Mike82

Craig: There was worse at MWAF. Like I said, if I didn't know any better, I would have blamed the gear.

Craig: Ron had the 300B (s-s rect) at the MWAF. He also used the Oris 150 w/AER NkII and Onken bass cabinet rather than the Maya horn-loaded sub which I heard at last year's CES. Kelly: Man, are you right about the shows. I've been to quite a few CES and SP shows and this year's MWAF. The room-acoustic problems can be a real problem for the exhibitors. Many have to change the room set-up 2-3 times before they get their systems to sound decent. Then, once everything is plugged in, it takes a day or 2 for the systems to "settle in". A lot of digital gear needs a couple days just to stabilize. Many complain that the sound isn;t decent until the last day of the show. I agree. Besides room problems, the power is usually $#!t. Experienced exhibitors know this and usually bring along conditioners or isolation transformers which help. Then trying to get a seat in the "sweet spot" can be an adventure. For instance, Ron's Moondog/Maya system at last year's CES (actually, THE SHOW), got my vote for best sound at the show, or any show for that matter. On the flip side, his room at '03 MWAF had some of the worst bass response I've ever heard. I felt bad for him. He probably wished he had a RCS to correct the funky acoustics. Had I not known better, I would have faulted the equipment.

Yeah, I see it. The rectifier isn't shown until near the bottom of the chart. Audio Note's notorious for not updating their website. Peter Q readily admits it. They still show the 3.1x and 3.1x Signature, which have been discontinued with the advent to the 2.1 Balanced. Apparently, the 2.1 Balanced sounds better than either the 3.1x or 3.1x Signature. The only current 3 level DAC offering is the 3.1 Balanced. Ron's "crankiness" may have had a lot to do with working for Ricardo Kron (RIP) back then. I doubt I'd have had his patience.

Kelly: I did not discuss the DC vs AC filament technical issues at length with Ron. He's a down-to-earth approachable guy. I'm sure he'd answer any questions you might have if you emailed him. RE: the DAC. I think the "x" version is when they started using the tube rectifier in the Signature and Balanced DACs. The upgraded parts, AN copper/silver foil caps, Tantalum resistors, better t-formers really makes a difference in the sonics. The 3.1x Balanced uses even better parts than the 2.1x Sig.

Cut-Throat & Dean. I love woodworking, but electronics assembly ain't my bag. Yes, the DRD is a pretty simple design, but I'm one of the AADD (adult attention deficit disorder) folks you see on the TV commercials. I'd need heavy medication to get these completed. Dean, there's a lot more parts than you think. Quality components is also what you are paying for. Again,IMO this amp is a value for the $$$. Mobile thanks for your comments. RE: the AN 2.1x Sig DAC. Gimme a break! :-) I think I'd know if I had a tube rectified DAC! You are correct that the 2.1x DAC is not tube rectified, but the 2.1x "Signature" DAC is. It uses a 6X5 rectifier. I've already traded it up for a 3.1x Balanced which should be here in a couple weeks. Why did I choose the 300B vs. 2A3/45? Primarily, because we tend to move frequently. My wife's an exec at a large consulting firm and we move when the company transferrs her. Given that, I may not always be able to use Khorns/Belle/LS or other horn systems. The 300B's extra watts allows for more choice between speakers. If I knew I'd be staying where I'm at, I would have bought the 45, as I like the sound of this tube the best. It's a small trade-off.

I listened to the Wyetech Jade pre-amp/Onyx monoblocks with SAP Quartettes (these were items I sold in my part-time, in-home shop). For <95dB efficiency speakers, the Wyetech gear is tough to beat. I also had the Art Audio PX25 w/volume control in the shop. It too was nice, but still more noisy than I cared for. The PX25 needs a real low gain pre-amp of which Art Audio makes, but I didn't like the sound the the AA pre-amps. After getting the Khorns, the Wyetech gear was sold as the gain characteristics caused noise thru the Khorns. In the interim, I used the Audio Note P1SE Sig while I listened to other SET. I got a chance to hear the DRD at the MWAF and was impressed with the presentation. I've also known Ron for a few years and know of the quality of his products, but I don't do kit building, so I never had the opportunity to give his stuff an extended listen.

