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Godataloss

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Posts posted by Godataloss

  1. 10 hours ago, 8 Ohms said:

    These have been up on CL for a while now here in Denver. I think $900.00 is a bit much though. A year ago I gave $1K for a pair of Forte II in a 10/10 condition - Original boxes and paperwork, etc..... 

    Great sounding speaker. Good luck seller.

     

    That surprises me.  Those wouldn't last a week here (Northern Ohio).  Even without the risers, I could buy those at asking, refinish and make a couple hundred easily.

  2. On 7/31/2021 at 12:14 PM, Albe1980 said:

    What s the value on brand new kg4s sealed in original box only opened 1 to see it but its still in the original wrapper

     

    Mint in the box walnut-  $500-700+  oak- $400-500+

    They would sell in a month or two at that price here.

  3. 10 hours ago, RandyH said:

    The factory started using MDF  as of  the release of the  Heresy II  , Cornwall II , Forte 1 , so 1985 -     MDF is flat ,  so ideal for Veneered Speakers -

    one side note the AK6  uses Birch and MDF  -

     

    Might be ideal for manufacturing them, but I would never pay retail money for any mdf Heritage.  

  4. 2 minutes ago, Dave A said:

    I can't speak for KHorns but for other vintage I can. Heresy 2 seems to be about when the switchover was made so mid 80's is my guess. MDF is crap and I see more unrepairable water swollen damage, corners mashed in, screw holes stripped out, cabinets shattered from drops with MDF than that old plywood ever produced on it's worst day. Yes most of the old MDF cabinets are fine but compared to the old Fir plywood you have to be much more careful with MDF.  Accountant driven decision to save money in my opinion.

     

     

    I can't imagine what an mdf khorn bass bin weighs.  I was surprised how easy my plywood ones were to move.  Easier than the Cornwalls I had.

  5. The mid horn was the letdown for the cornwall for me, but over all I really enjoyed them while I had them and would not hesitate to purchase a cosmetically nice pair at that price point.  With prices as they have been, it's money in the bank.  I purchased my pair for $750, cleaned them up, enjoyed them for a year and sold them for $1200 a couple years ago.  They are quite capable and probably the most room and amplifier agnostic of the Heritage series.  A fun all-around speaker to own.

    • Like 2
  6. On 4/12/2017 at 11:54 AM, JohnJ said:

    WOW!! Realize this was posted over a decade ago but this Rambling Rose is just .... art. Like petrified wood or a colorful agate. I'd pay the upcharge seen in a 70th edition or ltd edition for this veneer, then adjust my home around it! Lucky dog you are Budman. Searched for that veneer and found these from somewhere here. Vivid, remarkable, exotic, wow. Rorschach accredited!

    Rambling KHorns.jpg

    Rambling KHorns.jpg

     

    I purchased those actually.  Around 3 years ago, so probably around the time of your post.  The owner had the damage repaired with an unseen piece of veneer from the tophat.  6 hour round trip.  

     

     

     

    khorn shrink.jpg

    • Like 4
  7. On 6/16/2021 at 2:05 PM, henry4841 said:

    John Siau, I did not know who he was, is pitching his product and of course he is going to sing praises of using a cheaper alternative to the more expensive linear PS that is superior in many more ways technically. Those with an electronic background understand this statement purely from a technical understanding of components and circuitry. But hey, it works and has a reputation of dependability. The latest diy product of Nelson Pass, of which I have but not completed because to health issues, uses a switching power supply and the ones that have completed this product, a SE V-fet amplifier, say how quiet the noise level is. Many though that have completed the project have made the comment that they are going to build a linear supply for the project at some time in the future because they know the benefits of a linear supply. Face it a big expensive transformer  with expensive capacitors is required for a linear supply vs the light weight switching supply used in the project and also in the Benchmark. Most all I have said on this subject, linear vs switching doesn't really matter if both work as intended and are dependable. 

