What audio system do you have, or plan on getting?

[Florestan]

I tell friends that it's a work of art - genre Yves Klein's IKB 79, but not blue and not painted. It is also very good for making interesting lighting effects - there used to be an uplighter floor lamp in front of it, but the place is taken now by Big Conrad.

May I ask what has all that complicated setup of yours got to do with how the music sounded back then? I mean, as a devoted HIPster you surely are aware that listening to Bach's music through SOTA 21st-century electronic devices is as anachronistic as it gets, aren't you?

[Mandryka]

May I ask what has all that complicated setup of yours got to do with how the music sounded back then? I mean, as a devoted HIPster you surely are aware that listening to Bach's music through SOTA 21st-century electronic devices is as anachronistic as it gets, aren't you?

I've just seen that that post of mine you've quoted is in franglais with that expression genre Yves Klein . . . I've been speaking French all afternoon, sorry.

[Florestan]

I've just seen that that post of mine you've quoted is in franglais with that expression genre Yves Klein . . . I've been speaking French all afternoon, sorry.

Whatever language you've been speaking recently is immaterial to my point. 

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I also notice the absorbing panel behind the speaker, i.e. room treatment.  You really go the extra mile!

Mandryka,

Is there any way that you can do a couple of things:  1) Put in an electrical outlet where your power amp is?  And secondly, move your preamp and at least your CD player over there?  Or too small of an area?  Was just thinking that shorter cables and interconnects would be better.

By the way, I like your little vase collection on your mantlepiece.    How did that come about?

PD

[Papy Oli]

Does the toilet paper stash help sonically? 

(just being facetious...    )

[Mandryka]

Mandryka,

Is there any way that you can do a couple of things:  1) Put in an electrical outlet where your power amp is?   

Of course.

Mandryka,

   And secondly, move your preamp and at least your CD player over there?  Or too small of an area?  Was just thinking that shorter cables and interconnects would be better.

 

Well there is no preamp and there is no CD player, just a streamer, external DAC and a crossover unit which separates some of the signal out to a second amp, a Rotel, which drives the subs. And it is certainly true that the long interconnects make for a larger load. However, I've been advised (by someone who knows about electronics, who can do the calculations) that the CJ200 is so powerful that it can handle it. But it's a good thought PD, much appreciated.

By the way, I like your little vase collection on your mantlepiece.    How did that come about?

PD

Thanks. They look good together for sure. How I got them is a long story  . . . and not a very interesting one.

[Mandryka]

Does the toilet paper stash help sonically? 

(just being facetious...    )

Ahhh . . . I wondered what you were on about but now I see.

Do you know what that is? They are these

https://www.wickes.co.uk/Homefire-Heat-Logs---Pack-Of-12/p/100329

They are really good for starting the fire. And foolishly I bought a lot of them because they were on special offer. I'm scared to store them in the shed because they may get damp -- so they're going to have to sit there till Winter arrives!

[Harry]

Just a question for you Mandryka, which streamer are you using? Any special interlinks at all between amplifier and streamer, or is the streamer directly connected to the ESL's? And what cables are you using  between the ESL's and amplifier? I always had a soft spot for these speakers, and maybe I will buy a set. I know of a firm in the Netherlands who renovates them, and sells them for reasonable prices. Which if you fav in line?

[Mandryka]

Just a question for you Mandryka, which streamer are you using? Any special interlinks at all between amplifier and streamer, or is the streamer directly connected to the ESL's? And what cables are you using  between the ESL's and amplifier? I always had a soft spot for these speakers, and maybe I will buy a set. I know of a firm in the Netherlands who renovates them, and sells them for reasonable prices. Which if you fav in line?

The streamer is Rasberry Pi with Logitech Media Server installed.

There's an optical connection from streamer to DAC -- the DAC is old, a Theta.

The DAC goes into an external crossover, which is made by Gradient, who made the subs. And the crossover goes to the two amps -- the CJ and the Rotel.

The RCA interconnects are Chord C line, apart from the very long one, which is a cheap thing from amazon. The long one will be changed for something more reliable, I'm not sure what to yet.

The ESLs are great. The big problem with them is that the glue which holds the panels can become unstuck, and that makes them arc and spark, and necessitates an expensive service. I bought mine in 2009, they had been bought second hand by the previous owner at least 7 years before -- they are old. And they have never been serviced, but I have the boxes ready for the inevitable evil day. 

Apparently I've been fortunate partly because I never move them. It's moving them which puts stresses on the frame and causes the glue to loosen.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

The streamer is Rasberry Pi with Logitech Media Server installed.

There's an optical connection from streamer to DAC -- the DAC is old, a Theta.

The DAC goes into an external crossover, which is made by Gradient, who made the subs. And the crossover goes to the two amps -- the CJ and the Rotel.

The RCA interconnects are Chord C line, apart from the very long one, which is a cheap thing from amazon. The long one will be changed for something more reliable, I'm not sure what to yet.

The ESLs are great. The big problem with them is that the glue which holds the panels can become unstuck, and that makes them arc and spark, and necessitates an expensive service. I bought mine in 2009, they had been bought second hand by the previous owner at least 7 years before -- they are old. And they have never been serviced, but I have the boxes ready for the inevitable evil day. 

