Ron Resnick

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Thank you.

I am doing an experiment. For Symphonie Fantastique we are front row orchestra.

For Mozart Jupiter Symphony 41 in June, we are very last row on the main floor.

I want to observe the difference in sound and the difference in perspective between the two radically different seating locations.
 
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bonzo75

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Tomorrow night: Symphony Fantastique at Walt Disney Concert Hall!

tonight Zurich opera house Rossini’s La Cenerentola. With Cecilia Bartoli. Did one with her here in 2015 or 16, also Rossini.

not in Zurich on a hifi trip. Just doing the other thing I do best, romantic getaways
 
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Johan K

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Thank you.

I am doing an experiment. For Symphonie Fantastique we are front row orchestra.

For Mozart Jupiter Symphony 41 in June, we are very last row on the main floor.

I want to observe the difference in sound and the difference in perspective between the two radically different seating locations.
Sounds great Ron, hope we all get to hear of your experience of your experiment. :)
 

Johan K

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tonight Zurich opera house Rossini’s La Cenerentola. With Cecilia Bartoli. Did one with her here in 2015 or 16, also Rossini.

not in Zurich on a hifi trip. Just doing the other thing I do best, romantic getaways
Hi there Bonzo or Ked is it.. (?),

Sounds totally awesome. I hope the sound is great, and that you will have a wonderful time. I wish I could join you. Would love to see a real classic or opera consert some time.

Have a great weekend ?!

/ Johan
 

Johan K

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Hi Ron,

Any news and progress on your speaker system? How’s the frequencies doing in your room? Have they stabilized? Does your system feel more calm and full, than a week or two ago? Many questions… but I’m really curious ;)

/ Johan
 

Ron Resnick

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Hi Ron,

Any news and progress on your speaker system? How’s the frequencies doing in your room? Have they stabilized? Does your system feel more calm and full, than a week or two ago? Many questions… but I’m really curious ;)

/ Johan

Hi Johan,

I just compared in triode mode two tapes of Gloria Estefan's Cuts Both Ways album. Then I compared the winning tape to 45rpm vinyl playing "Here We Are."

I am realizing that even in a tie between tape and vinyl on transparency, the tape sounds a bit more spacious and a bit more relaxed. In a tie, I think I prefer tape.

Then I played Mozart Jupiter Symphony 41 on tape. (After the performance was over I realized that I forgot to switch to tetrode mode.)

I am not noticing any change in sound from a week or so ago. The big change was from the beginning to about week three.

Right now my source listening time is approximately 50% vinyl, 50% tape, 0% CD.
 
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Johan K

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Hi Johan,

I just compared in triode mode two tapes of Gloria Estefan's Cuts Both Ways album. Then I compared the winning tape to 45rpm vinyl playing "Here We Are."

I am realizing that even in a tie between tape and vinyl on transparency, the tape sounds a bit more spacious and a bit more relaxed. In a tie, I think I prefer tape.

Then I played Mozart Jupiter Symphony 41 on tape. (After the performance was over I realized that I forgot to switch to tetrode mode.)

I am not noticing any change in sound from a week or so ago. The big change was from the beginning to about week three.

Right now my source listening time is approximately 50% vinyl, 50% tape, 0% CD.
Sounds great Ron, thank you for sharing the info. Interesting to see if the sound is going to improve more after ca 500-700 hours… I know my Martin Logans did anyway…

Thank you Ron and enjoy your super system.

Cincerely

Johan
 
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Ron Resnick

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At Shakti's suggestion I put a Mission Lab 274B into the Baltic 4.

65850F6D-B0BA-4379-A9CA-B774789BFB1D.jpeg

4B16A71D-1B6A-4D26-BDFB-360DBC179171.jpeg
 
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Ron Resnick

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I had a wonderful visit today from JimFord.

We played:

John Coltrane (vinyl)

LA Four (vinyl)

Soular Energy (tape)

Thelma Houston "I've Got the Music in Me" (vinyl)

"Send in the Clowns" (tape)

"Stairway to Heaven" (Classic Records test pressing)

We did a lot of comparisons between triode mode and tetrode mode.

Jim added his view to the strong consensus that tetrode mode allows the sound to expand and to extend beyond the edges of the speakers. With any program material wider than girl with guitar or more dynamic than girl with guitar tetrode mode achieves this wider soundstage and makes the music faster and punchier.

Even on "Send in the Clowns" Jim preferred tetrode mode, finding greater air around Bill Henderson's voice and body which, for him, improved suspension of disbelief (while I preferred triode mode for a slightly more liquid, softer, smoother presentation).

Once again we are left with the question is it merely the difference in power, or is it the different circuit configuration, or is it a combination of both?

"Send in the Clowns" on tape in terms of this hobby is a transcendent experience every time I hear it (today was the second and third time I heard it). For me personally this one track vindicates and justifies my entire tape project. Hearing this track, on this system is, to me, what this hobby is all about.
 
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Ron Resnick

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cjfrbw

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Love the looks of the EL 274 tube in the Lampi.

