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Showing content with the highest reputation on 29/06/20 in all areas

  1. Time for a bit of an update, as the room has been reshuffled, up-spec'd, and made more inviting and comfortable for the rest of the family. I really can't complain - my backside is a direct beneficiary of the new lounge and ottoman! I haven't changed anything on the pure 2 channel front in terms of components. The gear has, however, been relocated to a modified cabinet to accommodate the large and heavy amps and centre speaker. As a result, my Canare 4S8 speaker cables have been halved in length which is a win! The big change to the room is accommodating a TV and associated upgrades to allow my hifi gear to mate with a home theatre setup. Key additions are a TV (Samsung Q75R 75"), a Denon 3312 home theatre receiver, and a lovely Silverline Center Stage centre speaker in birdseye maple which matches the finish of my Elite Aesthet I Mk 2 speakers (thanks to @givita_burl for passing this onto me and your patience!! You are a gentleman and a scholar ) The 3312 acts as a preamp for the left and right speakers, feeding signal to the Sansui AU-alpha 907MR which powers these speakers. The 3312 powers the Silverline Center Stage and also a pair of temporary side/rear speakers which I am experimenting with (Realistic Minimus 7 bricks) and offers plenty of tweakability and sounds pretty decent. I only hooked-up the Silverline speaker quite recently as whilst the left and right speakers did a good job of creating a phantom centre speaker if you sat right in the sweet spot, this didn't suit multiple viewers who were sitting off-centre as the centre image would collapse. I found this incredibly frustrating. The Silverline has massively improved movie and TV viewing and is a pretty decent tonal match for the Aesthet speakers. Alan Yun knows how to design a nice sounding speaker, that's for sure! I'm 100% a convert regarding the benefits of a centre speaker, particularly when sitting relatively close to the TV. Tucked in a corner is a HSU Research STF-2 subwoofer which I sourced from @vagabond as a non-working unit (thanks again mate!). The Class D amp was repaired and fully overhauled and is performing sterling duty with movies. The previous configuration of the room featured numerous large Martini Polymax XHD50 panels to help tame the room acoustics. I've since pulled-back a bit for aesthetic reasons, with some small panels dispersed around the room, including a trio of canvas prints inside oak frames with XHD50 inside. Unfortunately the canvas prints limit the outright effectiveness of these panels, hence the extra bare panels sitting underneath. Wifey doesn't mind as she loves her framed canvas prints, so all is good on that front. Aluminium french cleats made it easy to securely mount the panels given their bulk. Interestingly, I can feel the leather lounge vibrate with vocals at certain frequencies at higher volumes - it's amazing to witness the difference that different types of upholstery can play regarding absorption, reflection, and even resonance!
    9 points
  2. I made these with 26mm board from Bunnings, dowel-jointed, routed and finished with Danish Oil. Centre tube was added later and is 75mm PVC pipe filled with lead and sand. They were made for a slightly wider bookshelf but I decided not to bother to trim down the top. They seem to work well with the PMC’s.
    7 points
  3. Friday I picked up my new stands from @Grizzlyworks perfect height for the LK1 speakers I am putting together. So, what you got? Mine.
    6 points
  4. Mine are boring - I use 2 x of my Seaton SubMersive subwoofers as speaker stands - so just huge big black boxes A friend in the US had these custom beauties made
    6 points
  5. Unusual duo but both are great albums. Robert Plant Principle of the moments Icehouse Man of colours
    5 points
  6. When subwoofers are EQed to identical response.... and used at levels where distortion is low..... then they sound identical. Because our ears are more and more sensitive to small changes in levels as the frequency gets lower, this is very hard to arrange. It is as easy as falling off a log to audition two subwoofers, where one is putting out more than double or half, the accoustic energy at certain frequencies. This obviously plays havoc with the harmonic structure of low frequncy sounds..... which contributes to warmth, thickness, slam, and all the other zillion subjective ways people describe sound. The most important thing is avoiding large/uncorrectable nulls in the response at LF..... by carefull positioning of the listener, and bass source(s) although that's not always practical for many setups. The next most important (the most, for most people) is achiving a "flat" response in a big picture sense..... No unintended wiggles in the frequency response. That's where you will win rewards for "thumps and authority". The answer to your question re: a "bigger subwoofers", really depends on what SPL you are asking them to play, and what distortion levels that's causing.
