|
Post by stevew on Mar 19, 2024 11:41:09 GMT
Thought I'd bring this thread back to the top again since they are fantastic speakers, and sounding sublime as we sit here listen to Ottmar Liebert - Bare Wood ( a purchased Hi Rez download ) although anyone using Qobuz can hear this album, and I do recommend it, although in cd quality I believe. Once again, a great music recommendation. Thank you.
|
|
|
Post by antonio on Mar 19, 2024 15:19:24 GMT
Thought I'd bring this thread back to the top again since they are fantastic speakers, and sounding sublime as we sit here listen to Ottmar Liebert - Bare Wood ( a purchased Hi Rez download ) although anyone using Qobuz can hear this album, and I do recommend it, although in cd quality I believe. Great to hear you're enjoying the full fat version of my minis 😂 Fantastic speakers, and of course I was listening to the 'full fat' version of Ottmar Liebert. While typing this Ulrich Schnauss - A Strangely Isolated Place (not his best album) sounding excellent Next up Ben Howard - Every Kingdom which I have no doubt will also sound better than I've ever heard it before.
|
|
|
Post by antonio on Mar 19, 2024 15:35:08 GMT
Thought I'd bring this thread back to the top again since they are fantastic speakers, and sounding sublime as we sit here listen to Ottmar Liebert - Bare Wood ( a purchased Hi Rez download ) although anyone using Qobuz can hear this album, and I do recommend it, although in cd quality I believe. Glad you're both enjoying them. I assume they're still getting better and better too? Very difficult to notice improvements in the speakers now Jason, I can vouch for music that I have not heard through these speakers before sounding the best I've heard. I know Mark noticed improvements earlier on, before I came back. Listening to Ben Howard now, just commenting on one song sounding 'faster/more upbeat'. I know the electronics in this system are top notch, but certainly the Vader's have been the icing on the cake for a bargain price. Can these speakers be bettered, of course, we've heard them but cost as much and more than a new Porche.
|
|
Arke
Moderator
Posts: 1,006
|
Post by Arke on Mar 19, 2024 16:53:26 GMT
Glad you're both enjoying them. I assume they're still getting better and better too? Very difficult to notice improvements in the speakers now Jason, I can vouch for music that I have not heard through these speakers before sounding the best I've heard. I know Mark noticed improvements earlier on, before I came back. Listening to Ben Howard now, just commenting on one song sounding 'faster/more upbeat'. I know the electronics in this system are top notch, but certainly the Vader's have been the icing on the cake for a bargain price. Can these speakers be bettered, of course, we've heard them but cost as much and more than a new Porche. That all sounds positive Dave. It has been a pleasure to provide you with icing!
|
|
|
Post by markn on Apr 19, 2024 17:23:26 GMT
I thought I would post an update on the Arke Vaders. We have had them for 9 weeks now. We usually listen to between 30 and 40 hours per week, so we have over 300 hours on them now. The Vaders certainly improved over the first month, or even two months. The sound stage noticeably increased in width, but Dave and I don't really ever hear a lot of depth, i.e. behind the speakers to and beyond the wall behind the speakers.
The bass has tightened up, and the Vaders go very low. We always really enjoyed listening to the Estelons, and thought they had very good bass, but the Vaders have quite a bit more, and are better all round. The bass on the Vaders also seems to be better integrated into the music than with the Estelons. Voices are excellent, and the music flows beautifully. I think we both feel we made the right decision to ask Jason to build a pair for us. I think that at the price point, you do be very hard pushed to get a speaker to come anywhere near the Vaders; they really are that good. The Vaders also look absolutely fantastic in our room. Jason has really done an excellent job on these speakers. When Jason installed them, he was here for c. 7-8 hours fine tuning them. Great service.
For anybody looking for a new pair of high quality speakers, both in terms of sound and build quality, I would certainly include Jason in my shortlist.
|
|
Arke
Moderator
Posts: 1,006
|
Post by Arke on Apr 19, 2024 18:02:14 GMT
Thanks so much for the update and kind words markn. I am very pleased you are really enjoying them. Happy to help tweak things if you'd like to improve the soundstage depth. I get decent soundstage depth with my Vaders so it should be very achievable in your room too. Now the speakers are fully broken in the position could be tweaked if desired. Things to explore would be: 1) tweak speaker toe in and tilt to optimise the time alignment of the tweeter/mid at ear level 2) try to remove/cover any large reflective areas between and behind the speakers (TV screens and windows are the usual culprits). These time delayed reflections smear the soundstage depth. 3) pulling speakers out 12-24" will virtually always increase soundstage depth. Bass may need increasing a few db to compensate. Hope those tips help.
|
|
|
Post by antonio on Apr 20, 2024 4:45:42 GMT
I know we're very happy with the speakers Jason and would rather not move them. We have thought about curtains for the bay window, we'll see. I don't think either of us have ever really heard huge sound stage depth, well that was until we went to the Whittlebury show and heard the system there.
|
|
Arke
Moderator
Posts: 1,006
|
Post by Arke on Apr 20, 2024 6:57:52 GMT
I know we're very happy with the speakers Jason and would rather not move them. We have thought about curtains for the bay window, we'll see. I don't think either of us have ever really heard huge sound stage depth, well that was until we went to the Whittlebury show and heard the system there. Can completely understand Dave. Moving large speakers around certainly isn't easy and doesn't guarantee an improvement. I'm sure some heavier fabric (and ideally lined) curtains would help. I have found them great in all my previous setups. Curtains may reduce the HF output slightly, but this can be increased slightly on the Vaders (yours are currently on the medium setting). Were the speakers at Whittlebury a long way out in to the room?
|
|
|
Post by antonio on Apr 20, 2024 9:36:45 GMT
|
|
|
Post by macca on Apr 20, 2024 9:55:34 GMT
Anything to do with soundstage is recording - speakers - speaker position - room acoustic. Nothing to do with the electronics unless they are piss-poor or faulty. much of the acoustics side is counter-intuitive. For example speakers close to a reflective side-wall can give a much wider soundstage than if sited a long way from the wall. But that also depends on the dispersion characteristics of the speaker in use. All these things are interconnected. Trouble is most of us are pretty limited in where we can actually put the speakers so most of it is moot. I've found the best way to improve soundstage is listening with more concentration. Then the brain enhances the illusion.
|
|
|
Post by bencat on Apr 20, 2024 10:55:11 GMT
Bobby have mentioned this before but putting the speakers well in to the room and close to the listening position has a really massive effect on the sound stage . Instead of doing what you think it would which place everything close to you but with most of the moving coil speakers I have heard placed this way they instead almost vanish and the sound is thrown behind the speakers in a huge space with very good placement not right and left . As has been said for most of us this sort of placement is not acceptable but if you can do it with a small pair of stand mounted speakers just to try it then I am sure you will be shocked at how this illusion works .
|
|