Finesse

speakerman1 · May 15, 2011

I moved to my sound room so I could capture what I'm about to talk about. I have a Little Creek amp going into my Epos 16s. I also have a Shanling tubed CDP as the source. It is called finesse. It isn't loud it is just there. Very defined and crisp. Some people don't believe in wires and things. These are just little extras that can add or take away from your music. My speaker wires are about 3/4 inch in dia. going to my speakers. They are bi-wires. I have had this system for years. I changed the wires going to the speakers and it changed. Some think I'm crazy. Well I am a person it has to be proved to. I don't just say it because someone told me.

At one time in this costly thing I call a hobby I could afford to change wires and try new things. I have to say the Brits can make some nice equipment. I am a Rock and Roller; but sitting here listening to Ray Charles and hearing the flute in the back ground sends chills up and down my spine. It is nice to have my PL 700B; but the Creek does something the PL doesn't. I run a lot of tubes. I'm still looking for Nirvana; but I ask at what price. I'm not going to lie I have some pretty expensive ICs. To me wires do make a difference. I have proved it to myself and that is all that matters. The PL doesn't have finesse. The Creek and my tubes do.

Larry

stuwee · May 15, 2011

Great post Larry, really well said, except the word is 'synergy', you and I have had this discussion many, many times so I give up

. Call it finesse, I know what you mean

, I'm not a simantics nazi like some people around here :lol:

.

Please don't get me started on IC's, I can't even come close to playing with wires right now. I know they make a differance, I've heard it too. Btw, you need to hunt down a vinyl copy of Simon and Garfunkel's PSR&T, when my older friends come over I play that and watch them get goosebumps on Scarbourgh Fair, they look at me and say "Wow, just Wow, never heard that sound so real before". I don't quite know how it was miked or who did the mastering, but Dayum, it's holographic in spades.

speakerman1 · May 15, 2011

I can't play with wires right now either. I get them at wholesale but I can't play. I like Goertz alot. Just can afford them. When I say finesse. I'm talking about the build of the amp. You have brutes like the PL that puts it in your face. Then you have others that are just there mellow and very distinct in their sound. You can crank them or just get mellow and just listen. There is just a difference in what the designer was trying to achieve.

Larry

laatsch55 · May 15, 2011

IM not going to defend the 700, you have good ears. I have now been exposed to the tube sound, I didn't like what it did to the bass, of course this was just being buffered so not a fair comparison.
I want bass that is in my face, every concert I've been to that i liked that was the sound. There are times where I want to be ASSAULTED by my music then theres times, like the last track on "Tales of the Inexpessible" where I want to be picked up and rocked like a baby. Can one system do it all?? Maybe, but i play with what brang me. I have enough stuff that certain combinations can be deadly, then others make you want to run down the street screaming.

laatsch55 · May 15, 2011

There was a thread awhile ago on AK about IC's. Qboneus in Montana built some out of some ....gami wire, swore up and down by them and his cost was 15-20 bucks apiece. He then had a travelingIC schedule for folks to try them. I quit following the thread when the 20th guy loved em too. I've read enough about wires i could scream, what I haven't done is compare.

laatsch55 · May 15, 2011

I get to be one of the "beta" testers on the new PL 14A/B drive board when Joe gets his prototype run. The component layout is totally different, and what jumped out at me on first impression was"quiet". Now larry your 700 was quiet as a church mouse, having that quieter would be something. After I get my hands on one of those we shall see if a brute can have some finesse too.

laatsch55 · May 15, 2011

F^&$ IT!!!
Larry, when i get done with my 2nd Spec 2 its going to your house for an extended listen. I'm sitting here listening to "Vaccine" at 1- 10 watts and its goosebump time.

Elite-ist · May 15, 2011

laatsch55 said:

I would say I do most of my listening at this volume setting. I leave the louder volume to times when I'm listening to new music I bought or received, or when I crank on a live recording. That's when you need the oats to deliver a powerful and commanding reproduction. And don't you find youself leaning on your amp or receiver on a tune that has special meaning to you?

Nando.

laatsch55 · May 15, 2011

Yes i do Nando. there are some songs that bring back a memory SO INTENSE i can smell THE SAME THING As i smelled WHEN IT MADE THAT IMPRESSION, MUSIC CAN BE SIMPLY f^%$#&*( AMAZING!!!

Elite-ist · May 15, 2011

laatsch55 said:

You mean the smell of pot?

Nando.

laatsch55 · May 15, 2011

Occasionally, gender specific things, a certain lake, a part of my favorite mts, the river......

Elite-ist · May 15, 2011

I'm curious whether, like Larry, I would fine a change in the sound of my system by upgrading my wires. I use standard 12 ga stranded copper for my speaker wires and shilelded, well-insulated, gold plated RCAs for my cables. Just the investment of Nordost cabling would set me back more than some of my initial component purchase prices. I have to hear a large enough improvement in sound quality to justify the price.

Nando.

laatsch55 · May 15, 2011

There in lies the conundum, I'm not spending AT kind of money for wires without testing them in the mancave with the various accountrements.

Elite-ist · May 15, 2011

How many others are in the same boat? My interconnects are no way near the level of quality of audiophile ICs. In fact, they're about on par with the vintage of the equipment I am running. That's my style.

Nando.

stuwee · May 15, 2011

Elite-ist said:

Me! The nicest wires I have are the speaker cables that came with the Logans, I'm not sure who made them, multiple individually sheathed copper wires for - and + The connectors are gold Tiffany spade lugs. The equipment wires vary, some plain old Rat Shack's, Dale grabs all the nice older interconnects from the radio and TV stations when they throw them out.

One Huge thing that makes a difference is cleaning the connections, this can be as easy as just unpluging re connecting a few times, or getting on your knees knave with some isopropyl and q-tips. The oxidation does build up and will affect the sound. I try to do this once a year.

laatsch55 · May 15, 2011

I think I'll revisit Qboneus's thread and order some of the wire he was talking about and make up a few, if there

stuwee · May 15, 2011

Elite-ist said:

laatsch55 said:

You mean the smell of pot?

Nando.

Web Police · May 15, 2011

Expensive cables are overrated. IMO Spend your dollars on better components and speakers. Open up your speakers and see what gauge of wiring they use inside? How big are the traces on the circuit boards inside of your components? :cyclops:

stuwee · May 15, 2011

laatsch55 said:

Todd, from here and ST made some from speaker cables, I have them, very nice, they're the only really good set I have, maybe he'll chime in?

laatsch55 · May 15, 2011

Web Police said:

Good high power sections don't have traces, point to point, and if they do its 2 ounce with wire layed on top to reinforce current carrying capacity.

Finesse

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