Grannyring,
Thanks for the detailed response. You sound very happy with the Luxman. You don't sit still with gear for very long even when you find something you love. And because of that you keep pushing the envelope finding other gear you love even more or tweaking current gear to squeeze out more performance. So I always enjoy reading about your latest findings. This hobby is fun for me.
Right now I'm demoing a pair of Zu Undertone subs that my buddy is letting me borrow for the weekend to compliment my Coincident Total eclipse II's and it is blowing my mind. I'm missing so much information without subs. The soundstage grew, more foundation to music, more growl, everything has improved. |
Bob, I bet those 2a3 amps combined with the shocking resolution and
dynamic impact of your speakers is a joy to listen two. I have always liked
your speaker and wondered how they would sound with the right tube amp.
Ernie, now you have to buy a Luxman! Kidding. If you cannot find a used
one, 115v, then the Yamamoto is still a very special dac. The best way for
me to compare the two it by saying this; The Luxman sounds like a fully
matured adult version of the young millennial Yamamoto. Both are born
from the same blood line! I think of Van Morrison's voice when he sang with
Them. His voice was young and lively with some of the deeper tones,
resonance, and fullness still to come. The Luxman is Van's voice at its
peak, both lively when called for and with the fullness and deep resonance
we hear when Van was in his 30's and 40's.
Charles, I will post my system again. |
Sorry. Typo. The DA 06.
The Yamamoto dac is very good and my favorite until the Luxman showed up. However the Luxman has a retail price of $5000 and that is twice the current price of the Yamamoto. I purchased mine for a great price used and it is not a black market 100v unit, but a 115v USA unit.
The Luxman betters the Yamamoto is every way and quite convincingly. My speakers sound about 30% larger while the tone is even more natural and real. The DA 06 excels in its ability to convey the heft, scale, richness, and natural tone of the human voice or instrument. Instruments now have the body and weight you hear live while every tiny micro nuance is revealed.
I will post my system again as it is settled in. |
Is it Luxman DA 60 or is it the DA-06? Either way glad to see you've settled finally on a system that meets your goals. Congratulations Bill.
Charles, |
Bill my Intuitive Design Gammas sound better when I switched to a 2a3 tube based push pull mono blocks. Beautiful music. Enjoy your new amp. |
Grannyring,
How does the Luxman compare to the Yamamoto dac? Curious minds want to know. |
Thanks Bob. I have decided to keep my speakers. I listened to several good high effeciency speakers, but the sound of my speakers was, in the end, more to my liking.
My SET amp really opened up after burn in and it drives my speakers very well now. I have settled into a finished system that is amazing and easy on my back! The Electra Fidelity EL34 SET amp is just so musical. Very special design. Real innovation in this design.
Luxman DA60 dac that is a pretty large leap forward in sound quality compared to the other days I have owned. I have always ignored Luxman for some reason. This dac has earned universal praise by reviewers and I now know why.
So the speakers are staying with me! They just play beautiful music with the Luxman dac and Electra Fidelity amp. |
Bill,
I have a brand new never used pair of Lowther drivers I could sell you at a nice price. These are the PMA 5's. Quite incredible. Let me know if you are interested. |
Bill,
I heard a wonderful sounding single driver speaker at RMAF 2011. It was the Fletcher-Haynes Heirloom using an 8" fostex driver, one of the very best sounds at the entire show. Single driver speakers can't do everything(what can? all designs have compromises). The sound was oh so natural and had superb presence, it made most other systems sound "electronic" by comparison. I've always been curious concerning the Audio Kinesis Jazz Module and also 12" Phy driver based speakers(Tonian Lab and Ocellia). These 3 are high impedance speakers with excellent reputations for high quality sound. If I weren't so happy with my current speakers,those 3 would be on my very short list of candidates. Many roads lead to Rome.
Charles, |
Well Bill, I can't argue with that either, because that is the same place I landed after my long journey (and Charles) led me there.
Those 8 watts can really be magic with the right speakers.