I received my DRD300 Ultimates (w/TJ meshplates) from Ron about a week ago. They are s-s rectified and factory assembled. So far, I'm quite impressed. I chose the s-s rectified version after a long discussion with Ron. My pre-amp and DAC are tube rectified. The DRDs look very good. No money wasted on audio "jewelry". Build quality, cable routing, etc., was as good as I've seen. The owner's/assembly manual is very well written and color diagrams show cable routing quite nicely. I could probably have built these myself, but I didn't enjoy my last project (Hafler DH220) back in 1985, so I opted to have them assembled. There's a lot of hyperbole on the 'net about a piece of gear's attributes, so when I heard the DRDs were dead quiet, I figured, Uh-huh. First, regarding noise, "there just ain't any". When I first fired the DRDs up, they made some minor tube-rushing noise, but went silent in about 8 seconds. I put my ear right up to the horns and heard nothing!!! Absolutely nothing. Heck, every one of the 15 or so tube amps I've owned in the last 35 years had at least SOME noise. Crap!!! I thought they must be defective. Well, the tubes didn't look like they were going to melt down or anything. Hmmmm. So, I put some music on and they sounded just fine! Interestingly, the DRD really don't need a lot of time to warm up to sound their best. 5-10 mins gets about 90% of the optimum sound. While I'm going to complete a full review once they really break in and I have more time with them, I offer the following observations: Their silence allows me to hear more low level detail than I've ever heard from my system. In my system- compared to the comparably-priced, very good Audio Note P1-SE Signature (single-ended EL84 w/BG caps, Tantalum, silver), the DRD have more space, air, separation, definition, etc. Basically what one might expect from a good SET amp. Based on my memory of the excellent Art Audio PX25 (which I owned for over a year), the DRD 300B is a close contender despite being less than 1/3 the cost. IMO, the PX25 tube is a very linear-sounding tube and may have an edge on the 300B on upper frequency extension. However, the DRDs are still new. Also, getting a maxed-out DRD w/full Black Gates and implementing Ron's silver transformer option may allow the DRD to match the PX25's sonic performance for only 2/3 the cost of the Art Audio PX25. But without a doubt, the DRD is MUCH quieter than the PX25. I also had a friend's Korneff 45 in for a while. The 45 is a great sounding tube. If I knew I'd always own ultra-high efficiency speakers, I'd probably opt for the DRD45. The DRD300 was quieter than the Korneff and seemed a tad more refined in it's ability to flesh our timbral nuance and harmonic textures. The Wyetech Onyx monoblocks which were being used until a short time ago really excel in bass extension and control... a tad better than the DRD300 (likely given the the better damping of parallel single-ended design), but the amount of gain of the amps caused so much noise as to make them unsuitable for use with Khorns. More to come after they fully break-in, but for under $2K assembled (less if you build it yourself), the DRDs are a steal. They smoke the other entry-level SET stuff Jolida, Dared, ASL. Not having to price them so a dealer get his "cut", works in our favor. Mike Masztal

ROLTF. Thanks, m00n

Noz: Sorry, but Tom's right. You can't get a sub (except horn loaded types) to match the speed/dynamics of the LS/Belle/Khorn. Hence my criticism of the Avant Garde in a recent thread. You might think you're getting great bass, but you're really not. Turntable folks can appreciate this. When you install a new cartridge, you usually have adjust azimuth and VTA. Sure, it plays albums even when not set just right, but when you finally get it dialed in, WOW!!!!, you really know it. You need to hear a Labhorn or something of the kind. Try to make it to VSAC or mext year's MWAF.

I've been married for 23 years. Music and audio's been my hobby (more like addiction for over 35 years). When I initially met my wife, I proudly showed her my (then more humble) system. She liked the sound. Of course, she also like the sound of a clock radio!! Egads, she has no ears!! She never played a musical instrument! When I went to meet her mom, there wasn't even a radio in the house (my mother-in-law is now 86. I guess after TV was invented, they tossed all their Luddite radios). So, early on, she knew my audio hobby was part of the package. Now, we both work, have seperate checking accounts, and have a "Don't ask, don't tell" policy. The bills get paid, the IRAs are properly funded and we have "emergency funds", so she buys what she wants (clothes, shoes) and I do the same with audio. But financial responsibility has o be a factor. My wife tolerates my audio obsession because it keeps me home, is less dangerous than my motorcycle (after my BMW RS got stolen a few years ago, I didn't replace it- Atlanta is way too dangerous for bikes), and I'm not down at the titty bar stuffing $5.00 bills in some bimbo's G-string. I think I'll keep her.

