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Post by jandl100 on May 6, 2021 4:30:52 GMT
... But this is chez Jerry we're talking 'bout here. Nothing lasts. Apart from the 3rd Reich. .... and MBL speakers.
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Post by user211 on May 6, 2021 11:28:28 GMT
... But this is chez Jerry we're talking 'bout here. Nothing lasts. Apart from the 3rd Reich. .... and MBL speakers. Exactly.
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Post by jandl100 on May 6, 2021 12:01:53 GMT
Ah, yes, sorry - I didn't pick up on the German connection.
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Post by MartinT on May 6, 2021 13:05:19 GMT
Neither did I - wondered what that meant. I guess my speakers are from Formosa then
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Post by user211 on May 7, 2021 15:34:37 GMT
Now I"m lost... Taiwan to Brasil? Or Argentina? What?
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Post by MartinT on May 7, 2021 19:03:00 GMT
Usher are Taiwanese.
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Post by user211 on May 10, 2021 17:58:21 GMT
There's a review of MBL101e in this month's HFN Jerry.
That is, if you have £51K spare.
TBH having heard them a few times and the Xtremes even more times, 116F is EASILY the best value.
101e isn't worth the money. My Duettas eat them for breakfast in their current guise.
But I'm totally biased, of course;)
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Post by jandl100 on May 10, 2021 19:16:57 GMT
The 101E was Plan A - I had a used pair reserved with Audio Emotion and a couple of days to think about it.
I changed my mind / came to my senses (delete as appropriate). Too big for my room and way too heavy.
A decade on and I'm still happy that the smaller 116f was the right choice for me.
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Post by jandl100 on May 10, 2021 19:26:33 GMT
Curiously, it was the 101E that I had heard at several shows and that I had fallen in love with.
Having decided that they were too big I bought the 116f new without ever having heard them - but with a 3 month exchange option with Audio Emotion. I knew on the first day that they weren't going back!
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Post by MartinT on May 10, 2021 19:31:05 GMT
Hah - I did the reverse, Jerry. I heard the Usher Be-10 at Audio Affair and loved them, but kept thinking these may be my last ever speakers. So I ordered the Be-20 blind as there were none in the country.
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Post by jandl100 on Feb 11, 2022 12:53:17 GMT
A quick system update. Primaluna Prologue 7 valve monoblocks now gone. PXed for an Ayre AX-7e integrated amp. The Ayre synergises well with my Wyred 4 Sound DAC 1. Really enjoying the Ayre. I'm tempted to call it my best amp yet. Had it about 2 months now. Not shown is a new to me AudioEngine B1 Bluetooth receiver. A worthwhile upgrade on the Chinese designs I'd been using previously. The Quad 303 is intended as a longterm spare. It's quite a while since I've given it a listen. The Leak Stereo 20 (upgraded by Graham Tricker a few years back apparently) is a kind loaner from a Wammer, as I'd wanted to try an el84 amp out with my 2 valve preamps. Somewhat unexpectedly the Ayre has not been very kind to these combinations. I next want to try the Leak with a passive pre, but haven't gotten around to it yet.
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Post by MartinT on Feb 11, 2022 14:23:41 GMT
Ooh, an Ayre. They do make rather good kit and I liked the late Charlie Hansen's design ethos.
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Post by MikeMusic on Feb 11, 2022 14:34:01 GMT
What thoughts on you adding a grounding box or two Jerry ?
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Post by jandl100 on Feb 11, 2022 14:39:54 GMT
What thoughts on you adding a grounding box or two Jerry ? Haha! I've had one, and sold it on, on this very forum. Nuff said.
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Post by MikeMusic on Feb 11, 2022 15:47:08 GMT
What thoughts on you adding a grounding box or two Jerry ? Haha! I've had one, and sold it on, on this very forum. Nuff said. I've recently tried out some far east made models Very impressed with the sound improvements as seen in my ramble Wondering about more
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Post by John on Feb 11, 2022 17:09:45 GMT
Great to see you back, Jerry Nice to know the system still changing
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Post by brian2957 on Feb 11, 2022 17:23:11 GMT
Lovely looking amp that Ayre. Well above my pay grade methinks
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Post by jandl100 on Feb 11, 2022 18:08:06 GMT
I thought I'd give you an idea of the view from the listening chair.... I've got a panoramic option on my phone, but it doesn't work well!
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Post by brian2957 on Feb 11, 2022 18:51:58 GMT
Lovely room mate. MIL has a thing about elephants. They're everywhere in her house
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Post by jandl100 on Mar 31, 2022 11:58:24 GMT
I was feeling a bit antsy, fancied changing something but loved the kit I'm using.
Swapped out the Ayre integrated amp for my refurbished Quad 303 and Chinese RVC passive pre. Mmm, nope. Back to the Ayre.
Swapped DACs from XiangSheng DAC05Aii to Wyred 4 Sound DAC 1. OK, the W4S stays, but I'm familiar with its sound. Still feeling antsy.
So, I've swapped back from Spotify to Qobuz. Yeah, that's more like the change I was wanting.
I started out my streaming life with Tidal, then tried Qobuz, Deezer and a couple of classical-specific streaming services before settling on Spotify for the last few years enjoying its rather laidback approach to music.
I can hear the step up in rez, spaciousness and dynamic freedom. But the sound is also noticeably tonally brighter. A bit irritating after a while. So swapped from the probably strict neutrality of my standard XLR cables (American, I forget the name) to some RFC Mercury RCA cables which have a slightly warmer approach to things. Or maybe the XLRs are bright and the RFC are neutral, who knows!
Anyway, that seems to have sorted the sound nicely, got rid of my antsyness for now, and I'm settling down to exploring the current Qobuz classical catalogue and its features.
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