I might actually be done. I find that this is the system sound I have been looking for. It can be played from very low volume levels to very high volume and gives me what I am looking for. The mid range defines the system and it is all there. The low end is present but not overwhelming and the system can be listened to for hours without being fatiguing. I have it tweeked with my room. My concentration has been on buying music. . Thats it for now. Stephen
Golden Reference Speaker cable, Interconnects: Golden Reference amp to pre am, Golden Reference CD to Pre Amp, 300B Microtwin DVD to Pre Amp, Power Cords: All Golden Reference except Twinlink on DVD Player
Running Springs Audio Haley & Duke Power Conditioners
Power Conditioners Haley for pre-amp, cd player, and dvd player Duke for amps
Anyone have any idea what my new speaker might be? Does anyone ever read these profiles? Who knows , but it is good therapy anyway, for the writer. Stephen
Well, it has been a long time since I have written here and this is the first system change I have made in about 2 years. I have sold my Von Schweikert VR4 Jr's. There were excellent speakers that gave me much enjoyment. The sense of real bass as well well as real music has been a highlight. I will post an update when my new speakers arrive. Stephen
System edited: I posted this as a response to another thread relating to amplifier choices and thought I would add it here as it relates to the last question comparing the Pathos Acoustics Logos Integrated Amp with the DK design Integrated Amp. As I read CBucki's analysis of the comparison between the BAT and DK Integrated amps, I am reminded again about some of the traps and pitfalls related to judgements made from reviews in general and how that relates to the real world of putting a piece of equiptment actually in your system as cbucki did with these two amps. It took me a long time to realize the value of having a good relationship with a talented dealer who understands all of the variables that effect how an amp or speakers or cd player etc will work in a particular room setting. Let me connect this thought with the comparison that cbucki shared about the two amps. I too, have gone through many changes in my equiptment, and plead guilty to being an audio neuroic. My present system is pretty much the same as cbucki. I have the Von Schweikert VR 4 Jr loudspeakers and the same Lector CD player. My evolution related to amps has taken me from the Pathos Acoustics Logos Amplifier to the DK amp. In addition, my dealer has an extensive amount of knowledge realted to the BAT products and is very familiar with the BAT integrated which I have spoken to him about. Here comes the catch with all of this. Two people can have much of the same components but the interactions and kind of rooms that the components are put in can make them sound very different. What works well in one setting may not work as well in another room. While cbuckis room has wood floors and alot of glass, I have a 12 feet by 22 feet room with a high ceiling that is covered with carpet and rugs on top of that. I have drapes on most of the windows and the room is treated in the corners. My speakers come out about a third into the room from the front wall. They are no where near the front wall. I mention all of this as it effects the type of sound that one gets in my room. While I have not heard the BAT integrated in my room, I have discussed the possibility of it being in my system with my dealer. This dealer has heard the Pathos Logos amp in my system and as I mentioned, is quite familiar with the BAT as well as the DK amp. In cbuckis room, the comaprison showed that the BAT possessed more of the sound that he was looking for than the DK amp. It had tonal refinement and untimate mid range compentencies that the DK did not have. In cbuckis setting, the BAT provided more of the sonics that he is looking for and as a result, the DK is not the right choice for him. Does that mean that this same compariosn would produce the same results in a different room. Not necessarily. Lets shift to my listening foom. With the Pathos Logos Integrated amp, you get a good level of midrange refinement and decent power. Is it exactly the same amp as the BAT ? No, but it has some similiar qualities as the BAT and is a 5000.00 integrated amp that has been reviewed and praised for its rich and refined sound. I decided to try the DK bacause I was getting the sense in my room that the Von Schweikerts were capable of giving me much more sound than they were with the Pathos. Yes, my sound with the Pathos Logos was quite refined and enjoyable but I had the sense that I could get much more from the Vons with a more powerful amp. My room is large enough to support a BIG SOUND and I wondered what the DK would achieve with my speakers. When I put the DK in my system , the difference in the sound was remarkable. The system was transformed to a new level. Why? Because the DK has so much more power that it has the ability to control the drivers. I am not talking about playing the system louder. I am referring to the level of bass produced as well as the control of the bass. In addition, the dynamics in the music are take to a different level. The Von Schweikert