ProggRob
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Thanks Raven and Palomino for setting the stage. I had a great time, and it was awe inspiring to watch this duo play various tracks and diagnose a system so quickly. I learned a lot tonight, but with answers come even more questions.
The first thing that was confirmed for me is that I'm too close to my system to know what it is and isn't good at. For that you need perspective. And when you don't know other audiophiles or hear other systems you are essentially working with a sample size of 1. That means no perspective. Sure I can scour forums and blogs and read all the audiophile words that describe what we hear, but without real interaction and feedback it is next to useless. These two moved me years down the road of what I might have accomplished on my own in just over 2 hours.
A bit of background: over the last 3 or so years, I've spent thousands of hours and dollars researching and selecting components for my system. I've obsessed over details, value, reviews, and synergy, swapping equipment, and gotten everything "just so". You can see what remains in my signature. So, I think it's perfect right? After tonight, there are things I can rest easy on, and others that will keep me up late. Here my thoughts:
1) There is more to your amplifier/speaker relationship than how loud the amp can play your speakers. Unfortunately we couldn't confirm this tonight, but Raven and Palomino brought up the possibility that perhaps my amp/speaker combo wasn't a solid match. A fair assessment. Relative to their experience, dynamics are recessed in my system. In terms of SPL, my 2.3 watts are enough to drive my 97db/w/m Hawthorne Trios. It plays plenty loud for me (not for Palomino and certainly not for Raven), but there seems to be more to it. Yes, 2.3 watts will drive my speakers to 100 db. However, how does it punch below that level? Do the extra power reserves, though untapped, translate to a more dynamic sound? I always thought that it was the circuit that contributed to dynamics, and so long as your power ratings were sufficient you'd be ok. After all, what do watts you don't use get you? "Grip"? I've read all about it before, but reading Steve's page on which Decware amp to select doesn't seem to mention anything but volume considerations. While we generated no first hand evidence that the ZMA or Torii will kick up dynamics vs. my CKCS, we'll find out soon enough at a future CDApS meeting.
2) I need to learn what my OB's can and can't do. This becomes important because it determines precisely my upgrade path. Here's what I learned tonight, starting with the negatives: they can exhibit sibilance, and they are quite "laid back" and are short in presence factor (midrange). I actually never, ever noticed the sibilance before. Once Raven pointed it out, I kept hearing it. The positives: I have bass! And, they have exceptional air and staging capabilities. No surprises for me there but it was nice to hear from others. There are other things to improve such as soundstage width and improving my speakers' "disappearing act", but I'm not confident enough to determine whether this is a drawback of my speakers or simply a matter of positioning and the room.
3) My source components are fine. I've been obsessed with getting the Schiit Yggdrasil, which is Schiit's upcoming Statement DAC. I already started saving for it and would have been my next purchase if not for CDApS. However, Palomino and Raven both thought detail was sufficient and in fact heard some things on recordings that they'd never heard before. Here's my new take - a DAC upgrade, while a move in a positive direction, addresses nothing that my system cannot already do well. Next.
4) All Hail to the God of Diffusion. Do I really need to say it? Wow. Diffusers at the 2nd reflection points turned a mildly impressed audience into a captive one. I don't want to overstate things, but there was a pronounced increase in interest when those things went in. Whether they styrofoam or wood, dividends were paid in midrange, sibilance control, musical interest and increased air and width of soundstage. With a couple pairs of appropriate diffusers, would I care anymore what my speakers aren't good at? I certainly wouldn't be over the near term. The key takeaway tonight is that diffusers need to be my first priority. I'm still shaking my head.
Thanks again for the great evening, gents. Looking forward to the next one!!
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