Jerry's ongoing system blog

[karatestu]

Ah, sad to see that post from RD a couple up. RIP - we didn't always get on in forum-land, but I remember with fondness the afternoon at his place, just the two of us, playing tunes, discovering new music and chatting hifi. We got on just fine.

Yes the world of sound reproduction is a lesser place since Richard passed. I never met him sadly but did speak on the phone. You are not the first to say that he was very different in person to how he was in forum land.

[karatestu]

Sigh.
Anyway - here's a recent pic of the ol' system.



The MBL speakers still in place - coming up to 10 years now - but everything else has changed gear-wise since my last visit here, I think.

Interesting speakers Jerry. There are at least two side firing drivers (bass & mid ?) and is there a driver firing forwards behind the grille ? Tweeter on top looks like an omni directional jobbie to me .

[jandl100]

2 metal cone drivers on each side, 8.5 inch and 5 inch, covering something like 30hz to 630hz.
No front driver behind the grille.
Single largeish bass port at the rear.

2 omni directional 'radialstrahler' drivers on top covering 630hz to 33khz, made of carbon fibre 'petals'. ...

[Fretless]

Help! The Daleks have returned!



Good to see you back, Jerry.

[karatestu]

Mega

Side firing woofers are not something i have got along with so far in my own diy tinkering. It's a shame i couldn't get it to sound right with what i have. I tried doping a 5.25" MS902S aluminum continuous cone once but it wouldn't have it

That is a serious mid / tweeter on top there. Couldn't diy one of them. Nearest i could get is a up firing units with diffuser cones.

No wonder you have kept them so long, they look like some serious music makers .

[jandl100]

Yep, they do everything I want.

[Ali Tait]

Mega

Side firing woofers are not something i have got along with so far in my own diy tinkering. It's a shame i couldn't get it to sound right with what i have. I tried doping a 5.25" MS902S aluminum continuous cone once but it wouldn't have it

That is a serious mid / tweeter on top there. Couldn't diy one of them. Nearest i could get is a up firing units with diffuser cones.

No wonder you have kept them so long, they look like some serious music makers .

Some brave souls have attempted it-
https://www.minidsp.com/forum/diy-hifi- ... oudspeaker

[savvypaul]

I'd probably try to smoke with it...

[jandl100]

Current electronics ....

Audiobyte Black Dragon DAC



An MF X10v3 valve buffer with Rock Grotto mods and PSU ...



And an Apart Champ 2 power amp ...



Apart is a Belgian pro audio company, but their Champ series is aimed at home hifi.
120wpc, very clean, hi-rez and powerful sounding.

[jandl100]

And as well as a new DAC, currently sitting in its box in front of me as it has just now been delivered, I also have 3 other amps which are in rotation with the recently received Apart amp ...

A Marantz HD-AMP1 took me by surprise and bowled me over with its very lucid, hi-rez and fast sound.





Stock photo as I seem to find it impossible to take a decent pic of black kit.

Marantz's 1st ever class D amp, apparently, which is what intrigued me. I have really enjoyed class D amps in the past [especially the small t-amp type] so I was curious what Marantz would do with the technology.

I have generally found that high powered class D amps are a bit smoothed over for me, while the lower powered t-amp 8 watters have better rez and are more to my liking.
Marantz have managed to pull off the handy trick of decent power [35wpc, 70wpc into 4 ohms] but still achieve hi-rez sound.
Very impressive, if erring just a tad on the bright/forward side.

It also has digital inputs and an onboard DAC, it's 'OK' but not up to the standard of the amp imo. Good for 2ndary sources, but it's best to have a separate DAC.

I have to confess to being rather deeply in love with this little amp.