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Food or beryllium tweeters for my DeCapo's

The question is moot. Like any TRUE Audiophile, the speakers must come first. Food is a luxury that I sometimes cannot afford. I have decided to feed the Reference 3a DeCapo-i's the meal that they so much deserve. The new Beryllium tweeters fresh as summer corn from Divergent Technologies. I first decieded to purchase the DCaps about a month ago. Speakers come and go 'round hear like the wind at my rear. It seems that every time I look up there is a new baffle staring at me. Sometimes not even a baffle. Maybe a tootie looking horn or chrome balls with a metal grill. You get tha picture. I'm an addict. Driven by reviews, a few words from other addicts or a half naked cabinet. Yep, that's me and I'm proud of it. I've made so many mistakes that it is a wonder that my ears haven't packed their cochlears up and walked out the door.
So there I sat about a month ago, armed with nothing more than a Jolida 202brc and wad of cash form the last set of flying baffles. What to do what to do...(?). Just as I was starting to itch all over, you know the feeling, slobbering over pictures of the stuff you cannot afford.. You dream about all the speaker candy here on A'gon and elsewhere; like the audio salons that you have been baned from (the owners harsh words still ringing in your ears.... GET OUT ! YOU CHEAP BAS.... ) I still remember hitting "enter" and there they were. Gloss Cherry DeCapos on wonderful Skylan stands. Were they gone yet ? I trembled as I stumble typed the words out to the owned... Do still you them have ?? Please me let know ASPA. The hours seemed like weeks as my fingers dug into the new leather case for my Ipad. You would know the one. The only APP is the one for A'gon. The hours seemed like weeks .... And then ! The reply.. "Yes, I still have them". As the thousand hot pokers left my body, I replied... I'll boy them. He was close. I drove to pick them up, brought them home with a minimum of speeding tickets and let the little Jolida do its work on them. The thousand or so speakers in my memory banks turned dark and left me alone to absorb the wonders of these little cherry boxes. My mind immediately searched its cells for my best amps. Edge, Rowland, Classe, CJ, ARC, Bel Canto, Kora... The list seems endless, and ALWAYS "that" question..... Tu be or not tu be. Nuts. The speakers are soooo good. What to do?... The answer came in the Heavenly form of an Audio Analogue Maestro Settanta Rev 2 integrated amp. It arrived and pure bliss smacked me between the ears. The only thing missing was perhaps the over the top Beryllium tweeter. There was a little food left in the cabinets. A half a gallon of milk, some cheese and small pudding cups. There was enough money to order the tweets.
As I sit on my porch, smoking my pipe, the words "out for delivery" are on FedEx's tracking page. I just looked in my pocket and found a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. It won't be long now. Should I let you know ?

Moron this later.
Tubeears
tubeears
tubeears OP
136 posts
 
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 ?
tubegroover
2,320 posts
 
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.
tubeears OP
136 posts
 
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
telescope_trade
555 posts
 
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)
rebbi
1,326 posts
 
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! :-)
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