GedLee Abbey's Feedback Wanted!

dwr · « **Reply #80 on:** 5 Oct 2010, 06:06 pm »

I am using a Jolida JD-1000P 100 wpc tube amp with a RHB Sound Dezign modified Conrad Johnson PV-14L preamp and an Aural Thrills 274B rectified phono pre. It appears that most of us owners while impressed with Earls system using the receiver, have gone the separates route. While my CJ was out being modified I was using my Rotel 1068 SS prepro as a preamp and also using a Rotel 1075 SS amp. The sound was still very good but I will say it was too bright for me but only when pushed to higher volumes say over 90dB which makes sense as thats where brightness in my opinion shows itself.

dwr · « **Reply #81 on:** 5 Oct 2010, 06:41 pm »

OK my system is now posted in the systems area.

poseidonsvoice · « **Reply #82 on:** 5 Oct 2010, 06:48 pm »

Quote from: dwr on 5 Oct 2010, 06:41 pm

OK my system is now posted in the systems area.

Wow. You have a modified BDP-83SE by Modwright with the tube mod as a source? Must sound REALLY good. Kicks my front end for sure (but not for long

)

I must agree with others, in that the Abbey's are true to what you feed them. They are not the bottleneck and everything else in your system may be upgraded since the system keeps sounding better and better. Be that as it may, Earl's system at his house makes you just sit back, relax and not worry about what the other guy have in his/her system.

Anand.

jtwrace · « **Reply #83 on:** 5 Oct 2010, 06:54 pm »

Quote from: poseidonsvoice on 5 Oct 2010, 06:48 pm

everything else in your system may be upgraded since the system keeps sounding better and better.
Anand.

You're killin' me. Here I was thinking my front end is good.

turkey · « **Reply #84 on:** 5 Oct 2010, 06:55 pm »

Quote from: dwr on 5 Oct 2010, 06:06 pm

phono pre. It appears that most of us owners while impressed with Earls system using the receiver, have gone the separates route. While my CJ was out being

I've had my preamp and amp for longer than I've had my GedLee speakers.

I've done some testing since then, and I'm not sure that at this point I would buy an amp and preamp. I might very well buy something like a Pioneer receiver.

Or I might not. Frank builds very durable equipment and it doesn't seem to be uncommon for it to run 25+ years with no issues.

goskers · « **Reply #85 on:** 5 Oct 2010, 06:58 pm »

Quote from: poseidonsvoice on 5 Oct 2010, 06:48 pm

. Be that as it may, Earl's system at his house makes you just sit back, relax and not worry about what the other guy have in his/her system.

Anand.

This simple statement makes me wonder why everyone seems to have taken one step, believing and purchasing Gedlee speakers, without taking the other steps such as receiver, cables, BP subs....

I personally can't really fault much in the way of Earl's logic as it's based in good research.

poseidonsvoice · « **Reply #86 on:** 5 Oct 2010, 07:00 pm »

Quote from: goskers on 5 Oct 2010, 06:58 pm

This simple statement makes me wonder why everyone seems to have taken one step, believing and purchasing Gedlee speakers, without taking the other steps such as receiver, cables, BP subs....

I personally can't really fault much in the way of Earl's logic as it's based in good research.

I agree goskers, but you know what?

DIY is such a gas!

Anand.

dwr · « **Reply #87 on:** 5 Oct 2010, 07:18 pm »

Hi Goskers
I agree with you 100% about Earls logic. Earl's system is set up as a multi channel system that is what it is lets say maximized to do, and one of the big pieces to the puzzle is the way his room is designed and built it is most certainly a dedicated room. Earl does not put a lot of weight on cables and other shall we say periphirial equipment he puts his money in the speakers,room, and projector. So I don't think it is a matter of following exactly what Earl does but more his philosophies which is what I do. He will tell you that there are any number of subs that will work with his speakers but you need to follow the philosophy. Believe me I have listened to my speakers both through my tube equipment and my SS equipment and I much prefer the sound thru the tube equipment for 2 channel music listening.

jtwrace · « **Reply #88 on:** 5 Oct 2010, 07:21 pm »

Quote from: poseidonsvoice on 5 Oct 2010, 07:00 pm

I agree goskers, but you know what?

DIY is such a gas!

Anand.

I believe you also said the Class D sounded better then what you are using. Right?

Bear · « **Reply #89 on:** 5 Oct 2010, 07:22 pm »

Is the Abbey "plus"(utilizing the better performing 15" waveguide) still in development, is it now available? I reading past posts I noticed the "plus" referenced many times, including DR. Geddes himself.

dwr · « **Reply #90 on:** 5 Oct 2010, 07:22 pm »

Anand you are so right about DIY being a GAS!!!!

turkey · « **Reply #91 on:** 5 Oct 2010, 07:23 pm »

Quote from: poseidonsvoice on 5 Oct 2010, 06:48 pm

They are not the bottleneck and everything else in your system may be upgraded since the system keeps sounding better and better.

