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maxg

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Everything posted by maxg

  1. So it looks like it is up to me to bang the practical drum. OK - the KHorns are bigger, badder and louder and create a larger than life soundstage. Setup properly (in the right room) they are unmatchable, probably by any product out there, Klipsch or otherwise. But the LaScalas have advantages of their own. They are a lot more practical as an ownership proposition, far easier to setup in a far wider range of environments and highly dynamic in their own right. No-one could describe these speakers as bass-shy. They dont need a corner and if you want to adjust the soundstage you tow them in - you dont re-build the room!! Oh yes - and if you do feel the need for more bass at sometime in the future you can always add a sub, or 2 (to either speaker come to that). BTW - Edster - not sure that MDF setup of yours is a good idea. you really need something a lot more solid behind them than that. I have played around with false corners for a friends Khorns made out of marble. It wasnt cheap but it did work real well. You could always try Granite as an alternative if you can get that cheaper. ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable
  2. Ear(s), I noticed that missing from your list were Quad speakers (amongst others - but these are a real surprise). From your previous postings I know you like sonic accuracy and the Quad 988's and 989's are about as accurate as you can get. Of course, as with most ESL's they are a bugger to drive properly and they dont blow the roof off but sonically I am yet to see their match. A friend of mine has recently traded in his Khorns for a pair of 989's driven by an Accuphase E407 integrated amp. Unfortunately he is still using a cd player as a source (but he is evaluating SACD players as I type) but they still sound amazingly good. They lack the impact and ultimate size of the Horns but they are ruthlessly (and irritatingly) accurate. As a man who likes the Horn sound of my Heresy's I wanted to punch their face in after 5 minutes but I think you will go nuts over them. One man's meat and all that. ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable
  3. Bugger - try that picture again: ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable
  4. I think the sound on my tubes is starting to degrade a little. There is definitely more hiss coming from the speakers these days than there used to be. The question is whether to simply buy the same tubes as I had before, the Sovtek 6550WE, or to go for a compatible product with better sound. I cant say that there is anything I dont like about the performance from the tubes I have but I am always interested in evaluating alternatives. For reference my monoblocks are rated with these tubes at 45 wpc. I posted a picture recently which hopefully will reappear here: Thoughts anyone? ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable
  5. I bought the Marantz CD6000 about a year ago for around $300. It has proved to be far better than I had expected and I am uterly delighted with it. This is despite the fact that about 2 days after I got it the CD6000 OSE came out and 2 months later the CD6000 HKI both of which are supposedly higher up the range. I do not know how the 5000 and 6000 relate to one another but the 6000 won some award or other last year (EISA I think). ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable
  6. I have noticed many posts recently on various boards about db limits, ratings of speakers, output levels and so on. My own system is capable of ludicrous volumes, yet, I almost never use it. In fact it only ever climbs above 9 o'clock on the volume when friends come round and I want to show off. Usually I listen to music at just above normal conversation levels (dont know what that equates to in db). I was wondering about the rest of you. do you really pump up the volumes to the extent we talk about on these sites? I would imagine you will all have hearing problems within a few years if you do. ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable
  7. I would suggest that anyone looking to buy either DVDa or SACD players either holds off that purchase or buys an inexpensive unit like one of the DVD/SACD players from Sony. Rumour has it that both the DVDa group and the SACD group are preparing to release digital connection support (via firewire) sometime towards the end of the year. This will certainly mean new players coming out, and presumably a whole new range of decoders, preamps and surround sound integrated units with Firewire ports. ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable
  8. As shadimar said - I think you want to play with the positioning of your RF3's. I would try placing them as far out as possible from the TV, you will get much more of the surround sound experience if you do. Ideally the speakers should be as far from each other as you are from the TV in your normal seating position. Think of an equilateral triangle with you and the speakers at each corner, then tow the speakers in about 10 degrees or so. I think you will not believe the difference. Also how far are they from the back wall. If memory serves RF3's are rear firing bass reflex units so you want them at least 2 feet from the rear wall. Of course you can ignore all this if you are happy with your sound as it is - just a suggestion! ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable
  9. OK - lots of questions: 1. How big is your room? 2. How big is your budget? 3. Do you own any equipment you want to retain or is this a start from scratch system? 4. Do you want to use this for music and ht or just Ht? 5. What systems have you heard? Did you like them, and why? 6. Are you interested in other formats as well as DVD video, for example DVDa / SACD? That should do for starters. BTW - you wont need 600 wpc with Klipsch. Klipsch are high sensitivity speakers - I know people who run them with 3.5 wpc amps (tubes of course). ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable
  10. Like digital photography and audio. Tried to catch the light reflecting off my tubes whilst listening to the Rack 2 on SACD. ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable
  11. What I love about The Ear(s) is he always makes me feel so reasonable in this hobby. I spent a mere $2000 on cables (Synergistic silver speaker cable and mogami interconnects). Still I only have the one sub-woofer! Keep going Ear(s). If it wasnt for you I would think myself over the top! ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable
  12. 40 feet is a long connection for RCA cables. Generally RCA's are not used for connections much above half that distance (which is why they use Balanced cables in professional setups to go long distances). I would suggest buying/borrowing some different cables and testing it before you hard wire into the walls. As others have asked - why is you sub so far away? Usually subs are placed in corners (often front corners) so that they are not that distant. ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable
  13. Excellent post. I too have siped at the waters of big buck high end at such shows and I too have left feeling that it is what they dont do to me that remains as memory. At our recent high end audio show I was treated to Tannoy's biggest budget audio creation. Their new top end speakers were mated to over $180,000 worth of amplification, cables, sources, pre-amps and who knows what else. It was good but at this kind of money I would have expected the music to be accompanied by a 3d holographic, lifesize rendition of the performers. The same went for the Martin Logan setup (a measly, miserly $120,000 affair). It was most pleasing, in the end, that the best of show award from the exhibitors was awarded to a KHorn setup with tubes and vinyl that cost a paltry $45,000. In this company that is almost bargain basement stuff. I may have a long way to go with my own setup but my direction lies along another path from this. ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable
  14. Nice system - not sure its a good idea to stack your components like that thought. I would suggest a unit for all of those before the inifinite baffles set in otherwise you may find them your tower of music gets knocked over with the first explosion. ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable
  15. maxg

