The Ever-Changing HT - Page 3

Found a pic of the white Beehtovens. Sexy.



And judging by this picture, the speaker knows just how sexy it is.

That's certainly a ghost that I wouldn't mind having around.

About the Classe prepro. . . the funny thing is that I used to be "the all amps, pres, cd players sound the same" sort of guy, as that was my experience up till trying the Classe pre. I still don't hear much difference between amps and CD players, but the Classe prepro brings a level of resolution and refinement to the sound that makes my best recordings sound very close to the real thing. It has the unusual combo of smoothness and resolution.

The SSP-800 doesn't currently decode HD audio, but Classe is just a couple of months away from providing a free dsp board upgrade that will enable that function. The ony thing I really wish for is Logic 7 surround processing for 2CH music. I had that decoder in my Lexicon prepro and I have not heard anything that does a better job of creating surround out of 2CH music.

Yeah, I'm surprised myself at all of the speakers I went through.

I loved certain qualities of all of them, but it took some trial and error to get the right combination of qualities. I hadn't heard of Eficion before, which is surprising since their main office is right down the street. I'll have to check them out. Certainly looks like they use really high quality drivers, and thats half the battle.

Hey neighbor.

I've experimented with the x-over point, and while 60hz would be best, due to the room, I've gone with 80hz. I miss out on a little of the bass definition offered by the Discovery, but I get better overall bass balance.

Yeah, WTF is up with the 105 degree heat? This is the Pacific NW is it not?

The WB's are capable of fairly low bass and good output, but the crossover selected is due to room issues. I could cross at 60, or even 50, but 80 gives the best blend at the crossover point.

I have heard of VMPS, though not much. I love most ribbon speakers I've heard, but the sound is rather directional in the vertical plane, so I would want the really tall models they sell, but don't have the space.

Too funny. With the way my luck has been going lately, it sure seems like I'm in hell, but that is a conversation for another place and time.


Occasionally. I have a preset config in my prepro that allows me to flip back and forth between sub / full range. It is really only the bottom octave that is missing, but since I want it all, I usually go back to the sub pretty quickly.


I completely understand. Ignorance is bliss as they say.


I've owned a Denon AVR with Audyssey and the stand-alone Audyssey processor, and I thought it was going to be the answer to all of my problems. Unfortunately, I got mixed results. It consistently filled in the lower midrange in my system (good), but it did strange things with the bass (bad). Some people are absolutely thrilled with the results, but I haven't decided if these people are just the impressionable type and any difference in sound would subconsciously be registered as "better", or if they truly had better luck with it than I did. With that said, I'm all for room EQ, I'm just not sold on the automatic part of the process. I want to be able to fine tune the results, or override them.

To get the best chance at getting good results, follow the Audyssey set-up procedure stated here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...5#post14456895

I helped create it.


Hmm, well, most movies are going to be going for gunshots and explosions for the LFE channel, so I would look for some music videos instead. I know that the Blue Man Group came out with a DVD-Audio disc a while back called "The Complex" that would probably get you what you are after, but you need a DVDA player for that. I haven't heard it, but there is a live version of "The Complex" on BluRay that might be worth a shot. Or, if you like Jazz, check out Jazz Legends on BluRay. There is a track on there with a guy playing electric bass that is pretty amazing.

Try posting your question here.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1125050

If you ever want me to come over and run some frequency response sweeps of your system / room to help you fine tune your set-up, let me know. I have the equipment for it. Taking in-room measurements can really be helpful in setting up a subwoofer and in positioning your main speakers.

Yeah, you're right, I just don't like losing the highs when I'm doing other things around the house, or when friends are gathered in the room. In other words I don't like being tied to the listening seat to get good sound. My ceiling is also acoustically treated, so I don't personally have the need for restricted vertical dispersion. Though I do see how that could be a benefit for others.

Sorry for the late reply, the notification that this thread had been updated got lost amongst the many others that I track.

Anyway, I'd be glad to help you out with your set-up in any way that I can. Just shoot me a PM.

Thanks for the compliments Mr. Anderson. And yes, I finally found the right speakers.

Though Focal is coming out with a revision to there Electra Be line, and I've always wanted to spend more time with the Dynaudio C1's, so who knows what the future holds.

Well, speaker sound quality is subjective, so I can't guarantee that you would like their sound more than another speaker, but yes, they are very good quality I believe. Hand made in England, carbon fiber cabinets, custom metal work, custom midrange and bass drivers that have had there baskets aerodynamically optimized to minimized reflections, and one of the best soft dome tweeters available.

Here's some more info on them: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1077351

Thanks much! It's a labor of love.

Hah, yes, you were witness to most of my craziness while it was happening last year.

I guess I have to get the camera out to take some beauty shots of the glossy new Kuro.

I love the TV. I thought that I was fine with the black levels on my old Panny, but man the black levels on the Kuro look close to the TV being off. I just don't see picture quality getting any better than this.

Ahh yes, I finally took some pics last night, but forgot to post them here.

Before:




After:



I really liked the silver case on the Panny when I bought it, but there was just a bit too much matchy-matchy silver and black going on with the speakers and the TV. The glossy Lexan frame on the Kuro just disappears and it looks like it was made for the WB speakers with their glossy Lexan top.

And man, the picture quality of this panel is just remarkable. The blacks almost take some getting used to you because you can't tell it is on when the screen goes to black. It reminds me of going from an inexpensive AVR that has some hiss that you can hear between songs, to one that is dead silent.