[PDR]

I've had my V-1s for quite a while now.....2 yrs??...something like that.
If I remember correctly was about 60hrs and they started to come alive, at 100hrs
they were great. I had them playing in my living room the first yr and although not a good environment, there were enough big couches and drapes that it was always pleasing. When I completed my dedicated room I set them up. There was nothing for furniture or treatments, just a single chair......it was just bad. I could hardly listen, couldnt believe the difference. Now that I have the room fully treated....traps, absorption, diffusion.....its just remarkable.....one of the best set-ups I've heard.
The poly diffuser behind the speakers on the back wall opened the soundstage so much that I'm currently working on a QRD to see if that improves it more.
Once you get it set up properly I think youll be astounded.

[mono-tubeleosis]

I've had my V-1s for quite a while now.....2 yrs??...something like that.
If I remember correctly was about 60hrs and they started to come alive, at 100hrs
they were great. I had them playing in my living room the first yr and although not a good environment, there were enough big couches and drapes that it was always pleasing. When I completed my dedicated room I set them up. There was nothing for furniture or treatments, just a single chair......it was just bad. I could hardly listen, couldnt believe the difference. Now that I have the room fully treated....traps, absorption, diffusion.....its just remarkable.....one of the best set-ups I've heard.
The poly diffuser behind the speakers on the back wall opened the soundstage so much that I'm currently working on a QRD to see if that improves it more.
Once you get it set up properly I think youll be astounded.

Well if just the little thing I did could make that big a difference then I can certainly understand everything you're saying.  I also have a lot to look forward to since I have no 'no-rez' in yet, crappy speaker wires that are just taped together while I finish off cabinets, and on and on.

It's all up hill from here.

[mono-tubeleosis]

I forgot to mention Celebrat how much I like your speakers.  Love that Blue!  Me and you have a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks don't we.   

[nickd]

Ok Guys, Danny doesn't talk about this much, but the 6 db filter (cap) to the amp input (assuming you use non-filtered preamp out to your subs) makes a big difference in the V series too. It further cleans up the lower mids and upper bass of the 12" mid/woofer. Imaging gets better too

here is a pic of what i use to accomplish the filter. An older pair of Kimber KCAG single ended cables with a Mundorf silver oil film cap (0.47 uF) soldered in line with the positive side amp input.

 

[celebrat]

Thanks to all for the compliments but I really can't take the credit. Brooks Tanner of  www.resonantwoods.com does great work. If anyone is on the Eastcoast and looking for woodwork he is awesome. I did select the colors so while I may be lacking the skill set to build these, I do have great taste  

About the Harbeths. Let me state right up front that I think the Super V s really have their work cut out to beat the 40.1s by any great margin if at all. I have had and heard alot of speakers and the Harbeths are incredibly musical. They do many things very well. At their price point I have heard nothing commercial that even comes close as a total package. They may be bested in one area or another but overall they are just plain more listenable. Their midrange is to die for.  There is a coherence and a realness that is very rare. That being said, I already prefer the bass of the Super Vs and I am enjoying the greater dynamics and volume capabilities that come with the high efficiency and servo subs.

While my room is a mess I have it well treated accoustically. PDR and mono-tubeleosis, we sure agree on the importance of accousical treatment for any room. I seem to recall some pretty ugly bags of fiberglass in my room more than once. Mono-T, nothing you did in your room surprised me. One of the joys of being single....couches ARE room treatments and there is noone to complain

I have not had the Harbeths back in play since I put in the Super Vs. From what I remember I prefer the midrange of the Harbeths. That memory is much less vivid since I set the  sub amps to Danny's recommendation. Another aspect of these two sets of speakers is how they are so completely different in design. The Harbeths are 84db efficient boxes and the Super Vs 97db open baffle. I have been waiting for some new tubes for my Mastersound 845 monoblocks. While the 40.1s sound great with the Mastersounds, they are very limited in volume and dynamics with these wonderrful amps. When the tubes come in, my plan is to give the Harbeths a good audition... move them out and hook up the Super Vs to the Mastersound 845s... set the room and LET THE GAMES BEGIN 

mono-tubeleosis your speakers are looking great. I can't wait to see how you finish them. Trust me, I am  with envy for your carpentry skills. I threw together my amp boxes with some leftover stock I had from my now defunct initial build from scratch.  I actually surprised myself with these boxes. I may even sand and paint them.

Nickd ...I was just about to post and I read your latest post about the 6db filter caps. Please explain more. I only have one set of outputs from my preamp and so I am using the highlevel (speaker) inputs into the sub amps. How big a difference are we talking about here? Thanks

[Danny Richie]

I agree Nick. I used a .047 Sonicap Platinum on mine and made an inline RCA plug out of it. It sounded so good that I added a third output on my buffer and wired the .047uF Platinum to that set of outputs. 

