Last Lemming
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Posts posted by Last Lemming
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I use a Luxman U505xii
just marvelous
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So I’ve had my new Luxman 505uxMKII for a few days. All I can say is that Luxman and Klipsch pair VERY WELL!!
holographic and the tone is so smooth and pure.
super stoked right now.
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I’m glad it all ended well for you!!!!
For what its worth I had the iv’s running on a new Technics SU-G700m2. Truly is an amazing amp. Did everything right for these IV’s, but it was too much of a good thing. It was sooooo clear and exacting that it made all my crappy 80’s recordings (the music I love) sound true to their recording- meaning bad. However, great recording were unfreak’n believable. But it nagged at me that a lot of my music would never sound great (listenable). So I sent the unit back and I ordered a Luxman integrated. Everything I heard about this amp is that it’s more musical, that and I’ve been wanting a Luxman for years.
in the meantime I’m using my Decware integrated. Fooling around with tube rolling for fun.
but again. Glad it’s all worked out!
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For me it was immediate. Even before I sat down in between the speakers I heard a difference.
I hope you find something that’s causing your distress, so you can resolve your issue.
Failing that if everything is hooked up correctly and you still don’t like it I suppose you can always put back what you had and sell the kit. Though that’s always a major PIA.
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The only other thing I can think of is the wiring might be wrong somewhere else when you installed it. Unplug the speaker wires and speaker binding panel and start there. Failing that pull the tweeter and mid and recheck those.
That being said I can’t imagine you did anything wrong, the install is simple enough even considering the tweeter. Which is the same tweeter as you already have except for a phase plug which is supposed to smooth things out.
Supposedly the crossover accounts for most of the change anyway.
I’ve read from another Forte IV owner the quality of the binding posts are not good. Hard to disagree with that. I’ve ordered some copper posts and I’m going to solder the wires. He did this mod and said the sound got even smoother. Easy enough mod and easy to reverse.
BTW the image above the original is on the right.
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Sorry to here your issues. I did it like the below. It’s a pic from my install.
did you verify the mids were wire right? It’s hard to see the little red line on the terminal.
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I’m not sure the CW is better, but rather different. Depends on your preferences, other gear and room. I preferred the Fortes - obviously per my post above.
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I just did mine, and sorry I don’t understand why you’re not hearing more of a difference. I would say they almost sound like a different, more refined speaker, from the same company.
the difference was immediate as soon as I turned on the stereo without any break in at all.
what type of equipment are you using?
by the way, I totally agree with you about the labeling of the speakers. I did the same as you with the tweeter, and barely noticed a small red mark on the mid range, had I not seen that it would’ve been a total tossup.
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Best $800 bucks spent.
to me it sounds like a whole new speaker.
all the things about the III I liked are still there except now there’s:
1. More coherent frequency response
2. Smoother frequency response
3. bass is waaaay better - deeper and tighter, I even had to check if my REL sub was on. It wasn’t.
4. Soundstage is wider and deeper5. No etch to sound at all
if in doubt do it!
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I’m not sure it’s wise to paint such broad strokes with any type of technology. In my experience there is a time and place for most all technologies. That being said, it might be true that most class d amps you’ve heard don’t mesh with what you (and certainly others) consider “good” or “excellent” sound, but I doubt ALL fall in that category.
What I do know is that I’ve been in this hobby for over 35 years, I’ve owned may different components in the high end including SS, Tube, hybrid, and class d, and heard many others. I’ve mixed and matched these components as well and have always found a good sound. Now I’m not impervious to seeking a better and better sound like any other audiophile, but I do know this Technics is something different, and all positives from what I can tell.
I don’t really chase specs, but rather SQ, so I’m agnostic with regards to technology. I’d ask for you to hear it first before making assumptions about its SQ.
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I’ve been putting more hours on the Technics (through the Forte III’s) and it just keeps impressing me with its qualities- which are a bit hard to describe.
It has what appears to be an endless well of power. As the volume goes up there is no apparent stress to the way the music sounds. In my experience with other amplifiers as you turn it up there comes a point where your ear/brain says “whoa, that’s enough”. Whether that’s because the sound seems more strained or you feel the speakers have reached some power limit you’re afraid of crossing. Not with this amplifier, that feeling of “that’s enough” hasn’t yet crept up. It just stays clean and full size. You just wanna keep turning it up up up.
