April 2010Martin, Double issues are just great. How about just emailing it to those of us who want it electronically. Saves time and money. I also like the email special info blasts that you first tested last summer. I am considering a new CD player: Esoteric 50-sa. I do not use a pre-amp and my Wadia is now 10 years old. This Esoteric has some great features and maybe it sounds good too. ???????????? Computer hookups are really easy with it etc. Any thoughts on this one? MGD comments: I haven’t tried the Esoteric. The brand as a whole has received a lot of good press lately and I’ve heard some of the digital gear at different audio shows. However, a little over a year ago I auditioned an all Esoteric system, including speakers, that was driving people out of the room. Audition before buying…
Hello Marty, I came across this addy today, thought you'd be interested if you have not seen it already. Note the info about lossless files available on the Rhino Records site - interesting! Best wishes, MGD comments: Is this a subtle hint that I should get on the server bandwagon before it leaves me behind? I checked it out, and for the first time a few things are starting to make sense, such as high resolution downloads. I think I could get into that, but it won’t be next week – give me some time and some more prodding.
On Audio Info #9 Hello Marty, MGD comments: I saw that web page years ago and had forgotten about it. Insane, just insane. Interestingly, I've heard a number of those speakers at shows and at limited auditions in stores and homes. I've heard almost all of the amps listed, and can guarantee you that there is nothing special about the way any of that gear sounds; and some of it sounds terrible!
Mr. DeWulf, This particular BFS Audio Info reminds me to renew my subscription to BFS, with the added advantage that the honourable editor might sleep even better at night, and thus continue to offer us his independent way of thinking, writing, and...listening! Funny that the man who originally introduced me to BFS (or was it the reverse?), saying that it was the only really independent and interesting audio "journal" around. Hervé Delétraz (of Dartzeel) does not himself make cheap gear! Well done, continue! Eric Favrod-Coune, Geneva
On our Vintage Coverage Hi Marty, I was excited to see your coverage of vintage audio in BFS issue 199/200 which I just received yesterday, Since you asked for comments from those with experience in vintage audio, I thought I'd write to share my current thoughts. 1. I agree with you that many of those now interested in vintage audio got into it as a result of wanting to acquire something lusted after when we were young, but were denied during adolescence due to lack of funds, parental controls, etc. That was so in my case. I graduated high school in 1970, so I'm only about three years older than you and thus share most of the same equipment memories. I grew up in the heyday of AR - Acoustic Research – speakers and I vividly remember my older brother taking me at age 12 to the AR demonstration room in Manhattan's Grand Central Station where visitors could hear the same material played first through the AR-4x, then the AR-2ax, AR-5, and finally the top-of-the-line AR-3a speakers. I could fully appreciate the gains in clarity and extension of each costlier model even then. Oh, how I yearned to own those magnificent AR 3a's! In my very early teens, even though I'd saved my allowance and other earnings thinking I could afford an AR-3a, AR Amp, AR XA turntable, and Shure V15II system, my parents thought otherwise. Thus, my first component system, purchased at age 14, was comprised of an AR XA turntable, Shure M91E cartridge, AR-4x speakers, and a Dynaco SCA-35 integrated tube amp. Not bad for my age… My older brother bought a system comprised of AR-5 speakers, AR Receiver, and the Empire 598 turntable and Empire cartridge. I loved the sound of that system. It totally put mine in the shade. 2. As a consequence, recently I've been acquiring some vintage AR equipment and am restoring it, either personally or having the work done by others. I have been very pleased with the old AR speakers that I’ve worked with. I now have my "vintage system" with AR-3as, which I restored myself, together with an AR Amplifier and AR Tuner restored for me by Larry at Vintage AR. I use a "vintage" SACD player in that system, the Marantz SA-1, which is one of the two first SACD players made (the other was the Sony SCD-1). I also have a pair of AR-5 speakers in my bedroom system. These were exquisitely restored a few years back by Greg Roberts who specializes in Klipschorn restorations and is branching out into building other horn speakers under the Volti Audio name… Perhaps his focus on horn speakers is why he sold these ARs to me, but he said he quickly had "seller's remorse." These are just wonderful sounding, equal to the memory of my brother's old system. If you appreciate fine woodworking and speaker restoration eye candy, you have to take a look at one of Greg’s projects. I have also personally restored another pair of AR-5 speakers with truly exceptional and rare dark burl-patterned cabinets, as well as most recently a pair of AR-2ax speakers. These both sound great as well. I share the feeling of some collectors that the 2ax is in some ways the most satisfying of the bunch in terms of overall listening pleasure. The AR-3as have the deepest bass, but above the bottom octave, the AR-5 