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When should you upgrade your hi-fi? How to control ‘upgradeitis’
Vladimir said:Well tube amps have low damping factor (high output impedance) of under 15. The EC PI-2 has 250 in 8 ohms, which means damping factor of 125 in 4 ohms. It will controll the ProAc's superbly, however bass will be tight and not to everyones taste. Some like it to bloom, thus the love for tube amps. I like it both punchy and deep, not a fan of boomy bass.
I was really talking about the treble, which in the Proacs "can" become a little forward, unless carefully matched. The reason I like (good) SS Class A, is the combination of pure, sweet treble and a controlled tight bass. The Electro amps have more than a hint of Class A about their sound.
Dear Vladimir and CnoEvil. Thank you for your musings. I am trying my best to keep up, but am technically a little out of my depth I fear. Now we have the Electrocompniet to draw from, I suppose I am looking for a good match in either the Proac Studio 14 mk 2, or the Kef R700. The Kefs are almost 300 GBP more expensive, and so one might expect them to sound better, and perhaps win out over the Proacs.
You know my preferred sound and given the course, I wonder which way the hare will turn? Thoughts?
Does all this Ohm business mean that the Proacs will be significantly louder as the EC amp will happily hammer them at 4 Ohms? Louder that is than the Kefs which will trundle along at 8? (Oh I wish I could listen now).
One tangential addendum.... next year I'll be replacing the little Musical Fidelity DAC which will be wholly outclassed come August. Any suggestions?
You know my preferred sound and given the course, I wonder which way the hare will turn? Thoughts?
Does all this Ohm business mean that the Proacs will be significantly louder as the EC amp will happily hammer them at 4 Ohms? Louder that is than the Kefs which will trundle along at 8? (Oh I wish I could listen now).
One tangential addendum.... next year I'll be replacing the little Musical Fidelity DAC which will be wholly outclassed come August. Any suggestions?
Pyramus said:
We all have our favorite brands, and I am no different....so please bear this in mind when reading this advice.
- As you have probably gathered, I'm a big fan of the R Series, which I believe have raised the bar on what you can expect at their price level (much more so than anything Kef have produced for a while, which has been good rather than outstanding).
- The R500 is the price equivilent to the 140s, and as you say, the R700 is a bit more......IMO. It is well worth the extra (vs R500), especially in your room. It just has more effortless scale.
- The Proacs should go louder for a given amp output, but: a) That only matters if you actually need it. b) A speaker with more scale will generally sound more impressive in a large room. c) Getting the sound you prefer is, all things being reasonably equal, more important.
- On the source front, I would be looking at a good Streamer or CDP with DAC, preferably with Balanced Outputs.....the obvious choice would be something from Electrocompaniet....once you get that far, there should be advice on hand if you need it.
Thank you CnoEvil.
Indeed, I will not be using full volume - most of the time - loud is not the issue. It is perhaps more the scale you speak of, combined with that ripe and powerful sibtlety: the Bently trundling along at 40mph. Most of my listening happens when all are abed, so volume is lower. High volumes more on a weekend when all are out at play, and the sun is streaming through the windows; as it does so often here.I think the key here is versatilitity, because we will watch a film too using the sound system (gets me more buy in ;-)), but ultimatly, I have it for the music. KEF R700 a firm chioice - I have always loved the look of them - very nice looking, gets me on an emotional level, and as i have come to know from HiFi, this can be almost as important as your specs. How about those Dynaudios Vladimir posted? Excite X32? Or would you be with the Kefs all the way?
Pyramus
Indeed, I will not be using full volume - most of the time - loud is not the issue. It is perhaps more the scale you speak of, combined with that ripe and powerful sibtlety: the Bently trundling along at 40mph. Most of my listening happens when all are abed, so volume is lower. High volumes more on a weekend when all are out at play, and the sun is streaming through the windows; as it does so often here.I think the key here is versatilitity, because we will watch a film too using the sound system (gets me more buy in ;-)), but ultimatly, I have it for the music. KEF R700 a firm chioice - I have always loved the look of them - very nice looking, gets me on an emotional level, and as i have come to know from HiFi, this can be almost as important as your specs. How about those Dynaudios Vladimir posted? Excite X32? Or would you be with the Kefs all the way?
