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View Full Version : Towards the Big League (without spending an absolute fortune)



Steve Toy
21-07-2008, 16:00
I'd like to thank Tony (Mr C) for popping round on Saturday with a few bits and pieces and helping me move towards musical nirvana. Good dealers like Tony add genuine value to your purchases. The few little tweaks, some of them free like speaker positioning and general setup, the others that cost pocket money and a bit more really are a case of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts. If you think you know enough to muddle along without using dealers altogether, carry on but don't forget that it is easy to know the cost of everything and the value of nothing...

Black Ravioli under the CD player made everything sound that little bit more enjoyable. They even work on acrylic Quadraspire Reference shelves.

Tony's own jumper leads to bridge the bi-wire terminals at the back of my speakers are almost as big an improvement to naturalness, even-handedness and (vocal) presence over the Chord ones than the swap from Heco Celan 500 two-and-half way speakers to the full three-way 700s that I've now purchased.

Unfortunately when Marco comes round tomorrow he'll still be hearing the 500s. It'll be better that way because the 700s are, or will be, completely fresh out of the packaging and in need of running in. They'll turn up on Wednesday hopefully.

Next up in the near(ish) future will hopefully be a DAC, Tony's own XPS-esque power supply for the CD player and lots more Black Ravioli.

I'm almost there! :rock:

Marco
21-07-2008, 19:11
Unfortunately when Marco comes round tomorrow he'll still be hearing the 500s.


I'll just have to 'slum it' then with the 500s... ;)

Btw, I'll be there at 12 noon sharp. Make sure you're out yer inflatable water bed, silk négligée, and Star Trek slippers by the time I get there!

Marco.

RobHolt
21-07-2008, 22:41
Steve, what's 'Black Ravioli' ?

Never heard of it other than when I've left the pan on the gas too long :)

gary
21-07-2008, 22:50
Steve, what's 'Black Ravioli' ?

Never heard of it other than when I've left the pan on the gas too long :)

Its a small black isolation pad that sits under the feet of your equipment looks like ravioli

Gary

RobHolt
21-07-2008, 22:55
Its a small black isolation pad that sits under the feet of your equipment looks like ravioli

Gary

Ah I see.

Many thanks.

Steve Toy
21-07-2008, 23:35
I've got two of them times four stacked under the CD player. Basically they replace the exising feet under any component and, so far, do a better job. Basically you listen to what they do and if you like them you have them. It's that simple.

I understand that there are those who've heard them and find that they detract from overall musicality. Whilst I don't contest their findings at all, I'm a believer in synergy and in the idea that some tweaks work better in some applications than with others.

I was expecting that they simply would fall rather flat on the otherwise well-sorted Quadraspire Reference tables that I use, perhaps making a hi-fi noise rather than a musically communicative one, but my own experience here in my system has been one of adding more music rather than taking it away by maybe just smoothing things out. Far from it! I'm actually hearing greater separation of musical strands within a given recording mix that ensure that no matter how much the rest gets busy, a given melody running through a track remains more intact (the bass line of "the Chain" by Fleetwood Mac is a good example.) Basically, from a tune dem POV, they pass with flying colours!

No tweak is ever a panacea; you just have to use your ears to judge things within the particular context that applies and decide if it's working for you. Having given myself a little time to adjust to what they do, I find myself enjoying the improvement they bring, not just in-room, but also when I pop upstairs with the music playing below and I'm still able to appreciate the subtle extras they bring to my music listening experience.

Steve Toy
22-07-2008, 00:09
Marco,

I'll drag myself out of my bed around 11, switch the amp on to warm up and get some discs spinning to warm up the speakers (like your Spendors they do seem to need this else they sound a bit edgy to start).

Towards the end of the session we'll need to pack the speakers up to prepare for the switch-over with the courier on Wednesday. I'll do the heavy lifting but your help to coax them into their boxes (fingers and thumbs etc) will be much appreciated. Ta.

StanleyB
22-07-2008, 08:00
Next up in the near(ish) future will hopefully be a DAC,
Any particular one in mind:eyebrows:?