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tigerwoodKhorns

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Everything posted by tigerwoodKhorns

  1. I'm glad to see that you are available as a well of knowledge for all of us to drink from. FWIW I am agast at your combination of ignorace and arrogance.
  2. I just received my CD's. This Alice in Chains unplugged is a great CD. Not a perfect recording but I am really enjoying it. $6, gotta love it. I'll get into the Jackson Browne tomorrow. I think that I liek new music more than new equipment. No setup involved. Maybe I'm just getting old.
  3. I have never heard this amp and am not for or against it, but I was going to say the same thing. Doesn't it need a little break in time? I really don't know. My QSC sounded awesome from day one and that is the only brand new amp that I have bought. I lent a friend a pair of Bryston 7B St monoblocks and they sounded as thin, harsh and bad as his Adcoms on an older pair of B&W Matrix 801's. Not at all what they sound liek at home. Then they warmed up and completely changed in about 1/2 hour (this was in January). He loved them. 1/2 hour from a cold start is not that much for a brand new amp.
  4. If available locally the thing to do is bring your preamp and power amp (or integrated) over with a CD player for a test drive. Local Heritage is a very good thing because shipping is a really big hassle. Be prepared to put new capacitors in the Belles. Do you know what crossover they have? I actualy was surprised at how much bass my Belles had. First with 3 watt SET's and then even more with a 30 wpc digital amp and then a 35 wpc Crown D75.
  5. It is no different here than anywhere else. Klipsch Speakers are very expensive to your average person on the street. $2,000 for a pair of RF 83's is quite a bit of money. Heritage are much more. Its really interesting that anything less than Klipsch is junk but anything more is just a waste of money. And don't forget, $7,000 for Jubilees is completely worth it, but only if you use a $400 amp. Then there is the old argument, "Man, you spent $XX on that, you could have had (fill in a Klipsch speaker), an amp and a pair of subwoofers, you got ripped off..." The price of high end components has really gotten out of hand, but if someone wants it and can afford it, who is anyone else to judge? I have an audio buddy with a lot of very expensive speakers, and modest ones too. Out of my price range but its always fun to go over and listen. I have never heard the JM Lab speakers (and no, they are not K Mart speakers) but the cabinets are supposed to be built like very high end furnature. I'd love to hear a pair.
  6. The Grand Utopias are $100,000. The "Plain old Utopia Be" are somethign like $40K. You can find them used for about $20,000, still quite a big chunk of change. There is a pair of pre-Be Utopias on Audiogon for $13.5K right now, but they are in Singapore. A mint pair recently went for $11,000 in less than one day. Expensive toys, that is for sure.
  7. My experiance with the Crown Xti is limited to the observation that it really seems to piss people off.
  8. I know that if you are going for a Technics 1200 table, the Shure 97 is not a good choice. Drop me an email Oldtimer, I have an AT 440 MLa with extremely low hours that I may sell cheap, you know, upgrade bug and all.
  9. Sorry, I'm planning on using a different horn. The K402 is really big.
  10. Without looking it up again what is VTA? Since noticing I needed a new stylus and replacing it, I have had it close but no cigar. I received no alignment tool(plastic with my stylus replacement. Not wanting to go off topic here but I sure enjoyed my Technics until had to replace stylus and it has been tedious to dial/tweak it all back in. That is why I have reluctance to acquiring any TT that has to be shipped/setup. Meanwhile I have 2 Technics TT's here that was thinking might work. I did read some material here and elsewhere about it(tweak)and might try again. Just hope I haven't scewed new stylus up meanwhile. ****** There is an aligment tool on this page. Just go to the Technics printout and print it out, put on your platter and line up. http://www.vinylengine.com/cartridge-alignment-protractors.shtml
  11. Yes, Jazz and "unplugged" music. New jazz is very well recorded. Thery actually use the dynamic range instead of compressign everything inot the top 3 db. If you have a computer in your system try Pandora. Free streaming music all day long. Any kind you like. You can create your own "stations" and tell it if you like a song or not. It will search for songs like the ones that you like.
  12. I do not know about "re-calibration" Find out hwat he means. If it was never set up right then that is easy to fix. If he ran over teh arm with his Buick it is another story. To set up the Technics table just take off the headshell (it unscrews) and use an included plastic alignment tool. Pretty easy to do. Pop the headshell back on and balamce the arm (so that it floats level). This is also really easy to do because the counterweight screws on teh back of the arm. After it is level, use the dial and dial in the amount of force. Set the anti-scate dial to the same level. Finally, measure the height of the cartridge, look it up on a chart and dial in the right amount of VTA. Everthing is done using dials on the Technics. Takes maybe 1/2 hour max to set up. As far as the VPI. I just didn't like it. It seemed like too much work to spin vinyl. The Technics is easy to use and sounds great in my system. It makes me want to listen to more vinyl.
  13. Or just buy a new one for $400 shipped: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Technics-SL1210MK2-Turntable?sku=807058 I love mine and it was so easy to set up. Everything is included.