speakers are taken to a different level with the DK amp in my room. The midrange aided by some 1960's tubes, is fairly refined although I am sure it is not the level of refinement that could be achieved with the BAT. When I spoke to my dealer, he mentioned, that if I wanted that ultimate in refinement throught the midrange, the BAT would give me that but it would not produce the music in the way I was now hearing it through the DK. In other words, I would get a smaller type sound with less bass with the music losing the dynamics and pace that it has through the more powerfull amp. Because I listen to a wide range of music from Bach to AC/DC, I did not want to give up that up. My room ,because of its size , can give me a fairly big sound, and I feel that the DK portrays the music with high levels of dynamics and pace and more of a live feeling to the music with the Von Schweikerts in my room. It becomes a judgement call, but I feel I get enough of a midrange with the DK that is a better match for my particular apllication. I enjoy the sound of voices and instuments through the DK and find the midrange very satisfying. Would the BAT be better in this area? No doubt, it would be but it would not give me the other aspects of the music that I value. In summary, I mention all of this because it is important to think about what you are trying to achieve in your listening room and what is the best way to accomplish that. No two rooms are exactly the same and plunking components into them without the correct thought process will only produce more frustration with audio. The same components can sound different in a variety of listening rooms. Unless we are blessed with unlimited funds, it is about compromises. If you have the money to buy the best speakers, the best cd player, and the best separates made for amplification, as well as the best cables and a perfect acoustic space to listen to the music, then none of this matter. To the rest of the audio population, it does matter and it is alsways a matter of getting something and giving up something else.
Nuno, I thought the Pathos Acoustics Logos was a fine amp. It is rated at 110 wattts per channel and delivered a rich sound that tended to slightly fatten up the low end, although not greatly fatten it up. Its plusses were its refined rich sound, its build quality, as well as its looks. It is a beautiful amp. I thought it did better with speakers that were not as demanding on the power side.
I have commented in other Audiogon posts on the DK but in summary, its plusses are its power reserves and dynamic abilities. It is rated at 150 wpc but regardless, it is very powerfull and delivers a very big, open sound. It is very nice through the midrange also. It possesses the ability to push speakers that are a bit more difficult to light up. I have it hooked up to the Von Schweikert 4Jr's and it does an excellent job of controlling the drivers and producing terrrific sonics. It is very large and heavy as it weighs about 80 pounds.
I did a little more tube rolling and have decided to settle with the Amperex Phillips Miniwatt SQ 6922 E88CC Holland. These tubes have the similiar sparkle as the Amperex Phillips SQ Holland 7308's but even add more smoothness and warmth through the midrange. They are excellent in my system.
I have been experimenting with different tubes in the DK Amp. After replacing the stock Chinese tubes, I went to the Amperex 7308 JAN PQ USA Orange from 1967. These tubes were very clean but a bit on the lean sounding side. They presented the music with much detail but seemed to lack some of the mid-range presense I was looking for. I replaced the Amperex 7308's with Matsushita 6922's. These tubes have a nice warme presentation through the mirange but suffer from a bit of noise when the music is played at any volume. Most recently, I put in Amperex Phillips SQ Holland 7308's. These retain the clean, detailed sound of the other Amperex but have more warmth through the midrange. They offer a very nice , balanced sound between clarity and resolution as well as midrange quality. They also seem to have that extra sparkle that adds something special to the music. I have not tried the Siemens CCA's but am very conttent with the Amperex I have in the amp. Hopefully, I will be able to find a spare pair for the future.
I have tried different tubes in the DK Amp and they all have a different effect. I went from the stock Chinese Tubes to Amperex 7308's JAN PQ USA Orange from 1967 to Matsushita 6922's. I will also be trying Amperex 7308 Holland in the Amp.
I have been going back and forth between the Audience AU24 Interconnect and The DK Interconnect between my DK Design Integrated amp and my Lector CD player. Both are fine interconnects and the differences between the two were slight. Overall, the Audience AU24 is slightly more neutral and is slightly cleaner providing more detail and resolution. It is slightly thinner sounding meaning in my system, there is slightly less body. The DK Interconnect is richer with a slightly more rounded sound. It has a more full bodied sound with slightly more warmth. Both cables work well in my system and I have gone back and forth quite a number of times. At this point, I have the Audience AU24 back in.