is at least a match for the 3a, with the bass integrating better into the midrange and the mids and highs otherwise identical to the 3a since basically the same dome drivers are used. The 2ax has the most wide open sound of the bunch, however, Imaging and staging is excellent even by modern standards, and with an intoxicating blend of richness, smoothness, and just enough high frequency extension to make it all very believable. I also have a pair of KLH Model 12 speakers. These I bought because I so admired the pair a music student friend of mine in college had. Physically these were in excellent-plus shape when I bought them, but they sounded a bit lumpy in the bass and quite rolled off on top compared to my long-ago memory. A couple of weeks ago I re-capped the outboard crossovers myself. Now they sound fine indeed, a viable alternative or competitor to any of the AR speakers I have, and with probably the most extended and detailed bass of any of the vintage speakers I have heard. Generally, they are now a bit brighter and more forward sounding than the ARs, with more audible detail, but never any nastiness. The KLHs are a subtly better in terms of realism of detail, while the ARs are better in terms of realistic tonal balance when the standard is what one hears from the audience at a live unamplified classical music concert in a good hall. Finally, I have a superb example of the Sansui TU-X1 tuner from the 1970s, which has been fully restored by Mark Wilson of Absolute Sound Labs. I'd use this tuner all the time in my "big rig," except that I also have an excellent modern tuner, the DaySequerra M4.2R which also receives HD signals. Say what you want about HD FM, but from my distance of 30 miles from the Chicago transmitter and limited as I am by real estate covenants to an attic antenna, HD signals often sound better overall than the analog ones even with tuners at this level. WFMT in Chicago is the only reason I insist on fine FM tuners these days since it's the only station I can receive which makes a fine FM tuner really worth the money, and that's only because I'm a classical music fan. 3. I used a product called XL49 from Orange County Speakers (in California) to re-seal the cloth surrounds on my KLH Model 12s. I debated about doing this for quite awhile. There is some discussion of this product and other fluids, including Elmer's glue over on the Classic Speaker Pages - KLH discussion pages about re-sealing surrounds. Not all experience is positive. I finally decided to do it since the cones returned to resting position very quickly when pressed inwards, despite this being an acoustic suspension design, I figured the cloth surrounds must be leaking air. My measurements and listening tell me that the low and midbass response were being affected for sure, but I'm not really sure if it is for better or for worse. The 20 Hz bass dropped in level by about 6 dB and a peak at 85 Hz was increased by a similar amount. Used against a wall on the floor, the bass response measures better after treatment and excessive before, but mounted out in the room on short stands the bass measured and sounded a bit better before treatment. However, this change may slowly be going away as the newly coated surrounds "break in." I would urge caution in using such products. If you don't see visible rips in the surround, I would not use such techniques. 4. I have to wonder what kind of wire you were trying to use in replacing the wire in the Jensen crossovers. No such hook-up wire should be insulated with aluminum foil or have multiple layers of insulation. That sounds like some sort of shielded cable. (It was RWA speaker cable – MGD) Most restorers find that only capacitors need replacing in order to restore crossovers to "like new" condition. The exception would be power resistors that show visible evidence of burning, charring, or other indication of excessive heat. Wires which show no signs of suffering from bad soldering or other defective assembly or damage shouldn't need replacing. Of course, if you are after "better than new," be my guest. 5. I use non-polarized electrolytic capacitors from Parts Express in crossover re-capping since that is usually what was originally used and since they are cheap, small, and thus fit in the originally intended space. KLH Model 12 restorers have used film, mylar, and electrolytics and have not heard much difference among the types in this application. You can avoid hot-glue heat problems by just using silicone or acrylic caulk instead. You can also use stapled down wire ties to anchor caps. Or, if they are light, they need not be anchored at all since the wire leads hold them in place. 6. Whenever you work on a speaker, you save and re-use all the original batting. Sure, you can change the sound with more or less or different batting. But if you are after the original sound, you use what was in there--assuming, of course, that a previous owner hasn't already mucked around with the batting. 