What is your preferred Audio System?

Matt308 · Sep 27, 2006

8) Parmigiano - I saw your system that you posted in the HiFi thread. I think the old vinyl days are over for me. Can't afford the room, nor the gear. I am intrigued about a tube amp however. But again $$$.

I'm familiar with the MP3 compression algorithm. This is actually what spawned me to start this thread. I truly am worried that a generation of music lovers is growing up without ever hearing music as it was intended by the artist. My fear is that musicians, studios and production companies will begin to cater recording and mastering techniques to the popular technology. Soon this could have a profound effect upon the quality of future music that may never return or may be relegated to audiophiles willing to spend huge sums of money on equipment and special releases. This is already occurring to some extent with SACDs and remastered editions. Big bucks.

Thanks, Lanc. I too have been steering away from iPod. The whole iTunes incompatibility pisses me off and reeks of the Macintosh syndrome. I understand Microsoft is going to do the same thing with their Zen?, I think its called. I'm struggling with getting something that is VERY portable for working around the house, traveling, and exercise versus a larger unit with lots of memory to hold my whole music collection. The latter is less attractive due to the labor involved in loading and the utility of compromised sound quality. I was just wondering what other folks have done with their players. Load 'em up with 5 weeks of music or just a few hours of entertainment?

cheddar cheese · Sep 27, 2006

Every song I have on my computer is on my iPod...Ill probably buy a video one sometime in the future because my my current iPod is old and has an appalling battery life which has a mind of its own...Sometimes it charges itself up, other times you can charge it up for 12-14 hours and it wont work, but then you try it a few hours later and it will go on forever. Odd.

Matt308 · Sep 27, 2006

I've read about the tempermental iPod batteries. Odd sounds too polite.

Chief · Sep 27, 2006

I never liked iPod and I never owned one. I have a rule of thumb when it comes to Macintosh and Microsoft. Always wait a year. I never buy the first model of anything. My parent's got the first Macintosh with a modern (if you want to call it) desktop. I still go on rants from time to time.

The first model of anything is bound to have problems. I wouldn't go so far as to mention AOL, but you get the idea.

Anyway I prefer my Laptop MP3. Preferably Itunes. It's wouldn't hurt to make it more User friendly in downloading music, but the sound I feel is way better than WMP.

Parmigiano · Sep 28, 2006

Matt, this w-end I'm gonna scan and post the schematics of my tube amp, it's very simple:the idea is 'less active components as possible on the signal path', so all amplification stage is made with a single PT49 penthode.
PT49 is a telephonic tube that has an output impedance of only 2kohm, low enough to drive a power amp without impedance compensation (just use short and low impedance/capacity cables)
There are 2 critical points: availability of the Philips PT49 tubes in USA and the dual output transformer that was made on purpose for the kit: maybe you can cope with 2 separate transformers.
The rest of components should be easy to find in the US diy market, as always in the tube designs the quality of components matters a lot (specially the coil in the PS filter and the output capacitors that should be of the highest possible quality).

About analog disc: look at the 2nd hand market: a Thorens 160 (the original arm is ok, in time you can think of a GradoRb300 or a SME) or a Rega (with his RB200 or 300 arm) can be bought cheap and spares are always available, pickup could be a good cheap Grado MM and eventually upgraded later (that is the good of the analogic game: you can tweak everything bit after bit and your weekends are always busy..!)

Matt308 · Sep 28, 2006

Thanks! Great info!

Glider · Sep 28, 2006

Parmigiano said:
Great stuff Matt, I always liked B&W sound (long ago I had the DM2a that I foolishly sold for a crumb).
I once listened a Velodyne sub (can't remember the model) and I was really impressed.

Glider, is your NAD turntable the old model, the one derived from the belt drive AR turntable?

Yes it is. My kit looks good in the list but most of it is quite onld apart from the speakers that I bought last year.

Matt308 · Sep 29, 2006

Chief said:
I never liked iPod and I never owned one. I have a rule of thumb when it comes to Macintosh and Microsoft. Always wait a year. I never buy the first model of anything. My parent's got the first Macintosh with a modern (if you want to call it) desktop. I still go on rants from time to time.

The first model of anything is bound to have problems. I wouldn't go so far as to mention AOL, but you get the idea.

Anyway I prefer my Laptop MP3. Preferably Itunes. It's wouldn't hurt to make it more User friendly in downloading music, but the sound I feel is way better than WMP.

Chief, aren't iTunes in a proprietary format or can you port them to other MP3 devices?

