Weekend listening

Carlman · « **on:** 8 Feb 2006, 04:43 am »

Anyone care to come listen to the newly treated room? I think it's great... and was worth every penny... and ounce of blood, sweat, and tears...

I've got the Squeezeboxes and power supplies to compare if anyone is interested... I've also got the KIT41 speakers and a nice little Minimax tube amp... otherwise, you can just come hang out and listen... have a drink or 2... or whatever... This will be a casual event... no big agenda.

Just let me know,
Carl

PS, I'm also planning another meeting in March for some speaker comparisons.

Inscrutable · « **Reply #1 on:** 8 Feb 2006, 11:30 am »

Carl,
Yeah, I'd like to find some time to stop by. I'm out of town the rest of the week, so I'm sure I'll have a list to tackle, and the Canes game Sunday evening, but should have some time. What is convenient for you?

Of course I am interested in your treatments, both auditory and olfactory

, and I am looking to the SB or Roku soon, and your office system is very similar to what I am thinking in a couple rooms. Anxious to hear if the mods juice is worth the squeeze ... sorry couldn't resist a bad pun.

Carlman · « **Reply #2 on:** 8 Feb 2006, 02:41 pm »

Nice pun...
It'd be nice if you could 'squeeze' in a couple of hours...

ugh..

The door is open, I have no preference for Saturday or Sunday so if anyone wants to take a listen, let me know what day you prefer. I'm thinking Sunday usually works best....

-C

sheadlee · « **Reply #3 on:** 8 Feb 2006, 11:05 pm »

Carl,

I think I could make it over on Sunday...I will know for sure Fri afternoon.

I would love to come hear what you've done, with your room.

Carlman · « **Reply #4 on:** 8 Feb 2006, 11:22 pm »

Cool... Let's just say Sunday afternoon then.. If you can make it, great.. If everyone could let me know by Friday whether they will be here, I'd appreciate it...

claud · « **Reply #5 on:** 9 Feb 2006, 04:06 am »

Sunday sounds like a winner. What hours? Do you want me to bring some beer?

hometheaterdoc · « **Reply #6 on:** 9 Feb 2006, 04:37 pm »

I can come early... but I will have my butt in my seat at the Hurricanes game... so I'll have to leave relatively early to be there.

lots of stuff changing on my end... let me know if anyone is lookign for anything... clearing some gear...

Tim... we still need to chat.. sorry I keep missing you...

sheadlee · « **Reply #7 on:** 9 Feb 2006, 05:35 pm »

Carl,

I will definitely plan on being there Sunday!

What time frame are you thinking of??

Carlman · « **Reply #8 on:** 9 Feb 2006, 07:00 pm »

Let's say noon to 4... How's that work? You can drop by earlier if you want, just let me know... you can help me setup the SB's.

It would be nice to have an amp or preamp/amp that had a way to input an analog signal. Otherwise, I won't have a way to compare the SB3.

My current TacT gear is all digital so, that's all I can do.

If anyone wants to bring anything feel free.. So yes, Claud, please bring the beer.

-C

hometheaterdoc · « **Reply #9 on:** 9 Feb 2006, 08:23 pm »

I could always bring the TCS MKII over and let you use the analog in compared to the digital in on it?

happy to oblige if interested...

gprro · « **Reply #10 on:** 9 Feb 2006, 10:12 pm »

Am I invited? I've never been to one of the NC get togethers. I could bring an ugly moster of a sub( no amp or x-over though) Do have a HK avr80 thx reciever I've been using to drive it. Needs more power though.

I've been wanting to see a squeezbox in action, hear it too.

Carlman · « **Reply #11 on:** 10 Feb 2006, 01:13 am »

Of course you are... However, the sub might not be the best thing to play with this time.

This meet is really more of a casual gathering so I didn't want to get into lots of gear changes/experimentation beyond the SB3's.

Also, for anyone that's been in my room before, I think you'll be pretty surprised at the change due to the latest treatments.

Shane has lent me his 10-channel TacT with every conceivable option so that will be what I use in place of my usual 2-channel TacT.... and that way we can A/B compare the SB3's. THANKS AGAIN, SHANE!!!

Shane's got a mega-blowout-clearance sale going on... so if you want to see anything, you should PM him at 'hometheaterdoc' before this event and ask if he could bring it over... (just a thought)

Well, looking forward to seeing you all.. I'll order some pizza's.

-C

Carlman · « **Reply #12 on:** 12 Feb 2006, 10:50 pm »

I just wanted to say thanks to Steve, Tim, Shane, and Claud for dropping by today to hear the latest room treatments and the Squeezebox(es).

It was a nice casual (and short) get together. We didn't have that much to do and everyone had something else to do so, it was a short meeting.

Keep in mind this was not a hugely scientific comparison but not bad, either... for the SB3 and various power supplies...

