me spell " Compact Disc " with a "c " instead of a " k " . So , finally , I've registered . :D

[r100]

:lol: shiiit happens

btw. I had a pair of UCD amps as well. I think they where the 180s with the regulators. Where did u get those chassis ? they look perfect for the UCD's.

[Ari]

:lol: shiiit happens

btw. I had a pair of UCD amps as well. I think they where the 180s with the regulators. Where did u get those chassis ? they look perfect for the UCD's.

Local EE , John Gilmore put the amps together , he has the chassis made up by a business in Cape Town , I think . Solid state amps that I've built , I sourced solidly built chassis from http://www.vt4c.com . It's probably worth getting a couple of orders together with like minded friends to share shipping costs . Or order 4 chassis for yourself at a time . :rolleyes:

http://www.vt4c.com/shop/program/main.php?cat_id=1&group_id=2

The "Dunn Mei Audio" text can be wiped off with isopropyl alcohol .:cool:

[Macca]

Welcome to AoS, Ari

We like some of the same music; similar age, I guess.

[Ari]

Welcome to AoS, Ari

We like some of the same music; similar age, I guess.

Howdy Martin - thanks for the welcoming ! Which were the artists you like ?

In South Africa , only a very small percentage of people would recognise any of the artists/bands I mention . People's taste here are mostly media ( radio/television ) driven . Not too many different stations at that .

[Macca]

Pixies, Flaming Lips, Pat Metheney

Was playing some Flaming Lips the other night when a mate came round; he says: 'What's this? It's a bit easy listening isn't it?'

Flaming Lips and easy listening not things I've ever heard uttered in the same sentence before.

[Ari]

Pixies, Flaming Lips, Pat Metheney

Was playing some Flaming Lips the other night when a mate came round; he says: 'What's this? It's a bit easy listening isn't it?'

Flaming Lips and easy listening not things I've ever heard uttered in the same sentence before.

Hardcore friend hey ? :fingers:

Yeah , I love The Flaming Lips and their quirky sense of humour . Unbelievably I only got to hear of them first in 2008 , "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" was my intro , I like a bit of jarring hardcore .... so I can get into " Heady Fwiends " , " The Terror " and such . I think that even Steve Albini would be impressed .

The Pat Methany Groups - " Tap - Book of Angels " is awesomely beautiful , ex-cel-lent !

[Macca]

I will check out the Pat Metheney, not bought one of his for many years.

[walpurgis]

Hi Ari. Welcome from me too.

That's some interesting equipment you have. What speakers are you using?

There's a Gallery section if you'd like to start a blog with photos, they'll be appreciated.


Enjoy the forum,
Geoff.

[Ari]

Hi Ari. Welcome from me too.

That's some interesting equipment you have. What speakers are you using?

There's a Gallery section if you'd like to start a blog with photos, they'll be appreciated.


Enjoy the forum,
Geoff.

Hi Geoff - Thank you kindly for the welcoming .

I started wondering about your forum name and googled images for " Walpurgis " . Wow ! Some of the most becoming imagery I've come across in ages . Nevermind St. Walpurgis .... Walpurgisnacht is the way .

http://www.pogues.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=10841

http://jillsommer.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/walpurgisnacht.jpg

Talking about speakers seem to pale in comparison to Walpurgisnacht , but what would it be without music . ;) :lol:

I still own 2 pairs of manufacturer speakers , and have discovered the joy of rather building your own . The 2 pairs I own are both B&W's : a pair of DM12's that I will never part with ; and a pair of immaculate DM603 S3's which I may move along soon for the right money .

I've spent many hours drooling at the drivers on the Madisound site , but most of what I want seems waaay beyond my means , with the South African currency being what it is . When I was a child the Rand was worth more than a pound or dollar , now-a-days it is R15 to the dollar and R22 to the pound . Not to mention shipping to the far end of Africa , and then duties . So I buy 2nd hand drivers from the hey-day of South Africa and , mostly , manage to cobble together something that sounds a helluva lot better than a lot of rands can buy .

My speakers at home presently are a weird concoction consisting of ( per side ) :

Seas Prestige H1280-06 22TFF tweeter

https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/images/products/preview/h1280-06.jpg

Zaph Audio ZA14W08 5" Aluminum Cone Mid/Woofer

https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/images/products/preview/za14w08.jpg

and Focal Polyglass 33 V1 13" 4-ohm sub

http://images.crutchfieldonline.com/ImageHandler/trim/555/312/products/2009/03/091/h09133V1-F_MT.jpeg

The tweeter and mid are in a well-damped and braced 60L sealed enclosure with a cheap generic 2-way crossover ( @ 2500Hz ) , I hate piercing highs , so I have a -6 db L-pad on the tweeter . The sub is lying face-up , unmounted on 2 soft wooden struts with a low-pass filter (120hz) coming from the 2-way input . Yes - Ugly as hell - but the sound is absolutely sublime . Good 3 dimensional imaging , absolute clarity and realism and surprisingly easy to drive . Obviously the Hypex or one of my beast DIY Class AB's wouldn't have a problem driving this or almost any load , but I'm also able to drive them with the Byrith spec Mullard 5-20 ( more like 30W than 20W when built to Claus Byrith specs ) . http://www.lundahl.se/old-fasioned-30w-push-pull-amplifier/

I've already cut the 1"MDF to build the drivers into this :

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh250/fredeb777/OB2.jpg

Here's a very quick drawing of the initial concept :

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh250/fredeb777/Open%20Baffles.jpg

[struth]

Yes Geoff is a crazed god:D

Welcome aboard Ari... Hope you enjoy the forum

[walpurgis]

Yes Geoff is a crazed god:D

Less of the 'crazed' sonny jim........just god will do. ;)

[walpurgis]

The speakers look an interesting project Ari. The Zaph Audio unit is virtually a full range driver on its own,

[Ari]

Yes Geoff is a crazed god:D

Welcome aboard Ari... Hope you enjoy the forum

Thanks Grant , I couldn't feel more welcome .


The speakers look an interesting project Ari. The Zaph Audio unit is virtually a full range driver on its own,

Yes , I first listened without the Focal sub , and the sound was very good for a sealed enclosure . Of course a ported , transmission line or back-loaded horn type design would extend the low end , but the effect of adding the Focal is simply astonishing . I first listened to a CD version of Leonard Cohen's " The Future " before and after adding the subs , and the sense of presence is so radical , I couldn't believe it could make such a difference with vocals .

I have heard some amazing full-rangers and back loaded horn designs with various Fostex , Mark Audio , Tannoy , Lowther and Goodman drivers . Really impressive sound and I guess it's hard to come close to that kind of phase alignment throughout the range . The thing that I keep wondering about is whether or not the low end is an accurate portrayal of the original recording as the low frequencies are a resonance of the slightly higher lows . I also suppose that if it sounds good , that probably doesn't matter . It depends what one wants , or is satisfied with ; horses for the courses as it were . Also , the larger full-rangers or dual concentrics probably handle the real lows pretty well .

I still have a pair of Seas Prestige FA22RCZ's in the cupboard , and I purchased the Zen Open Baffle plans from the Decware site , so maybe after my current open baffle , I'll give that a go .

Check these measurements with the Seas in a ZOB .

source : http://www.decware.com/cgi-bin/yabb22/YaBB.pl?num=1386589985

http://www.berlins.fi/zob/ZOB_measure_2_2014-08-20_web.JPG

To quote Kimmpe :
" the blue line was measured ~1m in front of the speaker
the red line 15 degrees off axis
the green line 30 degrees off axis."

[Spectral Morn]

Welcome to AoS :cool:

[Ari]

Hallo Niel . :cool: