I thought it might be a good time for everyone to take a break from the
usual mudslinging and help your fellow RAO members to understand where your
audio opinions come from and what you are all about by detailing your
audio/video setup. Of course it won't answer all the questions but it should
be fun if nothing else. Please feel free to elaborate on the room/system and
your musical preferences as well as the overall place of the hobby in your
life.

Cheers,

Margaret





System Description:

Amplification

Power/Pre, Integrated, Receiver:

Audio processors - room correction, EQ:

Home Theater

Integrated HT (Y/N):

HT/video processor(s), if applicable:

Video display, if applicable:

Speakers:

Sources

CD Player, Transport/DAC:

Turntable/Arm/Cartridge, Phono Stage:

Other Analog Sources - Tuner, tape, mic/pre, etc.:

Other Digital Sources - DAW, HD, tape, mic/pre, etc.:

Video sources, if applicable:

Other

Speaker Cables:

Interconnects:

Video cables, if applicable:

Power Line Conditioner/treatment, cords:

Racks/furnitu

Tweaks (you decide):

Accessories (you decide):

Room

Room Length/Width/Height:

Room treatments:

Dedicated room (Y/N):

Room Comments (SQ, other uses):


Comments on system:

Music Preferences:

The Weakest Link:

I listen to a lot of things.
But the thing I'm listening to right now is/are Kef Reference III's,
Acoustat TNT-200 amplification, Musical Fidelity A324 DAC, with a little
rear channel ambience added by a circa 1991 Sony TA-E1000ESD surround
processor.

I find old Sony ES players to be just fine, with some advantage to be had in
upsampling DACs.

In my office, I listen to Acoustat 2+2's, a Parasound HCA-2200ii amp, and
the same old Sony ES stuff.

For room treatments, I use Sonex mounted on foamcore, plus creative
arrangement of furniture to obstruct paths that create early reflections.

"Margaret von B." wrote in message
...
I thought it might be a good time for everyone to take a break from the
usual mudslinging and help your fellow RAO members to understand where
your
audio opinions come from and what you are all about by detailing your
audio/video setup. Of course it won't answer all the questions but it
should
be fun if nothing else. Please feel free to elaborate on the room/system
and
your musical preferences as well as the overall place of the hobby in your
life.

Cheers,

Margaret





System Description:

Amplification

Power/Pre, Integrated, Receiver:

Audio processors - room correction, EQ:

Home Theater

Integrated HT (Y/N):

HT/video processor(s), if applicable:

Video display, if applicable:

Speakers:

Sources

CD Player, Transport/DAC:

Turntable/Arm/Cartridge, Phono Stage:

Other Analog Sources - Tuner, tape, mic/pre, etc.:

Other Digital Sources - DAW, HD, tape, mic/pre, etc.:

Video sources, if applicable:

Other

Speaker Cables:

Interconnects:

Video cables, if applicable:

Power Line Conditioner/treatment, cords:

Racks/furnitu

Tweaks (you decide):

Accessories (you decide):

Room

Room Length/Width/Height:

Room treatments:

Dedicated room (Y/N):

Room Comments (SQ, other uses):


Comments on system:

Music Preferences:

The Weakest Link:

In , Margaret von B. wrote :


System Description:

Amplification

- Sansui au-X301

Power/Pre, Integrated, Receiver:

- None

Audio processors - room correction, EQ:

- None

Home Theater

- None

Integrated HT (Y/N):

- None

Speakers:

- Cabasse "Sampan 1980"
- DIY MTM "Daline TL" wint chinese Woofers and Norvegian tweeter.

CD Player, Transport/DAC:

- Philips 723

Turntable/Arm/Cartridge, Phono Stage:

- Technics SL-D2

Other Digital Sources - DAW, HD, tape, mic/pre, etc.:

- Denon DRS 640 tape deck

Speaker Cables:

- ??? 4 mm²

Racks/furnitu

- DIY

Room

Room Length/Width/Height:

Room treatments:

Dedicated room (Y/N):

- Yes

Music Preferences:

- Jazz - Blues - 50s, 60s, 70s Rock
- Classic piano

The Weakest Link:

- Me 70% of the time

Margaret von B. wrote:
I thought it might be a good time for everyone to take a break
from the usual mudslinging and help your fellow RAO members
to understand where your audio opinions come from and what you
are all about by detailing your audio/video setup. Of course
it won't answer all the questions but it should be fun if
nothing else. Please feel free to elaborate on the room/system
and your musical preferences as well as the overall place of
the hobby in your life.