Apparently I've been fortunate partly because I never move them. It's moving them which puts stresses on the frame and causes the glue to loosen.

May that evil day be far far away.

PD

[Papy Oli]

Ahhh . . . I wondered what you were on about but now I see.

Do you know what that is? They are these

https://www.wickes.co.uk/Homefire-Heat-Logs---Pack-Of-12/p/100329

They are really good for starting the fire. And foolishly I bought a lot of them because they were on special offer. I'm scared to store them in the shed because they may get damp -- so they're going to have to sit there till Winter arrives!

Aaaahh. I very happily stand corrected in this matter and forthwith withdraw my facetious remark to the Right Honourable Member, apologises to The House unreservedly for said remark and happily support the necessary correction on record in Hansard accordingly.     

[Harry]

The streamer is Rasberry Pi with Logitech Media Server installed.

There's an optical connection from streamer to DAC -- the DAC is old, a Theta.

The DAC goes into an external crossover, which is made by Gradient, who made the subs. And the crossover goes to the two amps -- the CJ and the Rotel.

The RCA interconnects are Chord C line, apart from the very long one, which is a cheap thing from amazon. The long one will be changed for something more reliable, I'm not sure what to yet.

The ESLs are great. The big problem with them is that the glue which holds the panels can become unstuck, and that makes them arc and spark, and necessitates an expensive service. I bought mine in 2009, they had been bought second hand by the previous owner at least 7 years before -- they are old. And they have never been serviced, but I have the boxes ready for the inevitable evil day. 

Apparently I've been fortunate partly because I never move them. It's moving them which puts stresses on the frame and causes the glue to loosen.

Thanks my friend for providing all this useful info to me, much obliged I am sure. I will take extra care to buy ESL'S that are already serviced.

[71 dB]

Does the toilet paper stash help sonically? 

Only with brown notes.

[Florestan]

Aaaahh. I very happily stand corrected in this matter and forthwith withdraw my facetious remark to the Right Honourable Member, apologises to The House unreservedly for said remark and happily support the necessary correction on record in Hansard accordingly.     

If that's any consolation to you, Olivier, lots of toilet paper is what I noticed at first sight as well. 

[Spotted Horses]

I have to apologize to all of the audiophiles for expressing my view that a cable cannot have any substantial effect on listening experience. My headphones have a short cable, which up until now required me to be within easy reach of the computer that was streaming the music. I have just gotten a six foot extension cable. Now I am not required to be within range of my keyboard and am not tempted to putter around with the computer while listening. The difference is huge!

[Florestan]

I have to apologize to all of the audiophiles for expressing the my view that a cable cannot have any substantial effect on listening experience. My headphones have a short cable, which up until now required me to be within easy reach of the computer that was streaming the music. I have just gotten a six foot extension cable. Now I am not required to be within range of my keyboard and am not tempted to putter around with the computer while listening. The difference is huge!

Good one!

[aukhawk]

Apparently I've been fortunate partly because I never move them. It's moving them which puts stresses on the frame and causes the glue to loosen.

You'll have to move them when the fitters turn up with that long-awaited wall-to-wall carpet.

[Atriod]

What you see is a Conrad Johnson MF200 being used to drive Quad ESL 63s. All the gubbins is because it hums and so I've had to put it somewhere where it doesn't annoy me. That meant bringing in the garden extension cable and buying an extra long interconnect - a more discrete 8m extension cable has been ordered.

Is it worth it? Well, yes for this reason. Conrad Johnson transistor amps can do timbre - I knew that because I have their smaller version, the MF80. However this MF200 monster amp can also grip big loads like these electrostatics.

Let me ask the question again - is it worth it? Yes, because it's making Leon McCawley's Schumann CD sound more like a real piano than anything else I've ever had - it does the piano attacks and it does the piano overtones.

So despite the hum, the expense, the trouble of finding somewhere to put it, the enormous weigh of it, and the fact that every time you turn it on you feel as though you've powered up a nuclear power station - I'm pleased.

How are they compared to those cylindrical bookshelf speakers that you were using inspired by (I think?) LS3/5a? I had 63s before the 57.

[Mandryka]

How are they compared to those cylindrical bookshelf speakers that you were using inspired by (I think?) LS3/5a? I had 63s before the 57.

Well because they're considerably bigger they can move much more air, so the pressure of sound is far greater with the ESLs. And even without the subs, the bass is louder on the electrostatics. The JR 149s and LS3/5a are really best for nearfield listening, the ESLs fill the room.

The Rogers speakers have the cute midrange timbre of ESL 57s - the ESL 63s don't have that sweetly coloured  midrange.

[Atriod]

Well because they're considerably bigger they can move much more air, so the pressure of sound is far greater with the ESLs. And even without the subs, the bass is louder on the electrostatics. The JR 149s and LS3/5a are really best for nearfield listening, the ESLs fill the room.

The Rogers speakers have the cute midrange timbre of ESL 57s - the ESL 63s don't have that sweetly coloured  midrange.

That makes sense. I've only heard old LS3/5a at a dealer where they always have them in one of their rooms in rotation even though they don't sell any of them.

My impression of 57 vs 63 when I had them both together was the former had a touch more realism, they sounded more similar than not.