Dimfer Goes Horn

[Dimfer]

It was my dream to assemble a system with components made by my friends in audio. While I have owned numerous amps and pre amps made by Rod Teope, this is my first pair of speakers made and designed by my good friend Vic Sierra. I had been intrigued by his horns for a while. I first heard his horns during my trip to Manila in 2018. It was an easy decision as his horns are very easy to like.

Vic does not build a lot of speakers these days as he is very busy with their family business and with his other hobby. Vic is a very passionate audiophile and indeed a pleasure to deal with. Money is barely a consideration to him.

These horns and amps/pre amp were shipped from Cebu to Edmonton in 2 crates. Everything was ready and packed since November last year but we encountered a number of logistical challenges. What was supposed to be US$850 shipping cost multiplied by 5x due to Covid and other shipping related issues. Then when we were ready to ship, the highway between Edmonton and Vancouver got destroyed by flooding. I asked Vic not to ship the crates because the initial assessment was bad and people were estimating a year before things go back to normal. I didn't want it to sit in a warehouse in Port of Vancouver, which was congested at the time.

Then super typhoon hit Cebu. Authorities were forecasting signal #3, but signal #5 actually landed. Vic's beautiful home was a mess, but luckily he kept my crates in his shop which sustained far less damage. I'm lucky my crates were not in a warehouse in Cebu port waiting to be loaded when the typhoon hit..

It finally got loaded in June and landed in Edmonton late August.

The horn is a 3 way system. The mid horn is Vic and Jeffrey Jackson's collab I believe. They're made of mahogany. System is 106db I was told.

Amp is Rod's original design. It has GZ34 rectifier, the 300B has 6SN7 driver and the EL34 has 1G6/1E7 driver, directly heated. It can run either 300B or EL34/KT88 or both.

I don't have much info on the preamp, it will be inserted in the system later. It is also his own design. Rod makes beautiful sounding electronics (to my ringing ears anyway). I used to own his 6c33c-b that can operate PSET or push-pull, also his 10Y pre, and I still own his PSET GM70 and OTLs. Original design and he wind all his transformers.

System is currently using a PS Audio BHK pre, Lumin X1. To be inserted later are SW1X DAC and SW1X Phonostage.

Still a lot of work left, but system is showing a lot of promise. I don't care if it sound terrible, major components are made by my friends, so I'll enjoy it.

 

[Ron Resnick]

The speaker looks amazing! Thank you for chronicling for us the evolution of this system!

 

[Argonaut]

Most excellent system and story @Dimfer , when is the movie coming out

 

[Dimfer]

now with Thomas Mayer 801a pre amp and Thomas Mayer DHT 300B with all TM level Elrog tubes, and Arya AirBlades Hype SE

next project is to tear down a wall so I can move my pool table and have a better listening position.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Excellent Dimfer, as you know, we have the Airblades in common, so pleased my advice to you has been rewarded.
Good luck smashing that wall down, scary but fun at the same time.