Post by bencat on Jul 25, 2023 11:54:01 GMT
So things have had a few changes since I first started this thread and thought might as well do a little sensible updating . Will split it over two systems .
First my Three Way Active system currently this is as follows - Logitech Squeezebox Touch - USB Out to Audio GD Digital Interfac which has 5V Lpsu then SPDIF RCA out to Audio-GD DI-2014 Reclocker then from this RCA SPDIF out to MiniDSP DDRC 22D out from this AES/EBU to MiniDSP 8x4 Digitial Crossover this feeds 2 x NVA S30 and 1 x NVA S20 power amps which then power 4 x KEF 103 Reference speakers Two per side with the lower speaker treble disconnected and using the Mid/Bass unit for lower bass only . Upper pair have both units connected and deal with the Mid and Treble . CR points are 290Hz for low Bass 290 - 3000Hz for the Mid then 3000 - 20000kHz for treble .
This system is working the best I have ever heard it the small addition of the Audio GD Digital Interface has made a very marked difference and it seems to be all in the area of timing . Like adding the LB Clock to my main system adding the second USB to SPDIF seems to have a very marked influence on the final sound . As with the external clock everything sounds more life like and real decay on notes is now just much easier to hear and believe in vocals are very pure and bass is just superb . This system has LPSU for every item and the cumualitive effect is to make this a very quiet system with a real lack of any background hash . I have also found it to be much more tolerant of recoding quality now . Yes it makes it very obvious when something is recorded well and when it is a little lacking but it never makes it difficult to listen the music shines through even quite rough recordings . I am still very sure that much of this is down to improved timing . This would probably be even better if i could use another LB but no way to do that at present . Overall really happy about how good this system sounds and happy to play it for hours most days without issues .
Main System Raspberry Pi 4 Allo Digione Signature with BNC out to Mutec (Coherent Systems upgrade) Leo Bodnar GPS Clock BNC output from Mutec to dCS Purcell Upsampler . Purcell BNC clock connection to dCS Delius DAC with the DAC slaved to the Purcell Digital signal out is via two AES/EBU cables one left and one right to give 24/192 ability . The Delius is then connected single ended to NVA S300 power amplifer and this powers my Quad ESL57 speakers which are stand mounted bringing them about 18 inches off the floor and tilting them forward to being the panels in line with the listening position . They are also firing directly in to the room no toe in .
Now this system has been quite frustrating with me struggling to find the right power amp , while when they are working right Quads are wonderful I realise that they are not the easiest speakers to drive . Advice tends to be to use a valve amplifier or a very powerful solid state one with lots of current delivery . Tried both of these and found that a Croft OTL 3 just was not right and now i also know that Leak Stereo 20 does not produce the sound that I want . NVA S300 is by far the best I have heard and just works giving the impression of just getting out of the way and etting the music come out as it should . I still find that at times there is a distortion on certain frequencies but it comes and goes with the music being played . My own personal nervosa over this is going to make it that I am going to have to get them serviced and tested by A Quadthing Audio and once Andrew gives the thumbs up will feel at least reassured . Music is now a real event every time I play this system vocals are just so realistic and the spoken word really just sounds like it is in the room . Again this now the best I have heard this system . I have no idea what anyone else would make of it but have passed that phase many years ago this is to suit me and it does in spades. One very strange thing with all the improvements is on the bass while Quads are limited in bass what they produce is quick fast and tuneful and is in keeping with the rest of the mid and treble produced . Now they have added something that I can describe but I know will be hard to understand they now have slam as sort of percussive note when the bass is struck hard and you can feel that force when you listen . Best track I have come up with to show this is Private Lives - The Compass Point Sessions 2 cd compilation on disc 2 there is the 12 inch mix of My Jamaican Guy which has very strong percussive bass and now when i play this the Quads really give you that feeling of strings being played very hard . I have no idea how they do this but it is real . Maybe those with really good speakers for bass such as the Ektas or Vaders could play the track and let me know wheat they hear .
