Playground for practical listening exercises

[Charlie1]

Really, that often? You can order oil from a Linn dealership and add a couple of drops every year by yourself, if you wanted. New mats and belts are easy too. I'm sure you could sync the two services as well.

[Matteo]

Ha! I hear you ;) I wish Thomas was only 125km away :)

The last 50 km before Genoa cross the mountains (Appennino Ligure); the highway has a lot of curves with speed limit of 60 and 80 km/h.

M.

[tokenbrit]

Ha! I hear you ;) I wish Thomas was only 125km away :)

The last 50 km before Genoa cross the mountains (Appennino Ligure); the highway has a lot of curves with speed limit of 60 and 80 km/h.

M.

Drove it last summer - awesome road :) Speed limit? In Italy? Really??? ;) I was driving the hire car at around the posted speed limit and was being overtaken by minibuses & vans :/

[Matteo]

Ha! I hear you ;) I wish Thomas was only 125km away :)

The last 50 km before Genoa cross the mountains (Appennino Ligure); the highway has a lot of curves with speed limit of 60 and 80 km/h.

M.

Drove it last summer - awesome road :) Speed limit? In Italy? Really??? ;) I was driving the hire car at around the posted speed limit and was being overtaken by minibuses & vans :/

Yes

there are a lot of Police speed check

The speed limits are generally not respected by the Swiss and the other with foreign license plate

M.

[Paaf]

I'd like to drive that road at some point - preferably on a sporty motorcycle! Although I suspect it would get pretty boring with speed checks.

Does an LP12 really require more service than other turntables such as a Rega, or is it more that a culture that has developed around the LP12 to take excellent care of them?

[Matteo]

I'd like to drive that road at some point - preferably on a sporty motorcycle! Although I suspect it would get pretty boring with speed checks.

Does an LP12 really require more service than other turntables such as a Rega, or is it more that a culture that has developed around the LP12 to take excellent care of them?

And also pretty dangerous: a lot of wind!

[tokenbrit]

Yes

there are a lot of Police speed check

The speed limits are generally not respected by the Swiss and the other with foreign license plate

M.

Glad I didn't get a ticket then, but we're getting even more off-topic - sorry. Have fun listening to the RP6 - should we look forward to comparison clips against your LP12? ;)

[Matteo]

Actually I do not have a Planar 6

Just interested for a second system

M

[tokenbrit]

Actually I do not have a Planar 6

Just interested for a second system

M

I know - you just seemed quite interested in getting one... I was just cheekily predicting that you would act on the interest - that's why I put it in italics ;)

[ThomasOK]

And won't a Rega Planar 6 benefit from a good dealer too? If the dealers in Milan aren't so good then the RP6 won't be set up so well either...

Rega's are plug 'n play

BTW, the official Italian Rega (and Naim) importer (Home Vision) and repairer (Lasa) are both in Piacenza, only 70 km (with highway) from Milan.

M.

It is true that no LP12 can be considered as plug 'n play, as they all need some dealer assembly and setup. However, when setup properly they really shouldn't need to be reset for around 3 to 5 years. If it is a case of the stylus wearing out quicker, with an Adikt you can just plug a new one in. Sure it isn't a bad time for a checkup but certainly not necessary for really good musical perfromance.

Regas are plug 'n play, but only if you are OK with less musical performance than they are capable of. This is especially true when you get up to the level of the 6 and beyond. The felt mat still has a right side up, just like a Linn mat, and there are proper torques for the cartridge, the arm to plinth screws, the bearing cap, etc. Even the Planar 3 has 8 fasteners that respond to precise torque. It doesn't take as much time as the LP12 (no spring suspension, fewer fasteners) but the improvements are just as audible.

[beck]

I think I have come as far as I can with my cd player. Question is if I have bettered my previous setup?

Before: https://www.dropbox.com/s/vbh0dxbr88p41 ... 5.mov?dl=0

Now: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ohp53nwwkqole ... 9.mov?dl=0

And now an interesting comparison between my Sondek and my cd player having given my cd player all the attention I could give:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mdtla2g1v62e4 ... 8.mov?dl=0

( Old not perfect Sondek setup )

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0sj38rq718heh ... 8.mov?dl=0

[Matteo]

Regas are plug 'n play, but only if you are OK with less musical performance than they are capable of. This is especially true when you get up to the level of the 6 and beyond. The felt mat still has a right side up, just like a Linn mat, and there are proper torques for the cartridge, the arm to plinth screws, the bearing cap, etc. Even the Planar 3 has 8 fasteners that respond to precise torque. It doesn't take as much time as the LP12 (no spring suspension, fewer fasteners) but the improvements are just as audible.

