Jump to content

MeloManiac

Regulars
  • Posts

    2025
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    1

MeloManiac last won the day on February 2 2021

MeloManiac had the most liked content!

4 Followers

About MeloManiac

  • Birthday 05/16/1969

Profile Information

  • Gender
    Male
  • Location
    Geluwe, Belgium
  • Interests
    Photography, movies, art history, literature
  • My System
    Klipsch Heresy I (1972)
    Klipsch RP160M
    Marantz MP5005
    TubeCube 7 | Tube upgrade: Sovtek 12AX7-LPS (longplates) and Sovtek EL84-M
    Pro-Ject Essential III - George Harrison special edition


    a Amazon Fire 7 for streaming (cable-connected to the switch)
    a brandless cd/dvd player (it also has usb-in and a cardreader)
    Spotify Family


    Sovtek 12AX7-LPS - This is an entirely new design from Sovtek and a great step up in sound quality. They have very large ribbed plates and great sound reproduction. I found them very smooth and well balanced in terms of bass, mids and treble response. The large plates make them more prone to microphonics and in combo amps, so they can be a problem if you like to run things wide open. It is still the best thing Sovtek has produced in a 12AX7, with very good gain and low noise. I would advise against using them in compact high-powered combo amps where they will be subjected to lots of vibration. One other note about the construction of these tubes is they have filaments that are almost completely encased in the plate structure. They often don't "light up" when working properly. This is not a problem, it's normal for the LPS.

    Sovtek EL84-M - A military-spec version of the standard Sovtek EL84 - the Sovtek EL84M's extended voltage tolerance - improved plate dissipation - and rugged construction make it equivalent to the RCA 7189. Chosen by Matchless for their designs - the EL84M also features higher transconductance - more power - and longer life than the less expensive EL84 - making it perfect for hi-end audio applications. However - many musician's prefer the regular EL84's warm distortion to the EL84M's tighter - cleaner tone. For all Hi-Fi users - the EL84M is definitely the tube of choice.

Contact Methods

  • Website URL
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/ivanlietaert/

Recent Profile Visitors

The recent visitors block is disabled and is not being shown to other users.

MeloManiac's Achievements

Forum Veteran

Forum Veteran (4/9)

4k

Reputation

  1. Did a little bit of research on that. The cover art of the album was changed because of the newspaper front page in it.
  2. You were politically mature at an early age! 😉
  3. Taking a huge risk here by posting images of a openly communist album. 😁 This 1988 Billy Bragg album, punk folk, has the subtitle 'capitalism is killing music', referring to the 1980s campaign 'Home taping is killing music'. I plead guilty! Note the horn speaker in the cover art. My album still has its original price tag. I paid 379 Bfr for it, which is slightly less than 10 euros/dollars.
  4. This model is part of the Marantz budget line. It will give you a lot of connectivity and inputs, but the sound quality is not so good. A speaker like the Heresy will reveal any weaknesses in your audio chain. If you want streaming capabilities and a good amp in one compact system, you'll have to invest a lot more, like triple tej NR1200 price. The other path is a good amp, and an exteral streamer.
  5. I was in my car and my (standard) car speakers could not handle this track's bass line: But 1972 Heresies at home stood strong!
  6. Best wishes for the new year! Here, I'm about to start cooking for tonight. But first things first, which is to decide what music to play while cooking. It's going to be Katie Melua's Best Of.
  7. I once wasted a lot of time with a similar issue, but it turned out to be the input source. A full reboot of the streamer did the job, but I guess you are smarter than me and first swapped the L and R cables! What do you mean with 'tightening the cables'? Make sure there is no contact between the two cables in the left speaker. Use a light and a loupe and double check. Tightening may cause a bad contact on the inside too, so my next step would be to open the speaker and check all the wiring inside. Also check the crossover for bad contacts. Next step could be measuring the capacitors of your crossover. As your speakers are fairly new, maybe playing a loop of bass heavy sounds may bring back the low hz freqs. BTW, 20Hz is exceptionally low for any speaker, so I'm not sure if the app you use is accurate. Trust you ears instead!
  8. Better late than never... Merry Christmas!
  9. I always thought having cassettes and CDs in my car was a nuisance and a distraction but... (I came across this on some social media network...) Muhammad Ali had a record player that played 45 rpm records built into his automobile. In the 60s, Norelco "Auto Mignon" only held one 45 rpm record at a time, for 4½ minutes of play, potentially distracting the driver with the need for multiple record changes. Consumer Reports claims the Norelco players were able to keep the needle on the record while driving and that the needle performance was "unaffected by rough roads, car sway, and sharp braking." However, "a steady stylus had its price, wearing down the records from the high pressure required to keep it in place. And the RCA unit's turntable ran fast, speeding up records," according to CR. In addition, there was nowhere to put the vinyl since the Norelco didn't store any records. Car record players soon made way for the eight-track tape deck. In September 1965, the Ford Motor Company introduced factory-installed and dealer-installed eight-track tape players as an option on three of its 1966 models (the sporty Mustang, luxurious Thunderbird, and high-end Lincoln), and RCA Victor introduced 175 Stereo-8 Cartridges from its RCA Victor and RCA Camden labels of recording artists catalogs.
  10. Since I've bought my 1972 Heresies in 2018, I rarely see vintage Klipsch speakers being sold on auction sites here in Belgium. Today, a 1963 set of Heresies in pretty good state is up for sale. Take a look here: https://www.catawiki.com/nl/l/78195201?aci=385b403d-1016-4a09-a553-5235408bfd2a&utm_campaign=Audio+Equipment-BE&utm_content=2ehandsbe&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=coop&fbclid=IwAR2VKFCdkDI6ldLtlRxLnaxLoQFsPXa-JtbCJFkAv1tYnl7V1ykcwkLG7KQ I'm not involved in this. Just sharing...
  11. Delivery to Belgium was FedEx. Needed to pay extra 28 cents import. Plus 5 euro admin costs... Thieves
  12. It's been a while - very busy for work, and a bit down due to winter, but this package, delivered today, put a smile on my face! Dope from Hope!
  13. I got mine just now. I'm very proud because I'm Belgian and the book was Made In Belgium!!!! It looks fantastic!
  14. Sitting next to my wood burning stove, enjoying a glass of Leffe Blond and playing some great music!
  15. Today I went grocery shopping across the border, in Leclerc Bailleul, France, which is only 30km from my home. I treated myself to goat cheese, Camenbert, pain flute etc. But hey, I also bought two vinyl records! Jean Michel Jarre's 1979 Oxygene and The Scorpions' Tokyo Tapes, which I consider their best live album.
×
×
  • Create New...