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

[spiritofmusic]

Rando, thanks. The Airblades experience has possibly been the most left-field one I've ever experienced. I mean, finding the right cables, power distribution, vibration isolation, room acoustics, is a fairly linear, well established route. Modding components, similar. And I've gone down both directions.
The Airblades seem to do a bit of everything. Modding my Zus to greater heights of immersiveness and musicality, while also aiding subs performance, maybe the dramatic effect of room acoustics helped by the Airblades, or maybe more accurately how my Zus with Airblades now interact with my room.
Maybe the only analogue to this would have been had I gone down a DSP-based Swarm arrangement using multiple subs around the room, or a MCH setup.
I'm not saying Airblades = multiple subs or multiple satellite spkrs.
I'm just saying that their dramatic effect feels like that effect is borne of way more than *just* better tweeters in the room.

 

[morricab]

Rando, thanks. The Airblades experience has possibly been the most left-field one I've ever experienced. I mean, finding the right cables, power distribution, vibration isolation, room acoustics, is a fairly linear, well established route. Modding components, similar. And I've gone down both directions.
The Airblades seem to do a bit of everything. Modding my Zus to greater heights of immersiveness and musicality, while also aiding subs performance, maybe the dramatic effect of room acoustics helped by the Airblades, or maybe more accurately how my Zus with Airblades now interact with my room.
Maybe the only analogue to this would have been had I gone down a DSP-based Swarm arrangement using multiple subs around the room, or a MCH setup.
I'm not saying Airblades = multiple subs or multiple satellite spkrs.
I'm just saying that their dramatic effect feels like that effect is borne of way more than *just* better tweeters in the room.

Cool. Heard this interesting driver in Munich and it was planar like in its transparency…glad to hear it has made a significant difference in your system.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Brad, absolutely amazing. Brought real insight and musicality. I'm glad you heard it's promise, it's easy to look like you're imagining this stuff.

 

[KeithR]

Keith, if I'm complaining about anything, it's the £ at parity with the $, not Sean's pricing. Your opinions on my spending choices have been duly noted.

That’s really cherry picking - the all time high vs low in the exchange rate.

and the GBP is at 1.15 today, down from 1.4, 5 years ago. Yea, I remember Brit’s bringing empty suit cases to NYC back in 08 but that was a one time event not the norm.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Hmm, at it was closer to GBP at 1.85 when bought my 2s, and 1.6 w the 4s. And the 6s are twice the street price compared to those. Keith, I'm not making any point that the Defs 6 will be "unaffordable" for others, or that they're overpriced (neither of those are true).
But for a fraction of that price, the Airblades offer me such a dramatic uptick, and I'm falling in love w my sound so dramatically, that this purchase I'm fully confident makes more sense than going for the 6s. At this point in time.

 

[howiebrou]

Congrats on the Airblades Marc. I have tried them at home with Westminsters and it is pretty difficult to go back once you have heard what they do. I hope to try them one day with my AN UK speakers although the severe toe in for the AN speakers makes me wonder what direction the airblades should be given their dispersion pattern.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Well Howie, they're sitting here on tripods away from the main spkrs, so any amount of toe-in is possible.

 

[howiebrou]

Well Howie, they're sitting here on tripods away from the main spkrs, so any amount of toe-in is possible.

True, I just wonder if you're meant to follow the direction of the main tweeter all the time?

 

[spiritofmusic]

Howie, leave these Q's on the Airblades thread. Arthur will only be following discussions there.

 

[spiritofmusic]

One of the joys of refining my system since we moved to the chapel, and this dedicated room for the system, is ongoing evolution to a sound that is much more transparent (to source), and thus I'm achieving greater accuracy and truthfulness, but at no detriment to pure enjoyment and immersiveness.
And the Airblades have turned this up to 11.
A prime example is the Brand X album Unorthodox Behaviour, a prime slab of mid 70s bass heavy prog/fusion.
It really can be a low frequencies morass and wall of sound. I have two copies, an English first pressing and Japanese pressing.
In London, both sounded more similar than different, but masked by my tendency too much towards an "in your face" presentation.
Here, today playing both pressings one after the other, my vastly improved transparency totally differentiates btwn them. The Japanese pressing is overly bass heavy and closed in, the English pressing is just as pertinent low down, but hugely more agile, spacious and sparkling.
There is no way I was even close to this result back in London where my room acoustics were a trial, my TT wasn't anywhere near as optimised as it is today, and critically these Airblades digging out space, staging, shimmer and fine detail, didn't exist.

