madbullram
Well-Known Member
Till Venkat posts the detailed one, any one can summarize the shoot outs and the results so unlucky folks like me who are waiting wiht batted breath?
2nd Chennai HFV Meet
- Thread starter venkatcr
- Start date
Of course as Captain Rajesh would be sure to chip in - on a non-dry day.
Oh yes certainly. In fact, I can hire out the 19th Hole of my Golf course, (Golf Hut) which is actually under utilised to organise the meet itself.
regards
Rajesh
Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
I don't know that we are ever going to get this blind-test thing completely subjective or scientific --- but, whatever, the aim is fun and experience, and we certainly got that. It was plain with one of the music samples that we were not only listening to different sources, but that the different media were different mixes, even with instruments changing channels! Not much we can do about that!
One problem is the volume difference. I think that needs to be set up so that the different sources are equalised, at least according to approximate perception. I never use it, but I think my amp has this capacity, so I could dig out the manual and volunteer the amp.
Another thing is spending too long between samples. Not sure if it would work to save all the talk until after the listening, but a session of a minute or so of each source played with no break would be interesting.
One problem is the volume difference. I think that needs to be set up so that the different sources are equalised, at least according to approximate perception. I never use it, but I think my amp has this capacity, so I could dig out the manual and volunteer the amp.
Another thing is spending too long between samples. Not sure if it would work to save all the talk until after the listening, but a session of a minute or so of each source played with no break would be interesting.
We started assembling in my club by about 0945. Transporting the huge Audire IO2s was a pain, but was w0rth the effort. Bala (TheVortex), Murali, Sridhar and others sauntered in by around 10 and we were ready to start setting up the equipment. I set up the Audire speakers with a distance of roughly 8 feet between them facing the length of the room. I place a large table in between to keep all the equipment.
We used Arcam FMJ A28 as the SS amplifier and Bala's Lyrita as the Tube amp. The choice of using FLAC source was simple as Bala had brought his HTPC along. The configuration is as follows:
Cabinet - Antec NSK4480
Motherboard - Gigabyte 780G chipset
Processor - Athlon X2 5400
RAM - 2 GB DDR2 (dual channel)
Hard disk - 2 X 500 GB Seagate Barracudas
External hard disk - 1 TB Seagate
Sound card - ASUS Xonar D2X
In terms of a disc player, since we had Ram's DACMagic we were wondering whether to use Murali's Marantz CD48 as a transport of my Oppo 983. The 983 won. We also had Swami's Stanton TT that was the center of the whole show.
We used a Acoustic Research IC to connect the TT to the Arcam. We used Ram's Belden IC to connect the DacMagic to the amp. To connect the HTPC, Bala used a IC with a 3.5 mm connector on one end and two RAC plugs on the other. All power cables were stock cables that came with the equipment. The amp was connected to the speakers using 14 AWG Belden 8473 cable terminated with MX gold plated banana plugs. Of particular mention is the special distribution board made by Jeeva Bobby. Using transparent plastic, Jeeva has used high quality sockets that can take any type of plug. Each socket has an independent switch. Internally, he has used high quality Orbit cables. The whole circuitry is protected by a RFI/EMI filter. I was so enamoured by the product that I immediately requested Jeeva to make a piece for me. He demurred saying this was a prototype that he sat till 0230 last night preparing for the meeting. I applaud his commitment. At the end of the day, he gave me the piece for evaluation, and I am happily using it in my HT set up.
We also connected Capt. Rajesh's Marantz CD 63 SE to the set up. So now we have 4 sources.
We played some music for a little while allowing people to settle down and enjoy themselves. We also waited for full house, and started the first session around 1145. Ritchie (GrubyHalo), Capt. Rajesh, and I volunteered to the blind fold tests.
Session I. Track used - Eagles Hotel California
Ist Play - LP
Venkat
Imaging - 4
Soundstage - 6
Musicality - 5
Comments - Voices are very subdued. Drums were muddled at the end. Voices were pushed back. Music in front.
Source - Turntable
Capt Rajesh
Imaging - 5
Soundstage - 5
Musicality - 5
Comments - Sound is poor and not clear at all.
Source - Turntable
Gruby
Imaging - 5
Soundstage - 5
Musicality - 5
Comments - Music is not spreading. Can't distinguish between different notes.
