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Post by realysm42 on May 4, 2021 12:05:24 GMT
Evolution: Seeds and Streams (John Ellis) Thanks, Martin. I'll definitely give that a go! Let me know how you get on? If you like, I've got a lot more I can recommend 👍🏻 |
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Post by jandl100 on May 4, 2021 14:12:43 GMT
I actively hate jazz, too.
Well, a lot of jazz.
Having given it a bit of a listen that album is mostly OK, he says grudgingly.
Congrats once again on your speakers, they seem to be pressing all the right buttons!
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Post by MartinT on May 4, 2021 19:02:55 GMT
That's rather nice, Martin. It's got some lovely soundscapes and rich bass lines, too.
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Post by julesd68 on May 4, 2021 20:08:53 GMT
Thumbs up for that album from me too.
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Post by realysm42 on Sept 30, 2021 0:20:53 GMT
I've not updated this for a while due to having a defective amp, the repair of which has taken far longer than I expected (getting on for six months).
This is no indictment to Nick; he offered to pay to get it air freighted back to the UK and repaired. Given the value of the amp and the current madness inflicted by Covid I declined and have used an engineer local to me. He collected the good amp also as a reference point to measure against. Anyway, it's nearly fixed now.
In the meantime, I've had about four months of silence and this would be continuing if it were not for the unsolicited kindness of a complete stranger on the stereo.net forum, who reached out and offered me an Exposure Classic XXVIII dual mono power amp to get me up and running. This is my first experience with this brand and I'm impressed, lovely warm sound, good bass control and it runs cool all the time. I won't compare it to my amps because 5/6 months without is just too long, all I'll say is I'm extremely grateful to this person.
I've been working from home and had the speakers on all the time at a low level so have >300 hours on them now. Two nights ago, the Epitomes just clicked and magic ensued. They had been gradually improving in a fairly linear manner then suddenly they took a large step forward.
Hearing new things in familiar music with better components is nothing new but this experience became almost distracting at points, with the amount of new nuance I was hearing. Don't get me wrong it was fantastic, but to hear so much deeper into the music made me keep opening my eyes and asking myself am I really hearing this?! I want to make it clear that this isn't hyper etched detail that you pay for in aural pain / fatigue, it is completely unforced and natural - just superb. This is what the hobby is all about to me - getting closer to the music!
They have drive, energy, dynamics, nuance, clarity, subtlety, imaging - incase you haven't guessed, I love them! Honestly, I'm comfortable they'll stand up to / better some hyper expensive loudspeakers.
Anyway I say all that to say this (as I've mentioned in other threads), I've spoken to Greg about upgrading to his top model, the Grand Monuments.
The difference (apart from nearly a 100% weight increase to 175kg a side) is the move from dual 10.5" SEAS drivers to dual 12.5" Scanspeaks. As you can imagine, this gives a small bump (1dB) in sensitivity and a large upgrade in dynamics and heft in the lower registers. They play beautifully at any volume level. The Epitomes are no slouch in this regard; I've recently found the volume creeping up with no discomfort, and you only realise how loud it is when you have to shout to be heard! Also, pausing music for a toilet break only to unpause and be frightened at the loudness you previously acclimated to! Nice problem to have, really.
Jess has said the Monuments are too big as the Epitomes were the limit (which is fair) but I'm working on this. In all honesty, I could happily live the Epitomes forever but (here come the mental gymnastics of justification) if I'm going to upgrade to this model, now is the time, here's why:
1. I get 80% back for the Epitomes, which is more than I'm likely to get selling them myself.
2. Delivery - this is free from Greg and I can ship whatever speakers I have back with my other belongings when we relocate. Making this choice later (I.E. from UK) would be extremely expensive in terms of shipping.
Money is more the issue and so I've decided to auction off my entire (Australian) whisky collection - music is my first love and I didn't want to have the stress of shipping it all back to the UK anyway.
I'll keep you posted.
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Post by MartinT on Sept 30, 2021 5:27:09 GMT
That's excellent. It's a wondrous thing when it all clicks together and I'm happy for you.
Looking forward to having a listen whichever speakers you end up with.
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Post by MikeMusic on Sept 30, 2021 8:53:47 GMT
Sounds excellent.
Who needs booze when you have wonderful speakers !
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Post by julesd68 on Sept 30, 2021 12:05:14 GMT
Great service from the dealer, very impressed.
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Post by realysm42 on Nov 2, 2021 11:51:10 GMT
P6 amps back, only took six months lol!
Sounding good and it's great to finally be able to hear my speakers through them. I'll give proper notes soon, but I'm happy.
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Post by MikeMusic on Nov 2, 2021 13:13:35 GMT
6 months of pain over !
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Post by realysm42 on Dec 20, 2021 23:43:39 GMT
I wanted to play with some tweaks and so ordered a heap of Akiko Audio tuning chips for:
-Capacitors
-Fuses
-Transistors and
-Transformers
I plan to take the scientific method of putting them all in at once and listening what happens.
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Post by brettj on Dec 20, 2021 23:54:52 GMT
I wanted to play with some tweaks and so ordered a heap of Akiko Audio tuning chips for: -Capacitors -Fuses -Transistors and -Transformers I plan to take the scientific method of putting them all in at once and listening what happens. I have a few Akiko Audio products - Fuse Tuning Chips - Triple AC Enhancer - Tuning Sticks Universal - RCA Tuning Caps - Fuse Box Tuning Chip Have recently bought - USB Tuning Stick - Equipment Tuning Chip 3D I have difficulty not adhering to your scientific method of upgrade evaluation. Put them all in and have a listen. |
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Post by realysm42 on Dec 21, 2021 1:52:10 GMT
Nice Brett, can you share what collective impact the Akiko stuff had in your system please?
