Deang Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 Yes lisa, you understood the question properly. No question the VRD/Peach or Blueberry combo is the bomb - the near pinnacle of what constitutes great sound: Clean, fluid, dynamic, rich -- good stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 As to predictions on whether meagain will hear improvements with VRD's, even driven by her HK as a pre - she'd better hear an improvement. I fully understand the old garbage in/garabge out principle, as well as how many claim good stuff magnifies garbage. But good stuff magnifies good, too. The VRD's should provide chest-thumping bass due to damping factor, headroom, whatever. The HK will not take that away. Will she hear the mellow mids/highs that can be heard through some tube pres? Doubtfully as much - maybe some. But the low end ought to be obvious without a tube pre. Often preamp sections of a integrated product have EQ designed for the integrated amplifier section built in. So when using this type of setup milleage can and does vary! I have no clue how it will sound so I make no statement either way. Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meagain Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 Craig - I sent you a PM. Had a question. Dean - when do you get your new arrival? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smilin Posted March 1, 2006 Author Share Posted March 1, 2006 The best thing I did was to buy new crossovers from Dean. Freekish big jump in quality. It really surprised me. I figured nothing I could add after that would give me as big a jump in improvement. I'm still of that mind set. While it might be better, I'm thinking it won't be on the level of "OMG - I have new speakers!". I home tested an Arcam AVR-300 ($2000 HT receiver rated highly for 2-ch sound quality) against my $600 HK and while there was an improvement, and yea - I'd rather have it over my HK - it wasn't Jaw-drop/OMG! level enough to justify the big cash upgrade & run out to buy one. I'm anticipating something like this with the VRDs. My expectations are low. At least I'm forcing them to be low. More fun that way if proven wrong. [] It would be nice (with proper pre) to get as big a jump as I did with Dean's x-overs. I'd keel! But I don't expect it. Talk to me first, check out my B&K, don;t spend unwisely[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 ...Gary only hears what someone else tells him to hear. Right Gary?[:@] O.K. Gary, I was out of line. Please accept my apology. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Apology accepted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 The biggest bang is not crossovers. Yes, replacing old out of spec capacitors is just as necessary as changing your spark plugs to return performance to previous levels. The change is not earth shattering, rather it is incremental including ALKs. Compared to the 25 year old AAs the ALKs Seniors or Juniors would be a revelation and are better than newly capped AAs even with Hoveland "designer" caps. But the epiphany, the biggest change, in my appreciation was when Craig, Kelly and Gary convinced me that I had to try a tube amp. That first 299C with parts and help from Craig opened my eyes and, more importantly, ears. Each upgrade step since then has been incremental. Noticeable improvement for sure but, with a sand amp, those changes would be wasted. I had a good quality (a Klipsch company) sand amp in my system a couple of weeks ago. A friend asked me to check it out and fix an LED. Even with power conditioning, and the BBx, it sounded like a sand amp. Lacking the fluidity of electrons flowing through a vacuum. (Nice tight bass though.-) That Meagain is when you will have your system right. When you put those lovely VRDs and a good valve pre-amp to those Khorns, you will know you have arrived. The next biggest improvement was traxhorns and new tweeters removing the last vestige of K-400/K-77 coloration leaving the "Khorn sound's" basic great attributes intact. That's my 2 cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Order of improvement (IMHO): 1) Tube Gear 2) Good Vinyl Setup 3) Better Tube Gear 4) Crossovers 5) Better CD Player (SACD) I must admit that when I first got the Super AAs, my initial impression was that it was a more significant improvement then going from the MkIIIs to the VRDs. That's true for certain recordings, opposite for other recordings. There's something about original Blue Note LPs and some classical LPs that don't agree with the Super AAs. Most everything else sounds just amazing. Sometimes I'm a little (a lot?) rash in my judgement of a change in gear, whether it be crossovers, tube rolling, amps, etc. and I jump to conclusions instead of spending a couple weeks evaluating. It's a charactor flaw of mine. I'm not very patient. I have a set of Bob's A/AA's sitting in a box at home untested (so I have a basis for comparison to the Super AAs) and new tweeters that should arrive today. I'll try to keep my mouth shut for a while before making any comments or judgements here or in private. It won't be easy but I'll try.[:#][] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 You'll like the new tweeters -- a lot. I'm not even sure I could list things in any kind of order, each thing just brings something different and cool to the table. I think if someone sat on me and threatened me with a leaky cap -- I might blurt out "Peach". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meagain Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 I must admit I'm in sheer private hell struggling over the preamp issue. I'm considering a used TAD-150 which has remote & some semblance of HT bypass. I'm reading some Modwright has a remote & HT bypass but I think that's pretty pricey used. And the Peach/Merlin. So I think it's between Peach/Merlin vs. used TAD-150. 