Incredible

Two days ago I had here a specialist in acoustics to measure my music room and you know what he found out?

My right subwoofer (up to 200Hz) was giving 15 db less than the left one
The caused was quickly found: the external crossover is not working properly. Infact when I turned the gain of the right channel to max there was 20 db less!
Well the next day the unit is on its way to the USA for repairs and upgrade (MIT capacitors ? , wirering and ???).

The incredible thing of this all is that neither did I nor did the several people, who came here to listen to music, heard this great difference.
This just mean also that I am getting too old to comment on music quality.

I also new that my room colours the music and that I have quite good reproduction of low frequencies. This was confirmed by the analysis.
Generally I have coloration between 300 and 100 Hz with a 10db peek at 600Hz.
When the crossover comes back we will have to redo the analysis and then we'll see what has to be done to the room.


Other two news from my side:
- I received and installed the Pagode Master Reference Racks :MILD:
- When helping me installing the racks my brother in law broke my Magic Diamond MC cartridge His insurance is informed. Now I'm back to the Accurate (Clearaudio)



:beer:

 

Titian, there is that much to your system that you need a team of analysts to monitor it performance, happy listening

 

So now just a quick update:
- Got back the crossover and now it is ok. It was updated with better wires and the output was adjusted for the input sensitivity of the Krell.
- Yesterday I got the substitute for the Magic Diamond Cartridge: a second hand low hour Clearaudio Insider Reference. Today I installed it and this weekend I am going to hear lots of LPs. Up to now I hear more dynamic and much better high frequencies than with the Insider or any other cartridge I had.

 

good stuff a mishap is always a good excuse for an upgrade

 

I think this goes to show we are all falable .
I had another cable testing session a few weeks back, since then hadn't quite managed to nail down the wandering image than seemed do as it pleased, until last Tuesday, when I found the left hand speaker tweeter wired out of phase , strange, I've had over 5 demo's some of which had recognosied industry personal, who hadn't noticed the difference either just goes to show were all human Mr O

 

Maybe their ears are out of phase

 

Lee,

I wouldn't discount that theroy sir

 

Tone
next year I would like to try your best cables. :MILD:
For this year no more changes except for the room acoustics.

.. or unless someone breaks my stuff.

Now lets go and hear some music again. :MILD:

 

Titian,

We'll give it ago, this week we took on some of the very best that the US has to offer, and came away smiling including the ultra trick Kabola Cables, so next year you never know. Tone (Mr.O)

 

In my humble opinion we are not able to spot this kind of 'distortion' when there is no reference point.

Human brain seems to be able to very good in reinterpreting data receive from the senses to make it meaningful rather then just as it is. I notice this when trying out photography. When looking at a room with artificial lightings our brain seems very keen to try to adapt to the colour to what it would be in natural bright day light. When you take a photograph with standard film you realize the artificial lightings have extreme colour distortion. For example tungsten lightings are very much more orange then ones realize.

Another example is when listening to a voice recording we could recognise the person even though the reproduction is extremely distorted. In a simpler level we could recognise a recording is a piano easily whether it is reproduce via a $50 radio or a $50,000 hifi set.

Like your set up. Even if there is a big gap in the frequency response none of the listeners are likely to notice it unless they have a reference comparison in the same room. I think that is what people refer to as acoustic memory. If you wish to reproduce a true sound of a piano via a hifi set without the help of measuring tools you may just need to place an actual piano there to let you hear it in direct comparison. That of course is only if you really aspire to achieve that level of reproduction accuracy.

 

Wolfgang,
I don't know what you are refering to with 'this kind of distortion'.

 

You could correct me if you would rather refer this anomaly by another name.

 

Ok now I know what you are talking about.
With distortion I was thinking about the technical distorsion in the music caused from the components.

Well yes I didn't notice this 'problem' until the measurements showed it. Now with the unit fixed and working properly I do hear more 'body' or something like that, more fullness in the room and actually better low ends. Talking to Nestorovic yesterday evening he told me that is also the effec of the better quality of the the wires inside the crossover. Maybe it is only placebo, you never know. You're right our head / brain get quite quickly use to everything, I was also getting used to having both channels working with -5db on the low frequencies. And yes the system sounded great as well (see also the comments of Tones).
I also agree about the reference. Maybe the reference should be the piano at the recording hall and not at the listening room. This implies that the recording is done perfectly and that the hifi components, accessories and room acoustics are 'absolutely' neutral.