Source - Not mentioned
2nd Play - PC
Venkat
Imaging - 5
Soundstage - 7
Musicality - 7
Comments - Positioning of voice was not very good. Drums are more accurate. Voice more forward. Sound stage is much better. Brightness was too much by at least 10-15%
Source - CD
Capt. Rajesh
Imaging - 6
Soundstage - 6 to 7
Musicality - 7
Comments - It is like out of focus image (of the first play) getting into focus. Sound is much more crisper
Source - CD (I'll reserve the comments after hearing the third play)
Gruby
Imaging - 5
Soundstage - 7
Musicality - 6
Comments - The difference between this and the previous session was day and night. Base was very crisp. It did not go as low as previous one.
Source - PC
3rd Play - Oppo + DacMagic + CD
Venkat
Imaging - 8
Soundstage - 8
Musicality - 8
Comments - Much better very sharp. Music was very centered. In terms of clarity and emotion this is the best I liked
Source - Have no idea.
Capt. Rajesh
Imaging - 7.5
Soundstage - 8 (Very good)
Musicality - 7.4
Comments - It was very musical. More natural than the other two. First was blurred, second crisp. Third was in between. This one had a little bit of shimmering.
Source - CD Player and the 2nd was PC
Gruby
Imaging - 6
Soundstage - 7
Musicality - 8
Comments - The difference from the second session was not day and night. I could hear the music dying.
Source - Probably a CD player
Session II. Track used - 'Just Another Brick In The Wall' from Pink Floyd's The Wall.
1st Play - CD 63 SE Marantz
Venkat
Imaging - 8
Soundstage - 8
Musicality - 8
Comments - Music is enveloping and expansive. could be because the song is recorded that way.
Source - Possibly a CD player though I have no idea.
Capt. Rajesh
Imaging - 8.3
Soundstage - 8.5
Musicality - 8
Comments - The music was not centered properly. I could hear more music from the right speakers.
Source - I know this is the Marantz CD player as I recognise it's tone and sound signature. A little unfair.
Gruby
Imaging - 8
Soundstage - 8
Musicality - 8.5
Comments - Sound is totally different from earlier one.
Source - CD Player.
2nd Play - PC
Venkat
Imaging - 7.5
Soundstage - 8.5
Musicality - 8
Comments - Lead singer voice moved a bit to the left, but that could be because of where I was sitting. I could hear the school girls' voices very clearly and the electric guitar in the beginning was very sharp.
Source - I cannot guess what it is. If it is a FLAC file then I am ready to go with a PC based system all my life.
Capt. Rajesh
Imaging - 8
Soundstage - 8
Musicality - 8
Comments - Not very different from the previous play. Crispness of imaging is little less.
Source - This is a FLAC file.
Gruby
Imaging - 7
Soundstage - 7
Musicality - 7
Comments - As Venkat said, school kids can be heard. Previous one was more musical.
Source - Could be PC
3rd Play - LP.
Venkat
Imaging - 8
Soundstage - 9
Musicality - 7.5
Comments - Imaging was good. Instruments overwhelmed the lead voice. much more expansive. Sounded harsh to me, though that could a personal opinion. The others sounded warmer.
Source - LP
Capt. Rajesh
Imaging - 7.8
Soundstage - 8.8
Musicality - 7.5
Comments - Base has a boominess to it.
Source - LP
Gruby
Imaging - 6
Soundstage - 7
Musicality - 5
Comments - I was struggling to hear anything. Clarity and musicality was not there at all.
Source - No comments.
4th Play - Oppo + DacMagic.
Venkat
Imaging - 7.5
Soundstage - 7.5
Musicality - 7.5
Comments - Softer and warmer. I actually felt the lead signer turned his face to the right, sing a few notes and then face me again. The girls voices were not clear.
Source - Cant make out
Capt. Rajesh
Imaging - 8
Soundstage - 7.5
Musicality - 7.5
Comments - None
Source - DVD Player.
Gruby
Imaging - 7
Soundstage - 7
Musicality - 6
Comments - Better than the previous session.
