Ha ha, looks like the monster plinth is about to push the amp off the stand !! 

colinf - that AMR is a big beast.
And, I did a bit of a double take at that Ongaku look-alike

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Aug 12, 2020 21:38:12 GMT 12 Graham said:

Ha ha, looks like the monster plinth is about to push the amp off the stand !! 

Yes it is a bit of a wee beastie, Graham.😀
Owen, shhh, we’re not meant to say the O word. The circuit is slightly different to the original anyway, I’ve made the driver stage run on 900v instead of 400v (with safety circuitry so as not to kill the 5687 driver valve) for about a fifth the distortion. A friend who has the other one the same made the milled brass and copper chassis, and it uses part silver transformers from Electraprint in Las Vegas. Power transformer wound by TWS in Chch.
It’s a refined amp capable of great harmonic resolution, 34w output. But scant damping factor, which the Focals like a lot of. The AMR by comparison takes those woofer cones and says ‘do what I tell you’! As a 200w p/ch amp should, and the Focals love it. The AM-77 is revealing, but detail isn’t thrown at you relentlessly like some high end amps, a legacy of the hybrid design. The 211 amp would be better driving speakers with more natural damping, ie. more sensitive ones.
I’m still on the lookout for a more appropriate speaker for the 211s. GaryM might recommend the Markaudio drivers in Pensil cabinets. Any others you’d recommend for a small room?

AMR-iFi R&D

colinf
I have Mark audio 10p in an FHXL cabinet. In a big room it doesn't have enough bass. Might be fine in a small room but mine are in a big room and away from the walls (which they were made to sit ner the back wall for bass reinforcement.
You could use some extra bass if you go down that path. Mine is driven by an 845.
However, the sound of the midrange was so good I sold my proacs. Miss the bass though.
There are newer mark audio drivers out and someone from a fb group said the top end is better but I haven't investigated it yet so perhaps look at these new pluvia drivers etc.
I just about finished a med large stand mount with a 610 copy with a thin leather surround. I don't have a back on the cabinet yet but after a few days it sounds great.
There are a load of people trying out the Lii audio drivers and people are quite happy with them. Not sure if they have a big following in Japan like the mark audio drivers have though. They look really well finished etc but that doesn't mean they measure well or have ideal parameters. However, I would very much like to hear them! Probaby one of the drivers that's bigger.

Aug 13, 2020 23:24:36 GMT 12 colinf said:

Owen, shhh, we’re not meant to say the O word. The circuit is slightly different to the original anyway, I’ve made the driver stage run on 900v instead of 400v (with safety circuitry so as not to kill the 5687 driver valve) for about a fifth the distortion. A friend who has the other one the same made the milled brass and copper chassis, and it uses part silver transformers from Electraprint in Las Vegas. Power transformer wound by TWS in Chch.

Kondo does like the 5687 - I found it v 'neutral', perhaps 'characterless' - but that may be the low distortion.
Is Jack Elliano still winding in Las Vegas?

I’m still on the lookout for a more appropriate speaker for the 211s. GaryM might recommend the Markaudio drivers in Pensil cabinets. Any others you’d recommend for a small room?

Yes, garym may have useful experience here.
peter0c reports that he is getting great results with the Exotic Alnico version of my SEAS FA22RCZ.

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Well... it's taken a minute to get the kitchen radio up & running again, after some significant changes.

With Colinf’s help, I've managed to acquire suitable amplifier(s) for my "difficult & heavy" loads. 
(the Quad 909 is currently WiP, indefinitely)

Colin’s faithful Denon POA 4400A are located under each speaker, connected to the preamp by 3metre long Supra EFF i/cs.
The amps arrived from the UK just minutes before our level 3 lockdown took effect on Wednesday morning.

The 1983 'Brik DMS speakers themselves come from an old audioenzer, Declannz.
Some of you may remember the joy they brought him! (here's a link if you're at all interested).
I got some reproduction foam grilles sent over from Mark at speakergrills.co.uk  - as you can see, he did a fantastic job!

Linn Classik Tuner / Preamp is a recent trade-in from everyones' favourite Napier hi-fi retailer, Tim @ Soundhaus. ... so, very topical! 
The Classik's FM section isn't quite as lush as the old MR71, but being connected to a dedicated rooftop aerial certainly helps, and it doesn't embarrass itself in this context
The main source though  (discreetly hidden behind the sideboard, to maintain the retro vibe) is a Bluesound Node 2 streaming Tidal HiFi and Spotify. 

(apologies to all for the iPhone quality pics)







The main system (downstairs) remains very much a work in progress!!!!

secret speakers exposed !

denon over quad for these beasts.

