Post by Owen Y on Sept 26, 2018 12:53:17 GMT 12
Although always a work in progress, I thought I'd better post up a pic at least of my current set-up. What was once a Family Lounge & TV Room has over the years morphed into a music-audio-DIY-play-room or Man Cave  (The room is largely sun-less & was always unattractive as a Lounge & now the kids have moved out....) 
|
Pundit
Post by SL1210 on Sept 26, 2018 13:17:49 GMT 12
Looks like quite a lot of progress! Do you have the gear listed elsewhere?
|
Post by Owen Y on Sept 27, 2018 16:14:59 GMT 12
Hi SL1210Presently: - Speakers: DIY Tractric midrange front horns with rear basshorn using one driver, Seas FR22RCZ (or 'OBD' Field Coil driver) - Augmented with Fostex T925A horn tweeter - Power amp: DIY 2A3 PP - Preamp: DIY 6SN7 WOT (with output transformer) - Phono stage: Lounge Audio LCR (or my DIY Phi-42 tube phono) - Turntable: Trans Fi Salvation rim drive - Tonearm: Trans Fi Terminator air-bearing linear tracker - Cartridge: London Decca Super Gold - CD player: Teac P700 transport - DAC: DIY 'Adagio' TDA1541 non-oversmpling with tube output Have I missed anything? As outlined in brief on this blog page.
|
Pundit
Post by beeman on Sept 28, 2018 12:43:59 GMT 12
An elegant looking room & system. I would like to see more of the speakers?
|
Post by deano1974 on Sept 28, 2018 15:47:14 GMT 12
Very very nice are you happy with the sound or are you wanting to upgrade/ mod anything?
Manager & Product specialist at Rapallo AV & HI-FI
|
Post by deano1974 on Sept 28, 2018 15:49:41 GMT 12
Can we get more photos of your equipment please
Manager & Product specialist at Rapallo AV & HI-FI
|
Pundit
Post by SL1210 on Sept 28, 2018 17:32:58 GMT 12
Dude - I need an audition! I buy my suits 'off the rack' - would love to hear what you have got!!
|
Post by Owen Y on Sept 28, 2018 17:39:56 GMT 12
I haven't bought a suit in years Still much work to do I'm afraid, see Horn Loudspeakers thread.
|
Pundit
Post by SL1210 on Oct 1, 2018 16:16:47 GMT 12
I haven't bought a suit in years Still much work to do I'm afraid, see Horn Loudspeakers thread. Nice thread - thanks.
|
Member
Post by mijoh on Nov 23, 2018 3:08:04 GMT 12
Although always a work in progress, I thought I'd better post up a pic at least of my current set-up. What was once a Family Lounge & TV Room has over the years morphed into a music-audio-DIY-play-room or Man Cave (The room is largely sun-less & was always unattractive as a Lounge & now the kids have moved out....) Owen, I'm interested to know what cables you are using here? Thanks.
|
Post by Owen Y on Nov 23, 2018 12:18:02 GMT 12
Hi mijoh. My cables are a simple 'single strand' DIY type. Based on Prof Malcolm Hawksford's ideas espoused in his 1980s Essex Echo series in Hifi News & Record Review (1985?), I settled on 0.7mm diam (22swg) 'solid core' copper (I use enamelled copper winding wire) - based on optimal diam metal conductor size for AC signal wave transmission. And my own listening conclusions. Spiralled around plastic tubing - the idea here is air-as-dielectric, minimal or no sheathing/shielding to mess with the signal fields. eg.  ((With high sensitivity lspkrs, I can reduce strand numbers to just one 0.7mm conductor each for +/- )  ((Also interconnects.)
|
Post by Owen Y on Nov 23, 2018 12:26:48 GMT 12
Malcolm Hawksford's main article was reprinted in Stereophile in 2005, if interested. (Don't worry about the maths, the summary conclusions are the key things.)
|
Post by Graham on Nov 23, 2018 15:46:52 GMT 12
WOW !!
How does all that music squeeze down those skinny wires ! 
|
Member
Post by mijoh on Nov 23, 2018 22:23:50 GMT 12
Very interesting Owen. I remember those Essex Eco articles in Hi Fi News.
I'd like to try experimenting, how many wires do you think I would need for a 40 watt tube amp to speakers with 85dB sensitivity?
Jaycar stock enamel copper wire in 1.25, 0.315, 0.4 and 0.8mm sizes, are any of these suitable? (the 0.8mm is closest to yours) Is there any advantage in using multiple sizes when using more than one conductor per +/ - ? Thanks.
|
Post by Owen Y on Nov 23, 2018 22:49:30 GMT 12
How does all that music squeeze down those skinny wires ! A very good question... 0.7mm diam round wire is equivalent in conductor area to around a dozen 0.2mm diam wires. So not that 'skinny' really. Electrical music signal is an oscillating AC voltage swinging positive & negative, at different frequencies. As per Hawksford, we know that AC signal travels largely on the surface of conductors (Skin Effect) & that there is an optimum conductor diameter in order to maintain full audio frequency bandwidth (around 0.8mm diam according to Hawksford). And compared with lspkrs of say 87dB/W sensitivity, lspkrs of 90dB/W sensitivity would require only 1/2 amp watts & 1/4 current (into same lspkr impedance) - if my sums are correct Further, horn lspkrs of >100dB/W sensitivity require only a fraction (1/4000) of the current. You can see that high sensitivity lspkrs allow you to employ much much smaller signal cable.
|
Member
Post by mijoh on Nov 24, 2018 18:11:04 GMT 12
Owen, as you and I posted our last replies about the same time you may have missed mine.
I am quite keen to experiment with your cable design and have just read your very interesting blog, thanks for that.
How many conductors do suggest for a cable between a 40 watt tube power amp and speakers with 85dB sensitivity?
|
Post by Owen Y on Nov 27, 2018 9:42:21 GMT 12
Owen, as you and I posted our last replies about the same time you may have missed mine. I am quite keen to experiment with your cable design and have just read your very interesting blog, thanks for that. How many conductors do suggest for a cable between a 40 watt tube power amp and speakers with 85dB sensitivity? I've created a new thread in the DIY section, as this is an interesting topic for those interested - DIY 'solid core' loudspeaker cables
|
