Never mind, it's linked from the home page ... for anyone who's interested ...

Decfest Live Broadcast: https://www.decware.com/newsite/zenfest2011.html

Wow it's got to be 3:00 in the morning there and they are still going strong ... I got to make it there one year!

A song list would be great, or even better a bit of text on the screen displaying the artist/track. I don't know how feasible that may be. Really good stuff playing there!

I've been able to grab lots of tracks info using Shazam, if that's any help to anyone. Give it a try!

@ Lonely Raven ... what were some of the highlights for you this year and were you able to make a decision of the KT-66 setup for your new Torii?

I enjoyed the fest as well.  It's a great opportunity to give everything a listen and line up your buying priorities.

Hands down the best combo I heard was the mystery amp with the modified DM945s on the passive sub stands.  I liked the HR-1s with the mystery amp too, but for some reason, the 945s gave me more of what I liked.

Raven, it was good to meet you.  We will have to get together some time.  I set up my desk setup in the build room and ran a couple of SE84s through it with both the old and new trapeziums and the sound was remarkable.  I saw what I thought was your amp on the bench, but didn't want to plug it in without asking.

The AC-10 is really nice, glad you are keeping it. . . I still have one more in my system to replace with an AC-12. I LOVE the AC-12 but the AC-10 is really good.

Stone, You'll really like the DM945. I was getting a little grumpy because I swear they sound better than my MG944. The bass has a full, yet controlled/punchy quality to it that my MG944 don't have. It's no wonder Steve is discontinuing the 944s. My fiance even commented that it was good I'm running a 21" sub-woofer with 2000 watts behind it, otherwise we'd both be grumping about how the 945 outclassed the 944. The 945 had some other qualities that I think were really nice, but I honestly tried not to give them too much attention...as I said, I've already got good speakers and I'm trying not to covet. My focus was on the amps.

Hands down, the Mystery amp was the star of the show. I really don't think anyone bothered to plug in the Torii Monoblocks the whole weekend.

Steve mentioned to me when I got my pair some six weeks back that he was considering discontinuing them...Bob (Ziggy) said they were disco now with the 945 and the bass box. So I'm not sure it's official, but it sounds like it is. That's about all I know about it really.

I wish I didn't have to keep my head in a vice when I listen...and I'm hoping I can pull that holographic imaging I'm still searching for...if I can get that imaging, then I'll be happy with my MG944 for many years to come. I'm still working on figuring out placement of my speakers, and building diffusers. Hopefully when I get all the diffusers built, I'll find what I'm looking for.

Just FYI, for those that are curious, I have my 21" subwoofer crossed over at 40hz, and the sub has a 3db point around 10hz. So it's really only filling in the bottom end, not taking over the bass from the 944.

Stone,

Steve will no doubt offer this information when you get to purchase time, but he is now running a modified version of the DM945 with a new phase plug to go with the passive sub box.  To me, this sounded like a completely different animal.  Really helps the mid range.

That combo with the mystery amp really was stunning.

Those new 945s with stands sound awesome.

LR, I agree with tgarden. Though I have no diffusers, I have some other room things going on, and I got amazing imaging with the 944s in my room...deep, wide and saturated...at least on recordings that have good imaging!

I think here, they were quite similar to the HR-1s which are supposed to do this more easily. With both the image is brilliant. Also, have you measured your bass. My room exaggerates bass, but I never thought of a sub with the 944s. I can totally imagine how your sub setup must sound really good though regardless of room.

tgarden,

My 944s are older, and I don't know how the more recent ones are configured, but a few years ago or so, Bob was playing with a coil for one of the mid/bas drivers. I had a weird tear develop in one of my drivers (I think Bob said that was a first!) and had to replace the lot for a correct repair. I put in the coil Bob graciously sent, and the speaker seemed good...more controlled and and for me...too polite, but green so I went on, playing them while I was gone and when I was home for some time.

After some good breakin, I still thought they were missing some immediacy, punch and flow for my tastes...showed up particularly in big drum and low string bass hits...but was heard throughout...they just sounded bigger and realer (though a bit less accurate) without the coil to me. I guess yours are likely without the coil.

Lonely Raven,

Your comment "The bass has a full, yet controlled/punchy quality to it that my MG944 don't have" made me think of this. Not that the 944s might necessarily sound more like the 945s without the coil, but your comment reminded me of what I heard before the coil on well broken in drivers, and similarly after I disconnected the coil...The top driver just drove harder doing stuff I liked. Since you are handy, might be worth an email to Bob to see if yours have the coil, and if so, maybe run a straight wire for exploration purposes. If Bob kept the coil I'm sure there is good reason. I just like mine better without.

Both:

I have not explored the 944 caps much, as they are not listened to much. But in the HR-1s replacing the same value cap (bigger than the 944, a 3.3) with a Mundorf Supreme, the resistor with a Mundorf of slightly smaller value (2.7 as opposed to 3) and compensating by bypassing the resistor and cap with a dirt cheap, .1 K40Y-9 PIO cap, the same tweeter as the 944 sounds awesome...smoother, more refined, more texture and detail without feeling too detailed.

Don't recall the 944 caps, and I am thinking I recall they do not even have a resistor ???. They are mounted on the interior of the binding post thingy if yours are like mine. Maybe the caps are 2.2. If so, kind of an odd configuration, but I might explore a Mundorf Supreme 1.8 parallel with a a .22 K40Y-9. Edit: or maybe a Mundorf Supreme 2.2 with a .047 K40Y-9...that is if they are stock 2.2.

I use the K40Y-9 in my Torii, and it makes it hard to get around to putting in the Jupiters I bought. Though I bet they will be even better, the Russians were night and day from the stock Wimas in terms of organic, smooth detail, micro detail, and flow once burned in a bit...at least in serious listening mode.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/0-22uf-400V-K40Y-9-RUSSIAN-PIO-CAPACITOR-/221284674173?p...

I sure wish we could easily quote...where did the quote button in these forums go?

Anywho,


Will - long story short, my MG944 has a crossover with Mundorf caps in it.  Unfortunately, the way Bob built mine, the X-over was installed before the speaker was fully assembled...so I can't get at it. I could bypass it by clipping the leads and running wire to the speakers (adding a capacitor of course). But when I questioned Bob about the speakers this weekend, he said he spent 6 months working on this crossover, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. That, and I'm too lazy to want to buy caps, pull speakers, run wire inside, solder and reassemble.

famous last words....

FWIW
Bob told me that (IIRC sometime after Decfest last year) the 944 went back to just a cap on the tweeter.

....done with hardware for few years I should have said.  8-)

Fun stuff:
After the Mystery Amp comes into the stable...I look forward to some tube rolling. Using the K120's in the MA for comparison with the KT66.

Putting hours on the DM945 & sub bass passive enclosure.

I have some Cryode' EV tubes to get in my CKC.

Rotating the 3 digital front ends around my 3 Systems.

Revisiting my room treatments.

General Tweaks to Systems.

I won't miss boxing up and returning or selling things....which I have done over the last 18 months.

I will.

....for starter's I'm going to get my Systems listed in the Pictures thread and then give it a "bump" when I get some pic's in there.   -S

It basically adds a larger DNA horn to the DM945.  I believe I heard the promised 25 Hz.  It adds more than just bass.  The soundstage is huge as well.