Best Listening Experience to date...

Early B.
Early B. Posts: 7,900
edited March 2005 in 2 Channel Audio
So last night I pop in a few tunes. Lo and behold, my system sounded the best it ever has. I attribute some of this to the Groove Tubes (12AX7M), but mostly to the change in speaker cables. Something happened -- maybe the cables broke in or maybe the combination of the Groove Tubes and the cables are dead on. I don't know.

A couple of weeks ago I "downgraded" from Audioquest Mammoths to Type 4's. The Type 4's provide stunning detail. I'm hearing new information in songs I've heard 150 times. Amazing. It's hard to describe the improvement in sound, but it seems as though my system acquired a higher level of intelligence to know exactly how to reproduce each song. It's so smooth, man. The vocals and instruments are right where they're supposed to be, so IMO that's what makes it "musical." A few of the songs sound quite different (i.e., better) than what I'm accustomed to hearing. The vocals appear to be "stretched" along the soundstage, similar to how it would sound in a concert hall. Forget about a sweet spot. Hell, the entire room is the sweet spot!

No more tube rolling or cable switching for a while. I'm just gonna enjoy my music. Ordered 8 more CDs. Hope they get here soon, 'cause when they do, I'm gonna take the day off.
HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50” LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub

"God grooves with tubes."
Post edited by Early B. on
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Comments

  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited March 2005
    Sometimes everything just works. Sometimes later on with no obvious changes the bottom drops out from under you and you sit there thinking WTF just happened. How do I get my sound back? That is where I am right now. Enjoy it while you can. :)
    madmax
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited March 2005
    Just goes to show you that a downgrade isn't necessarily a downgrade (reference your speaker wire preference). You use whatever it takes to achieve the sound you're after.

    Enjoy.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • Early B.
    Early B. Posts: 7,900
    edited March 2005
    Sometimes later on with no obvious changes the bottom drops out from under you and you sit there thinking WTF just happened. How do I get my sound back? That is where I am right now.

    Huh? How's that happen? Is it the tubes going bad or does your perception of the SQ suddenly change?

    What measures are you taking to get the sound back?
    HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50” LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub

    "God grooves with tubes."
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  • polksda
    polksda Posts: 716
    edited March 2005
    Originally posted by Zero
    Unfortunately, I know all too well what Madmax is talking about.

    One day, you flip on your system and you are in heaven... completely proud and fulfilled with your system.

    The next day you flip her on, only to get up a minute later and turn it back off - completely baffled.

    Yup, yup, yup.

    I find this to be strongly dependent on the listening material in question. If it's well produced and mixed, it can be magic. If the recording is flat, no system in the world will save it. I like a lot of hard rock and heavy metal, but so much of those genres are produced like garbage.... :(
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  • organ
    organ Posts: 4,969
    edited March 2005
    Congrats. It takes a long time to finally get where you are. Keep the tunes going and crank it up!

    Maurice
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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited March 2005
    what type of speaker cables are you using? how much do they run?
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
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  • Early B.
    Early B. Posts: 7,900
    edited March 2005
    what type of speaker cables are you using? how much do they run?

    Audioquest Type 4. They've been around for a few years. Great reviews on www.audioreview.com. Got mine on clearance from www.audioadvisor.com for about $60 (6 ft.). They beat out $200+ cables from the same company. Go figure.
    HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50” LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub

    "God grooves with tubes."
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