I pretty much agree with Gary And Kelly. I listen to classical ~70% of the time, but if it's gets too demanding, I'll listen to jazz or maybe some rock. Kelly makes an interesting point. A lot of the classical composers got their themes after getting out of their music room. Beethoven's 6 "Pastoral", Dvorak's 9 "From the New World". How would have Shostakovich been inspired if it hadn't been for the political turmoil? I'll never get burned out on music. It helps relax me, helps encourage me, and at times helps me concentrate. TV, yes. I can't believe the friggin crap they are putting out these days!!!!

Q few manufacturers use Parallel Single Ended (PSE) designs. Audio Note and Wyetech come to mind. Besides more power, the damping factor is greater which helps tighten bass up a tad. There's a paper on the 'net about PSE designs. I can attest to the PSE's improved bass control having owned a PSE Wyetech amp. I did not notice any lack of transparency comparing PSE vs SET.

Kelly made an interesting point about the "experience" level here. One way to help get up the leatning curve more quickly is to attend one of the audio shows. CES (Las Vegas in Jan)- This used to be exclusively for manufacturers and dealers, but due to dwindling attendance, pretty much anyone can go. Last year, I saw a boatload of attendees representing Audio Asylum. And this show is free. Stereophile show- )NYC in June lately). Also used to be Audio Industry only, but it's now open to everyone for a nominal fee MWAF (Midwest Audio Fest) in Lima, OH- April. Open to everyone. Not as large as the previous two, but lots of DIY, Hi-efficiency, etc. VSAC (Vacuum State of the Art Conference) in Silverdale, WA October. Obviously for the tube crowd. There. 4 shows in different regions of the country. Attending these shows offers anyone tremendous exposure to different gear, manufacturers, sound, etc. You'll even get to meet some of Audio's celebrities and get more exposure and experience attending one of these shows than 50 visits to your local audio shop.

KJ: I don't really care for "novice reviews". Not because of any duplicity on their part, but mainly because of their inexperience. We've seen some Forum members, who are still relative novices, wax eloquent about a new piece of gear they bought only to sell it the following month. The problem lies in discernment. To a novice, a new component will probably sound "different" than what they've experienced. Maybe it's an accentuation of detail due to an unnatural, tipped up treble or something of the like. In the case of the novice, this is something "new" (previously unheard), therefore it must be "better". There's a learning curve to all this audio stuff. Some get up faster than others. "We have 2 ears and 1 mouth, so we may listen more and talk less." Zeno RE: TAS, etc., I haven't read the mags in quite some time. I'll occasionally look at them when I'm at the bookstore, but it's always more of the same blah-blah. One-third of the review is the writer talking about his cat or something inconsequential. Even some of the webzines are starting to get like that. I basically have a problem with the whole review process anyway. My primary concern is (in descending order of importance): 1- Synergy, or lack of, between the components in the reviewer's system. This lack of synergy can really short-change a product review. Also, I've found that the more pricey a system becomes, the more the critical the concept of synergy becomes. AudioMusings has tried to tackle this problem by having three reviewers review a product and occasionally, their opinions differ more than one would expect. Bob O'Neill, while writing for Enjoy the Music, highlighted this issue in his review of the Audiomat Solfege integrated amp and Harbeth speaker. It was an enlightening read. His review of the Audio Note CDT2 and DAC4 balanced in the current Positive Feedback also addresses synergy, but to a lesser extent. 2- The experience of the reviewer. Some reviewers "love" everything they hear. Everything gets a "100" rating or "Reviewer's Choice Award". Maybe it's by chance that every piece of gear they get is fantastic, but probably it's because they are too easily impressed. 3- Editors are reluctant to bite the hand that feeds it. When an advertiser submits a component for review and it gets hammered, often the review is not published.

Cut-Throat makes an interesting observation. A dealer friend of mine carries the AG. No so much because he thinks they are great speakers, but because they SELL which makes him some nice $$$$. That's cool, I guess. Oddly, despite the hype the AG gets from certain publications, I can't think of one person whose "ears" I respect that uses them in their reference system.

