A small upgrade in speakers... The CLXArt a true masterpiece!
- Thread starter Big Dog RJ
- Start date
It was long time ago Marc, as i said before, now i’m just a old guy sitting around listening to music in my underwear
It was long time ago Marc, as i said before, now i’m just a old guy sitting around listening to music in my underwear
If you hadn't spent all that money on hifi, you would have some clothes left for the old age
Mark Seaton
WBF Technical Expert (Speaker & Acoustics)
And thank you again Mark for setting the Statements up during a incoming hurricane !
That was certainly memorable and a great view of the hurricane!
I recall one of the ML guys who came out later mentioned a ride in the Lamborghini. I think it was still a bit messy with debris on streets and the like when we finished up.
What? Wait... Lamborghini? Now that's a statement, Nice one indeed!
Although I would love to own one, let alone drive someone else's Lambo, the last time I actually managed to fit my 6ft3 129kg frame in one was many years ago in London at a car show. I clearly remember having to be assisted out of the Lambo by three people because the damn thing was so low... as well as another rare car that never became commercially viable, the Listor Storm. Fast fwd that from 90/91 to present, earlier this year again I had to be assisted out of a Honda NSX! Talk about either low slung cars or bad osteo... couldn't they make them bit higher, like a SUV?
Anyway, those were the good old days, during my formidable rugby playing years... now I'm not 120kg anymore nor ripped, just a load of jelly with a few biceps & triceps here & there. At least it helps to lift and move heavy highend gear...
Getting back to audio, I can certainly see some very valid points of discussion and have certainly learned a few more points from all these posts. Many thanks to that. I must say, please do enjoy your music on your fabulous systems that you all have put together carefully over the decades. Afterall, as one wise man said, putting together a system is an art form, listening to it is a passion!
So enjoy those fine tunes and trust everyone's in good health.
Cheers, RJ
Although I would love to own one, let alone drive someone else's Lambo, the last time I actually managed to fit my 6ft3 129kg frame in one was many years ago in London at a car show. I clearly remember having to be assisted out of the Lambo by three people because the damn thing was so low... as well as another rare car that never became commercially viable, the Listor Storm. Fast fwd that from 90/91 to present, earlier this year again I had to be assisted out of a Honda NSX! Talk about either low slung cars or bad osteo... couldn't they make them bit higher, like a SUV?
Anyway, those were the good old days, during my formidable rugby playing years... now I'm not 120kg anymore nor ripped, just a load of jelly with a few biceps & triceps here & there. At least it helps to lift and move heavy highend gear...
Getting back to audio, I can certainly see some very valid points of discussion and have certainly learned a few more points from all these posts. Many thanks to that. I must say, please do enjoy your music on your fabulous systems that you all have put together carefully over the decades. Afterall, as one wise man said, putting together a system is an art form, listening to it is a passion!
So enjoy those fine tunes and trust everyone's in good health.
Cheers, RJ
Hello Bonzo,
I am not a "professional, full-time" poster on this forum, like you seem to be and I have no desire to become a "household" name of this forum. I defend the CLXs for the reasons that I have outlined.
Refusing to "debate" is a good strategy ; I applaud you.Enjoy your peripatetic audio adventures!
Cheers, Kostas.
I am not a "professional, full-time" poster on this forum, like you seem to be and I have no desire to become a "household" name of this forum. I defend the CLXs for the reasons that I have outlined.
Refusing to "debate" is a good strategy ; I applaud you.Enjoy your peripatetic audio adventures!
Cheers, Kostas.
I don't know how I missed this RJ. Congratulation on the CLXs. I'm sure they have given you hours of enjoyment.
Cheers Brad,
Yes certainly have, and more so than ever now, after having upgraded my previous McIntosh sacd player (served well for 10yrs) to the Esoteric K07xs, simply superb!