    DVD-A / SACD

    Yes, the 900 does mutli-channel. My understanding is that the 9000 is coming to the end of its life and will be replaced soon. Right now I would say the NS900 is THE product to buy in the combo player market. Certainly all the magazines over here are raving about it - one asking on its front cover "Is this the best DVD player of all time?" Bit over the top really - but it seems to be a damn good player to me and at a very reaasonable price. ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable
  16. And the WAF for this particular item is????? ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable
  17. As far as I know Belles, in common with the rest of the Heritage range, only have one set of terminals for connection. I understand that you need 2 sets of connectors to biwiring. Unless yours have been modified I dont think you can biwire (in the sense of one set of connectors for the highs and one set for the lows). Just my $0.02 ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable
  18. Sorry Keith, Hate to make a grown man weep. You think I wanted to come to this conclusion?? Look at it this way. I have had to eat more humble pie in this hobby of ours in the last year or so, and made so many u-turns I am positively spinning: I had surround sound on a Yamaha Amp playing a quintet setup with additional KSB 3.1s as fronts. Heard Heresy's - bought them. Yamaha did a dismal job - so I bought a rotel 1080 power amp which improved things a lot. Highs were too harsh so I sold the rotel, yamaha, 3.1s, the quintets and the KSW 10 sub and bought an Accuphase E211. My CD player broke so I used the Denon 3000 DVD as my source. Decided to get a dedicated CD source and picked up the Marantz. Heard a tube monoblock setup and bought it. Heard the Sony DVD/SACD player (NS900) playing SACD and bought that too. Borrowed a pair of speakers from a friend (he had built them). Setup a 4 channel surround sound. Added a Rel Strata 3 sub. I have no idea how many cables and interconnects have come and gone alongside all this activity. Lets say $1500 worth!! Now I can listen to Cd's on either Accuphase (SS amp) or tubes. The problem is I cant stand them now. 2 channel SACD is MUCH better. Multi-channel SACD is better still. Sorry, but there you have it. Of course at my current rate of progress I should be changing my mind in about the next 5 hours or so. BTW : I heard a friends setup over the weekend playing CD. He has Quad 989 ESLs mated to the Accuphase E407. By far the best sound I have heard coming from a CD player ever, but I still prefer SACD sound. If he ever gets SACD, however, I am doomed!! ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable
  19. I just bought a Rel Strata 3 to go with mine. It seems a perfect match to me as it is a sealed unit. like the Heresy itself. Accordingly, you cannot tell where the speaker ends and the sub starts - it is just like having a Heresy that goes down to 20Hz. Cant recommend it highly enough. ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable
  20. There are so many players hitting the market from Sony it is sometimes hard to keep up. Since I wrote this article I have now expanded my collection to around 32 SACDs with another 6 or so on order currently. The 6 on order are all multi-channel and I already own 4. This is definitely the way to go - there is nothing like mutli-channel on this earth for music at this level of quality ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable
  21. My monoblocks are locally produced 45 wpc push pull units that I bought from the guy that makes them. If is more of a hobby for him than a real business (he works elsewhere and opens for about 3 hours an evening - not weekends). They were reviewed in a local Greek audiophile mag that raved about them - I went to listen and bought them immediately - they were a steal (2 monoblocks plus the Pre-amp for around $900 - incredible pricing in Greece). I use both amps but tend to use the tubes more. The accuphase plays while the amps are warming up, when I want to play Rock music (more slam) and also play the rear channel for SACD multichannel. Despite the fact the tubes cost me one third of the accuphase I would have to say they are the better amp overall - the accuphase wins on flexibility but in outright quality the tubes have it. This photo is a little old now - I will try to arrange a new one. Basic changes are: - The speakers are now on their sides (bigger soundstage). - The Rel Strata 3 has been added. - A Sony NS900 dvd/SACD has replaced the Denon 3000 DVD. Otherwise looks much the same (statues still atop the speakers). ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable
  22. maxg