Keep us posted!
John |
Bill,
That makes sense to me and I can appreciate and understand your change of direction.
Charles, |
Hi guys. I love these speakers, but it is time to move on! Why? Because I have seen the light. Well, I heard the 8 watt SET amps we all love on true high efficiency speakers and I fell instantly in love. These Lahave speakers are 90db and somewhat easy to drive, but with 97-100db speakers these wonderful tube amps open up a new sonic world for me:)
The directness and intimacy are intoxicating with these types of speakers. I am looking at single driver speakers as well as some Audio Kinesis models. I have tasted of this with my entry level Cain & Cain Abby speakers which are a single driver Fostex design. I have to dive into this deeper and experience it! I just have to:) |
It is funny when you reflect on it. We all have personal journey with speakers and electronics. I have often had to buy without listening first, just on the strength of reviews and intuition, which was sometimes badly flawed.
I was also motivated by a desire to own a certain brand or type of speaker just to see what it was like and then be able to know that I had that experience.
As time has gone by, the variety of speakers and electronics that I have used have given me a clearer profile of what my sonic priorities are, and so my frequent changes have become less frequent, also dictated by finances of course, and the desire to avoid costly mistakes.
I find that in the last couple of years, I'm really enjoying refining the use of supports and cords etc.
Still, I can understand that part of many of us that has restless curiosity about what may be better than what we already have. It's just that niggling little voice in your head, urging you to move on to the next thing.
It's a little sad in one way. It reminds me of the old saying "Yesterday's peacock is tomorrows feather duster". Anyway, as long as you can afford it, and you're having fun every step of the way, it's an interesting journey. |
Bill,
You are full of surprises! What do you seek differently with this change of direction?
Charles, |
Rgs92
They are great speakers indeed. I am going to try SET amps and 100db efficient speakers for a change and will be selling my speakers soon. If you know anyone interested in a great set of floor standers for a great price, then please let me know. I really had fun with these!
I am glad to have enjoyed Lahave Audio speakers! |
I still have my La Have Mela monitors after about 5 years and I can relate to your comments. There is just something about La Have sonics that is very real and forceful but totally unfatiguing. |
Bill,
Early production Elrog 845s had reliability problems. The Problem is said to be solved with the current tubes (so time will tell). I use the Elrog ER 300b and so far no issues for me or Jeff. The Elrog is the best sounding tube I've heard in mine or Jeff's amplifiers.
Charles, |
I looked into Elrog, but they seem to have reliability issues? I did not know Jeff used them? I assume he has had no issues. I bet they are wonderful sounding tubes. |
Bill,
As you may know Jeff and I are old friends of more than 20 years and we live only 10 minutes apart. He used the Pavane W.E. Replica 845 for a couple of years and I know them very well. It is an excellent 845 and out performed NOS RCAs. The only better 845 I've heard in his system is the Elrog(far more costly). Other than that the Pavane beat all others(Shuguang varients). Adding this tube to your terrific amplifier is a wise move and you won't regret it.
Charles, |
|
Forgot to mention that I have some Psvane WE845 tubes coming based on comments on the net and Jeff here on the Gon. |
10 watts is plenty and I have not heard any sign of distress or compression.
I sit only 8 feet away and listen at 75 to 85db weighed average most of the
time.
These glorious 10 watts are absolutely perfect for me. I do think my amp's
10 watts are a powerful 10 watts. Not every 8 watt 300b would be a good
match, but your amp and the Frank amps would be great. Not all 8 watt
amps are created equal as you both know so well. I had a 12 watt Dennis
Had amp on them that did show signs of stress and never loaded my room
with the sound and bass this Larry Moore amp achieves. The 10 watts of
my 845 amp delivers all of the scale, dynamics, speed, bass response
etc... that I was used to with my other amps cranking out 30-300 watts.
Again, I don't listen at 95db!
