sheltie dave Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 We will be firing up our annual spring gathering at noon on the 20th of March. This year we will be having a NCAA tournament shootout involving various amps going through an Acurus L10 preamp and modded 1963 KHorns. The first round will see a restored Marantz 8B going up against a Monarchy Audio SM70 pro(35 wpc tube vs. 25 wpc Class A), a Mark Levinson #27 fighting an Audio Research D115(100 wpc SS vs. 100 wpc tube,) and a Sonic Impact Super T vs n Eric Mandaville 2A3 based tube monoblocs(10 wpc T vs 3 wpc tube.) One of the winners will draw a bye for the second round and the champ will be selected by popular blind vote. Other rooms will have a pair of Snell EIIs, a pair of 91 Khorns, and a pair of Thiels being exercised as well. We will have lunch and some snacks, feel free to bring a side or drinks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheltie dave Posted March 9, 2010 Author Share Posted March 9, 2010 So far, the following folks have RSVP'd..Carl G Wolfshead/Melvin(AudioHeritage) BattRadio/Mark(GAS) Thunderbrick(GAS) Sam(AK) Ken Seger(GAS) Bill, Lynn and Alan G Steve A and nephew Kent J Theebadone(Bob) Joe S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted March 9, 2010 Share Posted March 9, 2010 I'd love to turn up, but it's too far to drive... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheltie dave Posted March 9, 2010 Author Share Posted March 9, 2010 It would be great to see you at the door, Mike. Maybe with that Altec EL34 amp. [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjgeraci Posted March 13, 2010 Share Posted March 13, 2010 This should be interesting. I am especially curious to see how my little 'ol cheap chip amp (with a tweak) does in the mix. Carl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheltie dave Posted March 18, 2010 Author Share Posted March 18, 2010 Well, it looks like we will break twenty folks, which will be a goodly number for our 1957 ranch house. I have been putting many of the amps through their paces, excepting the Levinson and Carl's Sonic Impact. I'm hoping it will be both interesting and eye opening for many of the less jaded people attending. After doing a lot of core soil sampling for all of this week, my arms are telling me we won't be moving the big amps around much at all after they are set up in the back room....but that's no problem, there still will be other stuff to drive the satellite systems. :thmbsp: We are looking forward to this one. :yes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheltie dave Posted March 18, 2010 Author Share Posted March 18, 2010 Well, it looks like we will break twenty folks, which will be a goodly number for our 1957 ranch house. I have been putting many of the amps through their paces, excepting the Levinson and Carl's Sonic Impact. I'm hoping it will be both interesting and eye opening for many of the less jaded people attending. After doing a lot of core soil sampling for all of this week, my arms are telling me we won't be moving the big amps around much at all after they are set up in the back room....but that's no problem, there still will be other stuff to drive the satellite systems. :thmbsp: We are looking forward to this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheltie dave Posted March 18, 2010 Author Share Posted March 18, 2010 Well, it looks like we will break twenty folks, which will be a goodly number for our 1957 ranch house. I have been putting many of the amps through their paces, excepting the Levinson and Carl's Sonic Impact. I'm hoping it will be both interesting and eye opening for many of the less jaded people attending. After doing a lot of core soil sampling for all of this week, my arms are telling me we won't be moving the big amps around much at all after they are set up in the back room....but that's no problem, there still will be other stuff to drive the satellite systems. We are looking forward to this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheltie dave Posted March 18, 2010 Author Share Posted March 18, 2010 Wow, a triple post! I've seen double before, but never triple! [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 After doing a lot of core soil sampling for all of this week, my arms are telling me we won't be moving the big amps around much at all after they are set up in the back room.... I've been back at the AFB cleaning shrub beds the last couple weeks. I'm pretty well knackered...it's like raking the whole world with a leaf rake. One more week... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjgeraci Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 Waiting with baited breath. Carl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjgeraci Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 Dave, what a great event!! It was nice to catch up with those I have not seen since last year's gathering, and there was plenty of great food and drink to boot. Well, onto to the event. Various people rotated in and out for the first three rounds and then the shootout of champions. I counted the average listening audience to be approximately 15 people at a time. In the first round, the majority of the crowd voiced their preference for the Trends 10.1 tripath amp (with an upgraded stand alone PSU) over the pair of SET amps. After all, the little Trends (the size of a matchbox) won StereoMojo's 2007 blind digital amp shootout among 14 different amplifiers, and with an upgraded power supply, the little amp is no slouch. To my ears, the little Trends