Sounds real Audio
I am getting the feeling that you believe that the Krell are following you.. I felt like that too, but then I found out that they spend most of their time at ohm.
I'm sure that my X would like nothing more than to cram my carcass into a honey bucket and haul it out to the sea wall. She would take great pleasure in watching the ravens pick me clean.
Where IS FedEx ?!!!
Tubeears |
Tempting, but I still have to pass at this time.
Glad you are enjoying the speakers, and the new tweeter.
Shakey |
Shakey,
OK, I'll bring it over the top.... Last offer. I'll throw in my old tweeters from the DeCapo's. Stereophile likes them and, of course, "they" were chosen buy the Master Race (The Krell).
Tubeears |
Twobeers, er, I mean Tubeears,
Thanks for the offer, but I think I will stay where I am for now.....;-}}
Shakey |
I think I will clip out some of the above text and use it in my obituary..perhaps engrave some on my tombstone..
Certain worthy of that.
Always best to write your own obituary while you are still alive. Never let you X wife do it. She won't portray you quite the way you might like.
|
Shakey,
I will trade you for your Grand Veena's .....
Tubeears
|
I'd like to have a little of whatever is in that pipe.....
Shakey |
Tubegroover .....
Life is so good. I am sitting on my porch, waiting for FedEx to bring the Nakamichi MR-1 that I purchased ( at auction ) here on A'gon. More candy, but I thinking about how good that it will sound with the DeCapos.
You addressed comments on looking for the best in audio.. Perhaps coming to own it. A short story.
Late sixties or early seventies.... Nome, Alaska.
I lived in Nome for about seven years. I moved there after living on St. Lawrence Island (one of the two places in Alaska that one "can" see Siberia). I worked for Nome Light and Power as one of the three lineman for the city of about two thousand (many transient from the outlining villages). I was a fledgling Audiophile at that time. Being an Audiophile was rough work then. Pouring thru whatever literature that I could get my hands on and of course the crazy review rags... most just leaflets stapled together. There was no TV at that time and telephones were sky high in price for calls "outside". One summer, in 71, I think, I took some time off and flew out on an adventure to California for about a week. I wanted to see a place called Stereo Warehouse (Warehouse Stereo ? I can't remember exactly now) many of you old folks will remember that place... They put out a great catalog, packed with info and some very good package deals on assorted stereos. I spent endless hours, sitting on the honey bucket, drooling on the pages. Although I can't remember him personally at that time, Joe Abrams work there... He now has a dealer membership here on A'gon. A great guy, and true to life Audiophile, that is gifted with golden ears. While I was there, looking at the large quantities of audio toys, I spotted the best things that I had ever seen in my life. They were in the very back of their warehouse .... they were a drop dead gorgeous pair of Altec Lancing A7-500-W speakers. The nickname for them were "the Magnificent's" ... And "that" they were. The Voice of the Theater speaker, wrapped in real walnut with walnut lattice grills. Orgasims were not just allowed, but mandatory. I bought them on the spot. My reward for climbing every stick in Nome a hundred times. I had to have them shipped to Seattle, then barged up to Nome, just missing "freeze up" by a short time.
We lived in a converted freezer building that was small, but had thick walls and could be heated with a candle. It had a small but comfortable living room. When they arrived, my wife (at that time) just went completely wild. She flew around the house like a balloon with a hole in it, hissing and making babbling sounds that would make an exorcist run. During one of her moments of complete collapse... I drug them in and set them up. I can't remember just what I had to drive them with at first, but I think that it was a Marantz 250. I know that the turntable was an Empire 598 with a Stanton 681. It was about as close to SOTA as one could get back then. I was so proud. So was the divorce attorney. Could those beauties rock !!! You could hear them all over Nome. And the bass... It was about as good as it could be back then ( except for a few select speakers like the EV 30 inch woofer in the Patrician !). I still remember looking down into the "honey bucket" and seeing the pulsating rings like that scene in the movie Jurassic Park !!
Fond memories of just one of my best. Certainly not even close to the best now. But I guess that is our point regarding the DeCapo vs the "best". It all just keeps on a-changin' ... Just like the DeCapo has.
