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Deang

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Everything posted by Deang

  1. Kenratboy, This - was put at the end of my response to let you know I was kidding. I took a shot at your tube question in '2 channel Audio' - good luck on your quest. ------------------ deanG This message has been edited by deang on 02-14-2002 at 09:02 PM
  2. Poor Mobile - he has answered these same questions about a dozen times over the last month. If you read most of the 2 channel threads posted here over the last month you will find the answers to most of your questions. Even very recent threads contain a wealth of information. Speaking of information - we could use more from you. You say what you are willing to spend on a preamp but nothing about what is budgeted for an amp or CD player. What are your musical tastes? How loud do you like to listen to your music? Do you do any Home Theatre (DVD's)? In other words - what are you trying to achieve with this system? In short - tubes just plain sound better. They provide more air around the instruments, more distance between the instruments, provide an addictive sounding midrange, and a 3 dimensional soundfield. Most tube gear these days is very reliable and really not finicky at all. New tubes are fairly inexpensive and very accessible. When I bought my first tube amp 3 years ago I only knew how to turn one on. There are different types of tube amps. For example: There is SET or Single Ended Triode - which usually come in around 4 watts per channel. There are push-pull Triodes, and these come in around 15-25 watts per channel. There are also ultra-linear designs which usually run between 40-70 watts per channel. From what I've gathered, the lower the power - the 'tubier' the sound. That is an oversimplification I'm sure but probably has some truth to it. Then there are the different sonic characteristics of the various tubes types (and various differences in sonics between manufacturers of the same tube type!) Your best bet is simply to 'lurk' here reading threads and surfing the web a little. At any rate - I'm anything but an expert and I really just wanted to save Mobile some keystrokes - poor devil. read this first - http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/scripts/d.pl?audio/faq/tubeprimer.html ------------------ deanG
  3. I would say a 'gentlemans' dominated hobby and so the answer to your question is - none of your business ------------------ deanG
  4. synthfreek said: "Al Dimeola(he's good and all but I wish he could play faster)" Is this a joke? He does four finger runs that make most guitar 'greats' look like beginners. Boa: Richie Blackmore & Tommy Shaw - you got that right. That other 'Styx' guy is pretty good too ------------------ deanG
  5. John, If you are dealing with budget limitations don't be afraid to skimp on the rears - but whatever you do, don't skimp on the mains and center. In other words - don't go all Synergy just to get timbre matched 'everything'. Get the RB5 II's and RC3 II and feel good settling for KSB 1.1's for rears. ------------------ deanG
  6. Kelly - I knew that, I have no idea why I said Kevin. Everything you said is true. Keep in mind I never said tubes can't do Rock - I only said they couldn't do Rock the way I was doing it yesterday! Yeesh - I think I realigned all the floorboards in my house. As a matter of fact, I think tubes do Rock great, even metallica, because they add a richness and density to the presentation. Tubes just can't do it at the very high SPL's without pinching up. Keep in mind I'm also using Reference and not vintage Klipsch - my speakers were probably 'voiced' with solid state and I have a feeling that due to that, combined with the lack of a mid horn - solid state probably doesn't sound as hashy (I don't know what other word to use) on my end. In other words - I think Reference is a little more forgiving in that area than Heritage - which I think is so brutally transparent and revealing - almost to a fault. I think this contrast between tubes and SS is equally interesting when applied to DVD movies. The Bryston combo is simply incredible with DVD's. Where tubes doing just about everything right with music - they do almost everything wrong with movies. It just doesn't sound 'right'. Rainfall hitting the cement sounds more like frying bacon. The sound of cartridge brass (empty bullet casings) falling to the ground has a 'chinky', high pitched quality to it that sounds unnatural. The sound of