Visit to Marc C.'s (SpiritOfMusic's) House in England

[spiritofmusic]

Andromeda, actually your fears were my fears prior to commissioning the room build. In reality, the acoustic has turned out better than I could have hoped for.
Those sloping eaves break up standing waves, and channel sound twds me. What also helps are the steels which act like wings at 5’ intervals, again interrupting standing waves/nodes and decreasing bass energy build up.
What’s fascinating is the intelligibility of speech in the room btwn people, it’s really crystal clear and naturally warm, giving a massive advantage before a note of music gets played.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Paul, v much looking fwds to your take on what I’ve achieved here.
Your system remains a significant benchmark for me to compare my results to.

 

[SCAudiophile]

SC, you’re v welcome
The main space at 35x30x30 is too reflective to use for the system, slap echo too intrusive. It would have needed a ton of acoustic treatments, or more deadly still, extensive DRC.
Also, my GF had the casting vote, and she decided to keep the space mercifully free of my prog rock, fusion and avant garde.
This decision has proved to be the right one, w my sound blossoming in the dedicated space.
Let me know if you can ever make it, I’m 100 miles out of Central London, 80 mins by train. A warm welcome always on offer.

Thank you VERY much for the offer; I will look forward to taking you up on this. I have to visit clients in London
soon for which trip planning is under way for early March if all goes as planned. Can you send me details on town
and other info in an inMail when it is convenient. It would be great to have a day that I can mark off to hop the
UK rail system and head out for some listening !!!

 

[spiritofmusic]

SC, send me a PM w your email when the time arises. If you hate my system, you can always drown yr sorrows with a drink outside next to the creek.
Seriously, it would be a pleasure to host you.
Bring some cd’s.

 

[caesar]

Spirit,

Congratulations! (Sorry I am a bit late to the party, as I way behind on my audio reading. Yet what a pleasure to stumble on this thread!!!) Gorgeous home and surroundings! Just relaxing looking at the pictures of your 'hood.

Great to see all the puzzle pieces you have been working with come together to fulfill your passion!

So how did you end up on the road to "Tonal density"? And to get our vocabulary straight, what's the difference between"tonal density" vs. "textural palpability"?

What has been your amp evolution on the Zus? For those who want “tonal density”, are 300B SET amps the way to go?

Thank you

P.S. And great work by Ron. Ron, I think you need to start an audio reviewer certification program.

 

[gian60]

Ron already is a very good audio reviewer

 

[NorthStar]

The best.

 

[gian60]

The best together with Bonzo

 

[spiritofmusic]

Aha, thank you loyal fans, and especially Ron for making the story.
I had U.K. Paul of Z-Axis Audio over today, and he’ll chip in when I start my dedicated system thread.
Cesar, my answer to you is an addendum to my comments on the high efficiency speaker thread.
I’m a total convert to the cause of high efficiency
1- because it allows me to indulge my love of SET magic
2- because my idea of trying to replicate some of the magic of live unamplified at home focusses on tone density, lower mids palpability and timbral accuracy, and I hear more of these attributes from SETs and high efficiency spkrs (whether horns or my current choice of full range 101dB Zus).
I’m also aware of some drawbacks in presentation, esp w my Zus.
But for full blooded tone density and textural palpability, I find these are best served the way I’ve gone (with all due respect to those who’ve achieved the same w low efficiency/SS like Apogees or Magico etc w high power transistors).
FWIW, I only have 4 speakers on a very short shortlist if I ever trade up from my current Zus...the new Zu flagships, Experiences, Voxativ 9.87, Haigner AlphaHorns or Zingali Client Name Evo 1.15.
All range btwn 97-107dB eff, all thrive on SETs, all favour full blooded tone density/textural palpability.

 

[NorthStar]

The best together with Bonzo

Yes, Banzai.

 

[caesar]

Ron already is a very good audio reviewer

Yes, he is. That is why he should set up a training and certification program because the vast majority of the reviewers suck. Walking through the show and looking at the reviewer's badge, one will be able to see if they are a clueless mother fuyer or taught and certified by Ron.