I'm not a regular, so you guys probably don't care, but I'll post my
system anyway. I started building it about December of last year, but
then ended up redoing the whole thing in the past few months. The only
thing I need still is a good audio rack. Any comments are welcome

System Description:

Amplification

Audio Research D200

Power/Pre, Integrated, Receiver:

Audio Research LS-3

Audio processors - room correction, EQ:

N/A

Home Theater

Integrated HT (Y/N):

N

HT/video processor(s), if applicable:

N/A

Video display, if applicable:

N/A

Speakers:

Spendor s6e

Sources

CD Player, Transport/DAC:

Pioneer DVR-A09XL 16x16 DVD-RW drive (in my computer)

Turntable/

Linn Sondek LP12 Valhalla/Cirkus

Arm/

Ittok IV

Cartridge,

Grado Sonata,

Phono Stage:

Audio Electronic Supply PH-1

Other Analog Sources - Tuner, tape, mic/pre, etc.:

N/A

Other Digital Sources - DAW, HD, tape, mic/pre, etc.:

Computer with an M-Audio Audiophile 2496. I have about 300GB of mp3s
(mostly 256 and 320 kbps) that I'll be converting to FLAC as time
allows.

Video sources, if applicable:

N/A

Other

Speaker Cables:

some 18ga zipcord... According to the Arny formula, I should be using
16ga though.

Interconnects:

MIT's cheapest RCA interconnects, these are like $20 a pair.

Video cables, if applicable:

N/A

Power Line Conditioner/treatment, cords:

N/A

Racks/furnitu

Still trying to decide between a mass-market, black, modern-looking,
metal and MDF rack and a more natural-looking, handmade, wooden one.

Tweaks (you decide):

N/A

Accessories (you decide):

N/A

Room

Room Length/Width/Height:

N/A

Room treatments:

N/A

Dedicated room (Y/N):

N

Room Comments (SQ, other uses):

Wood paneling and drop ceiling, so not very good sounding... I'm moving
soon though.

Comments on system:

N/A

Music Preferences:

EBM, power electronics, (neo)folk, avant, minimal, shoegaze... Lots of
stuff, but I'm not really into classical, jazz, and blues like most
audiophiles. Maybe when I'm older... :\

The Weakest Link:

Definitely the lossy mp3s. Back when I made my fileserver, space was a
lot more expensive than it is now though. There's also some fan noise
from my computer, but I've tried to minimize this with the quietest
fans and PWS most effective heatsinks I could get. My main interest is
computers though, so I wasn't willing to make any graphical performance
sacrifices.

"Margaret von B." wrote
in message
...
I thought it might be a good time for everyone to take a
break from the
usual mudslinging and help your fellow RAO members to
understand where your
audio opinions come from and what you are all about by
detailing your
audio/video setup. Of course it won't answer all the
questions but it should
be fun if nothing else. Please feel free to elaborate on
the room/system and
your musical preferences as well as the overall place of
the hobby in your
life.

Not much has changed for my systems in the last year or so,
since I
previously posted an inventory of my systems.

My main listening room system is still based on NHT 2.5i's
driven by
QSC amplifiers and Rane equalizers and crossover drawn from
the world
of pro audio, augmented by NHT S1s and S0s for center and
surrounds. The custom
12" DV-12 subwoofer is now in the main room. A Pioneer
DV-525 spins
the discs and a Sony SDP-E800 or Technics SHAC-500 decodes
them. A
Phillips 32" TV handles the video.

The rest of my non-portable audio systems are in disarray
because of the major house re-construction project that has
been going on for the past 8 months. As I type, the exterior
of my house is being totally re-sided with immense
quantities of polystyrene foam, various resins, pigments,
and other solids. Ironically and sadly for delusional Art,
the only major part of my house that is unmodified is the
foundation since it has always been in good shape. That is,
the foundation is unmodified except for the new foundation
for the new 2.5 car attached garage.

On Fri, 20 May 2005 09:22:52 -0400, "Arny Krueger"
wrote:

That is,
the foundation is unmodified except for the new foundation
for the new 2.5 car attached garage.

Talk to Howard. He now has a .5 car that you might be interested in.

"Arny Krueger" wrote in message
...
[snip]

Not much has changed for my systems in the last year or so,
since I
previously posted an inventory of my systems.

My main listening room system is still based on NHT 2.5i's
driven by
QSC amplifiers and Rane equalizers and crossover drawn from
the world
of pro audio, augmented by NHT S1s and S0s for center and
surrounds. The custom
12" DV-12 subwoofer is now in the main room. A Pioneer
DV-525 spins
the discs and a Sony SDP-E800 or Technics SHAC-500 decodes
them. A
Phillips 32" TV handles the video.

This could be the r.a.o. record, measured as a ratio of quantity/quality
The QSC amps are unlistenable.
The Sony SDP-E800 is a cheap piece that was known for excessive background
noise.

Robert Morein said of the Krooborg's pile of junk:

QSC amplifiers

This could be the r.a.o. record, measured as a ratio of quantity/quality
The QSC amps are unlistenable.

*****************SPECIAL ALERT*****************

Note to Sluttie and SchizTwerp: Please do not read any further.

I would like to know, in all seriousness, how bad QSC amps sound. Also, please
describe the badness if possible. (e.g. sibilant, harsh, poor bass response,
etc.) No "test" results or measurements please.


Sony SDP-E800

The Sony SDP-E800 is a cheap piece that was known for excessive background
noise.

Krooger doesn't care about that. His religion forbids him to perceive any
audible differences between cheap and expensive hardware.