Come on FedEx... Hurry up.
Tubeears |
Tubeears, you really bring out the fun that you are having and the anxiety of our audiophile journey. I am glad you are enjoying your speakers and new tweeters but don't forget that you are treating the symptom and not the underlying nervosa. The very existence of the myriad of options to you cannot be denied not matter how much you try to convince yourself otherwise. |
Hi Tubeears I'm currently using all 600 sei Stereovox cabling and speaker cables with various power cords. This has been a constant for about 6 years after going through many rounds with different cables, these were the best until recently. A friend insisted adamantly I had to hear a set of cables he recently purchased to see if it might realize the same result in my system as his. He has watched mine evolve over the years so is quite familiar with it. In any case there was a notable improvement to a point I never would have believed but ONLY when used as a system including the power cords and a power strip with noise suppression.
Believe me Tony, I'm not just influenced by what you are saying but what I HEARD with these speakers, I really connected and hear much potential. In that way, regardless of their price, I feel them special, worth spending some time with to see. I will be getting the speakers at the end of the week and I think my audio bud is almost as excited as I am. He's going with me to pick them up. My big concern is whether they have enough foundation in the lower registers compared to my 12 year Merlin VSM-M which with a custom David Berning tube BAM is fast, articulate and deep, amazing what a 6.5" driver is capable of with that unit and the amp, where's the sub indeed! Will the DeCapos have enough weight or is it important enough? The issue will come down to whether to ship my speakers back for the latest upgrades which I'm not excited about, shipping cost you know, keep on looking or if the DeCapos are the ticket. I'm very calculating about audio expenditures these days. I'll have 3 weeks to decide but should know well before that. You're right, these speakers are better than they ought to be for the price and well beyond in my experience. I'm not looking for the best since it just doesn't exist as you seem to realize. Long term musical engagement without boredom or distraction is and always has been the end game. It's in the details.
I thought you were joking about Alvin and the Chipmunks, you ARE full of suprises! I think my Mother tossed my old "Alvin and the Chipmunk" albums when I left for school and were among the ones I left behind, I'll have to revisit them :)
Cheers |
Tubegroover......
I hope that all of my rabid belching doesn't lead people to believe that I feel that the DeCapos are the best there is. That would be drawing the wrong conclusion. I'm sure that you well understand my meaning with all of this. These speakers are now so good that to ask for more, touches on pure decadence with regards to maximum returns for the minimum expenditure.
I feel like I want to let people that a piece of the Ferrari pie is there waiting for them... If used and original, easily modified. If new, a bargain at the selling price.
Tubegroover, I am now using JPS original Superconductor for speaker cables. I feel with good results. I also have some Monster Cable Retro Gold Sigma (Lietz). Also great cable, but I have not tried them with the DeCapos yet. I will perhaps later this week. What are you using ? I also have another piece of candy coming in tomorrow FedEx. It is a Nakamichi MR-1 pro cassette deck.... Mint !! It is all balanced in and out and I have a nice set of JPS Superconductor balanced cables to run to my Audio Analogue balanced in section. This I can hardly wait for. I have got some gorgeous cassettes... One of which is a Yo Yo Ma (1984) playing at the University of Kansas recorded with a portable Nagra. Just an amazing performance with great sound. Another is Alvin and the Chipmunks at the San Diego Zoo. Alvin belts out his stunning rendition of "Just Fur You" from their album "I'm all nuts for your love". This cassette really brings the animal out in me..... Look out Shirley ! ;-)
Tubeears |
Tubeeears, thanks for the update and keep them coming. I won't be able to discern the changes you've realized as I'm auditioning the latest including the Nextel coating BUT I have great expectations as my all tube system is really geared for a higher efficiency speaker with a benign impedance. Yeah, a piece of the Ferrari pie is what I heard in a reasonable but, relative to mine, moderate system. It WILL prove interesting to me how the DeCapo will fare and compare with my current reference in a system built around them. I have been surprised before having one expection and getting an unexpected result. |
Moron the BE change up.