When we compared the different PS's for the Squeezebox while using the digital out, I didn't hear enough difference to say a power supply makes all that much difference... but could be worth a few bucks to some... just not me.

I'd like to say my system isn't resolving enough to hear the differences but I don't think so... I don't think my system is anywhere near the 'end-all be-all' but it's good enough to hear most differences. And I was surprised to hear they just weren't that major. We tried stock vs. a 'basic' Bolder PS, Bubba-PS, and Occam-PS. The Occam and the Bolder were pretty much the same. The Bubba was pretty good too. The stock wasn't bad either....

We the went on to compare the analog side.... I'd originally reported that the RWA mods made a significant improvement to the new SB3 I'd bought... well, the new one broke in... and now I couldn't say the RWA mods are $200 better than the non-modified. It's a little different, slightly better but not 'oh wow, that's huge' better. So, sorry to report this... Vinnie's awesome to work with and I still encourage you to find out on your own... But, this was today's test and what I heard. The SB3 is a great little device, even unmodified..

I also compared the SB3 digital out to my PC's digital out. The PC sounded 'softer' to most but to me it sounded more like music. The details were all there and the music was more faithfully reproduced. It's a difference to be sure, mainly in delicacy. The SB3 is a bit more forward than the PC. For my tastes, the SB3 goes back to the office and the PC stays in the sound room.

Thanks again,
Carl

EDIT>>
I'm wondering if the results would be different if we'd used an all-analog chain...

I used a $10,k preamp by TacT to switch between all of this... and it converts analog to digital, then back to analog when amplified. It uses its own internal DAC for digital sources. So, that really could be a limiting factor. I may compare again on my office system just to be sure... but that system isn't setup in the best way.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #13 on:** 12 Feb 2006, 11:36 pm »

Thanks for you comments Carl....

Chris[/list:u]

claud · « **Reply #14 on:** 13 Feb 2006, 01:52 am »

Wolfie, you must be snowed in. Hell it was even snowing a little flurrie when I left Carl's house.
I would like to say that, as usual, a great time was had by all. Carl's system has never sounded better, especially after he gave the TacT pre a final tweak.

Carlman · « **Reply #15 on:** 13 Feb 2006, 03:38 am »

Thanks, Claud...

It'd be nice if Steve could send or post his photos... I have a few but I haven't gotten them off my camera.... and they're just basic gear shots.

sheadlee · « **Reply #16 on:** 13 Feb 2006, 04:50 pm »

Carl,

Thanks, once again, for your hospitality

!!!

There's no question...Carl's room treatments made a definite improvement, in overall sound quality. The room had decidely deeper and better defined bass. Even though his is a difficult room (size constraints)...his efforts were well rewarded!!!

I will try to get the photos up, but I always seem to have challenges on this forum

!

I think the easiest way for me to do this...since I'm at work...is to put the link to the gallery album here:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?action=gallery;area=browse;album=573

Inscrutable · « **Reply #17 on:** 13 Feb 2006, 10:14 pm »

Many thanks to Carl for hosting and Christine for putting up with us ... especially when Shane had control of the Squeezebox remote

I'll post more thoughts later from home, but I'll second or third the motion that Carl's system has never sounded better. If I wasn't before I am sold on some basic treatments, and I'll learn to love Fabreeze (image of Gene Wilder and the bottle of Woolite in Everything You Always Wanted to Know ...)

And though I hated to leave early, I did catch an absolutely fantastic Canes game - a six-shot shootout.

hometheaterdoc · « **Reply #18 on:** 13 Feb 2006, 10:24 pm »

Quote from: Inscrutable

Many thanks to Carl for hosting and Christine for putting up with us ... especially when Shane had control of the Squeezebox remote

I'll post more thoughts later from home, but I'll second or third the motion that Carl's system has never sounded better. If I wasn't before I am sold on some basic treatments, and I'll learn to love Fabreeze (image of Gene Wilder and the bottle of Woolite in Everything You Always Wanted to Know ...)

And though I hated to leave early, I did catch an absolutely fantastic Canes game - a six-shot shootout.

Hey now... I could only play what Carl had stored on his machine!!

Carl's room definitely has never sounded better. I think, unlike everyone else that was in attendance, got to hear the room with the tact in it first, then with the tact and room treatments. The room treatments take it up another big notch.

and no offense to Carl at all... but the highlight of yesterday was definitely getting to see my Canes play well and take it in the shootout... what a great birthday present.....

Carlman · « **Reply #19 on:** 13 Feb 2006, 11:10 pm »

Quote from: hometheaterdoc

....and no offense to Carl at all... but the highlight of yesterday was definitely getting to see my Canes play well and take it in the shootout... what a great birthday present.....

None taken! I mean, I did put in the call for the shootout, that was nice that they could work it in for you... Happy Birthday!