Pyramus
KEF uses Electrocompaniet gear for their shows so no worries if you go either ProAc or KEF.
Cno, I think this lady finds the driver size unsatisfying. Shame KEF, shame.
Cno, I think this lady finds the driver size unsatisfying. Shame KEF, shame.
Vladimir said:. Cno, I think this lady finds the driver size unsatisfying. Shame KEF, shame.
Then she's looking in the wrong place!
CnoEvil said:Vladimir said:. Cno, I think this lady finds the driver size unsatisfying. Shame KEF, shame.
Then she's looking in the wrong place!
I have to say i have that speaker myself and it isn't what i need, it doesn't have good enough quality for what i need it for.
Pyramus said:
There is much more to amps than Watts.....mine is only 35W @ 8 Ohms, but doubles that into 4 ohms and again into 2 Ohms. As my speakers have a high sensitivity of 90 dB, and drop to 3.2 Ohms, I can get more volume than I can tolorate in a room about 14' x 22' x 11'. If its one thing that Electros don't lack, its decent current....so it shouldn't be an issue.
IME Kef speakers work very well for a mixture of both AV */ 2 Channel duties, greatly hepled by their Uni-Q arrangement (ie.Tweeter inside the midrange driver), which gives a better sweetspot for listening: http://www.kef.com/html/gb/innovation/uni-q/
I have liked Dynaudio on the very few occasions that I've heard them....and would always encourage people to listen to as much as possible before committing.
Nailing my colours to the mast........I'm Kef R700s all the way, due to their all-round talents / suitability. (let me know if you agree).
* Nb. Remember that for AV, there is a great range to chose from (2 bookshelves; 3 Floorstanders; 2 Centres, Dipoles and a Sub)
chebby
Well-known member
I never realised KEF were so stuck in the regrettable marketing methods of the 1970s when it comes to selling their speakers. Tacky and a bit desperate frankly.
Anyone from KEF care to comment on the Eric & Julia Morley style presentation?
Anyone from KEF care to comment on the Eric & Julia Morley style presentation?
These are also badly made. They melted on the hot African sun and they sell them like that. Terrible.
MammalsOfMyHeart2K14Xx said:
I noticed the same thing. You can't dry your towells on it because of the slope.
See, people are fooled by photos like these.
But when you look at different perspective you start to notice the design flaws. Shame KEF, shame. :shame:
Electro
Well-known member
MammalsOfMyHeart2K14Xx said:CnoEvil said:Vladimir said:. Cno, I think this lady finds the driver size unsatisfying. Shame KEF, shame.
Then she's looking in the wrong place!
I have to say i have that speaker myself and it isn't what i need, it doesn't have good enough quality for what i need it for.
MammalsOfMyHear...
That is because you bought the wrong speakers
You need a pair of these
Electro said:MammalsOfMyHeart2K14Xx said:CnoEvil said:Vladimir said:. Cno, I think this lady finds the driver size unsatisfying. Shame KEF, shame.
Then she's looking in the wrong place!
I have to say i have that speaker myself and it isn't what i need, it doesn't have good enough quality for what i need it for.
MammalsOfMyHear...
That is because you bought the wrong speakers
You need a pair of these
Haha nice.
Hi all,
Its here. Excess baggage and all. I paid for three excess bags and simply put the boxes into cargo. After a tense 10 minutes at the baggage carousel my packages emerged with a red tape around them, and I was duly intercepted at customs. Custom official one was scratching his head at why anyone would want to spend over three grand on a stereo, so he called over the head honcho. This is where I thought I might be in trouble, but head honcho took a quick look, and then asked me simply: "Why you spend so much on speaker?"
