Northern Exposure Meet

markC · « **on:** 17 Dec 2007, 02:54 am »

It's a confirmed meet on Sat. Jan. 19th @ 12 pm or there abouts until we kick the last one out

Location is about 20 min. north of 401 up the 400 and another 2-3 min. west.
I'll send detailed directions + phone # via PM for those who will/have responded that they will attend.
Ideas so far are comparing open baffle speaks to MTM's, auditioning Diffraction Be Gone devices courtesy of Jim Goulding and comparing a dedicated transport to dac vs. a mass market multi-player to dac.
Both pre-amp and dac are tube output and amplification is the F-Valve hybrid monoblocks.
I invite people to bring along their fav. cd's.

lo_tse · « **Reply #1 on:** 17 Dec 2007, 04:15 am »

Count me in.

Lo-tse

KBK · « **Reply #2 on:** 25 Dec 2007, 05:14 pm »

Apparently, I will be there, too. People seem to want to know about these cables.

Being a new technology, and all....

arthurs · « **Reply #3 on:** 25 Dec 2007, 05:55 pm »

Which cables are you referencing?

KBK · « **Reply #4 on:** 25 Dec 2007, 07:26 pm »

I've got this new technology I've put together after many a year spent on sussing out transmission and skin effect issues, etc, and I'm trying to be a gentleman about how it is introduced. I'll be a lot more forthcoming at the meet on speaking of what it is all about. Stealth mode, in some ways, until it really gets 'out there'. Patents, etc.

Just checked the map to find out where Fort Worth is.

Do you know Terry and Brian (Sound Mind Audio-Fort Worth and Austin)? Maybe you know about these cables already.

If not...go see Terry at Sound Mind (Fort Worth), and borrow the loaner set he has. Then you'll know.

Speaking of that, Brian is not on the dealer list for North Texas dealers..but another place in Autsin -is.

Whut up wit that?

songaudio · « **Reply #5 on:** 25 Dec 2007, 07:31 pm »

Please count me in. I will bring Song Audio power cord.

Song Kim

arthurs · « **Reply #6 on:** 25 Dec 2007, 08:15 pm »

Speaker cable or IC / both?

KBK · « **Reply #7 on:** 25 Dec 2007, 08:26 pm »

I/C only,at this point. Once you know the technology, iffin you know much about the subject, you will know that I've got a tiger in my hands of gigantic proportions. And designing the cables is not an easy task, with all the problems of ordinary cables, literally cubed in complexity and layering.

Speaker cables done this way are also horrendously expensive. Think $8-12k for the wimpy 8 foot sets, for 8-16 ohm simple SET and similar set-ups. Brian, at sound Mind in Austin, has a prototype set of the speaker cables that I made for him, just to keep him happy. He's hammering them with a 4-ohm load (JM Labs, IIRC). I'm sure it sound fabulous, but each speaker cable must come with a clear, properly stated --maximum load limit. As you go up in power demands and loading, to let's say 3-4 ohm loads at 500W/pc (eg, Wilson and Krell), you'll be shelling out about $25k for an 8 foot pair. Ouch. The price increase is linear, as well. 16 ft, would be $50k. Not my fault or greed, it's the technology.

Due to the constraints of the exact method of electrical conduction, and it's susceptibility to outside interference from metals...it has been discovered that the only acceptable RCA jack in human existence, at this time, is the Eichmann bullet copper RCA. It's not my first choice for mechanical integrity and 'what people expect' to see on such a cable, at such a price, but all others degrade the sonics. Notably so.

For example, exactly two times, there has been an RF issue. I've tried RF shielding the cable. It makes it sonically,..well..to put it politely..it blows chunks. So, no RF shielding, it removes most of the sonics that folks are paying for. Bad deal. If you put a piece of silver (about a foot long) on either side of the interconnect, it will sound like the silver. If you put a steel bar on either side of of the interconnect, it will sound like the steel. Whatever electrically conductive material is physically adjacent to the cable, it will take on it's sonics, ie, the way that given metal handles audio range AC signal, re skin effect, flow, conduction, etc.

Which is why no shielding, and no metal based RCA jacks. Leave it alone, and it sounds like virtually nothing. Just signal. These effects are quite pronounced.

markC · « **Reply #8 on:** 26 Dec 2007, 03:08 am »

Quote from: songaudio on 25 Dec 2007, 07:31 pm

Please count me in. I will bring Song Audio power cord.

Song Kim

Better bring 2. We're running mono blocks.

songaudio · « **Reply #9 on:** 26 Dec 2007, 04:51 am »

Thanks for reminding me as I almost forgot to bring 2 power cords. I would also like to mention about a considerable degree of variation from equipment to equipment being tested.