Hi Colin: I initally had the similar impressions of the Khorn bass. My pair were made in 1985. Rewiring and adding an ALK crossover (w/autotransformer adjustable squawker output). allowed for a more balanced sound in my listening room. IMO, they cream the AG. Regards, Mike

Dean : I don't agree with you either. Your opinion might make sense intuitively, but in practice, often things are different. If, as you say, the problem could be fixed with a "whiz-bang crossover", they would have done it already. My opinion is based on my experience with both designs. Yes, Speed and Dynamics are synonymous, but however you describe it, dynamic bass cabinets and horns don't integrate as well as a full-horn system. My Altec Iconics are nice to listen to, but I have to admit they don't have the cohesiveness of the Khorns. You seem to flip your gear a lot with each new item getting raves on the Forum. Have you ever owned a full-horn system?

Damon: Khorn/Belle/L-S owners need not dismay! Before I give you my opinion, I'd like to cover where I'm come from. Audio hobbyist for 35 years and SoundStage! reviewer for about 4 years until I opened a part-time shop in my home for a couple years (carried Emotive audio, Art Audio, Audiomat, JM Reynaud, SAP, etc). I live about 20 miles away from Jim Smith, the Avant Garde imported/distributor. At one point I was considering carrying the AG line in my shop. I've spent several hours listening to both the Duos and Trios at Jim Smith's home and also CES/Atl Audio Soc shows with different amps, mainly SET, but also Class A push-pull. Jim Smith's a great guy and one of the really honest guys in the industry. Unfortunately, I wasn't as dazzled at the Avant Garde sound as you are. After extended listening periods, I just couldn't get excited about the AG sound. In all honesty, I could not bring myself to sell these to someone- especially at the astronomical prices they charge. First, the AG is a HYBRID design. Not a true horn system. While the AG can play big and loud, and they can do large scale classical music and rock pretty well, they perform less admirably in other types of music. My biggest complaint is the lack of coherence between all of the drivers. Whether it's due to crossover issues or time alignment, etc., I found vocals to be smeared between the horns. The AG also gave the "6' tall head" on most solo vocal stuff. Small emsemble, solo piano, acoustic stuff, etc., all lacked proper harmonic texture. The new AG horn subs are their latest attempt around this problem, but the prices are ridiculous and they still have the coherence problem between the midrange and tweeter. The worst problem, and this should be no surprise to the Khorn/Belle/LS owners, is the poor integration of the dynamic-designed bass unit. AG has made several attempts to alleviate this problem, but haven't been successful IMO. Basically, you can't get a dynamic woofer system to have the speed of a horn-loaded woofer. The same applies to those using conventional sub-woofers to extend the bass response of their Belles/LS. IMO, it just doesn't work, though they may fool themselves thinking otherwise. It's a "physics thing". The same sonic non-virtues apply to other astronomically priced HYBRID systems, (Orion, Acapalla, etc) In the past, I only ever heard Khorns with s-s or receivers, so I never really paid much attention to them. I finally heard the Khorns at Edster's home with a decent front-end and Moondog amps. It was an epiphany! Shortly later, I had Khorns in my system. After all these years, I've learned horns rule! But horn systems can be tricky to get to sound right and unless you have large horn systems, there are insurmountable trade-offs in bass extension the listener will have to live with. Personally, I'd rather have bass-speed and coherence and sacrifice bass-extension below ~35Hz than poorly coherent sub-woofer bass. The full-horn Klipsch is a fine design, especially the bass cabinet. The squawker and tweeter are very good, but better drivers will offer more refined sound. About the only speaker system I would consider if I were to replace my Khorns is the Edgarhorn Titan/Seismic sub-woofer (which is the size of a refrigerator). This system is not much more expensive than the new Khorns, but IMO is a better performer. Honestly submitted, Mike PS: the Welborne DRD 300B have arrived and are breaking in. I'l post my comments soon, but so far, I'm quite satisfied!

I've been reading about the PHY drivers for a few weeks. They are quite intriguing. Most importantly, the absence of a crossover and the cone going up to 8kHz. The PHY driver can also be used on an open baffle. The plans are available on their website: www.phy-hp.com. Look under Montages for plans. THere's been a lot of hype on AA. One owner, krisgel, has already sold his auris and is having a 4-way system built. The only caveat is that they are 16 ohm, so one will need to mod their amps since most have only 4 & 8 ohm taps.

