salectric

Responses from salectric

Loudspeakers have we really made that much progress since the 1930s?
@Shadorne, I am glad you enjoy your modern speakers with 30 do less distortion.  The last thing we need is anyone else driving up the cost of "inferior" vintage gear.   
Loudspeakers have we really made that much progress since the 1930s?
LarryI, thanks for the nice comments.  The last time I was at the DejaVu store, I heard a really nice sounding setup that used the YL 5500 in a big horn with a 200 Hz crossover and 15" Goodmans woofers in open baffle.  It had a Jensen RP-302 cross... 
Loudspeakers have we really made that much progress since the 1930s?
Yes, this thread is very interesting and well worth reviving.  Since the last posts here, I am now running a 3-way vintage speaker built around a YL Acoustic (Yoshimura Labs) compression driver and horn.  To my ears, it provides a very natural, wa... 
Member's recommendations for tube amplification
I agree with LarryI's comments 100%. 
Best Capacitors for Crossovers
You could try Mundorf Supreme on the woofer---the plain Jane regular Supreme.  The regular Supreme has warm, full-bodied LFs, good detail and excellent dynamics.  All of the more expensive Supreme models---Silver, S/G and S/G/O---are thinner in th... 
Best Capacitors for Crossovers
Ozzy, what value cap do you need for that spot?  The value can be different for a given frequency depending on impedance and type of crossover slope.  The Mundorf S/G/O subjective tonal balance is a bit skewed with slightly bright highs and slight... 
My jazz collection told me to get a *real* system
As a fellow jazz fan, I second Charles' recommendation about tube gear.  In my opinion, tubes, vinyl and jazz just go together like a magic potion.  They bring out the best in each other.  That said the right solid state gear can make some special... 
Oppo 203 setup/tweaks
So how does the 203 compare sonically to the 105? 
which is better? Stereo Amp or Monoblocks?
I prefer separate monoblocks but each has its sonic merits.  After building both push-pull and SE amps, some of which have been very similar in design and build except one being monoblocks and the other a single-chassis stereo amp, I reached a ten... 
Opinion - Every audiophile should build at least 1 pair of speakers
Assembling a speaker kit is not "building" a speaker IMO.  Just like putting together an IKEA cabinet is not building furniture.  Hifi kits can be fun and give you a sense of accomplishment, but they are just scratching the surface for DIY. 
Design a $60,000 Speaker - Start here
Or you could buy some high-quality vintage drivers.  Let's see, a matched pair of Jensen M18 field coil woofers with Western Electric power supplies would be nice, but then that would eat up your entire $60K budget.  
unity gain active tube preamp?
A simple cathode follower tube preamp would be an easy DIY project.  Many years ago I did that using a 6SN7 as the cathode follower.  The audio circuit was very simple: volume control to 6SN7 to output coupling capacitor.  You can make the power s... 
Tonearm recommendations
I forgot to mention the Siggwan is a great match with Denon 103 cartridges.  I have a 103R on mine right now.  (I used the 103R on a Schick before I got the Siggwan.) 
Tonearm recommendations
I suggest you look into an Analog Instruments Siggwan which is a 12" cocobolo unipivot.  It is less expensive than the Schick and sounds better too. Each one is made to order but mine only took several weeks. 
Insuring your Audio Room?
I put my insurance coverage to the test some 25 years ago when my entire system was stolen right down to the last cable.  I was surprised to find that Nationwide didn't give me any hassle whatsoever about honoring the full replacement value covera...