7. Old tweeters are the weak link in these old speakers. They can be fried very easily with modern power amps and digital, especially SACD sources. Ferro-fluid cooled tweeters weren't invented until later. Also, the suspensions of even in-box NOS tweeters have, after 40 years, stiffened up enough to sound quite "soft" if newly pressed into use now. Many restorers, including me, have taken to using modern ferro-fluid drivers chosen for sonic similarity to the originals when used with a modified crossover. Vintage AR recently started selling some very nice modern tweeters for use in AR speakers and sells them with the crossover mod attached as part of the tweeter assembly itself. (Correct me if I’m wrong, but you don’t change the batting, or go to better caps and wiring to keep things original, but you put in different drivers and modify the crossover? – MGD) 8. Many restorers find that these old speakers can in fact image better than they remember. Part of this is that modern speaker set up techniques, such as mounting the speakers away from room boundaries, help staging. But that messes with the tonal balance, which is the big appeal of vintage designs. Most vintage speakers were designed to sound best used against a wall. Imaging problems intrinsic to vintage speaker design are primarily caused by the raised lip around the front baffle of the speaker which was an almost-universal design element many years ago. The sonically best solution would be to saw it off and re-stain the cabinet edge. But then the speakers would not look like they originally did. You can also ameliorate the problem by using thick felt padding over the entire front baffle surface, leaving holes in the felt only around the drivers. Use layers of felt to build up the front baffle until it is even with the decorative edge. Some even try molding clay-like substances (like Mortite) to the baffle to gradually ramp up from the flat baffle surface to the decorative edge. 9. Some professional restorers like Orange County Speaker and Van L Speakerworks in Chicago offer fairly reasonable rates on "re-coning" drivers, making the cost and labor of the re-coning kits less of a bargain, especially considering the problems involved in doing the work yourself and keeping the voice coils aligned, etc. From Kewanee, you could hand deliver speakers to Van L and avoid shipping risk. Jon Vann is a very nice guy and knows good sound. I purchased some Totem Dreamcatcher speakers from him a number of years back for a home theater system and have never regretted it. 10. Moving on to your vintage equipment reviews, I owned the Audionics BT-2 and CC-2 amps (a pair of these amps, actually) back when I had Snell Type A Improved speakers. Yes, these electronics sounded pretty good compared to most other stuff at the time. But the BT-2 had a subtle "crunch" distortion when hit with mid and treble transients. I heard this when I owned it, but did not realize its seriousness until I replaced it with the much cheaper NAD 1020 preamp (the preamp section of the famed 3020 integrated), which was superior in every way. The CC-2 power amp, while very smooth and clear, lacked bass power and punch with the Snells. I tried bi-wiring and bi-amping, horizontal and vertical with Snell's electronic crossover. I found the Amber 70 amp to be superior in the bass, with comparable talents further up the range and eventually replaced the CC-2 pair with a single Amber. Neither amp was really right for the Snell speakers, however, as I found out much later when I heard a Luxman 200-watter on those speakers - suddenly the bass was extremely powerful and more extended with at least equal performance further up. 11. Earlier, I'd owned four Large Advent speakers, two in college and later added two more in law school. I agree with your assessment of these entirely, especially the lack of sonic transparency of the grills. Once I had four, I used them either in a Dynaquad-type surround system (but with a separate integrated amp for the rear pair so as to gain full control over rear level and balance) or "stacked" with the top pair upside down atop the bottom speakers, with the two sets wired in parallel. I always knew there were better speakers around than the Advents, but liked the set of compromises the Advents offered at their price. The bass was not the equal of the AR-3a or KLH Model 12, the frequency balance not so smooth, and the highs not so extended or filigreed. But at half the price of those others the Advents could play louder without destroying the tweeters, the drivers were more integrated, they imaged better, and just generally had a balance which better suited the rock and jazz music I then favored. By the way, the Advents had great bass balance and imaged/staged like gangbusters when placed well off the floor when my roommate and I put the front pair vertically atop our school desks in the corners of our 12' x 18' dorm room. So placed, the tweeters were at ear level when comfortably seated in our standard desk chairs. The surround pair was placed horizontally atop the bookcases in the upper rear corners of the room and angled out and down a bit on wooden supports we built so they could face the front part of the room. My Pioneer amp drove the front pair. My AR integrated amp drove the rear pair with the amp's selector switch in the center "Null" position which subtracted left from right (like Dynaquad) and with the speakers wired out of phase with each other. 