[Danny Richie]

The Harbeths are designed with a lossy box that is tuned to resonant right in the mid-range area. This gives a warm bloomy sound that a lot of people really like.

The Super-V is the opposite. There is no box, box resonances, or coloration. Once you get used to hearing these and begin to appreciate the transparency and openness of the vocals then the coloration that the Harbeths add may become quickly apparent. 

[Jonathon Janusz]

Ok Guys, Danny doesn't talk about this much, but the 6 db filter (cap) to the amp input (assuming you use non-filtered preamp out to your subs) makes a big difference in the V series too. It further cleans up the lower mids and upper bass of the 12" mid/woofer. Imaging gets better too

So, this goes in the signal path preamp -> filter -> amp -> coax crossover, correct?  Used as a high-pass filter to the coaxial?  I'm using an internal high-pass from my amp currently, just wondering out loud if I'm understanding this correctly and or if it would be an improvement over how I'm wired up now.

[jimdgoulding]

I have some amplifiers that would look really good next to those speakers. 

Geez, those Dodd's are knock-you-down gorgeous!   Your finish on the V's are, too.

[nickd]

Jonathon,
The highest resolution I have thus far for the V series is to split the preamp signal using a Y cable and run the full range signal via RCA cable to the sub low voltage (RCA) input. the other end of my split cable has the .47 uF cap in line with the main amp RCA input.

This setup relieves the main amp of sub bass duties and improves it's headroom for cleaner dynamics. especially tube amps because their output transformers tend to saturate and limit low bass anyway.

If you use speaker out voltage to the PEQ-370 and your tube amp transformer limits the amps output in the 15-40 hz area you may be missing substantial clean low bass the the servo 12's are comfortable playing. Ditto with solid state amps with limited response (if they are NOT direct coupled designs). they tend to be shy on 25 hz and below sub bass.

I think the passive 6 db filter is the way to to go. Some of you guys with Dodd gear have two outputs on your preamps making the task easy as you don't need the  (Y) cable. `

I'm not much of a tech writer so I hope that was clear.

[PDR]

So....my tube amp is an integrated....could I split the signal from the source and run RCA to the sub amps and place the cap on the RCA to the amp?

Thanks

[Danny Richie]

So....my tube amp is an integrated....could I split the signal from the source and run RCA to the sub amps and place the cap on the RCA to the amp?

Thanks

But then you wouldn't have a volume control for it.

[PDR]

Yep, I see it now....

My other tube amp will work with a separate pre, will try it on that.

[Jonathon Janusz]

Thanks for the explanation.  That is pretty much what I've got going now.  I'm using my Virtue sensation integrated amp and have the high-level outputs of the amp high-passed at 80Hz with a capacitor bundle built into the amp (jumpered in at the line-level before the output stage, currently a sonicap with a platinum bypass), then the subs are being fed a line-level signal full-range from the line output also built into the amp (both speaker and line level outputs track with the volume control).  Basically, I've got what you're describing going on, I think, but using the features built internally into my integrated to get there instead of needing to add the same components outside the amp case.  I was just curious to know if what you guys are describing would be any different/better than what I've got going now, and if what you've got going is a sonicap platinum filtering the line-level signal, that's where I'm at already.

Thanks for the time to explain!  If/when I ever change out amps, that info will be very handy to know.

[nickd]

Jonathon,
Danny uses a Sonicap in his cable to the amp and the results are quite good if that was indeed the setup I heard at RMAF.

I used the Mundorf silver oil because they are not crazy expensive ($35.00 ea.), I happened to have 4 of them on hand and they are really quite good.

It almost sounds like the guys at Virtue had a sub sat system in mind when they designed your amp.

[celebrat]

Hi all
So I am really intrigued by the different ways to hook up the sub amps. Currently I am using the high level hook ups with speaker wire going from the main amps to the sub amps. So some questions:
 
High level or low level? What is the best way and why? If so how much better?

If low level is best, and you only have one set of outputs on your preamp, other than Y connectors (which
I think degrades the sound)how can you use configure it to work?


On another note, I have about 100 hours of break in and I have definitely noticed things settling down and smoothing out. I have not switched the Harbeth's back in yet but I am thinking that Danny may well be right on (as if anyone ever doubted )

The Harbeths are designed with a lossy box that is tuned to resonant right in the mid-range area. This gives a warm bloomy sound that a lot of people really like.

The Super-V is the opposite. There is no box, box resonances, or coloration. Once you get used to hearing these and begin to appreciate the transparency and openness of the vocals then the coloration that the Harbeths add may become quickly apparent.