And now, back to our customary programming:

Rane equalizers and crossover drawn from the world of pro audio

Wannabe much, Arnii? ;-)

In , George Middius wrote :

Robert Morein said of the Krooborg's pile of junk:

QSC amplifiers

This could be the r.a.o. record, measured as a ratio of quantity/quality
The QSC amps are unlistenable.

*****************SPECIAL ALERT*****************

Note to Sluttie and SchizTwerp: Please do not read any further.

You are an idiot Middius.
If only you had the simplicity of putting simply a simple question.

Note that I usually prefer "human bias" to measurments.
I just need to be convinced that the so-called "human bias" is desperatly
looking for *freedom*, *independance*.

Have a good day, Goody-two-shoes.

Gawd, I'll bet you all will get a big laugh out of how "low-end" my
system is, but it actually sounds pretty good to me. What's more,
other people tell me how good it sounds to them, too.

Dynaco PAT-4 preamp
Dynaco ST70 power amp
KLH "Rave" speakers
Garrard SL65B turntable with Stanton 500 cartridge
Magnavox CD changer from WalMart
Fry's Electronics "Great Quality" (Chinese) computer with stock cheapie
sound card.

Maybe I'm crazy, but I'm satisfied with the system for the time being.
The only problem worth mentioning is that, since I replaced the solid
state power amp I was previously using with the ST70, I find that the
ST70 has such good bass response that I can hear rumble from the
turntable for the first time. Not bad enough to make me buy an
expensive turntable, though.

"George Middius" wrote in message
...
Robert Morein said of the Krooborg's pile of junk:

QSC amplifiers

This could be the r.a.o. record, measured as a ratio of quantity/quality
The QSC amps are unlistenable.

They sound muddy. Poor midrange definition, muddled highs.
They are low-end sound reinforcement rotgut stuff.

Robert Morein said:

They sound muddy. Poor midrange definition, muddled highs.
They are low-end sound reinforcement rotgut stuff.

Rotgut, eh? Funny you should say that right after I mentioned that plonk
from Corbieres.....

Robert "bad scientist" Morein said:

This could be the r.a.o. record, measured as a ratio of
quantity/quality
The QSC amps are unlistenable.
The Sony SDP-E800 is a cheap piece that was known for excessive
background
noise.

Actually, the QSC amps are built like the proverbial brick **** house
and their performance is rack solid at all frequencies. They are
extremely linear, so if you thought they sounded bad when and if you
ever listened to one, then either you have badly damaged hearing, or
you listened through speakers that were second rate or worse, or you're
just not speaking the truth.

Perhaps you'd like a job reviewing for Stereophile?

wrote

Actually, the QSC amps are built like the proverbial brick **** house
and their performance is rack solid at all frequencies. They are
extremely linear, so if you thought they sounded bad when and if you
ever listened to one, then either you have badly damaged hearing, or
you listened through speakers that were second rate or worse, or you're
just not speaking the truth.

Perhaps you'd like a job reviewing for Stereophile?


Maybe this is our good buddy, Richard Malesweski.
Has the same pompous language and obsession with
Stereophile. Did you sell the shack in NWA and
now you are "New York Or Bust" with the cash?
Does this explain your "warm welcome" comments?

Just speculating. It's impossible to keep track of all
the cowardly anonymice with the huge virtual balls.

Do you have a big red nose and a scrawny ponytail?

Surf said:

Just speculating. It's impossible to keep track of all
the cowardly anonymice with the huge virtual balls.

Speaking of which, Krooger has now been proven a coward thanks to HE2005. If
he had a shred of self-awareness, he'd try to hide in anonymity like Dickie.

"Surf" said:

wrote

Perhaps you'd like a job reviewing for Stereophile?


Maybe this is our good buddy, Richard Malesweski.


Am I the only one to whom it's obvious that NYOB123 is actually
Michael McKelvy?

--

"Audio as a serious hobby is going down the tubes."
- Howard Ferstler, 25/4/2005

"Robert Morein" wrote in
message ...

"Arny Krueger" wrote in message
...
[snip]

Not much has changed for my systems in the last year or
so,
since I
previously posted an inventory of my systems.

My main listening room system is still based on NHT
2.5i's
driven by
QSC amplifiers and Rane equalizers and crossover drawn
from
the world
of pro audio, augmented by NHT S1s and S0s for center
and
surrounds. The custom
12" DV-12 subwoofer is now in the main room. A Pioneer
DV-525 spins
the discs and a Sony SDP-E800 or Technics SHAC-500
decodes
them. A
Phillips 32" TV handles the video.

This could be the r.a.o. record, measured as a ratio of
quantity/quality
The QSC amps are unlistenable.
The Sony SDP-E800 is a cheap piece that was known for
excessive background
noise.

This would be an excellent example of how RAO dispenser of
charm and all-around nice-guy Robert Morein follows the
letter and spirit of the OP:

"Margaret von B." wrote
in message
...

"I thought it might be a good time for everyone to take a
break from the
usual mudslinging and help your fellow RAO members to
understand where your
audio opinions come from and what you are all about by
detailing your
audio/video setup."