12. Ah, "those were the days," as they say. Recapturing some of the joy of a more innocent time IS very enjoyable. But in my saner moments I realize that we really have come a considerable distance in speaker performance, at least, since that time. Modern speakers can run rings around the golden oldies in many important ways, including lack of distortion and consequent clarity, bass power, micro- and macro-dynamics, imaging, and soundstaging. But I don't really think we have made much real progress in terms of tonal reality, and that's what makes these old speakers so much fun to listen to. The old speakers have the "tonal juice" some of us crave. Realistic bass heft without boom, lower midrange warmth, midrange smoothness, and relaxed, sweet highs. When played back through the old AR speakers, modern CD recordings produce a tonal balance closer to what one hears live from the audience at an unamplified classical music concert in a decent concert hall. The designers of these old speakers were trying for that kind of realism and made some very astute design compromises given the technology available at the time to get very close indeed. Much of high-end audio took a detour beginning in the late 1970s in the pursuit of spatial artifact reproduction, a detour from which it has not yet recovered. Accurate tonal balance was sacrificed on the altar of giving our eyes something to do by creating detailed spatial artifacts. Even with only two reproduction channels we can now hear more about the apparent spatial relationships of the performance than one could ever hear at a live concert with your eyes closed. Such spatial effects are fascinating for the listening room, yes. But realistic they are not. Audio reproduction has become a thing unto itself. No one seems to care that you can't tell an oboe from a clarinet or even a bassoon on many modern speakers, as long as you can "see" the singer's lips part centered tightly in space in front of the speaker plane and hear the spittle surface tension break before the first word comes out of her mouth. Never mind that such effects would never be heard live and unamplified, and would even be uncommon in a live amplified concert with the singer holding the mike to her lips. Sorry for the soapbox and for going on and on . .
. . MGD comments: Outstanding letter Tom. You have brought out and analyzed many of the concerns and options available to the amateur speaker rebuilder. I think it interesting that any person wanting to rebuild a pair of vintage loudspeakers has to consider the degree of originality he/she wants to keep in a particular speaker. I didn’t think twice about going to better cabling and caps in my Jensen 15s, but went to great lengths to purchase additional tweeters so I could keep the drivers themselves all original. The choices we make will reflect our priorities regarding the restoration, as well as a bit of our personalities. I suppose some of the decisions we make will depend on whether the end product as restored is aimed at being a museum piece, or an everyday driver. Don’t feel bad about the length of your letter; it was worth it.
On Audio Info #10 Hi Marty, I think you've nailed it. When your revenue model is based on advertising, you move into the business of promotion. The goal for manufacturers then becomes pleasing the magazine reviewers, who themselves are in the business (complicit or not) of influencing the consumer. The consumer becomes the victim of an increasing neurosis as the reviewers crown new "bests" with each ensuing issue. And the trend has cultivated among consumers a taste for gear instead of for music. Things have gone topsy-turvey, as the record or CD collection becomes about serving the gear instead of having the gear serve the music. How many recordings does the average SP or TAS reader have featuring a female vocalist? Walk the halls of CES, THE Show, RMAF, Axpona (now) and listen for Diana Krall, Jennifer Warnes, Joni Mitchell, Jacintha, etc? What are the chances you'll hear Paul Robeson or Johnny Hartmann? I did hear some Nat King Cole in one of the rooms at Axpona, and we played some Joe Williams at our popsicle stand. It's reaching a strange manner of critical mass, though. We've got an ever-growing population of manufacturers fighting for a slice of an ever-shrinking pie. The secondary market has become the primary market. And the chances that non-audiophiles would join our hobby are dim - convenience and portability trump quality. I miss the old days, and for me that means the mid-to-late 80's into the early 90's. Chris (The Signal Collection) MGD comments: Actually Chris, I think you’ve nailed it…
Marty, I think you are right. Every new issue of Stereophile etc proclaims new best equipment and – as far as I can tell - for the reasons you mention. I'd like to see vintage reviewed in BFS. I have a collection of Stereophiles going back quite a ways that I can check before I buy something on Audiogon. Can't wait for your new issue. Keep up the good work. Regards, Tom Larson
Hi Marty, In addition to the "big rig" at my home with
my wife in Hollywood, she has a full system comprised of some top
vintage consumer electronics (Sherwood S-110CP receiver @ 100 wpc, a
Pioneer PL-600 heavy duty DD turntable with, you guessed it, a Micro
Acoustics 2002e MM cart feeding a pair of (mint and beautiful) ADS 700
2-way speakers [on stands], used with an Advent powered sub. Oh, and I
also make use of a Dynaco Series II Dynaquad box for added stereo
ambience (this thing really works, folks...). All wired with so-so
interconnects and 16 gauge zip cord for the speakers. OK, I did recently
buy a Phillips CDR machine instead of using a cassette deck, but hey, it
is 2010... MGD comments: Scot is the General Manager at Elite AV Distribution. He, by the way, is the person who procured for me the wonderful Plinius SB301 power amplifier, which is not vintage but sounds awesome nonetheless.
