Thanks jafant, i’m picking up a set of 2.4s this weekend! cant wait but then I gotta clear out the listening room, get my old cables out, move the pitiful advents i’ve been listening to, dust off the Proceed CDP. My amp right now is an adcom 545 i got cheaply. I’m looking for a reasonably priced Classe . ill keep you informed! dave |
My audio journey continued part 2... I pulled the trigger on the 2.4s. About 15 minutes from me, who would have thought in a Rochester , NY suburb? Turns out the oak finish looks great in my great room. Probably not the final location tho' Then i immediately ordered the outrigger stands and the boutique caps for them from Rob Gillum. The stands really anchor the speaks to the hardwoods plus they look fantastic, there is nothing like superior aftermarket products made by artisans. Haven't had the time to install the caps but soon!! I found a local CL Adcom 545 GFA II for good price while i researched what amplification to use. Immediate gratification got the best of me. The Adcom was disappointing tho'. Really bright with loss of definition with complex sounds like high hat/cymbals/triangle. Kind of congested too. Bass not too bad to just not focused ,detailed, or deep. I became worried about buying a power amp that would worsen the brightness since the Adcom was so harsh. That fear drove me to look at tubes and tube-like solid state. But Rob Gillum uses a Bryston in his chain. Another adviser had said Brystons are very bright amps. But tube like power amps (Classe or Pass) were out of the 2-3k range. That conflict was resolved when I found a Bryston B4 SST^2 on audiogon. Bought it, got it, set it up, one channel dead. Back to Bryston US. Fixed by resetting circuit board, no charge. A great company. The Meat: WOW! Easy to describe difference. Highs nicely balanced, not bright. Soundstage deep now and just as wide. Every instrument and voice has a precise place now.The soundstage developed layers front to back. Detailed detailed detailed sound, just wonderful. There is just so much air in front of me! Bass is just ,,, i guess the current word used now is controlled. not really extended but now the bass drum is effortlessly presented with no sense of strain or limit, it is clearly separated from the bass guitar now. That's it for now. Proceed CDP, Bryston SST2, Thiel 2.4. Getting there! i'll letcha know what other stuff iI find. Dave |
My audio journey. Warning, it's long! In high school 1974, large Advents, turntable, Yamaha CR-2020, Ortofon cartridge and i was hooked. Listened every chance and late at night with cans. Wanted more power, got an SAE Mark IV power amp with a SAE Mark 1 pre. Gorgeous looking. Good, not great sound but plenty of power except i would pop the temp cutoff on the amp playing the speakers out the window. But i stopped my journey there, never being overjoyed by the sound. Life got busier. Then off to grad school, career, kids, and so forth. Fifteen years ago i reentered the audio market with bucks in pocket. i accumulated Thiel 2.2s in line with Proceed CDP, Levinson 38 preamp, Levinson 332. Loved everything about the sound. Huge soundstage, detail, imaging, full deep bass.I was in love. I would fall asleep with the music washing over me like a warm summer breeze. Trade up to Revel Studios. What an extended tight bass!! Just more everything!! More precise detailed highs, more low end, but a tight sound not seeming as smooth as the Thiels. Narrower soundstage too. I didn't complain, I just was complacent about the sound. No internet to reach out to for advice. I had no clue of the differences the interaction of components made. Next the kids are in sports, i'm trying to exercise, chase kids, make money, keep wife happy, i get tinnitus too. Had financial crunch in 2008 and sold my equipment. Moovin' on. 2018. Kids are out of the house now. Tinnitus not too bad now so here we go!! I saw some 2.4s on Audiogon, and locally too!! Even better! Hmmm, maybe it's time. More in a moment. Dave |