Source - PC
We now removed the SS amplifier and connected all the sources to Bala's Lyrita Tube amp. There were a number of people who had never seen a tube amp before and were wondering if we had gone back a few decades. Bala held forth on the advantages of the tube amp, and explained his amplifier in detail. He then played Donna Summers' I Feel Love through the TT. Most of us were more interested in the HTPC + Tube Amp combination. He first played Dave Brubeck's Take Five using Foobar. To my ears the saxophone sounded a bit rolled off, but the drums sounded nice and deep. Clarity and instrument separation were exceptional. He went on to play Shankar Mahadevan Breathless using cPlay, and this truly great. This was very close to what I know of the song that I have heard so many times. Bala then played 'Another Brick In The Wall' using cPlay. Capt. Rajesh felt he prefers CD any day as CD has a more 'darker background'. Gruby felt FLAC imaging to be precise and more natural. Thad felt the music sounded more natural, possibly because of the tube amp. By the way, Thad was sitting in the first row during our blind tests, and he said that our comments were accurate.
Bala then played two tracks from the album - This Is Fusion (This Is Fusion Songs, This Is Fusion Download mp3 - World Music Instrumental , This Is Fusion online music, This Is Fusion lyrics on Hummaa.com). Both the tracks - Adbuth and SeaBreeze - were rendered by Ganesh Kumaresh.
To my ears this sounded very close to a complete disappearance of electronics. There was hollowness to the recording because of the recording room, and that was clearly audible. Bala comments on the speakers - I like it. Very transparent. According to Gruby the tube was one level better than a solid state amp in terms of clarity. He also felt there was buzz throughput the album, which I could not hear. Since he did not hear the buzz in any other album, I am assuming it is part of the album. The speakers and tube combination, according to Gruby brought a vertical dimension to the music.
Bala then played Hosanna from the movie Vinaaithandi Varuvaya with music by AR Rehman. This was the first time I listened to the song in an non-radio environment. Truly exceptional sounding. The sound stage at the end was very large.
The next track played was Infinity from Sivamani's Mahaleela. Engrossing.
To please Sini's kid who was complaining we were not playing music from a movie called Vettaikarkn, we played a song from the movie just as she woke up from a post lunch snooze. She had a real smile to her face. I kind of agreed I like what we in Tamil call Koothu song. The song sounded real nice on the system. There were a number of instruments I never heard before that added a new dimension to the music.
There were a number of demands from people for Abba, that we will play down the line.
Murali played a number of albums on the turntable that included tracks from Giorgio's e=mc2. Electronic music sounded really nice with drums being very tight though sound stage was not that expansive as Pink Floyd. Like me, Gruby said he could had to do a double take to see if the TT was playing. The original master was digital from which it has been converted to analog for the record album. Are we all so used to listening to digital versions of music, that we do like analog versions at all? Something to ponder about.
We then played the Dave Brubeck and Ganesh Kumaresh tracks through the solid state amp again.
In Take 5, Capt. Rajesh felt the sweetness of the trumpet was completely missing in the solid state. To my ears, the drums sounded better in the SS, though Capt. Rajesh felt the base was too much and hurting. Mids and highs were not as crisp as tube according to a lot of people.
Capt. Rajesh wanted to hear a few tracks from Titanic. He felt the last time he heard the Audire's, the base was not good and felt the speakers had opened up now. After listening for a few minutes, he felt it is wrong to play this kind of music in single driver speakers.
When we started the music session, Thad commented that he felt the whole combination was emphasising the lows and high frequencies were missing. At the end he agreed that he would not say that any more.
I disconnected the Arcam amp, moved it to the second hall and set up the video session along with Srinisundar. He used a Mitsubishi FullHD projector, a Sony BR player, the DacMagic, the Arcam amp, and Bala's PSB Alpha B1 speakers for a 2 channel output. We had used a rented screen, and that kind of spoilt the whole scenario. The kids, myself and a few others enjoyed a BR version of Rajnikanth's Sivaji for about an hour. I wish I had some sense as we could easily have run two sessions from the morning. As we ran out of time, we could not see Sridhar's WD TV that he had brought along, nor could we do a DVD/BR comparison that I was so keen on. As other have said, my apologies to both Srini and Sridhar for the short video session. Next time around we shall plan much better. I am very keen to have a full video session that compares BR, DVD, and media players on a full 5.1 session.
While were at the video session, Sashi had come in with his Cayin amp. A number of people stick to the audio session listening to that amp.
I am showing below some of photographs taken. All photos were taken by Swami69. I will posting more photos donw the line once I am sure who is who.
Bala setting up the equipment.
A few members standing around listening to music.
Full attendance at a music session.
Gruby, Capt. Rajesh, and Venkat blindfolded.
A group photograph.