I'm especially curious about the fuse chips.
I wonder what benefit they could have in my PC source (eg on ram and under cpu mounting). One step at a time.
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Post by brettj on Dec 21, 2021 7:02:33 GMT
Nice Brett, can you share what collective impact the Akiko stuff had in your system please? I'm especially curious about the fuse chips. I wonder what benefit they could have in my PC source (eg on ram and under cpu mounting). One step at a time. I bought the Akiko Triple AC Power Enhancer in 2016. At that point I wasn't making notes on the difference. I do remember liking its addition. Bettered the presentation. Although its effect has now blended into the whole, I think it helped ease the digital glare. This was with old parts in my system, before upgraded speakers, Dac, interconnects, power cables, power supplies, grounding box, fuses, BR pads, Halide Bridge, power treatments etc. Akiko Audio Fuse Box Tuning Chip for my power switchboard; Bass notes are so easy to follow. Better instrument separation. Really well presented - even delivery, from treble to bass (I added them and the fuse tuning chips at the same time). Akiko Audio Universal Sticks on speaker cables: Another small step in EQ. Piano was a little more striking. Especially the base notes. I haven't managed to listen to the Akiko USB Tuning Stick and Equipment Tuning Chip 3D yet. I think the addition of Akiko Audio products is incremental, adding to each other. To be honest, my system sounds way better than it should. Before the latest additions/changes (in the last four months) I was merely a MacBook Pro to Beresford SEG Dac to Perreaux R200i amp to ATC SCM 19v2 speakers - plus tweaks. Biggest tweak differences/improvements to my system have been: Akiko Triple AC Power Enhancer Akiko Audio Fuse Box Tuning Chip iFi AC iPurifier SGS-1 Grounding Box Black Ravioli Pads SR Fuses Mad Scientist power cables Audience AU24SX RCA Interconnects Halide Bridge USB-SPIDF converter Akiko Audio plays well alongside Mad Scientist, iFi AC iPurifier, Grounding Boxes, Black Ravioli and the equipment above (had to remove the High Fidelity Cables MC-0.5 though). My last Akiko purchases (hopefully next year) will be the loudspeaker chip, and the one I most want, Akiko Audio Harmonizer Unit Pro. |
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Post by brettj on Dec 21, 2021 19:16:38 GMT
Nice Brett, can you share what collective impact the Akiko stuff had in your system please? I'm especially curious about the fuse chips. I wonder what benefit they could have in my PC source (eg on ram and under cpu mounting). One step at a time. I have also used Fo.Q tape on much of my system. |
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Post by realysm42 on Jan 2, 2022 2:42:41 GMT
Nice Brett, can you share what collective impact the Akiko stuff had in your system please? I'm especially curious about the fuse chips. I wonder what benefit they could have in my PC source (eg on ram and under cpu mounting). One step at a time. I have also used Fo.Q tape on much of my system. Interesting, did it have a noticeable effect on the sound? |
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Post by brettj on Jan 2, 2022 7:35:33 GMT
My system has been down since March '21.
Has given me plenty of time to research and add things, but no opportunity to assess their effect &/or worth.
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Post by realysm42 on Jan 4, 2022 9:57:12 GMT
They turned up today; this would have been impressive in pre Covid times, but to get here with such speed from Europe was... unexpected.
They're all in where they're meant to be, I underestimated how long it'd take to complete this task and I learnt some things along the way, some of which in hindsight are obvious. E.g. the fuse tuning chips will not work on fuses in the circular holders (where you use a screwdriver to loosen / tighten the holder); I thought I'd somehow broken my Isotek Aquarius because only the high current outlets worked with the chips in place, I removed then and hey presto I had power again. I used this experience to predict the same issue with my Paul Hynes PSU and was correct.
Anyway, how do they sound?
They have a similar effect to the other Akiko accessories I own, more drive, an increased sense of ease and immediacy in the music. It doesn't sound louder, music has more presence and substance and the whole frequency range gets this.
What I really like about this tweak is:
- being able to hear deeper into the music with zero extra effort and
- there is no change in tone,
which is how it should be - I'm extracting more from what I already have and not paying a price (etched sound / harshness etc). Win win.
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Post by realysm42 on Jan 30, 2022 12:08:47 GMT
In my quest to continue to lower noise, I purchased 8 Bybee quantum clarifiers (don't laugh).
They're built to stick to the back of a speakers drivers and lower the noise, thus improving resolution and dynamics.
I'll report back once they're delivered and fitted.
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Post by realysm42 on Feb 18, 2022 11:43:40 GMT
I'm not brave (stupid) enough to try to remove the drivers myself having very little experience and noone to hold them while I affix the Bybees.
I'll wait until I'm back in the UK to do that (42 days now). Until then I decided to pop them into the system at other points (on jumpers, plugs of power cables and one on my preamp). I'm really surprised at just what an impact they've had on the sound. Clarity has increased, everything has a sense of increased ease and effortless resolution - really quite remarkable!
It's funny because Reginald (my dog) has recently started to reacted to music he's heard lots previously; he looks at the speakers in a state of alert - new sound!
I'm excited to fit these where they're meant to go, under the presumption they'll be more effective than they are currently. I have eight in total, one for each driver. What is interesting is it had a mild effect immediately, but then really only 'clicked' around a week later, very strange.
Got three Shakti Air stones incoming as well, just because there really is something to this. I've heard they do different things to the Bybee products.
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