 

[AThrillOfHope]

The other way to look at this is, spirituality doesn't quite cover: needing a new roof, total re-plumb and re-wire, two dozen new windows, new kitchen, two new bathrooms, total plaster and decorate...and the expense of creating a dedicated listening room.
Other than that, good for the soul.

Talk about a buzz-kill! Well, you know what some say—no greater love has one than to lay down his wallet for another. (Actually, it was “life”, not “wallet”. But our resources are the result of our life’s labor. Right? So it kinda works.)

 

[spiritofmusic]

AThrillOfHope, I really appreciate the sentiments, all we did was both spend money where it was essential, and (more) money to undo the terrible choices the previous owner made.
My bigger point is that there's a lot of spirituality and romance involved in a project like owning, restoring and living in a building like this...and a lot of hard reality.

 

[spiritofmusic]

The Airblades journey continues to be a really enjoyable one, as transformational as a change can be in augmenting a main component. Recent update on the Airblades thread. Representing a real open window to greater appreciation of jazz and classical, which is now forming 95% of my music buying.
My next dip in the audio pool will be trying Montesquieu/Tom's HQ Audio mat. My Salvation TT runs the ResoMat he found positive but a little bit "exciteable", Tom is convinced I could get good results trying the HQ mat.
Hoping that audition happens soon.

 

[spiritofmusic]

The madness/joy continues. Just installed a silver Prince upgrade to the Sablon Bocchino power cord on my Straingauge cartridge energizer LPS. It took a little thought balancing silver and platinum choices here, ie platinum best to CDP and TT motor, silver best to cartridge energizer.
Mix of silver and platinum to preamp and monos.
Looking next year at likely paladium Princes to my Zu sub amps Bocchinos, but will wait until I install my upgraded units soon to be sorted by Sean at Zu.
I'm perusing the possibility of a Symposium Acoustics Quantum Signature platform to go under my TT and energizer onto the Stacore.
However next to go in is likely the HQ Audio mat/stabiliser that has been a very positive uptick during recent trial.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Just spent a fantastic day with Tom/Montesquieu, and his stellar system, modded Thorens 124/Murakasina cart/AN dac-Jays CDT/Radford amps/specially procured vintage Tannoys.
I don't think I've ever enjoyed a system that is so consistent across LP and CD, with a sound that is seamlessly enjoyable, hugely holistic, not a weakness detectable.
He's a great host, and extremely knowledgeable especially when it comes to the subject of so many aspects of classical music, especially his specialist interests and genres.
A little like Audiophile Bill, it's so rewarding to be present in a system sound that just works, is so natural. Tom's system is at once self effacing and natural, and also exciting and immersive. Holistic is the best term I can come up with.
And a great comparison and benchmark for me to relate my current improved SQ to.

 

[bonzo75]

Just spent a fantastic day with Tom/Montesquieu, and his stellar system, modded Thorens 124/Murakasina cart/AN dac-Jays CDT/Radford amps/specially procured vintage Tannoys.
I don't think I've ever enjoyed a system that is so consistent across LP and CD, with a sound that is seamlessly enjoyable, hugely holistic, not a weakness detectable.
He's a great host, and extremely knowledgeable especially when it comes to the subject of so many aspects of classical music, especially his specialist interests and genres.
A little like Audiophile Bill, it's so rewarding to be present in a system sound that just works, is so natural. Tom's system is at once self effacing and natural, and also exciting and immersive. Holistic is the best term I can come up with.
And a great comparison and benchmark for me to relate my current improved SQ to.

agree wholeheartedly.

 

[spiritofmusic]

That's all three of us.

 

[bonzo75]

That's all three of us.

so did you put the Arya blades on the tannoys

 

[spiritofmusic]

No.

 

[montesquieu]

Thanks for the kind words Marc. It's nice to get a visit and give the system a work out with music and genres that don't get much of an airing here.

Much as I used to listen to it a lot back in the day, full on Jazz Fusion is not something I play all that often these days and there was some trepidation when you stuck it on.

But it was quite nice to hear my system - which is primarily used for smallish-scale Renaissance and Baroque, plus some 50s/60s straight ahead jazz - managing reasonably well when presented with a bit of really complex, frenetic 70s mayhem.

Enjoyed the conversation too!