Well, I have had them playing constantly for two days. That is still not near enough time according everyone else in the world. However, it has been enough time to detect some small but obvious differences. It is all for the good. The (what I refer to as) "spit-ilance" is going away. That is the irritating "snakes on a frying pan" sound that comes as almost every new or rarely used piece of equipment is just put into play. More than just annoying, it just makes ones skin crawl. On some poor quality gear, it just never leaves... Or if it does, it is in the form of an A'gon ad. Funny that some sellers never mention it, but just look for the ads that just talk about how good the bass is... It's a clue. I have been listening primarily to streaming radio stations thru my Apple TV unit that is Toslinked (via: AudioQuest Cinnamon) to a new Jolida Glass tube dac (12ax7 x 2). Initially I used the wonderful Tung-sol tubes, but switched early this morning to Mullard re-make. Both are great tubes, with neither holding a big edge over the other... Just a slightly different characters. What I wanted to hear came through. This proved the BE tweeters to be true and display subtle changes in equipment. Even with the "break in" snake hiss, they sounded good enough to tell differences in tubes. Switching to analog I used my Mcintosh MR78 tuner dialed into WUGA (PBS) just a few miles away. The antenna is a Magnum DynaLabs ST-2A .. A very good unit, making for near perfect reception. Lucky, Lucky me !! Even with the tubes in the line up, by removing all of the digital nasties the analog tuner proved far superior and let the new tweeters reach upwards to grab more air. Euphoric or not, the tubes could not replace the trueness of the PBS analog signal. It is simply wonderful to hear. These new tweeters just open up a soundfield that seems almost endless in my room.
Ok, I'm going to stop now. All of this is getting to be redundant, pathetic and with no logical end, save one. Moron that next episode later. Without turning this into a complete review of the new DeCapo, we, me or someone has to take this speaker to the line that is lurking in the back of all of our minds. Just how good ARE these things ? Right now, this is NOT the same speaker that I brought into my house some time ago. It is completely different. I can't just tell anyone how good these "tweeters" are because everything has changed. I feel that this speaker has changed in such a way that a comparison should be made with some other contenders. I am also afraid that these comparisons may result in a lack of sleep for the well heeled 'Phile's in the big boy's club. If the low lives in the audio food chain have had a hankerin' for a piece of the Ferrari pie, it is now the time for you to get out your plates and fork. The DeCapo (BE) is now the real deal. You can now cruise thru the pictures of those upper crust systems and know that you too can have a piece of that action. No more wiping the sticky drool off of your keyboard. On the other side of the coin, those of you thinking of selling your older DCaps just to move up, should re-think that motion and rekindle the fire in the little gems.
I feel that with the new beryllium tweeter that these speakers have just DeCapo-tated some pretty big players in the speaker world.
Nuf said for now (IMHO)
Tubeears |
Hi Grinnell,
Sorry that I missed you in my last post.
If you do not have the beryllium tweets already, please get them. Yes, they are revealing as well, but much more tolerant with regards to harshness. In fact, they are smooth as silk. IMHO, those with DeCapos with any kind of wood veneer cabinets are the rare and lucky owners of one of the best speakers around, for both looks and sound quality, providing that the tweeter is changed. I am not fond of the Nextel cabinet. Some people think different. I have to bend and say that Tash is a bit of a hero for standing up for his beliefs. Last of an audio breed. I am certain that the Nextel is better with regard to wave refraction, but just try to take the gorgeous Cherry away from my wife.... Not a chance.
On the matter of the dispersion cones, yes.. I would like them too, but the thought of sending the drivers all the way back to Canada is just too much. Still I just hate the thought of "Rebbi's" speakers being better than mine... LoL.
Cheers,
Tubeears |
Hey there, I'm back... I have had a bit of time to listen and enjoy these newly transformed works of art.
First, some answers to the questions:
Sounds real Audio:
Yes, my porch.....I spend a lot of time out here just thinking and pondering the universe, and all that is in it. I promise that I will share my notes with you the next time that I am in Colorado. So far I have found that we were originally brought here by a master race called the "Krell", they have since started to die out due to too many transistors in their space ships.
