had a change of heart , going active midfield studio monitor route..
this all will be up for grabs in about 2 weeks , PM me if you're interested in anything.
Also , willing to do trades for 3 way active ATC/PMC/Quested/Boxer|Exigy/K&H/Geithain etc
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had a change of heart , going active midfield studio monitor route..
this all will be up for grabs in about 2 weeks , PM me if you're interested in anything.
Also , willing to do trades for 3 way active ATC/PMC/Quested/Boxer|Exigy/K&H/Geithain etc
Hi Marc
What an amazing thread! ... I've only just read it today.
Remind me never to loan you any kit! :doh:
... a friend of mine is unlucky with hifi, too - he gets quite despondent about it - if something can go wrong, then it will .... magnetic auras, or something. :scratch:
What I've deduced about your taste in music may explain things a little :rock: :hairmetal: - I bet you really challenge your gear! :lol:
... I'm just glad I don't live in a flat next to yours ..... or even within a couple of miles. :eyebrows:
Hi Marc,Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc B
You need to be careful when bridging a stereo power amp to create a bridged mono amp (I know that Classe' do offer this as a rear-panel switchable option).
There are two by-products of bridging:
a) The actual load seen by a bridged amp is split across the two halves, so an 8 ohm speaker load would be seen as a 4 ohm load by each half of the bridged amp, which is no problem for the CA-201, but if your speakers are 4 ohms, then each half sees 2 ohms which might not be quite so kosher (and add to track record of destroying electronics).
b) Bridging also also halves the damping factor which will have an impact on the CA-201's ability to control the drivers in the speakers.
If you do manage to find another CA-201, I would recommend that you try them bridged and also try them in a passive vertical bi-amp configuration. Then you can make call.
I did something similar with a pair of CA-100s and preferred them in a bi-amp configuration to bridged.
My $0.02 worth...
Dave
cheers Dave, I didn't realise it could have that sort of effect.
I've just got shut of my DAC/preamp to go balanced (a step of my plan to go balanced source and active speakers) and my new preamp won't have dual stereo outputs.
If monoblocking them could have a negative effect on the sound, I won't be able to stereo bi-amp with them either without trying various XLR Y-splitters.
thanks again, you probably saved me a few quid :)
Like Jerry, I've only just tripped over this thread. A couple of Valium and a good night's sleep should do it, though!
I'll stick to my good old reliable vanilla envelope system, I think.
My new DAC arrived yesterday but I didn't have time to play with it.
A Xindak DAC-8, quite a change in sound over the Havana.. Very mellow , slightly rolled off top end but warm and sweet. Slightly less dynamics to what I'm used to too... but a huge wide stereo image!
Is it an upgrade over the Havana ? Not sure, but I like it so far after just an hour or so, hopefully it will get better.. (and it has balanced outputs /tube buffer outputs/ upsampling to 24 bit, 192khz /remote preamp section and it weighs a ton!)
http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/6403/002ibc.jpg
http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/8793/001nt.jpg
and today.... my new (but quite old) preamp arrives.
A Passlabs X2 preamp. I only wanted it for the XLR ins/outs and to rid myself of valves (I don't get them and don't like them)
It sounds "ok" , going from memory though , I recall my Modwright sounding a bit more open and had more upper bloom. I guess it has to grow on me some more. (and I've also got a head cold so feel a bit deaf.. not the best idea to really swap gear but anyway.. we live and learn)
http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/3530/dsc00186y.jpg
Also , currently part way through organising a trade for a nice pair of ATC SCM50A speakers ... fingers crossed :)
Then my journey will be complete ... (maybe)
Are they the SL versions and how old are they?????
Pre 1992 they had thin amp "handles" and sounded bright and "monitory..." After the amp changed, both the 50 and 100 "A's" became smoother and beefier sounding, the 50A's a bit tubby a la Spendor BC1 (they look like BC1's on steroids, the 50's IMO).
The SL mods to the bass drivers led to a complete re-think on the port behaviour and tuning, the result being the loss of the bloom and tubbiness and apparently deeper bass, or more perceived bass extension. The tradeoff on the 50ASL's is a tad more "glare" at the upper crossover point which will make mincemeat of a poor source and/or preamp.. As ATC have been making their own preamps for at least a decade, I suggest you try to find one of them. The SCA-2 fetches around £1500 used and its refined and gentle quality will suit the speakers properly as well as being able to drive long lengths of balanced output cables...
The ATC's are around '95-96 I think.
Bloke says they have updated mk2 amps but still the old baffle and bass/tweeters.
not sure how this deal is going , I think he now has a local buyer :(
Oh well , looks like I'll have to save £500 a month for 8 months and buy a propper pair.
Where can you get good stands for the 50/100s by the way ?
I know Mana did 'em, but most of the studio stands are over 1m tall for placing them behind the desk.
95/96 50A's will have a friendly balance but will need pushing a little to really come alive - the SL's do sound clearer at low volumes and older speakers can be converted to SL spec... Changing the tweeters will cost the earth as new baffles have to be supplied. i was quoted more than my 20ASL pros cost me to re-do the baffles for the new tweeters and I suspect they really didn't want to do it and priced it accordingly.
The stands they originally came with are a bit low I admit and as Target usede to make their stands for them back then, I was able to have some taller "four poster" type space-frames made for my 100A's. I don't know who makes their current stands I'm afraid, but you could ask ATC perhaps..
I don't know the current Target stand setup as they went under in their Luton incarnation and they're now in Nth london I think, but I believe Apollo used to make custom stands for people. If they have the exact dimensions of the cabinet base, they may be able to make something up for you in a crackle finish solid tubular style. My stands were extremely solid, had the compressible black foam stuff on top for the speakers to sit on and didn't need any spikes as the sheer mass of the things stops them from wobbling about..
Hope this helps... I should have bought some 50ASL's eight years ago when i could afford it, but I was hoping to work for a different company and bought some of their quite good looking top model speakers instead - a very bad move as it turned out as the ATC's would have eaten them alive....