My impressions of tetrode and triode in the VTL MB450 when I had it tracked similar. Small ensembles, female vocals, chamber, some instrumentals did well in triode, but I did basically all of my listening in tetrode.

It might just be that using the tubes as originally designed works better than strapping them for triode.
 
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Al M.

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It might just be that using the tubes as originally designed works better than strapping them for triode.

That, and/or the circuitry that surrounds and feeds the tube is optimized for tetrode mode.
 

Ron Resnick

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Oh, and JimFord seconded my view* that the Pendragon woofer towers are completely amazing.

*Of course nobody wants to tell his friend he doesn't like his friend's new system that his friend waited seven years to put together. But I really do instruct people pretty firmly to tell me the truth about what they are hearing. I tell people that criticism is more valuable to me than praise.

213cobra strongly dislikes Aesthetix and VTL electronics. He feels the Io is truncating depth and soundstage. He feels the VTL pre-amp and amps leave the sound "harmonically bleached." He thinks I should be using different cables. He hears obvious discontinuity between the panels and the woofer towers. He thinks the direct drive Denon with phase locked loop motor control is generating a bit of brightness.

I greatly value and appreciate all of 213cobra's comments. That does not mean that I agree with all of them or even that I understand all of them.

But given 213cobra's willingness to be critical of the system, when he tells me that he is not hearing the gratuitous brightness which haunted me the first three weeks I feel he is probably telling me his honest sonic impression.
 
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cjfrbw

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I think the 'fast' line array woofer towers are a great solution up to middle C crossover. I imagine if you turned off the amp to the ribbons, you would be able to hear some directional information from them aka they are not strictly subwoofers.

That whole issue of discontinuity perception is a thorny one. I personally don't have that subjective liabillity as long as the integrations are reasonable as between woofers and panels. I also question the 'psychologic' effect of "seeing: two different paradigms at work, as in dynamic woofers paired with a ribbon". A sighted discontinuity might lead to an obsessive itch that an audible discontinuity is present which might not exist without visible exposure to the paradigm. These kinds of 'visual' discontinuity irritants matter to some people and could affect their opinion.

On the other hand, I can't really say that people aren't hearing what they are hearing. However, if I don't hear it, that is grand and I won't have a problem with it.
 
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Argonaut

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That whole issue of discontinuity perception is a thorny one. I personally don't have that subjective liabillity as long as the integrations are reasonable as between woofers and panels. I also question the 'psychologic' effect of "seeing: two different paradigms at work, as in dynamic woofers paired with a ribbon". A sighted discontinuity might lead to an obsessive itch that an audible discontinuity is present which might not exist without visible exposure to the paradigm. These kinds of 'visual' discontinuity irritants matter to some people and could affect their opinion.
Just so. … I sometimes wonder with incredulity at the ill conceived perception of some that merely due to say two or three drivers in a design that are not *plumb line* in physical vertical alignment that they simply cannot be time aligned audibly, as rather simplistic and naive.
 

Al M.

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That whole issue of discontinuity perception is a thorny one. I personally don't have that subjective liabillity as long as the integrations are reasonable as between woofers and panels. I also question the 'psychologic' effect of "seeing: two different paradigms at work, as in dynamic woofers paired with a ribbon". A sighted discontinuity might lead to an obsessive itch that an audible discontinuity is present which might not exist without visible exposure to the paradigm. These kinds of 'visual' discontinuity irritants matter to some people and could affect their opinion.

Good observation. I'm sure a similar visual disconnect plays into the perception of subs vs. main speakers with some.

Yet by the same logic, people should be disconcerted seeing different drivers, bass, mid and tweeter, in the main speaker. But they're all "in the same box", so I guess that tends to alleviate any concern ;).
 

PeterA

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My speakers just look like two large pieces of antique dark wood furniture in the corners of the room. No visible drivers. It doesn’t seem like I have speakers in the room especially with a fireplace between the corners. It’s a very different effect from my previous systems.

When sitting in front of large speaker systems, I often close my eyes because the speakers interrupt the image of vertical performers in front of me. I sometimes find myself looking around the speakers at the musicians behind them. It helps when sitting further back.

It is a strange psychological effect. I understand what people mean by looking at drivers also, but strangely, when listening to various exposed horn woofer two way systems, there is no discontinuity, visually or aurally.
 
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cjfrbw

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The visual and aural systems are related by reflex paths, survival and all. The two can clash.

I imagine there are hearing aptitudes who can hear intricate things that I can't, as there are such aptitudes with all senses, whether that is an advantage or not with audio systems.

However, there are those who may proclaim such to assert a position or a foible when they are not.
 
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Ron Resnick

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Anette Askvik "Liberty," recorded in 2011. I have not been able to find any evidence or even suggestion that this track was not recorded digitally.

Recorded on iPhone using Qobuz --> iPad as streamer --> Baltic 4.


I think this sounds a little dry and menthol and digitally. But considering I am using iPad a streamer here, it sounds better than I was expecting.

I actually think it may sound less dry and less menthol and less digitally than times I have heard it at shows. I think the Baltic 4 is doing some heavy lifting here to make this tolerable to listen to at all directly off an iPad.
 
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