i am at a crossroads i moved my thiel 2.4's to a dedicated space 20 ft x 30. setup my Bryston 4BSST2, my Proceed CDP and sat down. History: My first high end setup was a Thiel 2.2, Levinson 332, Levinson 38s, and the same CDP. It was awesome, very wide soundstage, great bass, sweet mod and highs. almost everything just right. Then i got Revel Studios. Theywere leaner, very detailed, incredibly extended bass, but with a smaller soundstage, more linear, much less enjoyable. Now my setup has a very linear sound , great imaging, detail, depth of image but a harsh high end. at low volumes nice but not the smooth easy to listen "sweet" sound i'd love. What to do? Different amp? Pre/ power combo? Intergrated? Tube pre? i got a budget of 3-5 k and dont know how to go forward. Don't want to make a mistake, just want to enjoy what i got. one option was PS audio 250's with trade is doable but will it do the trick? One said i need to do a pre/amp or nothing... thoughts? thanks , dave |
Jafant thanks for the response . I am thoroughly interested in your listening test. With the plethora of options , new and used, this will help me immensely. I find it interesting, yet disappointing, that at the price and level of engineering we are talking about there is such a difference in the sound. As I said , the Bryston 3B2 is not working with the 2.4’s. Tom Thiel. If I upgrade my 2.4’s caps, will it meaningfully change the sound of my system? Thanks Dave |
Update on my Journey, kinda fits in with the above. Thiel 2.4s, Proceed Cdp direct to Bryston 4B SST2 The Bryston 4B SST2 was detailed with a powerful bass but too tight but quite harsh. It is no longer in my system. I got great trade-in credit and price on a PS Audio BHK 250 power amp. Thank you TMR audio for assistance in recommending this amp. Bingo!! Right out of the box, what a wonderful combination. Balanced and wonderful sound! The sound is tonally right on. Much more detailed, smooth , and musical then the Bryston. So realistic, I can separate out individual background singers. I can resolve what I call the “woodyness” of a cello, the timbre and subtle vibrato. This is releasing the Thiels to shine. Man the bass is full and bottomless, yet no booming. A good description is the bass is precise. Imma let it cook for the next day or two and post what happens. I’m really pleased . Dave |
Latest update: 2.4’s, Proceed CDP driving a NEW Psaudio 250. The Psaudio now over 100 hours is settling in. What a great amp! The Thiels have disappeared. Such detailed and layered imaging. Gotta say I really can appreaciate the linearity of the Thiels now. Only thing is they are a little hot. Maybe it’s my eardrums as I age (63). But snare drums strikes are pretty harsh . What would the upgrade cap set do to the sound? I am days away from getting the Psaudio signature preamp so I got that going for me too. thanks for you input . |
I researched “plasma speaker” and found this for your perusal , really interesting and who could imagine it working? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_speaker#/media/File%3AMoeller_Plasma.jpg Dave |
Great Improvement! My 2.4's were a little hot and i had a mid upper bass "bloom". i got a Richard Gray RGPC 400 and foam bass traps and side panels. What a difference. The bloom is flattened out and the bass has extended! Better yet, the ear "burn" on my aging ear drums is gone. I also found the stereo image has changed, so i have a to move the speakers around to find that sweet spot. nice i don't have the bass nodes any more. |
I face a quandary and request the forums assistance. I want to get a subwoofer to match my system of 2.4’s driven by Psaudio BHK preamp and a 250 power amp. Audio only. i have no access to trial units. Budget is $1000 - 1500. The used market is full of high quality units, and yet there are companies like SVS, REL, and Rhythmik that have new units in this range. I appreciate you input. dave |
Oh Boy! found a pair of 3.7’s locally!! couple of blemishes. Drivers are ok. compared to the 2.4’s, much more detailed I easily noticed it in the cymbals. The 3.7’s sound so much more “open” and realistic. Bass is extended but is perfectly blended. Can’t point out bass or mid issues. In fact the entire sound is integrated beautifully. Imaging is about same as the 2.4’s easily well outside the speakers. as is known, they are source dependent. Some sibilants like snare strikes or sibilants can be harsh but I haven’t treated the room’s walls for that first reflection point. Man. What an enjoyable listen. i am having difficulty integrating my SVS sub tho’. i need to fool with it more to get the crossover and phasing right. |