Hi chilli, thanks for that. I think I’ll just do it and make some Markaudio speakers. KJF Audio have kits here. The idea of a good single driver appeals. I’ve always resisted the temptation of Lowthers and suchIike as most seem bass shy by themselves, except for large cabinetry, and subwoofers are hard to match in. Lii audio drivers look interesting as well but I think it’s time now for me to hone in on which Markaudio system would be best.
Owen, I find 5687s to be quite variable in tone. Some are a little boring, being smooth with that annoying harmonic congelation but others have nice detailing and openness. AMR use GEs which seem to be a good all-rounder. I like RCAs as they are smoother but with more delicate midrange. Tung-sols are a bit clearer, almost at the expense of that RCA subtlety. When I think about driver valves, 6sn7/6fq7 comes to mind, along with 6aq8, 6dj8, 6bq7, 6n1p, ecc99, 5670, 12bh7, 12at7, 12au7 etc. They all have different sonics but 5687 seems to be a good choice overall with the 211 sound. Where the 211 can be rougher in the mids than it’s brother 845, the RCA 5687s bring them back into line, and then you get to enjoy the greater ‘speed’ of which they’re capable.
Raveydave, looking good! The Denons slot neatly underneath the speakers don’t they. So, the ultimate question....do they sound good with the Linn Isobarik DMSs?

AMR-iFi R&D

My headphone setup. Always on the bench to test other stuff, it gets used hours a day almost every day. I wanted it to be as transparent as possible and the SIL 995 discrete opamps have vanishingly low distortion, and do that amiably. Together with the high end TKD volume pot it’s ended up not a cheap headphone amp, about NZ$750 all up. The Focal Utopias (about $4.5k) are superbly transparent as well, making the setup a good tool for working out what source equipment actually sounds like.

AMR-iFi R&D

raveydave - those Isobariks are beasts, they look like they're rather intimidating to the Denons
colinf - sorry, remind me what is the general design of your headphone amp please?

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Aug 14, 2020 20:54:53 GMT 12 colinf said:

So, the ultimate question....do they sound good with the Linn Isobarik DMSs?

Certainly do!!! Lots of headroom & extension, they sound like a very different speaker once they get some proper power behind them. They fill the room, with excellent off-axis presentation, which is well suited to cooking & dining listening. Just a shame we won’t be doing any entertaining again for a wee while... 

Aug 14, 2020 18:59:43 GMT 12 raveydave said:

(the Quad 909 is currently WiP, indefinitely)

I've heard this described as the "curse of the commentator" this week.

look what finally turned up this morning... gah!!!

Looks in nice condition, Raveydave. Perhaps you might use it in another system....the Denons seem to be working and fit in nicely with the DMSs.
Owen, the headphone amp is a discrete opamp and is connected like a normal opamp. But the SILs use far more standing current than a normal opamp and are designed to drive transformers and other low impedance loads...like headphones. You can use it as a line stage as well, I’ve added two inputs and the gain is selectable from 1, 3 or 6 times. The opamps just plug into a socket like a valve, making potential servicing easy.
I’ve also made a full function solid state MM and MC phono and line stage preamp using these discrete opamps. I made it so you can change and upgrade the opamps easily, using either cost effective normal ones or high end 990-type discrete ones. That makes it highly flexible both sonically and cost-wise.

AMR-iFi R&D

Oh, that's nice, compact, flexible design.

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Now that looks familiar ?

Raveydave. Those speakers look awesome. Thanks for sharing the link on the speaker grilles place. Am wondering if I will end up putting grills on some of my DIY work...
Colinf.thats a cool distributor of MA drivers. Even some simulations and suggestions on what to build on the pluvia 11.i might check out those expensive treated drivers but not sure I can afford. I still have an audio nirvana driver to put to use as well.
please keep us posted with your Mark audio project. Having flat packs premade is definitely the way to go. The curves I had to put on the back of the FHXL were difficult to get straight and ended up smooth out with a scraper. Lucky I had a router to finish the other 3 slabs.
Will look into the moap!

There's a lot of spill over equipment here, and it's only about a 3m x 3.6m room, or alcove, but as a few starting shots, hand held ...

I've taken some more photos this afternoon, perfect cloudless sky warmth in Auckland, but have yet to process.

This just a crude rough start.

The Sony G333ES are out of service now, surrounds hopelessly compromised with radial cracks & attempted repairs...
When my ship comes in, which may be soon, I will get them repaired.

The silver Denon stack on the right, above the ancient NAD on an up-ended wood glory box, are just temporary.
The Denon stack off TM, intermittent one channel, I've realised needs a speaker mute relay contact clean, yet to do.
The ancient NAD below it needs several switches replacing, and maybe more, another prospective gifted TM sale.

There's just no room left in my workshop room, so they're hanging around in the lounge for the moment ...

The Kenwood curved midi system by the TV ... also needs to be sold, there was a gracious palm there, overarching the TV, now out on balcony.

