well-balanced & great soundstage

sbo6

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May 18, 2014
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Sorry!

From the images, the piano looks close enough to damage the focus & purity of your system.
Having run across this issue dozens of times while voicing clients' systems to their rooms (and in each of these instances the piano needed to be damped acoustically), I thought that it might be slightly interfering with your sound.

There's a possibility it is effecting the sound but you may not be aware of it. I have a piano in my office along with my desk system and it's readily apparent the strings vibrate depending on frequency and amplitude. I also had multiple guitars in my 2 channel and eventually removed them because even after damping it was continually vibrating. Play a complex passage at a moderate or loud volume, listen near the strings and you'll know.
 

sbo6

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caliaripaolo

Well-Known Member
May 9, 2012
492
192
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Italia
I agree. Personally, I think it's marketing (or lack of it).

That said, I have a StraightTalk session with an Avalon Eidelon owner in 20 minutes or so... :)

Smart owner.
Adding SMT Wing panels aroud Avalons I got deeper soundstage and more focused image. Suggest it to the Eidolon owner!!!!:rolleyes:

IMG_6380-50.jpg
 

bluedoor

Well-Known Member
Jun 19, 2013
48
12
248
Hi Paolo,

Incredible system you've assembled, it should really give many moments of pleasure.
Can I make a suggestion? As far as I can see you're using the spikes provided from Avalon, right?
I also own an Avalon speaker (the littlest in the series - IDEA) and switching the spikes to Stillpoints Ultra SS made a huge impact for the better. Since yours have "a bit" more weight you might try the Ultra 5 or 6. Don't know if the Ultra SS can accommodate the weight of the Eidolon's. Take a look at Stillpoints website.
Cheers,
Vítor
 

caliaripaolo

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May 9, 2012
492
192
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Hi Paolo,

Incredible system you've assembled, it should really give many moments of pleasure.
Can I make a suggestion? As far as I can see you're using the spikes provided from Avalon, right?
I also own an Avalon speaker (the littlest in the series - IDEA) and switching the spikes to Stillpoints Ultra SS made a huge impact for the better. Since yours have "a bit" more weight you might try the Ultra 5 or 6. Don't know if the Ultra SS can accommodate the weight of the Eidolon's. Take a look at Stillpoints website.
Cheers,
Vítor

thank you Vitor,
No, I didn't tried to replace Avalon's spike with other type.
A friend of mine tried but the result was quite disappointing. Sound seemed sterile, soulless!!! (like Magico....:))
Seriously, I think that as for the string instruments, is very important for a speaker to have a proper tuning of materials (wood).
Antonio Stradivari, the master violin maker went around the Forest looking for the best wood.
The forest where the luthier got his lumber is alive and well.
These spruce trees have been growing for hundreds of years in the Fiemme Valley, the same corner of the Italian Alps where Renaissance luthiers such as Stradivari, Guarneri and Amati hand-picked the trees that would be turned into some of the world's finest instruments. Thanks to a serendipitous combination of climate and altitude, these have come to be called "Il Bosco Che Suona" — The Musical Woods.
 

bluedoor

Well-Known Member
Jun 19, 2013
48
12
248
thank you Vitor,
No, I didn't tried to replace Avalon's spike with other type.
A friend of mine tried but the result was quite disappointing. Sound seemed sterile, soulless!!! (like Magico....:))
Seriously, I think that as for the string instruments, is very important for a speaker to have a proper tuning of materials (wood).
Antonio Stradivari, the master violin maker went around the Forest looking for the best wood.
The forest where the luthier got his lumber is alive and well.
These spruce trees have been growing for hundreds of years in the Fiemme Valley, the same corner of the Italian Alps where Renaissance luthiers such as Stradivari, Guarneri and Amati hand-picked the trees that would be turned into some of the world's finest instruments. Thanks to a serendipitous combination of climate and altitude, these have come to be called "Il Bosco Che Suona" — The Musical Woods.

I think you've missed the point.
The spikes provided by Avalon aren't made of wood, so I really don't understood your ramblings.
But I liked it, always good to learn interesting stuff.
You won't know it unless you've tried it, so, my recommendation remains in the air.
The Stillpoints doesn't add or subtract nothing, they just control better the resonances and just brings the famous pin point imaging of Avalon's to another level.
Just sharing my opinion. :)
 
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Adimon

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Jan 4, 2011
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Hi Paolo,

Can you tell me something of the way you travelled till you reach this sytem?
Which powercords did you try before the Elrod and what where the differents.
Same about the cdp.
 

caliaripaolo

Well-Known Member
May 9, 2012
492
192
950
Italia
I think you've missed the point.
The spikes provided by Avalon aren't made of wood, so I really don't understood your ramblings.
But I liked it, always good to learn interesting stuff.
You won't know it unless you've tried it, so, my recommendation remains in the air.
The Stillpoints doesn't add or subtract nothing, they just control better the resonances and just brings the famous pin point imaging of Avalon's to another level.
Just sharing my opinion. :)

Yes I know the spikes provided by Avalon aren't made of wood.
Sorry for my ramblings!!!
I meant that many speaker designers decide to have more or less consistent damping factors but exploiting the resonance of soft materials such as wood for instance.
Typical case is that of Harbeth loudspeakers. The case is tuned in function of resonances that create harmonics able to reproduce a real and warm sound.
My fear depends on the fact that damping factors other than those due by the project can alter the sound that satisfies me right now. Contrary to what I heard from my friend with my own type of speakers (but with different footers).
But I will certainly test it and thank you for your suggestions.
 

caliaripaolo

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May 9, 2012
492
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950
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Replaced MIT ORACLE MA-X2 with new KURO SilverGold Interconnect RCA cables (see here the related thread ).
Everything is much more transparent while maintaining a deep and vivid body.
Speakers tend (if possible) even more to disappear.
Great and unexpected upgrade!!!
highly recommended.