Me: "I love music." At which point the big man smiled broadly, motioned to the exit and replied:
"Then go and enjoy!"
So here I am, it is all set up, and the final decision turned out to be:
Electrocompaniet PI-2 integrated amplifier
Elac BS244 speakers
REL R 2100 Subwoofer
Audioquest Rocket 44 Speaker Cables
Audioquest MacKenzie Interconnect
My old, and now 'slightly' outclassed Musical Fidelity V 90 DAC
It is a funny thing.... here I am sitting in front of a system that had (for me) no prior listening, and was bought initially from the amplifier suggestion of the Electrocompaniet by Vladimir; and then the amplifier manufacturer and subsequently the dealer's suggestion of what could be a good match. It is therefore hard to descrbe the sound from each component (for me at least), and more a case of describing the "whole" sound.
Well, I was looking for a 'rich' type of sound and some thumpaty thump. First off, the amp speaker combo is effortlessly magnificent. The sense of power is balanced by a delicacy and detail that threatens to see me starve to death or die of thirst as I sit in gobsmacked awe in front of this system of the gods - unable to move.
The Elacs appear to be so much more than their size, and easily fill my cavernous room with strident highs, and thunderous bass. I am still fiddling about with the sub settings, but have noticed that the Elacs have a tremendous range with powerful low end, meaning I often can't see any apparant need for the sub. (I am sure this will change as I get more used to the system). The below is without the sub.
Massive Attack "Protection" was a poem, delicate, yet full-bodied, rich basslines countebalanced by Tracy Thorn's melodious voice, rendered in hypnotic ease. A feeling of the music dropping away behind her vocal narrative. I have listened to this track since 1994, so 20 years now, and now it seems to have grown into something much more, its like a voyage of (re) discovery.
Leonard Cohen "I'm your man" saw the good man's voice transported; the soft purring rasp of it resplendant. The general effect was deeply relaxing, evoking a strong connection to the muse of love, devotion and pathos.
Led Zepplin "Whole lotta love".... was coordinated, clear and forceful. The baselines tight, my inner eye following Jimmy's hands over the guitar that had appeared magically in front of me.
William Orbit "Water from a vineleaf" saw the system tiptoe through the highly challenging multilayered frequencies, taming the monstrous raw bassline into a warm and comforting hum that was all around, yet never overbearing.
I upped the baseline challenge with the neighbour-killing Smith and Mighty "No Justice"... bass became a bit boomy - perhaps? But then there is just ridiculous amounts of it... not sure if anything other than a 50 K PA system and a concert venue can do this justice justice.
Maya Jane Coles "Comfort" - haunting, gripping, everything in its place, everything balanced, bass under control.
Ben Harper "Alone": the cymbals under brush suddenly came alive like never before, the fingers on guitar frets adding to the 'live' feel, Harper's voice full of emotion and energy; me noticing how unbelieviably well arranged and tight the recording is - for the first time.
OK, now for more listening. Thanks again for everyone's help and input.
A very happy,
Pyramus
Its here. Excess baggage and all. I paid for three excess bags and simply put the boxes into cargo. After a tense 10 minutes at the baggage carousel my packages emerged with a red tape around them, and I was duly intercepted at customs. Custom official one was scratching his head at why anyone would want to spend over three grand on a stereo, so he called over the head honcho. This is where I thought I might be in trouble, but head honcho took a quick look, and then asked me simply: "Why you spend so much on speaker?"
Me: "I love music." At which point the big man smiled broadly, motioned to the exit and replied:
"Then go and enjoy!"
So here I am, it is all set up, and the final decision turned out to be:
Electrocompaniet PI-2 integrated amplifier
Elac BS244 speakers
REL R 2100 Subwoofer
Audioquest Rocket 44 Speaker Cables
Audioquest MacKenzie Interconnect
My old, and now 'slightly' outclassed Musical Fidelity V 90 DAC
It is a funny thing.... here I am sitting in front of a system that had (for me) no prior listening, and was bought initially from the amplifier suggestion of the Electrocompaniet by Vladimir; and then the amplifier manufacturer and subsequently the dealer's suggestion of what could be a good match. It is therefore hard to descrbe the sound from each component (for me at least), and more a case of describing the "whole" sound.