Hi, Just received your email and I totally agree with you. I think it would be great to know how preamps, amps, cd players, turntables , etc., compare with 21st century offerings. Today, for most manufacturers, all that matters is money. In the 70s and 80s, money was important, but they added art and love to their jobs ... why? Possibly because many of the people running those old companies were (if not all) audiophiles themselves. Today, maybe the founder/owner and one or two others in an audio company really enjoy music, the rest are engineers, designers and marketers, something other than music lovers, so it’s impossible for large companies to create what we are looking for... they don’t know how we feel. Technology, of course, plays an important role in manufacturing, but how much of that can honestly be heard? Look at what is happening with LPs; more and more people (I’m included) are returning to analog, why? Because we are starting to find that with all the technology we have been losing something else, and we need to recover it soon. Recently I bought a Thorens 124 MK II and let me tell you, this is an incredible example of what I’m talking about. I don’t know if you have tried one but if you can, do it. Look closely at how it was built, see all the revolutionary ideas added to the design, and then tell me if you can find something today that even comes close to this. Now, everything looks the same, many fancy designs, some of it very good, but still, it’s "cold" stuff. The same has happened with cars. Do you remember when a Mercedes was a Mercedes? That was 20 years ago, today it’s not easy to identify what is on the streets – they all look the same, they’re all made the same. Maybe I’m a little crazy, but more and more people are trying to find what was in the old technology that can’t be found in the new. We’ve lost something in the newness that has squeezed the heart out of our passions. Perhaps it’s a reflection of us. Go ahead and start the vintage project, I’m sure that more than a few of us need to read about it. Regards,
Dear Marty, You re right on the money regarding the high-end magazines (no pun intended however). Revitalization of vintage gear will bring substantial business to repair shops and modifiers. The benefit to them will cycle back to the customers in the form of better kits, and better service, more competition etc. The mags will get their share of increased advertisement. There is a basic sickness in society that we frequently have to deal with. The real estate markets, big banking and even NAFTA reflect twisted intentions… The real backbone is sound economics, which continues, but takes a hit from the squirreliness. So I think the Vintage gear revival will help the economy as well as the High-end industry. An Ayre universal player, or an Oppo SE will make a refurbished Fisher sound better than ever. Same for a pair of Bozaks hooked up through a set of Synergistic Speaker Cells! Best Regards,
Not everyone agreed, of course … -- Where are the facts? Not a single specific case called out of the alleged evil. And isn't one's measure of integrity relative? After all, how deep do your vendor allegiances run? How much of your own review agenda is driven by vendor supply of equipment? How many xxxxxx reviews have we seen? Why? (I could name more.) How about personal bias? How can a reviewer covering 'the industry' possibly dismiss 'music servers' at of hand? This email (#10) smacks of desperation (and poor taste). You have begun to sound like another interesting (infamous web) reviewer, right down to "...trusted associates with good ears tell me...) Yikes! I won't be renewing, but that's really beside the
point.... PS: Stereophile is far from perfect, but... MGD comments: I struck out the name of the manufacturer above because he didn’t ask to be part of the accusations and has done nothing wrong to merit inclusion in the letter. Below is my response: Hello Bob: Bob wrote back to thank me for my answer, but assured me that he hadn't changed his mind about not renewing. |
| Dear Marty
