Hopkins' System

[hopkins]

I've gone back, for the time being, to the previous MK3 Teufel model and the original crossover filter (with a few upgraded parts). Therr's something about the sound that is very easy to listen to. When it ain't broke, don't fix it? I think I may have done something wrong wiring the MK4 version. I am going to rewire the drivers and start over...

Yesterday I received this LP, in mono.




The digital stereo version I have actually sounds very good, but it's nice to hear Gene Ammons' saxophone centered and not panned to the left. The LP was VG+ on discogs, sold at a reasonable price (20$).

There's a digital mono version on Qobuz, which is in fact a vinyl rip from a dodgy label, that sounds a little muffled...

The best digital version on Qobuz is this one IMO (I have the CD):

Listen to the release The Gene Ammons Story: Gentle Jug by Gene Ammons on Qobuz https://open.qobuz.com/album/0002521854792

Here is the CD:

Gene Ammons - The Gene Ammons Story: Gentle Jug

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 1992 CD release of "The Gene Ammons Story: Gentle Jug" on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

It seems that there is a new release coming out from Analog Productions, in vinyl, and SACD+CD, maybe worth checking out for those who enjoy the album:

Gene Ammons The Soulful Moods Of Gene Ammons Hybrid Stereo SACD

Elusive Disc, Inc., Features Only The Best In Audiophile Hardware, Accessories and Music. We Offer a Wide Variety Of Audiophile Turntables, Cartridges, Phono Stages, Record Cleaners, SACD Players, Speakers, Headphones, Pre-Amps, LP Cleaning Fluids, Cables, Vibration Control, Record Brushes &...

elusivedisc.com

 

[hopkins]

Guilty pleasures

 

[hopkins]

I put my speakers on small platforms with wheels to move them around and experiment with alternative placements.

There's a bass issue when the speakers are placed in the corners, but otherwise there is good clarity and the sound fills up the room nicely. The room is long and the acoustics are not that bad. It could be fun to experiment with cheap subs!

 

[Alrainbow]

There is a big issue as you keep moving the camera , I'm getting sea sickness

 

[hopkins]

There is a big issue as you keep moving the camera , I'm getting sea sickness

Noted!

 

[hopkins]

I rewired the tweeter and midrange driver of these new MK4 speakers and the sound is back to normal. Dare I say it sounds a bit more natural?

I soldered this wire to the driver terminals:

ELECAUDIO FC116TC Multistrand wiring cable OFC Copper FEP 1.6mm² Red - Audiophonics

elecaudio-fc116tc-cable-ofc-copper-fep-16mm-red

www.audiophonics.fr

For the woofers, which I have not rewired yet, I will probably use a slightly thicker wire. Teufel uses cheap steel clips. One of them may have been loose.

With the drivers removed, i noticed that they added some padding as well inside the cabinets.

The only issue is that my girlfriend is not a great fan of the grey speaker covers - looks "officy"...I think I can purchase the black grills from Teufel, so the problem should be solved.

This song is really starting to get on my nerves (it was never great to start with...) but it's useful to play the same tracks for comparison purposes, and some people seem to enjoy it:

I think I may add some weight inside the speakers (at their base), to reduce vibrations a little further. I have to return my amp for a small fix but will work on some further improvements after.

On a side note, I decided to upgrade my phono preamp...

 

[hopkins]

Here's my latest acquisition: Phasemation EA-220 phono stage. A nice improvement on either the Pixy Sota or the internal phonostage of the Joplin...



In action (the LP is not "mint"...):

The Joplin's DSP based phonostage is glitchy and not as transparent. The Pixy Sota is nice, but not at the same level either.

 

[hopkins]

Fun dance sequence in the last episode of Will Trent that I watched:

I am sure that the actors really had fun shooting this. How could you resist letting loose to this song?

This one is for @Rexp

What a voice!

 

[hopkins]

Another fun, and very cute, video:

 

[hopkins]

An impressive evaluation of a wide range of capacitors can be found here: https://www.humblehomemadehifi.com/Cap.html

 

[hopkins]

Off topic, but fans of this movie may be interested in checking out an upcoming release of a new 4K version:

Barry Lyndon

Stanley Kubrick bent the conventions of the historical drama to his own will in this dazzling vision of a pitiless aristocracy, adapted from a novel by William Makepeace Thackeray. In picaresque detail, Barry Lyndon chronicles the adventures of an incorrigible trickster (Ryan O’Neal) whose...

www.criterion.com

I pre-ordered it...

 

[Alrainbow]

Fun dance sequence in the last episode of Will Trent that I watched:

I am sure that the actors really had fun shooting this. How could you resist letting loose to this song?

This one is for @Rexp

What a voice!

Back in the day I was a dj at clubs she performed live a couple of times at the place I worked at. So did she tramps and a few others.
Back then disco mist times was recorded and produced very well. All live real players
her suff and others are great sounding even today. Madonna too.

 

[Alrainbow]

Tramps best of show every time they played live. 15 pc band big performers
did pyrotechnic on disco inferno smoked the place out lol.
That drummer made disco top hat sound years before disco had a name.
Died poor in an old age home .