Well, I was looking for a 'rich' type of sound and some thumpaty thump. First off, the amp speaker combo is effortlessly magnificent. The sense of power is balanced by a delicacy and detail that threatens to see me starve to death or die of thirst as I sit in gobsmacked awe in front of this system of the gods - unable to move.
The Elacs appear to be so much more than their size, and easily fill my cavernous room with strident highs, and thunderous bass. I am still fiddling about with the sub settings, but have noticed that the Elacs have a tremendous range with powerful low end, meaning I often can't see any apparant need for the sub. (I am sure this will change as I get more used to the system). The below is without the sub.
Massive Attack "Protection" was a poem, delicate, yet full-bodied, rich basslines countebalanced by Tracy Thorn's melodious voice, rendered in hypnotic ease. A feeling of the music dropping away behind her vocal narrative. I have listened to this track since 1994, so 20 years now, and now it seems to have grown into something much more, its like a voyage of (re) discovery.
Leonard Cohen "I'm your man" saw the good man's voice transported; the soft purring rasp of it resplendant. The general effect was deeply relaxing, evoking a strong connection to the muse of love, devotion and pathos.
Led Zepplin "Whole lotta love".... was coordinated, clear and forceful. The baselines tight, my inner eye following Jimmy's hands over the guitar that had appeared magically in front of me.
William Orbit "Water from a vineleaf" saw the system tiptoe through the highly challenging multilayered frequencies, taming the monstrous raw bassline into a warm and comforting hum that was all around, yet never overbearing.
I upped the baseline challenge with the neighbour-killing Smith and Mighty "No Justice"... bass became a bit boomy - perhaps? But then there is just ridiculous amounts of it... not sure if anything other than a 50 K PA system and a concert venue can do this justice justice.
Maya Jane Coles "Comfort" - haunting, gripping, everything in its place, everything balanced, bass under control.
Ben Harper "Alone": the cymbals under brush suddenly came alive like never before, the fingers on guitar frets adding to the 'live' feel, Harper's voice full of emotion and energy; me noticing how unbelieviably well arranged and tight the recording is - for the first time.
OK, now for more listening. Thanks again for everyone's help and input.
A very happy,
Pyramus
Thx for reporting in.
I am delighted that you have found what you are looking for....especially as you took a blind punt.
I think the choice of Elac was an interesting one, as their very clean, clear, vibrant and detailed nature should match the Electro's smoother character very well. They are big sounding little speakers, but will probably benefit from the Sub in a room that size, for the extra authority required on certain genres of music....and Rel make good Subs (though never heard of an R2100).
Make sure you put them on decent, heavy stands, that have (preferably) been filled/partly filled.
I am delighted that you have found what you are looking for....especially as you took a blind punt.
I think the choice of Elac was an interesting one, as their very clean, clear, vibrant and detailed nature should match the Electro's smoother character very well. They are big sounding little speakers, but will probably benefit from the Sub in a room that size, for the extra authority required on certain genres of music....and Rel make good Subs (though never heard of an R2100).
Make sure you put them on decent, heavy stands, that have (preferably) been filled/partly filled.
Electro
Well-known member
Fantasic *yahoo* , you have got yourself a superb system !
Thank you for letting us all know that your gamble has been successful , it is nice to hear about HiFi systems that turn out to be even better than expected.
We need pictures ! *biggrin*
Thank you for letting us all know that your gamble has been successful , it is nice to hear about HiFi systems that turn out to be even better than expected.
We need pictures ! *biggrin*
matt49
Well-known member
That sounds like a hoot, and great to hear that your kit is up to the job of filling such a big space with dynamic and punchy sound.