On Fri, 20 May 2005 09:22:52 -0400, "Arny Krueger"
wrote:

Not much has changed for my systems in the last year or so,
since I
previously posted an inventory of my systems.

My main listening room system is still based on NHT 2.5i's
driven by
QSC amplifiers and Rane equalizers and crossover drawn from
the world
of pro audio, augmented by NHT S1s and S0s for center and
surrounds. The custom
12" DV-12 subwoofer is now in the main room. A Pioneer
DV-525 spins
the discs and a Sony SDP-E800 or Technics SHAC-500 decodes
them. A
Phillips 32" TV handles the video.

Interesting that your home system is virtually the only one I've heard
of using pro stuff.

Mine (changes regularly, but today) - working down the chain:

Electronics:
Generic Sony DVD/CD player
Rane SM82 mixer
Rane RA30 RTA
Rane Mojo 302S equalizer
Rane Mojo MX22 crossover
Highs - Crown D75A
Lows - Crown K2
Sub - Crown Micro Tech 200
32" Hitachi TV

Speakers:
Highs - JBL 2435 1.5" Beryllium drivers on P. Audio 316 horns
Lows - JBL 2225 15" in 40Hz vented
Sub - 2 X Altec 3182 18" in 24" X 24" X 50" sealed

"Margaret von B." wrote:

I thought it might be a good time for everyone to take a break from the
usual mudslinging and help your fellow RAO members to understand where your
audio opinions come from and what you are all about by detailing your
audio/video setup. Of course it won't answer all the questions but it should
be fun if nothing else. Please feel free to elaborate on the room/system and
your musical preferences as well as the overall place of the hobby in your
life.

Cheers,

Margaret

System Description:

Conventional speakers (mains, centers, and surrounds):

Allison IC-20, Model Four, and AV-1 loudspeakers (main
system), custom-made, 8-driver center-channel speaker (main
system), Dunlavy Cantata, Allison Model Four, custom-built
surround, and NHT VS-1.2 loudspeakers (second system), NHT
ST4 and SC1 and Atlantic Technology T70 loudspeakers (third
system).

Subwoofers, installed in various systems or as reference
units for reviewing work:

Velodyne F1800RII and FSR-12; Hsu TN1220HO, VTF-2, and
STF-1; SVS 16-46PC (modified by author).

Electronics and accessories (some used for reference work
only:

Yamaha RX-Z1 A/V receiver, Yamaha DSP-A1 and DSP-A3090
processor/amps; Carver M-500, AudioSource Amp One power
amps; Onkyo DV-S939 DVD/DVD-A player, Panasonic DVD-A120
player, cheap JVC player, Pioneer, DVD-700 DVD/LD player and
CLD-D503 combi player; AudioControl Phase Coupled Activator
bass synthesizer (includes Linkwitz-Riley crossover);
Paradigm X-30 electronic crossover; Rane THX-44, THX-22 and
AudioControl C-131 equalizers; dbx 120 subharmonic bass
synthesizer, dbx 3BX expander; Memorex 45-inch rear
projection, Sharp XV-H37 LCD front-projection, and Sony
KV-32T TV monitors; Carol Wire Company 12 AWG and standard
12 AWG outdoor low-voltage wire for speakers; Radio-Shack
"Gold" interconnects (most custom sized to minimum required
lengths).

Room Length/Width/Height:

Main: 18.5 x 22 x 8.5.
Second: 17 x 22 x 8.
Third: 16 x 18 x 12 x 10 x 6 x 6 (L shaped).

Room treatments:

Bookcases in main and second room. Drapes in main room.
Normal furnishings in third. room. The first and second
rooms are carpeted. The third is floored with hardwood, with
an area rug.

Dedicated room (Y/N):

Yes. Main room is also a library, however.

Room Comments (SQ, other uses):

Second room is also a gym, computer room, and guest bedroom.
Third room also contains a grand piano.

Music Preferences:

Baroque and classical. The wife likes big-band jazz and
broadway show material. Occasionally, I will listen to
something as radical as Dire Straits or Enya.

The Weakest Link:

The TV monitors. Old.

Howard Ferstler

"Howard Ferstler" wrote in message
...
"Margaret von B." wrote:

I thought it might be a good time for everyone to take a break from the
usual mudslinging and help your fellow RAO members to understand where
your
audio opinions come from and what you are all about by detailing your
audio/video setup. Of course it won't answer all the questions but it
should
be fun if nothing else. Please feel free to elaborate on the room/system
and
your musical preferences as well as the overall place of the hobby in
your
life.

Cheers,

Margaret

System Description:

Conventional speakers (mains, centers, and surrounds):

Allison IC-20, Model Four, and AV-1 loudspeakers (main
system), custom-made, 8-driver center-channel speaker (main
system), Dunlavy Cantata, Allison Model Four, custom-built
surround, and NHT VS-1.2 loudspeakers (second system), NHT
ST4 and SC1 and Atlantic Technology T70 loudspeakers (third
system).