I purchased the Stillpoints from the dealer who sold me the Von Schweikerts. Drop me an email at [email protected] and I will send you the information. Stephen
Today, I switched out the Audience AU24 Interconnect and put in the DK Interconnect. This has made a drastic change in the sound. It is much more full bodied and has much of the richness that I thought I would get from the NOS Amperex tubes. The DK cable seems to be quite smooth and quick and also full bodied. In my system, it added some very nice characteristics to the Von Schweikerts sound. I have only had the DK Interconnect in for a short time and plan to go back and forth with the Audience AU24 interconnect. So far, I have not noticed a loss of detail with the DK interconnect but have gained in the other areas as I mentioned. Audience AU24 is known for its detail and resolution and natural musicality. I plan to have the DK interconnect in my system for a period of time so I can hear more of my collection and how the music is effected. After a period of time, I plan to go back to the Audience AU24 and do another comparison by listening to that again. So far, I am very impressed with the DK interconnect as the system is quite enjoyable to listen to. I love the richness to the sound and the smoothness through the midrange. What are other DK amp owners doing in terms of this issue? Stephen
I had mentioned in an earlier post that my listening room is 12 feet by 22 feet with a high ceiling. The speakers are located on one of the 12 foot ends of the room and both the front and rear of the 12 foot sides have windows that are over 90 inches wide and 60 inches high. For the longest time, I had nothing on the windows. I added curtains on both of these large windows and they have made quite a difference in the sound of the system. It has been just about as much of a change if not more than changing components by covering up alot of the glass.
As I previously mentioned, I acquired the Lector CDP 7T CD Player and only have about 150 hours on it. I let it play continually with the amp off but with the tubes and digital all in the on position to get through break in process. I plan on running it this way for about 500 hours as I get acquainted with the Lectors sound. So far, what seems to be most prevalent is that the player exhibits dynamics in the music quite strongly and effortlessly. It is very clear sounding with a stong musical engaging presense. It is very smooth sounding and much less digital sounding than the other players I have had. The player comes with 2 12AT7 Tubes and I have purchased some 1960's NOS Telefunken Tubes but am holding off on putting them in until I am more familiar with the Lectors sound so I can more specifically identify the effect or lack of related to the higher quality tubes. So far, my impressions are that it delivers wonderful sound and I will update this after a complete break-in.
Dan, the Stillpoints are very effective in terms of eliminating vibration and adding much to the sonics in terms of focus as well as bass response. I use them with the Stillpoints risers and have them screwed directly into the bases of the Von Schweikerts. I also use the Stillpoints underneath my CD player as I have my player in a wood cabinet and wanted to eliminate the effects of the wood. I can hook you up with my Stillpoints dealer who also is a Von Schweikert dealer and is quite knowledgeable. Drop me an email at [email protected]. Stephen
I noticed your Stillpoints tweak on the VR4jr bases, where did you get them from and how do you like them? The spikes with my VR2s (I'm assuming bases between VR2s and VR4jrs are the same) are pretty weak and I'd like to replace them with something a little more substantial.
Thanks for the nice note, David. I just got the Lector and like you had a Wadia before it. In my case, it was the Wadia 302 which delivered much detail and digital information. However, in the short time with the Lector, the sonics from my system are even better than the Wadia. The Lector seems to deliver a much smoother sound and is less digital sounding. The instruments and the voices in the music have a refined pleasing sound. There is also a distinct clearness in the musics presentation kind of like a foggyness or blur has been lifted. I have a question regarding your players break in. How different did your player sound after 200-300 hours? As I said, mine is just out of the box. Do you leave yours on all the time when not in use? Thanks for the information. Stephen
Congrats on your both Von Schweikerts VR4jr and Lector CDP 7TL CD player. I also use the Von Schweikerts(VR4 GenIII HSE) and Lector CDP 7TL player. I think you've made great choice with Lector and I bet it will really shock you with its quality. In my opinon this player is one of the very best out there regardless of cost and capable of competing with the machines costing 15K-20K. Let me know how you like it and the effects on your systems overall quality.