IMG_1196.JPG
 

caliaripaolo

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May 9, 2012
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950
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it was long time that I was searching to test the Soulution 710 on my system.
I have had the opportunity to receive one of the last serial of batch from my local dealer.
Foreword: I was a Spectral's customer from many years.
Just installed and connected to the TotalDac Six and a new system appeared to me!!!!
Soulution sounds better in every paramethers. Better and deep bass extension, better refined medium and high frequencies, much more linearity and completely loss of a minimum sense of distortion. Much more sense of musical engagement and heightened sense of coherent wholeness.

image1-50.jpg
 
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hce4

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Jun 1, 2010
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Paolo,

Congrats on a wonderful system. Soulution is a big step up, I speak from personal experience, enjoy it!

May I offer one suggestion? Rotate the system 90 degrees to the right. It will be labor intensive, but may be well worth it. Your left, front, and right walls will be more symmetrical, as will the ceiling. Creating a soundstage is very much dependent upon room reflections, and with better symmetry, the better the soundstage. Bass will be reproduced more evenly (right speaker probably creates significantly more bass in current configuration) which will aid in subsonic phase information (hall ambience). Plus, having the space behind your head more open (piano lounge), the sound will become, well, more open!
 

caliaripaolo

Well-Known Member
May 9, 2012
492
192
950
Italia
Paolo,

Congrats on a wonderful system. Soulution is a big step up, I speak from personal experience, enjoy it!

May I offer one suggestion? Rotate the system 90 degrees to the right. It will be labor intensive, but may be well worth it. Your left, front, and right walls will be more symmetrical, as will the ceiling. Creating a soundstage is very much dependent upon room reflections, and with better symmetry, the better the soundstage. Bass will be reproduced more evenly (right speaker probably creates significantly more bass in current configuration) which will aid in subsonic phase information (hall ambience). Plus, having the space behind your head more open (piano lounge), the sound will become, well, more open!

Thank you,
Yes, indeed, Soulution has been a terrific step-up respect the 260.
For sure you may offer suggestion, always well accepted.
I've tried, long time ago (loudspeakers was not the same) to modify the system map, rotating as you suggested.
I didn't like the result. More compressed and little soundstage.
To solve the problem you rightly reported, I use SMT Wing panels. Those panels are exceptionally effective. I do not suffer of short soundstage, poor bass and uncontrolled reflection.
Contrary, I have great soundstage, deep and controlled bass, really natural sound, and an exceptional three-dimensionality.
The wall behind me is about 2,5 meters. Almost the same from my listening position to the Loudspeakers and from the latter to the wall in front of me.
 
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Tango

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Mar 12, 2017
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Thank you,
Yes, indeed, Soulution has been a terrific step-up respect the 260.
For sure you may offer suggestion, always well accepted.
I've tried, long time ago (loudspeakers was not the same) to modify the system map, rotating as you suggested.
I didn't liked the result. More compressed and little soundstage.
To solve the issue you corrected reported, I use SMT Wing panels. Those panels are exceptionally effective. I do not suffer of short soundstage, poor bass and uncontrolled reflection.
Contrary, I have great soundstage, deep and controlled bass, really natural sound, and an exceptional three-dimensionality.
The wall behind me is about 2,5 meters. Almost the same for the Loudspeakers and from the latter to the wall in front of me.

Dear Paolo,

If you have a chance, try a tube preamp. A prominent Polish reviewer uses a tube pre successfully with Soulution amp. More presence to sound.

Ciao,
Tang
 

caliaripaolo

Well-Known Member
May 9, 2012
492
192
950
Italia
Dear Paolo,

If you have a chance, try a tube preamp. A prominent Polish reviewer uses a tube pre successfully with Soulution amp. More presence to sound.

Ciao,
Tang

Ciao Tang,
Thank you but I do not like tube sound. :eek:
The output stage of TotalDac is the most refined and coherent I ever heard.
BTW, you monopolized the production of our friend Emiliano :mad:
 
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hce4

Well-Known Member
Jun 1, 2010
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7
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Thank you,
Yes, indeed, Soulution has been a terrific step-up respect the 260.
For sure you may offer suggestion, always well accepted.
I've tried, long time ago (loudspeakers was not the same) to modify the system map, rotating as you suggested.
I didn't like the result. More compressed and little soundstage.
To solve the problem you rightly reported, I use SMT Wing panels. Those panels are exceptionally effective. I do not suffer of short soundstage, poor bass and uncontrolled reflection.
Contrary, I have great soundstage, deep and controlled bass, really natural sound, and an exceptional three-dimensionality.
The wall behind me is about 2,5 meters. Almost the same from my listening position to the Loudspeakers and from the latter to the wall in front of me.

Wonderful to hear you've experimented with the system map! I bet those SMT wing panels help tremendously in the system's current configuration. My only reservation is the SMT wing panels are not full frequency, so some bass and midrange are not reflected as much as the upper midrange and high frequencies. Perhaps a more solid wall would be even more of an improvement by rotating the system? If curiosity ever strikes you again and you rotate the system 90 degrees, please let me know your impressions... All that being said, I have no doubt the system is transparent and very three dimensional as-is given the amount of time and effort spent on setup, congrats!

PS. The 710 sounded OK with my VAC preamp, it is far better with Soulution's 520 and 540. System synergy reveals itself as being highly superior to mixing and matching brands, especially in highly tuned systems where transparency is king, such as yours ;)
 
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microstrip

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