2 Different beasts I guess. I think if I do it right, I could buy a used TAD-150 and resell it for zero to little pain. Yet, if I get one, I might always wonder what I might be missing by not getting a Peach/Merlin. And if that improvement in sound quality is high enough to thwart the pain of losing a remote. And in the last few weeks of searching, I cannot find a single darned Creek obh-10 (or 12?) remote gadget. Mega quandry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 You'll just end up with a Peach or Blueberry in the end anyway! Why bother? As soon as someone lets you hear theirs, it'll be done. We can't ALL be wrong! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1101 Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Why the fascination with the remote? Seems like you'd be doing yourself a dissatisfaction spending for the VRDs and then not getting a Juicy pre. The Peach and VRDs were the biggest improvement my system ever experienced. So, just add me to the list with all the others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lindsey Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 It appears as though Mark may be considering adding some of these bells and whistles to his preamps in the near future (tone controls, remote, etc), and I would venture to say he will have a very reasonable upgrade plan when he implements it. This is just my opinion, mind you. I have never heard the TAD so I cannot comment on this preamp, but I do own the VRD's w/BBX and cannot say enough good things about it. You've heard all the stories so I won't bore you with mine. It's a large cash outlay to be sure, but I think well worth it in the end. Is there someone in your area that has the Peach/BBX that will let you bring your VRD's over to demo? Or the other way around? Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 You'll just end up with a Peach or Blueberry in the end anyway! Why bother? As soon as someone lets you hear theirs, it'll be done. We can't ALL be wrong! Uh, that's a pretty good way of looking at it. When you see a whole group of people converging and agreeing on something -- you know you have a winner. Screw the remote -- you're going after the best sound. Does anyone have the picture of the inside of the Peach that Mark used to have on his website -- I can't believe he took that thing down! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodog Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Gary's right. You'll end up with a Peach anyway. I've listened to BS Button's Peach on his LaScalas (driven by an SS amp, mind you) and it's FINE. He's offered to bring it over for me to audition on my khorns. I can't wait. I've already been musing nights lately thinking of what I have that I could sell that I own now plus how much $$ I would have to chip in to own a Peach. (I do NOT do credit anymore) what a sickness! Woo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Hopefully within the next 24-48 hours, I'll be sampling a Peach with the 30's and Belles. I'll be sure to comment on that when it happens. Then within 30 days or so, I will be able to give an MC30 (two different build versions) vs VRD comparison with both Peach and rebuilt MX-110. A "manage a foaaaa". Can you say "showdown", anyone? Should be lots bloomin' over here....[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Flynn Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 A remote should be only a minimal consideration. I do not even use mine for my HT system. Just the satellite dish. Subjectively the implemetation of a remote in say a Blueberry would just add EMI and perhaps noise. Not worth the cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meagain Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Yea - Not to start another remote war convo, but yea - I want one. I started a thread here a bit ago on the Creek gadget and it seems to work ok without adding noise? Frankly, going a step further in my head - I fantasize about finding a used Creek, taking the guts out, and putting it into the peach somehow attached to the volume knob. Granted the post/screws/etc would probably not mate, but for all I know, that can be a simple fix. Just thinking here. Darned Creek things are hard to find though. And they seem to sell instantly when they appear. I guess I'm not the only one who finds a remote a darned nice thing to have. I can cite a zillion different instances where I'd find not having a remote - a great irritation. I know everyone raves about the Peach, and the other JM offerings. And I'm really trying hard to find a work around. Frankly, if a communication snafu didn't occur, I imagine one would be in a UPS/FedEx truck to me right now. But now I have time to rethink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Meagain. Are you going to dump your HK? If not, you could run the HK through the tape loop on the Peach. Then you would be able to use the HK's remote for a volume control. Since you will be puttering around the house not engaged in critical listening you won't loose much. For critical listening, your inputs would be through the Peach only. Just an idea. Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meagain Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Subjectively the implemetation of a remote in say a Blueberry would just add EMI and perhaps noise. Not worth the cost. Not sure what EMI means, but I wouldn't presume it would add noise. Everything I've read about this Creek gadget says it doesn't. Maybe due to the passive deal? The way it's designed? IDK. I just wouldn't presume it. Like when the Behringer DEQ was discussed. Many insisted it would add noise. No doubt. But then I realized many of those comments were from those who never played around with it. The suggestion of noise was even proposed when many insisted there was no added noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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