Welcome, Guest. Please Login or Register
Decware Audio Forums
03/28/24 at 20:28:10 




Pages: 1
Send Topic Print
HDT's revisited (Read 7186 times)
change_out
Ex Member



HDT's revisited
01/03/08 at 01:05:04
 
Yesterday, New Years day, I decided to listen to my HDT speakers for the first time in over a year. The long interval between listenings has two contributing factors: 1. These speakers are very revealing, if any weaknesses are present in the total setup - gear and room treatments the HDT will point out the problem area. 2. I keep the speaker stored on top of the Imperials. ( HDT'S are heavy!)

It was a holiday so what the hey, I pulled down the speakers and placed the into the system. After  a 30 minute warm up on the tuner I sat down in my chair with my lap top to due some audio research. Immediately I was pulled into the music. The HDT's were as strong as ever with detail and imaging BUT they was a refined musical texture I had not ever heard from them.

Needless to say my lap top research was postponed. My room has undergone signifigant change since I last played this speakers. These changes include:
1. Tuning of the Deckert slot.
2. Adding over twenty five bass traps to the ceiling, corners, wall to floor join and the wall to ceiling join.
3. Strategic placement of twenty Decware diffusers.

With my room dialed in the HDT's blew my mind- I stayed in the room for over 10 hours only breaking for natural causes and food.

Prevous posts by myself about these speakers may have come off as these speakers not performing as top shelf. I was wrong about them. With high end gear AND a high end room these become sweet hearts.

Tim
Back to top
 
 
  IP Logged
RFZ_Quest
Seasoned Member
****




Posts: 309
Re: HDT's revisited
Reply #1 - 01/03/08 at 05:06:28
 
It can be quite amazing as to how certain events unfold to put things into proper perspective. It is great that this new found revelation has been exposed to you as these speakers just never received the credit that was deserved from them. Steve has tried to express what you've proclaimed here for many years, but nobody really listened to what he knew all along!

If your set has not been upgraded  with the DFR-8's and alternate tuning package as of yet, you may be very surprised as to how much better they can still be! You did not specify, so it would be interesting to know which versions they are. If you have not experienced these speakers with the more powerful P-P amps along with  good vinyl source material, you are definitely going to be surprised once you do.

How can one convince a crowd that refuses to listen? It would seem that people have to discover things on their own before comprehension becomes reality. The sad part is that this usually occurs by accidental discovery with rare incidence.

I feel somewhat validated now in what I’ve tried to express concerning the true performance potential just waiting to be unleashed from these excellent designs! It all comes down to proper set-up and acoustics as you have confirmed with such positive measure. Now if you precisely  set the coordinates by my method using the laser level, I do believe that there is more to learn from these speakers.
Back to top
 
 
  IP Logged
change_out
Ex Member



Re: HDT's revisited
Reply #2 - 01/03/08 at 14:22:34
 
RFZ_Quest,

I do need to apply your laser level idea. I noticed in one of your posts how you had built a wooden base and then isolated the speaker with cones or spikes. I had some brass isolation cones laying around so I supported the HDT's with them sans the wooden base. The result was noticably significant in tighten the bass. The alternate tuning was done by Papa Bob (Zygi) when I went to pick up the Imperials. I do not have the DFR-8.

The audio research I mentioned in the original post concerns the auditioning of a turntable. Hopefully this selection will be made within the next month.

Tim


Back to top
 
 
  IP Logged
RFZ_Quest
Seasoned Member
****




Posts: 309
Re: HDT's revisited
Reply #3 - 01/06/08 at 03:41:49
 
Tim,

The laser allows for the most precise alignment which really makes the job not only more fool proof, but a great deal quicker in setup time. There is little to worry about concerning accuracy when done in this manner.

The brass spikes in relation to the wood platforms actually act as a transference method for which actually becomes an extension of mass in direct relation to the cabinets. This provides an additional path for cabinet resonance to follow for which is no longer creating  any negative effects within the speaker itself.

Energy has to go somewhere, with the path of least resistance always brought into play. This just as importantly helps to resist any backflow of energy into the speaker from external elements.  I have actually constructed wood platforms in the past with a combination of airspace and sand as a  mass substance.

This makes a tremendous difference in how the  speaker sounds in general. The major enhancement is most noticeable  not only within the tightening of lower frequencies, but actual refinement within the midrange frequencies as well. This level of improvement usually leads to increased  dimensional focus with a refined presentation of timbre.

The spiked platform assemblies were factored in as a significant part of the speakers tuning principals. As isolation and control were the primary factors for my build in order to get the gain projected, this area  became a very vital part of the solution. Height adjustment will also aid in fine tuning here, and the spikes allow for that easily.

None of this really matters until the speakers have been carefully dialed-in within the room to find the sweet spot for which bass response is most ideal between the speakers exact location and the rooms modal points itself. It’s like setting up a cartridge to track accurately within the groove of the vinyl playing surface. Once dialed in correctly, everything falls into proper perspective with the impending results fully revealed. A difference of just a few degrees in any direction can make or break the speakers low-end response, and the quality for which it is represented.

If your Fostex drivers have been modified to the recommended specifications per Decware upgrades, these should be very close in sound quality. The DFR-8’s are the optimal choice for maximum performance. If you do not have the additional bracing within each chamber around the driver area (you would have to ask Zygi about this), it would be well worth your while to have them installed which you can easily do yourself.

There is a dramatic change in the cabinets sound with these installed over that without them. When you rap on the cabinet without the cross members, it sounds hollow with a degree of reverberation. Once the braces are in place, the knock is solid and quick with rapid termination of the reverb. You can imagine how this influences tonal structure within the music.

Glad to hear that you have taken interest toward  the acquisition of high quality analog. This will take you to the highest  level of transition within your musical quest. Considering the premium equipment that you already own, along with your ideal listening environment, you will truly be pleased once the addition of a premium analog source is brought into form.

I really must recommend a high-end  MC (low-output design) cartridge with very special care in the selection of a tone-arm. This along with Decware’s  ZMC step-up unit in combination with the ZP3. Please trust me on this combination. There is no doubt that you will soon understand why if you choose this path.

By having your plinth CNC’d  professionally according to the scaled drawing on the Teres website, you can order the technologically advanced motor assembly, and spindle bearing assembly, along with  the custom machined VTA  & arm board assembly direct from Teres. You would then only require the purchase of  the platter from Teres which is way ahead of anything else out there in terms of performance based material and design.

 By doing this, you can have a world class turntable design at a fraction of the cost  opposed to retail. The trade-off is that you must assemble and calibrate the table yourself. The d.i.y. aspect of this is not difficult at all for those that are mechanically inclined with good common sense intact.

The pay-off is that this will save you a tremendous amount of  cost over retail while having unsurpassed quality compared within a price range several times over that invested.

There are other good choices out there on this level. I can guarantee you that all of these choices will cost much more when compared directly by performance virtues. The quality and performance gain of the Teres concept is like driving a Mercedes on the autobahn without any restrictions to hamper performance. It sure beats driving an old Chevy  with bald tires on a two lane highway with an irregular surface.

If you go to Teres website and follow the components link, you will see the d.i.y. options.

If I can assist you with any information regarding this, please ask and I will do what I can  in the most logical manner.

Choose very wisely in this decision as this will become the most vital link within your system’s performance and how it is perceived in every regard!

Paul.
Back to top
 
 
  IP Logged
Pages: 1
Send Topic Print