Took delivery of a pair of brand new black KEF Q150 bookshelf speakers. It's pretty cold outside so I'm letting them acclimate overnight.
I'm hoping to get a pair in the coming weeks as well.
Be sure to tell us what you think!
Not Tom or Trey or Jim just Micah
KEF Q150s, NAD 1155 preamp and 4155 tuner courtesy of DaddyJT, NAD C352 playing power amp, BJC Belden cables, Technics SL3200, Marantz CD6004 courtesy of Clipdat, Salamander Archetype rack, Millenium Falcon
I've always thought the goal of high-end audio was not to have your neighbors bang on the wall and say, 'Turn that darn music down' but to have your neighbors bang on the wall and say, 'Tell your friends to go home and you can practice later this week'.
I took the Joule-Electra out to pop the cover and inventory the power supply caps. The left channel has been cutting out periodically and I’ve been told that these are likely the culprit. No obvious culprit. Now I need to source the appropriate replacement caps. I think I will not touch those in the gain stage at this time. It’s back in the rack and sounds like it always has.
Thorens TD-160C; Sumiko Talisman S; Jolida JD9; Marantz CD-53; North Star Intenso;
Joule-Electra LA-100; Balanced Power Technology AC conditioner;
Odyssey Khartago monos (with most factory upgrades); Magnepan MG 3.6R
I took the Joule-Electra out to pop the cover and inventory the power supply caps. The left channel has been cutting out periodically and I’ve been told that these are likely the culprit. No obvious culprit. Now I need to source the appropriate replacement caps. I think I will not touch those in the gain stage at this time. It’s back in the rack and sounds like it always has.
Bummer dude. What are you running as a spare?
Basement: Polk SDA SRS, Cary SLP-05 Pre, Enlightened Audio Designs CD Transport, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Digital Cable, Marantz SA-14 SACD, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, Wireworld Oasis 8 RCA IC's, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, PASS ACA Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's Spare Room: , Antique Sound Labs Wave AV-8 Monoblocks, Tisbury Mini Passive Pre, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
No spare. It works fine when it works. If the left channel cuts out, turning off and on again cures it. This used to happen about once every 10-15 hours, but is now about every other CD or so. If I need to get a spare, I’m thinking Schiit.
Thorens TD-160C; Sumiko Talisman S; Jolida JD9; Marantz CD-53; North Star Intenso;
Joule-Electra LA-100; Balanced Power Technology AC conditioner;
Odyssey Khartago monos (with most factory upgrades); Magnepan MG 3.6R
Took delivery of a pair of brand new black KEF Q150 bookshelf speakers. It's pretty cold outside so I'm letting them acclimate overnight.
I'm hoping to get a pair in the coming weeks as well.
Be sure to tell us what you think!
I set the speakers up today. They're on 31" Trans Decco speaker stands and the back of the speaker cabinets are 2' from the front wall. Listening at moderate dB levels (63 avg with up to a 75 dB peak) the sound is very satisfying. I was actually thinking of you while listening some classic rock (stuff from the 70's) and I've been pleasantly surprised by these entry level KEF speakers. Some of the songs I'm familiar with cast a very wide soundstage during certain parts of the songs, well outside the speakers. Pretty cool.
I do not find the sweet spot to be as wide as many people claim. There is a point in between the two speakers where everything snaps into focus and that's where I keep my head positioned while listening. These are really only going to give you what's in the recording. I don't notice any coloration to the sound.
I plan to pair a sub with these (if not two) to shore up the bottom end. Since bass isn't a huge concern for you, they may be what you want as-is.
Unless you are on a tight budget, I would politely suggest to not go with a Schiit preamp. It will be nowhere near the performance level that you are accustomed to with your Joule.
"Electronic music is human sound adapting to indulge technology, and for some, it feels like the signature sound of energy. New and abstract sounds over hypnotic rhythms can conjure vast soundscapes for escape, pleasure, and transcendence."
Thanks, @Clipdat. I honestly don’t think that I’ll need a spare. I’m not planning to send it out unless it stumps both me and a friend who’s been repairing tube equipment for some years as a sideline. He suggested replacement of all caps on the power supply side. None of these look bad, but they are all 25+ years old. I’m hoping to find exact replacements and either put them in myself or have him do it.
Not intending to derail this thread, but have you heard either of the Schiit preamps?
Thorens TD-160C; Sumiko Talisman S; Jolida JD9; Marantz CD-53; North Star Intenso;
Joule-Electra LA-100; Balanced Power Technology AC conditioner;
Odyssey Khartago monos (with most factory upgrades); Magnepan MG 3.6R
Tom......helping Club Polk members spend their hard earned money!
Carry on Polkster's...
Tom
In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence.
The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to good analogue reproduction.
