"gmctavish needs more space" (gmctavish)
07/08/2017 at 03:08 • Filed to: time to get drunk
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"gmctavish needs more space" (gmctavish)
07/08/2017 at 03:08 • Filed to: time to get drunk | 3
| 32 |
My girlfriend is out of town so I’m listening to music even louder than usual. Holy shit these things are good. And these are the babies, bookshelf speakers not even in the Stratus lineup. If you ever see a pair of PSB Stratus Golds for less than $800 or so, buy them, you won’t be disappointed. Also I’m driving them with my little 10wpc Sansui 210 and it’s doing shockingly well.
AndyG_UK
> gmctavish needs more space
07/08/2017 at 03:18 |
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Oh I like the look of those!
Compared to your monitor they do look on the large size for “baby” book shelfs”. Whats the bass response like on them? One thing I really like and amazes me still about my Dali Zensor 1's I have on my home theatre system, is the way they manage to have such a big speaker sound when I listen to music on them in stereo mode with the Onkyo AV amp set to pure audio.
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gmctavish needs more space
> AndyG_UK
07/08/2017 at 03:24 |
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Well they’re smaller than the Realistics I’ve been using as computer speakers, but I’m meaning they’re the babies of the late 80s/early 90s PSB lineup, other than a couple smaller versions of these ones. The flagship were these, the Stratus Golds.
The bass response is really impressive, you don’t feel it as much as my big Infinitys, but it’s very good for speakers this size. Even with this low power amp (though Sansui was known to underrate their amps), it’s filling the room easily.
DipodomysDeserti
> gmctavish needs more space
07/08/2017 at 03:25 |
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Play this and turn it up:
Then play it again and sing along.
RIP Erik Petersen
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gmctavish needs more space
> DipodomysDeserti
07/08/2017 at 03:30 |
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I’ve never heard of this before, it’s great
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AndyG_UK
> gmctavish needs more space
07/08/2017 at 03:37 |
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Oh those big floor standers are lovely!!
I’m always hearing good things about Sansui integrated amp’s, I don’t think anyone who has ever heard one doesn’t like the sound.
I finally got an amp recently that drives my big Kef C60's properly (my Marantz pm6010 ki even after being fixed and serviced just can’t push enough current to them!), a used NAD C352 that I got for a bargain from one of those cash converter type stores for £80, it’s really brought the Kef’s to life, even at low volumes. I’ve finally got a half decent DAC as well(NAD rDac) which has made a huge difference as well.
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gmctavish needs more space
> AndyG_UK
07/08/2017 at 03:42 |
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A friend of mine has two pairs....he drives his upstairs pair with two Bryston 3Bs doing the low end, and two Dynaco ST-70s running the high end....it sounds amazing.
Yeah I’m a big fan of Sansui. I’ve been wanting one of their AU amps for a while now, I may get one in the not too distant future. Depends if a good deal shows up.
I like NADs a lot too, I steered another friend towards one that he’s using to drive a pair of 1960s Altecs that I got him for free from my work.
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gmctavish needs more space
> AndyG_UK
07/08/2017 at 03:42 |
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Also I should really get a DAC
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DipodomysDeserti
> gmctavish needs more space
07/08/2017 at 03:42 |
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Check out their other stuff. It’s all very good. Unfortunately we won’t be getting any more of it. Here’s a few more of my favorites:
Read some of the Youtube comments on these videos. We lost a solid dude.
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AndyG_UK
> gmctavish needs more space
07/08/2017 at 03:51 |
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Wow that must sound awesome, you really can’t beat the sound of big quality speakers being driven well!
I got the NAD cos everywhere I asked about what to get to drive my speakers said big old Kef’s and a one of the larger NAD amps will always be a good match, and it is. The Kef’s are rated at 200w at 4 ohms 89db, the NAD C352 will push a constant (if needed) 160w per channel at 4 ohms and will happily peak at 240w, I have yet to have the volume turned up over 10 o’clock, even in a the large room they are in, it just gets too loud!
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gmctavish needs more space
> DipodomysDeserti
07/08/2017 at 03:52 |
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Very Irish sounding. I like it.
And yeah that’s rough. I just read this Noisey piece about him.
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AndyG_UK
> gmctavish needs more space
07/08/2017 at 03:55 |
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I really recommend the rDac, it’s a great little DAC. They won What HIFI’s best of category 2 years straight. They were about 500 quid new, I paid 110 for mine on Ebay in mint condition. It made a big difference, I used to use a Soundblaster Platinum USB sound card as a my DAC and always thought it sounded pretty good, I was wrong. Even Soundcloud’s less than brilliant bitrate stuff sounds much improved. I also now use it to bypass the onboard DAC in my CD player (an old Marantz KI one) and it’s brought all my CD’s to life as well.