     

    I use to also be one of them that was searching for straight wire with gain in an amplifier but now that I am old my attitude has changed to the camp of Passlabs and First Watt. The designer of the company is Nelson Pass and he has stated that for years he built amplifiers with the goal of straight wire with gain with low distortion numbers. But now he designs amplifiers that sound great to him and hopes others hear the difference and buys enough of his products for his companies to survive. From all appearances he has achieved his goal in that he has a loyal following that purchases his products. In case you do not know much about Nelson he is considered a legend in audio amplification in a class all his own. There was a designer many years ago, his name escapes me right now, that said the best sounding amplification had a certain amount of 2nd harmonics and a touch of 3rd. Nelson has intentionally introduced some 2nd harmonics in his amplifiers along with designing amplifiers that naturally have a touch of 2nd harmonics. As Nelson has stated many times he is in the entertainment business and not scientific products. 

     

    All this talk of straight wire with gain is for the young audiophiles trying to say do not chase numbers as I once did 40 years ago. I bought an expensive pre amplifier years ago in my youth with numbers lower than the equipment used to test it. It is now considered by most as not that great sounding and I can agree. Lasted 30 years without a problem as did the same brand amplifier so they were well made but not the best sounding. If I had it to do over again I would have bought a tube McIntosh which was about the same price and is now worth more than the cost back then. To me a SET tube amplifier is what I listen with most of time with plenty of the sweet 2nd harmonics many of use just love. It is like magic to my ears. Holographic is how many describe the sound. As if a singer is in the room with you. 

     

    PS:

    Jean Hiraga is who is quoted as saying some 2nd harmonics with a touch of 3rd sound best to him. A legend also in sound. Had to do some googling to remember his name. I have got way off the OP topic of Benchmark amplifiers. I am almost positive, because of it's loyal following that praises it's sound, that it was not designed to be straight wire with gain. From all that I have heard over the years it has to be an excellent sounding amplifier worthy of consideration. There are many members on this site that have had many different amplifiers that consider it their choice in amplification There is no one amplifier that fits all. 

     

    Apparently it's trickling down-  

     

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1
  8. 9 hours ago, Langston said:

     

    I'm hesitant about subjective impressions of stuff because humans are all over the map on this kind of thing depending on background and disposition. On the latter I'm all about Galileo's scientific method - but I also fell in love with Dave Brubeck's Take Five album when my Dad played the record on our living room entertainment system in 1963 when I was four. It stunned me and though my career was mostly in finance, science and teaching - Brubeck haunted me.

     

    So just after the year 2k I decided that I had enough loot to do something stupid, so I started a concert production company from scratch with the goal to provide the highest possible sound quality even if I lost money in the process. Unfortunately it succeeded and I kept at it until a couple of years ago. I'd achieved what I wanted - a clientele that would pay for my very best effort. The icing on the cake was the oldest and most talented of Dave Brubeck's kids, Chris, used me when he did stuff in the area I covered. Yes I'm bragging. Chris writes symphonies that are usually thematic, such as an Ansel Adams piece with full orchestra and a huge screen fading in and out of different pictures of that amazing black and white photographer while the music did interpretations. It was breathtaking. Other events were more like his Dad's stuff, but still orchestra was involved - jazz band in the middle of the pit that I'd shield with plexiglass and absorbers that had to stay low so everyone could see the muso's - yet it had to work.

     

    So Chris Brubeck and I would sit at a center location a few rows back from the stage and mix the event. I had an iPad that was connected to my CL5 (Yamaha) console that allowed me as much control as I wanted for up to 64 channels. And Chris would say something like "a bit more from the winds", or more often "timpani! more!" and I'd do that and he'd smile to the moon.

     

    That four year old inside me actually pulled it off. : )

     

    Now what to do? Home audio. Yet I'm still hesitant and my answer may not be very helpful:

     

    Amps I have and am familiar with are McIntosh MC275 CE (restored with the best stuff I could find, noise is lower, power higher than specs), Mark Levinson 532H, Benchmark AHB2, and a bunch of professional stuff left over from the business, the only one that sounds really good is a German Camco Vortex 6, second best was the Yamaha TXn series, then all the class D stuff that I've yet to find acceptable from anyone for any other purpose than subs.

