my "stuff"

Everybody that has been cussin my "mass market crap" as talky calls it, well, heres what
you've been cussin.:1:

About to rewire it, was going with a BELLO STAND , but a pressure plate on the cars tranny
outranks that.
HERES a montage, the gold player sideways on the right is my eight year old PANNY
DVD-AUDIO player with 192 khz dacs, also has something called remaster, which doubles the sampling rate for CD, THE SOUND IS REALLY AMAZING.:1:

heres the wallpaper on my computer, sorry for the flash.:1:

And heres a montage of various screen captures of the latesr STARTREK, about as
good as screen captures get.:1:

And last but not least, my Emotiva AMP, love this cool running amp, don't know what class
off hand, but the sound is delicious.:1:

Did'nt show my speakers close, most know about them. Will say that the 602s2 is one of the best speakers ever when price is considered.
525$ a pair, 350 for the center, kevlar cones, Nautilus tweeters.
Eight years old, going strong
I use a pair of 305 floorstanders that used to be my mains for surround duty, 400 bucks a pair on closeout. A waste to use these for surrounds, hope the use them for an audio only system soon.HAS plastic fins lining the inside of the cabinet, keeps down standing waves. All I NEED IS A PREAMP, but in the Obamanation times are tight.:1:

HERES THE DRIVERS for my 305's, amazing what B&W did with such basic drivers.:1:

OOPS, heres the pic.:1:

HERES my five hundred buck Lovan rack I bought( as usual) at closeout for half price.
Hope to make it part of an audio only system someday, but right now it mainly is a junk collector. The Sony changer holds most of my "main" CD's. I am about to move the 700 dollar
panny to the main rack next door. Notice my B&W 602s2, still lookin good after 8-9 years.:1:

Heres my PANNY DVD-AUDIO player, probably the best sounding component I have.
Even though all of my music is on the computer, its still worth the trouble to load CD's
into this thing, although the video is good for the times, its not up todays, sadly.:1:

So the next time some smart *** wants to see "my stuff", I will have a link for you.
NOT THE BEST by a long shot, but considering the demands of life, women, children,
and the taxman, its about as good as a workingman could do. COULD HAVE BOUGHT
nicer stuff, but I tend to get something as soon as I can, not too good at saving up for
things.:1:

I really like the B&W's, the stand and the tv but i'd ditch the emotiva amp, bleh.

I really like the Comcast Cable Box.

Ya shoulda just added this to the Updated Listening Space thread but good pics anyway. Although they sounded great, I never liked the B&Ws with the cyclops eye tweeters sticking out the top. These are much cleaner.

Looks great, thanks for sharing pix!! I love the third screenshot of the Enterprise, looks really nice. The Emotiva stuff is always on my ind when thinking of H/T. I would love to get their 5 channel amp combined with a great player, I bet that would sound excellent.

I notice you have corner placement for the speakers. Is that maunfacturer suggested, or a space necessity?

My only concern is for your TT so close to the speakers with no isolation assistance. Surely this is problematic, even if not fully audible. I would suggest a wall shelf or perhaps another location in the room, away from the speakers.

Great stuff!! I wouldn't sweat anyone provoking you about "proving" anything. There are several members here who don't post pics, and that's fine. I do love seeing pictures though (JoeESP9).

Enjoy your system pix and consider a tubed pre amp to mix it up a bit.

I don't hate on anyone's gear. You buy what you like and what you can afford. My first few systems sucked so I pass no judgement on anyone's gear. I like some of your speaks and anyone that love Frank Frazetta get's a nod in my book.

Worf

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pixelthis

And last but not least, my Emotiva AMP, love this cool running amp, don't know what class
off hand, but the sound is delicious.:1:

---

The Emotiva UPA-2 is class AB...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Worf101

I don't hate on anyone's gear. You buy what you like and what you can afford. My first few systems sucked so I pass no judgement on anyone's gear. I like some of your speaks and anyone that love Frank Frazetta get's a nod in my book.

Worf

---

I'll second that...

Buy what you like... Who cares whether other forum members have (or claim to have) more expensive gear than you? We've all got different obligations and priorities...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TheHills44060

I really like the B&W's, the stand and the tv but i'd ditch the emotiva amp, bleh.

---

And replace it with?

Nice stuff. Hope you find it enjoyable.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TheHills44060

I really like the B&W's, the stand and the tv but i'd ditch the emotiva amp, bleh.