I have smoked a pipe since the late sixties. I have had about as many pipes as I have had speakers. My daughter just bought me one ( probably looking to kill me off for an early inheritance) that is a beautiful white meerschaum, with a fully carved dragons foot (including full claws) with a hand carved Marine Corps emblem on the front of the bowl. Yes, my tobacco is special as well, but not the kind that I had at a younger age.whenever that was. I smoke very good top grade Syrian Latakia mixed with Louisiana Peraok. It is aged in wiskey barrels and shipped with the stave cubes (along with the charred section). I have to sit on the porch to smoke. My wife is very disabled. She is on oxygen 24/7. I am not only her husband, but also her caregiver. Lighting my pipe around her oxygen tanks would send us all (new tweeters included) back to the Krell. I too, am disabled, although not to the extent that my wife is. Years ago, I made far too good of a target (on more than one occasion). On the good side of that, I get my license plates for free and get to walk like a penguin anywhere I go.
Btw: your store looks great. You have an exceptional website and very nice products. I'm very impressed.... Do you have a porch attached to it ? I would be happy to sit on it (listening to your Wilson's behind me) and beating the hell out of the Krell if they came to destroy your fine tube amps. I swing a mean cane.
Jayant:
Yes, I'm silly... At almost 70, I'm lucky to be anything at all. I've seen some pretty silly audio stuff out there as well. Little bottles of rocks and Voo-Doo clocks, speakers for a half mil., and interconnects that cost as much as a new Porche. That is what is real silly to me. But then, ... I watched an elderly lady at the grocery store. She was trying to decide if she had enough money to buy a carton of yogert. She didn't. Somehow all of the silliness in audio left me and was replaced with thoughts of excessive flamboyance for the lucky few. Silly perhaps but lucky we are. Somehow, a carton of yogert appeared in her bags on her way out.
Jayant, going back through your posts, I want to Thank You for showing your support for Veterans on the appropriate holidays. Not many people do that anymore.
Back to the DeCapos.
" I'm going to kill you " she said... If you try to take these speakers out of here. My last brush with death was similar in sound but a different conclusion. "I'm going to kill you" she said... If you DON'T take those hideous speakers out of here ! Those were the Genisis APM'S-1's. like two giant rosewood surfboards mounted on top of a pair of subwoofers. I had just got through trading a pair of Gallo 3.1.'s (those things with little round balls mounted on a Bango bottom) for them. They were OK but their bass sounded like a snake barking in the grass (IMHO). I didn't really guess at how big the Genisis really were until I tried getting them through the door. All of my friends suddenly developed car troubles.
Anyway... Shirley likes the DeCapos. She usually says nothing, preferring to just watch me push my addictions around, cursing and dodging air from my backside, with me looking like an Emu in heat; my head bobbing up and down listening for an imaginary sweet spot. You know the game. Twist this way..twist that way.. Back and forth .. Up and down. Interconnects flying around like Medussa with her nose caught in a wall socket. It usually doesn't take long, in Audiophile time, till your mind and eyes are on another candy wrapper at the A'gon pharmacy.
I am thinking that those days are over. I have slammed head first into a speaker at the end of the long road that I have traveled.
Without going into every Audiophile detail, these beryllium tweeters have turned the DeCapos into a speaker that excels in every area... All of course, but one. Low bass.The DeCapos really don't miss that low bass mark by much. They sound so correct and musical that I am bathed in a rhythmic presentation that no speaker has ever shown me before. I feel that the DeCapos (with this new tweeter) are even better than the Harbeths and Spendors at this. I am sure to ruffle some feathers with that statement. Of course some are waiting for the main "darlings of audio" comparison, the Quad 57, and yes the DeCaps will do that trick well, but with a big leap up the volume scale. Listen through them, not to them .. it is there. Hear wall to wall, floor to ceiling .. it is there. Behind them, into the pasture .. It is there. Quite literally, they are a big bubble of sound and you are in it.
