Just sold my 2,60 sq. ft. home and now am temporarily in a 1,100 sq ft apartment. Looking for a large loft to finally have enough room for a true system.
Scheu's statement arm, some German users have equated it with at least the lower Schroeder arms.
Grado The Statement
The STATEMENT utilizes gold wire coils, a boron cantilever and a diamond cut specially for Grado. All this is hand-assembled within a machined Australian jara wood housing.
Cartridge Man Music Maker 3
The 'MusicMaker' Phono Cartridge is a high-performance variable reluctance device, employing a proprietory extended contact diamond stylus.
Denon DL-103D
Considered by many to be the ultimate of the 103 series. No longer produced.
Gram Slee Era Gold mkV
phono preamp Gain - 41.5 db Input Sensitivity - 2mv to 9mv Input Impedance - 47k and 100pF
Gram Slee Elevator EXP
"Transformerless" stepup MC amp Gain - 24 db Cartridge Loading - 23, 30, 100, 840, 1000, 5100, 47kHz
Museatex Bitstream Data II (2005)
The Melior Bitstream Converter has two digital inputs, one fiber optic and one co-axial. Two independent digital sources can be connected to the unit. A front panel membrane switch allows you to choose between the two.
Meitner/Melior by Museatex CD-D
Matching transport to the Museatex Bitstream Data II DAC I have
Stevens & Billington TX-102 mkIII
Transformer Volume Control (TVC) w/ Seiden 20 step attenuator and selector switch.
Art Audio PX-25
Transformer-coupled, zero-feedback, pure Class A triode stereo amplifier. Output Power 6 wpc. Frequency Response 9Hz to 60KHz full rated power. Tube Complement 2 x 6922/6DJ8, 2 x 12BH7, 2 x Mullard CV 378 rectifiers, 2 x KR PX-25 power triodes. This tube has a very similar midrange sound to the 2A3 but much more extended frequency extremes and a lot more power.
Welborne Labs DRD 300B
300B Direct Reactance Drive (DRD)SET Monoblocks using TJ Mesh Plate 300B's and 6N1P driver stage. 7 watts per channel of glorious SET magic and drive.
Audion Sterling ETSE EL34 integrated (mkI)
Class-A, 12 wpc EL34 SET amp. Frequency Response: 14Hz to 35kHz - 3dB. Tube Compliment: 2 x JJ/Tesla Teslovak EL34, cryo'd Russian 6H23n-EB/6922, cryo'd NOS 1950's Tung Sol 5687
Cain & Cain IM-Bens
Fostex FE-168 Sigma 6
Cain & Cain Bailey(pair)
10
Paradigm X-30 Subwoofer Crossover
Built-in active low level high-pass filter Variable 35Hz 150Hz, 3rd order 18 dB / octave Variable 0 180° Phase adjustment
Hafler DH-500
255wpc classic monster amp from the days when Hafler actually owned and ran the company.
Cain & Cain Cryo'd Cardas Magnet Wire
Nothing too special about the particular wire, but it is smooth and detailed sounding. Just plain natural without calling attention to itself.
Hammer Dynamics recommended: Woofers(20ga.)- 10 strands of 30 gauge silver-plated copper solid-core wire with Tefzel insulation twisted into a Litz configuration. Tweeters: 4 strands of the same 30 ga. wire twisted in a Litz config.
Topaz 2.4kVA Ultra-Isolator Transformers
I have six of these wired with balanced secondaries for greater noise rejection. One for both tube monoblocks. One for the subwoofer amp. And one for my dac(filtered) and turntable. Common Mode Noise Attenuation - 150dB @ 100kHZ Transverse Mode Noise Attenuation - 65dB @ 100kHZ
No subwoofers used in my readings. Just the IM-Ben double horns.
I used 80dB as the base level because of how far the lows dipped under the "0" level, needed some padding. To compnesate for the extra high ratings, at 70 Hz I set the meters to 100dB and subtracted the difference (e.g. -6dB at 100db setting is 94dB or +14dB above my 80dB setting).
Anyway, here's a graph of the adjusted figures for 20-140Hz. I'll do 140-200Hz tonight, but don't expect much to change. The BLUE line is the famous 33-2050 and the RED line is the newer 33-4050. I have a feeling that the older 33-2050 is more accurate.
I can thoroughly believe what is going on below 70Hz because my room is open on the rear wall and looks down 6 ft. onto my diing room. So, it is likely that I lose a lot of bass via that end.
But, the massive difference at exactly 70Hz and primarily staying +10dB above 80db with the lowest being +6dB seems odd. I'll try posting this over on the Rives Audio forum on AA to see what Ethan Whiner and the other Pros have to say. Perhaps this is normal?
Vic..that's a tough one! I had some room buzzing also.Mine was in the 40 to 30 Hz range. If you could find a digital SPL meter and run it through those test again. I've tried the analog meters in the past.Never could get a definite reading. The digital meters seems quite a bit more accurate.You can always take it back after the use. What is your base dB used for measurements? Also try doing the measurements without the subwoofers.And see what you get.
