Thank you all for your comments and suggestions! Keep them coming!
I am happy with the MF2500A. In fact, I had two of them and tried bi-amping the Dunlavys but did not notice a big improvement so I sold one. But, as indicated in my post above, I am always on the lookout for the next upgrade which seems logically the Premier 350 but they seldom come up for sale.
Will check out the Rowland and Spectron, have heard the ML 23.5 but for my ears it was "too dry". Am eyeing the CJ CA200 as the "baby" Premier 350. One reason of coming back to CJ is mainly color matching my CT-5.
In some recordings, my main music system sounds just a tad on the bright side so I am contemplating to use Cardas (again) to replace my NordOst Valkyria ICs and Heimdall SC as opposed to upgrading to Tyr or Valhalla. For that kind of money, I may as well add some big ones and upgrade to e.g. (used) CJ LP140 monoblocks...choices...choices...
Doug99, as to your question about the mods, I did the easy tweaks first: soldering the drivers with Cardas Quad Eutectic directly to the wires, changed all screws holding the drivers to brass ones, then replaced the binding posts to Cardas CCGR-L type and the resistors in the main path of the cross over to (non inductive) wire wound resistors and reflowing the solder on the cross over whilst at them (replacing caps is less practical due to the bigger sizes of the film variants). The sound is more precise and resolution has gone up a notch and I would say, a slightly lower noise level. Absolute worth the time. One other reason not to replace the caps is that I have a pair of Duntech PCL 400 aka Black Nights as fronts in my HT setup (still trying to convince my significant other to swap them for the SC-IVs ) that, as you know, have decent quality cross over and driver parts. The vintage Krell HTS/KAV250a combo there drives the Black Nights very nicely. John Dunlavy has made some wonderful designs, but I wished he had more of an eye for aesthetics.
- Charles
I am happy with the MF2500A. In fact, I had two of them and tried bi-amping the Dunlavys but did not notice a big improvement so I sold one. But, as indicated in my post above, I am always on the lookout for the next upgrade which seems logically the Premier 350 but they seldom come up for sale.
Will check out the Rowland and Spectron, have heard the ML 23.5 but for my ears it was "too dry". Am eyeing the CJ CA200 as the "baby" Premier 350. One reason of coming back to CJ is mainly color matching my CT-5.
In some recordings, my main music system sounds just a tad on the bright side so I am contemplating to use Cardas (again) to replace my NordOst Valkyria ICs and Heimdall SC as opposed to upgrading to Tyr or Valhalla. For that kind of money, I may as well add some big ones and upgrade to e.g. (used) CJ LP140 monoblocks...choices...choices...
Doug99, as to your question about the mods, I did the easy tweaks first: soldering the drivers with Cardas Quad Eutectic directly to the wires, changed all screws holding the drivers to brass ones, then replaced the binding posts to Cardas CCGR-L type and the resistors in the main path of the cross over to (non inductive) wire wound resistors and reflowing the solder on the cross over whilst at them (replacing caps is less practical due to the bigger sizes of the film variants). The sound is more precise and resolution has gone up a notch and I would say, a slightly lower noise level. Absolute worth the time. One other reason not to replace the caps is that I have a pair of Duntech PCL 400 aka Black Nights as fronts in my HT setup (still trying to convince my significant other to swap them for the SC-IVs ) that, as you know, have decent quality cross over and driver parts. The vintage Krell HTS/KAV250a combo there drives the Black Nights very nicely. John Dunlavy has made some wonderful designs, but I wished he had more of an eye for aesthetics.
- Charles