changing a good thing

ohskigod

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I am damn happy with the way my 2 channel sounds in its current form. I got back from vacation this past Saturday, took a listen, and logged about 2 hours of couch time. Enjoyed every minute. The components are in my signature.

That said, I still have a pair of Carver Amazing Platinums sitting in my basement collecting dust. I've used them in the past, and while they sounded great, I knew I wasnt getting everything I could out of them.

that led me to the AR9's, which biamped, sound frikkin fantastic

The 2 best speakers I own are the AR9's (currently being used) and the Carvers. Both I have heard at George Grands casa. George's sytem with the Platinums rank pretty much at the top of systems I liked the most. I just couldnt get the Platinums to sound there fullest powering with just one Carver m4.0 amp, so I bit the bullet and bought a second carver amp so that I may bridge mono them into the Carvers.

The amp is on the way, and I figure its worth a shot. Part of me asks why change a good thing, but the other part of me really wants to make every reasonable attempt to get everything I can out o the Carvers, especially since i have heard what they sound like when there set up right.

so the new set up will be the same as it says in the sig, but with a Carver m4.0 bridged powering one channel, and Carver TFM45 bridged powering the other (same amp, different case), and of course, the platinum amazings.

wish me luck :rolleyes:

at least I'm not wasting wasting money, since the Carver will either be in the 2 channel with this new set up, or just go into the theater as an amp upgrade

engtaz

Good luck and keep us posted.

Fireman32

So Lou where are the AR9's going? Are you moving them upstairs or off to the side for now? Either way look foward to hearing it when I come back up.

reeltrouble1

Interesting move Lou, well, too try things you have to have things to try.

Best of Luck, I believe you will enjoy the sound of my Plats., I have heard your AR9's and would certainly agree they are quite the speaker, lots of depth and heigth.

RT1

ohskigod

Dave,

For now, the AR9's will hang in the basement in storage while the experiement is conducted. As usual, I will give it time to tweak and whatnot. If I like the AR9 set up better, I will probably sell the Platinums, happy in the fact I got to own and experience a great and well respected speaker.

If I do find that level of performance the way I did when I biamped the AR9's, I will obviously keep the set up in place. Oddly enough, I would not consider selling the AR9's (telling in and of itself)

incorporating them into the theater would CERTAINLY be on the table. Love the LSi15's, but the AR9's in the livingroon would just scream "bad@ss"

Fireman32

Good deal. Look foward to hearing the Carvers again. After what we wnt through to pick them up they need to get more play time.

I will happily store the AR9's down here once i get a place.:D :rolleyes: :eek:

hearingimpared

I'm glad you have that problem and not me!:eek:

Really Louie I can't see this coming out anything but exceptionally well.

RuSsMaN

Where's the Anthem?

hearingimpared

BTW have you done anything with the Jolida yet?

Shizelbs

I have a hunch it will make a a substantial change for the better.

treitz3

Properly set up.............that would be one HELL of an A/B. Plat's -vs- AR9's.

Whoa!

Experimenting is good.

ohskigod

RuSsMaN wrote: »

Where's the Anthem?

oh.....its here, just chillin.

the amp1, the Anthem Pre2l, the Cal DX-1 and the rogers monitors are going to be my tube and bookshelf rig, might branch it into a headphone rig down the road too, who knows. might just set it up by my gaming rig and use it for gaming as well. Plans are underway.

ohskigod

hearingimpared wrote: »

BTW have you done anything with the Jolida yet?

not yet, it sounds so great with the Cal sigma dac that I haven't felt compelled to screw with it, could be laziness too I got tons of audio projects waiting in the wings, thats why it a hobby

RuSsMaN

So your best pre, amp, speakers, and transport are in limbo?

I've got a slap in me that needs let out. Carver what? Who?

ohskigod

RuSsMaN wrote: »

So your best pre, amp, speakers, and transport are in limbo?

I've got a slap in me that needs let out. Carver what? Who?

waaaaaaaaaaaa. NICE!

they wont be in limbo long, dont panic carver hater!!

ND13

Get those damn Anthems put to use, my large homeslice:p .