Now I’m sure the fact that the Klipsch being so efficient plays into this, but that just makes it a great combo as well.
The other thing I’m loving is the bass/mid/treble control. It all apparently happens in the digital domain. I have a bit of a bass suck out where my listening spot is and having a bass control has allowed me to fill in the bass and reduce my need on the REL subwoofer for better integration. Listening to drum solos is amazing - you really FEEL it.
The highs are great as well, never harsh. Not as extended like on my Thiel speakers, but those speakers are just better with regards to soundstage and three dimensionality. That being said the overall sound of the Klipsch is large and clear. Pinpointing instruments or singers is easy.
But if I had to describe the amp in one word it would be EFFORTLESS.
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Technics says is digital, not class-d. But honestly, not sure what that means with regards to how it actually works.
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On 10/7/2021 at 8:24 PM, Signals said:
This is a great thread as I recently discovered a difference myself. Some background first: I'm 54 years old and dabbled in HiFi in the early eighties, but nothing too serious or expensive. Forward to 2018 and I decided to get back into the game, albeit slowly. For reference, I played drums for many years and am well aware of the upgrade bug -- having owned 30+ new kits. ....and don't even get me started on cymbals and snare drums. So, I wanted to proceed cautiously when buying audio gear. Anyhow....back to 2018: I purchased an Outlaw RR2160 because of its bang-for-the-buck price. I soon added a Marantz CD6006 and then Klipsch RP280 speakers. Once I heard the Klipsch I fell in love with the sound, but I wanted MORE. So, I was getting ready to purchase a set of Forte IIIs when all of a sudden, the Forte IVs came out, so I bought those instead (thanks Paducah!) I ran the Forte IV's with the RR2160 for quite some time, but I thought that perhaps I wasn't doing the speakers justice, so I demoed the Technics SU-G700 with them. I didn't know much about the amp other than that it was digital, and I liked Technics back in the day, so why not. I proceeded to A/B the Technics against the Outlaw and could immediately hear a considerable difference. Actually, it was almost a religious experience, lol. I don't know all the audiophile terms, but I would describe the sound from the Technics as cleaner, fuller and much more massive -- and there was definitely a difference in the overall sound. I even let my 18-year-old daughter (and her boyfriend) listen, and they whole heartedly agreed. Afterwards, I purchased the matching CD player and haven't looked back since (Yes, I even heard a difference between the CD players!). Now don't get me wrong, I LOVED the Outlaw and highly recommend it, its just that I preferred the sound of the Technics. Well, that's it!
Oh wait, one more thing. I feel funny even mentioning this because I'm aware that it's a volatile topic, but here it goes: For the first three years of owning my new setup I used Crutchfield cables, because as most of you know, expensive cables are nothing but snake oil. Well....a few weeks ago I decide to change my cables, just for fun, so I purchased something a bit more expensive. Not high end by any means, but a bit more costly than what I had. ....and...I heard an immediate difference. I know, I know, but I'm just telling you my experience. They really did make a difference. I still can't believe it, but it is what it is. lol
Oh, one last thing. When I returned to audio in 2018 I was STUNNED to learn that tone controls were out of fashion. I was like "really?" Thank God that the Technics unit has bass, treble and MID adjustments, although I hardly use them now. Go figure! (Their LAPC correction is the real deal!)
I just purchased the Technics SU-G700. It replaced a vintage Audio Research Tube amp. I agree with the above. It just has a big full smooth sound that seems limitless in power and clarity. Soundstage is there too though the Tube amp probably has an edge in it there, but only slightly. But where the technics trumps the AR is in the dead silent backgrounds. Zero hiss or noise unless the music has it. Music is soooo clear and nuanced without etch. You’d never know it was a digital amp.
I’ve also used a Decware integrated amp and it just doesn’t have the big authoritative sound the Technic commands.
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...because everybody knows speakers are so unreliable. If you can afford to modify you can afford to fix. The warranty is a non issue. If they sound better it’s a win.