    5 points
  7. I've seen this many times in systems that I've tested, it's quite common. I've also seen many cases where the setup wasn't lacking in this aspect but they hadn't dialed in a suitable room curve. I've seen many systems where they actually have more actual in-room bass extension than they realised, yet they didn't have the impression of enough extension. Quite often there is a big difference between what people have and what they think they have. If you are talking about that live concert experience, in which you feel the kick drum thump in your chest, this is an experience very few people achieve at home. Most likely you won't get there if all you do is upgrade your sub. Even the Fathom range will fall short of delivering that chest thump in many rooms. Firstly, most subs lack the necessary fire power. Beyond this, it's also about having the right number of subs for your room, optimising their positions, and correctly integrating them. There are several steps involved, all of them essential.
    4 points
  8. 4 points
  9. Enjoying my new MC cartridge on the SL-7. @Doppelganger how did I forget to bring this bad boy to the audition?
    4 points
  10. https://vidurabarrios.com/watch-singer-jane-zhang-perform-the-divas-fifth-element-song-once-deemed-impossible-to-sing
    4 points
  11. These Concert Grands present as like new and have had little use. They have been kept in a dedicated media room...I still have boxes. They operate perfectly. pickup only from Warragul 3820 Victoria. Price is firm. Photos: PLEASE READ If you are advertising multiple items, you must post one bulk price only, or post seperate ads for each item If you include any reference to pricing whatsoever in this section (excluding RRP), your ad will not be approved If you don't include photographs of the actual item being sold, your ad will not be approved
    4 points
  12. Vintage night tonight. Bit of Bowie playing. The speakers aren't really vintage. Equinox Pluto, Aussie made from early 2000.
    4 points
  13. Posted a few pics on the DIY "What are you building thread" but decided to have a seperate thread specific to this build making it easier to follow for anyone else contemplating the same. Power amp modules, power controller and new power supply boards. After stuffing around a bit locked in the layout below. 2 x 1kv transformers each with 2 x 60V AC taps.
    3 points
  14. Further information: These speakers have an absolutely amazing sound and great bass - they are simply too big for my room. When I initially started to make these I was going to recreate a pair of Klipsh Heresy, but for some reason thought "why not do a pair of larger speakers that will look like Cornwalls with the grills on instead?". Well, I'll tell you why I shouldn't have done a pair of Cornwall clones - despite the fact that they look and sound absolutely amazing - The wife says they "are too damn big and way too awesome" (she may or may not have actually used the word awesome). Anyway, I now have to settle for a pair of Tannoy Legacy Eatons. The Eatons are now here and I need to recoup some of the money I spent on these beauties. The price I am asking barely covers the cost of the high quality parts and the cabinet construction is great (if I do say so myself). Parts/construction: Audio Nirvana Super 12" AlNiCo Full range drivers Custom veneered cabinets made from 19mm veneered MDF Dimensions - 850mm high 588 mm wide 396mm deep and heavy Cabinets are all biscuit joint construction and absolutely solid and heavy Fibreglass insulation Waxed veneered timber Flared ports with internal diameter from 85mm to 110mm at flared mouth Furutech Alpha s-14 speaker wire inside Genuine WBT-0710CU binding posts mounted to internal metal brackets Two sets of Cornwall badges for mounting to alternate grills Cane for grills - natural radio weave Linen for grills - 18 stitch natural lambswool floba eavenweave Unused binding plates Unused speaker spikes (for bases if wanted) leftover veneer and MDF for low base/floor stand if required Designed so that when the grills are finished they will closely resemble Klipsh Cornwalls (but they look great without grills as well) - I just really wanted them to look like Cornwalls with the grills on. I have included some photos of the construction process and some info on the drivers themselves below. I have a video of the inside which shows the cabling and the insulation I can email to you. If you are really interested it would definitely be a good idea to come and inspect and listen. Any questions please simply ask. Thanks for looking Photos: NB....some of the pictures are not the best quality but they look great up close (the top of the last photo looks funny because of the light only) .
