Had a go with supports...

Oh well, it was worth a try. Did you-know-who ask you not to? Using oversized speakers in a small room rarely works out. You liked JW's system, IIRC, so it can't be the Mana effect per se which you don't like.

Alex, I was talking to PD the other day. Your system is installed in a light industrial warehouse which has a very 'live' sound to it, in comparison with most domestic set-ups. Perhaps this is why you are finding Hutter to be un-boring unlike the rest of the civilised world.

 

James,

Marco has no problem with me being candid about his system because I speak the truth as I hear it/see it without prejudice or other agendas. I agree that his speakers are perhaps a bit big for the room as I heard them last. I may change my view on my next visit though.

I also use big speakers although not as big as Marcos.

Yes I do like JW's system a lot which suggests that it is possible to squeeze a tune out of Mana if you are as meticulous with the set up as JW.

I think that for every well set up Mana rig there are probably at least two that are not. I coudn't live with the paranoia and I wouldn't have the patience to keep tapping, turning and screaming. The Sound Bases were enough.

 

Oversized speakers

Bub

About 3 years ago I helped my son ( I negotiated ) a deal to buy a Marantz CDP and an amp from a guy in London. When we arrived at the house, we found that there was a father and 2 sons. The sons had their systems in their respective bedrooms and the father had his system in a rather small dining room.

His system was a valve amp ( I forget the make) and 2 very large Tannoy speakers which he bought in the 1960's. They were easily 3ft high and about 2 ft wide. They looked ridiculous in his tiny little room, however the sound was gorgeous.

Big speakers can sound good in some small rooms.

Regards

Mick

 

PS:

James,

I've heard 4 Mana'd systems, 5 if you include my own with someone else's speakers in their room.

 

WHATS HAPPENED TO THE BACKGROUND?

 

OK Cookie, Bub and Marco fell out a while ago over Steven, whilst mick is Bub and JW's love child. Hope that helps.

 

Steven

The problem with trying to assess Mana in other people's systems is that you can't tell what the system sounded like before the Mana was installed.

I agree that Mana can be a bit tricky to set up, that's why I drew people's attention to James Jong's method which makes it far easier. Meticulous attention to set-up does pay off. There's no paranoia at all - you can hear when it's right.

I've heard the same four Mana systems you have, Steven. Two of them exhibited varying degrees of room/speaker interaction, in one case this was extreme and unpleasant. OTOH if I ever need to constuct a domestic foghorn, I know how to do it! At the time I heard the said foghorn, I had no 'agenda' as you put it.

Paul Duerden's system is utterly superb, but he's changed some things around since you last heard it, with some very good home-made speaker stands.

Mick, yes you can sometimes get large speakers to work OK in a small room, that's why I said 'rarely'.

 

Bub, Paul seemed to like boring Hutter in a light-industrial setting too. Ironic really since Mana is light-industrial if nothing else. Not sure he'd call Jason's system boring either no matter what else he'd call it. Strangely, noone who's heard my up to date system has found it at all boring, but WM and Merlin are keeping their distance, I admit; not enough dicks, I suppose.

As far as your dislike of 3 Mana systems is concerned, I've nailed 2 obviously, I'll let you know when I've thought of the 3rd (unless its a charming car salesman's, in which case I've got a full set).

 

The only foghorn here is the mouth of the Satanic one. Rarely has an orifice emitted such blathering drivel.

Now, perhaps we can return to the main theme of the discussion without any further unnecessary diversions?

Marco.

 

I took my own system and my own stand. Both stands were installed at the same time in the same room. We swapped kit back and forth between the Mana and the QS Ref for comparisons.

Then two Soundstages were added taking the Mana from Phae Two up to Phase Four and I heard the benefits deived from doing that.

I still prefered my QS Ref for musicality or whatever you may wish to call it, and yes Mana @ Phase Four was very impressive indeed.

 

Arh, the usual suspects dueling with intent, oh how sweet it is?, to see such great intelliects battling over such and emotive subject, life or death you would feel, some earth shattering event? maybe a birth of a red giant, sadly not, poxy ferrite worship the same/better results are achievable, without recourse to angle iron anality).
I bid thee fair the well

 

Alex, Paul didn't think your system sounded boring at all.

Jason's exhibited some bass overhang, which is fair enough with the Shahinians.

 

I like your style bub, but you can't blame Shahinians for actually reaching low bass notes although you can blame floors for interacting with them. Once I've filled Jason's house with concrete there'll not be a problem, other than divorce.

 

What's amazing is that speakers designed to be used on castors actually work.

Marco.

 

Thought my ears were burning ...

Bub said earlier...
>>> I've heard three Mana'd systems which I didn't like, because of speaker/room interaction problems IMO

He then says...
>>> Jason's exhibited some bass overhang, which is fair enough with the Shahinians.


You were right first time. Don't try to blame one component for the failings of the room. In a decent room (mine is just starting to work after some serious furniture escapades at the weekend, but it still isn't decent, not yet) the Shahinians do not boom at all. The problem stems from improving everything behind them and now I just have too much energy in the bass for the room. Play something that doesn't hit the worng notes and it is great. Play the worng piece and the room "lights" up a bit, bit less than when Paul D heard it becaue of my furniture movements.

I probably need some soundbases under my castors ;->


Cheers

Jason

 

Hehe , jest ye not...I quite like the little castor wardrobes, but I'd love to remove those 'silly' wheels and plonk them on custom-made Mana speaker stands to really wake 'em up...

Bet no one has tried it!

Marco.

 

I heard a pair of Obelisks recently. They reached one lowish note and played that one repeatedly (I think they liked it!), but tended to 'fark' out on lower ones quite easily - I have a couple of 'naughty' CDs which fark-out most so-called hi-fi loudspeakers.

Bass extension/control did not seem to be their forte. The mid-range and treble were reproduced with reasonably good sound quality but they got a bit muddled when the going got tough.

On the up side, they are certainly a conversation piece - very funky-looking.

 

<< They reached one lowish note and played that one repeatedly (I think they liked it!), but tended to 'fark' out on lower ones quite easily >>

Funny, that's just what Fox said when he played his 'naughty' CDs on your system.

 

Yes I know. Doesn't happen any more now I am seven.

 

Interesting can you remember what was in front of them?


Cheers

Jason