I haven't heard the BS244s, though the other Elacs I've heard have been excellent. It's a shame they aren't more widely known.
I haven't heard the BS244s, though the other Elacs I've heard have been excellent. It's a shame they aren't more widely known.
Thanks for your comment mat49. Yes, I agree, (but then I would) the Elacs really are quite the sound - punchy, precise, powerful, beautful with the crystal membrane cones and JET tweeter: arcane German technology.... Interestingly (I love anecdotal backgrounding), Elac was founded in 1926 specialising in echo-finding technology. Naturally co-opted by the Nazi war machine, it was the company that made all the acoustic and echo equipment for the German U-boats in WW2. This is not something you find on their website, (surprise, surprise), not really a pedigree you can market successfully (especially in the UK), but certainly a highly technical pedigree nevertheless. Brings to mind Churchill's famous comment that he was never really worried about losing the war, except by the U-boats. After the war they built sewing machines and car parts until in 1948 they invented the very first vinyl record 'changer'. 1981 they started developing phono, and in 1984 HiFi loudspeakers.
Some say the Elacs are over-bright. My dealer recomended them in combination with the Electrocomapniet, the latter being slightly rich. I find this synergy works. They really are quite a revelation, given their size.
Some say the Elacs are over-bright. My dealer recomended them in combination with the Electrocomapniet, the latter being slightly rich. I find this synergy works. They really are quite a revelation, given their size.
Elac are based in Kiel, on the Baltic, since the 80s they are owned and run by the John family who are Austrian. When I visited some years ago the chaiman was Wolfgang (the Wolf) and the business was run day to day by his son.
The son, whose name escapes me, showed us around the factory but more importantly showed us around Keil and Hamburg in a beautifully restored 1960s Mustang convertable, rather like this.
The son, whose name escapes me, showed us around the factory but more importantly showed us around Keil and Hamburg in a beautifully restored 1960s Mustang convertable, rather like this.
Last night the triumvirate of soundastic went public. First blood. I know it has been a while, but I am considering the study of my Electrocompaniet, Elac, and REL as longitudinal.
The Venue
Every month or so a group of guys get together and watch a rock concert on a Friday evening. Variations may include a TV, or beamer - sound varying from a HiFi to PC speakers. Bear in mind we are ex-patriate in Azerbaijan - far from the madding crowd, so it is more a case of enjoying the company and the music than an acid test of audio. First night was Led Zeppelin, (TV with Cyrus/Spendor), second night was Cream (TV with PC speakers), third night was the Rolling Stones (Beamer with nameless AV amp and floorstanders), and last night was mine: Pink Floyd Pulse, Earls Court 1994, (Beamer Electrocompaniet PI2/Elac BS244/Musical Fidelity V90 Dac/AudioQuest Rocket44/Audioquest Forest USB / Macenzie / REL 218).
The Guys
One of my pals (Dave) has a very nice Cyrus 8 set up with Spendor speakers, he even has the Cyrus power supply. By his own admission, his set up is pretty exacting (clinical?), and so he has been very curious to hear the Electrocompaniet (which is richer) with the pretty precise Elacs. On first airing Dave looked a bit perturbed - the sub.... Someone had been fiddling with my crossfader (probably me, but I'll blame my son, or the cat), and so I turned the fader way down to pick up only the very lowest of frequencies... I looked at Dave, he had that sort of distanced look you might find on a plains Indian: divining weather patterns. A look any HiFi aficionado will be familiar with. The gaze settled into a comfortable smile. Dave liked the sound. Switching off the sub was an interesting probe of hearing. Very difficult for most to hear, even took Dave a moment of two. Those Elacs really go deep 38-50,000 hz. Another pal, Dan, is one of those guys who could easily have been on tour with Jimmy Page or Clapton for years. He crafts his own electric guitars, plays them like a dervish, and reminices on gigs he roadied with Crown amps and one million watts of power. Dan was particularly impressed with the Elacs, very powerful for their size. The amount of air they were displacing, the bottom end, the clarity. Terry (seems to have been at every major rock concert since 1967 - including the Stones in the Park), was very impressed with the sound. (May I note, this is all relative given that these guys are for the most part in their 50' and 60's and veterans of a lot of high amplification... ears...). Terry suddenly noticed that there was a sound like someone tapping on a beer bottle in a Bob Marley song... he had been listening to that song for 30 years, and never noticed this particular tapping. He seemed very pleased to have noticed that, and spent a good few minutes smiling and nodding to himself, happy with his discovery. (I admit, I had never heard it before either). Matt, the young-un of the group at 42 was taken by the lovely cones on the Elacs, the refraction of light in their hexamic scatter, and was fascinated by the concept of a DAC. Like I said, not all of these guys are HiFi-ites.
