Odyssey Nightingale Review

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TjMV3

Odyssey Nightingale Review
« on: 10 Mar 2005, 12:20 am »
It's been quite a few months since I received my Nightingales from Klaus,  about three and a half months to be exact.

Largely due to fire on our back porch,  I haven't been able to accomplish what I wanted to accomplish.  

 Understand that this is not a best scenario experience with the Nightingales and it is rather incomplete and limited.   The gear I'm using is not ideal or my final choice to mate with the Nightingales,  but it's not bad either.  

JackStraw,  I'll try to address some of your questions. At least the ones I know something about.

At best,  this is just a some  Preliminary observations of what I heard with this particular set up.  I will do follow ups as time goes by and I get the gear in and set up the way I want it.

I'm not an expert,  so be kind if this doesn't come off too professionally. I'll do my best.

The Nightingales are a Downfiring Bass port design. Not rear ported.

They seem to do nicely at least 6 inches from the backwall.  But I haven't had time to experiment with getting closer or much further from the backwall.  They are 18 inches from the sidewall.

The System:  

NAD C542 CD Player

Hafler 101 Pre Amp (an oldie)

Parasound Halo A21 Amplifier  (with Groneberg Power chord)

Groneberg Interconnects all around.

Cobalt Ultimate Speaker cables w/locking banana plugs.



First Day:

I left the whole system with the power in the "On" position overnight and then put a CD on repeat and let it play in the Living Room for about 3-4 hours ,  while I was busy with work in the morning hours.  This really makes a difference for the NAD C542.  It plays smoother with more playing time and the power left on...all the time.  

I started with my " Paganini For Two-Gil Shaham/Goran Sollscher" CD.

I listened to about half of this CD.

Honestly, I thought it sounded nice from the beginning.  The timbre/tone of the violin and classical guitar sounded almost...lush...rich.  I was impressed.  But I did notice the detail to be just slightly less evident.  The soundstage not quite as open as other setups I've had.

It sounded very musical,  but not quite as smooth as I'd like. Although,  there was no harshness,  brightness or other ear discomforts.  There was smoothness,  but it seemed like it could be better.

Overall an enjoyable listen.

Next CD:  J.S. Bach: The Art Of Fugue- Emerson String Quartet


This has more going on with it's four instruments,  than the previous CD.  I started to get an idea of the bass response,  but just the tip of the iceberg.   I felt very much the same as I did in describing the first CD.  Sounded very nice.

Now I switched gears and music styles (genra).

Mark Knopfler: Sailing To Philadelphia

The song "What It Is " kicked in real nice and I felt the need to boogie.   Toes were tapping and I wanted to sing along (but I didn't....which I'm sure my cat appreciated ).  The groove really grabbed me and made me want to boogie.

Through out the day I listened to various forms of music ranging from soft rock.....to hard rock...to New Age...to Jazz...to country.  Then back to some classical.


Basically,  I felt the Nightingales sounded musical,  a little smooth and the timbre was to my liking.  The soundstage still didn't seem that wide or deep,  but it wasn't bad.  But it seemed to me as if...they were still a bit suppressed or something.

I played them all night long...overnight, as the misses and my son were visting the mother-in-law for a few days.


2nd Day:

At this point the Nightingales had logged 32 hours of playing time.  

It was around 5:30 PM when I went in for a listen. I took the CD I had on repeat all day,  and started the same progression of CDs as the day before.

Imediately I noticed something.  

The soundstage was wider, deeper and fuller.  There was some imaging too.  The timbre was a bit finer and even more realistic than the day before.  Could this be after just 32 hours and with this set up?  

Well,  it certainly was true! .  The detail was better and the smoothness was also improved.  Wow!!  

The bass was more articulate when the recording conveyed that element.  Overall,  I'm very pleased and surprised with the bass on the Nightingales.  I keep wondering if Klaus may have snuck in an extra woofer.....somewhere.   :mrgreen:

I'm even smiling now as I type.

I listened till around 10:00 PM and then had somethings to do before bed.  But the Nightingales just seemed to be getting better as the night rolled along.  

Overall I'm very happy with these babies.  

I don't know anything about tolerances, sensitivies or running sweeps.

The only sweeps I know about involve a broom or a halfback following his Center, Guard and Tackle to the right or left side of the field,  and I doubt anyone is interested in that.

At this point all I know is,  the Nightingales are sweet, musical speakers that inspire me to boogie, sing,  and groove to the music.  Even in this setup,  the music is touching me.  I want to keep listening and throw in every CD I own. It's a pleasure.  

I don't know what else to say, at this point.  I felt like calling up my friends and telling them about these speakers.  And I did....the next day, though :mrgreen:

I know they'll get better as I get the right pieces of gear to mate with them and as they break-in more.   They sound wonderful right now.  

The Parasound Halo A21 is relatively new and it is not even close to being broken-in.  


The Nightingales sit on my medium thick carpet.  They are steady and don't rock or tip on their own.  But as with all floorstanders they are susceptible to tipping over if one is not careful.  They have some good weight to them,  and are heavier than one may think.

I've never heard the Circe or Nemesis,  so I have no idea.   But I suppose they could be. That's a question for Klaus.


Well,  that's all I have right now. I hope it is helpful.

Sorry if it's not. I'm still relatively new to all this, and I'm probably not articulating the elements or information some of you may want.

Just ask.  

Stay tuned for the next installment of " The Flight Of The Nightingale"  :mrgreen:  :wink:

JackStraw

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Odyssey Nightingale Review
« Reply #1 on: 10 Mar 2005, 05:14 am »
Thanks for posting. I'm glad that you're enjoying your speakers.

By "running sweeps" all I meant was playing a CD with test tone tracks, like the Rives Audio CD.

TjMV3

Odyssey Nightingale Review
« Reply #2 on: 10 Mar 2005, 02:24 pm »
Ahhh...I see.  LOL

Sorry,  I didn't know what that meant.  But now I understand what you mean.

I suppose at some point I'll have to find the time to learn all this stuff.

Randy

Odyssey Nightingale Review
« Reply #3 on: 10 Mar 2005, 08:59 pm »
Tj,  upgrade your preamp and things will get even better.  Good luck.

TjMV3

Odyssey Nightingale Review
« Reply #4 on: 10 Mar 2005, 09:31 pm »
Randy,  

Thanks for the advise. I sure will.  

I'm putting together three systems in my house,  in three different areas.

I have four Pre Amps I'm getting:

 Odyssey Tempest Extreme

 Ayre  K-5xe

 Lector ZOE

 Parasound Halo P2 (which is a strictly audio multi-channel Pre Amp...no Dacs,  to be released over the next few months) Which I want to try my hand at 5.1 music.

Randy

Odyssey Nightingale Review
« Reply #5 on: 10 Mar 2005, 10:08 pm »
All I can say is, wow!  I think you'll have the preamp department adequately covered.

TjMV3

Odyssey Nightingale Review
« Reply #6 on: 11 Mar 2005, 12:56 am »
It will take a while to get all of them,  one at a time after getting the Odyssey Monos Extreme and the Tempest.

Randy

Odyssey Nightingale Review
« Reply #7 on: 11 Mar 2005, 06:45 pm »
I have mono Extremes myself and can echo everybody else who has them.  They are superb.  I use a BV-Audio preamp with them which I believe is a great combo.

TjMV3

Odyssey Nightingale Review
« Reply #8 on: 16 May 2005, 03:29 pm »
My Nightingales have about 120 hours on them now.

It's amazing,  at first I thought these speakers sounded nice, as I described up above.

But over time I now realize the the highs amd midrange in the beginning were actually a bit convoluted.....or should I say disorganized.  Jumbled up? As well as a bit veiled. The bass is rounding out nicely and has tightened up.

Over the weeks it has become much more coherent and focused.  The sound is also smoothing out some more.  Everything is getting more detailed.  

Now that the Nightingales have had more time,  it seems like what I heard in the beginning was nothing compared to how they sound now.

I still don't have the Nightingales mated correctly and to my preference, but I'm excited to hear the improvements,  when I do.

I ordered the Mono Extremes and the Tempest from Klaus,  and I'm working on a better CD Player too.  

Things aren't ideal yet,  but I'm really liking what I hear.   The music still inspires me to boogie :mrgreen:

TjMV3

Odyssey Nightingale Review
« Reply #9 on: 16 May 2005, 03:33 pm »
Randy,

I imagine your using the BV P10 Pre Amp, right?

Would you mind sharing your thoughts and experiences with this Pre Amp?

guest1632

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Odyssey Nightingale Review
« Reply #10 on: 20 May 2005, 05:21 am »
Quote from: TjMV3
My Nightingales have about 120 hours on them now.

It's amazing,  at first I thought these speakers sounded nice, as I described up above.

But over time I now realize the the highs amd midrange in the beginning were actually a bit convoluted.....or should I say disorganized.  Jumbled up? As well as a bit veiled. The bass is rounding out nicely and has tightened up.

Over the weeks it has become much more coherent and focused.  The sound is also smoothing out some more.  Everything is getting more de ...


Hi, Sounds pretty good to me. What CDPlayer are you looking at? Just curious.

Ray

TjMV3

Odyssey Nightingale Review
« Reply #11 on: 20 May 2005, 03:51 pm »
I have several CD Players on my list,  and I'll need three to occupy three different areas of the house.

The top three for immediate purchase are (two of the three will be purchased soon):

Ayre CX-7

Cary 303/300

Eastern Electric MiniMax CD


Then I also have these on my list as possibilities:

Lector CDP-7T

FMJ CD33

Marantz  SA-11S1

Quad CDP-99


But I will at some point discuss the Symphonic Line CD Players with Klaus.  I checked out the website and it's all in German.  I'm a bit confused as to exactly how many CD Players they have and which,  which ones are top of the line and middle of the pack,  which one would suit my taste and need.

John151

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Odyssey Nightingale Review
« Reply #12 on: 20 May 2005, 06:04 pm »
I have the Eastern Electric MiniMax CD, and am very pleased with it.   Bill at MorningStar is right up there with Klaus, IMHO.  

I have only compared the MiniMax to my NAD CD/DVD player, so I can't comment on how it compares to the other items in your list.  However, I can say that if you purchase/audition the MiniMax, you should upgrade the tubes (Bill can advise on that).  I purhcased a few Ampex tubes from him, and they do sound better than the stock tubes.

My first introduction to the Audiophile world was from a Linn dealer who stressed that upgrades to items that are closer to the source will have more impact than upgrades to items that are further downstream.  This certainly seems to have held true from upgrading my CDP.  The difference was astonishing.  

My only issue with the MiniMax is that I get a hum in the speakers.  This is most noticable when there is no music playing, but it can be heard at low volume levels.  I did not get this hum when I had the MiniMax Pre hooked up (which I returned since there was no HT bypass), so  I hope that this is an issue between the AVR and the MiniMax, and that the will go away when I get the Etesian Pre from Klaus.

guest1632

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Odyssey Nightingale Review
« Reply #13 on: 20 May 2005, 11:43 pm »
Quote from: TjMV3
I have several CD Players on my list,  and I'll need three to occupy three different areas of the house.

The top three for immediate purchase are (two of the three will be purchased soon):

Ayre CX-7

Cary 303/300

Eastern Electric MiniMax CD


Then I also have these on my list as possibilities:

Lector CDP-7T

FMJ CD33

Marantz  SA-11S1

Quad CDP-99


But I will at some point discuss the Symphonic Line CD Players with Klaus.  I checked out the website and it's all in German. ...

Not to hijack this thread to jmuch, but looking hard at the new Cambridge Audio Azure 640 player. It's about $500.00.Did you happen to listen to that one.


Ray

TjMV3

Odyssey Nightingale Review
« Reply #14 on: 26 May 2005, 12:24 pm »
No Ray,  I haven't heard the Cambridge Audio Azure 640,  but I'll keep it in mind.  I currently have the NAD C542 CD Player,  which is in the same price range as the Cambridge.  I don't know how they differ in sound,  but I imagine the quality is similar.

TjMV3

Odyssey Nightingale Review
« Reply #15 on: 26 May 2005, 12:28 pm »
John,   has that issue with the hum been eliminated?

Have you purchased the Etesian Pre Amp yet?

John151

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Odyssey Nightingale Review
« Reply #16 on: 26 May 2005, 02:47 pm »
Quote from: TjMV3
John,   has that issue with the hum been eliminated?

Have you purchased the Etesian Pre Amp yet?


I am waiting for the Etesian before worrying about the hum.  I will  have to give Klaus a call to get the status of my order.  

In the mean time, I probably should try the stock tubes to see if that cure the problem, and if not, plugging into different AC outlets.

guest1632

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Odyssey Nightingale Review
« Reply #17 on: 27 May 2005, 12:31 am »
Quote from: TjMV3
No Ray,  I haven't heard the Cambridge Audio Azure 640,  but I'll keep it in mind.  I currently have the NAD C542 CD Player,  which is in the same price range as the Cambridge.  I don't know how they differ in sound,  but I imagine the quality is similar.

Hi, Well, from what a dealer told me, the cambridge is a whole different ball of wax. The NAD is a musical, easy to listen to all day long CDPlayer. the Cambridge is a lot more detailed in its presentation, and is less forgiving if you have bad recordings. There are some people on this forum who I think have a Cambridge 640. Yes there are better players, no question. It just depends on what you want, and how much you wantta spend. Probably, if I were to spend  a grand or less, I'd probably look in to the RAM 2500, or the Mini max with different tubes. Or maybe the AH Jo Jo 4000 with the upsampling board. That's more than a grand, probably closer to the $1500 mark. Now, those are obviously single piece units. Don't know what I'd do if I wanted to go the transport/separte DAC route. Just some thoughts for you to consider.

Ray

Eduardo AAVM

Odyssey Nightingale Review
« Reply #18 on: 27 May 2005, 04:48 pm »
Berendsen Audio has a nice CDP with a higher voltage output 3.8V, adequate for a passive pre as far as I know, in case you are looking for something like that...

John151

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Odyssey Nightingale Review
« Reply #19 on: 3 Jun 2005, 01:25 am »
Quote from: TjMV3
John,   has that issue with the hum been eliminated?

Have you purchased the Etesian Pre Amp yet?


Long story short,  I ended up with a Temptest instead of an Etesian.  

Just as I suspected, the buzzing is limited to the MiniMax and the AVR.  When I am running the MiniMax thru the Tempest, there is no hum or buzz.  I need to do some more testing on this, but I am willing to bet it is a ground problem.  

After a very short initial session with the Tempest, I am very pleased with the sound.  I did an A-B between the following set ups:

A)  MiniMax to Temptest .
B)  MiniMax to AVR (via Coax) to Tempest  Aux (bypass).

The difference is so extreme that I don't even know where to start to describe it.