The Genisis APM's exploded into a soundfield that left one breathless. But it's presentation sucked. All those parts, loading up and loading down... Nothing sounded real. The tweeter in them was nothing short of SOTA. A techno marvel round ribbon. It was not even close to this new Beryllium in the DCaps. These things sound " alive" without being in your face. Pardon me, but I am just not fond of that. My face has enough things in it. With the DeCapos using the beryllium tweeter, the brushes sparkle and shimmer across the cymbals with the sound floating into the air... Just magical. Further down the frequency chain, larger instuments have more bloom with a space around them that seems almost three dimensional. All of this, and I am assuming that they are not broke in yet... Someone will have to nail my lips and fingers to the floor if they get much better.
The DCaps just don't seem to have much of a load. My little Jolida 202BRC that is left pouting in the corner, worked real well with them. I'll try the Jolidas EL34's against the beryllium tweeters next week.
I will return later as these things change or there is any questions. I need to go back and listen for awhile.
Cheers,
Tubeears |
I bought the De Capos based on a number of user comments especially those using the Primaluna amp. Never looked back. They are revealing but oh so sweet.
I have used these with the Primaluna PL2, Vista Audio I84, Decware Mini torii and a Grommes PHI-26 the last 2 low watt amps.
The De Capos have sounded great with all of them. I have thought about sending the drivers back to get the dispersion cones put on but maybe i should just get the tweeters upgraded. |
Oh I don't know Jafant, entertaining is more like it to me. There are enough very serious people on this site that when a true original displays a witty, amusing style it would be viewed as silly. Smile and have a nice day! |
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Hey Tubeears,
Thanks! Hope you enjoy tonight and look forward to hearing more on the BE's. |
There we are..... Back online. This Ipad must have seen the new tweeters, got jealous and quit on me. These things will be the end of the world someday. People will be born with 50 thumbs and square eyes.
Telescope ....
The price will fluctuate according to the manufacture and the stock on hand for new speakers. Also Rec 3a has a old tweeter return policy if you wish to use it. About a hundred bucks. I kept mine, so I paid a whooping 480.00. That said, if I knew how good that it would make the DCaps sound, I would have gladly paid more. Do not sell your DeCapos. There is a big, big difference in sound. I'll have much more to say later.
Hey Rebbi...
Thanks for all the advice. It really helped out. My tweets had clip lugs but I soldered them anyway. Nice job I might add. I am so impressed with the change to the beryllium tweeters that I just don't have the words at the moment. Of course they are far from broke in but they still sound so good. I will listen all night tonight and do a good post tomorrow.
Tubeears |
How much are the BE tweeters for the DeCapo's?? I know they
need to break in a bit, but give us some impressions when
able.
Rebbi, Do the tweeters solder in, or are they a clip type? |
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Tubeears and I have been corresponding about some tricks for successfully installing the BE tweeter upgrade for the De Capo. The process isn't terribly tricky but there are a few tricks that'll help. If anyone else wants to benefit from my experience, let me know.
Tubeears, if you think that the De Capo's throw a "cathedral like" sound stage with the old silk dome tweeters, brace yourself for the new BE tweets. They're in another league in that department! :-) |
Hi Tubeears,
Keep us posted with your impressions with the BE tweeters! I
have a pair (3rd pair)of DeCapo i's and love them. Even
though I ordered a new pair of floor standers, (I'm rabid
just as you are):o) I am having a hard time letting the
DeCapo's go again. If I can afford to, I will keep them as
they are such special speakers, and if my new ones don't
work out I will put the DeCapo's back in then depending,
might get the BE tweeters as well. Can't imagine how much
better they can get.
I found they are very system dependent also as I loved my
first pair with one SS amp, thought my second pair was good
but not outstanding with a different SS amp (And they were
the latest version non BE speaker with acoustic lens)and now
my third pair with a Peachtree Nova 125 and the magic is
back.
Looking forward to your impressions of the BE tweeters.
So put the coffee on and get to sleep! :o) |
Hey Tubegroover ,
Good to hear your excitement and anticipation over the DeCapos. I just love the things. My new BE tweeters arrived via Fed Ex this evening and they look great. I am a bit to tired to install them tonight so it looks like an early rise some good coffee and in they go. Everything is ready. Hammers, wood chisels and superglue. I'll have the cats scratch up the cabinets so I won't feel so bad when I do it. I'm ready Freddy !!