    3 points
  15. I'd take the Technics SL1200GR in a heartbeat over all the suggestions. The build quality and motor accuracy, combined with an excellent tonearm make this about the best value turntable on the market IMO. https://audiojunction.com.au/product/technics-sl-1200gr-direct-drive-turntable/
    3 points
  16. A few new goodies arrived today. A Gigawatt pf-1e powerboard and a Telos red series power cable. I also added a Nordost Purple flair power cable to the Bluesound Vault a few weeks ago. A big shout out to Grooveworks and also @Frank Prowse Hi-Fi for letting me pay these items off and for the great service you always get off both of these retailers, great stuff. First impressions are very promising, but I’ve also got a new pre in the system at the moment so it’s a little hard to tell just yet. The pre is made by a local SNA member who does great work.
    3 points
  17. Goodaye all Can l sit on the fence? Love my Sansui AU717 SS sounds detailed and fresh. Love my Sansui AU70 tube sounds detailed and warm and has a bonus room heater. So it comes down to mood. l can listen to Ultravox through either and so do the neighbors. Had a AU101 l was playing after l overhualed it yesterday playing on my main speakers l think its the best of both worlds Capacitor coupled solid state. Just as well l have a few of its big brother then. regards Bruce (fence sitter)
    3 points
  18. Black Sabbath 'Live at Last' (1980)
    3 points
  19. Only interested if he includes the socks, sorry. edit: I am interested ?
    3 points
  20. Further information: Purchased brand new from Audio Fidelity, in 2013. Condition as new with original boxes and packaging. able to ship interstate if need be. Low hours of use and not damage what so ever. This is going to make owning a system with more than one turntables or a turnable with 2 town arms a dream to operate and listen too. The Edison offers three balanced RCA inputs, two of these are also available in XLR. Each input can be individually optimized in terms of gain (16 steps) and load (12 steps between 50 Ohms and 47 kOhms) for the attached cartridge. A 1:1 input transformer of superb quality can be switched in or out for each input. All the settings are saved in an EPROM when another input is selected (either by button or by remote control). All special adjustments like gain, xfmr or mono are only set when you select that special input where you had those adjustments before. The Edison’s highly innovative circuitry uses bipolar transistors and selected NOS Telefunken tubes. Specification info THD/IM distortion 0,01%/0,05% S/N ratio MM/MC 82/78 dBA Frequency response DC ... 250 kHz Gain adjustable, max. 66 dB Output impedance 600 Ohm symmetrical Input impedance MC 47 Ohm ... 47 kOhm Input capacitance MM 50 pF Dimensions (WxHxD) 420 x 95 x 310 mm (with granite base); power supply 120 x 80 x 160 mm Weight 12 kg; granite base 12 kg; power supply 3,2 kg Included in delivery phono preamplifier, power supply, power cord, granite base PLEASE READ If you are advertising multiple items, you must post one bulk price only, or post seperate ads for each item If you include any reference to pricing whatsoever in this section (excluding RRP), your ad will not be approved If you don't include photographs of the actual item being sold, your ad will not be approved
    3 points
  21. A very young Neil - Comes a Time
    3 points
  22. It's not that dissimilar to my setup in some ways. My room is longer but narrower (6m x 3.5m) and I have about 50cm from the rear of the speaker to the rear wall, and about 2.5m from the face of the speakers to my ears. I have some room treatments behind my head to help mitigate reflections from the wall immediately behind the lounge. It's almost akin to a nearfield listening setup, but I really like the sound - the soundstage width and detail is excellent, and depth isn't too bad considering the constraints of my setup and room.
    3 points
  23. Zoot Allures - Mr Zappa getting down and dirty.
    3 points
  24. John Mellencamp - The Lonesome Jubilee. 33rpm on Polygram Records [Australian copy]. I've been a John Mellencamp fan for decades and thought I give some of his early albums a spin today. Still sounding very good indeed.
    3 points
  25. For outright sound quality you're better off avoiding placing the speakers within bookshelves. Dedicated stands allow much greater flexibility regarding speaker placement and resulting sound quality re: soundstage width and depth, and also tweaking bass response (i.e. via the distance to wall). If you decide to ditch the bookshelf placement approach, it's worth considering that there are some excellent floorstanding speakers which take up no more real estate than a set of bookshelf/standmount speakers and associated stands.