To update you on print magazines. I don’t know if you are aware of the HiFi Critic in the UK. They operate like you, with a no advert philosophy and have an excellent reviewing team, including Paul Messenger and Martin Colloms. They put out a high quality, quite lavish product with good content, but high cost. They were I think £55, about $90 (US) for 6 copies. Now they have come down to 4 copies a year, for the same cost. The writing seems to be on the wall, they simply haven’t got enough subscribers to keep going (in my opinion) at that high cost. I am sure there is also a suspicion from suppliers, if they don’t advertise, they have no hold over you in terms of getting a good review. More a question, ever thought of publishing on line? I am sure you have and that one problem is security. How you stop subscribers passing on the magazine to all their friends. I suppose they can still photocopy your magazine and pass it on that anyway. It would get over the extra costs, albeit very small, for your overseas subscribers, like me. Regards David Wise MGD responds: I haven’t seen the magazine, though I can sympathize with their dilemma. Editorial freedom comes at a cost, but $90 for four issues may bit a bit too much for most audiophiles to stomach. I firmly believe that going without advertisers means cutting back in other areas of overhead. That’s why we look the way we do and have lasted as long as we have. When the primary source of your income is advertising, I don’t have to tell you which master you will serve. As for publishing on line, we have entertained that idea many times. Yes, security is a problem, though I think it can be worked out with the latest technology. The other problem with a small outfit like ours are the logistics of getting it done. One thing at a time. We are still trying to get the bugs out of our mass e-mail system since the number of requests went way up.
Marty, I strolled over to the BFS website, took a look at the Current Issue (#193) and was pleasantly surprised to see that our correspondence on digital data storage made it into the current issue. I guess I have no excuse for not renewing now 8-}. I'll get the check in the mail tomorrow. My only complaint is that you spelled my name wrong - at least on the web page. It's Gary Bronner - not Gary Bonner, unless you are trying to cleverly hide my identity. Best regards, Gary MGD responds: I wish I were that clever. However, we made the spelling change to "Bronner" in all the issues mailed after we received your e-mail. It was a great letter. Feel free to write any time you want.
Marty – As a fellow 54 year old I made the jump to a music server last
August. I went with the ModWright Transporter. I cannot say
enough good things about this product. Simple to use and great
sounding. The cost is $3800. At this price point I think it is
a great buy. For a few additional $$$ you can get pretty close to
nirvana by adding an Emission Labs 5U4G mesh plate ($220) regulator tube,
a set of adaptors from Boulder Cable ($120) that will let you use 6SN7
output tubes and of course a pair of good 6SN7s to put into those
adaptors. There is a pretty extensive thread about this tube rolling
journey on the ModWright forum on Audio Circle. By the way, 96/24
files sound pretty special when played on this. I don't know if it's
feasible for you to obtain one for review, but I think a lot of people
would be interested. Mark Paul MGD responds: You really have me intrigued regarding the ModWright Transporter. I’ll try to get one for review, though I don’t think the folks at Modwright were real happy regarding the outcome of my review and comparison of their preamp to the SAS 11A (which I in turn purchased) a little over two years ago. I admit, that the idea of downloading and playing 24/96 files has my mouth watering. Do they have anything by Yes or Pink Floyd? Just before I received your e-mail I contacted Steve McCormack about the possibility of reviewing the VRE-1 preamp. It’s here right now and I am allowing it to burn in. It’s extremely good…
Hi Marty, Thank you so much for the advice. I really enjoy your magazine and I love the fact that you have managed to integrate integrity into the review process. Boy that is unusual these days...integrity that is....
My best to you and your family Charlie Mathews MGD responds: Thanks Charlie!!!
