Modern speakers vs Vintage speakers

[thomask]

This shows the strength of hybrid Scaena and Altec A7.

The soundstage is wide and deep, almost mesmerizing.

Using Altec A7 basshorn bass sounds powerful with jump effect.

 

[thomask]

To coclude, I enjoy holographic 3 D stage made by Scaena.

In addition, Altec A7 basshorn add efforless dynamics to the system.

Also I have more headroom to drive main tower of Scaena with smal or medium power tube amp using either 290hz or 500 hz crossover instead of 120 hz.

But it is easier to go back to Altec treble horn since I keep 500 hz crossover point.

Thus I can have both nuance of vintage speaker and 3 D imaging of Scaena.

I had listened to WE full horn system more than 50 times in Korea.

Although they sounds very nice with nuanced details and effortless dynamics, they never throw 3 D holographic image provided by Scaena.

 

[morricab]

To coclude, I enjoy holographic 3 D stage made by Scaena.

In addition, Altec A7 basshorn add efforless dynamics to the system.

Also I have more headroom to drive main tower of Scaena with smal or medium power tube amp using either 290hz or 500 hz crossover instead of 120 hz.

But it is easier to go back to Altec treble horn since I keep 500 hz crossover point.

Thus I can have both nuance of vintage speaker and 3 D imaging of Scaena.

I had listened to WE full horn system more than 50 times in Korea.

Although they sounds very nice with nuanced details and effortless dynamics, they never throw 3 D holographic image provided by Scaena.

Cool experiments! What did you do with your Lansche speakers?

 

[thomask]

Cool experiments! What did you do with your Lansche speakers?

I still keep Lansche since I had used it for 15 years.

But it may be time to let it go.

 

[MarcelNL]

it could be the recording, yet...did you verify absolute phase ? that MJ sounds if he is singing into your kitchen ;-)
I think I prefer the energy and coherence across the freq range of the A7, but without a direct listening session it's hard to say. YT does tend to augment issues where there may be none 'live'

happy experimenting!

 

[thomask]

it could be the recording, yet...did you verify absolute phase ? that MJ sounds if he is singing into your kitchen ;-)
I think I prefer the energy and coherence across the freq range of the A7, but without a direct listening session it's hard to say. YT does tend to augment issues where there may be none 'live'

happy experimenting!

Phase is correct but sound stage is so deep that MJ seems to sing behind the scenes.
Sometimes sound stage appears to be more than live scale but that gives fun.
Nice thing is that I can switch back to Altec treble horn if I want it.

 

[thomask]

I arrived in Seoul, Korea yesterday and expect to see my 30 months old grandson coming from Toronto this afternoon.

It is family reunion with three grownup children, their spouses, and one grandson.


By the way I miss holographic soundstage from Scaena.

It may give exaggerated soundstage wider and deeper than live concert, but it is fun.

Using muliple drivers, its distortion is very low judged from above video.

If you are buff for soundstage, you shall try out Scaena speaker.

Overall, I found Altec A7 bi amped using Accuphase F25 active crossover sounds more natural with live scale soundstage (above video).

I can easily switch back and forth between Sceana main tower and Altec treble horn depending on my mood and music.

After I am back to WA state later July, I have high expectation about Pacific Audiofest

I am curious whether any of the displayed system will give wide and deep 3D holographic soundstage like Scaena.

AXPONA 2022 | Loudspeakers $30k and Up - The Absolute Sound

AXPONA 2022 | Loudspeakers $30k and Up - After three years of self-imposed exile, it felt distinctly odd to go to a trade show—my first since Munich High End 2019.

www.theabsolutesound.com

TAS also give very favorable opinion to Scaena speaker.

 

[MarcelNL]

We had a get together listening to KL405 in an open baffle, and the next day we added one KL405 per channel.
Remarkable speaker that IMO is easily one of the best ever. Using two per channel brings a lot of authority, you lose some ultrafine detail but the sound becomes even more realistic.

Comparing the scaena vs the Altec, my vote goes to the Altec

 

[Solypsa]

We had a get together listening to KL405 in an open baffle, and the next day we added one KL405 per channel.
Remarkable speaker that IMO is easily one of the best ever.

Any comments about how your tesla's fare in comparison? ( I know different systems etc. )

 

[Solypsa]

...Comparing the scaena vs the Altec, my vote goes to the Altec

Did anyone catch that Thomas is using the Scaena WITH the altec bass cabinet !?!
( 500hz xover )

 

[MarcelNL]

Did anyone catch that Thomas is using the Scaena WITH the altec bass cabinet !?!
( 500hz xover )

I did, yet to me the Scaena still sounds off

 

[Solypsa]

Its a pretty unusual mix, especially with the Altec cab being a few meters behind the Scaena

 

[MarcelNL]

Any comments about how your tesla's fare in comparison? ( I know different systems etc. )

The Tesla's have more punch in the low mid and bass range, but are a bit less revealing. Using three Tesla's versus two KL405s per side helps to reduce cone excursion and improving clarity/upper midrange. The funny thing is when I listen to his system I hear a very similar sound as at home and each system has its strongpoints...someone with a shitload of (excess) room might want to keep two side by side and switch according to what music is playing ;-)
We will be comparing the KL405s in the real Bionor design, so 2 KL405s versus my 'Trionor', I think I can predict the difference will be smaller yet the similar.

the 405s are stellar speakers, they perform far better than the KL406 we heard in the Euronor Junior (what's in a name) in Berlin... heck they should be great considering what they fetch these days...

I did consider swapping the three tesla's for three KL405's per channel, but the difference is so small, the specific strengths of the Tesla so nice, and the price difference so large that I do not consider it a worthwile swap (the Tesla's are pretty good too). We think that Tesla had a very good look at 405 when designing their 835s...

 

[MarcelNL]

Its a pretty unusual mix, especially with the Altec cab being a few meters behind the Scaena

yeah I know, looking at those vids makes me want to move stuff around ;-)

 

[Argonaut]

yeah I know, looking at those vids makes me want to move stuff around ;-)

Don’t set me off

 

[MarcelNL]

To be honest, whatever rocks someones boat...in the end it depends on what someone wants out of a speaker, sometimes an intially seemingly weird setup works.

 

[godofwealth]

Hear hear. Heard and owned a lot of high end speakers over the past 35 years, including some at stratospheric prices that require a fork lift to move. The one I keep coming back to as my long term reference is a pair of original Quad ESL 57s made over 50 years ago, which work perfectly still. When I hook them after an absence, I always wonder if we have learned anything about speaker design in the 60 odd years since Peter Walker released his “room heater” design. That classic Bahaus design remains unmatched.

 

[MarcelNL]

I like the 57's, yet they are fairly small and lack low end. My main beef with ESLs is the lack of follow through, punch etc, to me the sound is too ethereal although the detail is great.
I have heard the result when someone was using 4 of these (esl57) per channel, no need for anything else ever...(but loads of space to properly place them, an accomodating spouse and an AC to keep the heat of the amps in check)

 

[godofwealth]

Yup, hence my merry go around with speakers that require a fork lift to move. In the end, I keep coming back to my 57s as my long term reference. Nothing else matches the sheer rightness of the 57s, even Walker’s later 63 point source models don’t have the same “pipe and slippers” sound. I’m driving mine with a lovely pair of Cary 300B SETs, which have one Western Electric 300B per channel to produce 10 watts or so. Not much heat from these SETs. The sound is all I need for most types of music I listen to.

 

[MarcelNL]

aaah the nostalgia kicks in, we had a joint interest with the local importers for Cary way back when....sweet memories, riding in trhe back of a small van to a show...veeeery late listening sessions...