The difference is my music sounds more real and live with the 845 amp. |
Grannyring, I was gong to ask how you like them with your low power 845 SET and your review sounds very positive. Do you feel like you lose anything with 10 watts? Wondering how a 300b SET would drive them. Also great to read about your DIY crossover. I've toyed with the idea of doing my own DIY crossovers for the AN'Es -Regards Jet. |
Bill,
When I read the general description of these speakers(simple crossover and easy load) I thought a high quality tube amp should mate well. Especially a SET with adequate power. I'm glad this worked out so sucessfully.
Charles, |
These speakers really love tubes. The best sound I have heard from them came from pairing them with an 845 SET amp. Just wonderful. |
I have not posted most recent pics. I will tell you what was done, that is, the
most current mod. I have removed the crossover from the cab completely.
A must in this speaker as the crossover was located right behind the
woofer!
I then ran Jupiter pure copper 14 gauge solid core copper wire from the
drivers out the back of the speaker. Two runs on the woofer and one on the
Raal tweeter. No, the wires never touch the ground. The crossover is now
placed on a board with the board placed on four layers of thick cork board.
The entire five layer board is then placed on cork footers and placed in a
metal outboard chassis. The board is floated or placed on several inches of
Repti-sand (the Quartz type only). I then completely cover the crossover
and parts in the Quartz Repti-sand. Each chassis contains 40 pounds of
Reptisand. Yes, they are completely isolated from vibration and Emi, RFI
etc...
The parts include 10 gauge Noth Creek inductors, Duelund CAST and
Jupiter copper foil caps. I also included a Path Audio resistor of .5 ohms to
offset the lower DCR of the heavy guage Noth Creek inductor. I also felt the
speaker needed more mid bass bloom.
I soldered my speaker cable from the amp directly to the outboard
crossover. In additon, I did not use binding posts to connect the wires
coming out of the speaker to the crossover as they degrade the sound no
matter how good. I simply used the binding posts to clamp the tinned
copper wires from the speaker and crossover together. Best connection
possible!
I also placed the speakers on Star Sound Sistrum stands as they sounded
better then the stock Stillpoints footers with A/B testing.
The speakers are wonderful sounding and an involved project. |
Hi, It does look like you've separated the crossover quite a bit from the speaker. It seems that there was no attempt to isolate the crossover or construct an isolating shield around the crossover or raise the speaker wire off of the floor.
Although the crossover is out of harms way of the internal goings on, it seems to be kind of vulnerable to other issues such as isolation/EMI.RFI. These were my concerns. |
Grannyring: How about sharing your journey in this regard and/or tips that I and others could use? Thanks. |
The Avaza did sound very good indeed. The build quality was outstanding also. Just beautiful cab work! |
I would love to add some pictures, but don't think it is possible? Seems there is now way to upload more or new pics on this review? |
Lahave was showing a single driver speaker, Avaza($11k), at AXPONA. This was one of the speakers that caught my eyes (ears), because they were so musical, and also above average efficiency. Also I went around the speaker to make sure that there was no other bass drivers. Amazing bass for a single driver speaker. Unfortunately the personal finance minister does not approve the budget. |
Nice! I'd love to see some picture/s of the outboard crossover. I have a stand mount speaker that I'd love to experiment with in the same manner. Other's ideas and the execution of those ideas are a necessary part of this hobby. Can you respond to any concerns or things you've learned with regards in taking on such a project? |
I still love the speaker. I have done a pretty involved mod however. I placed the internal crossover outside the speaker and upgraded all the parts substantially. As it now stands it is the best speaker I have owned to date.
My last upgrade was using Path Audio resistors. |
Hi Bill,could you give an updated opinion on the Lahave speakers since your purchase and review.
I am looking for feedback on several speakers I am considering and the Khara really has peaked my interest. Thanks |
|
Well hi Bob. I never owned Dale's speakers, but have heard that model on several occasions and for extended periods of time. One time with Dale's uber expensive SS monoblock amps.
They are both cut from the same sonic cloth in many ways. Fast, resolving, dynamic and no hint of a speaker box at all. They are both boxless in presentation.