Well, my test had some bizarre results again. I used both the famous (and discontinued) Radio Shack 33-2050 & brand new RS 33-4050 Analog SPL meters simultaneously. Of course to make things confusing, the reading differences between the two meters varied from 2dB to 5.5db at certain frequencies. Mostly, it averaged a 2-3dB variance.
Oddly, for some reason, everything above 80Hz is ~+15 dB or more. I stopped at 140Hz because it hadn't varied much in between.
I don't think that's room gain, no way it's that uniform over such a large range of frequencies. Nor is it speaker problems because that would make them unlistenable. I think it has to do something with how my cd burner transferred the tones.
Any ideas?
Another annoying problem was that in the high 60's-70's Hz range, varying windows in my living room and entryway started to audibly buzz. And I mean fairly loud.
I had a blast doing the test. Actually I guess my hearings not too bad. I figured from just listening ..that the speakers had the flattest freq response I've heard in my home and basically any where else. People don't think it makes a difference.They are wrong. The less deviation the more realistic the music sounds..it's just that simple. Only other speakers that came remotely close are the Green Mountain Europas. Unfortunetly their low freq extention wasn't even in the ballpark of the speakers I use now.
I'm going to take some measurements later today. And try to nail down exactly the low frequency response in my room between 200 and 18Hz with the FTAs. I will let you know how it turns out.I posted my results in the main thread.
I can't figure out anyway to tell which of the meters is closer to reality(if they are) other than getting a true SPL/frequency meter intended for the job. At which point, it really doesn't matter.
I chose the 1Hz increment Test CD because the 1/3 octave cd's were to coarse to tell what's going on. And yes, it is very tedius and time consuming. I'm in no hurry to do that again.
But, I want an accurate sonic map of my room before I start some heavy duty treatments. I'd like to be able to quantify the changes.
For $150, I may just go all out and get ETF5 software to it up in a big way - frequency response, decay time, etc. And it's totally automated, just setup the microphone and run the software.
Got lots of info to pass on. First and foremost, don't do test after a long day of work.
I set the famous(and discontinued)$25 Radio Shack 33-2050 analog to read "0" at 80dB volume using the Real Traps Test CD. In order to do that, I had to run back and forth between the meter 12 feet away and the Audion integrated to fine tune the volume level before the 10 second track ended. Took me a couple of trips before I wised up to setting the track on repeat.
Ok, I hand drew a sheet with 4 columns of 50 boxes each representing 1 Hz. (Printer was out of ink)I settled onto the back of the couch so I could see the analog meter on top of a milk crate on top of the couch, raising the meter to my ear position when listeing to music.
On the Real Traps CD, each track contains ten 10 second tones at increasing 1Hz intervals. So, each track(10 Hz) is one minute, forty seconds long.
I start watching and writing down measurements. Everything is going great except after a few minutes my neck is getting tired from bending over to see the meter. Anyway, at 70Hz I notice that every multiple of 10Hz is exactly -6dB (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, etc.). That's strange, what are the odds of that?
Not much later, I notice that my room really isn't that bad - no peaks at all and I'm up to 100Hz(17 minutes). In fact, everything is pretty balanced from 20-100Hz. It's all between -5 and -2dB.
At 120Hz(20 minutes) it suddenly dawns on me that something is really wrong. The readings are identical every 10 hertz group. I forgot to take the cd player off repeat on the pink noise track.
So, I do it all over again. This time, when I get to 70Hz the output jumps exponentially and the meter stays pegged at it's max +6dB reading. Everything above that point is maxxed out.
Well, I reset the volume level so that the meter reads "0" at 20 dB lower (60dB). At this level, some of the lower are going to be below the meters sensitivity. But, damned if it doesn't still peg out at 70Hz and above(another 20 minutes).
On a whim, I decided to try a brand new updated version of the RS 33-2050, the 33-4050. Guess what? The two don't give the same reading on the Pink Noise track. The older meter reads 2dB higher. Even worse, the difference isn't consistent, at some frequencies(22Hz) it is a 4dB or higher.
So, now I have no idea which is more accurate if they are at all. It's 1am here in LA and I need to go to bed. I'll try again tomorrow to check the variance between the two meters across a wider frequency range.
I couldn't get to it tonight, but tomorrow I'll try to do 20-200Hz at my listeining point, the exact midpoint of my room.
My first run produced some wacky results. While the analog meters are supposed to be more accurate in the low frequencies, they are limited in the maximum deviation from "0dB" to -10dB & +6dB.
Well, some ranges had the needle pegged out, meaning they could have +30dB or -20dB for all I know. A digital would be useful in that sense, especially when I remeasure after adding bass traps and Room Lens.
I've got an Excel sheet made up that provide some graphs to show the sonic mess that my room, and most, rooms are.
I'd love to use some of the more advanced software that maps not only the freq/dB variation, but also time duration of the ringing.