From Left to Right
Sitting: Charu (Mrs. Venkat), Anu (Grubyhalo's friend), Mrs. Rajesh and her daughter, Shreya (Srinisundar's daughter) and Mrs.Srinisundar, pksnathan.
Standing 1st Row: Jeevaboy, Murali_n, Thevortex Bala, Capt Rajesh, Sashi (black t-shirt), Capt Rajeshs son, SUB - Subramaniam, Mohd Nasser, Srinisundar, Grubyhalo, Tell Ranga, Swami69
Standing Last Row: Srikarkav - Sridhar, Mr. Sankaranarayanan (Balas father) , Redd, Venkat, Rajeev
Thanks to TheVortex and Swami69 for all the names.
We used Arcam FMJ A28 as the SS amplifier and Bala's Lyrita as the Tube amp. The choice of using FLAC source was simple as Bala had brought his HTPC along. The configuration is as follows:
Cabinet - Antec NSK4480
Motherboard - Gigabyte 780G chipset
Processor - Athlon X2 5400
RAM - 2 GB DDR2 (dual channel)
Hard disk - 2 X 500 GB Seagate Barracudas
External hard disk - 1 TB Seagate
Sound card - ASUS Xonar D2X
In terms of a disc player, since we had Ram's DACMagic we were wondering whether to use Murali's Marantz CD48 as a transport of my Oppo 983. The 983 won. We also had Swami's Stanton TT that was the center of the whole show.
We used a Acoustic Research IC to connect the TT to the Arcam. We used Ram's Belden IC to connect the DacMagic to the amp. To connect the HTPC, Bala used a IC with a 3.5 mm connector on one end and two RAC plugs on the other. All power cables were stock cables that came with the equipment. The amp was connected to the speakers using 14 AWG Belden 8473 cable terminated with MX gold plated banana plugs. Of particular mention is the special distribution board made by Jeeva Bobby. Using transparent plastic, Jeeva has used high quality sockets that can take any type of plug. Each socket has an independent switch. Internally, he has used high quality Orbit cables. The whole circuitry is protected by a RFI/EMI filter. I was so enamoured by the product that I immediately requested Jeeva to make a piece for me. He demurred saying this was a prototype that he sat till 0230 last night preparing for the meeting. I applaud his commitment. At the end of the day, he gave me the piece for evaluation, and I am happily using it in my HT set up.
We also connected Capt. Rajesh's Marantz CD 63 SE to the set up. So now we have 4 sources.
We played some music for a little while allowing people to settle down and enjoy themselves. We also waited for full house, and started the first session around 1145. Ritchie (GrubyHalo), Capt. Rajesh, and I volunteered to the blind fold tests.
Session I. Track used - Eagles Hotel California
Ist Play - LP
Venkat
Imaging - 4
Soundstage - 6
Musicality - 5
Comments - Voices are very subdued. Drums were muddled at the end. Voices were pushed back. Music in front.
Source - Turntable
Capt Rajesh
Imaging - 5
Soundstage - 5
Musicality - 5
Comments - Sound is poor and not clear at all.
Source - Turntable
Gruby
Imaging - 5
Soundstage - 5
Musicality - 5
Comments - Music is not spreading. Can't distinguish between different notes.
Source - Not mentioned
2nd Play - PC
Venkat
Imaging - 5
Soundstage - 7
Musicality - 7
Comments - Positioning of voice was not very good. Drums are more accurate. Voice more forward. Sound stage is much better. Brightness was too much by at least 10-15%
Source - CD
Capt. Rajesh
Imaging - 6
Soundstage - 6 to 7
Musicality - 7
Comments - It is like out of focus image (of the first play) getting into focus. Sound is much more crisper
Source - CD (I'll reserve the comments after hearing the third play)
Gruby
Imaging - 5
Soundstage - 7
Musicality - 6
Comments - The difference between this and the previous session was day and night. Base was very crisp. It did not go as low as previous one.
Source - PC
3rd Play - Oppo + DacMagic + CD
Venkat
Imaging - 8
Soundstage - 8
Musicality - 8
Comments - Much better very sharp. Music was very centered. In terms of clarity and emotion this is the best I liked
Source - Have no idea.
Capt. Rajesh
Imaging - 7.5
Soundstage - 8 (Very good)
Musicality - 7.4
Comments - It was very musical. More natural than the other two. First was blurred, second crisp. Third was in between. This one had a little bit of shimmering.
