Chris Robinson Posted February 13, 2003 Share Posted February 13, 2003 Leo has been very patient as he has dealt with my schedule changes over recent weeks. This afternoon I finally got a chance to swing by to his lovely 1830's home in Waltham and listen to his RF-7's, Moondogs and TriPath home-brew amp. First, thanks to Leo for making me feel so welcome. I have to tell you that this guy KNOWS how to make a KILLER cafe latte. Beats Starbucks. My first impressions of the RF-7's is that they're much larger than what you see in the literature. Yes, I know that that's a pretty stupid thing to say, but until you see Klipsch speakers up close and personal, you're never quite ready for their size. After a few minutes with them, however, they seem just perfect for the task. The Tractrix horn was right at ear level, they were toe'ed into that spot on my (expanding) forehead, and the Moondogs were appropriately warmed up to task, despite the -10F windchill enveloping his winter quarters. We started with something I was familiar with ... Pat Metheny's "Map of the World" ... I love that recording because it is one of the best actual CD recordings I have ever heard ... It has a full timbral range from acoustic to synthesized and has great spacial qualities. The Moondogs (direct from the CD player) really DO display a lot of bass and the RF-7s, a 2-way speaker, seem to get the midrange very well, certainly close to the Klipschorn/Wright combo I have at home. Are they the same? I don't think so, but they are close enough that nobody sane is going to sweat the differences. Leo pulled out his home-brew TriPath, a box about the size of a Sony Walkman on steroids, and put it where the Moondogs had been in the signal path. I have to say I was pretty blown away by the output and clarity of signal ... Were they Moondogs? No ... But were they better than what I hear from my Denon AVR4800 at home? Yes ... and clearly so ... I asked Leo if he ever thought of ganging five of these little boards together for a small, high quality, sound-improving adjunct to the typical HT 5.1 receiver ... because in my mind, it comes VERY close to the sound of SET through the super-sensitive horns. He's thought about it, but there is some definite marketing required here ... To me it's a no brainer, but I haven't considered the true market size given competent marketing. They aren't cheap to make in small volumes, but I would think this would be a great project that someone like Mobile could sink his teeth into. We spun some vinyl through the TriPath, then went over to CD again, and switched back to the Moondogs. They were clearly better, but the differences were not obvious without comparing back-to-back. The Moondogs are VERY impressive amps, and the RF-7's come VERY close to Klipschorns and Cornwalls in overall presentation. They do not, however, fill a room like a pair of Klipschorns do, but then again they aren't the size of refrigerators lurking in corners. Thanks again to Leo, a great guy and more-than-competent engineer. Next stop for him is my place out here where we'll do some more swapping ... More news to come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leok Posted February 13, 2003 Share Posted February 13, 2003 Chris, Thanks so much for the visit and review. I enjoyed the conversation and opportunity to compare impressions with someone who enjoys good sound. I am very anxious to stop by and hear the real thing. Besides bringing the Moondogs, I would like to bring the pp amps. They don't have the crystal clarity of a SET, but they are, if anything, more recessed in their impact than the Moondogs, and very pleasant. leok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted February 13, 2003 Share Posted February 13, 2003 Sounds like you two had a great time with some great tunes. Its always great to meet the face behind the keyboard !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted February 13, 2003 Share Posted February 13, 2003 Sounds like an interesting evening to be sure. Would have loved to be there as I would like a chance to compare the Moondogs of Leok to mine. What's amazing is that these amps do have the potential to sound a bit different from each other given the variety of parts choices/options and the different output transformers (not to mention tube choices). Leo also has some interesting wiring tweaks he is trying at the moment such as the bypass of the C5 cap option and the single 6SN7 (using both sides of the 6SN7 vs the stock two 6SN7 which might have been done only to match the top plate of the same config Laurels). The comments concerning the Waltham P6D Digital amp were very intriguing. I hope to be sampling this little amp very soon with some pictures to boot. While I have talked to others about their digital amps, I have never had one in home to try and compare to other solid state and tube amp options. I agree that there is a unique market for these little amps, especially if they deliver a good portion of the sonic goods. Thanks for the comments from both here. Look forward to the next installment from Chris' place using vinyl, Wright Sound, Pantheon, Wright Sound 2A3, Khorns. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Flynn Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Nice to be advised someone else on the forum has heard the Waltham P6D. WHOOPPIE! I want to get a tube pre to see how that does with Leo's amp. I am thinking of starting with a Dynaco PAS(cheap way to get in). There was a Scott LC-21 for auction that I hesitated on and got home too late to participate in the last .5 hour of the auction. It was probably worth the $ 350 buy it "now" price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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