To pick up on Gmood1's comments from another thread about the in-room response of my IM-Bens and the Fostex FE-168 Sigma driver:
"With the help of your BLH cabinets the bass rolls off around 60hz in your room ..I'm guessing.There's probably not much useable bass below this point. This is where your subs kick in and take over down to 40/45 Hz. Now if you wanted to add more weight to the music. The simplest solution would be to go with sealed powered subs that can do the duty from 60 hz down to the 20 hz range."
I got curious after reading this because it kind of made sense. So, I whipped out my trusty burned copies of Real Trap's excellent free Test CD (1Hz increments) and discontinued $30 Radio Shack 33-2050 SPL meter for a look-see.
The cheapie RSL meter is not all that accurate on it's own, but 7 years ago some audio engineers used lab equipment to produce accurate 1/3 octave compensation values to correct the meter readings. This was published in PSACS Sound Bytes magazine. Here's a much more finely detailed compensation chart produced by someone else.
Of course, this is far more a rough measurement of my room acoustics than the speakers themselves as you'll see by some of the following numbers.
Yeah I thought there was something different about that driver. I've seen the driver in the Bens before. It kinda threw me off a bit.LOL So what's going on with the SPL meter my friend? Found out what the low freq response is in the room?
System edited: Really beginning to enjoy this Audion integrated - smooth, rich, and very engaging. Has a deep soundstage and terrifc tonality. A fantastic used buy for cheap.
I have nice stereo system and an old, beat up, 1991 Honda Accord LX to drive around. Talk about twisted priorities. Luckily, my girlfriend is not the "image" type.
I do like the new retro Mustangs a lot, especially the silver and black. Perhaps we could trade for a few months.
Checkout the new addition below. I finally got my dream amp. Now, I need to finally settle on a decent equipment rack.
Superb system but I think you have my stereo system and I have your car, a 2005 Mustang, silver with black racing stripes. Anyway with the price of gas, I think maybe you have put the money where it belongs!
Hmmm, my system for a full-sized Bullie - hold on give me a minute.....Maybe.
I love my system, but I gotta say I get more all around enjoyment day in, day out from my pups. In fact, they've got their own version of WWF going on behind my chair right now. AND, I can take them on vacation with me (Yosemite next month).
As for my room, I need to get on with building my bass traps and diffusers. I'm loosing so much fine detail and articulation because of reflections from the bare walls an room modes. It sounds good right now, but I can tell with treatments it'll be superb.
Another usefull tool is Sound-Map.com's Smart Stereo Setup. The Cardas speaker positioning calculator section didn't work for me, but the Early Reflection calculator was invaluable for finding the 1st reflections in my room.
Want to trade?? I would take your complete system. (Just joking). It's actually so close to what I would put together, it's not even funny.
Great job with the room measurements and placement as well. My current room has no parallel walls at all. No standing waves that one could calculate easily but I do notice a 120 Hz peak and a 63 Hz drop out in the spectrum of my Cain Abby's (or actually any other speaker). Where did you get the room mode calculator?
You are right, the Bullies are a fantastic, lovable, breed as long as the owners respect and train them. These guys need a lot of attention and human contact, maybe one of the most needy breeds I've ever owned. My trainer tends to think that neglect/lack of attention is just as great a factor in aggressivness as abuse.
Mugsy's nickname is Mr. Wiggles because no matter how much you pet him, he keeps wiggling in for more until he;s in your lap. Both are great with young children, too. They really tone down their play when little ones are near. Like yours, Mugs tries hard, but he's not a great thinker.
And at 100 lbs. your "kitty" is a full-figured gal. There is a couple in my town that have a male and female Americans that are both Kitty's size, maybe a little bigger. Great dogs. I like Mugs at ~60 lbs. because of his size, but I had 175 lb. Old English Mastiff before and am partial to the biggest breeds - mastiff, Burnese Mountain Dogs, Danes, etc.
nice pooches,mugs looks like my american female"aryan" its nice to see somebody else who hasnt fell for all the bad press about bullies,ive owned bulldogs my entire life & yours are some of the nicest ive seen,they must be lotsa fun.
our kids call our bulldog kitty beacuse she purrs when she breaths,even though mines a moose weighing in at around 100 lbs im always amazed at how gentel she can be with my children,she's not too smart but she sure is alot of fun.
Yep, pure bred American Bulldog - named "Mugsy". Fantastic pup, 1.5 years old, and funny as can be. He's the original breed size at 62 lbs as compared to the more recent Mastiff hybrids at 100-130 lbs.
And he's hopelessly in love with my female Pit. Both are worthless lap dogs at best.
The only downside is that they love to wrestle whenever I listen to music
That article on Audioholics is killer. I've read the Harmon article before, that's where I downloaded the Room Mode Calculator spreadsheet. If you get a chance, try it out. It will save you a lot of hassles and let you know if your current setup is maximized according to the laws of physics.
I've taken a week or two off fiddling with my setup because I've got a backlog of other audio projects to finish - new TVC enclusure and wiring, DIY Argent Room Lens clones, and some bass traps.
After I get the room treatments done, I'll start up the fiddling again. My girlfriend is out of town this weekend, so I;ve got a hallpass to focus on mysystem.
