Peach+Woodog+Margaritas+Corns+LaScalas+Scott+Tubes=Big Mess

[BS Button]

Big fun!

[BS Button]

Another

[BS Button]

Corns and Scala's lined up

[BS Button]

B-3's return

[BS Button]

Peach! Thank you Mark Deneen!!

[Speedball]

Ya Know,

I've been drooling over new amps for some time now and something tells me if I had a Peach like that I'd be happy as a chirping bird in the springtime.

[Woodog]

Had a great time last night with BS Button listening and comparing lots of stuff.

Seems that BS has become something of a clearing house of solid state amps, preamps and such the past few weeks... with Yammy, B&K seperates showing up and then disappearing to the world of Ebay. He decided to keep the LaScalas that he recently got (good decision there!)

I lent him my Scott 130 to listen to while he awaited his latest arrival, a Juicy Music Peach! The Scott is in need of a cleaning, so it isn't the best representation of what it can do - being somewhat noisy at present. In the meantime, he also got a Monarchy SM-70 (chime in if I'm wrong here, BS) solid state amp.

Got an email on Thursday that the Peach had landed, so I made plans for Friday to make the short trek for amp swapping and such. I brought over my Scott 208 7591 based amp with new JJ tubes.

I was greeted at the door by his lovely wife and an offer of margaritas (which after the week I've had, I IMMEDIATELY accepted). Good stuff... yumm...

First look at the peach... WOW! I must have lost a pound of drool over the craftsmanship of the case. Real dovetailing, solid walnut construction. Incredible to look at, plus, I really like the black/grey shading scheme verses the colorful front. Gorgeous in every way.

There was a hum problem with the solid state amp and the Peach, noticeably more with different sources, which bugged both of us. We listened to his LaScalas with a few tracks of music familiar to both of us and then swapped out the solid state amp for the Scott tube 208. I noticed a smoother midrange with a decrease in bass authority. Difference in damping factor? Not sure, but still very nice sound. I really wanted to hear the Peach/208 combo with the LaScalas anyway, as I use that combo with my khorns (ALK Xovers) and am very familiar with that sound.

Had another margarita. Yummm

In the meantime, the Peach's sound? Wow. I had heard the Peach before, both at Mark1101's home fresh out of the box and at Indy during the last forum. In the former case, one of the VRD's that came along had problems, so Mark and I listened in Mono. I could tell it was a special pre-amp, but my first impression was Mono, not stereo which I love. In the latter case (Indy last summer) the system was pretty much at ear-bleed levels of volume, but that was expected (yes, I'm too old!). In that situation the idea of evaluating things like 'clarity' 'detail' 'delicacy' was laughable. I did find out what 121 Db 'feels' like, though.

However, last night provided the opportunity to listen both hot and cool, and now I want a Peach. []

Why? Just 'cause it's excellent. No other reason, really.

BS showed me the new B3 crossovers JW Cullison had built for his Cornwalls. His Cornwalls, btw, were weeping from neglect. BS had them stored gently in the corner of the room while they awaited new innards. I asked BS to hook 'em up to the Peach... so we set about putting the new drivers/crossovers in the Cornwalls (BS's Cornwalls are a thing of beauty ... Walnut and FLAWLESS).

Hooked up the left Cornwall first, and balanced out the LaScala on the right with it. MDeneen's volume pots are excellent for balancing out a system. Yes the Cornwalls dig deeper in the lower end, but the LaScala (to my ears) is clearly the superior speaker with a clarity that suits me just fine. Hooked up the other <?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = ST1 />Cornwall, positioned them just so for that soundstage magic I like. FYI, I found it much more difficult to get the placement right for the Cornwalls than the LaScalas. The LaScalas throw a wide, clear and lifelike soundstage with seemingly little effort in the placement. with the Cornwalls the music was reproduced accurately, with the LaScalas the preformers were there with you.

Had another margarita.. yummmmm

Listened to the Cornwalls for a bit at lower levels with the Peach/208 combo, then listened to them cranked for a bit - ok.. cranked a LOT. JWCullison does good work with crossovers. The Corns were well balanced and even when stretched out volume wise were kind to the ears. I couldn't help remembering Daddy Dee's MKIII monoblock muscle last September with my Corns in Indy, though. Man those things just BARKED!

