I forgot to mention that my system is more on the edge with multiple pre-stages, all quite fast and resolving... presumably each pushing the next a little harder...and by the time the signal hits the amp, it is dense and fast... amped up! In the past when I have taken most of them out, I could get louder without distortions... at those times the HR-1s with these amps were further from the edge... And these are tuned up stages, tuned for what I feel like are optimal sound balances based in their mostly Decware heritage... but taken further, tuned individually, and complimenting the system with more refined speeds, resolution, and some smooth sweetness, they tend to compliment each other.

At the same time, I always like it with say just the ZBIT, or just the ZBIT and CSP3. But so far, once I put the lot back in and get it gain tuned for the room, I always like how each stage supports the complexity of the whole... Also, for gain tuning to fine tune different recording styles there are a lot of possibilities.

So many variables... room size can be huge...listening tastes.... how loud the particular speakers have to be to really load the room for optimal sound and soundstage....how the room's reflections, etc, effect balances for better or worse ... how strong transients are, a faster more dynamic system will have stronger dynamic contrasts so a lower average volume to limit transient distortion... how equally weighted speaker efficiency measurements are.... how clean or dull the system/room is... etc

My space is pretty spread out in how it rambles with big openings from space to space off the main area. Maybe similar in total volume as Tommy's, but guessing a little smaller. I have two 22-25 watt amps, a Torii IV and a 300B/845, and with my 92-92.5 dB HR-1s, I was good most of the time, and good for the most part for my loudest, late night listening sessions when I really wanted the room to load fully and drop me into immersion... But that put me on an edge that was very close. To be sure, I had to base the volume on known transients in a few tunes on the list, having a peak or two that audibly distorted when just a touch to high on the knob.... Even if only a few times in a play list... I really got sick of that limitation.

To be clearer, these test list transients generally sound slightly distorted at lower volumes, so it began with the recordings....but.... now, with speakers rated at ±97 dB, I hear these slight recorded distortions, but not distortions from overdriving the system...I have not measured with these speakers, but with the less efficient but highly tuned up and resolving/balanced HR-1s, as I recall, loud listening was roughly 70-80 dB averages (A weighted) with transients in the low 80s to low 90s, usually not getting out of the 80s. Now I probably play a few dB louder in those late night sessions, and no more edge.

Not that this would be the case for others in other rooms... just another experience. But I do I tend to think that it is a little too easy for us audio seekers to love things enough to allow overlooking limitations, and guess some low power lovers find less loud than perhaps hoped can be fine overall... And if so, this is probably good, easier on the ears... It took me years to change here, but now that I did, I realize just how much I personally would rather have extra headroom for my setup than not enough for all listening preferences.

Another Hutcherson.

Bobby Hutcherson "Knucklebean" Blue Note Japan cd

Probably my favorite vibraphonist, and I love the albums he did with Joe Chambers on the drum kit. Here half the compositions are by Bobby and half by Joe.

Bobby Hutcherson "Components" Blue Note Japan UHQCD

Hi Everyone,
I decided to put the Zen Ultra on Ebay as an auction.  If interested, you can bid on it here:  

https://www.ebay.com/itm/326132244889?itmmeta=01HYBA39GGDP1AY62QEDR39BP7&hash=it...

I'm still willing to still sell it offline prior to auction end, so feel free to reach out to me directly if interested.

My Decware Rachael amp drives my 93dB Decware ERRx speakers in my 40x30 loft space quite easily.

Zu, Klipsh, Omega, Decware all work really well.
Since you just ordered, there is .plenty of time to find a nice set of any of those used.

Hello...I have the following 3 items for sale in Denver, CO and hoping for a local pickup.

The Amp has all the upgrades you'd want...Vcaps, stepped volume knob, and lots of spare tubes to roll.

Asking $3,500 for everything which i think is a smoking deal based on what I paid for all this.

It is listed locally as well so here are the listings:

Amps
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1002145554607695/

Speakers
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1353058765388166/

Hit me up on FB if you're interested. My price is firm. Thanks!

This is a great one by Joyce's daughter, taking samba and bossa and modernizing the sound; a reimagining of "Samba Esquema Novo," the seminal debut album release by Jorge Ben (1963).





The "source" LP

Next up on the Beethoven Symphony tour: The Seventh.

This is one of the big ones, and based on my highly unscientific survey of orchestra programs over the decades probably the most frequently performed. Of course all the the great "Beethoven Conductors" have recorded it, usually several times, but my choice is not one of them. For the symphony Wagner famously called "the apotheosis of the dance" I go with Antal Dorati on Mercury.



16/44 FLAC download.

Dorati is no ones (except maybe me) idea of a "Beethoven Conductor" but he is, if any label fits, a dance conductor. And he really makes Beethoven swing. Of course the famous Mercury engineering doesn't hurt either.

"The complete Capitol Recordings of Stan Kenton 1943 - 1947" disc III

Compared to the pinched waist 7062 these pinched waist 6085 have a more expansive upper mid-range without harshness or an etched quality. Fun to hear.