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Post by John on Aug 30, 2014 20:39:09 GMT
I met up with Steve (Electricbeach) and James ( Sovereign) at Steve place
We were hoping to have a DAC bake off with the DDAC against the Caiman MK2 but we could not get the system to work well enough via USB
Steve system is a Oppo Blue Ray Player using files with a Tubehunter Copper DAC a Darred amplifier and his Fugel 3 Horns.
Steve system gives great high end sounds at not high end prices. The biggest surprise is how well they do bass putting on some Brian Bromberg quickly proved that
We then put the Caiman in and suddenly got more warmth and texture allowing you to hear more into the playing making the musician more in the room
Next up was putting in James power amp. This took everything further. We all just naturally stopped talking and became immersed in the music, it took everything even further. I think for all us it was a great reflection of just how good the speakers sound.
It really was meant to be a DAC bake off but still was a great afternoon
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Post by Chris on Aug 30, 2014 21:04:16 GMT
Always good to hear of computa stuff turning into real life. Glad you all had a good day.
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Post by Eduardo Wobblechops on Aug 30, 2014 21:11:07 GMT
What was the amp?
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Post by John on Aug 30, 2014 21:13:14 GMT
It was a 18w pure class A design made by the same people who do TQ Black. I think designed by Colin
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Post by Eduardo Wobblechops on Aug 30, 2014 21:58:43 GMT
Cheers John.
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Post by MartinT on Aug 30, 2014 22:05:25 GMT
I find the Caiman-II imparts a very real and palpable sound to all music. Sounds like it did for you, too.
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Post by John on Aug 30, 2014 22:10:46 GMT
Yes the Caiman did that for all of us but the real star was the speakers. Still surprises me what they do They have their limits like everything but you have to push them to find them
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Post by John on Aug 30, 2014 22:11:57 GMT
Really wanted to hear how good the Caiman is when it goes up against the DDAC now that would be a real test
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Post by Sovereign on Oct 5, 2014 7:01:02 GMT
Ali, my amp is a SECA Class A Tellurium Q amp designed by Colin Wonfor. I have never been so content with an amp, I have used a big NVA TSS amp for a few years, tried some high end valve amps but always came back to the NVA TSS as it was so good. Then I heard the Wonfor SECA it was a real game changer, as John said when we put it in Steve's system we all went quiet and just listened for the first time.
However the star of the day was Steve's speakers,they look sumptuous and the sound was just incredible, for the first few minutes I couldn't believe there wasn't a sub somewhere producing that amount of bass, after 10 minutes I got out of my seat and walked round the room looking for it. The sound they produce is so incredibly open, fast and clean, right down to some very low registers. But what also really appeals is their look and finish, Steve has a lot to credit himself for. If I wasn't the type of guy who is always faffing around with making things, as I'm just about to rebuild my speakers, I would buy Steve's speakers as a final speaker purchase; and to add to that they would compliment my wife's decor and fit right into our lounge.
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Post by John on Oct 5, 2014 9:29:49 GMT
Lifestyle speakers with high end sound
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Post by Sovereign on Oct 5, 2014 10:28:46 GMT
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Post by MartinT on Oct 5, 2014 10:52:43 GMT
Those look like the exact same speakers he brought over to mine. Very impressive speakers indeed.
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Post by ChrisB on Oct 5, 2014 17:46:54 GMT
They are lovely looking things. I have been thinking of making a suggestion to a friend that these might suit his needs. Do they need to be away from the rear wall, or does the swept back profile place the rear output far enough away for that not to be such a problem?
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Post by John on Oct 5, 2014 18:06:16 GMT
From memory they can be placed quite close to the wall
They are fantastic speakers
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Post by Stratmangler on Oct 5, 2014 18:10:49 GMT
They work very well close up to a wall.
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Post by ChrisB on Oct 5, 2014 18:16:23 GMT
It sounds like these might be a possible solution to his speaker problem then. Thanks John & Chris
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Post by Stratmangler on Oct 5, 2014 18:24:21 GMT
Corner placement would enhance the low frequency response further, with the corner becoming part of the horn.
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Post by tony on Oct 7, 2014 16:33:38 GMT
I have read about these speakers for quite a while and they have intrigued me. I don't have the technical skill to build them myself so e mailed Steve to see what's what. They seem to tick all the boxes for me so will order a pair.The choices of finishes and ability to tune them to your room set up is a real boon. 6-8 wks build time, if members are interested I can post up my findings.
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Post by MartinT on Oct 7, 2014 16:36:46 GMT
if members are interested I can post up my findings. Please do, Tony. |
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Post by tony on Oct 7, 2014 16:41:32 GMT
Will do Martin. They need about 250hrs to settle down so I will give them and me some time to get settled in.
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