djb Posted September 7, 2012 Posted September 7, 2012 (edited) I recently revisited the scene of a previous public transport expedition of mine for HIFI. Not quite as eventful as picking up some slate tiles but it was back to Watergardens/Sydenham by train (see the dark side is slate grey). Cheekyboy had arranged to pick me up at Keon Plains station well off my beaten track but an outing is an outing After pick up we drove a few minutes to a nice and perfectly normal suburban house. Up the drive through the security gates to the door of what looked like a perfectly normal garage. I did not hear any one say "open Sesame" but they should've because I found myself in high fidelity Aladdin's cave. I was in side Duc's garage. It is no wonder he's tag is use tube lover. The floor was covered with a huge array of equipment asi were some shelves and walls. Upfront there were the hugest pair of woofers I had ever seen 2 x 15 inch driver's on each side horns on top and a tweeter sitting in the middle quite a stunning sound emanating from the turn table. If you had not visited here recently you would be impressed with the sound improvement every one present said the new tweeter made a huge difference to the system. Duc might want to explain what the tweeter is and how he arranged within the system We listened to 2 turntables a much modified Commonwealth and a Garrard 401. Both tables were using Duc's new wooden wand Univector arms. The Commonwealth table had four arms on it! It looked very busy terrified me too much to break. The arm we used was mounted with a Lyra cart. An excellent soundstage particularly bored I could pinpoint the instrument placement perfectly. Not quite as big a sound stage as I have heard in some other systems. The cart was detailed and precise with good but not overly great bass extension. But then I am no bass hound. When we first changed to the 401 I felt that the Commonwealth had the better presentation but over time I change my mind and I think I preferred the 401. The 401 was mounted with a Cocobolo rosewood wand and the Zyx cartridge. This combination gave a more dynamic presentation a little more lively and I think a little more precise this was I think due more to the cartridge then to anything else. Of course all of the ancillary gear was valve related. A push pull power amplifier giving out 25 watts el34 – I think-made by Duc and of course Duc's own phono head amplifier. The sound was a little like that of the Almarro amps. I forgot to ask what the pre-amplifier was – sorry! edit Duc explains ' the linestage is a 4 single triode operation two box design with separate power suplly' . A wonderful morning thank you very much Duc got home perfectly easily on the train even time to stop off at the Footscray market to get some ingredients for the next night's lamb shank casserole. Edited September 7, 2012 by djb 2
caddisgeek Posted September 7, 2012 Posted September 7, 2012 Great write up as usual djb, any photo's Cheeky?
pulinap Posted September 7, 2012 Posted September 7, 2012 Duc's Phonostage made it to my home on Wednesday night and will be playing it with this weekend.
Guest JohnA Posted September 7, 2012 Posted September 7, 2012 there are some very nice toys in that there cave who can concentrate on the music playing with so much eye candy around the place
tuyen Posted September 7, 2012 Posted September 7, 2012 Does Duc not use any form of digital playback at all??
djb Posted September 7, 2012 Author Posted September 7, 2012 dont know re digital play back DUC IS OBSESSED probably has a 1950's valve radio in the car? doubt he has a tt in the car?
djb Posted September 7, 2012 Author Posted September 7, 2012 CGEEK do NOT disturb keith he is building some new woofers for me and he needs to concentrate
Guest JohnA Posted September 7, 2012 Posted September 7, 2012 Does Duc not use any form of digital playback at all?? cant blame him if he didnt the only times i have missed digital playback is when i am wondering around the house, but then i just throw the ipod onto the computer speakers and all is good again
caddisgeek Posted September 7, 2012 Posted September 7, 2012 CGEEK do NOT disturb keith he is building some new woofers for me and he needs to concentrate Suggestion noted!
lovetube Posted September 7, 2012 Posted September 7, 2012 Great write up as usual djb, any photo's Cheeky? here you go. I have install the Goto Tweeters Duc 2
lovetube Posted September 7, 2012 Posted September 7, 2012 Does Duc not use any form of digital playback at all?? Hi Tuyen. if I ever touch Digital I will contact Steven for the Killer just have a good listen to the Goto Tweeters . danm they are too good , no words that i can think of to discribe what I hear . they are so good man . Cheers Duc
tuyen Posted September 7, 2012 Posted September 7, 2012 Good stuff regarding the goto tweeter, Duc. >5khz, first order cutoff with a single cap? Be sure to have some tissues ready when you get the midlow/midhigh channels singing. I'll be interested to see how you tackle setting up (physically) the the midlow horn to the rest of the drivers. Are you thinking of building a frame of some sort? Is it going to be located above the rest of the drivers? I only have the S200B horns, which are so crazy heavy already, while you have the even bigger S150B horns. Good luck mate!
djb Posted September 7, 2012 Author Posted September 7, 2012 (edited) As it was my first visit I don't know what the system sounded like before but the tweeters perfectly fitted in this system Ben who arrived while we were there and knew the system well was stunned by the improvement Must say I'd have liked to hear it with only 1 x15 inch woofer driver<Duc did u spend years as a roadie with a heavy metal band? Edited September 7, 2012 by djb
lovetube Posted September 7, 2012 Posted September 7, 2012 (edited) Good stuff regarding the goto tweeter, Duc. >5khz, first order cutoff with a single cap? Be sure to have some tissues ready when you get the midlow/midhigh channels singing. I'll be interested to see how you tackle setting up (physically) the the midlow horn to the rest of the drivers. Are you thinking of building a frame of some sort? Is it going to be located above the rest of the drivers? I only have the S200B horns, which are so crazy heavy already, while you have the even bigger S150B horns. Good luck mate! just talk to Jayden mins ago and I'm thinking of hanging the back of the S150B horns to the ceiling and support the midlle of the horn with wood cutout to suit . i'm consider chaning the woofers to 515 instead of the current 416 8b can't wait to get it all set up mate. Duc Edited September 7, 2012 by lovetube
lovetube Posted September 7, 2012 Posted September 7, 2012 Must say I'd have liked to hear it with only 1 x15 inch woofer driver<Duc did u spend years as a roadie with a heavy metal band? Too late now djb . ah, the linestage is a 4 single triode operation two box design with separate power suplly . Cheers Duc
caddisgeek Posted September 7, 2012 Posted September 7, 2012 wow, just wow what are those mid-horns? I'd love to do somethong like that with my JBL's one day
djb Posted September 7, 2012 Author Posted September 7, 2012 the tweeter 'horns discussed here are 5 foot long 1.5m the opening is 2 foot wide 600 mm like a cartoonist parody of an early Edison player circa 1890
wolster Posted September 7, 2012 Posted September 7, 2012 Tell me, djb, did you hide a tube amp behind a bush to pick up later?
djb Posted September 7, 2012 Author Posted September 7, 2012 Lol u have a long memory for things like dat
Telecine Posted September 7, 2012 Posted September 7, 2012 (edited) Tell me, djb, did you hide a tube amp behind a bush to pick up later? I thought is was slate but he has form, so he might have done it with a tube amp as well. I bet that it wasn't the Whale amps that he hid under a bush though. Edited September 7, 2012 by Telecine
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