I wish you could hear what my simple little set-up sounds like and it would likely be even better if i had the matching pre like you do.:cool:

ohskigod

cant see me not owning a big system, thats not to say I'm really trying to find out where I can hook up the Anthem gear with the Rogers Monitors. In a nice smaller room, I cant see how that set up is going to miss.

right now the Rogers are being powered by a t amp for gaming, but that is such a waste!! there is something about those Rogers I really like, so trust that the set up will be running somewhere in this house, its just a matter of where.

ohskigod

well, had an interesting weekend. I moved close to 500 lbs of speaker, not to mention 160 lbs of collective amp, not to mention complete rewiring (going from biamp to bridged mono) to discover that my original set up is the way to go.

Had the Platinums powered by the carvers in bridge mono, sounded good...... damn good. Had that open, airy "sound not coming from speakers" quality to it. I enjoyed it, but realized I didnt enjoy it as much as the AR9 set up. I think that my basement, and dipole speakers, just do not get along. My basement definitely favors the side firing woofer set up, by a long shot. My appreciation for the LSi15 occurred in the same area.

so, after all the hullabaloo, moved everything back to the way it way. My arms are pretty sore, why do I have to always own speakers that weigh a frikken ton?

I'm back to the AR9's bi amped with the Haflers, from minute one of running that set up after reassembling it, I knew I wasted my effing time.

while the Platinums are damn good, they are finicky. Placement, recording, its hit and miss, you can go from bliss, to Yak's **** with the switch of a disc, or moving the speakers a half inch.

the AR9's, sure placement is important, but its hard to miss. Put them in a reasonable layout and they will not disappoint.

I did get something out of this, a complete lack of desire to consider upgrades. Before, I had a strong feeling I had a set up I loved, now I just know it.

reeltrouble1

Well at least now you know. One day I really need to visit this dungeon of bass killing. I pretty much sat my Amazings in my favorite spot, toed them a bit and that was it, just re-emphazises how important room dynamics can be.

You know thoses AR-9 are just a damm excellent speaker.

RT1

Fireman32

So after all that I wont be able to hear the Carver's this weekend! Oh well I'm just looking foward to a weekend home and seeing everyone.

wingnut4772

Just give me the Anthems since you are not using them.:p

JimBRICK

wingnut4772 wrote: »

Just give me the Anthems since you are not using them.:p

Watch that smile dude, the last time she flashed it at a guy buying audio, he dropped his pants a gave her everything for $999....:D Look away just look away

wingnut4772

JimBRICK wrote: »

Watch that smile dude, the last time she flashed it at a guy buying audio, he dropped his pants a gave her everything for $999....:D Look away just look away

LOL Yes ..but it didn't work out...Anthems however........:D


Seriously. Use them before I cry.

venomclan

Damn, I dropped my pants for a snow cone once...
V

Fireman32

venomclan wrote: »

Damn, I dropped my pants for a snow cone once...
V

TMI....TMI

zombie boy 2000

venomclan wrote: »

Damn, I dropped my pants for a snow cone once...
V

Turned out it wasn't a "snow cone"....

JimBRICK

zombie boy 2000 wrote: »

Turned out it wasn't a "snow cone"....

more like a slow bone HAHAHA

ohskigod

Ted, Its gotta be that the Plats are Dipole, and just not geting along in that.

here's a new twist. George Grand advised me that you need y connectors and both inputs on a carver amp to effectivly use it in bridged mode. anyone wanna guess if I did that or not? of COURSE not!

still, there was a lack of bass, or at least for what I expect from the Platinums, and a little bit of harshness, probably because I need more room treatment given the Plats bounce the sound around more.

might revisit this experiment again down the road when I have the strength, rmember, moving AR9's and Plats solo is tough, VERY tough (especially when your doing it gingerly)

all in all, hooking the AR9's back up did reiterate how great the set up is, sounded wonderful!

ohskigod

Wing,

you'll get those Anthems when I randomly get a pair of Von's shipped to my house........cant see that happening though

dont panic, hell or high water, I'm putting that tube rig together.

TroyD

I found similar things.....the AR9's, IMHO were pretty unfussy about the room as long as the basic setup parameters were met.

I also had the same experience with the Amazings. The were extrememly fussy. When they sounded *right*...nothing sounded better but when they didn't it was frustrating as hell.

BDT

daveyg2

What ive learened so far....never change a good thing. If you are going to get something that you are going to be able to get rid of in a short time, then thats fine, but when you are happy, you are lucky. Very tough to come by in the 2-channel audio game...