I've just managed to clock in around 10hrs on it so far, and started yesterday with a few favourite tracks, then moved onto Norman Brown, Dena D'Rose trio on Max Jazz, a few more jazz labels and now onto Venessa Fernandez- use me album, on SACD DSD direct, look out! Stop the train! This level of fine detail and ambient soundstaging was not picked up on the Mac at all. It was somewhat there but totally missed it. For example the opening track, there's a very noticeable section with fingers on the strings, then far left percussion kicks in and far right, the shakers blend in, as if those two musicians evolve in a true holographic sense, it's marvellous! I was missing out on this aspect totally.
Played a standard CD by Four Play called Elixir, heard numerous times with great systems, including the Statements Evo-II's. Those along with this time round transported me back to Frankie's Blue Room in Naperville IL, just superb!
At this stage, now my system is complete. Might as well sit back, pour that Scotch and puff that cigar...
Big woof! RJ
Yes certainly have, and more so than ever now, after having upgraded my previous McIntosh sacd player (served well for 10yrs) to the Esoteric K07xs, simply superb!
I've just managed to clock in around 10hrs on it so far, and started yesterday with a few favourite tracks, then moved onto Norman Brown, Dena D'Rose trio on Max Jazz, a few more jazz labels and now onto Venessa Fernandez- use me album, on SACD DSD direct, look out! Stop the train! This level of fine detail and ambient soundstaging was not picked up on the Mac at all. It was somewhat there but totally missed it. For example the opening track, there's a very noticeable section with fingers on the strings, then far left percussion kicks in and far right, the shakers blend in, as if those two musicians evolve in a true holographic sense, it's marvellous! I was missing out on this aspect totally.
Played a standard CD by Four Play called Elixir, heard numerous times with great systems, including the Statements Evo-II's. Those along with this time round transported me back to Frankie's Blue Room in Naperville IL, just superb!
At this stage, now my system is complete. Might as well sit back, pour that Scotch and puff that cigar...
Big woof! RJ
Hi Big Dog - just catching up here. I strongly considered Esoteric for SACD playback but in the end exercised some restraint and got a good deal on the Marantz SA-10, which sounds really good (also using as a DAC for now). Rest of the system besides the CLX and JL e110 subs and Pass XA30.8/XP-10 combo is dCS Network Bridge (soon to be Bartok) and Pro-Ject the Classic turntable with iFi iphono2 preamp and Sumiko blue point #2 cartridge. Cabling is all Audience au-24sx. Exactpower EP15a power regenerator/conditioner. I'm considering the Pass labs XP-17 phono preamp for the analog setup.
Nice one DM,
the Marantz should work well as long as you're getting perfect synergy between all the components. Balance is the key, you don't want too much of anything and nothing to enjoy in terms of musicality at the of the day. If the synergy is right then the CLX's will perform to their utmost potential, regardless of price and lofty gear behind them. You can get 200grand monoblocks to drive them and they'll sound superb! Then again with the right type of amplifier/s, having plenty of current to nicely control the CLX's impedence curve, possessing an average output power of Class A watts but with plenty of stable current, at a fraction of 200grand, will infact sound equally superb! That's the marvel of the highend, plenty of fabulous designs out there, it's just a matter of finding which one/ combination you prefer. (Not the reviewers...)
Cheers DM, that Marantz should prove to be a worthy contender, especially in a system of true class with the CLX's!
Cheers to that Daniel!
Best and enjoy those fine tunes
RJ
the Marantz should work well as long as you're getting perfect synergy between all the components. Balance is the key, you don't want too much of anything and nothing to enjoy in terms of musicality at the of the day. If the synergy is right then the CLX's will perform to their utmost potential, regardless of price and lofty gear behind them. You can get 200grand monoblocks to drive them and they'll sound superb! Then again with the right type of amplifier/s, having plenty of current to nicely control the CLX's impedence curve, possessing an average output power of Class A watts but with plenty of stable current, at a fraction of 200grand, will infact sound equally superb! That's the marvel of the highend, plenty of fabulous designs out there, it's just a matter of finding which one/ combination you prefer. (Not the reviewers...)