Song Kim

lo_tse · « **Reply #10 on:** 8 Jan 2008, 03:45 am »

Any news on the meet? Is it going yo happen?

Lo-tse

markC · « **Reply #11 on:** 8 Jan 2008, 03:59 am »

Yes, it's going to happen!
Jan 19th noon or there abouts, and I will PM those who have responded with directions this week.

KBK · « **Reply #12 on:** 9 Jan 2008, 03:52 am »

I, unfortunately, won't be able to make it. Apologies. Too many other things have cropped up and dumped themselves on my plate.

markC · « **Reply #13 on:** 16 Jan 2008, 02:45 am »

Well, that's too bad. I hope that the majority of those who replied will be able to attend. I know I will! See you on Saturday!

Yorgi · « **Reply #14 on:** 18 Jan 2008, 07:37 am »

I'd love to come to this too Marc. Just noticed it today.

markC · « **Reply #15 on:** 18 Jan 2008, 07:26 pm »

Your welcome to attend. I'll send you directions via PM.

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #16 on:** 19 Jan 2008, 05:22 am »

Y'all have fun now, ya hear! I sure would like a shot at some Totem's. Perfect candidate especially the larger ones. Merlin's, too. The new speaker to be auditioned looks like some thought went into it. I use an MTM design myself. Happier listening. Jim

phowell1 · « **Reply #17 on:** 19 Jan 2008, 10:24 pm »

Hi All,

Just got back from Tony's place and thought I'd put in my two cents.

First of all, huge thanks to Tony for hosting the meet. His house is beautiful (And he built it himself!) and the acoustics were nice. Thanks also to his wife for the fabulous spread!!!

We listened to dac, amplification and speakers made by Tony and other speakers made by Markc.

I found the sound of tonys system to be very relaxing and open and also quite dynamic. I did think that if it were my system I'd turn down the subwoofers a little, but that would be classified as a minor complaint, as the bass they made was very tuneful and tight. The mids and treble had a very pleasing quality to me, not quite sure how to define it.(Perhaps very clear and rounded is a good way to put it)

Then we tried listening to an anti diffraction device around the tweeters, similar to the felt around the tweeters of bbc ls3/5as or the spica tc50. the effect was very noticeable but in the end I found that what it did was reduce the air in the highs as well as generally attenuating them. I didn't like it, but a number of guys liked some tracks with it and some tracks without.

Then we sampled other dacs, with I believe a pioneer elite transport brought by spirit. I don't recall the name of the dac I heard, but it did sound similar to Tony's homebuilt dac. One possible reason for this is that Mark c had replaced the coupling caps in it to Auricaps, which Tony also uses in his Dac. Not to say that this is all there is to it but that it may account for their similar sonic signature. Marks dac was a little softer on top, but with a little less attack and sparkle as well. Close, though, any way you cut it.

next up was Mark c's open baffle speakers. Unfortunately I had to leave in the middle of the first track, so all I can offer about these is that their bass is truly unreal for such a speaker, and that they had a pleasing tonality to them, but again, I didn't have long to listen to them.

Thanks again to Tony and his wife, and to the others that brought their equipment along. It was a great time and it was really nice to see you all again! Really looking forward to the next one!

best,

Perry

lo_tse · « **Reply #18 on:** 20 Jan 2008, 04:25 am »

I too attended today's get together and had a good time. It was great to meet the familiar and not so familiar fellow TAAS members and yap about anything audio!!

First thing first, a big thank you to Tony for hosting the meet and let us enjoyed his great gears (the speakers are gorgeous and sound excellent). I would also like to express my gratitutde to Tony's "better half" for the hospitality and for being such a gracious host. Also, thank you MarkC for organising the meet and bring along the open baffle speakers. My apology for almost blew the woofer!! I am total amazed by the performance of the speakers - the smooth high and the ample amount of quality bass.

To me, the tweeter tweak (a piece of felt that has a hole in the middle) changed the sound of the speakers by "smoothing" out the high. However, I felt that it also "dull" the sound and rob the "air" and ambience of the sound. I definitely prefer the sound without it.

Comparing the 2 DACs, I personally prefer the DAC60 (with oversampling), I felt that the high is "cleaner" and has more air, the transients in the high are better define. Resolution was definitely higher too. However, I found the performance of the non OS DAC to be very high - considering that it is less than half the price of the DAC60. The base was full and the high was smooth.

Too bad, I have to leave early and did not get the chance to listen to the "liquid cable"

Overall, it had been a very enjoying afternoon. Looking foward to the next meet!!

arthurs · « **Reply #19 on:** 20 Jan 2008, 04:13 pm »

Quote from: lo_tse on 20 Jan 2008, 04:25 am

Too bad, I have to leave early and did not get the chance to listen to the "liquid cable"

How were the "liquid cables?"