Finally, an update...
I've got these beauties hooked up and playing nnow and I have to say that I'm really impressed, and with only a few hours on them.
vVery nice tone, especially well balanced response and no crossover nasties. Prat is super good too. Right now my only possible complaint would bea lack of top end air and sizzle, but other than break-in, this is most likely due to the various other components in the system. The amp is the Leben CS300 XS and the NOS mullard el84s are not exactly known for their airy top end, plus all the cabling tends to be on the warmer side of neutral -- KCI Sparrow ICS, TWL power cords on both the Virtue Piano CDP, and a new set of auditorium 23 speaker cables (which will be moving to the listening room system once my other speakers are done).
That all said, the system is making beautiful music.
Now here's where I admit that I'm somewhat surprised... I generally prefer "live cabinets to dead and MDF cabinets, and I honestly didn't know (until Ruben dropped them off) that these were an MTM design, which I've not had very positive experiences with in the past. So I was wrong, the tone is great, vocals clear, prat ex cellent, and bass very good, and all in good balance. Good stuff!
Maybe once the speakers get some time on them I'll bring up the
Shindo amp from downstairs, but this is sounding great as it is.
There is one particular cut on the grisman/garcia disc "Shady Grove" (no the Pizza tapes version) which has two dueling banjos and which has always forced me to skip the track on just about all my other systems, well now it is all there, and not a harsh note or trace of glare anywhere. The tone of the banjos is incredible, the harmonic development of each note, superb, and one of the banjos sure sounds like a silbvertone to me -- whereas in the past this has always been just another generic banjo sound. Of course this is no slouch of an am either.
Anyway, I'm really stoked with these and when they have some more time on them, have the speaker cables they will have (whatever those may be), I do some critical placement (just roughly placed right now) and everything has time to get used to each other, we'll just see. I actually think the top end issues are the mullards, but that will be easy enough to check later on.
Thanks Danny for such an incredible speaker in such a nice package, and thanks to Ruben and the Ninja for an incredible execution of the cabinets and crossovers. Linda is loving the sound as well as the looks, so I think we're sset for a while.
-- Jim
