discorules

quote: Originally posted by edster00: Well I moved my K-horns into their new home last evening. I spent a few hours listening to them and they are just awesome. Sooo much more bass than the Belles, and I don't have them in good corners. Each speaker has one side open until I am able to finish off the basement. I find it hard to believe the bass can improve much but I have been told that it will. Incredible. Here are a couple of photos. I am kind of surprised that they don't match better (the wood grain), but I am not complaining ! Simply beautiful. You've reached audio nirvana

quote: Originally posted by Prana-Bindu: Maxg: That is truly disheartening. This digital nonsense is a big enough hassle.... Anyway, I was always under the impression that vinyl was on a quick and certain path towards obsolescence. What will vinyl be able to offer that a recording made at 24-bit/96(or 192)khz and played back with proper jitter correction will offer? Everything I've read indicates that that level of digital resolution is not distinguishable by the human ear from the original analog waveform. Or is it...? In fairness to the new format(s), Maxg did not listen to a actual SACD disc on the SACD player. He used a XRCD which do sound good but may not be comparable to SACD. Having said that, I can appreciate what Maxg was saying about analog playback. It still sounds more musically complete than cds. Just the other night I listened to the vinyl of Copacabana by Barry Manillow. I also have a Micro-Acoustics 2002 cartridge on a Kenwood direct drive turntable. The music had a real quality that I still have heard matched by digital.

quote: Originally posted by dougdrake2: JT- Yeah, I dumped Stereophile GTHT for the same reason. Looking forward to the fresh wit of Listener - I was a Spy subscriber for many years in the 80's. Anyone remember that one? Doug Anyone here ever read Audio Critic?

quote: Originally posted by Spider124: Prana, you can upsample/oversample any sample rate to any other sample rate with a computer. The problem is that upsampling w/o application of a filter (oversampling), doesn't really give you any advantage (except perhaps for the sin(x)/x rolloff of a multibit DAC, but that can be compensated for w/o upsampling). However, the problem is that oversampling with a filter sounds pretty awful. This accounts for 50% of the nasty sound of digital, I'm convinced. (The other half is poor analog stages, especially opamps.) For playing back any PCM audio (From redbook to 192khz DVDA), the absolute best-sounding system will always be a non-oversampling multibit DAC. Period. End of Story. ... Charlie Hold on there. Go to the Philips website for a good technical overview on this topic, in particular multibit vs single bit. Bothe have inherent advantages and disadvantages. Like so many things, its the execution of either methods that counts.

"I can say that I hear a difference, a big difference, between a conventional CD player used as transport and a dedicated CD transport from a high end manufacturer. And then, there's the subject of...digital cable. Yes, Virginia, they do make a difference." OK, so what was the "big difference" you heard?

quote: Originally posted by paulaelliott: >>. I also suggest trying NAD. NAD offers almost the same performance for slightly more money and greater snob appeal<< Really? Lets see, Nad has the 2 channel C-270, 120 W/c for about $600 - $700. Are you telling me that HK has a similar amp at a similar price with similar power? I'd be very surprised if this were true, as my research has shown me that it costs considerably more to get a 100 wpc amp from HK. If youre right, please reply with model number...thanks .. HK model PA 2000 delivers 100 wpc. It can be had at Vanns.com for $500.

quote: Originally posted by paulaelliott: John, its not that I'm trying to 'correct' anything.. If youre ever a fan of classical music, you'll know that the amount of dynamics the music brings to the hardware is huge. From what I've been reading, good HT receivers may do an excellent job in that area...But if they tend to fall down in any area, its in the musicality side of things, and particularly with classical music, and the demands it makes on the components. So, I'm trying to improve the overall soundquality of classical music. I want the piano notes to be sharper. I want the tone to feel 'warmer'. I want the strings to sound more 'individual' and less 'shrill', etc, etc...Its a general improvement in SQ I'm looking for...And I've read that the amps I referred to in the heading, driven by the preamp in my Sony ES receiver might provide me with this....Its through threads like these, hopefully from people who have made similar upgrades, that I hope to learn whether or not this is a good thing to persue....Thanks. I guess I'm the main Harman Kardon guy here so I'll start by recommending them first. They offer 3 or 4 stereo amps from 45 to 200 watts per channel. I am most familiar with the sound and technology behind this brand so I highly recommend them, esp. based on what you've stated. I also suggest trying NAD. NAD offers almost the same performance for slightly more money and greater snob appeal. Good luck and happy listening.

Thanks Spider. So what is your cd player?

I'm not sure why the transport portion of a cd player should make a significant difference. I remember one of the big selling points for digital audio was it's relative immunity to those sorts of things. Perhaps someone here can enlighten me. On you subject of multi vs single player choices. Why not find the best sounding multi disc cd player with optical outputs. That way you can later purchase and use a DAC that pleases you while still keeping the fexibility gained by using multi disc players.

quote: Originally posted by James D McCall: matthew2 I have seen advertised specs on a very few low, low, low dollar receievers that only rated power down to 40hz. I've seen a number of inexpensive multi-channel receivers that only quoted power figures at 1000hz, too. It takes more current to drive speakers at low frequencies, and the smaller power supplies of cheap electronics can't deliver. I think you hit the nail on the head James. To reach the broad maket at an affordable point, some HT receiver manufacturers will trade off power to meet this requirement.

quote: Originally posted by talktoKeith: discorules,you need a better center channel speaker.What fronts do you have? Keith I have SB3's and no center channel speaker. My home theater is a early dolby surround system with no center channel output. Having said that, even the dialogue at the theaters with movies that emphasize SFX are sometimes difficult to completely understand.