 

[Alrainbow]

Off topic, but fans of this movie may be interested in checking out an upcoming release of a new 4K version:

Barry Lyndon

Stanley Kubrick bent the conventions of the historical drama to his own will in this dazzling vision of a pitiless aristocracy, adapted from a novel by William Makepeace Thackeray. In picaresque detail, Barry Lyndon chronicles the adventures of an incorrigible trickster (Ryan O’Neal) whose...

www.criterion.com

I pre-ordered it...

Any clockwork orange love here

 

[hopkins]

David Gelly's Lester Young biography - "Being Prez" - is a fascinating read, and the occasion to listen again to some of Young's best work. Here's a sample, from the famous "Kansas City Six" session, recorded on September 8, 1938!

• Buck Clayton - trumpet
• Lester Young - clarinet and tenor sax
• Eddie Durham - trombone and electric guitar
• Freddie Green - guitar, vocals
• Walter Page - bass
• Jo Jones - drums

Last night after recording the video I listened to it in a loop for 30 minutes...

 

[hopkins]

I am pleasantly surprised by the difference that better components make, even if the speaker drivers are not "high end"...



I've gone back to the original crossover design I had first used (based on Ecdesigns' "design").

I added some Basotect foam at the bottom of each speaker, and am experimenting with roller ball footers. I like the results.

Here's an interesting site (there's a thread on Audiophile Style to which the designer contributes):

Artificial Intelligence Technologies J.K. Oy - Audio Cables

Anyway, here's some Eddie Palmieri to start off the day:

Listen to No Me Hagas Sufrir by Eddie Palmieri on Qobuz https://open.qobuz.com/track/62071885

EDDIE PALMIERI - Fania Records

The White Album was recorded in early 1981. Originally titled “Eddie Palmieri”, it became known as The White Album, which referred to the LP’s white cover. In

fania.com

This great album could be a good candidate for a vinyl purchase!

The Fania site mentions the use of a Baby Bass on that album. I looked it up. Here's a video on the instrument:

 

[hopkins]

Good enough for me (but if ECDesigns ever comes up with improvements I will obviously be curious to try them...).

The speakers + crossover components now total about 1000€. The powerDAC-SX is the most expensive component in the system, but overall, vinyl is just as expensive , if not more - you need a turntable, a decent cartridge, a phono preamp (and in my case an ADC). Digital is extremely cheap in comparison (WiiM Pro is 200€). I started out with budget "vinyl" components and the gap between 500€ and 5000€ is huge for "analog" - not really the case for digital, in my experience.

I've heard much more expensive analog rigs, but they simply don't make sense for someone like me who likes to spin a few old records once in a while. When it comes to analog I think I've hit my sweet spot.

 

[hopkins]

An interesting video on our hearing by a leading specialist:

Video description:

Nina Kraus is an auditory biologist, professor at Northwestern University, head of the Auditory Neuroscience Lab (Brainvolts), and director of the Knowles Hearing Center. https://brainvolts.nor...

In this interview, Nina Kraus, PhD, discusses the complexity of auditory neuroscience and the vital role of sound in our lives. She explains how the brain processes the intricate elements of sound and the broad impact of the hearing brain on cognition, emotion, and movement. Dr. Kraus emphasizes the importance of sound for learning and development, highlighting the significant benefits of musical education on brain function. She also addresses the negative effects of noise pollution and the need for quieter environments to improve health and well-being. Dr. Kraus shares her passion for interdisciplinary research and the challenges of studying sound across different fields. She calls for support in advancing the use of biological measures in clinical care, particularly for concussion recovery and hearing aid optimization. The conversation concludes with reflections on the importance of listening and the need to cultivate our ability to listen deeply in an increasingly noisy world


For further readings, check out her website: https://brainvolts.northwestern.edu/
There is an interesting section, among many others, on "aging" discussing how specific training can improve "hearing in noise" as we get older.

 

[hopkins]

I'm without my amp for probably 10 days. YouTube on my TV with my modest Sonos soundbar will have to do. Music can still be enjoyed!

 

[hopkins]

I randomly watched a video discussing Analog Production's latest re-issue of "Side by Side". It's a stereo version, and it prompted me to look for mono versions on YouTube (there are none on Qobuz). Here's a good quality vinyl rip in mono:

It is certainly pleasant to list to with headphones.

Here is the channel's description:

"I am a jazz LP collector. I am also interested in audio system.In this channel, I will play jazz LPs that I have collected over the years, especially early mono records, on my audio system.

When listening to music, stereo versions usually sound better, but when listening to jazz albums from the 50s and 60s, I usually think that mono records express the jazziness better.That's why I enjoy listening to jazz from that era in mono. The mono jazz sound that I hear while playing the record at the same time feels like the sound of a live club, so it's very ecstatic.

Main system for LP recording.Mono Cartridge: Ortofon SPU A type 1milTonearm: Groove Master MK4Turntable: DaVinciAudio Labs "In UniSon Mk2"Step-up Transformer: Peerless K241DPhono: AirTight ATE-3011Pre Amp: Goldmund Mimesis 22HDigital Recorder: Nagra SDRecord the signal before it goes to the power amplifier, i.e. from the preamp out."

Here is the channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BlueNote33RPM/videos