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artto

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Everything posted by artto

  1. Thanks!!! Unfortunately, the BluOS app for the M32 doesn't have any kind of parametric or graphic EQ. With the M32 the "EQ" tab only (on the M32) allows basic Bass & Treble controls and Balance. The BluOS app itself, for the M32, doesn't have any tone control/EQ of any kind. That's why I got kind of hopeful when I saw MeloManiac's post showing Roon EQ. I'll download the Roon app today and give it whirl. The funny thing is everything was fine until I installed a very dense and massive sound barrier in my room to prevent low frequency sound transmission through the outer wall that was bothering my neighbor when played loud. Well, the sound barrier was a complete success, however, now the bass energy is getting reflected back into my room and a typical tone control isn't quite doing the job right without affecting other frequencies.
  2. MeloManiac............ This is a little off subject, sorry. Do you know anything about using Roon with Bluesound BluOS? I'm confused (again). (yes, it even happens to a seasoned veteran like myself). I'm using NAD M32 with the BluOS module/streamer/player installed. I've been considering Roon for a while, but now I see something about it having EQ. Is Roon something used in conjunction with the BluOS app, or can it be used standalone/in place of the BluOS app? I really wish NAD would have an M32 upgrade for DIRAC but I don't think that's going to happen.
  3. artto

    Horology...

    TIME. I believe it has something to do with magnetism and gravity. 🙈 🙉 🙊
  4. That looks like a good idea. Can you provide more detail on exactly what you did? I should note that the Digitech IPS33 is actually an analog unit, not digital, even though the name kind of implies digital.
  5. I also have a DOD Bass Chorus & Flanger, MXR Bass Octave, Digitech stereo Jam Man and MXR bass compression pedal. The only one I usually use is the MXR compression pedal when I'm using one of my older amps like Standel. And even then, very sparingly.
  6. Being a bass player I generally don't use effects pedals, but when I do, I prefer this vintage Digitech IPS33 Super Harmony Machine/Pitch Shifter. I believe Pink Floyd's David Gillmour still has one in his rack. This thing does pretty much anything. Harmonizes in thirds, fifths, whatever, arpeggios, chords, etc. AND it has over 100 preset effects that are absolutely awesome cool!! Mono in, mono or simulated stereo out. I did a gig once where the idiot band leader/guitar player/songwriter had to leave the gig early to go to his "door man" job at a gold coast condo and left me and the drummer to finish the remaining two sets. Fortunately the drummer had an electronic drum kit. Between me and my stereo bass rig with the Super Harmony Machine, and the electronic drums (I did the lights via foot switches) we actually pulled off a pretty wild and well liked completely improvised gig.
  7. You are absolutely right! The current state of "remastering" is definitely a problem. "Remastered" doesn't necessarily translate to "better". The processor I use for my subs has a spectrum analyzer display. It's very easy to literally SEE what's missing down there. However, this is also true of some older recordings originally released on vinyl too (pre-CD era) that were transferred to digital. The deep bass was typically steeply rolled off so it wouldn't interfere with/excite tonearm/cartridge/compliance resonance. If there's nothing down there, you can't boost it.
  8. Some more misinformation. MQA is NOT a "FORMAT". It is NOT a "medium". REPEAT. MQA is a CODEC. It can be implemented on any (?) FORMAT. DVD, BluRay, streaming live performances, CD. SACD, DSD, whatever. However, MQA can be LOSSY ---- IF, you do not have hardware/software that is fully compatible to decode the CODEC. In that case, you will still be able to play the MQA *ENCODED* file, but it will be lossy, not allowing the full resolution to be used (unfolded). As for it sounding better (or worse)? How many of you have actually auditioned original hi-res master recording files (24/192) --- made and presented by the original recording engineer (a well known one) on a system that is somewhere between state of the art and insane? Or on a more normal system? Comparing the original non-MQA version to MQA. BLIND. I have. And when I say BLIND, I mean BLIND. As in at the time, I had never even heard the acronym "MQA". I had no I idea what it was or what does or is supposed to do. Neither version played was identified as MQA or not. Just listen and decide. The fault, IMO, lies not so much with MQA. It lies with what the original artist (or producer, or whoever is responsible) for approval. I'm quite sure that just like everyone else, they have their own subjective preferences. We have no idea of what they listened on. Seriously. Do you really think most recording artists care about what we're looking for? Hell no. They want it to sound good where most people are going to hear it. In the car. On their ear buds. On Alexa or Echo. And believe it or not, that's often how the artist hears it, and approves it with a phone call from their car. Watch The Beatles documentary and see how they look and what they're doing in the studio while listening to playback of their work. They are not listening for they same things "audiophiles" are. Or how about Jimmy Page or Pete Townsend? Can we really trust their judgement as artists or producers to approve something that actually sounds good when their hearing is so corrupt? That's where the fault lies with MQA.