I'm sure the room will tidy up in coming months,

The rosewood Philips ribbon tweeter speakers above are standing in with a Tannoy subwoofer under the TV, for the Sony's.

Sounds pleasantly OK. A ribbon tweeter. Dialled in the subwoofer.


The red velvet curtains are lined, and behind them I've slung a second set of white thermal curtains, on a separate rail.

Behind that is a concrete wall. The bare wall slap echo sounded !!! terrible!

The Kef Carlton III on the left is my neighbours, I've just restored/upgraded the crossover on that one, and taken down the right-hand one to restore as well.

Hence ...

This is a small ~ 3.0 x 3.6, room space, speakers along the long wall, photos from couch.

But after the red bookcase alcove edge, it extends another 6m or so past the entrance and through to the kitchen.

Yes, it's all a bit messy at the moment!

A telescope tripod, a camera tripod, a sewing machine, an old iMac on the left ... after the subwoofer a Kenwood system destined for TradeMe after I'd located a remote from the UK ...

A bachelor, you might be able to tell.

All works in progress.

More ...









OK, it's a modest system from the early '90's ...

I bought the components new back then, most on sale at sale prices.

The first few from the Sony Shop selling out sale, early 90's, just up from the Civic toward the Town Hall?

Later from other places. The AV amp a few years later half price at ~ $1200! Still ...

So I just have there a basic Dolby Pro-logic amplifier, albeit with "Source Direct".

I do have too a straightforward Sony TA-F540E, the 100W per channel answer to the at the time Pioneer A400 50W.
It was in my kitchen / dining room system, but seems to have developed faults, I wonder if atmospheric airborne has affected it.

Work in progress, work to do ...

Even in this modest system! ;=})

The music is the thing ... that we're all sure about, I'm sure ! 

So I'm glad I have hundreds of flac (& also converted to alac) albums as well, to come off computer, as well as what I own physically as LP's or CD's here.

At bottom right of the shelving stack there is a small form factor PC which I am hoping will become my music server.

We're all novices at some point.

Good one.....
Those Sonys were 'flagship' quality at the time (mid 80s) & under-rated they say.
Some say better than the Yammy NS1000s.

I like a decent sized 12" woofer.

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

Sansui SR-222MKV and Technics SL-6

Just experimenting with image uploads here ... I'd almost forgotten how to load inline photos.

Seems to have worked.

Thanks, Owen ! ;=})

Aug 16, 2020 21:25:51 GMT 12 Owen Y said:

Good one.....
Those Sonys were 'flagship' quality at the time (mid 80s) & under-rated they say.
Some say better than the Yammy NS1000s.

I like a decent sized 12" woofer.

Thanks, yes I know you know that! ;=})

www.thevintageknob.org/sony-SS-G333ES.html

Actually I have a friend out in Ellerslie who has a NS-1000 pair and a Technics SP-10.

Technical guy, and you know we're all still as poor as church mouses ;- ) (OK, mice ...)

www.thevintageknob.org/yamaha-NS-1000.html

Superseded I see now by these?

www.stereo.net.au/reviews/review-yamaha-ns-5000-flagship-loudspeakers

Poor Sony gets no respect for their speakers

My first good stereo speakers were a pair of SS-G5 bought back in 1979.

They sounded great with, better than my friend's NS1000M !

Still in use in the family.

And who can forget the Sony APM series...

AMR-iFi R&D

Aug 17, 2020 18:39:22 GMT 12 colinf said:

And who can forget the Sony APM series...

Wow, flat square drivers! Remind me of Fal speakers by Iwao Furuyama. How did they sound?

belbo - I'm not familiar with those, but I spent many years listening to a friend's DIY line arrays using Sawafuji planar-magnetic (I think) flat panel drivers.
Like the ones in this lspkr, but on a tall wood dipole baffle in a vertical line.
They sounded pretty good.

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panasonic did the flat driver thing too but they stayed round

I admired the Sony SS-M7 and then later the M9, - now even later the SS--M9ED - cabinet construction when I read about them.

Truncated pyramids, of course redolent of Lambert Timekeepers.

tmraudio.com/old-products/sony-ss-m7-speakers-pair/

tmraudio.com/speakers/floorstanding-speakers/sony-ss-m9-vintage-floorstanding-speakers-cherry-pair/

Those are sold, but the images are still up.

Review and interior view

www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/996esss/index.html

www.thevintageknob.org/sony-SS-M9ED.html

Why not combine a truncated pyramid with faceted sides as well?

This is my simple AV lounge system mainly for projector movies & some background music. Source Vodafone TV, Technics 12103MD, Tidal Computer, Bluetooth Audio - MHDT USBridge - Sony DA3300ES amplifier - Kef reference 102 speakers - Velodyne subs x 2