Cheers DM, that Marantz should prove to be a worthy contender, especially in a system of true class with the CLX's!
Cheers to that Daniel!
Best and enjoy those fine tunes
RJ
Hooray! Finally can confirm the static has left the building!
With these two gadgets, highly recommended a must have for any one experiencing nasty static that trips off CJ preamps... definitely not a good thing!
The brush was not cheap nor was the Furutech Destat III but whatever it does is bloody marvellous!
I read up the review by Paul G and M Fremer just to see what this thing is all about, and I can confirm every word of it is true, including sonic improvement! So that's definitely a marvellous thing.
There seems to be static just about anywhere, not only on the surface of LP's but also tubes, power amplifiers, cords, cables and discs. So as per based on the reviews, I used this thing all over the joint, and what a remarkable difference!
It looks pretty weird but definitely worth it.
And of course the Japanese had to figure this out...
Cheers to Furutech, didn't know they were based in Tokyo until now.
Finally enjoying those fine tunes on vinyl- static free!
Best, RJ
With these two gadgets, highly recommended a must have for any one experiencing nasty static that trips off CJ preamps... definitely not a good thing!
The brush was not cheap nor was the Furutech Destat III but whatever it does is bloody marvellous!
I read up the review by Paul G and M Fremer just to see what this thing is all about, and I can confirm every word of it is true, including sonic improvement! So that's definitely a marvellous thing.
There seems to be static just about anywhere, not only on the surface of LP's but also tubes, power amplifiers, cords, cables and discs. So as per based on the reviews, I used this thing all over the joint, and what a remarkable difference!
It looks pretty weird but definitely worth it.
And of course the Japanese had to figure this out...
Cheers to Furutech, didn't know they were based in Tokyo until now.
Finally enjoying those fine tunes on vinyl- static free!
Best, RJ
Attachments
Finally installed the Gaia II's on the CLX's from Iso Acoustics. It took a while to acquire the correct thread size... after a few attempts, they were finally installed last night.
Been listening since during different intervals but tonight was the main critical session. After a few hours of repositioning the CLX's, I believe this is just about as good as it gets in my particular living room. It's a good thing I still manage to pump out 80kg dumbbell presses, man handling and placing the CLX's on their sides was no easy task for a single person. The wifey helped though to move the small carpets out of the way, as previously placed on spikes, the Gaia's don't require carpets. Hard surfaces seem to work.
Straight off the bat, from the initial notes I noticed a significant drop in noise floor. As if the washing had gone through a super spin cycle or your glasses wiped down with a special alcohol wipe, things were super quiet and very squeaky clean! Crystal clear I must say from top to bottom covering all desired frequencies.
The top end and midrange remained the same, all necessary focus and smooth silky highs, it was the bass that was very interesting. The LF is much cleaner, there seems to be more speed and greater agility in all LF information, from upper-mid-lower bass. There seems to be added bass lines or should I say, additional LF nuances that fade out brilliantly when a tune ends... this sort of thing I heard before but with the Gaia's this information is reproduced more closely. You hear all of it! I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not but whatever it's doing is definitely a marvellous thing compared to the supplied spikes.
The soundstage depth opens up nicely too, and the disappearing act seems so effortless. I guess this is what it should deliver, after all the engineering and tech put into these isolation accessories. I think Iso Acoustics have done a fantastic job with these items, of course finding the right thread size was challenging but once done, the end result is superb!
Well now I'll just have to get used to this level of fine reproduction and enjoy it to the fullest as they nicely settle in.
