Doctor's Orders-Part Two-The New Listening Room Of Steve Williams
- Thread starter steve williams
- Start date
Can one also buy digital files from Ed?
Wouldn't DSD256 be a nice format to also store/save tapes?
I have been trying to convince Ed to do that very thing for the past yer and I do know he is considering it
Excellent!
I mean also tapes need to have safety copies in digital and after there will be no afterworks necessary, DSD seems to be the way to go and after you have the digital safety file anyways, why not sell it...
Congrats.
It will be interesting see how you address adding subwoofer(s).
I 'm still working on my room, hope to get the reciprocating saw out soon.
You need to keep reading because after many years of trying to integrate the Fathom F113’s seamlessly into my system it became an exercise in futility. I removed the subs after many in the industry including speaker manufacturers and recording engineers said the subs were unnecessary
Interesting to read some of this about Subwoofers...
Our experience is the sub is critical even for violins...
Mine is a 15” Focal driver, they calculated the enclosure dimensions for me to put my Quad ESL63 on top... Tony built a WE300b crossover for it & the super high... both are add on to the full range Quads.. integrates perfectly... with the sub in, violins have real body...
I move the Quad along the sub to time align the drivers.
Our experience is the sub is critical even for violins...
Mine is a 15” Focal driver, they calculated the enclosure dimensions for me to put my Quad ESL63 on top... Tony built a WE300b crossover for it & the super high... both are add on to the full range Quads.. integrates perfectly... with the sub in, violins have real body...
I move the Quad along the sub to time align the drivers.
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Oh, that's an ordeal one can chase their tail on.
Been reading about $7,000 sub crossovers that delay the mains so the subwoofer is in correct time and it still does a shatty job of it in the end.
I gave up on a sub for 2-channel music around 1994 after two years of frustration.
Same speakers, same subwoofer but new room, just got it to work.
It was worth the wait, not kidding.
System Link:
https://whatsbestforum.com/threads/kach22is-system.30259/
What I heard out of my modest system last night will forever change my opinion on what a subwoofer can do.
How do you know that it's truly time aligned and not 360 degrees out of phase?
The bass unit's crossovers have a tendency to delay the signal and put it out of phase with the other drivers.
I've read that there is no machine that can really measure this, it's done by human ear as a final check.
You're absolutely right... you have to use your ears... my whole system was built by listening to every tube, wire connector....
You will know by moving the Quad, it will suddenly snap into focus & sound"right"... nothing scientific.. but I feel, there is nothing more sensitive than our ears... The super high is also moved forward & backward on top of the Quad... because the waves are very short, movements there are only in mm & 1/2 mm. Again, when it's aligned, the violin becomes sweeter, stronger...
With these in place, the Quads sound like never before & very dynamic...
You will know by moving the Quad, it will suddenly snap into focus & sound"right"... nothing scientific.. but I feel, there is nothing more sensitive than our ears... The super high is also moved forward & backward on top of the Quad... because the waves are very short, movements there are only in mm & 1/2 mm. Again, when it's aligned, the violin becomes sweeter, stronger...
With these in place, the Quads sound like never before & very dynamic...
Ed, I totally agree and this is why I have always used subs. In my last house and bigger room I had a pair of JL Audio G113 Gotham subs. This room is much smaller and I went with a pair of F113 Fathom subs . It was something that I adjusted many times only to never be able to get them "just right" and the subs were competing with my speakers My speakers allegedly go down to 16 Hz although I would doubt that, however I know my speakers go lower than your quads so you have an absolute need for subs
Absolutely Quads don’t go very deep, really just a great midrange.. needs to add both ends to make it full range...
Steve,
Congrats on all your new equipment! I was wondering if your still using your PD MPS-5 for
SACD / CD playback? If not are you considering another transport? If yes are you bypassing the dac
in the PD and using the Lampizator? Happy listening and stay safe!!!
Vito
Congrats on all your new equipment! I was wondering if your still using your PD MPS-5 for
SACD / CD playback? If not are you considering another transport? If yes are you bypassing the dac
in the PD and using the Lampizator? Happy listening and stay safe!!!
Vito
Hi Vito.I sold the USB Xlll box for the Playback Designs but I kept the MP S-5 with the thought that it would allow me to play my collection of SACD's. The reality since that time is that the PD MP S-5 has been turned on only once but never played
you can see the PD MP S-5 under the Extreme. That was the last time the MP S-5 was turned on
Steve, I finally decided to get a JL Audio CR-1 after resisting subs for a long time. JL T/S (954-443-1100) walked me through this procedure that matches my F212v2 phase degrees with the main speakers using their recommended 80Hz crossover point. JL recommended using my ears, but using a Db meter help make the process much easier for me. JL T/S also has a slightly revised procedure for multiple subs.
Not only did this phase alignment provide great integrated low bass, but the mids and highs were much improved (articulation, imaging) now that the low bass my mains were producing has been removed, and the amp is dedicated to the mains. After the sub phase alignment was completed I increased the F212v2 master volume control just enough to "feel" the low bass. This volume setting works for all types of music.
JL T/S Phase Alignment Procedure:
- CR-1; set bypass button off, sub & satellite frequency 80 Hz; crossover slope 24 dB; mute right main
- F212v2; set master volume to off; LP filter off; LP frequency doesn’t matter (set on the CR-1); elf trim to 12 o’clock; phase 0.
- Using a Db meter set volume level match between left main and F212v2; turn preamp volume to talking level using frequency test disc (Sound Doctor CD) at 60-70dB; then match the left main and F212v2 volume by turning the F212v2 master level control clockwise until the volume matches the left main.
- Set F212v2 phase polarity to 180 degrees.
- using the frequency test disc in repeat set at 80Hz; turn the F212v2 phase degree control clockwise & then counterclockwise to find the quietest 80 Hz position.
- turn the polarity back to 0 on the F212v2 and un-mute the main right speaker on the CR-1.
Curious how did you find your Furman Isolation Transformer with your setup?
The only thing which is plugged into my Furman are the right and left power supplies of my Lamm LP1 Signature phonostage. The hum which I had tried everything for years to eliminate is now totally gone and to the best I can tell there has been no loss or degradation of SQ
HTH
HTH