The Gig
After some initial sounding, the concert proceeded - I won't go into the details of the concert, as you may well know it yourself. The Electrocompaniet goes from 0-130 on the volume. I usually find 45 is a good volume setting for home use. I had it up at 90 for Pink Floyd. It was loud - but then that's what you need for a rock concert. Luckily upstairs and downstairs are both colleagues from work, both musicians (one of them is Dan the guitar), and I had invited them both. I also trawled the apartment for rugs, and laid them out on the parquet flooring in order to minimise hard spaces; we did look a bit like a rug merchant as you walked in - as Terry was quick to point out. The room is enormous (6.5m x 10m) with open plan access to hallway. The HiFi does manage to fill this space. Although, it is difficult to gauge what effect a pair of large floorstanders would have; in the absence of floorstanders. However, I don't think any of the guys had any quibbles - it was a blast - quite literally. The Pink Floyd show is minutely planned and produced, heavily themed, and despite its rockiness, a completely different listening experience from the previous concerts. There is great emphasis on visuals, and the constant reflective element of self, (growing old, looking back, finding truth), lends itself to the pensive. Perhaps not bad for a bunch of post 40 guys...
Hiccups
With the amp cranked to 90, is was proper loud, guitar solos were strident and assertive, (those Elacs really do have tremendous tweeters) bass drum solid - but the synths... wow... yes, there was some rattling of windows and floor going on at times, and I am pretty sure we had the REL to thank for that. A couple of times the sound "retracted" or minimised. I was worried this might be the amp clipping... the guys reckoned it was just the recording. Interesting, no idea what it might sound like when the Electocompaniet is pushed to hard for too long. Although, I have played it louder, (and for some time) before without any problems. It was as if the main 'body' of sound dipped out. It was still clearly audible, but minimised. I hope this is just the DVD rip playing up.
The End
Finally, after several rousing encores with the best of tracks form PF, the gentleman's gathering dispersed amidst many warm smiles, words of praise for the system. The moniker "Thor the hammer of god - dark Skandanavian power" appears to have stuck, and it seems that this is perhaps a major selling point that Electrocompaniet might need to capitalise on. Its always good to have a catchy line to go with your system - the power of words....
The Power of Thor....
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The Venue
Every month or so a group of guys get together and watch a rock concert on a Friday evening. Variations may include a TV, or beamer - sound varying from a HiFi to PC speakers. Bear in mind we are ex-patriate in Azerbaijan - far from the madding crowd, so it is more a case of enjoying the company and the music than an acid test of audio. First night was Led Zeppelin, (TV with Cyrus/Spendor), second night was Cream (TV with PC speakers), third night was the Rolling Stones (Beamer with nameless AV amp and floorstanders), and last night was mine: Pink Floyd Pulse, Earls Court 1994, (Beamer Electrocompaniet PI2/Elac BS244/Musical Fidelity V90 Dac/AudioQuest Rocket44/Audioquest Forest USB / Macenzie / REL 218).
