Single

BlueMDPicker

....ended OTL. Bruce Rozenblit's brainchild.
1.5 watts, bridgable to 4. Her twin sister is in pieces on the workbench, slowly coming to life.

BlueMDPicker

The twins will be driving these. Single driver Cain & Cain Abbys.

RuSsMaN

A buddy of mine has one of those amps, it's WONDERFUL. The Cain's are using what driver? The tapered wave pipes make for nice bass loading, I think you're in for a treat.

Cheers,
Russ

BlueMDPicker

My Abbys are the "Normal" version which uses the Fostex Fe 166e driver (versus the "Nearfield" model employing the Fostex FF 165K). In this cabinet, Stereophile (for what it's worth) elevated the Fe 166e to "Highly Recommended." They're on the truck and will be here tomorrow. I'm definitely in "Fat Kid with a Cupcake" mode.

Yeah Russ, the SE OTL at 1.5 watts (stereo mode) into the Klipsch RF-3's is jaw dropping. And, I suppose I could have quit there and just sat back and smiled. But, I want to hear what an OTL setup mono blocked has to offer with no crossover networks in the signal path and one transducer per channel.

After experiencing Rozenblit's kit quality, it's almost a given that his GG (grounded grid) pre will soon join the lineup.

steveinaz

Awesome setup, I bet that sounds schweeeeet.

gidrah

Very good looking system. I've heard the Abbys a few times and they sound great. They even make a matching sub now that integrates really well.

F1nut

I was wondering where you've been.....

BlueMDPicker

Originally posted by F1nut
I was wondering where you've been.....

LOL! I told you I was going to melt that whole roll of Cardas solder.

BlueMDPicker

Originally posted by steveinaz
Awesome setup, I bet that sounds schweeeeet.

Thanks, Steve. It is a completely "different" sound than my push-pull EL34 based amps. Open, lots of air, that sort of thing.

It's so dead quiet that I have to tell a story on myself.

When I got it hooked-up in the rack, powered it up and let it warm up well, I then powered up the tube pre, and stuck my ear up to the horn loaded tweeters on the Klipsch -- I thought "****! It doesn't work!!" Not even a whisper of sound. I cranked the pre to 12 o'clock. Not a whisper of sound. I backed the pre off to 9 o'clock and hit the play button on the CDP. The power of 1.5 watts into the Klipsch about gave me total cardiac arrest - probably 120 db where I was standing! Schweeeeet Geezus! :eek:

BlueMDPicker

Originally posted by gidrah
Very good looking system. I've heard the Abbys a few times and they sound great. They even make a matching sub now that integrates really well.

Gidrah,

I read the reviews on the Bailey Sub - seems like an impressive match with low powered gear. I'm hoping, with my bass tastes, not to need/want a sub.

Terry Cain makes some drop-dead-gorgeous enclosures. He and F1nut have a common background in high-end furniture craftsmanship. Wish I could get Jesse interested in building a pair of Hedlund Horns. That design fascinates me as well.

gidrah

That would be very cool.

BlueMDPicker

Originally posted by gidrah
That would be very cool.

Yes, it would. I went back and emphasized the subtle hint. :cool:

TroyD

Jesse already has an unfinished project *ahem, carver, ahem* to complete before you set him off on some project for a flea speck sized amp.

BDT

BlueMDPicker

Originally posted by TroyD
Jesse already has an unfinished project *ahem, carver, ahem* to complete before you set him off on some project for a flea speck sized amp.

He's multi-talented and, I'm sure, able to multi-task.

With all due respect, I believe the SQ from the flea speck would give you wood and, then, goosebumps on the wood.

BlueMDPicker

Originally posted by Zero
.. good to see I am not the only one to have suffered from such a blunder of judgement!

Thanks, Zero. It was a total, flat-footed GOTCHA! 1.5 watts Class A snuck right up on me. I consider my DCM amp to be very clean and on the lower spectrum of "high end." It creates a tweeter whisper at idle in both the SRS and Klipsch speakers (probably higher current in the output?), as do my SS and hybrid amps. Not this flea speck.

It's also very cool to know that my EE tube preamp adds no noise floor to the signal. I always thought so, but couldn't prove it until now.

dorokusai

That looks neat, have fun.

BlueMDPicker

Originally posted by dorokusai
That looks neat, have fun.

Thanks, Mark. Come by and have a listen any time.

Are you digging the "new" 2.3's in your lineup?

dorokusai

They have just been sitting and I never even hooked them up after I bought them.

I wanted to help Ken get his repaired and running, so I sold him 4 of the SL3000's, kept two for the family. I am in no rush to listen to them.