I used to own the 8417 monos back in the late 80-early 90s and used an Audible Illusions 2D pre-amp (pretty decent pre). The 8417 had great midrange, but were a tad too flabby in the bass (w/spendor 1/2). As Dean noted, Mike ran them pretty hot (about 120 as I recall) and I went through a pair of power tubes every 18 mos or so. A couple tube sellers still stock the 8417. Parts Connection sold an ungrade kit for ~$120. The kit had new caps and a couple other items. If they are in good shape, $750 is an OK price, but I'd convert them to El34 as tubes are more readily available and affordable. They DID NOT sound like 300Bs. Good luck

Allan: I work as a Fraud Investigator for a large insurance company (#3 in the Disability sector) and totally agree with you. The fraud I see on a daily basis would infuriate the average person. As far as prosecuting fraud goes, it's unlikely there wil be any significant increase in prosecutions. It's so rampant that staffing would have to increase 10-20 fold to handle the cases. The state of CT, for instance, had over 2200 referrals for worker's comp fraud alone in 2002. Add in medical billing fraud (the largest), disability fraud, auto fraud, life ins fraud, etc. and you can see a huge problem. Average cost per family in the US: $1200 per year in increased premiums pand product prices. Sadly, our entitlement-oriented welfare society and class-warfare mentality has created an environment where many think stealing from the government, insurance companies, etc. is OK--- a "victimless crime". The latest craze is asbestos litigation. It's gopnna cost the consumers, billions of friggin $$$ so @$$wipe attorneys can get rich.

Tom: She's a real cutie-pie. How's you room coming? You should be close to being finished by now. Mike

I got fed up a long time ago. The Democratic party ain't what it was 30 years ago. California has provided a great example of what the (current) Democrats can do when they REALLY get in power. More state employees to suck on the governments ***. Free everything for everybody. $hit, they'd be glad if no one had to work. Also, the residents' Proposition ## mentality is a great example of the "tyranny of democracy" (ie, stupid people get to vote, too). Ex: limiting revenue increases while mandating spending. The founding fathers knew this "tyranny" and gave us a republic instead of a pure democracy. Personally, I want Bustamante to get elected. The state's so far in the hole, no one is going to bring it out without inflicting major pain on someone. The Catch-22. You can't lay off the state-employee leeches or else the teacher's union and their minions will be on your tail. So, I guess you can "tax the rich" and business, but CA is already losing business. Hence the "reductio ad absurdum" of the (current) Democratic Party mentality. The Dems fu#!^* it up. Let them fix it.

I didn't jump into CD until around 1989 when I bought a Creek CD60. Before that, I'd auditioned several and found them lacking in any sense of musicality. To be sure, the quality of CD players has improved substantially over the past 3-5 years and the "diminishing returns" aspect of digital is more severe than in any other component. I have a moderately-priced digital front end (Audio Note CD2 t-port and DAC2.1 Signature- ~$5800 ret). Compared against, say a $2500 Audio Note 3.1x player, it is better. Twice as better? No way. 10%-20% better is about right. On the other hand, (unmodified) players much more than 5 years old don't sound very musical. A lot of Forum members use the Rega Planet, which IMO I think was never a good player, but since Sam Tellig heavily promoted it, people came with expectations and, not knowing any better, bought Sam's pitch. Today, there are alot of good players out there for <$1500. Before spending more $$$$ though, the user should spend a few $$$ on a good line conditioner, better cabling, etc. Digital and solid state gear tends to be very susceptible to power disturbances and a good conditioner makes a substantial difference for not a lot of money. Besides, the conditioners will stay in your system for a long time, so it's money well spent. Also, the cheapest, most effective tweak for a CD player/t-port is to use the Daruma III roller devices ($99. retail for set of three). You'll hear overall better definition and clarity as well as better bass extension and high frequency extension. A no-brainer, but don't ask me why they work. I took a set over the Edster's home. He was skeptical at first, but after installing the Darumas, the benefits were evident to him. When I had my shop, I had customers coming in complaining about how bad their sound was. They would buy new conponent after new component, but were never pleased. In most cases, the problems wasn't the components themselves, but poor synergy. poor quality interconnects, speaker cables, power cables, or the power itself. Sadly, most of the dealers here would rather sell a new component than ask questions about what the problem seems to be. I found those folks living in Atlanta had horrendous power line garbage and in most cases, once they got the right conditioner and cabling, they were happy with their sound. To upgrade?? If you have decent player, make sure your ancillary gear is up to snuff before laying out $$$ for a new player. It will save you a lot of $$$ Good luck! Mike

Hi Eric: I'd be happy to give it a critical listen, but not being a tech, I won'tbe able to offer any design/construction advice. Regards, Mike