[quote author=DirtDawg link=1139429263/210#217 date=1146453468]
Just like Dave, I gotta know. You will need weeks for the break-in and we all realize this, but the first watt question is just hangin' there. Please, throw us a bone! [/quote]
Howdy DD and Dave,
Where to begin ..... ???
To start with, as bassboy accurately observes, I did not have these speakers built for the same reason that many music lovers would want them. Most of the music I enjoy is fairly simple acoustic stuff ..... with the occasional electric blues thrown in for a change of pace.
What caught my attention at the 2005 DecFest was the incredible air and sense of the recording space that the SO Imperials added to the performance. Make no mistake, if there is serious bass content in the music, the SOs will make it known. I have a copy of Toccata and Fugue in D minor that Mike and I played while he was at the house ..... and even with 2 watts a channel it was pretty impressive.
But, back to the reason I had them built .....
Stand up acoustic bass simply sounds like stand up acoustic bass ..... and other "fundamental" instruments sound as they should, as well.
I recently bought a CD from CD Baby titled
Brother Red -Kickin' It and cut #12 is a song called "Tears". It's a Hammond organ, guitar, drum kit and vocals. While "Mr. Red" is not the most polished vocalist in the world, he has great enthusiasm ..... and the sound of this cut with the Imperials in the system is the closest thing to a live performance I have ever heard. The Hammond is growly, the vocals wonderfully 3-D and the cymbals sound real. I was already impressed at how this sounded through the Parker Audio Behemoths, but the addition of the Imperials gave the same presentation on steroids. The instruments and vocals were the correct size, but the ambience of the recording space removed the walls of my listening room. Everything had a greater sense of palpability, as well. Just to be sure, I disconnected the Imperials and returned to the listening seat. Truthfully, there are no words that can describe the difference.
Mike remarked that he was most impressed with the range of dynamics with the Imperials hooked up ..... the effortless contrast between soft and loud as compared to other audio systems that he has heard. Anyone who is an Eva Cassidy fan knows how she can go from a whisper to a wail ..... and the system now allows an appreciation of this that was not there before the addition of the Imperials.
Another thing that I find so incredible is the effect these speakers have on very simple music that seems to have no bass content. At the DecFest, I was introduced to the music of
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole ..... a huge, (recently deceased) Hawaiian man who played the Ukulele and had a voice like a bird. I purchased the album "Alone in IZ World" and have been enjoying it immensely. With the Imperials, it takes on a whole new scale because of the added sense of the recorded space.
As time passes, I will probably experiment with different placement ..... but I am enjoying the music too much to mess with it for now.
I haven't gotten around to trying it with the plate amp hooked up to the Imperials yet. I can imagine that it will be interesting ..... but, again, what I am getting now is everything I could have hoped for .....
No doubt, as the drivers break in, the sound will get even better ..... but if it never does, I don't care.
This whole situation makes me wonder what the smallest room would be that could benefit from one or two of these incredible speakers. If someone knows the answer to that question, there might be a lot of plywood purchased in the months ahead by the owners of Decware amplifiers .....
Randy
Pages: 