The biggest difference is the Lahave, after my crossover upgrades, have slighter better natural tone and a more present midrange. They have more meat on the bones also......better mid bass and fullness. |
Bill,
I believe you owned a pair of Dale Pitcher Intutive Design speakers can you tell me how the two compared? |
Tubegroover
The speakers are about 43 inches tall and 16 inches deep. The front of the speaker is 13 inches wide and tapers to the back which is 9 inches wide. They weigh 125 pounds each.
They come stock with Stillpoints Ultra SS footers. I sold them and use Sistrum Apprentice stands instead. The Sistrum stands just worked better on my carpet over concrete floor. |
Charles, I had to sell the Thor amps to pay for a brand new set Of TRL
Samson amps! They play well with my Dude and are keepers. Paul made
me a very nice set indeed.
They are pretty easy to drive and since they sound so good at low volumes
the 10 watts worked fine. The 300 watt Samson amps, however bring them
to another level. |
Nice summary Bill, I feel your love and you're not the first to convey this about this brand. Having owned Soundlabs you "know" what music is supposed to sound like. I did a lot of research on this brand a while back, was interested in a monitor design called the Mela which was a 2-way with side mounted passive radiator and the Jordan tweeter. Unfortunately I didn't come across a pair used but it seems the Khara might be more appealing, a 2-way floorstander that replays music with in room bass response to 30hz. What are the physical dimensions if I may ask? |
Bill,
Congratulations! These speakers seem ideal for you and I'm glad you found them. They must be a fairly easy load to drive as you're using a KT 150 SET amplifier with sucess(I thought you had a Thor amplifier). I've no doubt that your music sounds devine. The Lahave should keep you happy for many years.
Charles, |
Congratulations Bill, nice review, I bet they're smokin' good.
I'd need to hear these, they remind me of my Intuitive Summits in so many ways. |
Thanks Bill. It looked familiar even though I have only seen Jordan drivers in pictures. Your new speakers are real stunners to look at. |
Roxy54
Lahave does in fact use a Jordan tweeter on several designs. At least they have in the past. |
Bill,
I just went back to their website. I had it all wrong. It was the tweeter that has the appearance of a small Jordan driver. I wonder what that driver is. |
Bill,
They must be amazing, as I also respect your views on these matters. I remember last year and maybe this year seeing a pair of larger LeHave standmounts for sale that had a curved waterfall front baffle and the finish was drool-worthy. It looked like it used a Jordan driver and maybe a ribbon...can't quite remember. I was really curious about those speakers, and the brand. Now I guess I know. Enjoy them. |
Oh ya, I forgot Ernie. The Coincident speaker is very different. The Lahave
is better in most every aspect including;
Far better resolution
More articulate bass
Far better imaging
Disappears in a way the Total Victory cannot
Just a more refined speaker overall
The Coincident speaker has cabinet resonance and is not nearly as fast or
clear sounding.
The Coincident speaker throws a bigger stage and can play music louder. It
is a better rock speaker perhaps.
One must turn up the volume more to hear the Total Victory open up and
come alive. The Lahave sounds great at lower volume levels.
Instruments sound more homogenous with nowhere near the micro detail
retrieval of the Lahave speakers.
The Total Victory speaker is a comfortable sounding speaker that tows the
middle ground if you will. It has nice warmth, but ultimately falls short of
sounding as real as the Lahave. Lahave sounds like music and the
Coincident sounds more like a speaker. Relative to each other these
statements sum it up pretty well.
Keep in mind the Total Victory speaker is no slouch. It is a very good
speaker and my comments are in relation to the Lahave speaker only.
|
Oops, sorry. I just copied the name the first poster used and assumed it was yours.
Any thoughts about the question I posed? |
Just an FYI, I am Bill, not to be confused with Gary although he is a great guy :) |
Gary,
Great review. I've never heard of this company and wouldn't have even read this review, but I also trust your views.
One question, how is this speaker similar/different to the Coincident TV III?
Thanks,
Ernie |