Hmmm. Would this be 5.1, 7.1 and 5.1 systems? Wow!

Subwoofers, installed in various systems or as reference
units for reviewing work:

Velodyne F1800RII and FSR-12; Hsu TN1220HO, VTF-2, and
STF-1; SVS 16-46PC (modified by author).

Electronics and accessories (some used for reference work
only:

Yamaha RX-Z1 A/V receiver, Yamaha DSP-A1 and DSP-A3090
processor/amps; Carver M-500, AudioSource Amp One power
amps; Onkyo DV-S939 DVD/DVD-A player, Panasonic DVD-A120
player, cheap JVC player, Pioneer, DVD-700 DVD/LD player and
CLD-D503 combi player; AudioControl Phase Coupled Activator
bass synthesizer (includes Linkwitz-Riley crossover);
Paradigm X-30 electronic crossover; Rane THX-44, THX-22 and
AudioControl C-131 equalizers; dbx 120 subharmonic bass
synthesizer, dbx 3BX expander; Memorex 45-inch rear
projection, Sharp XV-H37 LCD front-projection, and Sony
KV-32T TV monitors; Carol Wire Company 12 AWG and standard
12 AWG outdoor low-voltage wire for speakers; Radio-Shack
"Gold" interconnects (most custom sized to minimum required
lengths).

Room Length/Width/Height:

Main: 18.5 x 22 x 8.5.
Second: 17 x 22 x 8.
Third: 16 x 18 x 12 x 10 x 6 x 6 (L shaped).


You seem to have lots of stuff geared toward synthesizing and managing bass.
Something like the custom system in my Navigator, AudioControl this and
AudioControl that. :-) Do you constantly tweak it or do you just leave it
where it is? I recommend a Tact as a much more sophisticated alternative.
You should test one some time. Your rooms are large but with low ceilings so
they don't have that much volume. Hmm. What kind of floor/foundation do you
have?

Room treatments:

Bookcases in main and second room. Drapes in main room.
Normal furnishings in third. room. The first and second
rooms are carpeted. The third is floored with hardwood, with
an area rug.

Dedicated room (Y/N):

Yes. Main room is also a library, however.

Room Comments (SQ, other uses):

Second room is also a gym, computer room, and guest bedroom.

Does your gym turn into a "wind chime" when you *really* play loud?

Third room also contains a grand piano.


Nice. What kind?

Music Preferences:

Baroque and classical. The wife likes big-band jazz and
broadway show material. Occasionally, I will listen to
something as radical as Dire Straits or Enya.


Radical as...Heh! I guess there's still hope even for you. :-)

The Weakest Link:

The TV monitors. Old.


I thought Memorex made tape!?! The new Qualia projector is unbeatable, check
it out!

Cheers,

Margaret

PS. Folks -just in case- before you slam Howard's system you better have
listed your own.

On Sun, 22 May 2005 21:48:25 GMT, "Margaret von B."
wrote:

Your rooms are large but with low ceilings so
they don't have that much volume. Hmm. What kind of floor/foundation do you
have?

I'm sure that he's on a slab. Most Florida homes are. He's also got
super-duper framing as well.

I've made the same point about his rooms. The dimensions ratio is
substandard. Of course, he's going to trot out Toole, who thinks that
you can use any ole room any ole time.

dave weil wrote:
On Sun, 22 May 2005 21:48:25 GMT, "Margaret von B."
wrote:

Your rooms are large but with low ceilings so
they don't have that much volume. Hmm. What kind of floor/foundation
do you
have?

I'm sure that he's on a slab. Most Florida homes are. He's also got
super-duper framing as well.

I've made the same point about his rooms. The dimensions ratio is
substandard. Of course, he's going to trot out Toole, who thinks
that
you can use any ole room any ole time.



Well, let's give credit to Toole where credit is due. He has made a
crusade of designing loud speakers for people who are unwilling to
adjust their living spaces to their audio systems. That really is most
people. I think he has done a real service to people who just want some
good sound without any hassle.




Scott Wheeler

"dave weil" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 22 May 2005 21:48:25 GMT, "Margaret von B."
wrote:

Your rooms are large but with low ceilings so
they don't have that much volume. Hmm. What kind of floor/foundation do
you
have?

I'm sure that he's on a slab. Most Florida homes are. He's also got
super-duper framing as well.

I've made the same point about his rooms. The dimensions ratio is
substandard. Of course, he's going to trot out Toole, who thinks that
you can use any ole room any ole time.

I find it rather interesting that Howard claims that the Hsu and the other
cheapish sub he has are as good as it gets and yet his rooms are brimming
with all kinds of bass enhancement devices. One simply has to conclude that
something in his setup really precludes him from testing and rendering
opinions on subwoofers altogether. I should probably invite him to my house
so that he can hear what BASS sounds like. :-)

Cheers,

Margaret

Margaret von B. wrote:
"dave weil" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 22 May 2005 21:48:25 GMT, "Margaret von B."
wrote:

Your rooms are large but with low ceilings so
they don't have that much volume. Hmm. What kind of
floor/foundation do
you
have?