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gmctavish needs more space
> AndyG_UK
07/08/2017 at 03:56 |
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Yeah from what I’ve read NADs are known for punching above their weight. That’s a sweet amount of power, especially at that price. The amount that amps can really dig in and peak at is always cool. Like I’ve always thought that ST-70s sound like they’re pushing more than 35wpc, but that’s because they’re known to peak at at least 70 or 80wpc, the 35 is just their continuous rating apparently.
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gmctavish needs more space
> AndyG_UK
07/08/2017 at 03:58 |
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I’m still just using whatever internal situation my computer or the living room laptop has, unless I’m listening to vinyl. It’s about time I get a DAC for both stereos. I shall check out local prices on the rDAC, thanks for the recommendation
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AndyG_UK
> gmctavish needs more space
07/08/2017 at 04:10 |
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It really is a lovely amp, couldn’t believe it when I found one for the price (I kept missing them on Ebay for more than twice the price I paid!). It has a lovely, rich, clear and detailed sound as well, also I didn’t realise the Kef’s had such an amazing bass response, I had been planning on adding a sub to them but not anymore!
Here’sa couple of pics I just took -
I got the speakers stands a few weeks ago for a tenner on Ebay (had to drive 40 miles to pick them up though!), nice and heavy (thick steel base and top and concrete posts!) with carpet spikes, again another big improvement. I’ve also got some decent interconnects as well now, just need some better speaker cable and I think (hope!) I’m done for a while.
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AndyG_UK
> gmctavish needs more space
07/08/2017 at 04:12 |
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God anything is better than a laptops internal DAC, is why I used the Soundblaster on mine!
The rDac really seemed to be the best performance\value I could find, is reassuringly heavy and solid feeling as well, it looks and feels like a quality piece of kit.
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gmctavish needs more space
> AndyG_UK
07/08/2017 at 04:16 |
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Unfortunately I can’t find any locally, and I’m being tempted by the good reviews and low price of the Schiit Fulla 2, but I’ll keep an eye out for the rDAC
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gmctavish needs more space
> AndyG_UK
07/08/2017 at 04:19 |
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Oh those look quite similar to my PSBs, minus the bass port of course.
Yeah I need i need better cables for this stereo too, the living room system has nicer cable but this one has ancient 10 gauge or something. Man and I still need to try out the Dynaco A25s....
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AndyG_UK
> gmctavish needs more space
07/08/2017 at 04:32 |
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That’s a shame, stick an Ebay alert for one on and see if any pop up.
The Schiit looks like a decent little headphone amp\dac but I think you should look for something that is just a dedicated hifi DAC and that importantly (I was told on the hifi forums) has it’s own usb timing clock, apparently it is something that has a huge affect on sound quality and reduction in jitter with digital music.
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AndyG_UK
> gmctavish needs more space
07/08/2017 at 04:42 |
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They are awesome, and as they were free, the previous owners of my brothers new house left them behind. I luckily happened to be there (he lives 60 miles away) when I caught his wife about to take them to the dump. I brought them home, cleaned them up, was amazed at the sound and decided to keep them, thus my fall in to hifi began. They are in great condition, a few nicks and scratches which I have filled in with shoe polish. The drivers foam is still soft and supple, the tweeters don’t show any signs of the fluid drying out and they sound very balanced so I think the crossovers are all good. I might get them serviced at some point, found a great old school hif shop that do repairs (they did my Marantz amp for me, £48 to replace the balance pot, resolder most of the components on the psu, full service and they even re-stuck the ki sig badge back on that was coming off), they said they would service the Kef’s, replace the tweeter fluid, check and replace any caps etc on the crossovers for about £100. I have been told they were £700 new (in ‘87) and I would have to spend upwards of £2-3k to replace them with something equal new now, so no matter what I do hifi wise for a long time will based around them.
Get those Dynaco’s hooked up man!
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AndyG_UK
> gmctavish needs more space
07/08/2017 at 04:45 |
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A track I was told to test a system with is Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits, really gives your speakers a good workout and shows off their frequency and balance (obviously either vinyl, CD or FLAC). I always play it after making any changes to my system.
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gmctavish needs more space
> AndyG_UK
07/08/2017 at 04:52 |
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Damn that’s lucky. I love it when things get saved, though it’s depressing to think about how many haven’t been so lucky.