Cheers to those using Gaia's, enjoy those fine tunes! Big woof! RJ
Straight off the
Been listening since during different intervals but tonight was the main critical session. After a few hours of repositioning the CLX's, I believe this is just about as good as it gets in my particular living room. It's a good thing I still manage to pump out 80kg dumbbell presses, man handling and placing the CLX's on their sides was no easy task for a single person. The wifey helped though to move the small carpets out of the way, as previously placed on spikes, the Gaia's don't require carpets. Hard surfaces seem to work.
Straight off the bat, from the initial notes I noticed a significant drop in noise floor. As if the washing had gone through a super spin cycle or your glasses wiped down with a special alcohol wipe, things were super quiet and very squeaky clean! Crystal clear I must say from top to bottom covering all desired frequencies.
The top end and midrange remained the same, all necessary focus and smooth silky highs, it was the bass that was very interesting. The LF is much cleaner, there seems to be more speed and greater agility in all LF information, from upper-mid-lower bass. There seems to be added bass lines or should I say, additional LF nuances that fade out brilliantly when a tune ends... this sort of thing I heard before but with the Gaia's this information is reproduced more closely. You hear all of it! I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not but whatever it's doing is definitely a marvellous thing compared to the supplied spikes.
The soundstage depth opens up nicely too, and the disappearing act seems so effortless. I guess this is what it should deliver, after all the engineering and tech put into these isolation accessories. I think Iso Acoustics have done a fantastic job with these items, of course finding the right thread size was challenging but once done, the end result is superb!
Well now I'll just have to get used to this level of fine reproduction and enjoy it to the fullest as they nicely settle in.
Cheers to those using Gaia's, enjoy those fine tunes! Big woof! RJ
Straight off the
Attachments
Cheers George!
Thanks for sharing your experiences and thoughts on the CLX's. Infact, I'm using CJ tube monoblocks with these. The amplifiers had to go up-state for a final SE upgrade, so as of now I'm using CJ's SS MF2550SE. It handles and drives the stats superbly, a mighty fine combination.
Enjoy those fine tunes!
Keep safe and be well, best RJ
Thanks for sharing your experiences and thoughts on the CLX's. Infact, I'm using CJ tube monoblocks with these. The amplifiers had to go up-state for a final SE upgrade, so as of now I'm using CJ's SS MF2550SE. It handles and drives the stats superbly, a mighty fine combination.
Enjoy those fine tunes!
Keep safe and be well, best RJ
Your name is well suited to you!...that's 160kg or 352lbs bench press! And for some people, dumbbell presses are harder than traditional single-bar bench press! For those who have not seen it/done it...315lbs is when the bar (an Olympic bar mind you) starts to bend...
Lloyd, no, no I think you got the weight wrong in kg... or did I confooos the plot. I stated 80kg dumbbell presses as a total weight. That's 40kg per side, not 80kg each, hell no!
Funny thing, as I was just doing a quick workout today before heading out to a late lunch, I was pressing those dumbbells again and lifting with ease. I thought to myself all the heavy lifting the day before and installing those Gaia's must have paid off, cos these dumbbells are awfully easy to press now. Then the wifey walked in, saw me grunting and lifting, thought she'd cheer me on but instead laughed and asked why the sudden drop... getting too old or was it all that silly mucking about with those fancy speaker discs and lifting the CLX's? She giggled and walked away. Then I realised that infact I was lifting only 40kg, that's 20kg per side... ha! Hey at least it looked good and felt great!
Anyway, sorry to digress but the CLX's are definitely an awkward weight to move around. It's entire frame is pretty solid, wood bolted onto steel frames and very rigid but the heavy part of the 55kg weight seems to be focused on one side. Bottom left and right on each panel where the transformers are located. So when lifting these stats and placing them on their sides, you sort of have to do a slight ballet move, at the same time balance the drop without tipping over until finally gently lowering to the ground.
