Quote:
Originally Posted by Charles
You are my true comrade. I identify with all that you said.
Speakers that are picky with amps are often not that good.
The midrange is the key. It must be totally open and free of edge but very resolving at the same time.
I call dynamics the "jump factor". A top flight system must have limitless dynamic ability. My Alexx are very good in this respect but I think the SF its superior. I am hoping my XVX will equal your SF. Almost all speakers are lacking in dynamics. It is simply impossible for a speaker to reproduce music at a live level. No speaker can really do it but I hope my XVX will approach this. I know your SF can. Dynamics are related to sensitivity. Speakers with low sensitivity will have limited dynamics.
I think what you mean by the word "trim" is also the word "refine". Although your English a little sloppy I find your vocabulary truly excellent. "Trim" is such an excellent choice of words for what you are attempting to describe.
I'm a great believer in synergy. Finding components that work well together is supremely important. It seems to me that you have achieved this goal. An example of this is the volume range of components. Typically with my all Mac reference system, bluegrass music is loud at a 50% level (about 3-4 watts peak). I have some music that doesn't need more than about a 35% level to achieve plenty of loudness in my room (about 3-4 watts).
But put on some live performances with Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Phil Collins, or Johnny Cash, etc. and you want at least 50-70% for full effect. It can get very loud. It can average 120 watts peak hold but continuous because there is never any letup. I rarely feel like listening at this level but sometimes I want to. Although obviously very loud it shouldn't sound loud, because it is dynamic compression that makes prerecorded music sound loud. A reference system should never sound "loud".
Put on Mahler the 3rd or 6th symphony and I need 75% and the peak watt range is from below .012 to well over 120 watts at this volume level! That's over a 10,000 peak hold watt range! Incredible. I want to be able to hear every little sound at the lowest level and the climaxes should be totally without strain. The voices at the 75% level should be adequately loud, totally open, not recessed in any way, and very natural. All the while you want a noise floor many many decibels below the music. This is incredibly hard to achieve. So with my Mac reference system my effective volume range is 35% to 75%. This is a near perfect volume range and is very important and difficult to achieve. My noise floor is incredibly low as I have no audible hum, hiss, or noise at 100% volume (wide open and all amps on) with any input with ear right next to speaker.
Component sensitivity (gain) of a system is often overlooked/forgotten and you can find yourself listening with the volume control in an inappropriate range if not very careful. The quality of the volume control is extremely important to the overall sound of any system. The overall gain of a system is very important.
This is just one example of synergy.
"Do not underestimate the personal goal of what the music should sound like. That is not achieved without much experience of both live music and many great HiFi systems. Otherwise it's hard to trim the system."
I think that about sums up the way I feel about reproduction of prerecorded music. It is only by experiencing a number of systems with high performance and reference gear over many years can one achieve what you have achieved. My experience with my new XVX will be quite interesting. I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to possess this speaker. I hope it to be competitive with your SF.
Your comrade,
Charles
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"You are my true comrade. I identify with all that you said."
Likewise.
You pointed out some things that I never thought of that much.
"the gain-factor". I have to look into that.
Regarding Mahler 3rd and similar dynamic music the dynamic range makes it so much more involving and fun to listen to. R2R and good mastertape copies is normally top of the line in this matter. R2R is really pointing out what your other part of your system can do. No other signal source, not vinyl, no digital source at all can beat that. But you have to have a system that can deal with dynamic to get the full advantage. ( I'v got Mahler 3rd on tape...)
"The noise floor"
To have a good cable loom regarding signal ground, like Nordost Q-Core system, makes the background darker because there are less differences in the signal ground in different products in the system. Q-core smoothes voltage between them out.
"Although obviously very loud it shouldn't
sound loud, because it is dynamic compression that makes prerecorded music sound loud. A reference system should never sound "loud"."
You are so spot on.
Sometimes when you'r listening to a good system with no listening fatigue and turn to your friend to say something. If you can't hear your own voice, then you know it's a good system.
"My experience with my new XVX will be quite interesting."
Thats for sure.
I'm very confident that they will be as good as it gets. I think you will have the most perfect sound and addictive music reproduction.
It will be so interesting to follow your journey during break in and further on.
/Carl