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"Air, Extension, Resolution" Music or Hi Fi?

I have mentioned in other threads my efforts to tame the treble on my Tympani IV a's which has led to a number of upgrades:

tweaky resistors in line with the tweeters
MYE stands
a Musical Fidelity tube buffer
new tubes for the Audio Research SP11
new Signal Cable speaker cables and interconnects

Once in a while, with the right recording, late at night, the system sounds very, very good, and although not quite the midrange magic of my Apogess Stages with Jadis preamp and Aragon 4004 MK II, probably some of the best "sound" I have ever heard.

But to be honest, I dont find myself compelled to go and listen to the system and often, the system still sounds fatiguing.

Ever the audiophile, I have wondered if

Rives Audio room treatment and/or
Replacing the SCD-1 with a TURNTABLE

would really restore the passion that got me into this hobby nearly 30 years ago.

But reading an ad for Tympani 1-Ds on ebay a couple of days ago gave me a Eureka?! moment:

As much as the ribbon tweeters sound really impressive, with air, extension and detail that the non ribboned models clearly dont have...

...I am suddenly wondering if all of this comes at the expense of the MUSIC.

I cant ever remember, for example, listening to my Magneplanr MG-1Bs, for example, and saying:

"I stayed up all night listening to MUSIC, but sadly the experience was ruined by my craving for more "extension" "air" and/or "inner detail".

All of this is making me wonder if the evolutionary push for "transparency" "lifting veils" "inner detail" "resolution" is exactly what turns music into hi fi, and if I might enjoy a newly restored pair of Tympani 1D's more than my Tympani IVa's.

Just my latest thought.....thank you for listening.
cwlondon
auaarons
94 posts
 
CDC - I use a 1998 Sony DVD player and Denon home theater receiver driving a pair of B&W DM302 speakers and Mirage subwoofer. The Denon does a really nice job. My bedroom system is a portable CD player driving $10 computer speakers. Without the Audiophile mindset, I am now able to enjoy my music from more sources, even with laptop driving good computer speakers or using headphones with my PDA as a player. Even the Bose system in my car played music I could enjoy!

Spending long trips away from home helped me detach from the Audiophile bug. When I spent a month away from home on business, my only source of music was my laptop and it served me just as well. I realized I was thirsting for music and not audiophile sound. More lengthier business trips simply reinforced the realization even further.
cwlondon OP
1,210 posts
 
Auaarons

Exactly, we are thirsting for music, but it would be even better if that were consistently delivered to us in the highest quality, non fatiguing musical fashion.

My point about "downgrading" from Tympani IVa's to Tympani 1-Ds is the same - I want more MUSIC, and LESS "extension, transparency, inner detail blah blah blah"

Cdc

Your point about Epos is interesting. A few years ago, I bought a pair of Epos monitors (M12's?) over the phone, never saw or heard them, basically because they were on sale at Audio Advisor for 4 or 500 bucks.

I may have read a good review or two, but otherwise wasnt really bothered about auditioning them, because they were going in my bedroom, primarily to use while watching cable TV.

And guess what - although lacking the air, extension, inner detail etc of many other speakers I have had, they sounded great.

I hooked them up to iTunes with a Naim Nait integrated amp and spent more hours listening to MUSIC than I have in years -- with no bothers, worries, or neuroses about whether or not I needed to cryo my power cables.

This paradoxical discussion has taken place in different forms and in different threads on Audiogon, but I started this one to suggest and perhaps isolate the idea the worst non musical, audiophile evils live in the domain of high frequencies.

But if I do "downgrade" to the Tympani 1-Ds, I still want speed, dynamics, imaging, and clean, uncolored bass that my computer - or even the Epos monitors - will never provide.
auaarons
94 posts
 
CWLondon,

I agree with ARTG that the Signal Cables may be the issue in your system. I also had Signal Cables interconnects and speaker cables a year ago in a Naim Nait 5i, Arcam FMJ CD-23T and Von Schweikert VR-1 system. The highs were very bright after I plugged in the interconnect, even after 200 hours of breakin time. The manufacturer claimed the cables did not sound bright in his systems. I replaced the Signal Cable interconnects with the Transparent Music Link Plus interconnects and the system became musical with a full liquid midrange without all that glare and brightness.

I suggest that you consider trying the Transparent Music Link Plus (current MM version) interconnects. They are about $200 per pair used, but they are worth the money. Transparent cables have characteristics of a fuller midrange and bass, and low noise floor (dark background).
cdc
1,899 posts
 
Auaarons yes, when I get bored with music is when I start thinking about the sound of the system. But it's the music I'm missing.
Cwlondon, nice to hear someone hears what I do :-). I think a gaincard or gainclone would give *some* of what you missed with the Epos as it is somewhat bright but immediate and detailed - from what I've heard.
Getting rid of the HF nasties is not easy.
Good luck.
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