YES; different speakers/amps for different music! Vocals sound amazeballs through my Magnepan 3.7i's [Parasound JC1 ss monoblocks]. But jazz? Jazz just destroys through my JBL4315's [Grommes G101a tube monoblocks] The Magnepans can NOT produce jazz recordings as well as the JBL's. AND the JBL's can NOT produce vocals as well as the Magnepans. They are simply two completely different beasts; wonderful in their different ways.
I'm confused - Different music...different speakers?
Thanks for allowing me this exploration. I've been on Audiogon before and find myself here for a very different reason this time.
I do believe my system is well resolving and will define gear at the end
Yet I keep getting steered to music genre based on sound.
What I mean by this is simple.
I can't seem to listen to old rock n roll favorites anymore.
There are albums I know from the past inside out and upside down - one example: The Allman Brother's at Fillmore East. I can mostly play every bit of this on guitar. I own three good copies on vinyl and can stream it at hi-res on Qobuz.
There are two drummers and Berry Oakley on bass- no slouch. Duane on slide...etc. An Epic and dynamic album
I can't listen to it - the metal tweeters are just aggravating. And what I remember from the bass and percussion is slam from the very opening to the end - it's not here.
What is going on here?
Gear is as follows:
Analogue side is a Nottingham Space 294, 12" Ace arm, Lyra Delos Cart and an EAR 834 MM/MC phono stage
Digital is an Antelope Zodiac plus with Voltikus power supply
All good and better cables
Totem Hawk floor standers
Amp is a Rogue Cronus w/ KT120 output tubes
Play Bill Evans or Bach ....and I can watch the paint melt off the walls and love every second of it......
I'm at a loss and thanks
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- 46 posts total
Before purchasing the Cronus Magnum 3, I auditioned it at home with the stock K120 and didn’t like the overall sound especially with older recordings. When I returned it to the dealer, l told him I didn’t care for the sound. I tried KT120 with my previous Primaluna integrated amp and didn’t like the sound either so I installed KT77 tubes which improved the overall sound. Fortunately the dealer had a set of used KT77 and installed them in the Cronus. We were both surprised how more musical and less glaring the sound was compared to the KT120. So I ordered the Cronus with KT77s and couldn’t be happier. I also replaced the preamp tubes with NOS tubes. There is no guarantee you will experience the same. It might be worth spending $200 for a set of 4 KT77 instead of going thru the process of trying other pieces of equipment. If you do try the KT77 you will need to reduce the bias from 35 to 30 as recommended by Rogue. Good luck. BTW- Live at the Fillmore sounds great especially Stormy Monday |
@decooney Thanks and yes toe in is not necessary on the Hawks. I think I have them in an optimal position, although I keep moving them closer and further to the back wall - too close and the bass gets "bloomy". What surprises me about these speakers are their wide dispersion. The B&W's they replaced did some great things but not dispersion - If you moved your head 1 inch, everything was lost. |
I have the Totem Rainmakers, powered by all tubes. I also find no toe-in works best and love the wide dispersion. I also find distance from the wall is critical, and closer than a foot has proven to give me a lot of accurate punch without boominess (too far away, they get thin or confused). I add a REL sub when I'm listening more critically, or when there's something big down there, like synth-bass. My amp is 35 wpc, so I'm not crazy loud, but it's not soft, and I've played in bands '-). The other thing I thought this thread might get at is how a lot of older rock albums just don't resolve to audiophile, even on CD. I've been in studios back in the day where the final mix was signed off on through auratones. Especially in the bass; I often wonder if the RIAA needed to keep it under control so it rolls off. I'll give the Fillmore recording a listen! |
- 46 posts total