The dialogue is very hard to follow in many of these H.T movies. The wife really doesn't care much for HT but perhaps we're just dinosaurs.

quote: Originally posted by rhawki: Oh no you didn't! You did not just lump in Onkyo and Yamaha with Driftwood! (i mean Kenwood) WTF!? You oughta throw Denon and Marantz in there too then... <grumble> Just to get in on the conversation though, my Dad's got an old Sansui he got before i was born when he was stationed in Korea (it's about 30 years old now) Still have the manuals and such, will check out the model. Still cranks and sounds great - very well built... -Rich What exactly does mid fi mean anyway? I have a Kenwood direct drive turntable circa 1977 that's still hasn't missed a beat. This, after surviving disco parties at college. In fact based on it's performance and reliability, I bought 2 of their CD players. I have been pleased both mechanically and sonically with the players. I even had the audacity to compare one of the CD players against a Meridian 508.24 and the Kenwood was sonically equal.

Thanks for the link. I liked what Paul Jacobs said. I still see a new K-Horn in my future and and glad the company will stick to it's root. I am also relly happy to see him say they will be more aggressive in touting the virtues of horn speakers. Finally.

quote: Originally posted by kalell: At low volume it seems to work ok. high volume it shuts off my receiver(dennon 3300). if i unplug my sub it does not cut off. Also if i listen to the radio it does not cut off. Seems to only happen with cd/dvd.Any input?? Sounds like the receiver is being ask to deliver more current that it is capable of at high levels. If the sub is not a powered sub, It will demand the most current from your receiver.

I don't have any specs for your for Sansui but if memory serves me correctly, Sansui made powerful rock solid amps in the '70s. I think you have in your possesion a well above average piece of equipment that would excel even comparedvwith today's technology. Hang on to it.

quote: Originally posted by gawd: im gonna buy a pair of rf3 next week , and im wondering which cable to use... and should i use bi-wiring ? im totally new to this , just bought my first stereo last month heh thx gawd, Avoid the charlatons and their exotic yet unproven cables. Instead, go to Home Depot and get their 30 cent/ft 12 gauge wire. You can then experiment with biwiring to see if you hear a reliable difference. I'm not sure you will though. Put your hard earned bucks towards a better amp and/or cd player.

quote: Originally posted by kenratboy: I wrote the original message (So you know) I think a receiver would be the best choice, what brands are the best. Yamaha has been taking a lot of flak, so whats good? Marantz, Harmon Kardon, Onkyo. Yes, I do need to hear em to decide, but there are probably 50 receivers in my price range and a little direction always helps. Thanks for the help everyone. Well my personal favorite has been Harman/Kardon. I have liked them for as long as I liked K-Horns, over 20 years. They sound very musical across the entire band without the grain and are generally conservatively rated. Most HK owners, myself included, will often say how the amps play a lot louder and cleaner than others with higher power ratings. On the technical side, they've been a long proponent of things that are currently trendy in high end audio. Wide bandwidth, high current amps with low negative feedback. Their amps also have unsurpased transient response. The tuner sections in their receivers are generally average and their receivers tend emphasize functionallity over bells and whistles.

"I would give my eye teeth for a pair of K-Horns, but I will never be able to justify the cost, unless I win the lottery or something. To me, the Heritage and the Legend series were kinda like the good ol' American V-8s that Richard Petty used--powerful, simple, and a lot of fun. We are indeed lucky that Klipsch still makes the K-Horn, Belle, LaScala and Heresywe certainly cant run over to the Chrysler dealer and order up a 70 Hemi Cuda! The Reference series, like a slick Porsche or Beemer is the necessary evolution, and we should never stop advancing the science of speaker or automobile technology, but there are those of us who prefer the warmth and character of the older stuff. " Mr Blorry. You and I are of the same mind. I would be in heaven to have a pair of new K-Horns, a '70 Hemi Cuda and while I'm at it, a 25 year old blonde hottie. Now that's nirvana.

Thanks. That article was interesting. I must share it with some audiophile aquaintances.

BTW. They can be purchased from JVC, CDNOW and Tower Records to name a few. Just type XRCD at the respective sites and there should be a list of available titles.

quote: Originally posted by bensilb: Where do you get these things? Could you hear a difference on a standard mid level CD player? How much do they cost? They run anywhere from 15 to 26 bucks depending on the cd and if it's JVC or someone else licensed to do the same thing. The good thing is the difference is discernable on even moderate cd players.

quote: Originally posted by jelliott100: I've never heard of XRCD, where can I learn more about it? Here ya go. http://www.xrcd.net/Shopping/process.asp

I'm a vinyl fan who is truly impressed with XRCD. They sound better than HDCD. If they only mastered all cd like this I'd probably be vinyless. Anyway I would like to recommend Basie Big Band. Excellent and very near true to life dynamics along with excellent transients. BTW, the music is good too This cd can be had off the pablo label for $16. They use the same licensed JVC 20 bit K2 mastering technique but can't be called XRCD because I think that trade name is for cd's from JVC. JVC also has the same cd for $26.

This discussion reminds me of some the pro and con arguments I use to hear about quad sound in the '70s. Having lived through that, I still prefer listening to music in stereo. I'm ok with home theater within reason. I have just a basic dolby stereo and really don't plan any heavy investment in that direction. The best place for theater effects are still at the theater in my opinion. If it's a good movie, I'll just plunk down the 35 bucks and enjoy the experience there. Big movie sound effects have to be accompanied by movie size screens.