  9. I was skeptical of streaming quality several years ago. But after a free 2 month trial subscription to Tidal's top tier and BluOS for the streamer there was no going back. On my system, IMO the sound quality is superior. (Check out my profile equipment list for all the other sources I use). The downside of Tidal? First, their search engine sucks. Lots of people say that Tidal doesn't have a lot of music they're looking for. Not necessarily true. Tidal's staff really needs to learn how to archive artist, composer, title & genre better. Classical recordings are particularly a mess. A lot of what you search for and can't find is because of the way Tidal has it cataloged, and how/what you entered for the search. Another thing is I’ve found it easier to search and manage my lists using a browser as opposed to using the app on my tablet. The tablet and browser user interface do not look or interact the same way. They are very different, almost as if they were different platforms/services. It’s often difficult to find certain music using the app, even if you’ve added it to some of your own lists. If you can’t find something try searching for it differently. Example: if you search “Carmina Burana” you are not going to get all Carmina Burana recordings because some dummy at Tidal will have cataloged some recordings with Carl Orff as the “artist” when he is the composer. So you may have to search for the orchestra, or the conductor, or a main soloist, etc. It can get pretty messy and frustrating. But trust me, if you enter the search “correctly” (LOL) you WILL (most likely) find it. There’s also been a lot of complaining about Tidal & MQA. I’ve even seen some idiots make stupid statements like “Tidal’s MQA”. They really have nothing to do with each other. And as far as Tidal MQA goes, there’s almost always a CD (non-MQA) version available as well as other versions. Some sound different, others I can’t tell. Some are worse, some *marginally* better. Don’t expect to get full hi-res resolution if you’re using a pc/browser for streaming. MQA will not completely “unfold” using a browser. And who knows what Windows/Apple OS and hardware is doing to the signal on the way to what ever you’re using. For me, the BluOS streamer (card) is in the amplifier so no extra cables or signal breaks either.
  10. Area 51, the A50 is basically a design that’s been floating around on the internet for decades. It has known flaws (see all the YouTube mods). I bought some 12AX7 adaptors for the A10. I have some old GE 12AX7 & RCA 7025 that I like in my Audio Research preamp. Quite honestly, I preferred the original 6N2P in the A10. I’ve since also purchased NOS Soviet Voskhod 6N2P-EV Silver Shields but haven’t tried them yet. And yes, the A12 is an A10 wired for 12AX7. I have no experience with the A20 or MT-34. Being push-pull they will probably sound more powerful and are probably a better match for most speakers and people’s preferences. The A20 propaganda “uses no big loop feedback technology” is pretty much meaningless. As usual, it all depends on how it’s implemented. Keep in mind these are all OLD designs. There’s nothing new and ground breaking here. As far as power output claims on these inexpensive Chinese SET amps – take it with a grain of salt. The actual usable power output is probably about Âœ or less of what is claimed. OTOH, that translates to -3dB less SPL. Not that big of a deal. More will depend on your speaker’s sensitivity, the size & acoustics of your room, musical preferences, and of course how loud you like it.