---

I used to think that, but at 250 bucks, whats the harm to try?
And they made a beleiver outta me, with a toroidal transformer as big as a cats head.
AND MY RECEIVER doesnt strain as much at high vollume levels , since it only has three channels to drive. SO two channel sound is exelent, and HT is better also.:1:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by poppachubby

Looks great, thanks for sharing pix!! I love the third screenshot of the Enterprise, looks really nice. The Emotiva stuff is always on my ind when thinking of H/T. I would love to get their 5 channel amp combined with a great player, I bet that would sound excellent.

I notice you have corner placement for the speakers. Is that maunfacturer suggested, or a space necessity?

My only concern is for your TT so close to the speakers with no isolation assistance. Surely this is problematic, even if not fully audible. I would suggest a wall shelf or perhaps another location in the room, away from the speakers.

Great stuff!! I wouldn't sweat anyone provoking you about "proving" anything. There are several members here who don't post pics, and that's fine. I do love seeing pictures though (JoeESP9).

Enjoy your system pix and consider a tubed pre amp to mix it up a bit.

---

They are actually father away from the walls than the pic implies. THE TT isn't a factor,
since neither the center or the sub are in play when its in use. ITS not hooked up right now,
thinking about putting it on the LOVAN rack, with its superb isolation.
I AM FINALLY posting pics because of the systems posted here had a lot of good ideas.
A lot don't think much about the pole option for flat screen, but if you don't want to cut the wall, its a cheap option, so I thought I WOULD "POST" AN EXAMPLE.
And dont get me started on "tube" amps, don't need the harmonic distortion, and the design has been obsolete since Bell labs came out with the first transistor(or stole it from ET!):1:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GMichael

Nice stuff. Hope you find it enjoyable.

---

Thanks, thats really whats important. A LOT think you can spend your way to audio nirvana,
and I GUESS you can. But it takes planning to get a decent sounding system cheap.
I live on the edge of the law of diminishing returns, I get the 96% you can get, without spending thousands on the last three percent.
THE MOST IMPORTANT thing is paying for quality, that is really cheaper in the long run.
INTEGRA (Onkyo), PANASONC, B&W, they all make inexpensive stuff that lasts a long time.:1:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ajani

The Emotiva UPA-2 is class AB...

---

Thanks. More efficient(and cheaper) than pure class A.
Once again I SPENT MY FAIR SHARE of time panning this brand, couldnt have been more wrong. GREAT WARRANTY , price, specials, true audiophile quality kit for cheap.
IS IT AS GOOD as a megabuck amp? If its not its not off by much. I see now why there are so many EMOTIVA FANBOYS OUT THERE.:1:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Worf101

I don't hate on anyone's gear. You buy what you like and what you can afford. My first few systems sucked so I pass no judgement on anyone's gear. I like some of your speaks and anyone that love Frank Frazetta get's a nod in my book.

Worf

---

frankfrazetta.org, has a full library of his stuff, makes great wallpaper.:1:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hyfi

I really like the Comcast Cable Box.

Ya shoulda just added this to the Updated Listening Space thread but good pics anyway. Although they sounded great, I never liked the B&Ws with the cyclops eye tweeters sticking out the top. These are much cleaner.

---

Didn't know about that, thanks. The cable box is a love hate deal, COMCAST IS GOING THROUGH something called "the digital migration". Even tho the box holds an amazing amount of media(all three Rings movies, most DARK blue, a ton of concerts) glitches
and price have me looking at UVERSE, 87 bucks a month for six months, and you get the pay channels, locals 230 HD channels in all, amazing compared to COMCAST, although
when Comcast is working, its working great

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pixelthis

Didn't know about that, thanks. The cable box is a love hate deal, COMCAST IS GOING THROUGH something called "the digital migration". Even tho the box holds an amazing amount of media(all three Rings movies, most DARK blue, a ton of concerts) glitches
and price have me looking at UVERSE, 87 bucks a month for six months, and you get the pay channels, locals 230 HD channels in all, amazing compared to COMCAST, although
when Comcast is working, its working great

---

Of course you know I was being sarcastic with the comcast comment.

At one tome, most B&Ws had the tweeter sticking out the top like these

http://www.highfidelity.pl/!ev/artyk...ortaz/0105.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Worf101

I don't hate on anyone's gear. You buy what you like and what you can afford. Worf

---

Amen!
I am glad to see this site has seemed to have lost the people who were constantly elevating their systems by putting down the systems of others. Listen and let listen.

Nice set-up Pix and thanks for sharing!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pixelthis

And dont get me started on "tube" amps, don't need the harmonic distortion...

