AudioAficionado.org  

Go Back   AudioAficionado.org > The Lounge > General Audio Discussion

General Audio Discussion All other Audio Q & A

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #21  
Old 06-13-2021, 06:14 AM
prepress's Avatar
prepress prepress is offline
Semi-audiophile
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Brooklyn, by way of Nashville
Posts: 2,913
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by George Prentice View Post
Interesting thread. I think the question of appreciation of your system is a really important one. Lack of draw to a system may point not to your mind set or point of view, but a system problem. Overall we are an analytical group that have developed and used highly specialized skills to evaluate and put together systems… I’m guessing many of us over many decades. I now think we may have been our own worst enemies. That skill of carefully identifying little nuances of sound that deviates from “perfect” in itself. Carefully tuning each facet one by one may in fact have driven the music out of the system. I remember coming home from work most nights an trying to squeeze in an hour of listening. I would close my eyes and take great satisfaction as the venue was painted in unbelievable detail. It seemed I really enjoyed my system. But when I retired and had more time to listen… I would sometimes listen for an hour… that’s all. My system wasn’t a magnet like it was when I was stressed out from work or craving time to appreciation my creation. It was not drawing me to it.

Let me cut to the chase. I figured out there was something missing… it was the musicality. I changed nearly my entire system to a warmer less analytical sound… I got the music back. It is still detailed, but it is not in my face… it has tremendous rhythm and pace. I now spend two or three hours a day… and never have enough time, never. The moment I have a minute I run down to listen… and it isn’t to listen to my system, it is to listen to the music.
That's a good place to be at. I confess that the majority of the time spent with my system recently is with blu-ray discs rather than music, but I have fun with that and it's a treat. Some of that could be carryover from the TV bought last fall and the more recent power cord upgrade, and the excitement to see/hear what the BDs sound/look like with the recent additions. BDs and well-mastered DVDs are great. Who knows how long that sense of discovery will continue?

I think what has been important for me is getting to a "stopping point;" that is, to have a piece of gear good enough so that it doesn't make me restless or curious to try something else or upgrade. The Transparent Premiums are a stopping point, so are my MC501 monos. NO interest in upgrading or changing those. The itch to explore new options comes with dissatisfaction or curiosity in my experience, and that is fueled further by what I'm exposed to (this site, audio magazines, etc.). It sounds like you hit a stopping point and now just listen and enjoy; I'm there in part, and it would behoove me to go all the way.
__________________
SOTA, Grado, SME, Van den Hul, Gingko turntable setup; Pioneer Elite LD, BDP; Sony OLED TV; Magnum Dynalab tuner, antenna; MIT S-video cable; Pangea HDMI cables; DVDO video processor; McIntosh SACD, preamp, power amps; Telefunken Black Diamond preamp tubes; Kimber IC; Transparent IC, PC, SC; Mirage speakers; PS Audio, Shunyata PC; Audio Additives RCA caps; Furman power conditioning; Sanus: racks

Last edited by prepress; 06-13-2021 at 11:45 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #22  
Old 06-14-2021, 04:59 PM
2fastdriving 2fastdriving is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 5,772
Default

For the first time in my audio journey, I am supremely happy and have no desire to do anything else. Of course, I just did a lot

Learning to listen to MUSIC and not the SYSTEM is really key here. I am working on that right now, exploring new genres and buying more music than gear now.
Reply With Quote
  #23  
Old 06-14-2021, 06:57 PM
Cohibaman's Avatar
Cohibaman Cohibaman is offline
Senior Member


 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: USA
Posts: 4,578
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by 2fastdriving View Post
For the first time in my audio journey, I am supremely happy and have no desire to do anything else. Of course, I just did a lot

Learning to listen to MUSIC and not the SYSTEM is really key here. I am working on that right now, exploring new genres and buying more music than gear now.


Marc,

Well, you know that means, right? You finally found the secret combination. It’s out there and you know it when you hear it! Congrats!
Reply With Quote
  #24  
Old 06-15-2021, 07:08 AM
hobie1dog's Avatar
hobie1dog hobie1dog is offline
Subaholic
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 536
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by prepress View Post
. Other than Definitive Technology, I don't know of anyone who's making bipolar speakers. I like the concept. I hope the Mirages last quite a while longer.
I had 3 pair of the big Def Tech BP2000 speakers, I think they're the best set of speakers I've owned. with the Mirage M series being 35 years old, most all the ones I've seen have rotten foam surrounds on the 5" midrange drivers. Have you installed new ones on yours?
Both pairs of mine needed them replaced, this is one photo of one of the sets:
__________________
No audiophile can ever really ignore the importance of bass.