 

[caesar]

Aha, thank you loyal fans, and especially Ron for making the story.
I had U.K. Paul of Z-Axis Audio over today, and he’ll chip in when I start my dedicated system thread.
Cesar, my answer to you is an addendum to my comments on the high efficiency speaker thread.
I’m a total convert to the cause of high efficiency
1- because it allows me to indulge my love of SET magic
2- because my idea of trying to replicate some of the magic of live unamplified at home focusses on tone density, lower mids palpability and timbral accuracy, and I hear more of these attributes from SETs and high efficiency spkrs (whether horns or my current choice of full range 101dB Zus).
I’m also aware of some drawbacks in presentation, esp w my Zus.
But for full blooded tone density and textural palpability, I find these are best served the way I’ve gone (with all due respect to those who’ve achieved the same w low efficiency/SS like Apogees or Magico etc w high power transistors).
FWIW, I only have 4 speakers on a very short shortlist if I ever trade up from my current Zus...the new Zu flagships, Experiences, Voxativ 9.87, Haigner AlphaHorns or Zingali Client Name Evo 1.15.
All range btwn 97-107dB eff, all thrive on SETs, all favour full blooded tone density/textural palpability.

Thanks, Spirit. You have definitely made an impact in this cause. So what has been your amp evolution on the Zus? For those of us who want that “tonal density”, are 300B SET amps the way to go?

 

[Ron Resnick]

Awww. Thank you, gentlemen. But that was far from a “review.” I think of it as a “visit report.”

 

[spiritofmusic]

Cesar, the first change in getting back in touch w the music was buying the Hovland HP200 tube preamp in 2005.
I then chanced across Zu via Sjraen’s positive reviews in 6Ms.
Buying the Zu Definitions 2 in 2008 opened up the universe of running SETs in the large 800 sq ft/10400 cub ft room I had at the time, first 35W 845s and now 70W 211s.
Sorry I can’t comment much on other tubes.

 

[caesar]

Cesar, the first change in getting back in touch w the music was buying the Hovland HP200 tube preamp in 2005.
I then chanced across Zu via Sjraen’s positive reviews in 6Ms.
Buying the Zu Definitions 2 in 2008 opened up the universe of running SETs in the large 800 sq ft/10400 cub ft room I had at the time, first 35W 845s and now 70W 211s.
Sorry I can’t comment much on other tubes.

Thanks, Spirit. So what's your take 845s vs 211s? Or do you find that Bliss is more about the amp design vs. tube choice?

And what's your take about driving a highly efficient Zus with 35 vs. 70 W? Don't they sing with a single W?

Thank you

 

[spiritofmusic]

Well, I think the “Sings With One Watt” mantra is true w hyper efficient spkrs in smaller rooms.
I’ve run 101dB eff Zus in 800 sq ft rooms, my old one equating to 10000 cub ft, my current one 7000 cub ft. Both 35W 845 and 75W 211 SETs were enough to energise both spaces, but I’m preferring the tonal balance w my current 211s, I believe the twin overspecced transformers per mono of the NATs 211s add a greater tonal saturation and iron grip on dynamics than my flimsier Audion 845s.
And remember my bass in the Zus from 35Hz down is 300W/Ch Hypex Class D.

 

[caesar]

Well, I think the “Sings With One Watt” mantra is true w hyper efficient spkrs in smaller rooms.
I’ve run 101dB eff Zus in 800 sq ft rooms, my old one equating to 10000 cub ft, my current one 7000 cub ft. Both 35W 845 and 75W 211 SETs were enough to energise both spaces, but I’m preferring the tonal balance w my current 211s, I believe the twin overspecced transformers per mono of the NATs 211s add a greater tonal saturation and iron grip on dynamics than my flimsier Audion 845s.
And remember my bass in the Zus from 35Hz down is 300W/Ch Hypex Class D.

Thanks. And how do the "double driver" Zus, such as your Definition Mk.IV, sound differently than their single driver models? (As you mention above 6 Moons guys went crazy over the "basic" model.)

Thank you so much!

 

[spiritofmusic]

