Peter, you have a very elegant and wonderful arrangement of equipment and room. Thanks for sharing!
Sublime Sound
- Thread starter PeterA
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<Withdrawing my comments, because they were subsequently used incorrectly, out of context, and in an inappropriate away>
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I think one of the special attributes of Peter's system is that while it excels at accuracy & resolution and is very engaging because of it, it remains extremely relaxing at the same time. I could camp out on his couch listening for days without fatigue (as long as it wasn't in summer - the heat of those XA160.5's would get me!).
After a three week audition, I just replaced my Pass XOno with the XP-25. It excels in the areas of tonal density, timbral accuracy and spacial layering. The improvements are subtle, but clearly heard. Everything just sounds slightly more natural.
Along with the switch in phono amps, I have just decided to trade in my single-ended Transparent REF XL from phono to pre for the balanced version. The XOno sounded best with a single-ended output cable while the XP-25 sounds better with a balanced output cable to the XP-20. Unfortunately, the upgrade costs about the same as the different phono amps. I guess what they say about cables being like another component is true in that sense.
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As a fellow Transparent owner, I hear what you're saying here. I do think it was the right choice...I'd love to get to hear your system again soon !
Hi Peter,
I've already expressed my admiration of your entire set-up in your vibraplane thread but I just can't help doing it again here. It looks very well thought out and I'm sure you are reaping the rewards for all that hard work and attention to detail. Good Job!
I've already expressed my admiration of your entire set-up in your vibraplane thread but I just can't help doing it again here. It looks very well thought out and I'm sure you are reaping the rewards for all that hard work and attention to detail. Good Job!
Thank you for the kind words Jack, George, Ack, Floyd and the others. The system certainly brings me much joy.
John, you are very welcome to hear the system again. Since you were last here, fine adjustment of VTA, the XP-25 and the balanced cable have definitely improved the sound. I try to make slow and deliberate changes when they contribute to greater musical enjoyment. I'd love to share some listening time with anyone who finds himself in the Boston area.
Keith, I fully agree, especially when compared to the Q1. I do think the Q3 as a floor stander is better. Now that Magico has the in-house capabilities of curved cabinets and baffles, they could attempt to replicate the curves of the Mini in an all aluminum enclosure, including the base. That would be interesting. But they are moving away from the one-off designs, except for the Ulitmate.
I do not think the Q-series lack of curves, or rather, the "boxy look", has anything to do with capability... The Q3 does have curves on the front baffle. Seems to me more like a design decision instead...
alexandre
I switched to balanced from XP25 to preamp recently too, I think it sounds best that way.
Peter, I'm curious, what kind of fine adjustments to VTA are you talking about regarding the SME V-12?
I fully agree. Although I usually feel and say that looks are secondary in audio equipment, I can not feel the same about speakers (every rule must have an exception).
The Mini's with their stands are really artistic - on par with same Sonus Faber's and the KTEMA. Although I like the Alexia's very much, I can not consider them artistic speakers - they are too big and massive.
I thought I had read somewhere that Magico could not build curved cabinet walls when the Q5 first came out. They could mill a think baffle into a curved surface though. The curved sidewalls was described as a new capability with the introduction of the S5.
How about a curved baffle of the Q AND a curved sidewall of the S? We shall see what the future brings.
Hello Frank, I spent a month experimenting with VTA settings and found that proper SRA is essential to getting the most enjoyment out of vinyl. To my surprise, it has little to do with LP thickness. I did these experiments while I was also experimenting with loading and gain options on my old Pass XOno. I had thought loading and VTA would effect the sound in similar ways, namely tonal balance. I was very wrong.
SRA has everything to do with the timing of a note. If the VTA is too low, the fundamental and the harmonics are slightly separated in time. The note is stretched and sounds unnatural. If the VTA is too high, the harmonics overlap and obscure the fundamental of a note, softening transients and hiding details. When the SRA matches the original cutting angle of the LP groove, the notes sound more natural and the timing relationship between the fundamental and the harmonics is correct. Transient, sustain, decay.
To this end, I now adjust the VTA of my V-12 arm within a 4mm range. I use the SME supplied paper protractor which has a mm scale on the end. I measure from the top of the armboard to the bottom of the arm rest support, both of which are flat. The average measurement is 17mm. Some records are as high as 19 and some as low as 15, but the majority are between 16 and 18. I find the correct setting for each LP when I play it and then write it down on a sticky note which I keep between the cover and the outer sleeve for easy reference for the next time I play it.
I did this demo on a fellow member's system with two of my LPs. He was really surprised at how much the sound changed and how much more natural the music sounded. In another experiment, this gentleman asked me to shut my eyes and tell him when the VTA sounded best as he adjusted it up and down on his VPI table/arm. When I said stop, he measured and told me that the setting was extremely close to the theoretical 92 degrees that he had previously calculated. I think that was a coincidence for that particular LP because I have found that the same thickness records have different ideal SRAs. 92 is just a close compromise and if you don't have a way to do the math or capability to see the stylus, how do you know what the angle is? It is much more accurate to set it by ear. You just have to train yourself to know what to listen for.
It has taken some practice, but it now only takes me about 15-20 seconds to adjust the VTA before I play the LP. Sometimes I will play a few Philips LPs in the evening for example which have the same setting, so I don't need to adjust anything for that session, but usually, I make 2-4 changes an evening. It is well worth it, IMO.
LPs that used to sound a bit flat or lacked detail and natural tone now sound much better. Dynamics improved also, but mostly, it is the quality of the notes which sound much more natural when the SRA is correct. Incidentally, a 1 mm VTA height change on a 12" arm is less than 1/4 degree of SRA change. This is audible on my system and has contributed greatly to my listening enjoyment. I dare say it is about as significant an improvement as going from the XOno to the XP-25. And some of the sonic improvements are similar, ie better spacial layering, more tonal density, and more accurate timbre.
And the best part is that this improvement in sonics was free for a change.
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I have to meet that mathematical genius
and yes, as I have said before, LP thickness makes no difference because, if you do the math, the difference in thickness is just tiny factions of a mm between, say, 180 and 200g. What's even worse with "thicker" pressings and the assumptin that SRA is different, is that the master isn't necessarily cut with that thicker a lacquer - it's the actual *pressing* that's thicker: same master -> different pressing thicknesses.Similar threads
