Beechwoods' Den - November 2010

[Beechwoods]

I have made some significant changes to my listening space in recent months, which won't be too apparent in the pictures, but which have freed some of the latent potential in my system, without any investment in audio gear... given the changes I've made it's hardly a surprise, but it's worth sharing some pictures in the name of keeping my gallery postings up to date!

This is where I started, in Sept. 2008: http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1128
This was how it was in April 2010: http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=5931

Here's a reminder of how it looked in April 2010. The storage between the speakers lasted about a day... as my esteemed company here pointed out straight off, anything between the speakers is going to be a big spoiler. The big thing though was how my dual purpose room, with a desk and computer on the side opposite the speakers, which I would sit in front of when listening, was compromising the performance of the whole system.

http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/beechwoods_den/beechwoodsden_201004_01-1.jpg http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/beechwoods_den/IMG_3241_s-1.jpg

Not to mention being extremely messy and bad for the listening mood, it pushed the listening spot too far into the room, and meant there was no space for a comfortable listening seat, and no place for two to listen in comfort.

I needed to get rid of the big desk, downsize the computer system, get rid of the excess storage, and build the room around a more singular purpose... decent playback, and listening comfort.

The desk was replaced by a small sofa from IKEA. My old G5 PowerMac, which was a behemoth, was replaced by a MacMini. Hard drives were rationalised and put away when not in use. Same with the accessories that tended not to get used regularly. I put around 600 CD's that wouldn't go in my main CD shelving into underbed storage. Working out which 600 to send downstairs took a week!

Here's the result...

http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/beechwoods_den/CIMG0704_s.jpg

http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/beechwoods_den/CIMG0693_s.jpg

http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/beechwoods_den/CIMG0696_s.jpg

http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/beechwoods_den/CIMG0703_s.jpg

After a lot of experimentation my speakers were moved back about a foot, and set slightly wider. Suddenly the clarity of the bass snapped into focus. To be honest I was pretty shocked at the dramatic change this made to the bottom end. I feel like the JR149's are really delivering on their promise now.

The cushions behind are simple room treatments... :)

I've also been able to play a bit with 4-channel playback. I have a number of old Quad transfers on DVD-A / DVD-V audio, and getting hold of an unreleased 24/96 discrete Quad mix of Laura Nyro's 'Eli And The Thirteenth Confession' was the deciding factor. I had to hear it!

I pulled out my old Harman Kardon amp, and a pair of Mrs B's Gale bookshelf speakers I'd been holding on to for a kids system sometime in the future. You can see these on the back of the sofa in the pictures. The HK amp is plugged in to the rear channel on my Sony DVP-NS700V SACD player. The Quad 33/303 amp and JR149's handle the front, and levels are matched manually. For such a minimalist 4 channel setup this sounds great - proper size rear speakers sound so much better than those tiny satellite speakers you often see, and if the tonality of the front and rear speakers isn't perfectly matched, it doesn't come through in the listening. The listening position for 4-channel playback is forward versus listening to stereo stuff. Quad mixes from the glorious 70's are best listened to cross-legged on the floor, IMHO :)

I've now also been able to hear Byrdmaniax and Kraftwerk's Autobahn in quad... and there are a few other classic mixes I'm on the search for. I already have all Floyd's quad mixes, and the Tubular Bells multichannel SACD.

Anyway, changing my room round has opened new vistas for me. While the shape of the room I have will always have its issues (the low, sloping ceilings in particular) I really think it's starting to sing, and that means a lot more listening and lot more enjoyment!

[Alex_UK]

Excellent Nick, having rearranged my living room to accommodate non-compromised speaker positioning I can well imagine the improvements you will have made to the sound, and the room definitely looks a lot cosier and comfier than it did before. Especially love the Gruffalo "room treatment" - I'm sure those purple prickles will make a big improvement to the sound! ;)

[DSJR]

What a wonderful collection of gear you have. I'd love another reel-to-reel, but have nowhere to display it and absolutely no use for one now...

[Beechwoods]

The Gruffalo definitely helps absorb some of those unwanted room modes Alex!

