[oneinthepipe]

turkey,

Have you considered that your own expectations about the sound quality of tube gear may color your your own hearing when doing evaluations?

-Roy

That would certainly be possible, except that not all of my evaluations were sighted. I heard colorations even when I didn't know that I was listening to tube gear.

Frank's tube and hybrid gear is much less objectionable than other tube stuff I've listened to, but I still prefer his SS gear. (I would also note that I have seen a number of people comment that they don't like AVA tube gear because it sounds "too much like SS.")

Given the existence of the Insight+ equipment, I don't see that tubes have anything at all to offer to me.

turkey:

Although my experiences are more limited than others, I share your opinion about the Insight+ gear.  However, while recently waiting for a pair of Salk speakers, I was using a pair of Linn speakers that had very bright tweeters.  I am not suggesting that listeners should be required to compensate for speakers' deficiencies by substituting other components, but I switched my Insight+ DAC for my Transcendence 8+ DAC, and the Linn speakers became very listenable because the T8+ DAC, while it had excellent detail, had slightly less high end volume than the Insight+ DAC and alleviated the bright and fatiguing characteristics of the Linns' tweeters.  After my Salk HT2-TLs arrived, I immediately went back to the Insight+ DAC.  Both DACs have very similar "voicing," and they are both very detailed.  The T8+ DAC didn't sound "tubey," and the Insight DAC didn't sound SS.  The DACs were much more similar than dissimilar, which I think is a tribute to Frank's engineering.

[rajacat]

turkey,

Have you considered that your own expectations about the sound quality of tube gear may color your your own hearing when doing evaluations?

-Roy

That would certainly be possible, except that not all of my evaluations were sighted. I heard colorations even when I didn't know that I was listening to tube gear.

Frank's tube and hybrid gear is much less objectionable than other tube stuff I've listened to, but I still prefer his SS gear. (I would also note that I have seen a number of people comment that they don't like AVA tube gear because it sounds "too much like SS.")

Given the existence of the Insight+ equipment, I don't see that tubes have anything at all to offer to me.

Others with their own unique hearing may not consider what you're hearing as colorations. All SS gear doesn't sound the same. So if all SS gear doesn't sound the same then SS gear must have "colorations" too.

-Roy

[turkey]

Although my experiences are more limited than others, I share your opinion about the Insight+ gear.  However, while recently waiting for a pair of Salk speakers, I was using a pair of Linn speakers that had very bright tweeters.  I am not suggesting that listeners should be required to compensate for speakers' deficiencies by substituting other components, but I switched my Insight+ DAC for my Transcendence 8+ DAC, and the Linn speakers became very listenable because the T8+ DAC, while it had excellent detail, had slightly less high end volume than the Insight+ DAC and alleviated the bright and fatiguing characteristics of the Linns' tweeters.

Ok, that's a valid use for the T8, although I would suggest that the real fix is to get rid of the Linn speakers.

[rcag_ils]

Now, if your friend had actually taken the trouble to learn electronics and engineering and _then_ asked you about audiophile fuses...

I have also noticed that people who expect very high standards of truth and accuracy in their own fields are often willing to put their trust in obvious charlatans in another field.

It's also interesting that your friend bought a toob amp because it's been said to sound better, and not because he tried it and found that it sounded better. I wonder if he'd buy into my theory that used condoms dropped on the ground are responsible for most modern earthquakes? (Only lubricated condoms have this effect BTW.)

I don't know how much electronic that he knows, but I know that his math is better than some of the engineers. I think he asked about the fuse maybe he thought that there were some electronic theory that he MIGHT HAVE MISSED about audiophile fuses may sound better than regular fuses.

I don't know if he'd buy into the theory of used condoms can cause earthquake. Last I talked to him, he's studying the relationship between certain birds migration pattern and earthquakes, sort of linking biology and geology together, very wild stuff.

[turkey]

Others with their own unique hearing may not consider what you're hearing as colorations. All SS gear doesn't sound the same. So if all SS gear doesn't sound the same then SS gear must have "colorations" too.

-Roy

Hey, feel free to listen to the gear you like. Nobody is stopping you.

Yes, SS gear usually has colorations too, although they tend to be less noticeable than those of most tube equipment. I think I would also say that I really don't hear much in the way of colorations with the Insight equipment. It's exceedingly neutral and does not "sound" like much of anything. I fully expect the Insight+ mod to improve upon that neutrality.

I think I also need to again emphasize that I have less problem with the way AVA tube or hybrid gear sounds than with other stuff on the market. When I comment about tube gear, I'm mainly thinking of other brands.

[rajacat]

turkey,

What gear do you have in your system?

[turkey]

I don't know if he'd buy into the theory of used condoms can cause earthquake. Last I talked to him, he's studying the relationship between certain birds migration pattern and earthquakes, sort of linking biology and geology together, very wild stuff.

Not really that wild. There has been a lot of research into how animals may perceive earthquakes or even perceive the conditions leading up to them.

The bird's migration pattern may well be influenced by the Earth's electrical or magnetic fields, so it is quite possible that an impending or active earthquake could cause changes in those fields and thus in the bird's migration.

So far such research has been inconclusive, but is quite interesting nevertheless.

[turkey]

Numbers don't tell all. Correct me it I'm wrong but I believe the recent AVA upgrade  replaced an op-amp with better specs for one (with poorer specs) that actually sounded better to real live listeners.

Here's what Frank said:

"Yes confusing, but in our circuits (which are more than just an op-amp so many of the design considerations simply don't apply) the 627 exhibits better stability in the ultrasonic region and has about half the broad band noise signature of the AD817.