TT-Revox B791, A/V Receiver-Yamaha Aventage 2010, Blu-Ray- Sony 1000 Universal Player, Amplifier-Cinepro 3K6E Mkii, Fronts- Mirage M3si, Rear-Mirage OM-9, 5 other Mirage surrounds. Subwoofer- Stereo Integrity HST-18 inch w/ 85lb. magnet, 4 1/2 inches of travel.
Reply With Quote
  #25  
Old 06-18-2021, 06:00 AM
prepress's Avatar
prepress prepress is offline
Semi-audiophile
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Brooklyn, by way of Nashville
Posts: 2,913
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by hobie1dog View Post
I had 3 pair of the big Def Tech BP2000 speakers, I think they're the best set of speakers I've owned. with the Mirage M series being 35 years old, most all the ones I've seen have rotten foam surrounds on the 5" midrange drivers. Have you installed new ones on yours?
Both pairs of mine needed them replaced, this is one photo of one of the sets:
I still have the original drivers. The speakers were purchased in February 1993 and haven't shown any signs of issues. I have had to tighten the binding post screws on occasion, but that's been it so far. And they're the perfect size and height for my setup. The flagship Def Tech is only 40" tall, so I'm not sure about the image; my M-3sis are 53" tall and the front tweeters and midrange sit at a level halfway up the TV screen, which is perfect. They do give a nice, high image anyway, but matching the TV size and height makes for an even better experience with video.

The design of the Mirages makes it difficult to get at the drivers, so I admit I've never even inspected them. I'd figured I'd ride them until something goes wrong, then if fixing them is too much of a hassle or not an option, replace them with whatever I can afford that comes closest to what they give me.
__________________
SOTA, Grado, SME, Van den Hul, Gingko turntable setup; Pioneer Elite LD, BDP; Sony OLED TV; Magnum Dynalab tuner, antenna; MIT S-video cable; Pangea HDMI cables; DVDO video processor; McIntosh SACD, preamp, power amps; Telefunken Black Diamond preamp tubes; Kimber IC; Transparent IC, PC, SC; Mirage speakers; PS Audio, Shunyata PC; Audio Additives RCA caps; Furman power conditioning; Sanus: racks
Reply With Quote
  #26  
Old 07-13-2021, 07:33 AM
prepress's Avatar
prepress prepress is offline
Semi-audiophile
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Brooklyn, by way of Nashville
Posts: 2,913
Default

Another hopeful sign. I bought the Zach Snyder Justice League movie on blu-ray. I finished it yesterday. It is much better than the 2017 version. It sounded great, and my attention wasn't diverted to the sound; it remained focused on the story and what happened on the screen, with the sound being part of the whole. That is a good sign.

What's not so good is the idea of that upgrade to Transparent Super crept back into my head as well. Even though I appreciated what I heard with Justice League, curiosity still creeps in, it seems. Also, it's been a while since I played anything other than blu-rays; that might be something to consider. I have been re-discovering old song favorites recently, not by playing them on my system, but through watching reaction videos on YouTube. While it's nice to get a (usually) younger person's perspective on the songs, that should drive me to the CD or LP I own and listen that way. So far it hasn't. I think convenience plays a factor there. Much easier to pull up the videos on YouTube (even with the annoying way ads are inserted now) and watch. I'm getting lazy.
__________________
SOTA, Grado, SME, Van den Hul, Gingko turntable setup; Pioneer Elite LD, BDP; Sony OLED TV; Magnum Dynalab tuner, antenna; MIT S-video cable; Pangea HDMI cables; DVDO video processor; McIntosh SACD, preamp, power amps; Telefunken Black Diamond preamp tubes; Kimber IC; Transparent IC, PC, SC; Mirage speakers; PS Audio, Shunyata PC; Audio Additives RCA caps; Furman power conditioning; Sanus: racks
Reply With Quote
  #27  
Old 08-05-2021, 06:30 PM
prepress's Avatar
prepress prepress is offline
Semi-audiophile
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Brooklyn, by way of Nashville
Posts: 2,913
Default

Fantasy has struck again. The idea has come to explore an upgrade to my Transparent Plus ICs on the main sources to Super. So I contacted Transparent, and utilizing the Upgrade program would get a decent trade-in. This would be for the Gen 6 Super (which I didn't know they had; I thought it was only the upper tier stuff that was Gen 6).

Transparent thinks a better upgrade would be to do the speaker cable, whether Plus or Super. The retail price for a bi-wire pair of Plus speaker cable would be less than the IC upgrade, but at 8 ft. is way too long, as speakers and amps are right next to each other. An old e-mail I found says 6 ft. is the shortest they can make. Bi-wire adds $175 to the price. But if bi-wire, won't that reduce the effective gauge for each lug? Plus is 10AWG; i don't know about Super. My Kimber 12TC is 8AWG, and I use two pair to keep the effective gauge high. Transparent, however, doesn't recommend that. I should ask why.

It gets worse. I contacted Magnum Dynalab about the MD107T and a possible trade-in of my 102. The tuner doesn't see much duty, so this makes no sense from a practical perspective. But the 107 has a McIntosh-esque look to it, which is cool. It uses JJ tubes, which I used in my 2300 before the Black Diamonds I use now.