Thanks for your comments as well, Dave. I must admit that I'm pretty much done collecting now… I'm in the 'listening' phase - and I'm out of space! I've already had to relegate my 8-tracks and one of my early CDPs to storage. My CR81D would definitely be out if I could find somewhere / someone to service it…

[Spectral Morn]

Very nice Nick...very nice :)



Regards D S D L

[John]

Its always good to re-arrange and see what happens just done the same myself to a small degree
Room layout really makes a difference

[Rare Bird]

Nice JR149's there nick yum yum

[Beechwoods]

They sound great Andr'e. I'm well chuffed with them, and they look cool too! When I first heard a pair I was surprised at the sound that could come from a pair of small speakers. I'd like to find some more attractive stands though! The Atacama's work well but aren't the best looking. I got them for £15 though, so shouldn't complain!

[Rare Bird]

They sound great Andr'e. I'm well chuffed with them, and they look cool too! When I first heard a pair I was surprised at the sound that could come from a pair of small speakers. I'd like to find some more attractive stands though! The Atacama's work well but aren't the best looking. I got them for £15 though, so shouldn't complain!

Do you fancy a pair of 'JR150'? Not kef units in those but Audax..still sound good.

I love 'JR149' wish i'd still got mine.Been scratching my head where i've seen a pair of round stands for em i just can't think.

[Beechwoods]

I wouldn't mind hearing a pair of JR150's... they're beefier than the 149's, but I think the size would be a problem for me in my room :( I know that Jerry (Jandl) rates the 150's over the 149's, but I'm well happy with mine. Do have a pair of 150's Andr'e?

[Marco]

The Gruffalo definitely helps absorb some of those unwanted room nodes Alex!


What's a Gruffalo? That little stuffed toy thing? :scratch:

Anyway, your room's looking great, Nick.

"Den" is an appropriate word, as it looks like a veritable cosy little haven to listen to lots of music in, and on some varied and superb equipment, too! :cool:

Marco.

[Beechwoods]

Indeedy ;)

http://www.gruffalotoy.co.uk/res/img/gruffalo-toy.gif

[Alex_UK]

What's a Gruffalo? That little stuffed toy thing? :scratch:

Indeedy - a classic children's book (http://www.gruffalo.com/) - kids love it! My little 'un loves her (smaller) stuffed Gruffalo, and her Gruffalo PJ's - bet Nick's got them too! ;)

[Marco]

Aha - cheers, dudes! That'll be why I've never heard of it, as I'm not in the kiddie clan :)

It seems good, though, for sound absorption! Does it fly? :eyebrows:

Marco

[Rare Bird]

I wouldn't mind hearing a pair of JR150's... they're beefier than the 149's, but I think the size would be a problem for me in my room :( I know that Jerry (Jandl) rates the 150's over the 149's, but I'm well happy with mine. Do have a pair of 150's Andr'e?

Never owned any heard a pair on two occasions long time ago, very nice, they wouldnt take anymore room up there only a bit larger diameter & obviously taller..I do too prefer the 'JR150' over the 'JR149' as i'm not a fan of Kef units anyway.Although i do rate the 'JR149' over the 'LS3/5a'.

[Barry]

I have made some significant changes to my listening space in recent months, which won't be too apparent in the pictures, but which have freed some of the latent potential in my system, without any investment in audio gear... given the changes I've made it's hardly a surprise, but it's worth sharing some pictures in the name of keeping my gallery postings up to date!

This is where I started, in Sept. 2008: http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1128
This was how it was in April 2010: http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=5931

Here's a reminder of how it looked in April 2010. The storage between the speakers lasted about a day... as my esteemed company here pointed out straight off, anything between the speakers is going to be a big spoiler. The big thing though was how my dual purpose room, with a desk and computer on the side opposite the speakers, which I would sit in front of when listening, was compromising the performance of the whole system.

http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/beechwoods_den/beechwoodsden_201004_01-1.jpg http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/beechwoods_den/IMG_3241_s-1.jpg

Not to mention being extremely messy and bad for the listening mood, it pushed the listening spot too far into the room, and meant there was no space for a comfortable listening seat, and no place for two to listen in comfort.

I needed to get rid of the big desk, downsize the computer system, get rid of the excess storage, and build the room around a more singular purpose... decent playback, and listening comfort.