  11. Thanks Beef! I might take you up on that offer. No hurry at this point though.
  12. I have the Reisong A10 EL34 based SET and Boyuurange A50. These have been in and out of my system for about 6 months. The A50 (300B) has had some issues. First of all there is some ripple from the power supply causing audible 60Hz hum. And then there's the usual low level noise. Initially, the left channel would make a fairly loud pop a few seconds after turn-on. Swapping the original input tubes (crap) made the pop sound go away. The bass, for me, I must say is lousy. Some of this is probably due to the speakers I'm using. I don't think they are a good match for this amp, and probably most (all?) 300B SET amps due to the impedance curve which has some low drops at the low end. For a more technical and in-depth possible explanation of this phenomena see https://www.x3mhc.no/dokumenter/SE-v-PP-Part1.pdf I replaced the original input tubes with mid 1950's Sylvania JAN 6SN7 "chrome dome bad boys". This somehow tamed the lousy bass response to some extent. More recently it seems one of those tubes may be giving me some trouble (see my post "Strange Fae-Out Problem". The 300B tubes themselves seem to require a fairly long burn-in time (several hundred hours). The bass response has been gradually getting better but it "swings" back & forth between "acceptable" (barely) to still fairly lousy. However, it does have *some* of that mid-range magic 300B SET amps are known for - at the expense of hum, noise, soft overhanging puffy loose bass which absolutely requires my use of the tone control to reduce it. A few days later it seems to go back to somewhat OK and then gets funky again. The mid-range, albeit somewhat addictive, is a trade-off, IMO. The Reisong A10 is more stable. It doesn't have that midrange that makes me want to keep coming back for more, but the bass is not as annoying. However, I'm pretty sure this amp is not really a true SET zero negative feedback amp. I believe it has some ultralinear application of negative feedback. I've also tried 12AX7 (GE) for the input tubes (with adaptors). I didn't really care for the so-called improvement. The 12AX7 are what is used in the Reisong A12. Nice little amp though for $400. For the front-end (source) I'm using a NAD M32 with BluOS in preamp mode, so it is basically performing the role of streamer, player, DAC and preamp/control center. Speakers are Danley SH50 & four Epik Empire subs. My long time reference tube amps are Luxman MB3045 which I don't want to fire up at the moment because they really need a restoration after 45 years and I can't get the parts right now due to supply chain issues. I'll also be comparing the Decware SE84UFO when I get them (on order) at which time I'll also probably get Cary CAD-805. But, for the price, the A50 & A10 are a bargain so don't be afraid to get your feet wet if this picks your curiosity.
  13. artto

    FRENCH TOAST

    The BEST French Toast EVER is........................... Santa Fe French Toast. Served on the Santa Fe luxury passenger trains of decades past. (Ya, I'm also a train guy) https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/breakfast/breakfast-other-breakfast/santa-fe-french-toast.html
  14. 100 watts on a Heresy should be fine. At the moment I'm experimenting with a true all digital through-put front end with a tube power amp. Not quite the same thing as the hybrid you're using. There are very few tube amps that I'm satisfied with regarding bass. And I'm a bass player. But that's just my preference and always has been, even in pro bass amps. As always, if you hear distortion or stress in the system, turn it down. I always keep a sound pressure level meter near me when listening, not just for my ears but also so I have some idea of how much power I'm using especially when using low-powered amps. The other thing to remember is any amp can be driven beyond its rated power. Amplifiers are "gain" devices. The output is relative to the input. The so-called "volume" control is actually a gain control. In other words, with enough input, the amp can reach full rated output, or more, even though the "volume" control is at a low setting.
  15. Thanks for your input Erik. Actually, my “electronics project” in H.S. was making a multi-meter. Teacher old man Jensen (conservative, always suit & bow tie, bicycle mustache) didn’t like me very much (long hair/T-shirt & jeans/rock band). But he was really impressed with the multi-meter kit I built, LOL. I’ve had tube amps in my possession for 40+ years. So ya, hold the probes IN ONE HAND or ground one of them. The old chop stick trick. My Luxman MB3045 are very tricky to bias and you have to use the two tiny contact terminals for measurements so it’s a one-hand thing for the multi-meter probes. The amp worked fine most of the week – until last night. It started doing the same thing again. Started to fade out on one channel, and then out completely. Left it on, and the other channel came back on after a few minutes. HOWEVER, this time it was the LEFT channel that went out. BUT, I did swap the L&R 6SN7 input tubes after initially reporting this last week. So the left channel going out this time makes sense. It looks like one of the Sylvania JAN 6SN7 Bad Boy Chrome Dome are the culprit (so far). I just ordered a brand new matched pair of Tung-Sol 6SN7GTB from Upscale Audio.
  16. I ran the amp for 6 hours yesterday with no problems. However, that was after swapping the L&R input tubes, and removing/reinstalling the 300B's. I really don't like the way the tube sockets hold the 300B pins, especially the right channel. The 300B tubes aren't held very tight. When I'm changing amps/speaker connections it's easy to bump them and see the resulting tilt from my arm having slightly brushed against them. At the moment I think the 300B pin sockets might be the problem. BUT, I would think that I would see something else, like Mike mentioned, with the filaments not being lit.