I'm sure that he's on a slab. Most Florida homes are. He's also got
super-duper framing as well.

I've made the same point about his rooms. The dimensions ratio is
substandard. Of course, he's going to trot out Toole, who thinks
that
you can use any ole room any ole time.

I find it rather interesting that Howard claims that the Hsu and the
other
cheapish sub he has are as good as it gets and yet his rooms are
brimming
with all kinds of bass enhancement devices. One simply has to
conclude that
something in his setup really precludes him from testing and
rendering
opinions on subwoofers altogether. I should probably invite him to my
house
so that he can hear what BASS sounds like. :-)

I have a cheapo Hsu VTF-2, I think it does a very nice job down to 30
Hz or so. I'm sure there are more expensive subs that can go deeper
but my 2nd story room doesn't accomodate deep bass well IMO so anything
more is a bit of a waste for me.

ScottW

"Margaret von B." wrote:

"dave weil" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 22 May 2005 21:48:25 GMT, "Margaret von B."
wrote:

Your rooms are large but with low ceilings so
they don't have that much volume. Hmm. What kind of floor/foundation do
you
have?

I'm sure that he's on a slab. Most Florida homes are. He's also got
super-duper framing as well.

I've made the same point about his rooms. The dimensions ratio is
substandard. Of course, he's going to trot out Toole, who thinks that
you can use any ole room any ole time.

I find it rather interesting that Howard claims that the Hsu and the other
cheapish sub he has are as good as it gets and yet his rooms are brimming
with all kinds of bass enhancement devices.

I rarely use the synthesizers, for reasons that I have
explained elsewhere. As for the Hsu (and SVS) subs being
cheap, I have compared them pretty closely to both of my
servo Velodyne models and they hold up very well with test
tones and are functionally equal with musical and movie
material. I recently compared a $300 Hsu to another brand
that listed for $850 and the Hsu mopped up the floor with it
when comparing tones between 40 and 25 Hz. With musical
sources the differences were less apparent.

One simply has to conclude that
something in his setup really precludes him from testing and rendering
opinions on subwoofers altogether.

Perhaps you should read some of my subwoofer reviews before
jumping to this conclusion.

I should probably invite him to my house
so that he can hear what BASS sounds like. :-)

I doubt if you can surpass the extremely clean bass
performance of that F1800RII of mine, right down to 20 Hz. I
have compared it to some sensational stuff, and while the
musical performance of some of them matched the servo, with
test tones the Velodyne always came out ahead, if only
slightly at times. Actually, my modified (by me) SVS 16-46
can generate wall-rattling (and clean) sound right down to
17 Hz.

Actually, I have done some very close comparing of several
Hsu subs to those Velodynes and the result was that the Hsu
units were a near match, at least down to the point where
the Hsu subs started to roll off. (In this case, I am
referring to the STF-1 and VTF-2 models, both of which I
have reviewed for The Sensible Sound.) I also recently
reviewed an upscale SVS unit that held its own with the best
I had on hand.

Howard Ferstler

dave weil said of Clerkenstein:

I'm sure that he's on a slab.

Already? I had no idea he'd croaked. Shall we put together a sympathy
package for the Widow F., or is it safe to assume she's hugely relieved at
being able to get rid of Harold's huge toy collection?

"George M. Middius" wrote in message
...


dave weil said of Clerkenstein:

I'm sure that he's on a slab.

Already? I had no idea he'd croaked. Shall we put together a sympathy
package for the Widow F., or is it safe to assume she's hugely relieved at
being able to get rid of Harold's huge toy collection?

Not necessary.
Whispers say she's planning to make Howard himself an "in-wall"
installation.

"George M. Middius" wrote:

dave weil said of Clerkenstein:

I'm sure that he's on a slab.

Already? I had no idea he'd croaked. Shall we put together a sympathy
package for the Widow F., or is it safe to assume she's hugely relieved at
being able to get rid of Harold's huge toy collection?

George, this one was funny.

Howard (Still Alive) Ferstler

dave weil wrote:

On Sun, 22 May 2005 21:48:25 GMT, "Margaret von B."
wrote:

Your rooms are large but with low ceilings so
they don't have that much volume. Hmm. What kind of floor/foundation do you
have?

I'm sure that he's on a slab. Most Florida homes are. He's also got
super-duper framing as well.

I've made the same point about his rooms. The dimensions ratio is
substandard. Of course, he's going to trot out Toole, who thinks that
you can use any ole room any ole time.

Within reason. The bottom line is that I have mapped the
standing-wave situation with my RTA and things are not all
that bad. A bit of a peak at 100-125 Hz, and another at 50
Hz. I have written about the 50-Hz lump in some of my
articles. Depending on how the framing that surrounds a room
flexes, standing-wave artifacts may be no big deal.

Howard Ferstler

On Fri, 27 May 2005 16:32:06 -0400, Howard Ferstler
wrote:

The bottom line is that I have mapped the
standing-wave situation with my RTA and things are not all
that bad.