shattering glass has this same quality. The sound of car doors slamming has a somewhat thickened, damped quality to it that doesn't sound 'right' (no sub used for these comparisons on the low end). There are myriads of sounds in movies - and when I heard them with the Anthem - they brought undue attention to themselves because of their unnaturalness. I realize you are probably thinking that using the Anthem gear as an example of what tubes can do may not be ideal. This is probably true. Still, it's fairly decent stuff and well reviewed - and it is tubed gear none-the-less. At any rate, none of the things described in the preceding paragraph are noticeable with the Bryston combo. All sounds seem completely realistic and natural on the RF7's. Dare I say solid state sounds more 'accurate' (with my speakers). I think it is better to say that each has it's 'place' and what a person uses may be more dependant on what speakers they are using and what results they are trying to achieve. I understand that Cornwalls and other Vintage Klipsch do all things well with tubes. But not everyone is using Vintage Klipsch ------------------ deanG This message has been edited by deang on 02-14-2002 at 09:55 AM
  7. A very thorough review Kevin. I would like to add some thoughts regarding my own experience this afternoon. That 3B-ST showed up this afternoon and what I have found is a great synergism between it and the BP-20, much more so than what I had with the Anthem Amp1. I actually noticed more grain with the BP-20/Amp1 combo than with the 3B-ST/BP-20 setup. This solid state setup sounds better in several ways than the Anthem tube gear. There is certainly more warmth than I expected. I do miss the air and separation the Anthem put around and between the instruments -- but this Bryston sound is very, very, clean, and will be very easy for me to live with. I believe the Anthem also sounded a little more 3 dimensional. I wonder if part of this is due to a somewhat recessed midband of the Bryston combo as compared to the Anthem. I can easily overcome this shortcoming by turning up the volume The Bryston set up has a degree of clarity that I have never heard before. This clarity presents itself as a very incisive, penetrating kind of image. It adds intensity the music. I spend time listening to the likes of Metallica, Pantera, Fuel, and some other somewhat obnoxious music, and solid state lends itself rather well to this sort of noise. Tubes just can't do what I heard today. It just ain't gonna happen. Honest. I don't think solid state sounds sterile or mechanical. I just think it sounds vastly different than tubes. I think both can be enjoyed equally depending on types of music and what SPL's are employed. I also watched segments of 'Matrix' tonight - I'm quite convinced tubes couldn't have done most of what I heard during this demonstration either. It was brutal. You can't even imagine. I think a 'metalhead' or rock music lover who enjoys his/her music fairly loud, and likes to watch movies at theater volume levels -- should probably stick with solid state. I'm keeping the Bryston set up. It kicks ***. I had even thought about getting a tube preamp to run with the 3B-ST, but not now. I think the two pieces sound good together for a reason - so I'm leaving well enough alone. OTOH - I'm looking forward to getting the AE-25 and I'm sure it will be my primary choice for music 90% of time. The incisiveness and intensity of solid state is no long term substitute for the 'rightness' tubes put to the instuments. Of course - that other 10% will be fun too! ------------------ deanG
  8. I am a little concerned not having a preamp to run with it. This AE-25 has volume control knob and I don't really know anything about how this is ultimately pulled off. I guess it's passive ?? Should sound O.K. ------------------ deanG
  9. Really, all I did was start thinking I wanted a little more edge to the transients for movies, and decided I might try a quality SS amp. Hence the Bryston ST-3B. I didn't want a silver faced preamp with my black amp so I decided to sell the two Anthem pieces. When I saw the Bryston BP20 on AudiogoN I decided to get it - more out of curiosity than anything. I haven't really bought that much - just sold my Anthem Pre1L and Amp1 (still for sale) and bought the two Bryston pieces. Right now I have the Bryston BP20 mated to the Anthem Amp1 I haven't sold yet. It's cleaner and smoother sounding than the Pre1L and Amp1 together - but the soundstage has collapsed somewhat and though it sounds pretty good - the music has moved away from me. I'm expecting it to get worse when I put the 3B-ST in the system. At any rate - I can already tell what happens when you take tubes out of a system. I'll have the AE-25 on a little table and when I listen to music I can just move the speaker cables. When I do movies I'll move them back. This I'll do until I find some 2nd rate Heresy's ------------------ deanG