How to describe the sound of the Corns... hmmmm I got really close and listened and sat far back in the sweet spot and listened and I suppose the best description would be 'well balanced'. The squawker was behaving itself nicely in relation to the other drivers.

Then we put the Monarchy amp back into the mix and the sound was still quite sweet: the bass authority was definitely notched up a bit.

BS wanted to know how the Corns had changed with the crossover, but honestly I couldn't tell, since so many other variables (everything except the CD player) had changed since then.

Man, but that Peach... sweet to the eyes and sweet to the ears.

You loudness button/tone control folks shouldn't hesitate to get this amp if that's your hangup. There's a tape loop which allows an equalization device if you so desire.

BS tells me he'll bring the Peach over to drive the khorns (woohoo!). I'm going to take my ALK crossovers over to BS house to mess with his LaScalas just cause.

It was a good time with a good friend, good gear, and good music.

Woo

[BS Button]

No way Forrest, you had more than three margaritas.

[jbsl]

I liked the Monarchy Audio SM 70 pros that I sold with the Ground Grid tube preamp it had a very good sound to it. I did not like the GG with my Cayin TA 30 just did not sound right, dull, lifeless. I sent the Merlin I bought back for a refund it just did not work for me also. Maybe with some really good tube monoblocks I might like tube preamps better but so far I have not been overwhelmed with their sound.

I guess I'll just stay with my SS preamp and tube amp. I do want to try a tube CD player, probably the AH! Super Tjoeb with upsampler.

[aviserated]

Beautiful Preamp! I just wish the Peach had remote tone controls and loudness button.[]

Do you like your system?

[lwhaples]

BS, Congrats on the Peach! Nice Pic's!

Woo, Nice reveiw,Thanks for taking the time to share.

Larry

[BS Button]

Beautiful Preamp! I just wish the Peach had remote tone controls and loudness button.[]

Do you like your system?

Best effort yet! UH< about tone controls. Cornwalls don't need any. The Peach sounds incredible. Open, spacious, and yet at the same time, dynamic. Now, the La Scala's still need that extra nudge. that will be taken care of, momentarily. I can't imagine needing any tone controls for any of the following.

Chorus 1, 2

Forte 1, 2,

Cornwall 1 , 2

KHorn

RF series

Needed on Heresy and La Scala, bass only, though. Let's put it to you this way, if I was to pick something that I must keep forever, like the Peach and or any of the SS preamps that I've tried. I'd go with the Peach, without hesitation.

[jwc]

This auditioned is flawed because you guys weren't drinking scotch!

Todd and I did a trade of parts and part of that agreement was to make this B-3 for him.

Couple of things. We all know the La Scala will beat the Cornwall's mid horn even with the best network in the Corn. There could be a small number of Corn owners that could say there is something unique or desireable about a K600 but I'm sure they would be in the minority.

Of note is that the B-3 of Todd's really doesn't have the most expensive parts. It was basically to get the Cornwall back to spec. So factory spec, new parts and got a k52 in there. That B-3 sounded great before I mailed them back. It was fun to build. I have more input of this in another post.

I'm gonna throw some of MY opinion out here and shouldn't be considered as fact.

If you look at the picture that Todd posted of the network, there are some small Black caps arranged in a way that Todd later can changed them to some nicer caps w/o much work at all. If so, that sound that Woodog likes out of the La Scala would have a tougher match againt the more expensive mid and tweeter cap on the B-3. In the end...it won't beat it.

Woodogs comments about the volume or power delivered to the B-3 holds true in my opinion as well. The B-3 is less annoying at high volumes compared to the standard B design. However, I think with very nice caps on a Type B there is one advantage for some purposes. That is...the B will open up quicker and will be a little more open. This may be more desireable on the small wattage tube amps. I haven't done this but that is my thinking right now. The muscle loaded SS amps may need a louder volume to really get to there sweet spot and by then the "B" may start kicking your ears. This is just a thought.

Scotch next time guys.

jc