  14. I just bought a Technics Sl1210 Mk2 (a new version in black). I love it. I use an Audio Technica 440 MLa cart. You wll not do better for the money. It is a very easy to use and quiet table. It makes me want to spin more vinyl (the VPI did not). I started a thread on AudiogoN about it. Here is a link: http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1204087493&read&3&4& Bottom line, I prefer the Technics Sl1200 to my old VPI Scout table. If you can get one local for $200 go for it. If you don't you can always get your money back out of it. Chris
  15. I'm really interested in this too (because I have a pair of the bass bins cut to do this). The weather here is in the 70's to 80's. It will be over 100 very soon but I have too much to do on our house before I can tackle this one. I just replaced my main speakers (waiting for the replacements to ge there) but still would like to build this one (I have all of the parts, including amps and preamp/crossover, so why not?). I have a concept for the top horns that should be visually stunning and relatively easy to build. Keep us posted AJ.
  16. Get a cheap digital cable and try it both ways. I have a Denon CD player that I bought in 1989 that is built like a tank. It has horribly harsh DAC's but works great as a transport. I used it in my office system for over one year before upgrading to a better system.
  17. I was reading in Rolling Stone that Jackson Browne's acoustic album got good reviews. I bought it, his last one and a few other CD's on Tower. Iordered some CD's on Tower back in January after hearign a bunch of Roger Waters at CES. Tower is getting cheap. I used to buy on ebay, but Tower has free shipping and you can find CD's for less than $10. Anyone else still buy Cd's or am I just a fossil?
  18. Here is something interesting that will not break the bank (1/3 of the $18K budget) http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1210534856 Revel I's. The II's sounded great, the I's shoudl be similar.
  19. I have been to Ki's house and heard his N800's with a 400w digital amp, and his Khorns with a HK Citation tube integrated. I much preferred the Khorns. Don't get me wrong the B&W's sounded very nice, and they imaged fabulously, but I much prefer the livelier and dynamic sound of the Khorns. YMMV... Mike Very true Mike, one of the reasons I like my Las sitting next to my N804's. Taste of both worlds, now when I get a pair of Maggies again I'll have 3 choices as I have always liked Jazz on electro's for some reason I think that Ki has a pair of Apogee or some other rare ribbon speakers too. He has one fine example of every type (cone, planar and horn). That is something to strive for. I have all of the parts to build a pair of highly modified K Horns (Inlcuding bass bins and active crossover). I try to sell it every once in a while. I'll probably build them some day to give me another alternative. Although I do think that the B&W's are "better" more natural sounding speakers, I can't say that I enjoy them more than I enjoyed my K Horns when they were my mains. What is more fun (that is what its all about) a really refined new sports car or an old hot rod? The question probably cannnot be answered. EDIT: Mike, what is Ki using for tweeters and midrage horn/driver in his K Horns?
  20. The Sonus Faber are beautiful. I would love to hear a pair. There is one thing that steered me away from them. Their crossovers are encased in a solid block of plastic (or some other material). If you plan on owning a pair long term forget about replacing capacitors. I would also guess that repalcement crossovers are thousands of dollars. BTW, long term is not that long if you buy a pair of 7 or 8 year old speakers and like to replace caps at the 15 year mark.
  21. I don't claim to be an experienced audiophile or to even have experience with a wide range of high end gear. But I think that a good comparison is the difference between a lush tube amp and bright SS amp. Same source but the sound is very different. I was listening to a friend's Thiel's yesterday. I would describe them as bright and clinical (meaning that they did not have a warm sound). Notes seem to hit and end quickly, and they have a pronounced midrange (too much for my liking). This was with an all tube front end (VTL Pre and VTL 300 wpc monoblocks). Around here everyone seems to use the words "Grainy" "Bright" "Warm" "Lush" "Dynamic"
  22. I wonder if I understand that paragraph. Were those people saying that UNLESS you move up to higher end gear the Wilsons would NOT sound better than the B&W? e.g. using your existing gear the B&W would sound better? Mark, They were saying that the Wilsons would not sound good with my gear because it is not high end enough. The Wilsons would reveal flaws. etc. Others said that the B&W's were good, the Brystons adequate and the rest mid fi junk. Maybe it is true. I did nto hear anything at CES that made me want to change, but all listening was short term and not under ideal conditions. You see this in every hobby and on every level. On the B&W forum site, you have to have the newest speakers, and the Nautilus (designed in the 1990's) is the holy grail (which it may be, I have never heard it). One thing that is very interesting is that B&W is trashed everywhere. Here everyone says that it is overpriced and you can get more for the money (Jubilees). Elsewhere, it is condemned for being "mass produced" and not exclusive enough.