---

First of all, Poppachubby suggested a tube preamp. Look at any number of Stereophile distortion plots to figure out that the THD of line stages rarely exceeds 0.5%. Which corresponds to -46 db. Lets see if that is within your perceptual capabilities to discern. All you need do is take this test and see how well you fare. Admittedly, I could do no better than -36 db (1.5%). Post an image of the automatically generated test results when you finish. It will look like this:

http://home.cablelynx.com/~rhw/audio/dist.jpg

rw

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hyfi

Of course you know I was being sarcastic with the comcast comment.

At one tome, most B&Ws had the tweeter sticking out the top like these

http://www.highfidelity.pl/!ev/artyk...ortaz/0105.jpg

---

Of course, but it gave me a chance to run my mouth about the screwiness of
COMCAST of late. Maybe things will straighten out when they finish this "digital conversion" of theirs.
And not most B&W's, just the higher line ones. AND TRUST ME, they are worth it.:1:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by E-Stat

First of all, Poppachubby suggested a tube preamp. Look at any number of Stereophile distortion plots to figure out that the THD of line stages rarely exceeds 0.5%. Which corresponds to -46 db. Lets see if that is within your perceptual capabilities to discern. All you need do is take this test and see how well you fare. Admittedly, I could do no better than -36 db (1.5%). Post an image of the automatically generated test results when you finish. It will look like this:

http://home.cablelynx.com/~rhw/audio/dist.jpg

rw

---

Preamp or amp, doesnt make any difference, tubes are obsolete. THEY PRODUCE A LOT OF HEAT, you need a heater circuit for the emitters, which lead to all kinds of problems,
and the distortion specs(as you display) are pathetic next to even a cheap solid state amp.
LIKE THAT "TUBE" SOUND? Fine. I LIVE IN THE 21ST CENTURY.
Dont ride horses, dont take baths in a tub on the porch. AND DON'T listen to a device
(mostly S.E.T) that was obsolete decades ago.
BESIDES turntables, tubes are the silliest fad so called "audiophiles" have chosen to
embrace, and one of the hardest to explain to lay people. KEEP ONE IF YOU MUST,
but leave me out of it, please.:1:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by thekid

Amen!
I am glad to see this site has seemed to have lost the people who were constantly elevating their systems by putting down the systems of others. Listen and let listen.

Nice set-up Pix and thanks for sharing!

---

THANKS!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pixelthis

...and the distortion specs(as you display) are pathetic next to even a cheap solid state amp.
LIKE THAT "TUBE" SOUND? Fine. I LIVE IN THE 21ST CENTURY.

---

Why is 0.5% "pathetic" if you cannot hear it? You'll find some excellent sounding SS amps (Pass Labs, Lamm, etc.) that value quality over specmanship with similarly "pathetic" results. Take the online test and let us know if you powers of discernment are capable of identifying "pathetic". Best of luck to you!

rw

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by E-Stat

Why is 0.5% "pathetic" if you cannot hear it? You'll find some excellent sounding SS amps (Pass Labs, Lamm, etc.) that value quality over specmanship with similarly "pathetic" results. Take the online test and let us know if you powers of discernment are capable of identifying "pathetic". Best of luck to you!

rw

---

If you can't discern half a percent of distortion(.5%) save some money, give up this hobby and get a Bose wave radio. Really.
I recently read a review of a cheap (400$) plastic Sony receiver, rated at 100 wpc.
It didn't meet that, came out with 69 wpc, with .1% distortion.
In other words this cheap P.O.S , closest thing to a HTIB, beat out some of the most expensive tube amps on the planet .
Of course distortion is what its all about with tube amps, thats where that "tube" sound comes from. MOST SOLID STATE amps can produce distortion specs in the .05 range.
DON'T GET me wrong, if you like tube amps, go right ahead, put up with the attendant
headaches. I PREFER SOMETHING better, and solid state runs circles around tubes.
THE ONLY THING to consider is the specs, I WILL LEAVE tube owners with their imaginations.:1:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pixelthis

If you can't discern half a percent of distortion(.5%) save some money, give up this hobby and get a Bose wave radio. Really.