Matt308 · Sep 29, 2006

Glider said:
Yes it is. My kit looks good in the list but most of it is quite onld apart from the speakers that I bought last year.

And your speakers are?

My B&Ws have great imaging and soundstage. The mids are awesome with the Kevlar drivers. They play loud, but at times I wish I could play them entirely dumb@*** loud. The subwoofer is great for movies, but actually muddies up the low bass on decent recordings, say in the 40Hz range.

I would like to mount them on their spikes, but I have hardwood floors and worry I'll doink them all up.

Matt308 · Sep 29, 2006

Here is the latest wild technology for a subwoofer. Claims to have a frequency response below 5Hz with 110dB output. I think the URL lists the cost in the $50,000 range including contractor installation, flying the techs to your house, and the rotary woofer itself.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7Bkrypxzs4

http://www.eminent-tech.com/RWbrochure.htm

Its only money.

Glider · Sep 29, 2006

Matt308 said:
And your speakers are?

My B&Ws have great imaging and soundstage. The mids are awesome with the Kevlar drivers. They play loud, but at times I wish I could play them entirely dumb@*** loud. The subwoofer is great for movies, but actually muddies up the low bass on decent recordings, say in the 40Hz range.

I would like to mount them on their spikes, but I have hardwood floors and worry I'll doink them all up.

Diamond 9.1. There was little point spending silly money on speakers when the rest of the kit is a little long in the tooth. I have them on spikes on a hardwood floor.
If I don't move them the wife may not notice!!

Matt308 · Sep 29, 2006

Glider said:
Diamond 9.1. There was little point spending silly money on speakers when the rest of the kit is a little long in the tooth. I have them on spikes on a hardwood floor.
If I don't move them the wife may not notice!!

Let this be a lesson to those of you not married!

Matt308 · Sep 29, 2006

Wharfdale Diamond 9.1 - Sweeeet

I assume you have them on stands? And what do you mean by equipment "long in the tooth"? I lived with Yamaha NS-500s for years and they blew most anything away that I heard with the right source.

Chief · Sep 30, 2006

Yes you are right, Matt. Which is another problem with iTunes in the user friendly department. You need to convert your music to aac format before you can use them. Haven't figured out how to do it with out popping in each CD and unripping them all over again.

However, I find the end result good enough. If someone know's of a way to convert them without popping each CD, please tell me.

Parmigiano · Sep 30, 2006

OK, here the schematics of the tube pre, I had to redraw using powerpoint because the original was impossible to scan

IMPORTANT: original design is from issue 7 of the magazine 'Audion' published by Demidoff

As you see is extremely simple, the philosophy being 'to have the less possible number of components on the signal path'

Hints:
- the output impedance is around 2.2 Kohm, so the input impedance of the mating power amp should be 50k ohm or more
- get the max possible quality components (especially C1)
- do not take shortcuts on power supply (i.e. ICs instead of the tube section) : the PS is the engine of the amp, and 'there is no better plane than her engine'
- measure and control all tensions BEFORE sticking the PT49 in the socket
- be careful with the 200+ volts !

Total component cost should be around $300 or less, could be difficult to find the PT49 or Siemens and Lorenz equivalents in US, but there is at least one UK company who sell them by mail at about £15 each.

Have fun if you try it!

Glider · Sep 30, 2006

Matt308 said:
Wharfdale Diamond 9.1 - Sweeeet

I assume you have them on stands? And what do you mean by equipment "long in the tooth"? I lived with Yamaha NS-500s for years and they blew most anything away that I heard with the right source.

I bought most of my gear around 10 years ago when I had a promotion and decided to spoil myself. Even then I knew that the speakers were an area where improvement could be made the overall sound was still very good. When the Diamond 9.1 came out the reviews were excellent comparing them with speakers that were more expensive so I asked for them as a Christmas Present, they are a significant improvement.

I am willing to sit with what I have until HD TV is the norm in the UK when I will go for an overall AV outfit. You can buy them now, but as time passes costs will fall and quality improve as is the case with most electrical equipment.

The current set up is more than good enough for me

Parmigiano · Oct 1, 2006

ooops. On the PS scheme there is an error: there are 2 'C5'

Correct value of capacitors are:

C5 = 1 microF, oil paper
C6 = 10 micro, 63V, el
C7 = 10.000 micro, 63V, el

C7 is the one on the left of the 7824 IC, immediately after the bridge and labeled 'C5' on the draft.

Matt308 · Oct 2, 2006

Thanks, Parmigiano. I'm going to save these and when I find time, I hope to tinker with them. VERY COOL!

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