The desk was replaced by a small sofa from IKEA. My old G5 PowerMac, which was a behemoth, was replaced by a MacMini. Hard drives were rationalised and put away when not in use. Same with the accessories that tended not to get used regularly. I put around 600 CD's that wouldn't go in my main CD shelving into underbed storage. Working out which 600 to send downstairs took a week!

Here's the result...

http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/beechwoods_den/CIMG0704_s.jpg

http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/beechwoods_den/CIMG0693_s.jpg

http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/beechwoods_den/CIMG0696_s.jpg

http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/beechwoods_den/CIMG0703_s.jpg

After a lot of experimentation my speakers were moved back about a foot, and set slightly wider. Suddenly the clarity of the bass snapped into focus. To be honest I was pretty shocked at the dramatic change this made to the bottom end. I feel like the JR149's are really delivering on their promise now.

The cushions behind are simple room treatments... :)

I've also been able to play a bit with 4-channel playback. I have a number of old Quad transfers on DVD-A / DVD-V audio, and getting hold of an unreleased 24/96 discrete Quad mix of Laura Nyro's 'Eli And The Thirteenth Confession' was the deciding factor. I had to hear it!

I pulled out my old Harman Kardon amp, and a pair of Mrs B's Gale bookshelf speakers I'd been holding on to for a kids system sometime in the future. You can see these on the back of the sofa in the pictures. The HK amp is plugged in to the rear channel on my Sony DVP-NS700V SACD player. The Quad 33/303 amp and JR149's handle the front, and levels are matched manually. For such a minimalist 4 channel setup this sounds great - proper size rear speakers sound so much better than those tiny satellite speakers you often see, and if the tonality of the front and rear speakers isn't perfectly matched, it doesn't come through in the listening. The listening position for 4-channel playback is forward versus listening to stereo stuff. Quad mixes from the glorious 70's are best listened to cross-legged on the floor, IMHO :)

I've now also been able to hear Byrdmaniax and Kraftwerk's Autobahn in quad... and there are a few other classic mixes I'm on the search for. I already have all Floyd's quad mixes, and the Tubular Bells multichannel SACD.

Anyway, changing my room round has opened new vistas for me. While the shape of the room I have will always have its issues (the low, sloping ceilings in particular) I really think it's starting to sing, and that means a lot more listening and lot more enjoyment!

Wot no Uher 4400 ?

Regards

Barry

[Alex_UK]

Hi Barry - have you been on holiday? (Somebody missed you! ;))

[Beechwoods]

It's there Barry, behind the right speaker, second big picture down in front of the Tandberg! You can just see it's little front grille peeking out :)

[Marco]

Hi Barry - have you been on holiday? (Somebody missed you! )


And me, too!

I even emailed the old chap and left a message on his voicemail, both with no reply.......

I was beginning to get a complex!

Ahem....... ;)

Marco.

[Barry]

And me, too!

I even emailed the old chap and left a message on his voicemail, both with no reply.......

I was beginning to get a complex!

Ahem....... ;)

Marco.

Hi Guys,

I´m in Turkey at the moment - wresting wıth the wonders of the hotel internet ´cafe´.

After a full bottle of 2009 Kavaklidere Angora (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Gamay), I´m havıng even more dıffıculty typıng and copıng wıth the Turkish alphabet!

Cheers

[Beechwoods]

:lolsign: Have a fantastic time Barry!

[The Grand Wazoo]

And me, too!

I even emailed the old chap and left a message on his voicemail, both with no reply.......
I was beginning to get a complex!


I was the same - I was thinking "cheeky sod, he hangs around for 3,000 posts then just buggers off!"

[John]

Me to was worried Barry injured his back again

[Reid Malenfant]

:lolsign: Have a fantastic time Barry!


I was the same - I was thinking "cheeky sod, he hangs around for 3,000 posts then just buggers off!"
Well you guys need to be trading with Barry & he'll fill you in :lol:

He asked me to box his CDs up a while ago as he was off gallivanting about for a bit ;)


By the way Nick, the JR150 probably doesn't go quite as deep or as cleanly as the 149. I know a guy that had the 150s, pity he had no respect for hifi speakers... Before their demise they were very nice if a little peaky at about 70Hz. I have a feeling that the single driver in the 149 might be a cleaner option.

Loads of nice equipment there chap, nice den to :) My whole house is a den, it's just not tidy right now :doh:

[Marco]

Hi Guys,

I´m in Turkey at the moment - wresting wıth the wonders of the hotel internet ´cafe´.

