Ron’s New System

[Al M.]

Thanks for tracking down those links Al.

You're welcome, Peter.

As far as who knows how the actual system compares to the sound of the video, I would suggest the guy who heard the system and made the video. He of course can listen to both and make an assessment.

I wouldn't trust that assessment either. As someone once said, people who make videos tend to project their memory of what the system sounds like on the video sound, and think the video sounds better than it actually does. I think that may very well be true (otherwise, why do some people post crappy videos with the utmost confidence?). The people who hear the video without that privileged reference to the original sound then scratch their heads.

 

[AudioLibertarian]

In any event , I think the reasons Ron's system is having issues with brightness with his new Mastersound PFF 100 amps are: incompatibility of the Hegel's preamp ( in my experience a rather very slightly above mid-fi brand, that to my ears is nowhere near the level of the PFF-100), and a rather long (47 feet) interconnects into an additional passive circuitry that for sure will introduce "parasitic" distortions.

 

[Holmz]

Don’t know what you mean by output SPL matching input’s signal.

I mean the acoustic signal matching the electrical signal.
(Aka zero distortion)

Some researchers have concluded that an exponential decay of harmonics staring with 2nd harmonic is the least offensive of all patterns because it “hides” in our perceptual blind spots.

^100%^.

I have heard exponential as well.
And I have also heard only 2nd and 3rd, with the second harmonic being “exponentially higher” than the 3rd… with no 4th etc being present.

Even with just 2nd and 3rd though, our ear are much better at spatially locating those wavelengths than it is for the fundamental.
And a higher level of 2nd and 3rd would seem to be more localizable than a ilower level of second and third.

And Oone of ^those^ may be preferred over zero distortion?

 

[Holmz]

In any event , I think the reasons Ron's system is having issues with brightness with his new Mastersound PFF 100 amps are: incompatibility of the Hegel's preamp ( in my experience a rather very slightly above mid-fi brand, that to my ears is nowhere near the level of the PFF-100), and a rather long (47 feet) interconnects into an additional passive circuitry that for sure will introduce "parasitic" distortions.

While I’ve sort of lost track of the system after the many pages… Have the speakers changed?
It is somewhat of a fact that speaker’s drivers have higher levels of distortion than most amps. (But their distortions are generally lower order.)

Or maybe it is the preamp…

Long RCAs normally should be rolling off the high frequencies rather than accentuating them.
Could it be possible that they are running the preamp into oscillation that is causing ultrasonic frequencies and there is IMD that is making high frequency harmonics?
(It can happen with power amps and long speaker cables, and high slew rate amps… so it seems worth asking)

@DonH50 this question seems like it could be within your baliwick of skills, or @Atmasphere ’s…

 

[Al M.]

In any event , I think the reasons Ron's system is having issues with brightness with his new Mastersound PFF 100 amps are: incompatibility of the Hegel's preamp ( in my experience a rather very slightly above mid-fi brand, that to my ears is nowhere near the level of the PFF-100), and a rather long (47 feet) interconnects into an additional passive circuitry that for sure will introduce "parasitic" distortions.

Trying to match preamp and amp can lead to the strangest results. In matching trials I have heard a number of preamp/amp combos in the same system that just sounded off, with the oddest incompatibilities. Unless both preamp and amp come from the same manufacturer, it's anyone's guess if a given combo might work.

 

[AudioLibertarian]

While I’ve sort of lost track of the system after the many pages… Have the speakers changed?
It is somewhat of a fact that speaker’s drivers have higher levels of distortion than most amps. (But their distortions are generally lower order.)

Or maybe it is the preamp…

Long RCAs normally should be rolling off the high frequencies rather than accentuating them.
Could it be possible that they are running the preamp into oscillation that is causing ultrasonic frequencies and there is IMD that is making high frequency harmonics?
(It can happen with power amps and long speaker cables, and high slew rate amps… so it seems worth asking)

@DonH50 this question seems like it could be within your baliwick of skills, or @Atmasphere ’s…

Clarysis Studio are the current speakers.

 

[AudioLibertarian]

Or maybe it is the preamp…

Long RCAs normally should be rolling off the high frequencies rather than accentuating them.
Could it be possible that they are running the preamp into oscillation that is causing ultrasonic frequencies and there is IMD that is making high frequency harmonics?
(It can happen with power amps and long speaker cables, and high slew rate amps… so it seems worth asking)

@DonH50 this question seems like it could be within your baliwick of skills, or @Atmasphere ’s…

We won't know until Ron gets a new preamp (or uses his current preamp), places it within 3 meters of the amplifiers and plugs it directly into the amps, bypassing any other additional circuitry .