phase may not be inverted when the ht bypass is used-call sanata klause
I have the Candela with HT bypass, and have the same dilemma. Discussions with Alex a couple of months ago indicated that the signal is "in phase" (not inverted) in HT mode.
At the moment, I just leave the polarity inverted at the speaker level for SACD/DVD-A/HT. Can't be bothered changing all the time. Less than optimal situation, but a small price to pay for a wonderful sounding pre-amp.
As you may well know I did a test just to what happens when cables are moved around from connection to connection. There'll be three parts to this test, so bear with me here.
1. this is the base line setup. I listened to this with Steve Allee's CD, and Frank Smith's
new CD. Speaker cables are phased as labled on the amp, and all IC's were found
as labled. At one time I swapped the IC's to the amp, and they have not been
changed all thru this test, but will swap them when I make the change over to the
Extreme Monos.
Equipment list of items used in this test:
(note I didn't not opt to play any analog or SACD)
amp: Anthem 40watt tubed amp (very long in the tooth)
preamp: Candela
speakers: Meadowlark Kestrel Hot Rods setting on concrete pads
source: Jolida CD100A tubed preamp
IC's: preamp to amp / MIT 850 (think the number is right)
cd player / MIT?
speakers / Cardas 6 1/2 foot bi-wire with spades at each end
*Base line test:
I am quite familure with this setup, and most who have heard it liked it. The speakers about seven feet apart, with about 5 degrees toe in. I really like the speakers, and can see little need for better ones. The rest of the quipment is pretty much strait forward, so I'll not get into that.
The sound stage is nice and big, but always wanted more out of it. Blamed the amp for this. Had a Sonic Frontiers amp before that, and there actually was little difference between the two. Sold it to buy some more equipment. So much for this part!
*Test One:
Played Frank Smith's new CD thru most of this test.
I swapped the IC's at the preamp, and found the sound stage tobe smaller. The bass was much tighter (two different electric basses [ one is a seven string and the other is a five string]). Bass moved to center stage, but should be a little to the left of center. Charlie Smith's hollow body electric guitar had a nice sound, but was to the left of center a few feet (should be slightly to the right by about three or four feet) Sax had a compressed sound. Did not like this setup at all!
*Test two:
same CD & source
swapped speaker cables, but left IC's as they were in test one. Much bigger sound! More open and involving. Drums were noticably better. Sax has more range and size, and is slightly to the right of center as it should have been. Bass is in the correct location to the left of center, and the guitar has moved right of center (maybe too much). Alto vocals are much more open just as the lady really is. Maybe some more range in them as well as being slightly more transparent. They seem tobe slightly fragile, and are very pretty. Key boards are fine, but too close to center (will run this by Steve and Frank next week) and almost mono in sound. This may well be in the way the music was mastered.
changed music to Steve Allee's New York In The Fifties
Now everything is in the right place except key boards. Too close to center! Tenor sax is also too close to center, and maybe off location five feet. Drums are a little too close to center, but really sound right. Not perfect, but I liked it. Most folks would not catch this error unless you happen to hear it live (I have several times).
Test Three:
same music
Swapped the speaker cables. Piano is a little better but still out of location. Tenor sax is right where it should be along with Griffen's drum set. His brass is right on. Trombone is very, very nice (Vincent Gardner). This setup is the best yet.
Did not like the was the keyboards were comming thru, so I played around with the toe in on the speakers. Removed most of it, and this alone made a big difference. This setup is good, but of course not perfect.
Test Four:
same cd
Out of a whim I swapped the cd cables at the source. Piano moved center stage, but the sound quality is there. The rest of the instruments just got better. The is easilly the best sound yet. Trombone is more open and maybe slightly more transparent. Upright bass has suddenly made itself known to the listener. Sound is bigger and has a much better musicality. Seems tobe a little more depth to the sound stage. This is going to stay that way (might try swapping the preamp IC's one more time). S.A. are going to discuss the piano location when it was miced. I know he will not play a piano to the right of stage center and shys away from center stage. Speakers have never sounded this good.
All these little tests have now opened a new bag of worms for me, and will be working with it for the next few weeks till my new speaker cables show up on my door step (another hint).
Now there will be some more changes made in the next week or two. Going back to my favorite Synergistics IC's and maybe the bi-wire set of cables I have from them as well. In the past I've found Synergistics cables to really work well with tubes. So we'll see.
gary