[jakepunk]

I decided to upgrade my 2-channel system to a 3-channel setup using a Trinaural processor and an RM30M.  I ordered an RM30M kit.  I had built my Tower II mains from kits years before, so I knew I was up to the task.

One day, the monolith appeared in my living room:



I began to use tools:



I hooked everything up, calibrated the Trinaural, and started listening.  And my heart sank.  It sounded terrible.  I don't claim to have the Golden Ear, but something wasn't right.  It didn't sound anything like the LRC I auditioned.  I knew it had nothing to do with "breaking in" the system.  The midrange sounded anemic, the vocals were faint and raspy, and the soundstage was unfocused.  I opened the speaker back up, ran through all the circuit tests again, and checked and re-checked my wiring.  I didn't see anything wrong.  This is when I began to feel defeat creeping in.  I was about to give up.

But then something wonderful was about to happen.  With the speaker on its back on a pair of sawhorses, I noticed while looking underneath it that I could see a shaft of light coming through one of  the rear panels.  The cabinet wasn't sealed properly!  I applied a liberal dose of hotmelt glue around the rear panels to seal the cabinet, and then I buttoned everything back up.  Recalibrated one more time.  And then I hit Play.



I have transcended to audio nirvana.  Once I fixed the air leak, the midrange returned, the vocals were crisp and clear, and the soundstage makes you feel like you're there.  The bass is so rich and warm with 3 sets of PRs, I could take a bath in it.  It sounds even better than the LRC I auditioned.  I have achieved my dream system!

[Brian Cheney]

I  think your leak was around the input terminal boards, which you install when building a kit.  The Soundcoat would reveal any leak in the cabinet seams when we apply it, so I know it wasn't there.  Am I correct in my assumption?  In any case a bead of glue around the boards seals the leak, as the kit instructions poinjt out.

[jakepunk]

You are correct, the leak was around one of the input terminal boards.  When I built my Tower II kits, I used Goop adhesive to affix the terminal boards.  That adhesive is easy to work with because it cures slowly, so I was able to carefully position the board, get a good seal, and allow it to cure overnight.  But I used hotmelt on the RM30, and although I positioned the board appropriately from the standpoint of the terminals, I must not have applied the bead evenly or pressed down hard enough to secure the board in the 10 seconds I had before the hotmelt cured.  There were gaps in the inside hotmelt bead.  Sealing the board from the outside with hotmelt did the trick!

I thought I was saving time by using hotmelt, but I should have used Goop adhesive and waited an extra 12 hours for it to cure.

[Tonto Yoder]

In the latest Stereophile, Kal Rubinson has an article about the Trinaural unit but mentions James Bongiorno's warning that trinaural's presentation requires getting used to---"one needs to re-learn how to listen."
Apparently, you didn't find that a problem???

[jakepunk]

I had already auditioned the Trinaural for a week, so I had gotten past the acclimation phase.  You really need to audition the Trinaural for a week to get used to it.  You can't form a judgement after listening to it in one sitting.

What I found interesting is that I did not experience any disorientation when I fired up my new system, even though approximately one month had passed between audition and installation of my new system -- during which time I was listening to my old 2-channel setup.  My brain didn't forget how to interpret the Trinaural.  I think it probably had to do with the fact that I auditioned with an LRC with a horizontal orientation, whereas the vertical orientation of the RM30 makes it sound more "natural" in a Trinaural configuration.  There's no scientific basis for that last sentence, but I can definitely tell a difference between an LRC and RM30 as a center channel.

[audiochef]

jakepunk,

I like your analogy of discovery to being.  
 
I noticed you have the old tower 2s. Great sounding speakers, they're the ones that got me hooked on the VMPS sound. Hang onto those.

[Andrikos]

Brilliant thread name and pictures!
Well done!

[Horizons]

I am very interested in trinaural. How does it compare to 2 channel?

Very cool post BTW.