  10. ledzeprep - probably because Page got his fingers on the mixing board and he's freaking deaf. ------------------ deanG
  11. Hear No Evil - Klipsch ------------------ deanG
  12. U2's War - bad, very bad ------------------ deanG
  13. Nice post Max - isn't if fun hanging out with lunatic friends? I'm glad you found redeeming qualities in the RF3. Not bad for $800 huh? Looks like I may have to break down and find me an old set of Heresy's somewhere so I can give them an honest eval - in my home. It's impossible to simply ignore all the good things I hear about them. Hell, Even Ben says they do good after a good breaking in period. ------------------ deanG
  14. My bad, I missed Ears reference. I just saw 'Grado' and thought SR-80, which are the ones most have heard. ------------------ deanG
  15. Well, I couldn't stand it anymore - I just bought an AE-25 Super Amp with the upgraded caps and a volume control for preamp by-pass. The volume control on the amp will get me by until I can afford another preamp - sometime around the year 2030. ------------------ deanG
  16. any opinions http://www.jolida.com/catalogue/jd801a.html ------------------ deanG
  17. I would only do multichannel if I hit the lottery. I have enough trouble getting 2 channel to play at a level I find acceptable. My two channel amps weigh more than most 5 channel amps. ------------------ deanG
  18. He didn't actually help design the AR-1 - that was Villchurs design all the way. However, he did convince Villchur to market the AR-1 and was actually responsible for founding the company. Kloss was also the 'K' in KLH back when they mattered. The Advent Loudspeakers were great but what he should really be credited with is the whole home theater thing. He was the first to bring the big screen concept into the living room with the Advent projector. ------------------ deanG This message has been edited by deang on 02-12-2002 at 09:13 AM
  19. Ears, surprised to see you give the Grado's the nod over the HD600's. I really don't think the Grado's are in the same class as the 600's - ------------------ deanG
  20. Well, everyone here knows I'm electrically declined. Will the following preamp specs work with my Bryston. Bryston: Input impedance: 50 Kohms AE3: Gain: Line Stage: 20dB Input Impedance: 100Kohms Output Impedance: 560ohms I'm guessing no - did I guess right? This message has been edited by deang on 02-16-2002 at 11:21 PM
  21. http://history.acusd.edu/gen/recording/loudspeaker.html ------------------ deanG
  22. The input impedance of the Bryston is: 50 Kohms unbalanced 20 Kohms balanced Great advice from the both of you. I will hang back, learn, and enjoy the music for a while. thanks guys ------------------ deanG This message has been edited by deang on 02-11-2002 at 11:25 AM
  23. He died yesterday at the age of 72. As I was growing up I owned several things he designed. I actually had some AR1's that my dad gave me, and I owned all versions of the Advent Loudspeaker. He's one of my hero's. Bummer. ------------------ deanG
  24. huh...this is embarrassing -I really didn't think there was anything wrong with the Anthem, but several (including Mobile) felt I could do much better for not much more money - so I sold the Anthem. At any rate - the Bryston is VERY clean and has a somewhat incisive, penetrating kind of sound. The Anthem was shipped off before the Bryston arrived and so I didn't have a chance to play them together. I just read that the CJ doesn't really have enough gain to run SS amps correctly and that it is very tube sensitive. How about Audible Illusions? I just need something to soften the edges a little and get the in between spaces a little darker. Maybe I should buy an Anthem Pre1L ------------------ deanG
  25. I wanna be smart like mdeneen and mobile. I'm looking for a tubed preamp for $700 or less to run with my Bryston SS amp. My list so far is the CJ pv10al and the Quicksilver. I was figuring that either of these might be more musical than the Anthem Pre1L I just sold. I guess nothings for certain. ------------------ deanG
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