First my Three Way Active system currently this is as follows - Logitech Squeezebox Touch - USB Out to Audio GD Digital Interfac which has 5V Lpsu then SPDIF RCA out to Audio-GD DI-2014 Reclocker then from this RCA SPDIF out to MiniDSP DDRC 22D out from this AES/EBU to MiniDSP 8x4 Digitial Crossover this feeds 2 x NVA S30 and 1 x NVA S20 power amps which then power 4 x KEF 103 Reference speakers Two per side with the lower speaker treble disconnected and using the Mid/Bass unit for lower bass only . Upper pair have both units connected and deal with the Mid and Treble . CR points are 290Hz for low Bass 290 - 3000Hz for the Mid then 3000 - 20000kHz for treble .
This system is working the best I have ever heard it the small addition of the Audio GD Digital Interface has made a very marked difference and it seems to be all in the area of timing . Like adding the LB Clock to my main system adding the second USB to SPDIF seems to have a very marked influence on the final sound . As with the external clock everything sounds more life like and real decay on notes is now just much easier to hear and believe in vocals are very pure and bass is just superb . This system has LPSU for every item and the cumualitive effect is to make this a very quiet system with a real lack of any background hash . I have also found it to be much more tolerant of recoding quality now . Yes it makes it very obvious when something is recorded well and when it is a little lacking but it never makes it difficult to listen the music shines through even quite rough recordings . I am still very sure that much of this is down to improved timing . This would probably be even better if i could use another LB but no way to do that at present . Overall really happy about how good this system sounds and happy to play it for hours most days without issues .
Main System Raspberry Pi 4 Allo Digione Signature with BNC out to Mutec (Coherent Systems upgrade) Leo Bodnar GPS Clock BNC output from Mutec to dCS Purcell Upsampler . Purcell BNC clock connection to dCS Delius DAC with the DAC slaved to the Purcell Digital signal out is via two AES/EBU cables one left and one right to give 24/192 ability . The Delius is then connected single ended to NVA S300 power amplifer and this powers my Quad ESL57 speakers which are stand mounted bringing them about 18 inches off the floor and tilting them forward to being the panels in line with the listening position . They are also firing directly in to the room no toe in .
Now this system has been quite frustrating with me struggling to find the right power amp , while when they are working right Quads are wonderful I realise that they are not the easiest speakers to drive . Advice tends to be to use a valve amplifier or a very powerful solid state one with lots of current delivery . Tried both of these and found that a Croft OTL 3 just was not right and now i also know that Leak Stereo 20 does not produce the sound that I want . NVA S300 is by far the best I have heard and just works giving the impression of just getting out of the way and etting the music come out as it should . I still find that at times there is a distortion on certain frequencies but it comes and goes with the music being played . My own personal nervosa over this is going to make it that I am going to have to get them serviced and tested by A Quadthing Audio and once Andrew gives the thumbs up will feel at least reassured . Music is now a real event every time I play this system vocals are just so realistic and the spoken word really just sounds like it is in the room . Again this now the best I have heard this system . I have no idea what anyone else would make of it but have passed that phase many years ago this is to suit me and it does in spades. One very strange thing with all the improvements is on the bass while Quads are limited in bass what they produce is quick fast and tuneful and is in keeping with the rest of the mid and treble produced . Now they have added something that I can describe but I know will be hard to understand they now have slam as sort of percussive note when the bass is struck hard and you can feel that force when you listen . Best track I have come up with to show this is Private Lives - The Compass Point Sessions 2 cd compilation on disc 2 there is the 12 inch mix of My Jamaican Guy which has very strong percussive bass and now when i play this the Quads really give you that feeling of strings being played very hard . I have no idea how they do this but it is real . Maybe those with really good speakers for bass such as the Ektas or Vaders could play the track and let me know wheat they hear .