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Here it is. I replaced the tubes with KT90EH’s, the main power filter caps and re-biased the unit. It sounds pretty darn amazing.
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I had my Parasound A21 amp which sounded great with plenty of power and authority. Ultimately I put a vintage 32 watt Audio Resarch amp on it- mostly because I like what tube amps bring to the music.
no complaints in the A21 really.
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Panelhead,
You make good points. I always think that some of the most expensive equipment has regular ole PCB boards, 60/40 solder, and resistors and caps with lead wire that is no better than in you run of the mill receiver.
That being said, those pieces usually sound waaaaaay better.
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Wuzzzer- I don’t drink, but maybe I should, it might be a more economical hobby than this!
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I’ve red many posts on this forum, and it would appear that a large majority here don’t believe cables make a difference, and that lamp cord is just fine. I suppose it does get the music to the speakers, kinda the way one of those skinny spare tires gets a sports car down the road. This thinking baffles me, because I can tell the differences with almost any cables I swap on and out. In fact, these highly efficient speakers make differences between components, or cables even easier to tell the difference between. And trust me, I’m not one of these “I bought the latest thing so I need to justify my purchase” people. This is just me swapping out old cable or new one I have lying around and just noting differences generally. Sometimes small the differences are only just significant enough to hear, but sometimes they can be quite transformative. Regardless, I just like f’n with stuff so I tried these GR Research cables out, mostly because they look like Kimber Kable clones and I’ve had KK before and liked them, but didn’t want to pay $800 for the 14’ runs I needed. But this kit cut that cost in half, so I figured what the heck. I like DIY stuff it will be fun, and it was.
Im not here to try and convince you cables make a difference. I figure if you can’t tell the difference it comes down to you’ve got bad hearing, you don’t know how to critically listen, or don’t care to, or your gear doesn’t have the resolution to appreciate any differences. I suppose you could just not give a sh#t either, regardless, if any of those are the case, then exit, this post ain’t for you sweetheart.
So how do they sound, I’ll keep it simple, clean and clear with a balanced frequency as far as I can tell. Think of having the film of dust on glass washed away. What does this mean, it means I’m hearing more nuanced detail, more air, and more presence in the music, but full bodied and fleshed out.
Worth the expense, and better than the more expensive cables that were attached before.
for reference my system is
Balanced Audio Technology VK-3ix tube pre
Audio Research V35 tube amp
Technics 1200GR turntable
Parasound JC3+ phono pre
Forte III speakers
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So I ended up with an Audio Research V35, this is a vintage 30w balanced triode amp. It has PLENTY of grunt and sound amazing.
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So I bought a temperature controlled soldering kit with hot air, some .032” 60/40 solder, and two practice solder kits from eBay.
I also ordered the Bottlehead Phono preamp kit.
I’ve soldered basic things before like speaker connections and such, but never circuit boards, so I’ll practice up a bit first.
I looked over and read the BH instructions for the phono preamp and it seems straight forward enough. Just got to get my soldering skills updated.
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After watching this, tubes should cost about a thousand dollars each.
all manner of large manufacturing equipment is required!
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So, I did find Audio Note as kits. They seem like fine kits, but many threads of builds I’ve found (when I say many I mean 3) that pieces were missing or failed soon after installation.
I decided to start with something a bit less ambitious, maybe a tube phono pre.
I did just pick up a vintage Audio Research V35. It 30 watts per channel Triode, so power should be ok.
On the discussion of power I do have a question of curiosity.
I was trying to determine how much power my current amp was putting out.
I went to an online calculator and i plugged in 95 db/watt efficiency for the speakers - since this is what I hear the forte iii’s actually come closer to when tested - I set my distance to 8’ sitting distance from speakers and tried to figure if I wanted 87 dB I would only need about 1/2 watt.
does this seem about right?
I think 30 watts should be ok , since I typically don’t listen above 85 db (sitting position)
Recommendation? Am I under powering my KG4's and Forte II's?
in 2-Channel Home Audio
Posted
In my experience the fortes get better with more clean wattage. I don’t know anything about your current amp but I have an amp with 100w into 8 ohm and it sounds waaaay better than my Decware 6w integrated.