In simple listening tests to IC circuits alone, I would still pick the 817.  But in our circuit the 627 is simply better.

Note that it is a FET input device with excellent centerline stability which is useful too.  It is the most darn expensive linear out there I guess, but oh well, still inexpensive enough to go to without raising prices in new production."

[turkey]

turkey,

What gear do you have in your system?

Insight preamp, Insight DAC, and OmegaStar amp. CD transport is an inexpensive DVD player. Turntable is an old clunker that's been plasti-clayed and silicone-lubed. Cartridge is a Grado Green. Speakers were Vandersteen 2ce, but they're about to be history. (They sounded really bad after hearing the Mirage Omnipolar technology and then the GedLee speakers. I kind of suspect it's from high IM and limited power handling due to the 1st-order crossovers because a friend's pair of Thiels has a similar characteristic.)

[oneinthepipe]

Ok, that's a valid use for the T8, although I would suggest that the real fix is to get rid of the Linn speakers.

turkey:

I don't intend to get rid of the Linn speakers, and I was merely using them while waiting for pair of Salk HT2-TL speakers to be delivered.  I bought them in nearly perfect condition on a'gon a year ago for $200.00 as backup speakers for my KEF 101 Reference Series, which I was afraid to set up because I was worried that my two younger children would destroy them.  However, I was not enamored with the Linn speakers, and a few weeks later, I bought a pair of Spendor S3/5 as backup speakers.  Hence, the Linn speakers are backup speakers to the backup speakers, and the KEF continue to reside in their box as they have for the past 12 years, since my eldest child started to crawl.  I have trouble "letting go," I suppose.  "Audio jewelry," as Frank might state. 

[oneinthepipe]

I don't know if he'd buy into the theory of used condoms can cause earthquake. Last I talked to him, he's studying the relationship between certain birds migration pattern and earthquakes, sort of linking biology and geology together, very wild stuff.

Not really that wild. There has been a lot of research into how animals may perceive earthquakes or even perceive the conditions leading up to them.

The bird's migration pattern may well be influenced by the Earth's electrical or magnetic fields, so it is quite possible that an impending or active earthquake could cause changes in those fields and thus in the bird's migration.

So far such research has been inconclusive, but is quite interesting nevertheless.

Appears to be very interesting work, turkey.  Someone should tell Friedemann Freund.

[turkey]

Linn speakers are backup speakers to the backup speakers, and the KEF continue to reside in their box as they have for the past 12 years, since my eldest child started to crawl.  I have trouble "letting go," I suppose.  "Audio jewelry," as Frank might state. 

You need to figure out a way of quickly setting up and then returning to storage your KEFs. It's a shame for them to sit in the box all alone.

[oneinthepipe]

Linn speakers are backup speakers to the backup speakers, and the KEF continue to reside in their box as they have for the past 12 years, since my eldest child started to crawl.  I have trouble "letting go," I suppose.  "Audio jewelry," as Frank might state. 

You need to figure out a way of quickly setting up and then returning to storage your KEFs. It's a shame for them to sit in the box all alone.

I play them occasionally, albeit not often.

[turkey]

I play them occasionally, albeit not often.

KEF really did make some good speakers before they got into their current coaxial kick.

[Brett Buck]

I play them occasionally, albeit not often.

KEF really did make some good speakers before they got into their current coaxial kick.

    Sure did. A long while back, I got my parents some KEF K120s, cheapest of the cheap at about $110 a piece. When I went to listen to them in the "bookshelf/low end speaker" room at the audio salon, I went through just about ever speaker in the room, and they were head and shoulders above everything else, not even close. That was just when they started with the coaxial sort of stuff, and comparing those, ti was a total blowout. The little K120s just killed the 5x more expensive coax/Uni-Q speakers.

   I later bought some for myself and they stack up pretty well against a B&W DM110i or a 602 - a little coloration, and rolled-off top end compared to the "bright" B&W sound, but also half the size and cost almost nothing.

   The current KEFs I have heard are very mediocre and terrible for the price.

    Brett

[martyo]

At one time many years ago the 105 was my dream speaker.

[oneinthepipe]

My KEF 101 Reference Series use matched sets of the same tweeters and woofers that were used in the LS3/5A, and the 101 Reference Series were KEF's LS3/5A style speaker.  The KEF, however, does not have the BBC bump.  I don't know the year that the speakers were produced, but I assume that they were manufactured in the late 1970s or early 1980s.  I bought them used in 1987.  They are in perfect condition, except that the previous owner etched her social security number in the back of each speaker with an engraving pen that were popular during that time.  There isn't even a pull on the grill cloth, and there isn't any discoloration of the walnut.  The woofers don't rub, and there isn't any fluid leak from the tweeters.  The speakers produce beautiful sound above 90hz and very little sound below 80hz.  They do not get very loud, and they have limited power handling.  I think that they are better than the LS3/5A speakers and the best of the LS3/5A clones.

[Bill]

Frank had started this thread wondering why a power enhancer got more "hits" than his technical explanation about input sensitivity, gain, power and so on. Some good analysis was given but I wanted to add one more thing; while I was perusing the internet - trying to get some information on surge protection, RFI/EMI etc. - I noticed a comment about Furman. It stated to the effect, that of all the non-audiophile companies, Furman was the only one that suggested a burn-in time with their equipment, thus (I guess) giving this company some audiophile credibility. If a company doesn't recommend burn-in with their surge protection equipment, don't trust it!

With this in mind, I purchased something from SurgeX. By the way, I could find nothing concerning burn-in at the Furman web-site.