Caesar, I’ve heard the Druid V on a couple of occasions, once at a show, once domestically.
And obviously I have intimate experience w my Def IVs.
And the new Druid VI is by all accounts better than the V across the board.
It seems from my experience that the single full range driver (FRD) Druid V is veered twds more delicacy and speed, more intimate, less “sturm und drang”.
It suits female voice, acoustic guitar, Americana, Country, string quartet, choral, better than the twin FRD Definitions IV which suits “bigger” music, my genres of prog rock/fusion/electric jazz/Progressive Electronica, as well as being better able to deal w big band jazz (Buddy Rich nailing WestSide Story drum solo/horns finale on my IVs is something to behold) and orchestral.
This is both a function of the single FRD drawing the listener more into the acoustic so favouring more intimate music, w the twin FRDs being better able to present and control bombast a lot better.
Additionally the twin FRD Def IV have the integrated down firing Eminence Lab-12 subs that I find invaluable for my chosen tastes.
One of course can make a case for the new Druid VI which apparently bridges the gap btwn Druid V and Definitions IV, and add one or two Zu Submission subs for that deepcore experience.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Caesar, I’m very much a fan of the high eff/full range driver approach.
Hence my patronage of Zu.
But there is a likely higher quality audiophile alternative, the Voxativ 9.87 (“Pi Squared”) out of Germany.
Uses a single 7” FRD (in this case 80Hz-20kHz, whereas Zu favour Eminence 10” 35Hz-12kHz augmented by Radian 850 supertweeter to 20kHz), choice of 3 FRDs incl field coil driver, £25k-£45k. Zu use a downfiring 12” Eminence Lab-12 sub, Voxativ use pro-audio twin dipole 12” sub.

 

[bach_king]

Caesar, I’m very much a fan of the high eff/full range driver approach.
Hence my patronage of Zu.
But there is a likely higher quality audiophile alternative, the Voxativ 9.87 (“Pi Squared”) out of Germany.
Uses a single 7” FRD (in this case 80Hz-20kHz, whereas Zu favour Eminence 10” 35Hz-12kHz augmented by Radian 850 supertweeter to 20kHz), choice of 3 FRDs incl field coil driver, £25k-£45k. Zu use a downfiring 12” Eminence Lab-12 sub, Voxativ use pro-audio twin dipole 12” sub.

Hi Marc

Congratulations on what is clearly a beautiful and very impressive listening space and system. You are obviously a man of taste with his life priorities well sorted. I completely agree with your high efficiency loudspeaker philosophy. I enjoyed reading Ron’s piece on your set up which was very professional. I am fairly sure that we look at systems in a different way but I think we probably have one thing in common, namely that we both bought our homes for their ability to provide an excellent dedicated listening environment.

I am sure that like me you have heard and owned many different systems over the years. The one thing that never ceases to amaze me is how different they can be sonically and still be so very enjoyable to listen to. There is a common thread for me notably, in all of the jungle that we call hi fi, we are all on a journey and no matter how exotic the equipment and no matter how beautiful the room, the systems still have issues, they are never perfect. I have had the pleasure and privilege of visiting the famous SME music room in Steyning on many occasions and superb as it was it still had its problems. The room was completely mind blowingly beautiful. Its strengths were the detail air and space around the performance. Its ability to image was the best I have ever heard bar none. The detail retrieval was nothing short of astonishing. I didn’t believe that Quad ESL 63’s (in stacked pairs) could produce bass as they did - but they did and very impressively. On the right material it created a live experience which was helped by the fact that the power amps and speakers were concealed behind chiffon curtains. It did not have the dynamic and loudness capability to handle large scale classical material. However on opera, which it what it was designed for, it was sublime. I found this very instructive because what it said to me was that no matter what resources you have you will never arrive at your final destination if its perfection you are looking for.

I started my audio journey with horns and after 20 years in the wilderness using various transmission line enclosures I returned to them in 1995 with a pair of Klipschorns and from there in 2005 to Tannoy Westminster Royals and two years ago to Tannoy Prestige Canterbury GR’s. These do not compare in efficiency to your Zu’s but at 96db efficiency they allow me to use low power amplifiers like my little Quads, which are not actually Quads. They use the Quad chassis and transformers but everything else is new and designed from scratch. I hope that one of these days I can make it to your neck of the woods and meet with you for a listen.

By modern standards I am probably a bit of a Luddite. I dislike computer audio and a streamer is very unlikely to ever cross my threshold. I know many people love it and good luck to them but to me it sounds poor and simply dumbs down the hobby. I love records and particularly those from the early stereo period (say 1953 to 1964) RCA Living stereos can be superb as can Capitol stereos. I also enjoy reading the sleeve notes which in many cases were written by very eminent commentators.

I was interested to see that you like Voxativ. The chap who designed and built my Quad II’s was the UK distributor for Voxativ until 2016. I have heard Various models but they were not to my taste. I found them a bit lightweight (sound wise) and brittle sounding - sounding too like hi fi. Perhaps I did not hear them performing at their best. I will have to make a point of hearing them again in Munich this year.

Anyway well done for achieving such a lovely setup.

Kind regards

David.