Hey Marty, MGD responds: That’s not good regarding The Sensible Sound. For a long time I’ve wondered exactly what their position was in the audio print press. Some years ago they went the way of the Audio Critic in terms of things sounding the same. I thought it amusing then that Peter Aczel basically refused to take them under his wing and acknowledge their take on audio as a reality. But look where Peter Aczel is now and I think TSS was better off that he stayed away. To stay alive as a print publication today, one has to have something unique to offer – plus be able to roll with the punches. I think we do both… I miss Larry Rosine’s store. It was one of the last audiophile havens around. Unlike the pressurized atmosphere of the New York stores, it wasn’t unusual to see a bunch of guys sitting around reading papers and drinking coffee while chatting about the newest gear on a Saturday morning. Lurkers were always welcome at Rosine’s Audio.
Dear Marty: Congratulations for 20 years of publishing Bound For Sound! I have been a subscriber since issue 6/95 and have enjoyed every BFS. I do remember many of the defunct audio magazines you mentioned, some of which I subscribed to. So, keep up the good work and here is to another 20 years of BFS! Regards, Tom Barfknecht MGD responds: I’m all for another 20 years, and then some… And those now defunct audio magazines, I subscribed to them all too.
Lowe’s Wire Letters I’m including below a few of the letters received over the years regarding the home made Lowe’s wire that we recommended in issue #153. Some of the letters are older, but they contain useful information regarding experiences and observations. BTW, a very burned in set of 6 awg cables from Lowe’s are still my reference… These are just a few of the letters we received.
Dear Marty, You're quite right about audio cables. The mumbo jumbo, as well as the markup, clearly has nothing to do with actual performance or manufacturing costs. For over a decade, I've been using the late Harvey Rosenberg's technique of making up double-runs of solid 16awg silver wires to use as speaker cables. The silver wire can be purchased directly from a refinery for about $1/foot, Teflon jacketing adds another $0.50/foot, and Goertz Alpha-Core sells flat silver spades for $2.50 each. You do the math! For me, there's still an open question about the optimal gauge for speaker wires, especially in long runs. Some years ago, I took a 24-foot pair of the original Fulton Browns (I think they were made from stranded 14 awg copper) and cut them into different lengths. It was only when they exceeded 8 feet from amp to speaker that I could clearly hear a difference (less of everything). Right now, both my amps and speakers use 16awg silver internal wiring and are located within two feet of each other. With a run that short, they effectively become a single unit, so this is one issue that does not keep me up at night. Regarding the Lowe's copper cable, BFS arrived yesterday and since I had another errand in that direction, I stopped in at local Lowe's. Looking over the reels and remnants, all of the 6awg E51583 was gone. However, I suspect that the actual part number or brand is not critical and that any 6awg type MTW/THWN-2/THHN/AWM copper will do. The key here is the type, which refers to the configuration and insulation, and that it must be copper, not aluminum. BTW, Kimber Postmaster spades (available in unplated copper) will accept 6awg wire without modification.Finally, some years ago a colleague give me a white paper that was presented to the Audio Engineering Society by a scientist who was doing research for the Navy. He needed to ensure that audio signals transmitted by a sonar unit in a submarine were passed correctly to a computer. In fabricating different cables, he discovered that the most important factor was the use of identical materials throughout. In other words, his results were only consistent and repeatable when both the wire and connector were made of the same metal. Copper wire had to be terminated with copper plugs/spades, silver wire with silver plugs/spades, etc. Whenever metals were mixed or plated, the signal could never be passed the same way twice. Just more food for thought!Regards, Joseph Levy MGD responds: One thing that I wanted to comment on here was the use of same materials for wire and termination. I think there might be something true about that. In the past I’ve never really given any consideration to the metallurgies of the two components of the wire. But it makes sense. And what can it hurt? When a tweak doesn’t cost a lot and it can’t hurt anything, why not? I’ll try it and see what happens…
Dear Bound for Sound, I just wanted to let you know that I tried making the Lowe's wire speaker cable that you described, and I am absolutely amazed at the difference it's made in my system. There may be better cables out there, but as of right now, I can't see any reason to look for them. I am just blown away by the music (and the sound) coming out of my speakers. This cable fixed things that had been bugging me for years and also fixed things I didn't even know needed fixing. The stage width and depth doubled, there is much more life in the music, and everything just has an enormous presence. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for your tip. By the way, I found the wire you described at Home Depot, and it seems like they had plenty of it, in four colors. Thanks again for making my music more musical. All the best, Mark Cherrington MGD responds: Your comment on the wire fixing things you didn’t know were a problem struck a chord – I found the very same thing.