BlueMDPicker

Originally posted by dorokusai
They have just been sitting and I never even hooked them up after I bought them.

OIC - they're headlining in the 2 CH section of your sig, so I thought they were on the front line.

BTW - I still have some of your goodies here that I need to get back to you.

dorokusai

I know....we need to get together anyways. What are you doing Sunday? Drop me a line via email, dorokusai@comcast.net

organ

SOB!!!!!! Congrats!

What the efficiency rating on those tall puppies?

Can't wait to hear more from you!

So I guess SET is next on your list?
The SET crowd is small but the OTL crowd is even smaller(but growing).

I can see where arguements can start. The SET will have a tx but the amplification process is much simpler (KISS). The OTL have more tubes, but have no tx. However, there are OTL's with a single tube.

It would be interesting to hear the difference.

Enjoy your new toys and keep us posted.

Maurice

BlueMDPicker

Maurice,

Thanks! I've always been a maverick, so I'll slide comfortably into the shadows of the OTL underground.

Unfortunately, the Abbys were delayed a day and won't be here until tomorrow at noon. They're rated at 94 db with the Fostex FE 166E. I'm "limping along" with the Klipsch (NOT!) behind the OTL - spectacular! If you get a chance to audition one of these "flea speck" amps, do so - better yet, build one (or two ). The OTL design has been around for decades. I have the original Futterman circuit in an old tube audio book from the '50s. Rozenblit just (2004) received 10 individual US patents for his innovations with the concept. Now, I believe I know why.
Here is some info on it, a nice read.

We made a road trip two weekends ago to listen to the Abbys, and fell in love. We auditioned them with SS, push-pull, and SET amps and we were pleased with each session. My EE MiniMax CDP and preamp are so small that I just packed them up and took them with me. The dealer was delighted with the EE gear, he had never heard them before. Great guy! To tell you how great - he didn't have the Abby "normal" model in stock and, rather than have me wait for a factory build, he picked up the phone and called a dealer in Atlanta who did have them in stock. I'm getting them shipped to my door for $73. I was speechless. My next purchase of anything audio will be from him.

Hope everything's right in your world, and you're enjoying your new career!

Mike

organ

Awesome! Now that's what I call a dealer!!!! If I can get a chance to demo a flea powered amp, I'll definitely do it.

Can your RF-3 still slam and sound dynamic at loud volumes using that amp? I've always wanted to try a SET using the famous 300B power tube but thought 8w might be low for my high spl preference. But I can't find anything wrong with my Dyna and I love the tube magic from that thing, so I'm going to stick with it.

Let us know how the new speakers sound when you get them. I can't wait to hear your impressions.

The new job is so so right now. I'm bombarded with reading materials (Product Knowledge). I feel like they're giving me too much stuff to know. I just want all this crap to be over and get the hang of things and start doing my stuff on the sales floor.

Maurice

BlueMDPicker

Hey Maurice, "too much" knowledge isn't a bad thing. Someday you'll need to answer an off the wall question from a customer and ZING out it will come without a second thought. I've never been involved in retail, and I think it takes some very special people skills and loads of patience. Who knows - one day it may lead you to start your own audio business? Maur Music has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

The RF-3's still have the sonic signature I've enjoyed with the other amps when driven by the OTL - stunning HF, bass to die for, and amazing SPL from a fairly small box. If anything, the OTL brings the mids a bit more forward than with the EL34 based amp. A good thing IMO. That's the area where the SDA SRS beat them hands down.

The Abbys? Well, they are working out wonderfully with the OTL amp. I have not tried them with anything else here as yet, but did get a chance to listen to them driven by a wide array of amps when we auditioned them. They arrived in a wooden crate that looks strong enough to skid drop from a cargo plane. It looks like the wood coffins you always see the bad guys propped up in, in front of the barber shop, in western movies. Eight screws later, the lid was off the coffin and you could see that Cain & Cain take extreme care in their internal packing as well.

They ship with custom made, solid brass spikes that easily weigh in at over a pound a piece. Cardas binding posts and internal wiring are used. And, the manufacturer's logo is discreetly gold leafed near the bottom of the faces of the enclosures near the bass port. The fit, finish and materials used are high-end furniture grade. My daughter Samantha, who has shown no overt interest in any of the audio gear that's accumulated here of late (hey, she's thirteen and has many other things on her mind), went slack jawed when I cut the packing off the first one. That made me smile. The off-white cones of the Fostex drivers (made from banana skin fibers) are works of art in themselves, and blend nicely with the natural finish of the enclosures.