Nothing wrong with "not all that bad".

"Margaret von B." wrote:

"Howard Ferstler" wrote in message
...

Conventional speakers (mains, centers, and surrounds):

Allison IC-20, Model Four, and AV-1 loudspeakers (main
system), custom-made, 8-driver center-channel speaker (main
system), Dunlavy Cantata, Allison Model Four, custom-built
surround, and NHT VS-1.2 loudspeakers (second system), NHT
ST4 and SC1 and Atlantic Technology T70 loudspeakers (third
system).

Hmmm. Would this be 5.1, 7.1 and 5.1 systems? Wow!

Actually, the main system has three standard speakers across
the front, plus four surrounds, each located on the side
walls. All four surrounds are Allison Model Fours, with the
front pair acting as front "effects" speakers (Yamaha style)
and the other pair acting as standard side/rear surrounds.
There are also two AV-1 minispeakers on the back wall,
acting as "back" surrounds. This system uses a Velodyne
F1800 for the main and LFE bass, with a modified (by me) SVS
16-46 sub to handle just the center-channel bass. This
system uses the RX-Z1 receiver, but main amplifier power
(for the Allison IC-20 mains) comes from a vintage Carver
M500.

The middle system has much the same thing in terms of
channel layout. There are three speakers up front for L, C,
and R duty (Dunlavy Cantatas, with an NHT VS1.2 handling the
center), with two front "effects" flankers above and
outboard of them. Those are little Radio Shack minimonitors
that I modified by installing Allison tweeters and Allison
two-way crossovers. There are also two more Allison Model
Four systems working as side/rear surrounds. There are no
back surround speakers in this system, which still has seven
channels. This system uses a Hsu TN1220 for the low bass,
and has a Yamaha DSP-A1 processor amp to deal with power and
control issues.

The living room system is the only 5.1 package, mainly
because there is no way to set up front "effects" speakers
in that L-shaped room. The mains are NHT ST4 units, with the
center being a matching SC1. The surrounds are Atlantic
Technology T-70 minispeakers. A vintage Yamaha DSP-A3090
processor amp is in control.

Subwoofers, installed in various systems or as reference
units for reviewing work:

Velodyne F1800RII and FSR-12; Hsu TN1220HO, VTF-2, and
STF-1; SVS 16-46PC (modified by author).

Electronics and accessories (some used for reference work
only:

Yamaha RX-Z1 A/V receiver, Yamaha DSP-A1 and DSP-A3090
processor/amps; Carver M-500, AudioSource Amp One power
amps; Onkyo DV-S939 DVD/DVD-A player, Panasonic DVD-A120
player, cheap JVC player, Pioneer, DVD-700 DVD/LD player and
CLD-D503 combi player; AudioControl Phase Coupled Activator
bass synthesizer (includes Linkwitz-Riley crossover);
Paradigm X-30 electronic crossover; Rane THX-44, THX-22 and
AudioControl C-131 equalizers; dbx 120 subharmonic bass
synthesizer, dbx 3BX expander; Memorex 45-inch rear
projection, Sharp XV-H37 LCD front-projection, and Sony
KV-32T TV monitors; Carol Wire Company 12 AWG and standard
12 AWG outdoor low-voltage wire for speakers; Radio-Shack
"Gold" interconnects (most custom sized to minimum required
lengths).

Room Length/Width/Height:

Main: 18.5 x 22 x 8.5.
Second: 17 x 22 x 8.
Third: 16 x 18 x 12 x 10 x 6 x 6 (L shaped).

You seem to have lots of stuff geared toward synthesizing and managing bass.

Yep. Actually, my crossover situation makes use of the
on-board circuits in the Yamaha processors.

Something like the custom system in my Navigator, AudioControl this and
AudioControl that. :-) Do you constantly tweak it or do you just leave it
where it is?

The dbx and AudioControl synthesizers are rarely used these
days. They are in the analog tape-monitor loops, so they
cannot be used with DVD movies or with DVD-A, SACD, DTS, or
DD audio recordings. They are also no good for classical CD
recordings, or acoustic music recordings of any kind. The
processing makes a mess of things. They do work OK with CD
pop material (at least some of it), and they can be used
with my analog-sound laserdiscs.

I recommend a Tact as a much more sophisticated alternative.
You should test one some time. Your rooms are large but with low ceilings so
they don't have that much volume.

The main room is 3,400 cubic feet. The middle room has
2,900. The living room is about 2000.

Hmm. What kind of floor/foundation do you
have?

All rooms are on a concrete slab. The main room has very
thick carpeting, as does the middle-system room. The living
room has oak flooring over the slab (most of the rest of the
house has that, too), but there is a large, wool area rug in
there.

Second room is also a gym, computer room, and guest bedroom.

Does your gym turn into a "wind chime" when you *really* play loud?

Not really. The gym set is a Parabody 350 and pretty dense,
and there is also an elliptical trainer. They are at the far
end of the room, away from the AV system, and there is a
double bed between them. The room is surprisingly well
damped. Actually, the area between the listening chairs and
the speakers is carpeted (the whole room is carpeted,
actually), but there is also a thick wool rug on top of the
carpeting. You can watch TV nicely when using the
elliptical.

