No more "High End" for me...Back to Reality Audio

I’m running loaner KEF R3’s and they are Dull as F until I connected a pair of ICE Power 1000W@4ohm Amplifiers with a miniDSP EQ that I gently boosted the Treble from 8k on up and another gentle boost from 100Hz on down. Passband I did not touch. Sounds incredible but they are still Bookshelf Speakers. Bass response to below 40Hz and the Treble/Upper midrange isn’t killing my ears when I turn up the volume.

I carefully changed the el cheapo rc4580 Op-Amps with dual OPA627’s on each channel of the Sony Universal Player UBP-X1000ES . Replaced the blue "Chicklet" Capacitors with some SoniCaps that were laying in the same bin as the OPA627’s (TI Samples that were still sealed up). The resistors were changed out from throughole 5% (assumed) resistors with .1% or less Susumu Surface Mount Resistors. $150.00 does not turn it into a $5k DAC, but it sounds a bit darker than the PS Audio DirectStream DAC Sr. when I compared the two. Of course the PSA DSSr. DAC is more "Vinyl like" and very smooth sounding but the Bass extension in my mods beat the PSA DAC. I wasn’t expecting that. The Sony’s Analog stage was very "Wimpy sounding" whether SACD/DSD or PCM was played back though it. I can build my "Forever System" around this sound.

My first "Audiophile Equipment" was the Adcom GFA-345 Preamp with a GFA-545II back in 1993. I drove my friends Boston Acoustics A70’s with them for about a year with a Homebrew Sub that I copied (poorly mind you) the M & K Sub with the front facing and up firing dual Woofers.

When I got the Home Theater bug. in 1999/2000/2001, I traded the Preamp/Amp for a used Adcom GFA 555II. I had a Denon AVR that I also traded for a newer one with more features. I’ve been using AVR’s as my Preamp for the last 20 years !

The 555II gain board caught fire while I was servicing it after (one channel was dead - needed recap) 18 years of trouble free service.

The BAT VK50-SE Preamp stopped working after a Power Surge (the unit was turned off BTW) took it out. Once the Factory is done with it ($$$). I’m not sure if I’ll keep it or sell it. One thing is for sure, I’ve never burnt anyone on a sale and have "taken it on the chin" a few times.

The Preamp fiasco was the last straw for me. All my Consumer "not Audiophile" Equipment works flawlessly. Even had another powers urge last Saturday and this time I was home.

I really appreciate the comments/sympathy. I know I’ve been a bit harsh on some of my posts and sometimes in the rebuttals. But hey, it’s all good now. And I’m still a Schill for Orchard Audio’s Ultra Amplifiers. I like their sound and Dick Olsher did too (the little BOSC/StarKrimson ones from a few years ago).

But don’t worry, I’ll still be posting my crap on here form time to time.

I forgot to mention that I had the PS Audio Stellar Stack (SGCD Preamp/DAC, 3x M700’s, and a S300). Great system but Leo’s Amplifiers to my ears sounded better. Daren’s a brilliant Audio Engineer as is Leo and we need these young GUys along with Sean Casey of Zu and many other younger than me Engineers to keep striving and doings things way better than their very grey haired predecessors !

That's awesome @pesky_wabbit ! Enjoy my friend. Tubes ain't for Boobs. I had my fun with them (Jolida 3502p with KT150's). A friend lent me a pair of McIntosh MC30's for a little while. Very nice Amplifiers but for what they are going for now. Not worth it for me. I wish I had my MC50's to compare them too (In repair at the moment).

@mrskeptic Overpriced and overhyped. I’ve heard them played through their own DAC verses external. External DAC’s always won. My friend picked up an $18 Dollar BDP-80 (? - not sure). Anyways he drives his DAC with that $18 Dollar machine as his Transport.

Yeah. I just can’t believe how good my system sounds with such cheap "not Audiophile" stuff. I’m listening to MoFo’s SACD of Tapestry at the moment just enjoying the music and not giving a Rat’s Ass how it’s getting to the KEF R3’s.

Did I just let the proverbial Cat out of the Bag ?

Imaging, Soundstage, Depth, Phantom Center. It’s all there ! Can’t wait for the big boxes at the end of the month. Go big or go home. I always say...LOL !

Cheers Everyone !

Thanks everyone for your words of Wisdom (not joking actually). I had a friend over this afternoon (the owner of the R3’s actually). He couldn’t believe how much Bass the Speakers were generating. I put a very basic EQ profile into the miniDSP as I described earlier. It accentuates the 40Hz "room boom", but only when called upon. You see I also have 50Hz & 60Hz room nulls that I boosted with a sharp Q filter so that the lower midrange wouldn’t be muddy as Hell.

He liked the sound they made in my room but I told him, previously, never had to EQ things. Both the Jolida 3502p with KT150’s & the Orchard Audio Ultra Amplifiers had enough juice and were tuned by their designers with flat responses but with enough power/current to extend the highs while maintaining those booming lows.

The ICE Amps on there own have a flat response but they are more suited as Subwoofer Amplifiers. I knew that when I bought them 2 years ago. A little EQ never hut no one....right ?

Oh, the power surge/brown out ? Power Company did it on 2 consecutive Saturdays. I wasn't home for the first one. But I was for the second one. Nothing to do with lightening or bad weather. This after all is Phoenix, AZ in the "Winter".

The fuse in the BAT should have blown ! When I bought it, I never checked what fuse was in there. Why would I if there weren't any problems. I don't use a power "conditioner" cause I do hear a slight bit of noise when I plug my Stereo Equipment whether the Panamax Box or the Monster Power Bar. .

@gkr7007 

I’ve seen all the modification videos. 

1. Line the cabinet with “No Res” (I gotta guy who has a poop ton of it)
2. Line the Horn backs with Dynamat Extreme (any auto parts store it’s cheaper than Amazon)
3. SoniCaps (I actually have some that paralleled up will = what’s on the crossovers.
4.  Copper Foil and Heavy Gauge Wire Air Core Inductors
5.  Sit back and “listen to the music”….not the equipment that it’s played on or the boxes the sound is being reproduced out of
6. Save up for a new Car (long story there)

Again, loving everyone’s comments and ZERO negativity.

@thejeenyus54 I'm glad I'm not the only that "feels the way I do". I'll bring the Single Malt.

I just returned my friends KEF R3’s and in turn he lent me a pair of PMC TB2’s while I wait to payoff the Gentleman with the Cornwall IV’s and pick them up in 3 weeks.

Anyone who says nearfield Studio Monitors can’t be repurposed as Home Speakers is f.o.s. It’s just Speaker drivers and a crossover in a box ! In these little boxes, there’s a Transmission Line. So Bass is limited by design and I actually had to add a mild boost above 10kHz and a large boost below 100Hz.  They sound very very three dimensional but lack the Bass extension of the R3’s.

”I like Big Bass and I cannot lie”