Austin Audio Society - Saturday, Feb 4th

FredT300B · « **on:** 3 Jan 2017, 12:27 pm »

The Austin Audio Society will have its first meeting at my house on Saturday, February 4th, at 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. There will be two topics. The first is "The role of the Austin Audio Society in the Austin Texas area audiophile world". The second is "The mighty Krell versus the wimpy single ended triode tube amp". We'll compare the sound of Krell KAV400Xi integrated to a pair of Audio Mirror parallel 6C33C single ended triode monoblocks. http://www.audiomirror.com/images/vacuumtube6c33ca.html

The meeting is at my house in the Colony subdivision off Hwy 71, between Austin and Bastrop. The subdivision entrance is 13 miles east of the SH130 toll road. The address is 140 Old Windmill Ln, Bastrop, TX 78602. You can call me at 281-381-8830. Your GPS will get you there. No need to RSVP, just show up.

sebrof · « **Reply #1 on:** 4 Jan 2017, 12:52 am »

Fantastic Fred, looking forward to it and hoping for a good turnout.

btw: What speakers will the Krell/6C33C amps be hooked to?

sb6 · « **Reply #2 on:** 4 Jan 2017, 03:46 am »

Great Fred, looking forward to it.

FredT300B · « **Reply #3 on:** 4 Jan 2017, 10:44 am »

Quote from: sebrof on 4 Jan 2017, 12:52 am

btw: What speakers will the Krell/6C33C amps be hooked to?

The speakers are Selah Audio Texas Revelator Towers, a 2.5-way floorstander with Scan-Speak Revelator woofers and AirCirc tweeter. A SET friendly four ohm load

https://fredt300b.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Speakers/i-rhXQjt8

Delacroix · « **Reply #4 on:** 17 Jan 2017, 02:38 pm »

Excellent -- can we bring anything to make your life easier?

Patrick

FredT300B · « **Reply #5 on:** 18 Jan 2017, 09:35 am »

Quote from: Delacroix on 17 Jan 2017, 02:38 pm

Excellent -- can we bring anything to make your life easier?

Patrick

No, but thanks for offering.

FredT300B · « **Reply #6 on:** 28 Jan 2017, 12:04 pm »

About 400 years ago Shakespeare's Hamlet asked this question: "Tubey, or not tubey, that is the question". About 300 years later British engineer John Ambrose Fleming invented and patented the thermionic valve, the first vacuum tube. About 70 years ago the transistor was successfully demonstrated at Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey. These two inventions paved the way for us to answer Shakespeare's question next Saturday at the first meeting of the Austin Audio Society. We'll compare the sound of a tube rectified vacuum tube preamp with a pair of single ended tube monoblock amps versus a solid state Krell integrated amp.

audio_builder · « **Reply #7 on:** 29 Jan 2017, 01:45 am »

What is the goal of the comparison?

FredT300B · « **Reply #8 on:** 29 Jan 2017, 02:55 pm »

Quote from: audio_builder on 29 Jan 2017, 01:45 am

What is the goal of the comparison?

There is no formal goal. A loosely planned comparison like this won't lead to valid publishable results, but I thought it would be good to have some listening time at our first meeting, and why not compare two very different amplifiers. So the informal goal is "can (enter your name) hear a difference"? If you can, tell us about it.

JakeJ · « **Reply #9 on:** 29 Jan 2017, 07:27 pm »

I don't think a 45 Watt SET is exactly wimpy. When I think of "wimpy SET" I think of 2.5 - 8 Watts/ch.

Just the way my mind works.

However quality tubes gear compared to quality SS can be fun and educational.

audio_builder · « **Reply #10 on:** 30 Jan 2017, 01:49 am »

I am still at a little bit of a loss. If I hear a difference then I have a pair of ears and if I don't hear a difference then the system is so bad that I can not tell the difference?

Delacroix · « **Reply #11 on:** 30 Jan 2017, 02:04 am »

Someone opens up their home to fellow audiophiles to hear some great gear? That's goal enough for me.

FredT300B · « **Reply #12 on:** 30 Jan 2017, 11:58 am »

Quote from: audio_builder on 30 Jan 2017, 01:49 am

I am still at a little bit of a loss. If I hear a difference then I have a pair of ears and if I don't hear a difference then the system is so bad that I can not tell the difference?

Point well taken. This would be a good discussion topic for a future meeting.

PMC · « **Reply #13 on:** 31 Jan 2017, 02:47 pm »

Quote from: FredT300B on 18 Jan 2017, 09:35 am

No, but thanks for offering.

Are you sure? how about some beers or wine etc.. I probably met some of you guys before, we used to have some get togethers in the Austin area some time ago.

FredT300B · « **Reply #14 on:** 3 Feb 2017, 12:26 am »

Quote from: PMC on 31 Jan 2017, 02:47 pm

Are you sure? how about some beers or wine etc.. I probably met some of you guys before, we used to have some get togethers in the Austin area some time ago.

For this first meeting I'm providing chips, soft drinks, and bottled water. Anything you want to bring, including adult beverages, will be greatly appreciated by all, and you will be viewed as the hero of the day.

JWM Acoustics · « **Reply #15 on:** 4 Feb 2017, 02:48 pm »

Aloha!
Looking forward to meeting some of you today. I am really happy a full blown audio society in Austin is a reality. Should we bring some of our own music as well? (Vinyl, CD)
Joshua

Paret · « **Reply #16 on:** 4 Feb 2017, 03:56 pm »

Greetings from North Texas.

Enjoy your meeting today.

Please share pictures for those of us who cannot go.

Regards,

Luis D. Paret
Keller, TX USA

PMC · « **Reply #17 on:** 4 Feb 2017, 06:19 pm »

Guys it looks like I'm not going to be able to make this first gathering

I had to started to make some Deer Summer Sausage yesterday and smoking it today and it looks like is going to take most of the day. I'll safe some for the next gathering so you guys can try it out.

P.S. I have a new arm coming in next week for my turntable, Graham Engineering Phantom II Supreme. Can't wait to mount it and listen to it.

Nick77 · « **Reply #18 on:** 4 Feb 2017, 10:46 pm »

Great meet Fred, thank you!!

Missed a bunch of folks from AC.

Delacroix · « **Reply #19 on:** 4 Feb 2017, 11:02 pm »

Big shout of to Fred and Linda for hosting the inaugural meeting of the Austin Audio Society. Very pleasant gathering. And for me, the tube amps from Audio Mirror were most pleasing. The Krell beat it clearly in terms of full range coherence and soundstaging but somehow those tubes sounded more like real instruments to my ears.

Good to meet everyone.

Peace

Patrick