After a full bottle of 2009 Kavaklidere Angora (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Gamay), I´m havıng even more dıffıculty typıng and copıng wıth the Turkish alphabet!


Nice one - glad you're ok! I thought you might have collapsed or something after one too many bottles of Médoc! ;)

Anyway, enjoy and stay away from the local hussies! :eyebrows:

Marco.

P.S Chris, LOL!

[Jonboy]

How about one of these to go with your 149's Nick, very nice by the way



JR DW2 Woofer
The DW2 subwoofer a rare unit which used 2 seas 10" drive units in pushpull.

http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp272/jonboy_01/dw2_subwoofer.jpg

[The Grand Wazoo]

Anyway, enjoy and stay away from the local hussies!

Yeah, too much Turkish 'delight' is bad for your heart!

[Beechwoods]

How about one of these to go with your 149's Nick, very nice by the way



JR DW2 Woofer
The DW2 subwoofer a rare unit which used 2 seas 10" drive units in pushpull.

http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp272/jonboy_01/dw2_subwoofer.jpg

I would definitely do one of those if I found one Jon! I don't think the JR149's need a subwoofer particularly, but a nice matched one wouldn't go wrong!


By the way Nick, the JR150 probably doesn't go quite as deep or as cleanly as the 149. I know a guy that had the 150s, pity he had no respect for hifi speakers... Before their demise they were very nice if a little peaky at about 70Hz. I have a feeling that the single driver in the 149 might be a cleaner option.

Interesting your thoughts on the 150 Mark. An issue with the crossover perhaps?

Thanks for your props about the Den. I have to keep it tidy, or it'd very quickly become Mrs Beechwoods' Den and we wouldn't want that happening ;)

[Reid Malenfant]

Interesting your thoughts on the 150 Mark. An issue with the crossover perhaps?
More an issue with volume requirements of 2 bass drivers over 1 in a single cabinet ;) The 150s weren't twice the volume of the 149s so in consequence the bass resonance was lifted & there was a slight (very slight) hump in the response. They did make more volume though but not as cleanly. The 149s were slightly overdamped (total Q in cabinet less than 0.7) so they sounded cleaner & went deeper but with a lower ultimate volume level.

If you aren't interested in shaking the place i'd prefer the 149s :)

[Beechwoods]

If you aren't interested in shaking the place i'd prefer the 149s :)

That's me! 4 on the 33's volume control is more than enough to create a decent impact in my room :) They are impressive little speakers.

[Alex_UK]

Glad it wasn't just me that had missed Barry then - there's a lot of love in the den tonight! :lol:

Have a good one Barry, and contrary to everyone else's advice I say "everything in moderation" is for when you get home - fill your boots whilst your away! :eyebrows:

[Barry]

It's there Barry, behind the right speaker, second big picture down in front of the Tandberg! You can just see it's little front grille peeking out :)

Hi Nick,

Very rude of me for not commenting, but you've got a very nice little 'den'/listenıng room there. Pleased to hear the recent alterations have improved the sound. Well done!

How do you choose which cassette player of your collection to use at any one time? Nakamichi's, a Studer 710 - umm, very nice! :)

Regards

[radio]

some prety amazing gear there regars maria

[bmartins]

Nice den! Great set-up!

[Beechwoods]

Thanks Bernardo, and Maria!

[Jac Hawk]

I'm interested to know how the jr's sound, i had the jr super woofer some years back but had it mated with a pair of Kef ref 101's, and it was great, you could put it almost anywhere and unless you were sat right next to it, the sound always seemed to come from the main speakers, to be honest i would love to get a set of the 149's and the super woofer again, but they're like rocking horse shit

[Beechwoods]

I love the sound my JRs make. For small speakers they have good range at the lower end - surprisingly so, and in my room I can achieve good levels without any strain at all. They have a sense of space and air around the top-end that means vocals and acoustic material sounds fantastic. They aren't too fussy about positioning and I feel they're pretty neutral sounding.

Like most small speakers the drawback is that you don't get the scale you would from large drivers. I think a sub would help, but for 90% of the music I listen to I don't feel I'm missing anything. Only when I want to crank up the death metal with those cannon-like double kick drums really :)

[WOStantonCS100]

Okay, -oly Crap!!!