I CANNOT afford all three of these moves; at best, I could do one. The cheapest would be the speaker cables. AARGH. Here's hoping it all blows over.
__________________
SOTA, Grado, SME, Van den Hul, Gingko turntable setup; Pioneer Elite LD, BDP; Sony OLED TV; Magnum Dynalab tuner, antenna; MIT S-video cable; Pangea HDMI cables; DVDO video processor; McIntosh SACD, preamp, power amps; Telefunken Black Diamond preamp tubes; Kimber IC; Transparent IC, PC, SC; Mirage speakers; PS Audio, Shunyata PC; Audio Additives RCA caps; Furman power conditioning; Sanus: racks
Reply With Quote
  #28  
Old 08-06-2021, 01:29 PM
clpetersen clpetersen is offline
Senior Member

 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Boston
Posts: 1,064
Default

The MD107T wins based on looks alone. Curious, what is current retail on this?
__________________
Main - Roon on Synology/Sonos Port/SoTM Neo endpoints; Chord Qutest, Bryston BP-17 cubed with phono option; EAT C-sharp with Ortofon Bronze MM, Bryston cubed Amplifier; Revel F126Be on custom Atocha stands; interconnects by WireWorld, furniture by Atocha Design 'Phones Audeze LCD-3, Bryston BHA-1; Office: Sonos/Roon; OPPO HA-1, Naim NAP100 and PSB Mini-C. Media Room:, Samsung QLED QN90 series, Sonos, OPPO 205, ATI N-core driving KEF LS-50's with REL subs; furniture by Glassisimo; Kids - U-turn for vinyl, Sonos Play5; Summer Shack - Sonos, vintage Pioneer, Dynaudio Special 40's.
Reply With Quote
  #29  
Old 08-06-2021, 02:10 PM
prepress's Avatar
prepress prepress is offline
Semi-audiophile
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Brooklyn, by way of Nashville
Posts: 2,913
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by clpetersen View Post
The MD107T wins based on looks alone. Curious, what is current retail on this?
The 107T is $4500 MSRP, I believe. The 105 comes in both tube and solid state, $3600 MSRP for the tube version and $3000 for the solid state.
__________________
SOTA, Grado, SME, Van den Hul, Gingko turntable setup; Pioneer Elite LD, BDP; Sony OLED TV; Magnum Dynalab tuner, antenna; MIT S-video cable; Pangea HDMI cables; DVDO video processor; McIntosh SACD, preamp, power amps; Telefunken Black Diamond preamp tubes; Kimber IC; Transparent IC, PC, SC; Mirage speakers; PS Audio, Shunyata PC; Audio Additives RCA caps; Furman power conditioning; Sanus: racks

Last edited by prepress; 08-06-2021 at 02:20 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #30  
Old 08-11-2021, 06:36 AM
prepress's Avatar
prepress prepress is offline
Semi-audiophile
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Brooklyn, by way of Nashville
Posts: 2,913
Default

Urges to upgrade/change something occur usually in the midst of a lull in playing my system; I recognize that I've fallen into one again here of late. That needs to change, especially as I'm off work for at least another 2.5 weeks recovering from shoulder surgery. Changing speaker cables didn't occur to me until Transparent suggested that would be a better upgrade than the ICs in terms of system impact.

I have more info now to help me navigate this latest episode. A 6 ft bi-wire run of either speaker cable (Plus or Super) would cost the same as the standard 8 ft version, so no savings there. Both are 10AWG. Even 6 ft is still too long, but I could live with that; my Kimber 12TC is 4 ft. I also learned that Transparent's tech allows them to maintain the gauge at the speaker terminals, which is cool. So would the Plus' network module offset the heavier gauge advantage of the 12TC (8AWG) in terms of performance? I don't know. I'd really need some sort of audition, which would be at home preferably; According to Transparent, Gen 6 cables are in very short supply for audition at the moment, maybe in a few months there'll be some; meantime, perhaps some Gen 5 is out there.
__________________
SOTA, Grado, SME, Van den Hul, Gingko turntable setup; Pioneer Elite LD, BDP; Sony OLED TV; Magnum Dynalab tuner, antenna; MIT S-video cable; Pangea HDMI cables; DVDO video processor; McIntosh SACD, preamp, power amps; Telefunken Black Diamond preamp tubes; Kimber IC; Transparent IC, PC, SC; Mirage speakers; PS Audio, Shunyata PC; Audio Additives RCA caps; Furman power conditioning; Sanus: racks
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Audioaficionado.org tested by Norton Internet Security

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:01 AM.



Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.10
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
©Copyright 2009-2023 AudioAficionado.org.Privately owned, All Rights Reserved.
Audio Aficionado Sponsors
AudioAficionado Subscriber
AudioAficionado Subscriber
Inspire By Dennis Had
Inspire By Dennis Had
Harmonic Resolution Systems
Harmonic Resolution Systems
Wyred4Sound
Wyred4Sound
Dragonfire Acoustics
Dragonfire Acoustics
GIK Acoustics
GIK Acoustics
Esoteric
Esoteric
AC Infinity
AC Infinity
JL Audio
JL Audio
Add Powr
Add Powr
Accuphase - Soulution
Accuphase - Soulution
Audio by E
Audio by E
Canton
Canton
Bryston
Bryston
WireWorld Cables
WireWorld Cables
Stillpoints
Stillpoints
Bricasti Design
Bricasti Design
Furutech
Furutech
Shunyata Research
Shunyata Research
Legend Audio & Video
Legend Audio & Video