Marty, It's been a busy week, so I haven't had any time to listen. I'm glad you have warned me about a "down period" with the cables. I might have taken them out. I have never used any high priced speaker cables. I just couldn't get myself to take that chance. In the past I've used OCOS, Virtual Mode, Dunlavy (I used to own the IVs), and, most recently, Millersound. The Millersound are supposed to be a clone of the JPS cables. I couldn't tell you about that, but they are awfully good cables. However, the difference in the Home Depot (Lowe’s) cable is astonishing from anything I've used. Not only does the system have a "fuller" sound, it is better with micro detail, and, I believe, it has better balance, something I have never been displeased with before. Soundstage has widened and deepened. Singers are more natural sounding than before. The sound now is simply more natural. What at deal! I certainly can imagine that many audiophiles won't accept these discoveries. If someone wants to give me (or loan me) some Cardas Reference or Nordost Vahalla, I'm all for doing a comparison. No doubt that these are fine cables, however. Further thoughts about this cable working as power cords; I'm not sure one could get them terminated into an IEC and plug. I'd really like for you to try this and let me know what occurs (I'm not much of an electrical person and electricity from the wall must be handled correctly for me to sleep at nights). Anyway, I enjoy your magazine very much. And this discovery has me very excited. Thanks again, Jim MGD responds: As with the above letter, this cable improves things that you didn’t know needed improvement. As for the power cords made of the 6 awg wires. I tried them in every configuration that I could think of, I even received some from readers. They just don’t make for good power cords…
Hi Marty, I was in Kalamazoo, MI today. As we did our errands I went to Lowe's in Kalamazoo at Kilgore Rd & S. Westnedge Ave. Went to the Electrical Dept with my issue of BFS in hand. Found a Lowe's employee in that Dept and asked if they had the 6 AWG as described in BFS. Guess what? They had a fair amount but only in green jackets and white jackets. I purchased 40 ft of each as I need an 18 to 20 ft run. Tomorrow I will do the termination and twisting of about a twist per foot or so. What does the twisting do and what happens or doesn't happen if I don't twist? Anyway, just to let you and other readers know that the Lowe's I visited had the cable. I am using Alpha Core 10 AWG flat cable which sounds at least as good as most other cable. I'll let you know how I think the Lowe’s sounds once I use it for awhile. I currently have and have had for almost two years a Wyetech Labs Opal Preamp like The Inner Ear guys have, an Art Audio PX 25 amp pushing the Merlin VSM's - great sound but not enough power. Good job on the publication. I guess I will send in a renewal. Joe Nemedi MGD responds: Shortly thereafter, Joe followed up with the next letter.
Hi Marty, Thanks for the speedy reply. I found the same numbers as you published. I paid 27 cents per foot, so the total including tax was $22.90 - not bad for a great cable. How do I know this is a great cable? I picked up some used spades today that have oxidation and some corrosion and I didn't clean them yet. I may get better spades later. They have a hole and you push the wire in and tighten a screw on the side to tighten the cable up - no soldering. I then twisted the cables together not paying attention to how many twists over the twenty feet but enough to keep them nicely together - they are really stiff. I connected them to the Merlin VSM's and then to the Art Audio PX 25. Turned everything on as normal and listened to Jennifer Warne's Famous Blue Raincoat (made in Germany). For about the first four cuts all I could say was WOW! Then I put in Eric Clapton's 2001 Road Tour CD and said WOW! WOW! WOW! The wifw factor was also a WOW! I had been using 10AWG Alpha Core in the 20 ft run. This cable from Lowe's is really great and has not yet been broken in. I don't think that you really "hear" the cable. I think that, as much as possible, I now am hearing the music which is why I bought all this stuff. What's better? Everything. Now I think the Merlins have some bass even w/o the B.A.M. I do use a Sunfire sub, but it is not in the system right now. My equipment was not really warmed up and you could immediately tell the difference. My wife was tapping her feet! Mid range was great with lots of detail, resolution, image, etc. and the highs were also great. And now I know why I bought all this expensive stuff! Next should be some wire for home made interconnect! Anyway, thanks for some great reporting. The subscription is worth the money. Anyway, I don't know how much remaining stock Lowe's has and I have not checked Home Depot yet. Thanks again. Joe Nemedi
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