Having a good repair place is a big deal, I’m glad I found a capable guy. He was able to fix my turntable in a day that no one else had any idea what to do with since they’re so rare. He also cleaned the 9090DB and claims it should be good for another 40 years before it needs anything, so we’ll see if he’s right.
I’m in the same boat with my big Infinitys, they were also free so I can’t replace them unless the replacement is really, really good. That;s what I thought was the case with my Realistics, but the deal for these two pairs was too potentially good to pass up, and I’d say it’s paying off.
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gmctavish needs more space
> AndyG_UK
07/08/2017 at 04:54 |
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Ooh good one. Gonna put that on.
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AndyG_UK
> gmctavish needs more space
07/08/2017 at 05:03 |
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Infinity make some awesome stuff, getting some free is lucky, what’s the story behind them?
Yeah I really lucked out finding the hifi store, it’s about a 45 min drive but worth it, everywhere that used to do it locally have closed down, tis the world we live in.
I think people just think if they are old they will be rubbish compared to new but as we know the opposite is normally true especially with hifi kit, yes you can buy amazing hif new now but you will be paying thousands for it, so the old good stuff just get chucked. Is very sad to think about.
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AndyG_UK
> gmctavish needs more space
07/08/2017 at 05:07 |
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Good man, I’ve got an album (FLAC) called Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing [1998] and on CD 1 has Your Latest Trick and Local Hero ! Wild Theme, both live versions, on it. If you haven’t got it get and listen to those 2 tracks loud, such an amazing sound.
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gmctavish needs more space
> AndyG_UK
07/08/2017 at 05:19 |
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A friend of mine in high school was on iffy terms with his dad, none of us were fond of the guy. He mentioned that his dad had a pair of speakers he wanted to get rid of, i went and saw them. They looked cool, he said he couldn’t make them work. I traded him for a small box of letgo....for them home, made jumpers for the dual posts, and they were good to go. They’ve been gorgeous and problem-free ever since, I love them. Infinity Kappa 7.1 Series 1.
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AndyG_UK
> gmctavish needs more space
07/08/2017 at 05:25 |
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Wow they are stunning looking, I can’t see anything other than 5 star reviews for them, they must sound immense, what do you drive them with?
That is a cool story, you lucked out there, can’t believe they were such a simple fix. They are definitely keepers for life, like me with my Kef’s, they were free and would cost thousands to buy something better, so why would you even try. :)
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gmctavish needs more space
> AndyG_UK
07/08/2017 at 05:35 |
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I like them a lot, the only things good enough to replace them that I’ve personally heard are Stratus Golds. I’m running them with a Sansui 9090DB doing low end, and a Dynaco ST-70 doing high end. I love the sound. And yeah, pretty much the same boat.
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AndyG_UK
> gmctavish needs more space
07/08/2017 at 05:47 |
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That is a great looking setup, bit jealous tbh!
And that valve amp looks glorious but I refuse to go down that rabbit hole, I know people who have and things have got very expensive, though admittedly beautifully sounding. One of my managers is in to valve amps and very high end gear, the money he spends is obscene (he can afford it), he is currently after a reel to reel tape deck, the one he wants (which rarely come up for sale) tend to go for about 20k!
boxrocket
> gmctavish needs more space
07/08/2017 at 09:05 |
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Amusing name for the beer for those who know their Roman numerals. Would give me pause before drinking it though, haha. Well, that, and I personally don’t like hoppy brews.
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gmctavish needs more space
> AndyG_UK
07/08/2017 at 10:14 |
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It can be done relatively cheaply, but yeah I totally understand. Definitely many ways to spend money when it comes to tube amps. I mean the guy I bought these speakers from had a McIntosh 275, and that’s one of their more affordable amps at $5500...
But Jesus that’s a lot for a reel to reel. My dad used to be hardcore enough that he’d record the first plays of all his vinyls on a reel to reel. He sadly doesn’t have any of them anymore.
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gmctavish needs more space
> boxrocket
07/08/2017 at 10:15 |
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Yeah I noticed that too haha. If you don’t like hops, I definitely wouldn’t recommend this one.
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AndyG_UK
> gmctavish needs more space
07/08/2017 at 12:39 |
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My thoughts as well but apparently there are only very few specific models that are worth having, that weren’t made in very large numbers and were very expensive when new, so the market dictates the prices. I personally wouldn’t even if I had the cash, the tapes are stupid expensive too!