The Last Few Weeks…
… have seen us iterate through a lot of different systems…
Main room with Acoustic Zen Adagio and Audio Note AN-E SEC Signature speakers and Ongaku amplifier, driven by Audio Aero Capitole
Listening room 2 with Marten Coltrane Supreme loudspeakers driven by Audio Note Ongaku amplifier and EmmLabs digital front end.
A close up of the components. This is the whole system, these 4 components. Nice and tidy for a change…
However, though this system reached a level of musicality and approached the sound that we are looking for this system have – it was too bizarre having two preamps in the loop, the preamp in the Ongaku serving to try and match the SPLs of the midrange to that of the bass amplifiers. It worked, but…. We might try this again – but for now….
… we changed this, we now have the Lamm ML1.1 push-pull amplifers on the Supremes.
… which will chaneg for an audition tomorrow, assuming they can get up the driveway and up the stairs – which is not a given anymore with this Monther of all Winters the world has on its hands.
Back upstairs again, after the unphotograhed step with the Acoustic Zen Adagios being driven by the Audio Aero Capitole amplifier…
We got the Audio Note Ongaku amplifier driving the Audio Note AN-E SEC Signature speakers, with the Audio Aero Prestige as front end this time. We spread the speakers wider apart also, to see just how wide a soundstage we could get and possibly get some reinforcement from the nearby wall and horns 🙂
But in either position, the Audio Note speakers filled the room nicely. The midrange even approached the capability of the big horns to fill the room, and the bass – once the horns are gone we can try to position the little guys much closer to the wall – the bass is decent and satisfying but does not match the 4 x 10 inch woofers in a sealed cabinet… yet.
In fact, we will likely have 3 kinds of bass in this room: the big relaxed bass of the horns [no we will not mention their brand name – they can do their own marketing for a change], the ultra accurate and ultra powerful bass of the Marten Coltrane Supremes, and the very natural sounding, horn-like bass of the Audio Notes. How cool is that!!!
We’re going to have to post sometime about how it is not about what is ‘best’, but about is most ‘insidious’, and particulary, the number of ways it can be configured to be ‘insidious’. Insidious in that it produces a sound that gets into your head and just takes over.
The Audio Note U.K. Kegons amplifiers are on the Kharma Mini Exquisites, with the Lamm L2 preamplifier and Audio Note digital front end (and Audio Aero Capitole as well, in shootout formation). We then put the Kegons on top of HRS platforms, which is how it sits tonight.
Tomorrow we may get a chance to put the Mini Exquisite speakers over on the Supreme system in an all Audio Note configuration – with the Kegons to start, and Ongaku later if our snow shoveling arms hold out.
Finally, we have the system in listening room 3, area #4, with the little Audio Note speakers with the Kharma MP150 amps driving them, the Audio Aero Capitole serving as CD player and preamp.
Kind of a hodge podge system as we are in the process of breaking in the speakers – but it sounds darn good….! Neli likes it and her office is across the way. These are high-efficiency speakers and they reveal that the 1st watt of the Kharma amps is really quite good sounding, regardless of it being solid-state, digital in fact.
Dear Neli and Mike,
how are you doing??
Funny to see that you’re in Class D amps also!! I’m auditioning now the CIAudio D200 amps on the woofers of the Campaniles. I must say that they are very engaging amps. Maybe worthwhile to try for you??
Best regards, Hans
Hi Hans!
It’s so nice to see you here on the ‘blog.
I have only heard the CIAudio at shows, so I can’t really say anything definitive … but the little Kharma amps are really nice amps, they’re quiet and lively and not in the least aggressive, but they have drive and control — they are the only of these little amps I really *like*. I like them as an amplifier, regardless of the technology. Given your location in the world … I really encourage you to give them a listen.
Best regards,
-neli
Hi Neli,
What you say about the Kharma’s, is also true for the CI’s. Lots of drive and control, which is necessary to control the woofers of the Campaniles. I have considered the Kharma’s, but they don’t have enough power to control the 8 woofers. The CI’s have an output of 325 Watt in 4 Ohm. They also seem to match sonically very well with the big Manleys. It is funny though to see such little boxes besides the Manley “giants”. With no other amplifier I have heard so much slam and drive in the bass of the Campaniles as with the CI’s. I’m curious what the sound of the CI will be in a week or two because the burn-in time is about 300 hours. Keep you posted on this matter!!
Best regards, Hans
Hey you two,
Putting the CIAudio on the bass towers of the Campanile only reveals its character below 700 Hz or so, if I remember correctly. It is those upper frequencies where the digital amps, all solid-state amps in fact, have their little troubles.
The bass towers on the Campaniles are defintiely a challenge – to tighten their response up as much as possible without messing with their delicate balance with repsect to the midrange horn – a balance which was so amazingly well crafted by the factory. … Please let us know how it all works out!
Best regards (to you too, Neli 🙂 )
-Mike.
Hi Mike,
you are absolutely correct! The CIAudio only has to show its virtues between 20 and (according to the manual) 600 Hz, a frequency spectrum with which D class amps can cope very well!! You’re also correct with regard to the challenge to get a firm grip on the bass towers. The CIAudio’s are doing a good job sofar (still burning in), better than there predecessors. Difficulty indeed is to “refind” the delicate balance between the bass and the horns. Main cause of this is the slightly different input sensitivity of the both poweramps (Manleys 0.75 Vrms and CIAudio 1 Vrms). I use an external volumecontrol on the Manleys to adjust their output towards the CI’s. This is a painstaking job, but rewarding. The bass is now fast, detailled, articulate and has lots of drive and slam. On a scale of 0 – 100, I’m at 90 in reaching the correct balance between bass and horns. Keep you both posted on this matter,
best regards, Hans