  23. It depends on your taste. Kai Chao, a member here has both Klipschorns and N800's and he prefers the Klipschorns (I think that he has a Tractrix midrange horn and Crites or JBL tweeters). He said that in his system and in his room, the modified K Horns are superior. That says a lot for the modded K Horns. I had stock K Horns with a Yamaha D2040 active crossover and triamped with 2 Teac L700's and a QSC 1202. The K Horns were outstanding speakers, but different, the soundstage was flat and arch shaped meaning that there was a void area in the middle and from about ear level down. I don't mean to be too critial but you asked. For the money they are an outstanding bargain and my introduction to high end audio. The N801's, with the right amps, preamp and source, do quite a bit more. For example, even though I do not get involved in cables (I make my own interconnects from Mogami Quad and use Kimber 4pr that I got in 1984 for speaker cables), I have tried cables that others have lent me and yes, you can definately hear a difference. When you turn the N801's up, it just gets louder, voices and instruments do not get bigger and the tone does not change or get shrill. The detail is amazing. On certain recording you can actually tell when mics are turned on, you can tell if a singer was recorded in a separate room and can tell where the boundaries of the room are (which is kind of strange sounding). I always thought that the K Horns were very detailed, but this is a whole new level. You can sense the air between the instruments and the depth of the soundstage. During complex passages the speakers do not break up. All of the detail seems to stay together and not smear. Jazz recordings are just awesome. The new stuff is not compressed and really well recorded. Voices sound very natural. Pink Floyd's The Wall is a great example, when they are in the rock star's room and the girl is talking it sounds like she is there. There is another part where someone is knocking on a door and saying "time to go" You would swear that he was in the next room and knocking on the wall. The smashing noises are very realistic too. I imagine these speakers will make a great high end home theater. The buyer of my N801's is going to use them for just that, with N802's and all Krell amps. It should be amazing. I look forward to the Signature 800's. They have 2 10" woofers instead of a single 15" and they use very upgraded crossovers, using all poly caps and litz inductors. I replaced a tweeter diaphragm on a Matrix 801 today. The cabinet is unreal. The Matrix enclosure is braced in every direction several times and teh foam is al cut to exact size and fitted in. It looks like there is so much work in maing these. I should add that the Matrix do not sound that natural. I think that The Nautilus were a big upgrade. I also considered Wilson Watt Puppy 7's but did not want to change out my entire system again. I should note that Wilson owners on Audiogon informed me that my Musical Fidelity, Bryston, JL Audio and B&W equipment is "Mid fi" and all of it should be changed. This happens on every level. If you are looking to add a different breed to the stable the Revel Saloons were just outstanding speakers at CES. Almost everything there sounded harsh and bright. The Wilsons sounded good with a huge amount of VTL equipment that was re-tubed for CES. The Revels were in a room where these guys were selling chip amp boards. They built some amps and had the Revels on loan and just set up in a corner of a room. They were probably the best that we heard that day. The Revels are pricy (about $20,000). I also was interested in Eggleston Andras. Never heard them but they were Stereophile's speaker of the year in 1997 and they never advertise. A lot of owners swear that they are better than the Wilson WP8's and many have switched from the WP's to the Andras. Von Schwaggart are also supposed to be great and their older stuff is supposed to be a bargain. Aerial 10's are also supposed to be a bargain. I was looking at a pair of Aerial 20T's. If you want to stick with horns, I had a Japanese gentleman who was selling a pair of Wilsons recommedn JBL Array 1400's. There is a seller on ebay that has them for a good price: http://cgi.ebay.com/JBL-PRO-ARRAY-SYSTEM-1400-ARRAY-SPEAKER_W0QQitemZ220206444962QQihZ012QQcategoryZ47094QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Of course, the Klipsch Palladiums will be available soon. I was actually amazed at how much competition there is in the $10,000 to $20,000 range. At CES it seemed that everyone has speakers in this price range. I have never heard of most of them. Klipsch should be able to penetrate deep into this market because they are so well financed and well known. In the 80's Klipsch Heritage was high end. Their real direct competition is B&W, the other large manufacturer with various product lines and Wilson, smaller company just selling high end but selling a lot of it. Klipsch is jumping in a a much lower price (the B&W 800 Series goes up to $24,000 and their statement speaker, the Nautilus is $60,000, Wilson is $16,000 for their Sophia up to something like $150,000 for the Alexandria). I stuck with the B&W's because I know them and always lusted after the S800's. Plus I know my system with B&W's so I know that an equipment change is not necessary. It is hard when you can't audition equipment. CES is a bad guide because so much sounds bad there. I took a leap of faith with my K Horns and then took advice here and created a great system. I also took a leap of faith on the N801's after being blown away by and buying a pair of B&W DM3000's (which were an unbelieveable bargain - their performance is amazing for the price). Goog luck with your quest.
  24. B&W Signature 800's...because I just bought a pair. "Conclusion The B&W Signature 800 is a great speaker—perhaps the best I've ever heard at home..." http://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/600/ At CES 2008 the Wilson WP8's were outstanding, but with about $100,000 of front end gear and they are almost $30,000 a pair. The Revel Saloon's, at about the $18,000 price were a definite standout, even among much more expensive speakers. My B&W N801's get my vote too. They have the qualities that everyone raves about in the Tecktons, but can go loud and dynamic without breaking up. It took a lot of equipment changes to get them to this point.
  25. Do you have a drawing or an equation (or both)?
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