My reference system has changed again, not surprisingly I suppose, as I'm inclined to finding incremental improvements that make the listening experience a little more satisfying.
Inputs:
1.Fanless PC built and optimized solely for audio, Windows/JRiver player program, up sampling to 352.8 or 384 KHz, Exa U2I USB-I2S convertor into Ackodac Sabre dac, seperate tube output stage using 7788 tubes, heater bias, tube shunt regulation, Magnequest output trans.
2. Luxman PD-444 turntable , Dynavector DV-505 arm with Ortofon SPU cartridge modified with Expert Stylus cantilever and stylus. FR-64 arm with Accuphase AC-1 cartridge modified with Expert Stylus cantilever and stylus.
No CD, or spdif inputs- they are a dead end to my ears.
Pre-amplification
6SN7/71A DHT preamp with built in 12dB crossover at 220Hz, 6H30 tubes drive bass outputs.
Power-amplification
Carver Sunfire 5 channel power amp capable of greater than 1000 watts/1 ohm into all channels.
Speakers
MartinLogan Request electrostatic hybrid speakers with 12" sealed bass drivers, passive crossovers removed, crossover provided by preamp.
DSP
DSPeaker Anti-Mode 8033s Bass correction with Wharfdale 10" subwoofer.
Description:
The Exa-U2I usb to I2S convertor remains my choice of digital source , I haven't heard anything over the last 6 months that surpasses it yet. Similarly the Ackodac remains at the forefront of digital dac design, I expect something quite different and better every day, things change fast in digital land, but it will have to be audibly better for a change. I've tried some new devices but no reason to change yet.
Vinyl stays the same, why change what is very satisfying, although waiting on some Lundahl chokes to try a new LCR RIAA phono design.
The preamp is new, I've shifted the DEQX digital crossover to another system and now using a preamp with inbuilt crossover for 4 channel output, 220Hz @ 12dB . The upper frequencies come from a 6SN7/71A tube stage and 6H30's for the bass. No cathode followers in the12dB filter sections. Phono uses 6688,CCa and 6E6P tubes.
Another change is I've gone back to using a solid state high current capable power amp.
I was quite happy with the 4 monoblock tube amps, but, I listen to a diverse range of music from opera to electric blues, and usually I play everything LOUD. My listening studio is rural and private and I like the dynamics of live-like sound.
Tube amps, especially the low output impedance amps I build can drive normal speakers to these levels, but electrostatics simply need very high power levels, especially into the higher frequencies where the stats load drops dramatically.
My favorite all time solid state amp, the Carver Sunfire can deliver more than a 1000 watts into 1 ohm, from all 4 channels.
Some very distinguished hi fi critics have said the the Carver Sunfire is nearly the perfect amplifier, and as far as electrostatics go it is hard to find anything better. Super reliable too.
Speakers remain the same, Martin Logan Requests, new panels and the dynamic robbing passive crossovers removed.
The 12" bass drivers used in sealed boxes were perhaps ML's best solution to integrating bass with the stat panels and retaining deep solid bass.
These speakers are not the polite, dynamically restricted stats people used to Quads etc know. They can play at very loud concert levels with any kind of music, always exciting, never tiring. It always with a tinge of regret when its time to stop listening to the music.
The DSPeaker Anti-Mode 8033s is new- it is designed to remove bass standing waves and works in conjunction with an additional sub-woofer to clean up the bass. It doesn't really extend the bass, the ML's have quite good bass extension, but it does a great job of tightening and cleaning up the lower bass.
The systems only real flaw is that the speakers are very directional and the sweet spot is very tight- move 6" either way and the sound-staging and imaging go 2 dimensional, but I usually enjoy my music alone so no problem for me, I have a well-worn arse-groove in the perfect position. The stat panels I'm currently evaluating (see previous post) are much better in this regard and stacked panels may eventually replace the ML panels.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Friday, November 9, 2012
An inexpensive top quality Electrostatic speaker kit
The people who designed and commissioned the Nakamichi Dragon electrostatic speaker build (which I rate highly, see previous post) , are making a stat panel driver available that is based on the same technology used in the Dragons.
http://www.involveaudio.com/audio.php?id=33&pid=10
The speaker evaluation kit contains a pair of panels, a step up transformer and a DC power supply , essentially everything you need for a speaker to work from its lower frequency response of around 200Hz to 20Khz.
You also need a bass driver to fill in the bottom end <200Hz and a crossover.
As I was so impressed with the Dragons I had to try the FP-440 Sonic Panel to see if there was a similarity in sound, and the price certainly makes it a very attractive proposition.
To get the system going I used a pair of subwoofers I have in my workshop that use an Acoustic Elegance 18" driver in sealed boxes. The AE drivers are very good, have very clean deep bass but they are also very linear up to 1Khz, which makes them perfect for integrating with the Sonic Panel.
For a crossover I used a DEQX digital crossover- this has the optional Jensen output transformers and is a very nice, analogue type sounding digital active crossover.
I like 12dB 2nd order crossovers for stats and used a 220Hz crossover point.
From a myriad of amps in the workshop the closest was a 100 watt Redgum solid state amp I quite like, so that was connected to the Sonic Panels and a Parasound 200 watter was connected to the bass speakers.
