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Post by ChrisB on Oct 12, 2015 13:34:58 GMT
Hi and welcome back!
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Post by MartinT on Oct 12, 2015 14:58:59 GMT
Hi Martin, yes the Sanders Magtech didn't dethrone my previous Chord let alone the new amp. It was a solid performer but without the level of detail and insight that I currently enjoy.
The Belles SA-100 is still running in and getting better every day. What it does over and above the Chord is to greatly fill out the midrange performance such that vocal detail, air, space and ambience are all much enhanced. The huge current delivery pays dividends with my big speakers by controlling the bass even further, making it very tight - slam and scale are very impressive. Finally, imaging is way better in my room now, making the speakers disappear as John remarked only yesterday when listening to it.
Considering that the Belles lists at approximately half the price of the Chord, it's a veritable bargain of a power amplifier.
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Post by MartinT on Oct 17, 2015 17:55:22 GMT
Today I fitted a set of Coherent 6D link cables (about 0.5m in length) from the speaker terminals to the SPEC processors. I had been using a temporary set of Van Damme link cables since receiving the 901EX SPEC units. Tony dropped in with the short works of art (you have to see a 6D cable up close to really appreciate how much work has gone into it, up to and including the dipped silver plated plugs) and I wasted no time getting them into place, dressing the cables so that the SPECs sit nicely on the speaker plinths.
I had been listening to The Principle of Moments by Robert Plant, a wonderful album with a strange recorded sound, quite artificial and with a colouration to the whole thing. I played it again and it was quite noticeably improved, with greater clarity, positioning of his voice within the soundstage and much less pronounced colouration. The new cables are not even carrying the main speaker drive signal (although they are 6D and therefore match the main cables), rather they have become part of the Zobel network created by the SPECs. Remarkable, then, the effect they have made on the sound and proof that the SPECs are doing their job.
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Post by jandl100 on Oct 18, 2015 7:35:06 GMT
I do find it interesting that you have moved from the 350wpc (?) Chord amp to the 'mere' 100wpc (albeit high current) of the Belles. After extended listening are you finding any musical compromises from the move? I must confess I am rather intrigued by the Belles - a certain TonyC might be hearing from me in the New Year!  |
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Post by John on Oct 18, 2015 7:56:57 GMT
That and the other mods work has really changed Martin system. Bass is a lot more controlled allowing the micro details to come through.
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Post by MartinT on Oct 18, 2015 10:39:42 GMT
My Ushers are a 4 ohm load, so the Belles pushes out 200Wpc and can provide twice the current of the Chord, which is just what they need. I have gone as loud as I ever need with, for example, Kraftwerk's Minimum-Maximum and there is no sign of distress, with peaks remaining uncompressed. The reality is that the Belles sounds more in control and tighter than the Chord and has a whole new layer of detail and microdynamics that the Chord missed.
I do think that the Belles is a bit of a bargain at its price, for such high end performance. Do speak to Tony, I'm sure you could loan his demonstrator.
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Post by MartinT on Oct 19, 2015 16:48:20 GMT
Showing the rear of the Ushers again, now with the SPEC RSP-901EX connected with Tony's superb 6D link cables, to match the main speaker run also in 6D. I have dressed the links to allow the SPECs to rest lightly on the rear plinths, with a large sorbothane footer placed on top largely to hold it in place. You can also see the short jumpers made from next-wallet-up BD, definitely hand crafted on the thighs of virgins.  |
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Post by MikeMusic on Oct 20, 2015 9:44:19 GMT
> definitely hand crafted on the thighs of virgins. Thought Tony made them ? |
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Post by MartinT on Oct 20, 2015 10:18:55 GMT
He is a virgin?
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2015 10:49:25 GMT
Indeed the original 49 Y.O. virgin  |
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Post by MartinT on Oct 21, 2015 16:55:34 GMT
For quite a while I had had a foray into Rhodium plugs, part of my misdirected pursuit of 'edges'. While tidying up this evening I discovered that I still had a Furutech FI-UK-1363(R) mains plug in the MCRU No.9 cable feeding my VIDA phono stage. I swapped it out for a FI-UK-1363(G) Gold plug and had another listen. Sure enough, another subtle improvement towards further midrange insight and a slight lessening of false edges.
I am no longer a fan of Rhodium plugs!
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Post by alaska on Oct 21, 2015 18:04:31 GMT
While tidying up this evening ..........! Now there's a man who knows how to celebrate a birthday !!  ? |
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Post by MartinT on Oct 21, 2015 18:09:45 GMT
Hah! I was just about to do some listening and didn't like the poor cable run behind the rack, honest!!
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Post by Sovereign on Oct 21, 2015 22:33:10 GMT
I have never understood the desire for rhodium as a Hifi connection.
It is a very poor conductor, remarkably less conductive than silver, copper and gold. It's less conductive than aluminium and significantly even less conductive brass! So how on earth did it become the super surface for audio connections? Sure it is heard wearing but so are other more highly conductive metals.
I've seen people buy a really really expensive silver or copper cable then cripple its conductivity with a rhodium connector on the end of it, or am I completely missing something?
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Post by ChrisB on Oct 21, 2015 22:46:08 GMT
A triumph of marketing over usefulness. Hard wearing is not a particularly essential feature of a plug is it? I mean just how many times do you have to insert/remove a plug to wear it out?!
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Post by John on Oct 22, 2015 4:01:58 GMT
Totally agree James I always avoided it as made little sense to me
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Post by MartinT on Oct 22, 2015 4:12:32 GMT
The Rhodium plating is very thin, it's what it does to the sound I don't like rather than injecting much resistance into the connection.
Anyway, you live and learn.
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Post by MikeMusic on Oct 22, 2015 7:50:34 GMT
What we really need is some of that Unobtanium Very expensive so must be really good |
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Post by Sovereign on Oct 22, 2015 7:57:48 GMT
When I made my Klotz interconnects, I don't know why but I opted for rhodium RCA plugs. I should have gone for the silver, nevermind
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Post by MartinT on Oct 22, 2015 9:11:19 GMT
Silver would be my preferred choice, and is for my interconnects which all use either Neutrik silver pin XLRs or WBT 0110Ag phono plugs.
However, for power I prefer gold over silver as they just don't oxidise and retain a good quality connection despite the small loss in conductivity.
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