I had to check out your system knowing you're into tape. Speechless. What a collection. That's a Tandberg reel left of the RT-707 right? Naks a plenty, Revox (or Studer?) and an ELCASET right? Geeez... freakin' awesome. What's the full inventory?

I've got, I think 10 casssette decks, but only 3 are classics (the Pioneers), 3 which sound pretty good for modern decks (Sonys) and the rest are just average.

How do you like your dbx unit? Even my average decks transform when piped through my 224.

[Beechwoods]

Hi Biff, and thanks for your comments! I have ammassed a few bits of gear over the years, but I have tried to be selective about what I've got, because I have limited space, and I don't like to have machines lying around that don't get used.

In terms of what I have...

Cassette Decks
Nakamchi CR-7, Nakamichi ZX-7, Studer A710
I also have a non-working Technics RS-M88 which I'd like to get working at some point.

Reel to reels
Nagra IV-S TC, Pioneer RT-707, Tandberg TD-20A
Uher 4400 Report Stereo, Uher 4000 RM
Sony TC-377

My Elcaset is a Sony EL-7. I had to get that one shipped from the States, but for my trouble, it's a lovely machine.

I also have a couple of 8-track cartridge players, one needs lining up though.

The Elcaset is a fantastic machine, engineered like a muscle car and with a reel-to-reel character to the sound... it's a shame it didn't take off as a format IMHO.

The Studer is a looker isn't it? There's a Revox version as well. The Studer has balanced ins and outs. Soundwise it's very nearly on a par with the Nak's I have, just a smidge less refined on playback. A friend had the Revox variant and his sounded the same as mine, so I guess that's the house sound :) I believe the electroncis can be upgraded to create a cleaner signal path, but I'm spoilt with my Naks so the Studer remains unmodified.

My next acquisition will be a Technics RS-1500 reel to reel... but it needs to be perfect so it may take some time!

[MartinT]

Nick, I've just noticed your DBX gear. Do you have any DBX records or tapes, or do you use it to encode your own recordings?

I had a friend with a DBX expander in the the late 70s, he used to like using it with standard LPs to expand the dynamic range a little. This was with IMF Professional Monitors!

[Rare Bird]

Nick, I've just noticed your DBX gear. Do you have any DBX records or tapes, or do you use it to encode your own recordings?

I had a friend with a DBX expander in the the late 70s, he used to like using it with standard LPs to expand the dynamic range a little. This was with IMF Professional Monitors!

I used to have a DBX '2BX' Dynamic Range Enhancer & matching '122' NR, great build quality & solid Teak side cheeks..These latter 70's range looked great

[Beechwoods]

Nick, I've just noticed your DBX gear. Do you have any DBX records or tapes, or do you use it to encode your own recordings?

I got it really just to check it out and see how it sounded. To be honest I think that reel to reel at 7½ ips doesn't need noise reduction, but the DBX224 does do an incredible job of making noise disappear, with only a very slight impact on presence.

My unit also has an input designed to take a turntable playing a DBX encoded disc. I'd like to hear how one of those sounds. I have read that a DBX encoded record sounds incredible in terms of noise-floor. But the discs are expensive and thus far I've not found one I'd like to listen to!

[darucla]

Ah, JR149s. Reminds of my old "4 cylinder" system back in the day. Jr 149s, plus Lecson AP1x power amp and a Jeremiah Braithwaite cylindrical MC preamp (designed by Stan Curtis). I used to have the JRs wall-mounted on their own little hoop-like brackets. Used to mess constantly with the cabinet (Bostik sound deadening panels were the rage then). That was a nice little system.

dbx was one of those systems that I never quite fully embraced, despite working for the then importers. Reg Williamson gave me a very early test disc, which I must dig out. I never could avoid the feeling that I was hearing the noise floor pumping up and down behind the music. I must admit though that I was using 122/124 domestic units.

[edit] Found the dbx disc. It's Mahler Symphony No. 3, Horenstein and the LSO on a Unicorn test pressing, although in a normal gatefold (it's 2 discs) cover.

[Rare Bird]

Are we gonna get an update Nick ;)

[Beechwoods]

Not long now :) I've been away for a week but the room is ready for pics following my recent arrival :eyebrows: