The Bully Build Begins

NIGHTFALL1970 · « **Reply #240 on:** 27 Aug 2025, 10:30 am »

I agree with Crawdaddy 1000%!

robwm · « **Reply #241 on:** 27 Aug 2025, 04:34 pm »

Everything sounds good on these. These are like the Swiss army knife of speakers. Everything I have tried sounds very good, TV, Movies, Xbox, CDs, MP3s, Flac, streaming and karaoke. If I'm in the living room, the speakers are on regardless of the source.

Pretty strange watching Forensic Files and the bass is kicking you. I didn't even know the show had any bass at all. I was playing Starfield on Xbox and there is nothing like a rocket ship landing in your living room.

Is there anyone else watching this thread that could post their Bullies? I'd like to see some other finishing choices. The ways these can be finished has no limits.

robwm · « **Reply #242 on:** 29 Aug 2025, 03:35 pm »

This is how I feel when I listen to the Bullies. The speakers are portrayed by Adam Sandler

corndog71 · « **Reply #243 on:** 29 Aug 2025, 06:24 pm »

That’s funny.

I have double troubles and they don’t beat me up at all. They’re just fast, clean, and accurate. On the other hand my sealed servo sub is a monster! You have 2 of them so I kind of get it.

robwm · « **Reply #244 on:** 29 Aug 2025, 06:30 pm »

Not only is that funny, but it is also not an exaggeration. I probably could turn the bass down some. 🤔

Naaaawww! I don't think so. lol

js1955 · « **Reply #245 on:** 30 Aug 2025, 10:29 am »

If my speakers did that to me....I'd be selling them real quick!

robwm · « **Reply #246 on:** 5 Sep 2025, 08:03 pm »

After listening to these for a few hours, and shutting them down for the day, you feel like this:

Danny nailed it for sure!

corndog71 · « **Reply #247 on:** 5 Sep 2025, 08:34 pm »

I would hope so for ~$5K. I do enjoy reading your comments. Show us some more glamor shots!

I’m kinda envious even though I shouldn’t be. I still love my Super 7s, X-Statiks, and X-SLS!!!

robwm · « **Reply #248 on:** 5 Sep 2025, 08:43 pm »

I didn't take pictures between finishing them and putting them on the stands. I'm moving in a few weeks so I will have a chance to get some more pictures. They are just way too heavy to move just for the sake of moving them.

robwm · « **Reply #249 on:** 2 Oct 2025, 04:19 pm »

Well, I'm still enjoying these speakers immensely. It's going to take me 10 years to listen to every song I know. My family used to sit down and watch TV together every evening. Now the TV is rarely turned on and we listen to 2 - 3 hours of music every night instead.

I never expected these speakers to draw my family closer together. What kind of price can you put on that?

I can't express to Danny how much I appreciate this experience.

Early B. · « **Reply #250 on:** 2 Oct 2025, 04:24 pm »

Quote from: robwm on 2 Oct 2025, 04:19 pm

Well, I'm still enjoying these speakers immensely. It's going to take me 10 years to listen to every song I know. My family used to sit down and watch TV together every evening. Now the TV is rarely turned on and we listen to 2 - 3 hours of music every night instead.

I never expected these speakers to draw my family closer together. What kind of price can you put on that?

This is the most rewarding post in the history of Audiocircle.

robwm · « **Reply #251 on:** 2 Oct 2025, 04:32 pm »

I tried hooking up a Carver M1.5 amp and Carver C-4000 preamp to the Bullies. It turns out the amp produces soft white noise when there is no input at all. I have no tolerance for white noise, so I took the Carver amp out of the setup immediately. My Outlaw RR2169 receiver can bypass the preamp so I'm using the Outlaw amp and the Carver C-4000 preamp.

I haven't had a chance to crank them up enough to observe the sound stage. I have to admit that I'm expecting lackluster performance from a late 80's preamp. I've only been able to turn it up to ~40dB lately due to time of day. At low volumes, the bass seems more forward than the Outlaw receiver alone. I don't know if that is caused by the Carver preamp or the subs are loosening up and becoming more efficient.

I feel like the Outlaw sounds fantastic, but it is extremely clean. Some notes are so sharp that you wish there was a way to calm it down to make it more listenable. I would highly recommend the Outlaw receiver if very clean sound is your preference. I haven't heard an amp that someone would call "warm" so I think some experimentation is in order.

I bought a Dayton Audio calibrated mic, but I still need to buy an external sound card that can be tweaked for the software to connect to my laptop.

On another note, my move fell through so it's going to take a bit for glamour shots. lol

NIGHTFALL1970 · « **Reply #252 on:** 2 Oct 2025, 04:35 pm »

I’m so glad that you are enjoying them. Every time I listen to them, they are always amazing!🤩

Early B. · « **Reply #253 on:** 2 Oct 2025, 04:54 pm »

Quote from: robwm on 2 Oct 2025, 04:32 pm

I tried hooking up a Carver M1.5 amp and Carver C-4000 preamp to the Bullies. It turns out the amp produces soft white noise when there is no input at all. I have no tolerance for white noise, so I took the Carver amp out of the setup immediately. My Outlaw RR2169 receiver can bypass the preamp so I'm using the Outlaw amp and the Carver C-4000 preamp.

I haven't had a chance to crank them up enough to observe the sound stage. I have to admit that I'm expecting lackluster performance from a late 80's preamp. I've only been able to turn it up to ~40dB lately due to time of day. At low volumes, the bass seems more forward than the Outlaw receiver alone. I don't know if that is caused by the Carver preamp or the subs are loosening up and becoming more efficient.

I feel like the Outlaw sounds fantastic, but it is extremely clean. Some notes are so sharp that you wish there was a way to calm it down to make it more listenable. I would highly recommend the Outlaw receiver if very clean sound is your preference. I haven't heard an amp that someone would call "warm" so I think some experimentation is in order.

Man, you haven't heard what those speakers can do yet. Once you put a good amp and preamp on them, they'll surely sing!

robwm · « **Reply #254 on:** 2 Oct 2025, 05:03 pm »

The Outlaw receiver is getting me close, but I can hear there is potential for more. I'm looking at the Galion A75/P75. I read a review that made me feel like they are a match for each other.

The only way that is going to happen is if I can beg Danny for some of my money back.

tremrej65 · « **Reply #255 on:** 2 Oct 2025, 06:25 pm »

I don't know how much power you need, but if you want to go DIY way for the amp, here's my recent experience.
I built a F5M from diyaudiostore. I'll make a post soon about it. It's a Nelson Pass design. 25 watts, class A. Yes it runs hot.
I drive my X-LS Encore which are way less efficient than the Bully. I get a decent 85 SLP, with easy peak at 90.
It might be a good option...

robwm · « **Reply #256 on:** 2 Oct 2025, 06:50 pm »

Well, I seriously doubt I have put more than 1 watt continuous through them. They get really loud, very fast.

Danny says to consider quality over quantity because he blew up his room with only a 9 watt amp.

KTS · « **Reply #257 on:** 6 Oct 2025, 10:39 pm »

Quote from: tremrej65 on 2 Oct 2025, 06:25 pm

I don't know how much power you need, but if you want to go DIY way for the amp, here's my recent experience.
I built a F5M from diyaudiostore. I'll make a post soon about it. It's a Nelson Pass design. 25 watts, class A. Yes it runs hot.
I drive my X-LS Encore which are way less efficient than the Bully. I get a decent 85 SLP, with easy peak at 90.
It might be a good option...

The F5M is a good choice, if you want to hear one on your system I have one built I am not using currently. I built the NX studios they sound great with them. The preamp makes a difference as well. The Zen Mod Iron Pre is stellar! Nice combo.

robwm · « **Reply #258 on:** 6 Oct 2025, 10:56 pm »

I'm not sure I have an appetite to build another project like this.

robwm · « **Reply #259 on:** 7 Oct 2025, 03:53 pm »

So far, I have been noticing high pitches that feel like a sharp jab in your ear. I tried the Carver M1.5 amp and it is emitting a perpetual white noise so it's no longer hooked up. I tried the Carver C-4000 preamp but didn't play with it enough to get to know it. I don't have an opinion on it so far.

I don't notice the high pitch tones when playing CDs as much, but I haven't been listening to them so much due to being lazy to stand up and change the disk.

Needless to say, I've been streaming Tidal on a Wiim Pro streaming device. This is where I'm noticing that some high pitch tones are too sharp. What I tried last night was to bypass the Wiim Pro DAC and use the Outlaw Audio RR2160 DAC instead using a digital coax cable into the receiver. Apparently, the Wiim Pro uses a very low end DAC and the Outlaw's DAC is rated better overall than the Wiim.

Whoa, what a difference that makes! The highs seemed to have calmed down by 95%. I can still hear those sharp tones, but they are dulled enough that it is not like a jab in your ear. The most rewarding change I noticed is that the sound stage moved closer to me without moving the speakers. The band sounds like they were pushed closer to me. The sound stage is a bit more detailed and the vocals seem more forward than they were.

I was listening to Andreas Vollenwieder - Book of Roses last night. The first song has a crow cawing along with the music. I can hear it toward the left, then it moves to the right, crystal clear I might add. It sounds like a real crow in your room. Then you don't hear the crow for a few seconds and then, out of nowhere, it sounds like it is flying over your left shoulder and moving away from you toward the left speaker. I flinched or ducked the first time I heard that. I couldn't believe what I heard so I had to try it again. Sure enough, that crow is in my hair!