Elvick, the Atma-spheres are really great and very musical.
The Krells are very good, but solid state just can beat a tube for sweetness and musicality - IMHO.
I agree with Mikelavigne on the benefits of staying with individual components, but I wanted to hear what people with more experience than me thought.
I was told the Atma-spheres run best at 16 Ohms.
I'm using a Cary SPL-05 to drive the Atama-spheres.
I'm using a Krell 280p & Krell 2250 on my second (incomplete) system.
The speakers & cables I have now aren't even worth discussing - that's why I didn't mention them.
I bought the Krells & the Cary on Audiogon at good prices.
Thanks for everyone's comments - keep them coming! |
I bought the Atama-spheres on Audiogon too! |
I have a small pair of swans (w/seas drivers) bookshelves hooked up to my Krell. I'm going to move those to a third system: CJ-PV12 driving an NAD C272.
Next I'm going to throw my Braun L200s onto of my ADS810s and run them in parallel to get to 16 Ohms.
Then I'm going to move my James S82 Loudspeakers to my Krell system.
That's the best I can do with what I have now - go ahead, have a good laugh!
Then, I'm gonna continue MY QUEST... |
Actually, I only get to 12 Ohms with the ADS & the Braun, but its a step in the right direction... |
Putting the 810s & L200s in series brought new life into both speakers, but it needs a sub w/o a doubt.
Thanks to Almarg for pointing out my error before I wired in parallel, instead of in series. I've never wired in series before..hehe.
The Cary and the Atama-sphere are phenomenal and it's great to have them hooked up and going, even with such old speakers.
I think the smorgasbord is fun too - its what its all about! |
I'm not sure if there IS an active speaker than can compete with high end tube gear, but some of the PMC studio monitors look like they could blow my house down when standing on their subs.
I haven't heard them, but wonder what these sound like:
http://pmc-speakers.com/products/professional/active/ib2s-xbd
Of course those Active Speakers are many times what my tube gear would cost when new. |
Here come the Active Speaker fans...bring it on.
BTW the L200 have great tweeters, the 810s are ok in the mid range & the bass is only faintly suggested. |
Bob, interesting point about the crossovers. Can you explain the difference between Active & Passive crossovers and the benefits & drawbacks of both? |
Great answer, Bob. Thanks! |
Can anyone show me a finished system with an Active Crossover?
It would be nice to see solid state, tube & hybrid (solid state & tube) designs.
How easy are these systems to live with?
Do you have to constantly fiddle with the crossover frequencies & gains for each one or can you just sit back and spin the volume control up & down for the whole system?
I know some one is going to tell me, it depends on the room. :~) |
I see how adding an active crossover might cause some time delay or other coloration, but if they are built by a good component builder with matched parts that would go a long way, no?
I like the theory of active crossovers and I'm would imagine some are made better than others. But, going this route sounds like it could be hazardous because of zd542's concerns. |
Martykl, I like your hybrid crossover set up. Are you all solid state?
If you had a tube amp on the passive crossover and a solid state on the active crossover, do you think the mid/bass frequencies (or wherever the crossovers meet) would blend well?
I'm considering a speaker with passive crossovers & Digital Signal Processing. It's very popular on Audiogon right now and it has an open baffle design.
I'm very interested in these, but I'm concerned that I might loose some of the sonic qualities I like about tube sound.
Is that a valid concern or should I not worry about it?
I'm keeping my tube amp & pre-amp, but I would consider an active speaker for a second system or perhaps as a compliment to my tubes. |
The speakers I'm considering have no box and the DSP is supposed to optimize your room.
They are bi-ampable so I could use my Krell there and keep my Cary & Atma-sphere up top.
Sounds good on paper, but how are they in the real world? Probably a lightyear ahead of where I am now. |
Onhwy61, I was looking at the Emerald Physics speakers. |
I'm having a lot of fun wiring speakers together. I have two in series and one running in parralel per channel on one amp at 12 Ohms - all PASSIVE.
The sum sounds more than the parts, if you align things right. I have my cabinets mostly laid on their sides closer to ear level and stacked up in walls of sound.
You could scale this up and the sound would just get bigger and sound better wouldn't it, as long as you kept the load reasonable. |
Al, combo filtering effect can not be ignored and I agree that a homogenous set of speakers would sounds best (on paper), but at least in my case the befits out weighted that particular set back.
Audiophiles bi-amplify. Do they build line array speakers with mismatching parts? For instance, a pair of subs, a pair of mids & a pair of tweets - all from different manufactures?
Is that audio heresy or can that be done the way wine and cheese are matched and paired with each other?
Can you achieve more audio performance by using a line array of speakers than you could with just one speaker?
I think the answer is YES because you can alway take the best and then add just a little bit more to make it better, regardless of what it says on paper. |
Building a Line Array of Speakers might be too much to ask of most home users, but if a speaker builder went that route and allowed the home consumer to choose a line sub, a line mid and a line tweet - instead of putting it all in one box, it would provide for upgradeability in the future and unlimited configurations.
Other manufactures might also jump in and provide even more options. |
I will probably get wonked on the head for saying this, but I'm going to make this argument anyway:
A Line Array of speakers is more efficient and makes better use of the amplifier than non-arrayed speaker. Sonic qualities aside the main job of an amp is to move drivers which push air.
Most class A amps convert their power into heat. The bigger the line array, the more the amp can breath and do its job which isn't heating your room.
At every power level you will hear more and appreciate your amp and music more as your line array get bigger. |
zd542, I agree that change for the sake of change alone is not good, but wouldn't you rather have a system that you could grow into as your needs, taste, and budget change? I'm just proposing an alternate path to building a system.
Wouldn't it be nice to upgrade one part of the speaker without having to trash the whole speaker system and start over? |
Chew on this: Those of you with colossal amplifiers running two speaker systems are the sonic equivalent of a Lamborghini on a mini golf course. You still look great at 3 MPH, but you have no idea hood good things get once you get on the autobahn.
Line Array = Autobahn. |
Once upon a time two friends went to a concert, but only had one pair of tickets.
The friend who got in to hear the show sat center stage and listened to beautiful line array of speakers.
The friend who didn't get in also sat center stage, but behind a wall with two pin hole openings for perfect stereo imaging.
Who do you think enjoyed the show more? |
Which is better?
1. To hear 100% of the sound with only 2% that is perfect or
2. Hear only 2% of the sound perfectly, but miss the other 98%?
Assuming you have enough SPL to fill the room is it better
1. To add another amp and speaker or
2. To buy two more speaker and run them on the amp you have?
Sorry, I was outside. What did you say? |
I just bought a pair of used Vandersteen 3A Signatures. I have them on my Krell (out of expediency) and love the bass, but I'm not getting a broad soundstage. Once I put my tube gear on that should change.
Anyway, it's a big upgrade for me!
Thanks to everyone for your comments. |
Here's an update:
I just got Paul Spelt's ZERO-Box with a custom built set of ANTICABLES & they are so incredible - even without the 100 hour suggested burn in period.
My Sound Stage just BLEW UP and I now have the system of my dreams!
It was like getting a free upgrade for every component in my system because everything sounds so much better - and that is saying a lot considering the gear I was already using.
My current system looks like this:
Cable Box or Apple t.v. (both using optical outputs)
Cambridge Audio DACMagic (not an expensive piece & probably my next upgrade)
Cary SLP-05
ATMA-SPHERE MA-1MKII rev.2
ZERO-Box
ANTICABLES
Vandersteen 3a Signatures
Life is good @ http://www.zeroimpedance.com |