was almost as smooth as the SET on the top end (and amongst the smoothest solid state I have heard), and the Trends was superior in detail and bass definition. The second round was a route. To my ears, the Monarchy class A solid state sounded thin and edgy. On the other hand, the rebuilt Marantz 8B was smooth as silk, detailed in spades, and forceful at the same time. Having previously heard (and loved) this particular 8B in its original form, Craig Ostby's rebuild (NOS Valves) truly did a great job in restoring this beauty to its legendary status. Even though it was detailed on the top end, the 8B truly lived up to its moniker as the "king of the midrange." The crowd voiced its approval for this amp after the very first song. "Natural," "realistic" and "just like being there" were numerous comments heard by the crowd about the 8B.The last round was much closer. On the lower end, I actually preferred the bass of the Mark Levinson as sounding much tighter, and I thought that the bass of the Audio Research D115 was just "slightly" bloated. On the top end, however, the Levinson sounded a bit dry and slightly thin to my ears, and the AR tube monster sounded almost as sweet on the top end as the 8B. Given that the D115 was such a powerful tube amp, I was impressed with the amount of detail on the top end, and the lushness of the midrange was only exceeded by the Marantz 8B. The crowd preferred the Audio Research over the Mark Levinson, and this may also be a function of the speakers being run (horns love tubes).Ah......the speakers. As some of you may know, the test speakers were a pair of 1962/63 Klipschorns with JBL 2404 tweeters and a sweet pair of Universal aftermarket crossovers designed by Al Klappenberger (ALK Engineering). Kudos to Dave - his Khorns sounded great. They were very revealing, yet they adapted to the variety of musical formats with ease. Other than the various amps, the Khorns were the star of day. Thanks again to Dave and Colleen for again hosting this annual event!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheltie dave Posted March 23, 2010 Author Share Posted March 23, 2010 Thanks for the detailed review, Carl. It was fun to have a larger crowd partake in the festivities. I really though the vintage KHorns played superbly, and the Acurus L10 preamp was quite clean in its presentation with all the amps. I liked your Trends, as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 Where are the photos??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesV Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 Sounds like a great time... I hope I remember and I'm able to make it next year. James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheltie dave Posted March 25, 2010 Author Share Posted March 25, 2010 I had little chance to take any, Fini, but here are some taken by others.. http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee209/sheltiedavid/DSCN1295.jpg http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee209/sheltiedavid/DSCN0968.jpg And one of my favorites from last year... http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee209/sheltiedavid/DSCN0721.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheltie dave Posted March 26, 2010 Author Share Posted March 26, 2010 Here are a few shots of the crowd, and the hot jazz combo we had. That is one of the '63 Khorns.. Melvin(Wolfshead, JBL forum), Ken Seger(Gateway Audio Society), Brian, CarlG(Klipsch forum), VinylDavid(AK forum), SamCogley(AK forum), me, Bob(TheeBadOne, AK forum) Steve, Alan, DeBusk jazz sculpture, me,Brian, Carl, VinylDavid, Mark(BattRadio, AK forum) Bill, Steve, others, and Mark running his Hickok 539 tube tester Some of the other tube gear folks brought for the swap table... Marantz 19, Harman Kardon 655, Fisher 800C Executive console pull, McIntosh 1900, pair of Rogers organ tube amps(130 watts, modded), Maggotbox amp, CM Labs 914 amp, JBL hombrews with 002 guts, KHorn And the amp challenge racks.. In front- Audio Research D115, Trends chip amp, Acurus P10 preamp, Sony 5 disc player, back- Eric Mandaville Horus based SET amps, Marantz 8B, Monarchy Adio SM70 Pro, Levinson # 27 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheltie dave Posted March 26, 2010 Author Share Posted March 26, 2010 Another cheesecake photo or two... Harman Kardon Citation II, Eric's Horus based SET amps, Marantz 8B, Bryston 3b ST, Mark Levinson #27, Monarchy Audio SM70 pro, all the tubes on a 1964 Lane Acclaim long coffee table A pair of Craig Otsby(NOSValves) the first Beta VRD amplifiers being served on a Heywood Wakefield Tiki bar Upstairs, a pair of JBL C36s with Herman Miller thin edge spun aluminum legs, Heywood Wakefield secretary, and Madison Fielding 440 receiver Empire 298 turntable, one of those rim drive belt jobs Altec rack with the 1570B amps and mono tube mixer preamps, from an old movie house A Madison Fielding 340 6BQ5 integrated amp from the dawn of stereo..ca 1957 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryC Posted March 26, 2010 Share Posted March 26, 2010 Here are a few shots of the crowd, and the hot jazz combo we had. That is one of the '63 Khorns.. Dave, who are the people, and what is at least the non-obvious equipment (which is most of it, for me)? Any owners who don't mind being identified? Thanks,Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted March 26, 2010 Share Posted March 26, 2010 Thank you, Dave! Love the mid-century decorating, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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