I used the Parasound as it has level controls and I figured the bass level would have to be adjusted down to suit the Sonic Panels 88dB sensitivity. Of course any worthwhile system has to have some tubes in it, so I used a 6SN7/71A DHT preamp to drive the power amps.
It took me no more than 30 minutes to set everything up and have music playing.
First impressions were that this is different: most stats have a rising treble but this panel sounds very smooth , it sounds very much like it's published frequency response- very flat response. The detail/micro-dynamics of electrostatic drivers is still there, but it is not forceful or in your face as much as some stats can be. The Dragons can be a bit too un-restrained sometimes, especially with badly recorded music (they're just being truthful really), but the Sonic Panels are always very enjoyable and easy to listen to.
They dont go as loud as the Dragons, obviously, as they have only less than half the panel area of the Dragons, but still have more than enough output for the average listening room.
Over a period of a week listening to them I've quite enjoyed them, I have them in a very large workshop which is not an ideal listening environment, and this should be borne in mind in context of my impressions, but with JRiver in shuffle mode I've listened to a lot of different music while working on preamps in the early hours of the morning and late at night.
I've often been drawn over to the listening seat to have a closer listen to something that sounded interesting, and always found the sound to be very satisfying- it is not the strident "studio monitor" sound that can sometimes be tiring , but a very natural, musical sound. Quite different from most stats and something that I think is very worthwhile.
Like the Dragons, imaging is very good, they throw a good 3D effect, with excellent width and depth, the crossover has a lot to do with this.
I think they are a real bargain, and recommend them for anyone who would like to try stat sound at a very affordable price.
I'll soon take them into my main listening room , try tube amps, different crossovers, etc, and report on how they go.
Whats next? I'm going to order another pair of panels to double up and see how that sounds. More is better? Maybe, maybe not.
I've also ordered a pair of AE 15" dipole drivers as I want to make a simple frame using a slim open baffle design. It may work with the Sonic Panels and it may not, we shall see.
http://www.aespeakers.com/drivers.php?driver_id=32
http://www.involveaudio.com/audio.php?id=33&pid=10
The speaker evaluation kit contains a pair of panels, a step up transformer and a DC power supply , essentially everything you need for a speaker to work from its lower frequency response of around 200Hz to 20Khz.
You also need a bass driver to fill in the bottom end <200Hz and a crossover.
As I was so impressed with the Dragons I had to try the FP-440 Sonic Panel to see if there was a similarity in sound, and the price certainly makes it a very attractive proposition.
To get the system going I used a pair of subwoofers I have in my workshop that use an Acoustic Elegance 18" driver in sealed boxes. The AE drivers are very good, have very clean deep bass but they are also very linear up to 1Khz, which makes them perfect for integrating with the Sonic Panel.
For a crossover I used a DEQX digital crossover- this has the optional Jensen output transformers and is a very nice, analogue type sounding digital active crossover.
I like 12dB 2nd order crossovers for stats and used a 220Hz crossover point.
From a myriad of amps in the workshop the closest was a 100 watt Redgum solid state amp I quite like, so that was connected to the Sonic Panels and a Parasound 200 watter was connected to the bass speakers.
I used the Parasound as it has level controls and I figured the bass level would have to be adjusted down to suit the Sonic Panels 88dB sensitivity. Of course any worthwhile system has to have some tubes in it, so I used a 6SN7/71A DHT preamp to drive the power amps.
It took me no more than 30 minutes to set everything up and have music playing.
First impressions were that this is different: most stats have a rising treble but this panel sounds very smooth , it sounds very much like it's published frequency response- very flat response. The detail/micro-dynamics of electrostatic drivers is still there, but it is not forceful or in your face as much as some stats can be. The Dragons can be a bit too un-restrained sometimes, especially with badly recorded music (they're just being truthful really), but the Sonic Panels are always very enjoyable and easy to listen to.
They dont go as loud as the Dragons, obviously, as they have only less than half the panel area of the Dragons, but still have more than enough output for the average listening room.
Over a period of a week listening to them I've quite enjoyed them, I have them in a very large workshop which is not an ideal listening environment, and this should be borne in mind in context of my impressions, but with JRiver in shuffle mode I've listened to a lot of different music while working on preamps in the early hours of the morning and late at night.
I've often been drawn over to the listening seat to have a closer listen to something that sounded interesting, and always found the sound to be very satisfying- it is not the strident "studio monitor" sound that can sometimes be tiring , but a very natural, musical sound. Quite different from most stats and something that I think is very worthwhile.
Like the Dragons, imaging is very good, they throw a good 3D effect, with excellent width and depth, the crossover has a lot to do with this.
I think they are a real bargain, and recommend them for anyone who would like to try stat sound at a very affordable price.
I'll soon take them into my main listening room , try tube amps, different crossovers, etc, and report on how they go.
Whats next? I'm going to order another pair of panels to double up and see how that sounds. More is better? Maybe, maybe not.
I've also ordered a pair of AE 15" dipole drivers as I want to make a simple frame using a slim open baffle design. It may work with the Sonic Panels and it may not, we shall see.
http://www.aespeakers.com/drivers.php?driver_id=32
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)