Since this is the first set of single driver speakers, I decided to cut them no slack in the initial listening session at home. I selected DSOTM as the first play. It has about every frequency in the audible range on it, often at the same moment in time. Sandy (my wife) recently bought me a copy of the remastered version, which I've been totally unimpressed with. I have the original issue on vinyl and, for that genre, it has probably enjoyed more RPMs on my turntable than any other. The CD version has always sounded congested to me, in a band from just under my nose to mid forehead in the soundstage, with eyes closed. So, here we go!

Speak to Me - The heartbeat throb back beat gradually draws you into the modern day passion play about to unfold regarding the fleeting nature of life, love and (for that matter) sanity. What immediately struck me about the Abbys was precision imaging of every facet of this subtle but hectic opening. Each of the preprise snippets blended together without any smearing.
On the Run - The Abbys totally draw you into the music. Roger Waters is in control, the journey has begun.
Breathe - Rock solid percussion and bass. Mason and Waters' efforts had, heretofore, begun my perception of congestion forming. No worries with bass, highs excellent - okay!
Money - One of the all-time best SDA effect cuts, little was lost in width of soundstage (Abbys versus SRSs.) Nick Mason's percussion, especially metal, blazed through all the synthisizer and tape looping like never before. The Abbys showed their speed here in spades.
Us and Them - The first few soft notes, breathed into the sax by Dick Parry, made my ears physically twitch. I had never heard the absolute human emotion in those notes like this. Background vocals are stunning, with each singer in their own voice throughout the blend.
Any Colour You Like - David Gilmour totally in his element as a guitarist. His call and return against the tape loop is masterful. The Abbys kept it all distinct from the synthisizer and bass lines.
Brain Damage - The backing vocals and harmonies are breathtakingly beautiful and urgent. The soaring cutaway passage by Barry St. John fires right through your ears and brain to your core. The last bit of maniacal laughter puts the lunatic in your head. Imaging, imaging, imaging.
Eclipse - The organ swells are not smeared against any other component as, literally, Pink Floyd's whole bag is opened up for you. The Abbys easily proved they are full range enclosures.

Strengths: Separation and imaging in the HF range. Balanced, lifelike bass. Speed and accuracy throughout their range. Depth of soundstage is natural sounding. Width projects 2-3 feet beyond the drivers.

Weaknesses: Mids are slightly less forward than one might be accustomed. Width of soundstage can't compare with SRSs - but, then, what can?

I think I'll keep them!

BlueMDPicker

Inside to outside: Klipsch RF-3, Polk SDA SRS, Cain & Cain Abby

BlueMDPicker

Left side

BlueMDPicker

Right side

VR3

Your a sick man...

Looks absolutely awesome! Those Fostex spooks look AWESOME

BlueMDPicker

Originally posted by Vr3MxStyler2k3
Your a sick man...

You're probably right. But, in my defense, I haven't hidden any **** in the bass ports.

organ

Wow, thanks for sharing your experience with us. Keep us posted on the sound as they begin to break in. Do you feel the single driver speaker system is for you? I know a lot of people that get into it won't go back. For me, it's horns. If I ever upgrade the RF-35's, it will be for a pair of RF-7.

You have quite a collection there and I'm sure you're having a lot of fun playing with different amps/speakers, etc. Man, you haven't even started tube rolling on the OTL yet. Maybe you can bring the mids a little more forward with a different brand of tubes.

Maurice

BlueMDPicker

I think the Abbys are a great match for the single-ended OTL amp. They're opening up more each day (the dealer cautioned us that they take quite a few hours), and I drove them with the DCM all day Sunday to help in that regard. They're going to stay in the living room, driven by the pair of OTL amps (if I ever peel myself away from listening and finish the second one) while the SDA SRSs move to the larger family room downstairs with the DCM 75+75 and EE CDP/preamp combo.

We actually drove the SRSs with 1.5 wpc over the weekend. Other than a noticable drop in bass punch, the flea speck drove them spectacularly. As far as tube rolling, I doubt that will happen anytime soon. The SE-OTL was designed around current production, exclusively Russian-built tubes - the 6C19pi triode in the power stage, and the 6H30pi in the driver stage. We're auditioning a modded Shanling CD T-100 CDP direct with the OTL amp at the moment (no preamp, and one less component in the signal path.) So far (only a few hours on it), so good and there are some tube rolling options with the tube buffer stage in it.

I've heard great things about the RF-7s, but have not auditioned them. If I were in the market for a speaker in that design grouping, they would get my serious consideration. These RF-3's are solid performers and made me a Klipsch fan for life. I'd love to hear the Klipschorns someday as well.

Mike