  17. Randy, it's a Boyuurange A50. I bought several of these cheap Chinese SET amps to experiment with since I'm having so many supply chain issues for parts to get my older tube gear back up to par. Since I can "read" (schematic) but not "write" (design), I can find my way around to do some mods on these cheap amps. I'll probably get a pair of Cary CAD805 eventually. And I have a pair of Decware SE84 on order. This is all about a little, somewhat unconventional experiment I'm conducting, so I don't want to let on as to what it's about. The inexpensive Chinese made amps are just part of the comparison and more readily available at the moment.
  18. Yeah, it's under test right now. I swapped the L&R input tubes first. They're mid 50's Sylvania 6SN7 (fwiw JAN chrome dome bad boys). The originals were $hit. The filaments were all lit when this happens. So far they've been on for 2 hours today and no problem yet.
  19. One of my SET amps (integrated stereo 300B) has developed a strange problem. After it’s been on for about 1.5 hours the right channel starts to fade, then goes out all together. Sometimes it will fade back in briefly and then go dead again. Leave the amp off over night, next day same problem at aproximately1.5 hours. Upon more detailed “physical” inspection this morning I noticed the right channel 300B’s base seems a little loose. I can twist it slightly with little effort. The amp is about 4 months old, purchased new. Not more than a couple hundred hours on it. Any idea what the probable cause might be? The 300B?, A bad driver tube (6SN7)? Or something internal?
  20. LMAO. Apparently I haven't made my point yet. And I'm the one who started this thread. So maybe you should take your own advice.
  21. Sad? What's so sad? I think it could look better than a dressed up Khorn Model D. And others apparently are OK with it. I'm just sayin', for that kind of money (or a little bit more) this could be turned into something really special. Appropriately.
  22. You're welcome. And if you can seriously guarantee I have no idea..............what's the problem? I just dropped the gauntlet. And all you can come back with is I have no idea? I'm talking about appearance, cosmetics here, not physics. Surely someone as smart as you can do something to make this thing look better than some very talented DIY guy who has a nice wood workshop. This looks more like a souped up version of a Klipschorn Model D that someone builds into a wall. My opinion of course. But hey, who am I? Oh, yeah, I used to design things for a living. Things that people like and enjoy and love to live and play in. I don't know anything about good looks (or form and function). I guess that's one of the primary differences between architects and engineers.
  23. When I first saw the "original" Jubilee (with the rosewood horn) I thought "WOW! Is that a new Klipschorn? COOL." It was retro. It looked modern. It looked elegant. OTOH, when I fist saw the current new Jubilee I thought "WTF?". And then some time later, the price. And I'm thinking, "Really?" That is and was my initial gut reaction to those products. I'm trying to help you avoid a white elephant. And right now it looks like a very expensive white elephant to me. File under "curbside appeal".
  24. Oh Really? So you think (guarantee) I have no idea why it is the way it is? Try me. How much money do you have? First of all, I'm not complaining, although I can understand where YOU are coming from because this is your baby, and so you're probably offended. Too bad. I won't cut you any slack just because you're chief bonehead. I treat everyone equally. You included. I think someone could have done better as far as the looks go. And in this day and age, the way the "high-end" luxury audio market is, well it's now about more than just "audio", especially in that price range. And for the record, I am not going to buy one (or two or three) until I've heard it. If it exceeds what I currently have, I'll consider it. And, on top of that, if it weren't for people like me, you probably wouldn't even have a job at Klipsch because Klipsch as we know it would have been up the creek a long time ago without us. It's people like me who've been buying Klipsch for the last half century, having friends, family, or nearly complete strangers come over and listen, and then went out and bought KLIPSCH, lots of it, and that was even before I constructed a dedicated, purpose built "Klipschorn Room" for anyone to hear these things at their best, and before you were at Klipsch. Yes, that's MY opinion. I stated so at the very beginning of my post. I'm trying to help here.
  25. “Form Follows Function” is a design principal from the late 19th century (coined by an architect, Louis Sullivan). However as renown industrial designer Raymond Loewy later pointed out, product designs are bound by functional constraints of math, materials and logic, but their acceptance is constrained by social expectations. He also made the point that for very new technologies, they should be as familiar as possible, but for familiar technologies (ie: Klipschorn, Jubilee, "Heritage"), they should be made surprising. He went on to say if one honestly tried to apply “form follows function” one has the potential to put their clients (company) out of business. And as far as "lipstick" goes, to me, that's exactly what that front panel the 402 is attached to looks like.
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