Oh, you are just jealous. Go pee in a bush or somethin' ya' goat lovin' redneck.
Said with the utmost of respect, of course...
Tom
In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence.
The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to good analogue reproduction.
Not intending to derail this thread, but have you heard either of the Schiit preamps?
Yes, I used to own the Saga.
"Electronic music is human sound adapting to indulge technology, and for some, it feels like the signature sound of energy. New and abstract sounds over hypnotic rhythms can conjure vast soundscapes for escape, pleasure, and transcendence."
Ok I'll bite. Whats the extra lead for in the .5 ohms?
My next will be Duelands
From what I've gathered, the extra lead doesn't need to be attached, but offers added shielding from interference.
According to the manufacturer....
""......for ultimate mechanical stability and the shielding advantages it's putted into the copper tube and flooded with the best quality resin. The use of copper tubing allows to drain interferences and this is why we used the third long leadout. It's connected only to the casing, having no contact with the signal transmitted by the resistor. The third leadout should be joined to the ground or "-" speaker input."
I did not connect the lead, I will let it play for a few days then connect to one of the input "-" terminals.
I've gone round robin with some different resistors for the last month. I had a set of Duelund CAST, of course the mills 12W, tried a Mundorf Supreme .5 ohm, Mundorf MoX.
The mills are smooth, but paired with the Clarity CMR, I thought the Duelund CAST was more transparent but the Duelund's seem to have a slight brightness to them, can also get a little edgy on the higher notes.
The Mundorf Supreme .5 ohm paired with the CAST 22.5 still was a tad bright. I even tried a .56 ohm Mills 12W and that seemed to tame the brightness a little paired with the 22.5 CAST. Even then there was still something amiss, and it was starting to lead me down a possible preamp upgrade.
Granted this is with my gear so YMMV.
With the .5 ohm Path and the 22.5 Vishays....seems a bit of magic has happened. The tweeter network is much smoother and what seems to be a bit more transparent albeit very well controlled. Even with no time on them, I'm liking them right out of the gate. The lower end of the high pass is very smooth, I was going to clean up the work table but ended up listening to this setup for almost 2 hrs.
The highs don't get out of control, very smooth and natural. There's a bit of added midrange smoothness and I don't know where it came from...perhaps the highs aren't as coloring as before, not sure, but it's a very nice blend.
I'll give them a few days but so far it's the best combination of resistors I've tried.
Oh, I pulled the hk770 out and hooked up a Yamaha CR2020 in what may be a last ditch attempt to wake up the rather dynamically torpid (albeit pleasant) ELACs.
Easy peasy Joe! Legs are prefab, and have threads on the bottom for spikes eventually. The tops are pre-cut butcher block. I chose 1.5" thick oak. Just gotta attach the legs with screws, and done!
Basement: Polk SDA SRS, Cary SLP-05 Pre, Enlightened Audio Designs CD Transport, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Digital Cable, Marantz SA-14 SACD, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, Wireworld Oasis 8 RCA IC's, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, PASS ACA Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's Spare Room: , Antique Sound Labs Wave AV-8 Monoblocks, Tisbury Mini Passive Pre, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
Comments
Vinyl: Fluance RT82 * Nagaoka MP-110 * Bottlehead Reduction + Integration Upgrade * KAB RF1
Video: Panasonic TH-50PZ850U * Panasonic DMP-UB200P-K * ROKU Premiere * Z-line Designs Elektra
I'm hoping to get a pair in the coming weeks as well.
Be sure to tell us what you think!
KEF Q150s, NAD 1155 preamp and 4155 tuner courtesy of DaddyJT, NAD C352 playing power amp, BJC Belden cables, Technics SL3200, Marantz CD6004 courtesy of Clipdat, Salamander Archetype rack, Millenium Falcon
Resident Child of Club Polk
Love your room
SRS 2.3TL (Fully Modded)...SDA-1A (Fully Modded with Dimensional Tweeter Delete)
1KVA Dreadnought
Marantz SA 8005
Pioneer PLX-1000 Turntable - Shure SC35C/N35X - V15III/VN35HE
Yamaha TX-540 Tuner...Sony BDP-S570
Sony PS4
Separate subpanel with four dedicated 20 amp circuits.
1. Amplification 2. Analog 3. Digital 4. Video
"All THAT IS LOST FROM THE SOURCE IS LOST FOREVER"
Joule-Electra LA-100; Balanced Power Technology AC conditioner;
Odyssey Khartago monos (with most factory upgrades); Magnepan MG 3.6R
Bummer dude. What are you running as a spare?
Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, PASS ACA Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
Spare Room: , Antique Sound Labs Wave AV-8 Monoblocks, Tisbury Mini Passive Pre, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's
Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
Joule-Electra LA-100; Balanced Power Technology AC conditioner;
Odyssey Khartago monos (with most factory upgrades); Magnepan MG 3.6R
I set the speakers up today. They're on 31" Trans Decco speaker stands and the back of the speaker cabinets are 2' from the front wall. Listening at moderate dB levels (63 avg with up to a 75 dB peak) the sound is very satisfying. I was actually thinking of you while listening some classic rock (stuff from the 70's) and I've been pleasantly surprised by these entry level KEF speakers. Some of the songs I'm familiar with cast a very wide soundstage during certain parts of the songs, well outside the speakers. Pretty cool.
I do not find the sweet spot to be as wide as many people claim. There is a point in between the two speakers where everything snaps into focus and that's where I keep my head positioned while listening. These are really only going to give you what's in the recording. I don't notice any coloration to the sound.
I plan to pair a sub with these (if not two) to shore up the bottom end. Since bass isn't a huge concern for you, they may be what you want as-is.
Vinyl: Fluance RT82 * Nagaoka MP-110 * Bottlehead Reduction + Integration Upgrade * KAB RF1
Video: Panasonic TH-50PZ850U * Panasonic DMP-UB200P-K * ROKU Premiere * Z-line Designs Elektra
Unless you are on a tight budget, I would politely suggest to not go with a Schiit preamp. It will be nowhere near the performance level that you are accustomed to with your Joule.
Not intending to derail this thread, but have you heard either of the Schiit preamps?
Joule-Electra LA-100; Balanced Power Technology AC conditioner;
Odyssey Khartago monos (with most factory upgrades); Magnepan MG 3.6R
I ordered some right angle adapters. @verb thanks for the inspiration.
Carry on Polkster's...
Tom
The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to good analogue reproduction.
~ When the law ends, tyranny begins ~
Said with the utmost of respect, of course...
Tom
The best way to enjoy digital music reproduction is to never listen to good analogue reproduction.
~ When the law ends, tyranny begins ~
Yes, I used to own the Saga.
I have a quad I keep in my bag o'stuff. I haven't used them in a decade but good to have handy.
Two Path Audio .5 ohm 10W
Four 22.5 ohm Vishay 50W wire wound.
The speakers sound good, but mainly just curious.
Ok I'll bite. Whats the extra lead for in the .5 ohms?
My next will be Duelands
Saying that it's "too hard" to pursue your dreams is no different than admitting to yourself that you are too lazy to achieve them.
“If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”
From what I've gathered, the extra lead doesn't need to be attached, but offers added shielding from interference.
According to the manufacturer....
""......for ultimate mechanical stability and the shielding advantages it's putted into the copper tube and flooded with the best quality resin. The use of copper tubing allows to drain interferences and this is why we used the third long leadout. It's connected only to the casing, having no contact with the signal transmitted by the resistor. The third leadout should be joined to the ground or "-" speaker input."
I did not connect the lead, I will let it play for a few days then connect to one of the input "-" terminals.
I've gone round robin with some different resistors for the last month. I had a set of Duelund CAST, of course the mills 12W, tried a Mundorf Supreme .5 ohm, Mundorf MoX.
The mills are smooth, but paired with the Clarity CMR, I thought the Duelund CAST was more transparent but the Duelund's seem to have a slight brightness to them, can also get a little edgy on the higher notes.
The Mundorf Supreme .5 ohm paired with the CAST 22.5 still was a tad bright. I even tried a .56 ohm Mills 12W and that seemed to tame the brightness a little paired with the 22.5 CAST. Even then there was still something amiss, and it was starting to lead me down a possible preamp upgrade.
Granted this is with my gear so YMMV.
With the .5 ohm Path and the 22.5 Vishays....seems a bit of magic has happened. The tweeter network is much smoother and what seems to be a bit more transparent albeit very well controlled. Even with no time on them, I'm liking them right out of the gate. The lower end of the high pass is very smooth, I was going to clean up the work table but ended up listening to this setup for almost 2 hrs.
The highs don't get out of control, very smooth and natural. There's a bit of added midrange smoothness and I don't know where it came from...perhaps the highs aren't as coloring as before, not sure, but it's a very nice blend.
I'll give them a few days but so far it's the best combination of resistors I've tried.
Good to experiment!
Vr3Mods.com ///// Version3Audio.com
"No, that's silly talk. Dude, you can't possibly be this audio dumb so quit the act." - Doro
Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, PASS ACA Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
Spare Room: , Antique Sound Labs Wave AV-8 Monoblocks, Tisbury Mini Passive Pre, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's
Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
Ok I want two of these please delivered for pickup at AXPONA. Thank You Dave.
Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, PASS ACA Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
Spare Room: , Antique Sound Labs Wave AV-8 Monoblocks, Tisbury Mini Passive Pre, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's
Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub