So, Jh2os, what do you think of the Hawks so far? Since our set-up's will be identical, I am most curious to hear your impressions. [My room is 27x14, but the listening area is really only 14x14.]
thx, walkman |
I don't have any suggestions, but have some questions (!). What happened to your Forests that you had to replace them 3 times in six months? That seems like a lot. Also, how well did your I-5 drive the Forests (I have an I-5 and am considering Totem shopping, too). Finally, what did you prefer about the Sttafs relative to the Hawks in your prior demo's. thx, walkman |
Fascinating, but helluva story. Sorry for the legwork you had to do, it must have been quite annoying -- I can see why you'd not want to bother with the Forests, let alone any other speaker from the company, but you seem to be pretty mellow about it, and that's pretty gentlemanly of you. Good luck in your next speaker quest...
- walkman |
So, Jh2os, how are you defining "moderate levels"...? I have a pair of Hawks coming to me in the near future and would like to make sure I treat them right. I don't blast my music anyway (rarely above 80db from listening position 8 feet from speakers), but would still want to not "overtax" them.
thx, - walkman |
Jh2os. Thanks mucho. I also have an I-5, so your volume control metrics make total sense to me. With my vandersteen 1c's, I usually listen to music with the I-5's volume 18-23, when I want to go loud, it's at 25. The vandy's are rated 90db at 6.8ohms nominal.
What I have to add next could shed some light on your blown Forest woofer situation, although it's a little late for you. Once upon at time the red warning light on my I-5 was triggered. After also conversing with Sim Audio, and swapping out cd players, it was definitively determined that this was due to DC offset from a CD player I had at the time. I was able to make that light come on whenever the cd player was turned on and I turned the volume up on the I-5 past 30 or so, even if a cd was not in the player (i.e. no music was playing).
Since then, with a Sim Nova replacing the cd player that had the DC offset, I have never-ever seen that warning light. I don't expect to see it with the Hawks I am getting (better not!) either. From the little I know (and I know just a little), DC offset is usually caused from something else in your system, not the speakers, and it could have maybe blown your Forest's woofers; it was not likely the I-5 (admittedly, I am not knowledgeable about this electrical stuff, but am basing my comments on my personal experience and email exchanges with Sim Audio, who were most helpful). It could have been another component in your stream, like it was for me with my cd player that caused your DC offset (and FYI, using a voltmeter, the technician later confirmed my cd player was indeed emitting DC). |
Oh, and Jh2os, thanks for testing the levels with your db meter. |
Thanks for the info, Jh2os. Appreciated. Your Sony could have been the culprit on the dc offset, but if you have have not seen the warning light since, and still have the I-5, well then, that can't be it. It's not the speakers though (can speakers cause dc offset? I don't think so...). It's got to be something...
So, you have the hawks, nova and an I-5. In a week or so we will indeed have identical systems. Cool!
Upstate Audio: Wow, two blown woofers...How loud were you playing the tower of power, pre-break-in?
thx, walkman |
Beheme, I also have that Mirage LF100 sub. I use it as part of my home theater...I basically have two systems, one for audio (sim I-5/Nova + pending Hawks) and video (outlaw 1050 receiver and mirage surround system with LF100 sub). Lots of coincidences in this thread about similarly owned equipment. I wonder if there's a way to have it connected to both my Outlaw 1050 receiver for home theater usage and to my Sim I-5 which has a home theater pass-thru for 2-channel music purposes. Must be...
Upstateaudio: Good information to know...thx.
Jh2os: Curious but good the indicator light has not gone on for you anymore. I wonder what was causing it in the first place, but if it has not/does not replicate, then I guess at this point, it does not really matter. |
Thanks Jh2os...your initial thoughts are appreciated, and encouraging. Identical systems make your comments very valuable. And, I can imagine things will only get better with your break-in and subsequent addition of the claws.
Beheme: thanks for the sub tips. I'll likely go sub-less, but was curious. |
Hey Jh2os. Thanks for the detailed summary. It seems you are not quite "content" though. Audiosa-nervosa perhaps? Just kidding. Anyway, perhaps a little more time will help, but maybe not. You seem to have a reference point for the kind of system that once brought you that audio contentment, and you are trying replicate it, but your room size changed, so the components have changed, and it's hard to get what you had before. In this weird hobby, you may have to keep on trying to achieve that level of audio contentment...or you may grow to really like what you currently have, but are not quite used to (?).
I guess I ask you to think of the volumes you listened to your previous cairn/prima luna/arro system and see how the same volume sounds with your Sim/Sim/Hawks system. You seem to be focused on the filling the room with volume aspect, but also mentioned how you prefer the Sttafs at low volumes. Maybe applying the 80-20 rule (probably blasphemous in this hobby) will help you determine if your current set-up will meet your needs (i.e. if you listen at low volumes, can you get used to the Hawks?...Do the Hawks fill your big room with sound at high volumes?). Also, what about the I-5/Hawks combo leads you to wonder if you have enough power?
Anyway, enough of my analysis...Hopefully, you grow to enjoy your system, but if not, well, I guess that's why this place exists. Rectifyable (but sometimes that gets tiresome...). Keep us posted as you continue to listen (and maybe don't listen so critically?).
;-) walk |
Jh2os. I cannot blame you for having a "grin from ear to ear" standard. You achieved that level of sonic bliss once, and you have the darn gone right to achieve it again. I guess the rub is what kinda combo of gear is gonnna get you there. I dunno. From a selfish perspective, your lack of true sonic bliss is of interest to me since I have Hawks coming and have the same source and amp and even a similarly sized room (but my immediate listening area is smaller; typical apartment set-up). But then again, you are comparing your new set-up to something very different from what I have (small room, arro + primaluna + cairn).
I think something's gonna have to give: You will either have to give it more time, compromise your standard for being sonically content, or as many do, sell and buy something different. Only you can determine what you need to get back that thar grin, and I hope you do. Perhaps the subwoofer suggestion made above by the other posters would be one option (but I know you said you don't want to do that; nor I). Perhaps the other option is try the Forest again (very ironic given the title of this thread), but I can surely understand your hesitancy there cos you replaced it 3x. For me, if I were fed up with a particular product, I'd surely steer clear of the entire line (the "brand"), and you have not, so if you are comfy with the Sttafs and Hawks, it seems that you should also be comfy trying out yet another pair of Forests...
But maybe there's another speaker that you need? Something more sensitive and easier to drive for your big room so you can get that big sound? Maybe some of the smaller names that are frequently mentioned here like Tyler or Reimer? Food for thought.
I wish I could give you the silver bullet... |
So, Jh2os, whaddya gonna do now? You sold your Sim stuff...the playing field is wide open. Good luck!
- walkman |
