Music Should Sound Like Glass

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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited January 2007
    On my MF A3CR, it's rare that I go past the 11:00 o'clock position, with the exception of a couple of music DVD's that have really low output levels and I'm wanting to rock out.

    One track is Shania Twain's superbowl performance of "We're gonna rock this country" (I think). That one I listen to at 3:00 o'clock! It's awesome, it makes me want to breed.
    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 January 2007
    zombie boy 2000 wrote:
    Like I said though, it's not simply an issue of whether or not you prefer a "passive sound". Most set-ups don't mate well with this type of pre. An active preamp with a 20db gain in my set-up won't allow me to go past 9 on the volume dial. Send me a passive with fries and a large drink.

    If you're already pushing toward 1 or 2 o'clock with an active, you may want to reconsider. Short interconnects also play a factor.

    There are differences between a typical passive preamp and a TVC that mitigate many of these concerns. I don't know the technical mumbo jumbo, so you may want to research it. Just google "transformer volume control."
    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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  • zombie boy 2000
    zombie boy 2000 Posts: 6,641
    edited January 2007
    My Monarchy/Dared combo won't let me get past 9/9:30 tops:D I'm fine with it, but I know it raises the noise floor quite a bit and probably hinders channel separation in theory (though my center image is always rock solid, so I don't know if this is entirely true)....

    Give me an affordable tube pre with about 10db gain and I'll be as happy as a big in slop:)
    I never had it like this where I grew up. But I send my kids here because the fact is you go to one of the best schools in the country: Rushmore. Now, for some of you it doesn't matter. You were born rich and you're going to stay rich. But here's my advice to the rest of you: Take dead aim on the rich boys. Get them in the crosshairs and take them down. Just remember, they can buy anything but they can't buy backbone. Don't let them forget it. Thank you.Herman Blume - Rushmore
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  • zombie boy 2000
    zombie boy 2000 Posts: 6,641
    edited January 2007
    Early B. wrote:
    There are differences between a typical passive preamp and a TVC that mitigate many of these concerns. I don't know the technical mumbo jumbo, so you may want to research it. Just google "transformer volume control."

    And this is why the TVC interests me greatly:D
    I never had it like this where I grew up. But I send my kids here because the fact is you go to one of the best schools in the country: Rushmore. Now, for some of you it doesn't matter. You were born rich and you're going to stay rich. But here's my advice to the rest of you: Take dead aim on the rich boys. Get them in the crosshairs and take them down. Just remember, they can buy anything but they can't buy backbone. Don't let them forget it. Thank you.Herman Blume - Rushmore
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited January 2007
    Many times passive's don't play well in a system and you need to experiment. Certainly isn't soemthing to rush into lightly. I run my Nak pre between 8 and 11 o'clock. By the time I get to 11 o'clock it's right below clipping for normal source material. It's a high gain pre that for super hot recordings doesn't give me much volume flexibility at times. Some ultra-hot recordings have me 2 notches from zero and that's plenty loud for normal listening. Damn recording engineers :mad:
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited January 2007
    But I also should add that a typical DAC in the loop will increase/ boost the signal as well.
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • zombie boy 2000
    zombie boy 2000 Posts: 6,641
    edited January 2007
    Tru dat H9...
    I absolutely relish softer recordings. Gives me a chance to "crank" it to 10:00:D

    Just don't let Early read that it may actually matter to me how something is recorded:p
    I never had it like this where I grew up. But I send my kids here because the fact is you go to one of the best schools in the country: Rushmore. Now, for some of you it doesn't matter. You were born rich and you're going to stay rich. But here's my advice to the rest of you: Take dead aim on the rich boys. Get them in the crosshairs and take them down. Just remember, they can buy anything but they can't buy backbone. Don't let them forget it. Thank you.Herman Blume - Rushmore
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  • zombie boy 2000
    zombie boy 2000 Posts: 6,641
    edited January 2007
    heiney9 wrote:
    But I also should add that a typical DAC in the loop will increase/ boost the signal as well.

