CWelsh

I attended AXPONA 2023 and the speakers that impressed me the most were an open baffle design from Pure Audio Project. There were other speakers that sounded better, but not at the price point. I would love to hear a pair in my own listening space to see if I'm as impressed. In case you're interested in DIY options, here is a link I found interesting. https://abxaudiophiles.org/abx-baffles

Congratulations! Those look exactly like my Forte IIIs and I have the upgrade kits on my radar. I'm glad to hear you like the sound so much. I don't have the ideal set up in my listening space and I still want to do a little tinkering with placement, but I'm still thrilled with mine.

Yes, it will be interesting to see how the new models are received.

They are combining the skeletonized braces with domestically sourced, sustainable tone woods. I wonder if the domestic tonewoods are heavier, needing reduced weight bracing.

I did respond to Shakey in a DM because I felt like I was hijacking the thread, but I think you are correct. I set the Node to Fixed Volume (full output level) and have been using the Marantz volume control and I do think it sounds better. The only issue is the lack of a remote, so I have to drag my old man butt out of the recliner every time I need to adjust the volume, but I just tell myself it is exercise. Of course, now I'm looking for a motorized volume control unit I can include in the preamp/control center I think I want to build.

Sorry, @Flevoman, I feel like I'm stealing your thread.

The Marantz is an integrated from 1974, so no remote. The Node feeds into the Aux input on the Marantz which I am using only as a preamp (Marantz Preamp-Out outputs to ACA). The volume control on the Marantz definitely affects the output volume of the system, as does the volume setting of the Node. I don't know how I could do it any other way than daisy chaining.

I may be misreading what you're saying, so please bear with me while I try to get this clear. When I see the word attenuate, I understand that to mean reducing. So, are you saying that reducing the volume using the Node volume control means that I am throwing away bits, or am I reading this backwards? What I feel gives the most articulate sound is to have the volume control on the Marantz set at about a 3:00 o'clock position (around 85%), then use the volume control on the Node to set the loudness. Most of the time, that means the volume level on the Node app is in the bottom 25% of the overall range. I will say, pushed beyond that it does seem to sound more detailed, but it is at a less comfortable dB level for me. However, if I reduce the volume setting on the Marantz and increase the level on the Node, it starts sounding a bit muddy overall. Is this where you think a passive preamp would be the better option?

Beautiful! I love the minimalist look. Reminds me of @henry4841's Little Sweetie projects. In my initial comment I should have added, one of the things I'm looking for in preamp, whether active or passive, is switching for multiple inputs. The Marantz does that for me and includes a pretty decent phono stage, but I still wonder if I could do better.

You have no idea of the problems this post has created for me. I've been happy as the proverbial clam with my Forte IIIs and you've given me a severe case of FOMO! Time to start saving my pennies, I guess. 😉

Congratulations on the new monoblocks! I will be interested to hear what you think of them. I've been trying to research this same question for some of the additions I hope to make in the future. What I've read suggests that devices like CD players and streamers should have enough output voltage to drive an amplifier without an additional gain stage. However, a passive preamp might be beneficial for impedance matching. I know there are others who have far more knowledge than me, so I hope they will chime in and correct me if I am wrong. Currently, I am using the preamp section of my Marantz 1060 between my Bluesound Node streamer and my ACA. I tried going direct from the Node to the ACA and it works, but the addition of the preamp seems to make a huge difference. I keep trying to dig for specs that will explain why, but I haven't been able to find anything so far...at least not that I can understand.

Each of the Discworld books can stand on their own, but there are a lot of recurring characters that develop over time. Before I realized it was a collection I read a couple and felt like something was missing, so I started from the beginning and have really enjoyed the flow. Unfortunately, there are three books I have been unable to get through my library.

She is nothing short of amazing!

I'm a huge fan of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series and have been working my way through all 42 books. I'm currently reading "The Shepherd's Crown". It is technically a young adult book, but I don't mind.

Very nice! What is this?

I use the Bluesound Node with the standard DAC running through a single ACA for my Forte IIIs and love it. I've heard that balanced/bridged ACAs sound a little brighter because you lose the 2nd order harmonics, but I don't know that personally. I'm anxious to hear what you think when you make your decision and have it all up and running.

Very cool!

Electronic guitar kits don't require nearly as much working space as an acoustic, and you don't need to spend as much on special tools. The Body Build kits from StewMac are a less complicated acoustic, but you still need quite a few tools most people don't have. Then there is the finishing... i used a pore filler on this one. It looked great at first, but I think I should have let it sit for another week before starting with the finish lacquer. I couldn't really see it while I was applying the lacquer, but as it cured I realized that the filler had shrunk and it wasn't completely smooth. Like you, I actually kind of like the look, but it wasn't what I was expecting.

Thanks! I have built both Strat and Tele kits and have had great success with both. By the time you buy good hardware and electronics, you're going to spend as much or more than you would on a really nice guitar from China, but there is something really satisfying about knowing you built it. Plus, it is a great learning experience.

Thank you! Fortunately, the pictures aren't detailed enough to see the flaws, but it really did turn out well. Best of all, my grandson is happy with it. It sounds good and is comfortable to play. I just finished setting the action yesterday. This is a mahogany body with a medium brown stain. At first I wasn't sure I was going to like the color, but after the third application of stain, it really started to look good.

I just finished this building this guitar for my grandson. It is one of the Body Build kits from Stewart - MacDonald. Not quite as fancy as my D28 copy, but still a very nice guitar. He "helped" me with the build.

My friend makes some great brownies that seem to improve much of the source material I listen to. I have no idea how chocolate and eggs can do that, but it works better than new cables. 😉

I will be interested to hear how you think this amp compares to The Little Sweetie versions you've built.

Someone is sure living right! Great post...thank you for sharing. It's fun reading about your experimentation and experience.

Looking good!