My take on it is that the recordings, speakers, and listening room are the bottlenecks at this point.

I care about the performances, so I am stuck in terms of recordings. Some are good and some are not so good.

I have to compromise with my listening room because I share it with others and it has to still be multi-purpose. I've improved it, but I could do better if I had a dedicated listening room. (Unlimited funds would be nice too.)

I feel that the GedLee speakers are about as good as you're going to get at this point in time, but speakers still have a way to go yet before they reach perfection.

Most of the electronics I've seen is already good enough, and further increases in measured or theoretical performance are not audible.

I also figure that Earl is able to afford more or less whatever electronics he wants (he could probably even arrange a trade if he wanted). In addition, he's trying to sell speakers, so wouldn't he choose the best electronics to show them off?

dwr · « **Reply #92 on:** 5 Oct 2010, 07:25 pm »

Hi Bear
I thought Earl put tht rumor to rest quite a while back. There is no such animal as far as I know.

DougSmith · « **Reply #93 on:** 5 Oct 2010, 07:26 pm »

Yes, he abandoned it (too large, and not enough value-add compared to the Abbey).

poseidonsvoice · « **Reply #94 on:** 5 Oct 2010, 07:28 pm »

Quote from: jtwrace on 5 Oct 2010, 07:21 pm

I believe you also said the Class D sounded better then what you are using. Right?

Yup. And that still counts as DIY.

Boy is this a fast moving thread. You turn around, and suddenly there are a gazillion replies.

Anand.

poseidonsvoice · « **Reply #95 on:** 5 Oct 2010, 07:30 pm »

Quote from: jtwrace on 5 Oct 2010, 06:54 pm

You're killin' me. Here I was thinking my front end is good.

It will only be 'good' when you own a GedLee speaker

Anand.

jtwrace · « **Reply #96 on:** 5 Oct 2010, 07:33 pm »

Quote from: poseidonsvoice on 5 Oct 2010, 07:28 pm

Yup. And that still counts as DIY.

Boy is this a fast moving thread. You turn around, and suddenly there are a gazillion replies.

Anand.

DIY as having fun not b/c it sounded better. Sometimes you do get both for sure.

Yes, it's moving quickly. Maybe that's why Dr. Geddes hasn't responded back to me. His inbox has become inundated with emails that aren't all from me.

Sorry Dr. Geddes.

goskers · « **Reply #97 on:** 5 Oct 2010, 07:34 pm »

The Abbey+ was going to be using an elliptical waveguide. Part of the mold was completed for this design but proto's never were. Earl still feels that this change will probably not warrant enough of an improvement for pursuit.

On the topic of amps and cables, what is good enough?? It should not be much of an argument that speakers are the most inaccurate piece across the whole chain. Rooms are probably the next in line from a detrimental standpoint. There are plenty of reasonable solutions if you work the system.

I have always wondered while switching gear if something is actually better or just different. You typically start trading one flavor for another which puts us on the endless loop. I love value which is why some of the solutions presented are in such favor to me

cloudbaseracer · « **Reply #98 on:** 5 Oct 2010, 08:06 pm »

Quote from: turkey on 5 Oct 2010, 06:55 pm

I've had my preamp and amp for longer than I've had my GedLee speakers.

I've done some testing since then, and I'm not sure that at this point I would buy an amp and preamp. I might very well buy something like a Pioneer receiver.

Or I might not. Frank builds very durable equipment and it doesn't seem to be uncommon for it to run 25+ years with no issues.

Turkey,

Can you elaborate a little more on the statement about the Pioneer? Why do you think you would go with that over more expensive separates? You mentioned some testing?

Thanks,

James

mgalusha · « **Reply #99 on:** 5 Oct 2010, 08:15 pm »

Quote from: brother love on 5 Oct 2010, 03:00 pm

TomS, dwr, TRADERXFAN, & any other GedLee speaker owners: what amp/ receivers are you using?

Not sure if my systems link is up to day. Source is battery hiFace/DIY sabre 32 dac, diy tube preamp, Atma Sphere M60 amps. I sometimes put in the Cyber 211 SET or a McIntosh MC-275 if I want it silly loud.

No question the Abbeys are not the bottleneck, but IMO they will allow one to hear the differences between various pieces of upstream gear. As to whether those differences are enough to justify the cost, well that is an age old dilemma.

I've had my Abbeys for about 2 years, built from one of the first kits. No intention of replacing them unless I win the lotto and can get Earl to build me some Summas.