I will post again tomorrow to tell about my initial impressions. I'm thinking about maybe pounding the old tweeters into the back ports just for additional ambiance .... I hope Tash will be pleased.
Cheers !
Tubeears |
Hi Tubeears, I'm with you LOL. I think the speakers are revelatory, at least the two times I've heard them so far. Here's the tell, they just draw me into the music and their possible warts and shortcomings hides in the shadows, at least for now. Will the dream sustain? Tried and true references will determine their true mettle when I get them into the room for a serious listen next week, a highly anticipated event. I heard them again last week at an audio club meeting with a different amp but essentially same system with the same result, music magic! In the meantime I have been playing around with cables in my long term system after a long hiatus from the cable game, another revelation. This time I am taking a system approach with the cabling that has proven another game changer in my current set-up. Very nice indeed! As you describe, cavernous soundstage, an overall improved coherence and weight that made me wonder how far we explore the options in a given system before, boredom or giving up motivates us to change but often not for the better.
I decided to call Tash back up and have another discussion about one of his favorite subjects and my latest obsession, the DeCapos. We discussed my amp, a Berning zh270, which sounded stellar with this speaker first time around, the room, set-up etc. I enjoy talking to Tash, a music lover of the first order. He also explained some of the technical reasons why so many really enjoy this speaker along with some of the set-up results even in large spaces with the DeCapo. I love large scale symphonic and choral music and Rock along with all types of small scale music and doubt whether an SET would prove viable long term, or so I assume. There are seemingly so many options with this design.
Roxy54, you are not alone. At the meeting last week there were at least 3 listeners that liked another well known single driver speaker w/o crossover over the Decapos. As to why you might hate them I can only guess one of two possible reasons, you like a more laid back presentation or you didn't hear them set-up properly maybe? Since you owned them I can only guess their presentation doesn't hold an appeal. I personally like a lively and immediate presentation. I suspect it would take time and plenty of experimentation to realize their best. But then again their best will probably never be enough for some tastes. |
Hey Roxy...
Thank you for the fine (long awaited) compliments.
For me...... These speakers just did something. I would perceive that they are VERY equipment sensitive. I have heard that the BE tweeter would adjust for that quirk. Right away, the DeCapo's pleased me with just the equipment that I had laying around. Perhaps I was just lucky... But it IS awful hard to make a Jolida amp sound bad. Mine are stuffed with Mullards for "in's" and Gold Lions for "out's". All re-makes, but nice non-the-less.
For some reason, I don't think that my old Edge M6M would have made for a good combo. My Belles 150 may have worked OK, but I don't think the same for my old (tube) Kora Gallaxy. These, of course, are guesses, but educated ones. I lucked out BIG time with the Audio Analogue Int. amp. It is a spectacular combination. Perhaps more on this when I can get the time.
As for the reviews:
The reviews on this speaker ( and quite a few others I might add) remind me of the fable.. "The King who wore no clothes". Once a piece of equipment has been "anointed" by certain reviewers, the rest of the herd feels that it must follow along like caribou driven by Mosquitos across the audio tundra. So I do get your meaning. As for my most humble opinion: ( with the DeCapo's) the vast horizons of Nirvana have produced themselves in the shape of a cathedral-like soundstage, .. the images and shapes of musicians and instruments float in their appointed places, .. And the musicality is amoung the most real that I have ever heard. Proof ? Just listen to Alvin and the Chipmunks singing the Blues. They will gnaw at your soul.
May I ask what you are using now ? |
I have little to add regarding your D caps but I am wondering about your pipe that you are smoking on your "front porch" ( are you sure you are on YOUR front porch? ) and what exactly is in your pipe, is it a hybrid? |
Your post is prettty amusing. You would be (maybe are?) a good writer. Glad you found a combo that works for you. Since you have had so many others, it would be interesting to see how long the love affair lasts.
I too bought the De Capos, reading all of the great reviews, and I hated them. I never had a pair of speakers for such a short time, and I have had quite a few as well.
Keep us posted. |