The Guys
One of my pals (Dave) has a very nice Cyrus 8 set up with Spendor speakers, he even has the Cyrus power supply. By his own admission, his set up is pretty exacting (clinical?), and so he has been very curious to hear the Electrocompaniet (which is richer) with the pretty precise Elacs. On first airing Dave looked a bit perturbed - the sub.... Someone had been fiddling with my crossfader (probably me, but I'll blame my son, or the cat), and so I turned the fader way down to pick up only the very lowest of frequencies... I looked at Dave, he had that sort of distanced look you might find on a plains Indian: divining weather patterns. A look any HiFi aficionado will be familiar with. The gaze settled into a comfortable smile. Dave liked the sound. Switching off the sub was an interesting probe of hearing. Very difficult for most to hear, even took Dave a moment of two. Those Elacs really go deep 38-50,000 hz. Another pal, Dan, is one of those guys who could easily have been on tour with Jimmy Page or Clapton for years. He crafts his own electric guitars, plays them like a dervish, and reminices on gigs he roadied with Crown amps and one million watts of power. Dan was particularly impressed with the Elacs, very powerful for their size. The amount of air they were displacing, the bottom end, the clarity. Terry (seems to have been at every major rock concert since 1967 - including the Stones in the Park), was very impressed with the sound. (May I note, this is all relative given that these guys are for the most part in their 50' and 60's and veterans of a lot of high amplification... ears...). Terry suddenly noticed that there was a sound like someone tapping on a beer bottle in a Bob Marley song... he had been listening to that song for 30 years, and never noticed this particular tapping. He seemed very pleased to have noticed that, and spent a good few minutes smiling and nodding to himself, happy with his discovery. (I admit, I had never heard it before either). Matt, the young-un of the group at 42 was taken by the lovely cones on the Elacs, the refraction of light in their hexamic scatter, and was fascinated by the concept of a DAC. Like I said, not all of these guys are HiFi-ites.
The Gig
After some initial sounding, the concert proceeded - I won't go into the details of the concert, as you may well know it yourself. The Electrocompaniet goes from 0-130 on the volume. I usually find 45 is a good volume setting for home use. I had it up at 90 for Pink Floyd. It was loud - but then that's what you need for a rock concert. Luckily upstairs and downstairs are both colleagues from work, both musicians (one of them is Dan the guitar), and I had invited them both. I also trawled the apartment for rugs, and laid them out on the parquet flooring in order to minimise hard spaces; we did look a bit like a rug merchant as you walked in - as Terry was quick to point out. The room is enormous (6.5m x 10m) with open plan access to hallway. The HiFi does manage to fill this space. Although, it is difficult to gauge what effect a pair of large floorstanders would have; in the absence of floorstanders. However, I don't think any of the guys had any quibbles - it was a blast - quite literally. The Pink Floyd show is minutely planned and produced, heavily themed, and despite its rockiness, a completely different listening experience from the previous concerts. There is great emphasis on visuals, and the constant reflective element of self, (growing old, looking back, finding truth), lends itself to the pensive. Perhaps not bad for a bunch of post 40 guys...
Hiccups
With the amp cranked to 90, is was proper loud, guitar solos were strident and assertive, (those Elacs really do have tremendous tweeters) bass drum solid - but the synths... wow... yes, there was some rattling of windows and floor going on at times, and I am pretty sure we had the REL to thank for that. A couple of times the sound "retracted" or minimised. I was worried this might be the amp clipping... the guys reckoned it was just the recording. Interesting, no idea what it might sound like when the Electocompaniet is pushed to hard for too long. Although, I have played it louder, (and for some time) before without any problems. It was as if the main 'body' of sound dipped out. It was still clearly audible, but minimised. I hope this is just the DVD rip playing up.
The End
Finally, after several rousing encores with the best of tracks form PF, the gentleman's gathering dispersed amidst many warm smiles, words of praise for the system. The moniker "Thor the hammer of god - dark Skandanavian power" appears to have stuck, and it seems that this is perhaps a major selling point that Electrocompaniet might need to capitalise on. Its always good to have a catchy line to go with your system - the power of words....
The Power of Thor....
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