Thank you Alan. I did forget to mention though that this deal includes a Lightspeed LDR preamp as well as the Usher R1.5 power. All I have to provide is a psu for the preamp.
Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days
Posts: 4,779
I'm Shaun.
Thank you Alan. I did forget to mention though that this deal includes a Lightspeed LDR preamp as well as the Usher R1.5 power. All I have to provide is a psu for the preamp.
Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days
Posts: 4,779
I'm Shaun.
Usher Power Amp by Shaun Haselden, on Flickr
Well it arrived, was installed and switched on. Since then I have read the manual and now know it's fuel consumption. Jeez it's a bit steep.
So far only played Big Calm by Morcheeba using the PrimaLuna Prologue 3 valve preamp. To me it sounds like a hugely powerful valve amp with such a bloody grip on the bass. Need to try the Lightspeed passive next.
Off to a good start then.
Current Lash Up:
TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.
Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days
Posts: 4,779
I'm Shaun.
Have now used the Usher with the PrimaLuna valve preamp and the Lightspeed LDR passive pre powered by batteries. The LDR absolutely obliterates the PrimaLuna in just about every aspect. The LDR allows the system to display an enormous amount of reverb/acoustic ambience with a much better bass presence. Bass power and 'thud' is much greater and vocals have no falseness to them. Biggest drawback..? No phono input (cozz you never know do you..?)
Well you can pick up a phonostage practically anywhere.
I noticed that the LDR was good with bass reverb. I don't think it's entirely honest but that's by the by. So it's all working well together then?
Current Lash Up:
TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.
Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days
Posts: 4,779
I'm Shaun.
Honest..? The word is not really applicable to electronic music. What is the honest sound of a Gibson Les Paul..? What is the honest sound of an ARP Odessey..? The sound changes with every device you play it through. Most music these days is buggered up one way or another by some piece of software such as Ableton so what constitutes honest in electronic music..? Does it really matter..?
I don't understand this obsessive nature with 'fidelity' when what really counts is whether the sound system makes you shiver with emotion as you hear that pitch wheel bend on the Moog synth or that little inflection from that Strat. That low, really low bass shimmer that crawls across the floor whilst the rest of the music is pulling cartwheels all over the place. Honesty in music reproduction..? No thanks.
Location: Seaford UK
Posts: 1,861
I'm Dennis.
This is also being argued about on the other thread about what Hi-Fi is.
To me what matters is that the artist's intent and expression are conveyed.
Location: North Island New Zealand
Posts: 1,757
I'm Chris.
Yes it does matter, and honesty in music reproduction is the aim, Eric Johnson explains what is needed to get the sound he achieves from the musicians perspective,
We can hear the effort he describes here, on his albums Ah Via Musicom, Tones, and Venus Isle, so does constitute a honesty in achieving what you hear.
https://www.stereo.net.au/forums/top...etail-matters/
Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days
Posts: 4,779
I'm Shaun.
Yes I agree it matters to some but there are so many of us who simply don't give a damn about high fidelity and its obsessiveness. A lot of us are only interested in how it makes us respond.
Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days
Posts: 4,779
I'm Shaun.