    DVD-A / SACD

    I love the Sony player. It is the best DVD player I have owned (no comparison with my old Denon 3000 for picture). I own around 200 DVD's - both music and movie - ranging from The Matrix, Gladiator, Alien complete set and so on to Puccini's Turandot and Mozart's Marriage of Figaro. My favorite DVD is still Tommy the rock opera - it is the best surround sound implementation of music I have heard outside SACD. I also own around 32 SACD's (6 more on the way from elusivedisc.com). These include MJ, Jaccintha, Celine Dion, Santana, Roger Waters and a host of classical and Jazz titles. I do not have anything to compare the SACD performance with (no experience of other SACD players). All I can tell you is that all of my audiophile friends agree that my sound is THE best musical reproduction in the home they have ever heard - but none of them has SACD yet. FWIW - I would recommend the Sony VERY highly. ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable
  23. Wow - a fellow Heresy lover. I too have a Heresy/sub combo but with rather different amplification from yours. I have mated my Heresy's with a REL Strata 3 sub which I chose because it is a sealed unit that matches tonally with the Heresy's amazingly well. In fact it is sometimes hard to remember when listening to music that there is a sub there at all. It sounds like I have simply a pair of Heresy's with an extended range down to 20 Hz. Unfortunately the picture doesnt show the sub - it is not much to look at anyway, just a large black box. ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable
  24. Wow there is a lot of wrong information here: First off all DVD's are not NTSC. There are 6 regions of DVD (geographical) and they come in PAL, NTSC and even SECAM (possibly more for all I know). Secondly progressive scan started out as NTSC only but is now becoming available for PAL. (one Toshiba does it but with only 480 lines resolution). The delay was caused because PAL works at a higher resultion than NTSC and it was simply more demanding on the technology to perform progressive scan with more lines. If you want the Rolls Royce solution the cinematrix card does pal and ntsc progressive scan up to 1,300 lines resolution but that is mainly for projectors and is an expensive add on to a standard DVD player (it fits most). PAL TV's are not 50 Hz only. Mine is 100 Hz. Hz are not the same as frames per second. Hz refer to the refresh rate of the television and is independent of the frames per second of the source. I think that NTSC does use a higher number FPS than PAL but I recall that the numbers are 25 and 30 FPS - not 50 of 60. Of course I am no expert on Video, but the above is certainly closer to the truth than most of the responses here. ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable
  25. According to the Cardas golden ratio setup: The mains should be arranged in an equilateral triangle (from the listening position) with the mains placed .276x(Room width) from the side walls and .447x(Room width) from the back wall. This basically puts them in the middle of the room - personally I ignore this and have mine about 1 ft 6 from the back wall - although my distance from the side walls is fairly close to the above, and my listening position from the speakers is the same as the speakers are from each other. As your speakers are bass reflex and, from memory, port out backwards you may want to try them further away from the back wall than you currently have them. Experimentation is the key. Try different positions and see if you hear a difference. Generally sub placement is supposed to be in a corner of the room, although this may cause considerable boom. Again there is no substitue for experimentation as every room is different. Good luck ------------------ 2 * Heresy 2 (mains) 2 * Homemade horn speakers (rears) 1 * REL Strata 3 sub Accuphase E211 amp. Tube monoblocks with separate pre-amp (solid state). Marantz CD6000 player Sony NS900 SACD/DVD player Stax Headphones Humax 5400 digital satellite receiver Sharp Video 32" Sony flat screen 16:9 TV Mogami interconnects Silver Synergistic speaker cable
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