Third room also contains a grand piano.

Nice. What kind?

Baldwin, 5'2".

Music Preferences:

Baroque and classical. The wife likes big-band jazz and
broadway show material. Occasionally, I will listen to
something as radical as Dire Straits or Enya.

Radical as...Heh! I guess there's still hope even for you. :-)

The Weakest Link:

The TV monitors. Old.

I thought Memorex made tape!?! The new Qualia projector is unbeatable, check
it out!

The Memorex was actually built by Mitsubishi. It is one of
their old 458 models that was rebadged. Memorex contracted
with the company to build scads of sets a decade or more
back. It is actually a pretty good set for something 15
years old, but I really would like to get a wide-screen HDTV
set. Unfortunately, the wife is 100% satisfied with the old
Memorex, and she calls the shots when it comes to spending
big bucks. The damned thing refuses to break.

Howard Ferstler

"Margaret von B." wrote in message
...
I thought it might be a good time for everyone to take a break from the
usual mudslinging and help your fellow RAO members to understand where your
audio opinions come from and what you are all about by detailing your
audio/video setup. Of course it won't answer all the questions but it
should be fun if nothing else. Please feel free to elaborate on the
room/system and your musical preferences as well as the overall place of
the hobby in your life.

Cheers,

Margaret


I would answer thusly:

Amplification: Technics SADX1040, Marantz 1060
Processors: Burwen 1201A, KLH TNE7000, Behringher MDX-1400, TEAC AN-80 (2),
Dbx 224, Technics SH8057,Audio Control 101
Speakers: BIC Venturi DV736 (4) Advent BabyII (2) Centers, DIY 8" 2way
Acoustic Suspension
Wires: #12 Underground 12V lighting cables, Connections are simple banana
plugs from surplus electronics place both at amp and speaker end.
Sub: DIY 15" 400w Dual 3" ported (2)
Tape: Akai GX747dbx, Akai GX646, Akai GX-630DB dolby, Tascam 424 mkIII 4
track Cassette dbx, Sony TCK615S Dolby S, Sony TCWE805S Dolby S (2) TEAC
CX350, TEAC CX351
CD: Sony CDPCE505, Pioneer PDR509
DVD: Polariod D500 (?)
TV: Sony Wega 32
VCR: JVC s-VHS HiFi (2) with black box interface and editor
Digital Tape: Tascam DA20MkII, Sony DTC-700 with synch controller
Digital patch: Hosa RCA cable, except 20' Toslink to extigy soundcard
Patching: Fostex 3010 (4) with TEAC and Hosa Patch
Interconnect: All Hosa pro audio
Turntable: Pioneer PL-L1000 with 60lb granite block supported with 4 gel
type computer arm rests on Stainless Steel DIY stand
Cartridge: Shure M97xE (2) Shure V15 VMR, Audio Technica ML441 (2), Audio
Technica 3482(2), Grado Gold
Headshells: Stanton HS-4
Record clamp: DIY brass billett

Music: 2400 cataloged CD and Tape approx 50 open reel, 140 cassette (all
oem) approx 1200 LP not yet cataloged (these will be recorded to DAT or CD)
approx 600 LP that are permanent collection cataloged but not yet played or
recorded
Most is classical dating from about 1950 to about 1990. I have stopped
collecting music because I have so much to listen to now that I don't have
time for. I purchase maybe 2 or 3 CD's a month now including my subscription
to BBC MM

Video: Approx 250 Tape, 10 DVD all oem

Computer: Sony VAIO extigy usb, blah blah blah

Room 20x25 combined home office, computer and sound, two black leather
recliners two black couches, wood floor plaster wall 9 foot ceiling. Brick
double construction with 18" thick wall. Is a two storey tudor style built
in 1928. Massive constuction and 3 pane window you can't hear outside even
when running at 115 in the room. Average listening level is however about 85

Weak Link: I am having a problem with the subwoofers rattle the media file
cabinets and the windows. Also computer noise in the room because the VAIO
has two external hard drives. (They can be shut down) I also have a great
deal of elctronic noise in the room possibly from the two 20" monitors, the
ASDL modem and all the other telephone and dictaphone systems i use. It
could be shut down but then it all has to be restarted. The other problem is
heat in the room.

Special Features: 4 ektagraphic slide projectors running off a dedicated
tape machine with full dissolve built into the wall. Has a remote screen
that completely covers the wall at the tv end of the room. This system is to
be augmented witha LCD projection system if i ever get around to getting all
my slides scanned. Audio and video also feed downstairs along with remote
control to a sony 24" wega and a 5.1 system built in to the den on the first
floor. There is also a computer link to the den but multi-media is not
networked yet.

Projects: I am working on conversion of audio to mp3 using itunes, approx
300 cd's so far. I have no plans to convert LP to digital however as it just
takes too much time. I use itunes as a music server when we entertain.

Sorry for the log post but you asked....

Carl Valle