    3 points
  26. This post cannot be displayed because it is in a forum which requires at least 10 posts to view.
  27. Vijay Iyer & Wadada Leo Smith - A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke.
    3 points
  28. Looks cool, Batty Mine were purchased from a guy who had them made for his Boss 901's, so I just turned then 90 degrees and they suited the ML-1's well.
    3 points
  29. Further information: Sorry guys but another Rega P9 classified. One in every state so you can no longer say "If only it were in........" Combine this my IOS Phono for the ultimate Rega Stack P9 Turntable has original factory packaging and is in excellent condition. Brand new belt. I don't have the box for the PSU or the Phono unfortunately. The real surprise to me was the phono stage, it is seriously good for the money. Has all the gain, loading and coil resistance settings to satisfy just about any cartridge. Jet black background and quite warm for a SS phono. There is no discernible difference between the original IOS and current reference model besides the balanced outputs and a new case. These are a serious bargain and seldom come up for sale. If you want the P9 with a cartridge I can include my freshly retipped Zyx Airy3 for $1000. I will personally install the cartridge and set it up upon purchase. The Rega Ios is a four stage, all symmetrical amplifier. The first stage uses a 1:10 step-up transformer which can be optimised to the cartridge by the selection of the correct loading and Zobel DC resistance correction network connected across the MC transformer secondary. The second stage is a symmetrical, compound pair class A amplifier, using paralleled low noise Hitachi transistors in the input stage. This drives the passive high frequency part of the RIAA (Record Industry Association of America) equalization stage. The third stage is a symmetrical class ‘A’ differential amplifier with a common base driver stage; this is also used as the active amplifier in the low frequency part of the RIAA equalization stage. The fourth stage is the active filter. This configuration uses the same circuit as found in the second stage. The filter element uses a very high bandwidth operational amplifier. The power supply is a symmetrical, discrete tracking power supply using fast diodes and a low noise voltage reference. Each stage has its own localised power supply and LED referenced current generators. Very high quality polypropylene capacitors have been used in the signal path. 1% tolerance polypropylene capacitors are used in the RIAA EQ stages and audio grade capacitors are used in the rest of the circuit. We hope that you enjoy this product as much as we have enjoyed creating it. Description The Rega P9 is an unsprung turntable with belt-drive and synchronous motor. The turntable is fitted with the RB900 or RB1000 tonearm. Specifications Drive method: belt drive Motor: AC synchronous Platter: ceramic Speeds: 33 and 45rpm Photos:
    2 points
  30. k. d. lang - Hymns of the 49th Parallel
    2 points
  31. Cannonball Adderley Quintet
    2 points
  32. Would have to second that, I came from a older Rotel AV pre to the Marantz AV 8802a a couple of years ago and it just works and works well without any issues. That being said my other viable AV pre at the time of my purchase to the Marantz was the Anthem AVM-60. In terms of the amplification I use an Elektra HD 2ch Reference and Elektra HD2 7ch amp for surround channels. Again sounds great and have had no issues at all with the power amps. If I was on a bit of a budget and couldn’t buy the Elektra I’d use a cheaper but still decent Rotel Amps. I’d avoid the Marantz/Onkyo/Yamaha matching 7 to 11 ch power amps as they are really only AVR quality amps packed into a seperate box. In the past I’ve also used Onkyo and Emotiva AV pre-amps and found both very Clunky to use and on sold both within a year of ownership. JDH
    2 points
  33. Brian Eno - Before And After Science.
    2 points
  34. I was lucky to recently obtain a pair of used VA Haydn 30th Jubilee edition stand mounts, physically they are smaller than the standard Haydn’s and are also rear ported and have different drivers. Given it was a slow day I decided to find out how they sound in the untreated TV room. Interestingly they sound a lot nicer with the PrimaLuna CDP than the Oppo which sounds better with the Baby Grands, go figure!. The Jubilee’s are a truly lovely sounding pair of speakers and it’s hard to believe, unless heard, that you would get such a large dynamic sound from such a small stand mounts. Added to that my old favourite Weston Time Machine is back after a years absence while Mhel tries out the Icon’s at his place, I hate to admit it but I had forgotten just what an excellent amplifier it is. . The Haydn Jubilee’s are noticeably smaller than current model Haydn’s as can be seen. Former member Mark (Scumbag) loaned me a pair of Synergistic Research XOT Transducers to try out and while many call them snake oil I have had impressive results with them in both my systems. Having said that I took them over to a mates place and when we tried them they actually made his system sound not so good. ... Again go figure.