    fwiw My Lite Audio DAC AH-M1 did so minimally. I've read the unmodded version boosts the signal significantly.
    I never had it like this where I grew up. But I send my kids here because the fact is you go to one of the best schools in the country: Rushmore. Now, for some of you it doesn't matter. You were born rich and you're going to stay rich. But here's my advice to the rest of you: Take dead aim on the rich boys. Get them in the crosshairs and take them down. Just remember, they can buy anything but they can't buy backbone. Don't let them forget it. Thank you.Herman Blume - Rushmore
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  • Early B.
    Early B. Posts: 7,900
    edited January 2007
    zombie boy 2000 wrote:
    fwiw My Lite Audio DAC AH-M1 did so minimally. I've read the unmodded version boosts the signal significantly.

    I don't wanna hijack my own thread, but did you ever post your thoughts on this DAC on this board? I'm interested.
    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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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited January 2007
    zombie boy 2000 wrote:
    fwiw My Lite Audio DAC AH-M1 did so minimally. I've read the unmodded version boosts the signal significantly.

    Somewhere on Monarchy's page C.C. Poon explains the reason for this. Something to do with S/N ratio is better, or something. It's not a bad thing, but if your pre is already high gain you really notice an increase.
    zombie boy 2000 wrote:
    Tru dat H9...
    I absolutely relish softer recordings. Gives me a chance to "crank" it to 10:00.

    That's why I love that Talking Heads-Stop Making Sense cd. Absolute awesome transfer and recorded at sane levels with all the dynamics intact. :D
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • zombie boy 2000
    zombie boy 2000 Posts: 6,641
    edited January 2007
    Early B. wrote:
    I don't wanna hijack my own thread, but did you ever post your thoughts on this DAC on this board? I'm interested.

    I'm going to give myself some more smoking jacket/pipe sessions before I give my impressions. Suffice it to say that at its $240 pricepoint, it's a steal.
    I never had it like this where I grew up. But I send my kids here because the fact is you go to one of the best schools in the country: Rushmore. Now, for some of you it doesn't matter. You were born rich and you're going to stay rich. But here's my advice to the rest of you: Take dead aim on the rich boys. Get them in the crosshairs and take them down. Just remember, they can buy anything but they can't buy backbone. Don't let them forget it. Thank you.Herman Blume - Rushmore
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  • zombie boy 2000
    zombie boy 2000 Posts: 6,641
    edited January 2007
    heiney9 wrote:
    That's why I love that Talking Heads-Stop Making Sense cd. Absolute awesome transfer and recorded at sane levels with all the dynamics intact. :D

    Oh now Early is really going to have ammunition, but what the hell:D ...

    Stop Making Sense in HDCD is one of my all-time favorite recordings for precisely the same reasons you gave.
    I never had it like this where I grew up. But I send my kids here because the fact is you go to one of the best schools in the country: Rushmore. Now, for some of you it doesn't matter. You were born rich and you're going to stay rich. But here's my advice to the rest of you: Take dead aim on the rich boys. Get them in the crosshairs and take them down. Just remember, they can buy anything but they can't buy backbone. Don't let them forget it. Thank you.Herman Blume - Rushmore
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  • Lsi9
    Lsi9 Posts: 616
    edited January 2007
    I lived with the Lsi9s for awhile and loved them but I never really drove them with the right power. Now I have the Focal 826v which are rated at 8ohm and everything has opened up for me, in every aspect. Ironically tomorrow I am getting the amp that the 9's wouldve loved (Sunfire x5) I just cant imagine how my Focals will sound with amp upgrade as well as the Bada coming here in a week or two. What really made my day a week ago was reading the excellent review of my speakers in Sound & Vision as well as being on the front cover.
    Sometimes what we need is to appreciate a different sound, you get bored with the same old sound. I am set for awhile and the only way I would replace my 826v is by getting better Focals @ double the cost, but I can assure that won't happen for a long time!

    Audio Physic Scorpio II
    Pathos Logos
    MIT Shotgun S3
    Bada HD-22 CDP
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