I enjoy a bit of snow . . . provided I'm on the inside looking out. Yeah', amps on, loads of 'warming' valve type music, great stuff, what an excuse :dance:
CJSF
CJSF
Thinking about the 'bass issue' I had with the Spendor SP2/3R2.
The same tracks sounded the same with the Dali Kelicon 400's with high end Marantz CD player and amps. Those tracks seem to have an unusual set of bass notes.
Tracks include: Celine Dion, Falling into You, track 12 – I Don't Know & Madona, the Immaculate Album, track 15 – Vogue.
I'm going to demo other amp and speaker combinations including Icon Audio but what about this for a combo?
Roksan K2 BT amp with Spendor SP2/3R2?
I could get the Roksan amp soon then get the Spendors when I have the money.
The same tracks sounded the same with the Dali Kelicon 400's with high end Marantz CD player and amps. Those tracks seem to have an unusual set of bass notes.
Tracks include: Celine Dion, Falling into You, track 12 – I Don't Know & Madona, the Immaculate Album, track 15 – Vogue.
I'm going to demo other amp and speaker combinations including Icon Audio but what about this for a combo?
Roksan K2 BT amp with Spendor SP2/3R2?
I could get the Roksan amp soon then get the Spendors when I have the money.
If you listen to the likes of Icon Audio, I strongly suspect the Roksan will be out of the running. 
CnoEvil said:If you listen to the likes of Icon Audio, I strongly suspect the Roksan will be out of the running.
Yep, and dont forget, the Icon can be improved very economically with better (different?) valves, current valve set on my Stereo 40III, cost me £170, thats 8 valves in total. By the way there are factory options on output valves, personnel recommendation; 'KT88'.
CJSF
PS I have just looked at Icon web site, they have added to and shuffled their products around, offereing a bit more choice. The lower price points seem to be better caterd for too.
Therefore, my coments are only in respect to my personal experiance of the ST40III with KT88's.
plastic penguin
Well-known member
CnoEvil said:If you listen to the likes of Icon Audio, I strongly suspect the Roksan will be out of the running.
Aren't Icon amps bespoke or handmade?
plastic penguin said:CnoEvil said:If you listen to the likes of Icon Audio, I strongly suspect the Roksan will be out of the running.
Aren't Icon amps bespoke or handmade?
I think they have standard models which can be made bespoke with tube rolling......they are available at Audio Affair. https://www.audioaffair.co.uk/manufacturer_icon-audio
Here is the list of other dealers: http://www.iconaudio.com/dealers/
They are hand made, hard wired point to point, no PC board, valve options are available with some models, all are bl**dy heavy!!!! The ST40 weighs 25kg . . . ST60 is 35kg, try moving these around for a casual dusting :? Weight = proper transformers.
CJSF
CJSF
Can you clarify what 'you' mean by the term 'bright' (don't understand the term forward nor warm ether)
Harsh I understand, is bright used to discribe too much detail - if so the amps you demoed, did they have tone controls did you adjust them just to see if they could get closer to the sound you desire do the Quads have tone controls?.
I stilll feel (....& this is just my opinion ) you are looking way too far ahead of yourself regards your budget for speakers, considering your amplification. Though I see you're now looking in that direction too.
I actually find your quest interesting
Have you consedered a.....graphic equaliser.... yes I said it...a graphic equaliser , maybe its the way forward for you
Harsh I understand, is bright used to discribe too much detail - if so the amps you demoed, did they have tone controls did you adjust them just to see if they could get closer to the sound you desire do the Quads have tone controls?.
I stilll feel (....& this is just my opinion ) you are looking way too far ahead of yourself regards your budget for speakers, considering your amplification. Though I see you're now looking in that direction too.
I actually find your quest interesting
Have you consedered a.....graphic equaliser.... yes I said it...a graphic equaliser , maybe its the way forward for you
Thompsonuxb said:
Hell, no.......!
The correct approach is to try different valve amplifiers and speaker cables until you get the sound you want, then when you fancy a change in a few months time you can do it all again. Easy......
davedotco said:
Tis full time to bring back tone controls and graphic equalisers - imagine Panasonic, Sony, Samsung etc dictating to you the user the picture settings on your tv. Its crazy when you think about it really, an amp maker dictating how the amp WILL sound in your room, with your kit with no scope for adjustment.........
Thompsonuxb:
The overall tonal balance can become fatiguing with some music and some speakers.
I heard masses of detail with the Dali Helicon 400's and Marantz electronics but could have listened all day. At over £10000 total I need to find something else. This combo also sounded a little flat as opposed to my Quad kit which has good sound stage depth so I would still need to find something else.
Hope that helps. Please feel free to question more!
Next demo will be Icon Audio.