    2 points
  35. Amp modules & speaker relay boards attached to heatsinks. My binding posts were the wrong hole size and spacing to be able to fit the relay boards direct to the binding posts so have come up with this arrangement instead. Rear panel also put up a bit of a fight as it only had provision for RCA sockets. Thankfully @knight2001dts came to the rescue allowing me to use his 15T pneumatic hole punch which made light work of enlarging the existing 11mm hole. Also the binding posts were too thick so some rework had to be done to accommodate as well. Coming together now... Messy workstation.
    2 points
  36. Nice socks. @zxSwifty You're after some of these (headphones, not the socks)
    2 points
  37. Jan Garbarek, Egberto Gismonti, Charlie Haden - Magico
    2 points
  38. Billy Joel 52nd Street Japanese pressing
    2 points
  39. I run a Mac Mini, because I had one available. It doesnt need to be fast or new, just 16GB of RAM i found was required for a big library DB. Also I run it away from the system in a cupboard with the NAS. Whilst it doesn't make noise, being physically isolated from hifi area is even better. The Mac Mini connects to the DEQX via ethernet. I think any of the solutions above are good with Roon, and If I didnt have a Mac would have been happy with a NUC or Roon Nucleus. If you are planning to use a USB cable to your DAC? the Roon Nucleus may edge out the NUC and Mac Mini. Any solution will benefit from an SSD for the Roon DB, the music itself can sit on any HDD
    2 points
  40. Then I tried the link for "FAQ How to download/transfer files" and got this: Impressive, they have both black AND white oops pages!
    2 points
  41. Suggest keeping subs and improving how you integrate the subs into your setup with a target curve. The kick drum can be improved by using a target curve similar to what I posted in this thread, tweak 3. If you want to improve the bass even further, you can use multi sub optimiser (MSO). MSO does take some effort but it is one of the best sub integration software that I have used.
    2 points
  42. The making of the truffle butter... Ingredients & tools.. Cube the butter, allow to soften, add truffle powder and grate the fresh stuff with a microplane... Lots of mixing later. Thumb muscles all cramping and in pain... All rolled up in Glad Wrap. Last step is to roll in foil and store in the freezer. The left-overs were used to make scrambled eggs for Sunday breakfast...
    2 points
  43. Gary Peacock & Ralph Towner - Oracle.
    2 points
  44. John Abercrombie, Ralph Towner - Five Years Later
    2 points
  45. Jeepers just grab the p9 going with a cart at under $3k easily worth much much more, can’t see anything 2 to 3x would better it ...