Now all this physical activity is well and good if 1. You're built like Ronnie Coleman and 2. If you've got side moves like those gravity defying circus acts... which clearly I'm not. Rather got bad osteo in both knees, dislocated right shoulder from playing rugby and fairly week leg muscles, not to mention a belly pot sticking out whenever the front dip exceeds a certain angle... so moving 55kg of stats or any speakers with that type of weight, and no assistance from family members (since it's 3am I guess) really doesn't help. Hence, I took my own sweet time and later on realised after the installation was done it was 4:30am.
I must say though, it was a mighty effort indeed. Not as heavy a project as compared to the great speakers that you have, Wilson's but it did tax my balancing skills...
Whatever the Gaia's are doing in terms of de-coupling / isolation with it's high tech suspension system, it's doing something remarkably well. I very highly recommended them but obviously try out first if possible. So far I'm using concrete floors where ceramic tiles are placed over, therefore no timber flooring, floating boards or any of that sort. Hence, not sure how these footers would work on other surfaces. As for hard solid floors, this thing really holds well. Under each foot, it's also got a cup like disc which causes a vacuum suction like form, locking in the footer to the floor extremely well. Regardless of volume levels nothing flinches or moves one bit, it's rock solid and that's what you want, especially for panels that tend to flap around at higher levels I guess.
What a marvellous design and product from Iso Acoustics, cheers to the Gaia's!
Best, RJ
Funny thing, as I was just doing a quick workout today before heading out to a late lunch, I was pressing those dumbbells again and lifting with ease. I thought to myself all the heavy lifting the day before and installing those Gaia's must have paid off, cos these dumbbells are awfully easy to press now. Then the wifey walked in, saw me grunting and lifting, thought she'd cheer me on but instead laughed and asked why the sudden drop... getting too old or was it all that silly mucking about with those fancy speaker discs and lifting the CLX's? She giggled and walked away. Then I realised that infact I was lifting only 40kg, that's 20kg per side... ha! Hey at least it looked good and felt great!
Anyway, sorry to digress but the CLX's are definitely an awkward weight to move around. It's entire frame is pretty solid, wood bolted onto steel frames and very rigid but the heavy part of the 55kg weight seems to be focused on one side. Bottom left and right on each panel where the transformers are located. So when lifting these stats and placing them on their sides, you sort of have to do a slight ballet move, at the same time balance the drop without tipping over until finally gently lowering to the ground.
Now all this physical activity is well and good if 1. You're built like Ronnie Coleman and 2. If you've got side moves like those gravity defying circus acts... which clearly I'm not. Rather got bad osteo in both knees, dislocated right shoulder from playing rugby and fairly week leg muscles, not to mention a belly pot sticking out whenever the front dip exceeds a certain angle... so moving 55kg of stats or any speakers with that type of weight, and no assistance from family members (since it's 3am I guess) really doesn't help. Hence, I took my own sweet time and later on realised after the installation was done it was 4:30am.
I must say though, it was a mighty effort indeed. Not as heavy a project as compared to the great speakers that you have, Wilson's but it did tax my balancing skills...
Whatever the Gaia's are doing in terms of de-coupling / isolation with it's high tech suspension system, it's doing something remarkably well. I very highly recommended them but obviously try out first if possible. So far I'm using concrete floors where ceramic tiles are placed over, therefore no timber flooring, floating boards or any of that sort. Hence, not sure how these footers would work on other surfaces. As for hard solid floors, this thing really holds well. Under each foot, it's also got a cup like disc which causes a vacuum suction like form, locking in the footer to the floor extremely well. Regardless of volume levels nothing flinches or moves one bit, it's rock solid and that's what you want, especially for panels that tend to flap around at higher levels I guess.
What a marvellous design and product from Iso Acoustics, cheers to the Gaia's!
Best, RJ
Well done on the marantz sa 10 much more musical sounding than the esoteric.great cables as well. I just upgraded to the front row cables yet to be delivered.
That’s a terrific room for the clx. i have heard these speakers quite often in a small space and terrible acoustics which made these speakers sound awful.they need proper setup and fine tuning and a large space to breathe.
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