The overall tonal balance can become fatiguing with some music and some speakers.
I heard masses of detail with the Dali Helicon 400's and Marantz electronics but could have listened all day. At over £10000 total I need to find something else. This combo also sounded a little flat as opposed to my Quad kit which has good sound stage depth so I would still need to find something else.
Hope that helps. Please feel free to question more!
Next demo will be Icon Audio.
FennerMachine said:
Could be interesting.
My thoughts would be a Stereo 40, either with EL34s or KT88s as a staring point and let them advise from there. They have their owm "Made for Valves" speakers too, I would be tempted to give them a go too.
Good luck...... :cheers:
steve_1979
Well-known member
Thompsonuxb said:
I would never own any sort of hifi system which doesn't have a good digital graphic equaliser built into it. I don't like simple analogue tone controls though because they're too much of a blunt instrument.
cse
Well-known member
Native_bon
Well-known member
Listening to my all Quad system – CD player, amps & speakers.
Cranked it up a bit. Sounds pretty good actually.
Slightly bright sounding but bearable.
Bass could do with a bit more definition & control but OK.
Someone replied on another topic that the Quad 21L2 speakers are good, get another amp.
Others have said that the Quad 303 power amp has modest specs.
After all the demoing I've done I am beginning to agree.
The next two weeks will be interesting with the demo's I have lined up.
Definitely need to do some home demo's with better amps.
Cranked it up a bit. Sounds pretty good actually.
Slightly bright sounding but bearable.
Bass could do with a bit more definition & control but OK.
Someone replied on another topic that the Quad 21L2 speakers are good, get another amp.
Others have said that the Quad 303 power amp has modest specs.
After all the demoing I've done I am beginning to agree.
The next two weeks will be interesting with the demo's I have lined up.
Definitely need to do some home demo's with better amps.
Another option:
As I like the Quad sound, get Quad Elite Pre and Stereo Power. Use the 751BD for CD's.
Sell all the kit I no longer need.
That leaves me over £2000 from my budget.
Buy a subwoofer for movies, say £300 to £500.
Pocket the difference and spend it on other things.
This does depend on how the Icon Audio demo goes next week. I have a horrible feeling I'm going to like them!
I'm also still demoing Focal but I think I know how that will go. I could be surprised though!
As I like the Quad sound, get Quad Elite Pre and Stereo Power. Use the 751BD for CD's.
Sell all the kit I no longer need.
That leaves me over £2000 from my budget.
Buy a subwoofer for movies, say £300 to £500.
Pocket the difference and spend it on other things.
This does depend on how the Icon Audio demo goes next week. I have a horrible feeling I'm going to like them!
I'm also still demoing Focal but I think I know how that will go. I could be surprised though!
I liked focal when i first heard them, but i warn - be sure to listen for at least 20mins. Then switch to anything else, i had a sense of definite relief the moment i did. Put me so off focal now! The new Aria is meant to be better though.
FennerMachine said:
I get the impression you are going to 'Icon Audio' themselves . . . If so, on the basis that they will be demoing amps with entry level valves, (cheap Chinese types), excellent though they are, especially at the price, ask is they can dem you an 'amp you like' with a set of better quality output valves, KT88's for-instance, Gold Lion brand should be better, Icon sell them as upgrade replacements @ £45 a go. This will give you an idea where you can go, dont buy the GL's, buy Sovtek's from an independant valve supplier for about £25 each. This would be my way of approaching this situation, you will probably like the standard valves as supplied, however it will give a idea of what is possible? . . . in a few months
Icon may not want to dem this way? They may not have a suitably burnt in set to hand, its worth a try?
CJSF
I'm demoing at Icon Audio.
Demoing:
Stereo 40 MkIII M EL34
Stereo 40 MkIII M KT88
Stereo 40 MkIII M 6AS7
With what ever floor standers they recommend.
If I remember I'll ask about trying different valves with whichever amp I like.
Demoing:
Stereo 40 MkIII M EL34
Stereo 40 MkIII M KT88
Stereo 40 MkIII M 6AS7
With what ever floor standers they recommend.
If I remember I'll ask about trying different valves with whichever amp I like.
FennerMachine said:
I will be very interested in your comments, I use the ST40 MkIII, with KT88's (Russian Sovtek brand).
The way I see the amps you have listed to audition, they are all the same ST40's with diferent valves puting the amp at diferent price points.
6AS7
EL34
KT88
. . . in that order of chepest to most expensive. So you will be looking to audition an upgrade valve above the 'standard supplied' KT88, however I have not listened to the two less expensive valve types . . . you may prefer them? Its quite possible . . .
Most important, relax, enjoy and 'truts your ears' . . . CJSF
PS, Floyd D' might be able to put some light on the differances in the valves listed?
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