Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Nov 2, 2018 15:16:52 GMT
I think it’s just taken me a while to “believe”. You spend 35 years looking for something, it’s hard to accept it when it arrives. I’m only just coming to terms with how good it is when I hear other stuff in comparison.
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Post by antonio on Nov 2, 2018 15:36:06 GMT
You should be glad Andrew. Step off the treadmill and enjoy listening to your music. I'll second that. |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Nov 5, 2018 21:00:21 GMT
The DPA and Naims I’ve been playing with....   |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Nov 6, 2018 14:11:47 GMT
Just to update on the Naim amps. I hadn’t ever ran Naim alongside Sonneteer so I wasn’t sure what to expect.
The Naim amps are lovely to listen to. This pair is in fine form and as listenable as ever. They do all the things Naim do well.
Biggest surprise is just how much more expressive the Sonneteer is. It carries more emotion in it’s presenatation and it seems to time better, which surprised me. It makes the Naims sound a bit old fashioned but they are still a very enjoyable listen and they work very well with the Planets.
I’m getting just as much pleasure from looking at them and using them too. They really are design classics imo.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Nov 8, 2018 11:11:04 GMT
A pyramid!   |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Nov 10, 2018 14:01:22 GMT
Been doing a good bit of listening recently.IMO Sonneteer>Exposure>Claymore>Naim
Whilst the Campion is a clear winner, I could live with the Exposure or the Claymore. They are pretty close and a matter of preference more than anything, I don’t think I could live with the Naims long term. There’s a hardness on dynamic peaks that I find unwelcome. I’m probably becoming more susceptible to hardness as I get older. The Naims have likely always had this, but my younger ears had a greater tolerance. I still love their looks though.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Dec 26, 2018 23:36:00 GMT
I recently bought a headphone amp Andy it’s a beauty. I hadn’t heard of them but the company is still going. They are Iota Audio Design and they make turntables and phono stages today. This 2 box headphone amp was their reference model and could relieve you of over a grand when it was new,    what does the poem do not go gentle meanb It is very good, but I’m still deliberating whether to get a super Doppler pair of headphones to do it justice, or forget cans altogether, I will never see another one of these and it’s fully balances so it gives me loads of flexibility. |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Dec 26, 2018 23:36:49 GMT
I will get some better pics up tomorrow as it’s a really nice build that you just can’t see in these pics. If you think “Onix OA21 and SOAP” with high glosss fasciae and you won’t be far off.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Dec 28, 2018 19:43:23 GMT
Another place to renovate starting today. Talk Talk have screwed up my internet and can’t fix til 7 Jan somit will be mobile data keeping me online til then  |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Jan 1, 2019 16:52:51 GMT
Iota are still going and ami g phono stages. Here’s a hifi pig link to one. My headphone amp I still from the sa,e Range. You can’t tell from the pics but the fascia is shiny acrylic, past.hifipig.com/tag/phonostage/ |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2019 20:42:47 GMT
Interesting. Never seen one before.
S.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Jan 1, 2019 21:15:07 GMT
Me neither, I was hoping it might’ve jogged your memory. I haven’t really had much chance to try it yet. It will need better phones than SR80i I guess.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2019 21:17:33 GMT
Grado's are dead easy to drive. They tend to sound the same through pretty much any amp.
S.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Jan 1, 2019 21:39:27 GMT
I would really like to try something that uses the balanced outputs.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2019 13:26:07 GMT
So what are you using now, Andrew?
S.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Jan 2, 2019 18:18:08 GMT
Still the Sonneteer stack albeit with the Ref 3a De Capos.Best sound ive ever had. It’s made me hear just how good the Sonneteer stuff really is.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2019 19:47:18 GMT
The Ref 3A De Capos are in a very select band of loudspeakers................They're Special.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Jan 2, 2019 20:03:02 GMT
The Ref 3A De Capos are in a very select band of loudspeakers................They're Special. I’m still pretty shocked at the stuff you can hear on many recordings through them. All sorts of shuffles fretwork, breaths etc that have completely escaped the attention of every other speaker. Ive had crossoverless speakers before, so it can’t just be that. Maybe it’s the paper in oil cap, or the bespoke carbon fibre bass unit. I dunno, but something appears to be very different. I got them for just £625 which I can scarcely believe. Some people pay more than that for a mains lead. |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Jan 4, 2019 23:55:21 GMT
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Post by antonio on Jan 5, 2019 6:10:04 GMT
They do look minty, great buy.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2019 8:34:30 GMT
What speaker cable are you using matey?
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Jan 5, 2019 8:50:11 GMT
I’m using a diy cable that has beaten all comers. It’s been a forum “discovery” that a few have made independently. Some on AoS use it, Paul Stewart does and so does a guy called Chris from TAS. He kindly lent me some and I’ve been so grateful ever since, It’s apparenty the same base cable as Chord Epic Super Twin, although I use it doubled up. There was another very expensive cable that used it too. I will find a link and add it to this post. Edit: this is the stuff. The seller gave me the full details on it including the NATO stock number. He got it from an abandoned jet fighter project. This cable's details are: M22759/43-12-47 and the Nato Stock Number is 6145995476603. The other expensive cable that used it was Silversounds. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12AWG-SILVER-PLATED-COPPER-WIRE-ETFE-YELLOW-VIOLET-5-METRES/301631117226?hash=item463a9d97aa:g:9qcAAMXQVT9S19OZ |
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Post by antonio on Jan 5, 2019 9:40:14 GMT
Just so I'm clear on the doubling up of your speaker cable, you use 2 strands to the plus and 2 to the neg for each cable run. If that is correct, do you twist the 2 strands? It does look rather unobtrusive.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Jan 9, 2019 0:39:08 GMT
Sorry it’s taken me a while to reply. Still getting nowhere with internet. I’m in a hotel tonight. I arrived late but at least I have good WiFi.
Yes, it’s two strands per conductor. The two conductors aren’t twisted together, and run separately, just like you’d get with NVA speaker cables. The paired cables for each conductor are lightly twisted together to keep them neat.
This doesn’t raise capacitance. You would need to twist the two conductors together to do that.
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Post by antonio on Jan 9, 2019 5:41:05 GMT
Thanks for that Westie, I knew it was only a matter of time.  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2019 19:09:28 GMT
What happened, has an asteroid hit the planets, Andrew?  S. |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Jan 9, 2019 19:13:43 GMT
Nah I’m still keeping them. They fulfil a purpose the Ref3As never will: they fill a room and sound good from any angle. You don’t t have to listen critically either, but they more than satisfy when you do.
I am not parting with the Ref3A either. When you do listen critically, I doubt thres another speaker of that size that can touch them. Then there are my beloved Spicas. Inevitable I will have another place abroad in the near future so the Planets will,probably go there. The Ref3A and Spicas will stay in Blighty
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2019 19:31:36 GMT
So you've made the move back to the UK Andrew? Don't recall you saying or did I miss something?
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Jan 9, 2019 20:07:42 GMT
So you've made the move back to the UK Andrew? Don't recall you saying or did I miss something? I’m renovating another place which I will probably keep as a base. I want a bigger Cyprus pad and I will likely buy a plot and build, which will take time. Brexit is still a concern though. I need some element of free movement and also a recovery for Sterling. I’m still hoping the wheel comes off the Brexit train. |
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Post by antonio on Jan 10, 2019 6:16:06 GMT
Good luck with your renovations, sterling certainly did take a hit with Brexit so must be a worry for many ex pats. Did not help either with the Bank of England talking the pound down a couple of weeks ago.
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