---

For the third time, demonstrate your great powers! Go back to the link, take the test and post your results. Should be a piece of cake for one such as you. Best of luck to you! :)

rw

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pixelthis

If you can't discern half a percent of distortion(.5%) save some money, give up this hobby and get a Bose wave radio. Really.
I recently read a review of a cheap (400$) plastic Sony receiver, rated at 100 wpc.
It didn't meet that, came out with 69 wpc, with .1% distortion.
In other words this cheap P.O.S , closest thing to a HTIB, beat out some of the most expensive tube amps on the planet .
Of course distortion is what its all about with tube amps, thats where that "tube" sound comes from. MOST SOLID STATE amps can produce distortion specs in the .05 range.
DON'T GET me wrong, if you like tube amps, go right ahead, put up with the attendant
headaches. I PREFER SOMETHING better, and solid state runs circles around tubes.
THE ONLY THING to consider is the specs, I WILL LEAVE tube owners with their imaginations.:1:

---

Your way off here. What tube equipment have you owned in order to make all these statements?



I have grown up around both SS, Tubes, and recently Hybrid. I can assure you that my $600 investment into a $6500 pre amp and $4500 hybrid amp along with speakers and cables will blow most receivers and straight ss gear away.

I have a Stratos that was labeled a Giant Killer for it's $1000 price tag when I got it. It does kick ass and throws no heat at all. But, it pales in comparison to a 15 y/o Counterpoint Hybrid amp that has rectifiers, tubes and SS output. My VAC all tube pre blows the doors off almost any SS preamp.

For you to compare my system to an HTIB means that you have a very active imagination and need a huge reality check. I really wish you lived close enough to have you hear it and then have you shut up about things you don't know.

There is nothing imagined here at all. I can swap my system to be all SS or Hybrid amped in seconds and hear a huge difference. I can flip from passive to gain on my pre and have great detail with or without gain.

What Tube gear have you owned that did not compare to your Emotiva amp?
What tube pre have you owned that was not better than your Onkyo Preamp?

Ya see....he was gettin all this love and then had to go off and ruin it. Can't take him anywhere.......

Quote:

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Originally Posted by E-Stat

For the third time, demonstrate your great powers! Go back to the link, take the test and post your results. Should be a piece of cake for one such as you. Best of luck to you! :)

---

What a cool response. I applaud you!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by audio amateur

What a cool response.

---

Back in '74 when I was a bit younger than you, I was in Pixie's camp about specs (but didn't share his militant ignorance against learning better). After all, that's what Julian Hirsch taught us. The lower the number is always better. Based upon that notion at the time (and cool pro aesthetics), I bought a Crown D-150 amp to drive my double Advents. Talk about great measured performance! Look here. Wow! THD and IMD at 0.05% and typically far lower. Just look at the graphs. It doesn't get any better than that, right? Why then did it sound like sandpaper on a chalkboard at the top? Closed in and hard sounding on everything? There are many reasons, but two stand out: static measurements don't tell the dynamic story and our auditory perceptions have "blind spots" when it comes to the nature of distortion.

I was very fortunate in that the dealer who sold me the amp also sold Audio Research which is where I got my first taste of just how good an audio system could sound. I will never forget first hearing Magneplanar Tympani IIIs tri-amplified using all ARC gear. I had never before heard anything that sounded so real. By contrast, I had heard AR-LSTs driven by a Phase Linear 700 amp and thought "this is what everyone thinks is so wonderful?" Even the AR dealer called them "toads". The next pivotal moment was six years later when I heard the Infinity IRS system driven by a Conrad-Johnson Premier One amp at Sea Cliff. It was the first system I heard that possessed the elusive quality of "authority" - an utter ease of reproduction and naturalness. Which is not simply lots of power and loud. While rock concerts are deafeningly loud with kilowatts of power behind them, they do not possess that quality.

Anyway, we cannot hear what some guys think is "pathetic" amounts of distortion when the spectra is tame. All that is required for anyone to understand this is to take that online ABX test. I encourage everyone who possesses intellectual honesty to do so. It was only on the harmonics of her guitar that I was able to consistently judge 1.5% distortion. It is not an absolute test of cutting edge resolution as better recordings can be more revealing and I am not a great fan of Fast Car by Tracy Chapman. But it is an eye, um ear-opening point of reference. :)

rw

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hyfi

Your way off here. What tube equipment have you owned in order to make all these statements?
I KNOW FROM the start that tube gear is inferior, so why buy any?
I NEVER bought a French automobile either.

Quote:

---

I have grown up around both SS, Tubes, and recently Hybrid. I can assure you that my $600 investment into a $6500 pre amp and $4500 hybrid amp along with speakers and cables will blow most receivers and straight ss gear away.

---

Actually, no. Its impossible for tube gear to outperform solid state, for the same reason a piston airplane will never outperform a jet, solid state is inherently Superior.