Thanks Thomas

Very interesting

Have you tried Rega MM cart (Exact or Elys) with Gaio or Slipsik?

M.

[Charlie1]

I think I have come as far as I can with my cd player. Question is if I have bettered my previous setup?

Before: https://www.dropbox.com/s/vbh0dxbr88p41 ... 5.mov?dl=0

Now: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ohp53nwwkqole ... 9.mov?dl=0

I prefer 'Before'.

The 'Now' clip seemed to flow better, although it sounded a bit clinical, and then when the chorus kicked in it just sounded all wrong to my ears.

And now an interesting comparison between my Sondek and my cd player having given my cd player all the attention I could give:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mdtla2g1v62e4 ... 8.mov?dl=0

( Old not perfect Sondek setup )

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0sj38rq718heh ... 8.mov?dl=0

This is interesting. The CD player seemed easier for me to follow. Quite a different sound. I think I prefer the CD player, although listening for a longer period, or being in the room, might lead to a different response. Certainly a very musical sound from that Rega box. Would be nice to hear a before and after, if you have one.

[beck]

NAD, not Rega! :-)

Forgot to say that you have to turn volume one notch down on the cd clip compared to LP.

I can follow your thoughts some of the way knowing what you are getting at.

The thing that is hard to hear through clips is that the LP sound is more “3D” full and dense compared to the more “2D”, “flat” and thinner sounding cd.

[Charlie1]

Listening again to the second pair of clips they seem to me to have different strengths between one another. Perhaps the LP12 is more tuneful and the Nad has another benefit, maybe something to do with timing - not sure. Does that coincide with what you hear? Maybe just my peculiar take on it.

Rega on the brain!

[tokenbrit]

Once I'd adjusted the volume on the LP12 clip to be closer to that of the NAD, the vinyl was clearly better: more menace, better beat, musically more together.

[beck]

I can only say that my long period of working with my NAD C 542 has made my appreciation for good setup even bigger.
I get your “different strengths” comment Charlie1. I will not try to label them but just say that at the end of the day the LP still hits me harder as a human being but the CD has surpriced me big time and I am not finished yet.....

[beck]

Once I'd adjusted the volume on the LP12 clip to be closer to that of the NAD, the vinyl was clearly better: more menace, better beat, musically more together.

This is what I hear too but I admit it is a bit difficult through my clips....

To put it in other words. With cd I hear the “surface” of the voices and instruments and with lp I hear more of the full voices and instruments.

[Charlie1]

Thought I'd give some Klipsch high efficiency bookshelf speakers a go since they are under £300.

They are at a slight disadvantage cos the new K20 is not run in yet and the Kans have to use the older K20 cos one is soldered onto a broken connector.

Moved a foam mattress into the room which is sucking more life out of the music and making the treble harsher still, but at least visitors can sleep more comfortably :(

This is Valhalla LP12/Ittok/MM straight into Nait:
Klipsch: https://www.dropbox.com/s/lxekw004svy4s ... D.MOV?dl=0
Kans: https://www.dropbox.com/s/zpzt1eocqno86 ... D.MOV?dl=0

[Spannko]

Great music choice charlie1!

It’s amazing how good a 30 year old fruit box can sound, there’s something really special about their musicality which is very endearing. I do detect a bass issue (not as much pitch articulation as I’d like to hear), which both speakers display, although it’s more obvious on the Klipsch’s because of their increased bass output, but the mid and higher frequencies are beautifully non digital

[Charlie1]

Thanks for your comments Spannko.

I can address that to some extent with the Green LED Nait, but it doesn't quite have the timing of the Red LED version.

On reflection, I decided it was somewhat unfair to use new K20 so have done a brief mono recording. They are closer now. The volume on the Nait was the same each time, so the Klipsch is a bit louder:

Klipsch: https://www.dropbox.com/s/r437nyx8ehuki ... D.MOV?dl=0
Kans: https://www.dropbox.com/s/msmdhu01k8b6u ... D.MOV?dl=0

[Matteo]

Which model the Klipsch are?

M.

[Charlie1]

R15-M

Klipsch claim 94dB sensitivity.

[beck]

Klipsch Kannot eKlipsch what the Kans Kan do!

[Charlie1]

There's me comparing clips with older ones trying to work out why the music is slightly quieter and a bit flat at the same volume setting. I though the Nait was broken but it must be that bloody mattress!