   

These are GREAT speakers

[mono-tubeleosis]

Thanks to all for the compliments but I really can't take the credit. Brooks Tanner of  www.resonantwoods.com does great work. If anyone is on the Eastcoast and looking for woodwork he is awesome. I did select the colors so while I may be lacking the skill set to build these, I do have great taste  

About the Harbeths. Let me state right up front that I think the Super V s really have their work cut out to beat the 40.1s by any great margin if at all. I have had and heard alot of speakers and the Harbeths are incredibly musical. They do many things very well. At their price point I have heard nothing commercial that even comes close as a total package. They may be bested in one area or another but overall they are just plain more listenable. Their midrange is to die for.  There is a coherence and a realness that is very rare. That being said, I already prefer the bass of the Super Vs and I am enjoying the greater dynamics and volume capabilities that come with the high efficiency and servo subs.

While my room is a mess I have it well treated accoustically. PDR and mono-tubeleosis, we sure agree on the importance of accousical treatment for any room. I seem to recall some pretty ugly bags of fiberglass in my room more than once. Mono-T, nothing you did in your room surprised me. One of the joys of being single....couches ARE room treatments and there is noone to complain

I have not had the Harbeths back in play since I put in the Super Vs. From what I remember I prefer the midrange of the Harbeths. That memory is much less vivid since I set the  sub amps to Danny's recommendation. Another aspect of these two sets of speakers is how they are so completely different in design. The Harbeths are 84db efficient boxes and the Super Vs 97db open baffle. I have been waiting for some new tubes for my Mastersound 845 monoblocks. While the 40.1s sound great with the Mastersounds, they are very limited in volume and dynamics with these wonderrful amps. When the tubes come in, my plan is to give the Harbeths a good audition... move them out and hook up the Super Vs to the Mastersound 845s... set the room and LET THE GAMES BEGIN 

mono-tubeleosis your speakers are looking great. I can't wait to see how you finish them. Trust me, I am  with envy for your carpentry skills. I threw together my amp boxes with some leftover stock I had from my now defunct initial build from scratch.  I actually surprised myself with these boxes. I may even sand and paint them.

Nickd ...I was just about to post and I read your latest post about the 6db filter caps. Please explain more. I only have one set of outputs from my preamp and so I am using the highlevel (speaker) inputs into the sub amps. How big a difference are we talking about here? Thanks

Don't give me too much credit on my carpentry skills.  I have a CNC at my disposal. 

I did run into a problem over the weekend.  I hooked up my battery preamp and mono blocks to my V's and I have a heck of hum going on.  I think it might be the battery charger causing it.  I'm waiting to hear back from Gary to get his thoughts.

Its weird too.  If I turn on my preamp first and then the mono's I don't hear it.  When I have the mono's on and turn off the preamp, Its hum city.  both sides.

While the hum is going on and I disconnect the charger, it goes away.  I need new batteries and I guess I'm going to need a new charger too.  I hope that's all it is anyway.

Since I brought this up, I was wondering if there are other options out there now for a better battery setup.  I noticed Danny had a large (car like) battery in some of his pictures that appeared to be more convenient so to speak.  I've had problems in the past with these batteries I'm currently using. 

They can be very difficult to get out of the amp after they've gone through their life cycle.  Connecting them worries me too with the way they hook up to the disconnects within their dedicated compartments.  I always feel like I'm going to break one of those disconnects off the board putting them in and taking them out.

It would be nice to have the battery outside of the amp altogether if thats possible.

If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears.

Thanks

[mono-tubeleosis]

One more thing I wanted to mention.  When I got the hum problem I disconnected all my good amps and hooked up an amp my friend gave me just a few weeks ago.  It's a 7.1 Onkyo receiver.  Long story on how he got it but he asked me if I wanted it and I said why not.  I could probably give it to my son up at school or whatever.

It is the worst amp I've ever listened to.  I mean it absolutely has like no bass whatsoever.  I made sure the settings weren't screwed up which I thought might have been the problem.  I literally have to turn up the sub amps all the way to get even some bass.  And the bass itself sounds pitiful.  Nothing is tight.  I had both the speaker connects and sub connects hooked to the 'A' speaker connection for the left and right at first.  I then decided to just hook the subs to the 'B' front speakers and that did improve it some but they still sound pretty crappy.  The amp does have a dedicated Sub connection but not sure how to use it with me needing two connections.  Maybe thats the problem.

So if any of you think you can get away with a mid market amp to drive your speakers, whatever those speakers are, forget it.  It made me appreciate my Cambridge Audio's for a starter amp.  It blew that Onkyo off the map.  Compared to my Dodd gear, well it's more like off the planet.  At least now I really understand just how important your gear really is in this whole scenario.

[jtwrace]

So if any of you think you can get away with a mid market amp to drive your speakers, whatever those speakers are, forget it. 

I'll respectfully disagree. 

[PDR]

Everyone has opinions,some back them with facts, but really its your own that counts.

Read this the other day.....I think its all that matters:


"The test of the machine is the satisfaction it gives you. There isn't any other test. If the machine produces tranquility it's right. If it disturbs you it's wrong until either the machine or your mind is changed." Robert M Pirsig.