     

    Well designed solid state rules. You can hear the reverb of the room in good recordings, subtle stuff is all there IF the loudspeakers are up to the task. Tubes are lovely - I could live with them alone quite happily, but they just don't have the "straight wire with gain" thing going on. My hat's off to all you guys that match all this stuff together to get the most euphoric result, but I'm about the math - I want the modifications (technically called distortion) removed to the greatest extent possible.

     

    But I'm human. I cry during Stravinsky's Rite of Spring or Shostakovich's 5th Symphony or Holst's Planets or Yes's Fragile or anything Emerson Lake & Palmer. So the AHB2 is right down my alley but way too small in output for my needs (thus the 532H) until NOW.

     

    NOW is a pair of '74 Klipschorns I drove to South FL to purchase and have restored. The bass is equal to concert sound - even close to the drum kit - it's all there. It scared me the first time I heard them. So good I turn it up louder than live - still crystal clear - all with the tiny AHB2. It loafs - doesn't even get warm. I'm going through my 3rd iteration at the moment on the KH tops. Aiming at a two-way system, but I'm not religious about it - thus tomorrow a pair of B&C DCX464's are arriving with those giant horns they designed for them. The funny thing is I already found a solution that brings 99% of the holographic female voice into my living room that my redesigned Martin Logan '83 CLS electrostatics do - and this solution is a...

     

    For another post. : )

     

    God bless you and your precious family - Langston

    I cannot thank you enough for your thoughtful post.  I will take a sentimental journey over mindless hyperbole any day- with a cliffhanger thrown in at the end no less.  I share your adoration of Brubeck- Concord on a Summer Night is a go to mind trip for me.    It seems we are on somewhat the same approach and I was thrilled to see you mention that the Bench Mark is a good match with Khorns.   I have a pair of '79 Ramblin' Rose that I've also bastardized in my own fashion-  Volti horns with the BMS 4592nd and Fostex t500a MK3 tweeters.  I have done the tube amp shuffle and agree wholeheartedly that while they have their charm, a system based on efficiency and uber low distortion should not be wrapped in a wool rug so while I started to cast eyes at the various  Pass designs, I came across the Benchmark and can't seem to get it out of my mind.  Of course the wife agrees that I'm indeed out of my mind, but that is a different matter entirely.

     

    I look forward to seeing what you've come up with.

     

    My best to you and yours as well! 

    • Like 2
  9. 19 hours ago, moray james said:

     

     

    I wish there was a place I could listen to one prior to buying.  It seems they hold their value rather well on the secondary market though I've seen some posts about potential knock offs so that is a concern.  I would be using a Budgie phono pre and a Mini DSP SHD as a pre/dac.  Thank you for your thoughts.  

  10. On 2/8/2021 at 6:41 PM, moray james said:

    you could buy your forever amplifier and actually save money and enjoy more for longer. Buy a Benchmark AHB2 amplifier. It is the most low noise amplifier in the world and it also sounds amazing. On the weekend I took one of mine over to a buddy who has a pair of Kef Blades running on the big Pass Mono blocks 50 watts class A 600 watts class AB into 2 ohms. After just three hours he decided to buy an AHB2 and sell the Pass Mono Blocks. Its my forever amplifier.

    Benchmark AHB2 2.jpg

    Benchmark AHB2.jpg

    I'm considering one.  I've seen your posts and you clearly are very experienced and have listened to a ton of gear so your 'my forever amp' carries a lot of weight.  Could you offer some insights into it's sound character and how it compares to other amplifiers you've used?  I'm running Modified Khorns with volti mids bms 4592nd drivers and fostex t500a mk3 tweeters.  My only trepidation is $3k for a 12lb amp, lol.  

  11. 16 hours ago, ClaudeJ1 said:

    Just got a text for the seller thanking me for not having to ship. Maybe I should ask for a 10% discount on the balance.

     

    If I'm the seller seeing how quickly you pounced on them, I'd laugh politely.    

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