Quote:

---

I have a Stratos that was labeled a Giant Killer for it's $1000 price tag when I got it. It does kick ass and throws no heat at all. But, it pales in comparison to a 15 y/o Counterpoint Hybrid amp that has rectifiers, tubes and SS output. My VAC all tube pre blows the doors off almost any SS preamp.

---

Impossible because of inherent limitations in tube amps, you will never get distortion down
to near .1%, and if you did that would destroy the "tube" sound, which is mostly distortion.

Quote:

---

For you to compare my system to an HTIB means that you have a very active imagination and need a huge reality check. I really wish you lived close enough to have you hear it and then have you shut up about things you don't know.

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I have not "compared" it to a HTIB, I have said it was inferiour to any HTIB out there.
A fifty thousand dollar sleigh driven by the best horses still won't beat a 12 year old
CAVALIER with a cracked block. The truth.
I worked on various types of tube gear back in the seventies, none of the guys in class
wanted a "tube" anything. What they wanted was the latest F.E.T solid state amp.
THE LATEST sansui or PIONEER RECEIVER.
used to work on old tube gear, none of it ever measured up.
"Modern" tube gear is refined a great deal, but no matter how "refined" a surf board, you still have to swim out with it, inherent limitation in the design.

Quote:

---

There is nothing imagined here at all. I can swap my system to be all SS or Hybrid amped in seconds and hear a huge difference. I can flip from passive to gain on my pre and have great detail with or without gain.

---

WELL, good for you! I dont even have to touch my EMOTIVA (12 volt trigger) and it will put out sound with .05% DISTORTION OR LESS, a tube amp will never even be close.

Quote:

---

What Tube gear have you owned that did not compare to your Emotiva amp?

---

What tube pre have you owned that was not better than your Onkyo Preamp?

---

YOU ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION.
Why would I own any tube gear? ITS all obsolete, has been for decades.
Dont have a washing machine on the back porch with a ringer, a black and white TV,
OR AN EIGHT TRACK TAPE PLAYER.

Heres what gets me about "tube" fans. Their gear is outperformed by even the cheapest
of solid state gear, but they expect a pass on the specs, they expect their imagination
to count in real world comparison.
MODEL T fans fix up their old cars, drive them in parades, show them off. BUT NONE
are so delusional as to suggest that their antiques are even close to a modern auto.
I could have some respect for the cravings of nostalgia tube fans have for their gear,
the fun they have taking care of their flaky equipment, but then they have to go ruin it
bu saying their over the hill gear is actually superiour to a modern piece of kit!
WHICH IS LIKE saying that a box kite is better than a 747. Silly, really.
You have heater circuits in tube gear, which heat the emitters that power tubes.
This produces a great deal of heat, and the hotter a piece of electronics, the more unstable.
AND ROOM TEMP WILL DETERMINE just how the set performs. The tubes will operate
differently based on their age and several other factors. They will eventually wear out
like a lightbulb, which they basically are.
And any stray electromag interference will affect how they operate, even a minute amount.
WANT to spend thousands on gear that was obsolete the day BELL LABS invented the transistor? Fine. But don't expect me to be an enabler in your delusion.
IF THE KID had not said he was naked, the Emperor would still be walking around without any clothes.
ANYTHING WITH A TUBE is obsolete, and will never spec out better than even cheap solid state, tube gear is a triumph of marketing over reason.
DOES TUBE GEAR SOUND GOOD? Sure. So does a wave radio. HOW ACCURATE IS EITHER ONE?
Not very. And please don't get mad at me for simply stating what any first year
wet behind the ears electronics tech will be more than happy to tell you.
Reality is unpleasant sometimes, but it won't go away for anybody.:1:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pixelthis

Did'nt show my speakers close, most know about them. Will say that the 602s2 is one of the best speakers ever when price is considered.
525$ a pair, 350 for the center, kevlar cones, Nautilus tweeters.
Eight years old, going strong
I use a pair of 305 floorstanders that used to be my mains for surround duty, 400 bucks a pair on closeout. A waste to use these for surrounds, hope the use them for an audio only system soon.HAS plastic fins lining the inside of the cabinet, keeps down standing waves. All I NEED IS A PREAMP, but in the Obamanation times are tight.:1:

---

This is where the vacuum cleaner goes. J/k. I always put off cleaning/dusting behind my equipment once I have it set up because I don't want to move it - might throw off soundstage or something obsessive like that.

Anyhow, I've always been impressed with the 602s I've auditioned. They seem like a very solid choice at the price point and are relatively easy to find and audition. Don't know why I don't have a pair (of 602s) yet.