    2 points
  46. I finally finished my Stereo Coffee (SC) build today, after some other interruptions, and a very steep learning curve when it comes to to soldering very fine (26 awg) wire in confined quarters. I connected it first to my simple head-fi setup: desktop Mac playing Tidal, to Schiit Modi 3, then SC, then Cavalli Tube Hybrid amp and Massdrop Sennheiser HD6XX. Having proven that nothing untoward happened, I then proceeded to connect it to my main system. I need to mark some volume references and I have further work to do, to deepen the switch knob, and better secure the volume knob (hole-deepening may have obscured the securing stud inner thread area). This was my very first electronics DIY project, apart from a speaker kit build I did years ago and that had no soldering involved. I splashed out on a second-hand Groot soldering station that made life much nicer than if I had used a cheap Jaycar iron or similar. Performance: I'm still inside two hours of listening time, however with it hooked up to my main system (pic 1), the first few bars revealed a richer bass than I am used to. I have a great pre- in the Bryston BP25, however the Stereo Coffee is even more revealing than the high level I was already used to. A favourite well-recorded album is Holly Cole's 'Temptation' and one that I know well. The SC makes that album even more involving and relaxing than ever. Separation between instruments, spatially and tonally is heightened, drums and cymbals have more resolution and the sound-stage is deeper. I haven't noticed any widening of the sound-stage in what I've listened to so far although I'm sure the relatively constrained positioning of my speakers is a factor, although I don't lack great imaging from them. The overall performance I'm hearing mixes clarity, and resolution with a relaxing, analogue (in the best sense) reproduction. I'm listening exclusively to 44.1 kHz/ 16 bit FLACs, either from CD rips or from Tidal. Some test music: Holly Cole, 'Temptation', 'Frank's Theme' opening piano notes are amazing Pat Metheny/Lyle Mays, 'As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls'. This title track is a great test of the atmosphere that purports to be in a large stadium (though a friend told me it was studio recorded!). I use this track to compare pre-amps....the SC is winning! On the 'Estupenda Graca' track around 1:30 onwards, a female sighs much more noticeably than I've ever heard before. Sara K, 'Hell or High Water' , Fabulously recorded... sounding wonderful (it usually does!) ( I haven't yet hooked up my TT and I have sold off my CDP because my Auralic Aries streamer enables me to play CDs from a computer USB drive, and rip on-the-fly if so desired. Combining that with my Gieseler Klein III DAC with Enhanced Gold Tune Kraftwerk LPSU gives me sound quality that now negates my need for a traditional CDP. ) System comprises: Shunyata Research Hydra power conditioner and power cables. NAS-files, or Tidal, serving up 44.1 / 16 FLACs over wi-fi to Auralic Aries streamer (Femto clock and LPSU model). iFi iUSB Nano 3.0 and Curious USB cable between streamer and DAC. Gieseler Klein III DAC (USB) with Enhanced Gold Tune Kraftwerk LPSU. Stereo Coffee 05/20 boards, with remote volume option Bryston Cable+ ICs from DAC to Stereo Coffee. Morrow Audio MA-1 baseline unbalanced ICs from SC to Gamut D200 Mk 3 dual mono poweramp*. Morrow Audio SP-4 speaker cables. Sonus Faber Concerto Home speakers. * My Bryston BP25 pre- uses Shunyata (Aries) balanced ICs to the Gamut, so the relatively cheap Morrow MA-1 unbalanced ICs aren't in the same league, yet the SC is delivering higher performance. I have other ICs on the way and I may look at an RCA-XLR hybrid cable if I want to continue to feed the Gamut through its XLR sockets. I am very, very happy with my Stereo Coffee performance and also pleased that the challenges I found building it have added to my enjoyment of the product. Chris Daly is an amazingly responsive and knowledgeable designer and I could always rely on him replying to my emails with extreme rapidity and clarity. I spent more on my build than I believe Chris charges for a completed unit, however I have enjoyed my learning experience. Build Summary: Stereo Coffee boards (May '20), with remote volume board. Brushed aluminium pre-amp case from eBay (China) Furutech fused IEC socket, with a 500mA slow-burn fuse bought from another SNAer. 1 pair Audio Note silver-plated RCAs for the SC outputs 1 pair Connex solderless rhodium-plated eutectic copper RCAs as I/P 1 Aliexpress gold-plated copper RCAs for I/Ps 2 and 3. Pic 2 shows the RCAs wired (messily) and the LDR board. Jaycar toroidal transformer (MT2084) Wire from PartsConnexion, Canada: (partsconnexion.com) bargain basement - 1. Duelund 26 awg tinned copper with oiled-cotton insulation. Used for signal wiring from RCAs to board. 2. Duelund 20 awg solid-copper with oiled-cotton. Used from switch to main board I/P 1 , switch pole, and start-circuit between main and LDR boards. 3. Connex 24 awg tinned copper, from switch I/P 2 and 3 to main board. My biggest build challenge was trying to solder the ground leads to the Aliexpress gold-plated (copper signal pin) RCAs because I was using such fine wire.
    2 points
  47. John Coltrane & Kenny Burrell - John Coltrane & Kenny Burrell
    2 points
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