Doctor's Orders-Part Two-The New Listening Room Of Steve Williams

[Ron Resnick]

Digital level.

I guess I will have to get a digital level. Steve - which one do you use? Is there a consensus as to which digital level is the most accurate?

 

[Steve Williams]

I got a Husky 10" digital level for about $35 at Home Depot. Measurements and correction for both speakers and subs took less tha 30 minutes. I returned the level same day. It's that easy

 

[Ron Resnick]

. . .

Lastly I will say that the highs were not fatiguing at all, the titanium inverted dome that I've disliked in the past on systems was clear and musical. . . .

I agree completely. I have found every system I have ever heard with a Wilson Audio speaker with the metal dome tweeter to sound slightly bright and fatiguing. (The Alexia and the XLF -- and especially the XLF -- are the first Wilson Audio speakers I could live with happily.)

But, somehow, Steve has tamed that metal dome tweeter. I attribute most of the taming to the all-Lamm electronics, and some to Steve's acoustically-controlled room. With Steve's system I forget all about my Wilson metal dome tweeter issue.

 

[jeff1225]

I agree completely. I have found every system I have ever heard with a Wilson Audio speaker with the metal dome tweeter to sound slightly bright and fatiguing. (The Alexia and the XLF -- and especially the XLF -- are the first Wilson Audio speakers I could live with happily.)

But, somehow, Steve has tamed that metal dome tweeter. I attribute most of the taming to the all-Lamm electronics, and some to Steve's acoustically-controlled room. With Steve's system I forget all about my Wilson metal dome tweeter issue.

Excellent point regarding the acoustic treatment of the room. Steve's is easily the most treated room in terms of reflections that I've ever heard.

 

[marty]

I agree completely. I have found every system I have ever heard with a Wilson Audio speaker with the metal dome tweeter to sound slightly bright and fatiguing. (The Alexia and the XLF -- and especially the XLF -- are the first Wilson Audio speakers I could live with happily.)

But, somehow, Steve has tamed that metal dome tweeter. I attribute most of the taming to the all-Lamm electronics, and some to Steve's acoustically-controlled room. With Steve's system I forget all about my Wilson metal dome tweeter issue.

Ron, no doubt the Lamm's are very contributory to extracting great sound from the Focal tweeter (or any speaker, really). I had similar reservations about the tweeter over the years as well, but I now think that anyone who has experienced one of the big Wilson's with less than ideal set-up will be quick to blame the tweeter when in fact set-up can be the culprit. Steve's exacting alignment is one of the reasons his sound is terrific, although admittedly, because I am taller than Steve, I have to scrunch down about an inch in his chair to really hear what he hears. The sound is very good where I sit normally, but it becomes a bit more seamless and a more convincing disappearing act when I move a bit lower in the listening chair.

 

[microstrip]

(...) The sound is very good where I sit normally, but it becomes a bit more seamless and a more convincing disappearing act when I move a bit lower in the listening chair. Unfortunately, for many great systems, one size does not necessarily fit all.

It is a very strong point of the XLF's for me - we can walk in most of the room and the sound stays seamless. A good friend was here during the weekend and was astonished he could not feel the speakers - the room learned from the SoundLab's as he said!

 

[KeithR]

Yes yes and yes

The turntable was completely level

The level I used was a 10" digital level made by Husky. Cost $65 but I returned it the following day

https://www.amazon.com/Husky-10-Dig...sr=1-1&keywords=husky+digital+level+10+inches

we also checked the level on my rack and it was perfectly level

Sorry, but did you say you bought, used, and then returned a $65 item?

Good grief.

 

[rbbert]

Sorry, but did you say you bought, used, and then returned a $65 item?

Good grief.

Nowhere near as bad as women who buy an outfit that may run $thousands, wear it to a function or two, then return it!

 

[Steve Williams]

Actually it was a $35 level and yes I returned it. Does that still earn me a "good grief?"

 

[MadFloyd]

Guess you need every penny for those Masterbuilts!

 

[Steve Williams]

Guess you need every penny for those Masterbuilts!

and worth every penny Ian

 

[Folsom]

Actually it was a $35 level and yes I returned it. Does that still earn me a "good grief?"

Oh, I'd find some amusement if I could tell the person at the counter what the gear costs that you used it on, and felt the need to return it... They'd give you a "good grief" of some kind, but probably not to your face.

I just think it's odd you wouldn't want to have it handy.

 

[ack]

Technically, you could always tell the cashier the device was off by 0.1 degrees

 

[Steve Williams]

Oh, I'd find some amusement if I could tell the person at the counter what the gear costs that you used it on, and felt the need to return it... They'd give you a "good grief" of some kind, but probably not to your face.

I just think it's odd you wouldn't want to have it handy.

To be honest I was going to tell them the truth. I went to the counter with my receipt. Clerk said hi, took and scanned the receipt and smiled. Total use on the level was under 10 minutes and all packing material was there when I returned it unmarked. I asked if there was a restocking charge (which I was prepared to pay) and I was told "no"

 

[KeithR]

Actually it was a $35 level and yes I returned it. Does that still earn me a "good grief?"

Good grief.

 

[Leif S]

sorry, but did you say you bought, used, and then returned a $65 item?

Good grief.

lmao

 

[chopchopbin]

There's an app for that

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ihandy-level-free/id299852753?mt=8

 

[Ron Party]

I just looked at the pix of the racks/stands in your room. Wonderful. Big step up from what you had in Danville. Hope they give you tremendous joy.

 

[Steve Williams]

I had the good fortune of recently purchasing a member's complete vinyl collection which arrived last week. I have spent the past 7 days cleaning all of the records which date back from the early 60's to the late 80's. What I found interesting was when the digital age descended upon hobbyists there was a resurgence in "digitally" remastering prior analog recordings and then rebadging them as collector's items where we could hear into the recording without extraneous noise.

I listened to this one last night.

 

[ack]

You have a dbx decoder???? My two or three dbx LPs sound like *t without it, not that they sound very good with it, either. I have a dbx 224 in another system.