Source - CD Player and the 2nd was PC
Gruby
Imaging - 6
Soundstage - 7
Musicality - 8
Comments - The difference from the second session was not day and night. I could hear the music dying.
Source - Probably a CD player
Session II. Track used - 'Just Another Brick In The Wall' from Pink Floyd's The Wall.
1st Play - CD 63 SE Marantz
Venkat
Imaging - 8
Soundstage - 8
Musicality - 8
Comments - Music is enveloping and expansive. could be because the song is recorded that way.
Source - Possibly a CD player though I have no idea.
Capt. Rajesh
Imaging - 8.3
Soundstage - 8.5
Musicality - 8
Comments - The music was not centered properly. I could hear more music from the right speakers.
Source - I know this is the Marantz CD player as I recognise it's tone and sound signature. A little unfair.
Gruby
Imaging - 8
Soundstage - 8
Musicality - 8.5
Comments - Sound is totally different from earlier one.
Source - CD Player.
2nd Play - PC
Venkat
Imaging - 7.5
Soundstage - 8.5
Musicality - 8
Comments - Lead singer voice moved a bit to the left, but that could be because of where I was sitting. I could hear the school girls' voices very clearly and the electric guitar in the beginning was very sharp.
Source - I cannot guess what it is. If it is a FLAC file then I am ready to go with a PC based system all my life.
Capt. Rajesh
Imaging - 8
Soundstage - 8
Musicality - 8
Comments - Not very different from the previous play. Crispness of imaging is little less.
Source - This is a FLAC file.
Gruby
Imaging - 7
Soundstage - 7
Musicality - 7
Comments - As Venkat said, school kids can be heard. Previous one was more musical.
Source - Could be PC
3rd Play - LP.
Venkat
Imaging - 8
Soundstage - 9
Musicality - 7.5
Comments - Imaging was good. Instruments overwhelmed the lead voice. much more expansive. Sounded harsh to me, though that could a personal opinion. The others sounded warmer.
Source - LP
Capt. Rajesh
Imaging - 7.8
Soundstage - 8.8
Musicality - 7.5
Comments - Base has a boominess to it.
Source - LP
Gruby
Imaging - 6
Soundstage - 7
Musicality - 5
Comments - I was struggling to hear anything. Clarity and musicality was not there at all.
Source - No comments.
4th Play - Oppo + DacMagic.
Venkat
Imaging - 7.5
Soundstage - 7.5
Musicality - 7.5
Comments - Softer and warmer. I actually felt the lead signer turned his face to the right, sing a few notes and then face me again. The girls voices were not clear.
Source - Cant make out
Capt. Rajesh
Imaging - 8
Soundstage - 7.5
Musicality - 7.5
Comments - None
Source - DVD Player.
Gruby
Imaging - 7
Soundstage - 7
Musicality - 6
Comments - Better than the previous session.
Source - PC
We now removed the SS amplifier and connected all the sources to Bala's Lyrita Tube amp. There were a number of people who had never seen a tube amp before and were wondering if we had gone back a few decades. Bala held forth on the advantages of the tube amp, and explained his amplifier in detail. He then played Donna Summers' I Feel Love through the TT. Most of us were more interested in the HTPC + Tube Amp combination. He first played Dave Brubeck's Take Five using Foobar. To my ears the saxophone sounded a bit rolled off, but the drums sounded nice and deep. Clarity and instrument separation were exceptional. He went on to play Shankar Mahadevan Breathless using cPlay, and this truly great. This was very close to what I know of the song that I have heard so many times. Bala then played 'Another Brick In The Wall' using cPlay. Capt. Rajesh felt he prefers CD any day as CD has a more 'darker background'. Gruby felt FLAC imaging to be precise and more natural. Thad felt the music sounded more natural, possibly because of the tube amp. By the way, Thad was sitting in the first row during our blind tests, and he said that our comments were accurate.
Bala then played two tracks from the album - This Is Fusion (This Is Fusion Songs, This Is Fusion Download mp3 - World Music Instrumental , This Is Fusion online music, This Is Fusion lyrics on Hummaa.com). Both the tracks - Adbuth and SeaBreeze - were rendered by Ganesh Kumaresh.
To my ears this sounded very close to a complete disappearance of electronics. There was hollowness to the recording because of the recording room, and that was clearly audible. Bala comments on the speakers - I like it. Very transparent. According to Gruby the tube was one level better than a solid state amp in terms of clarity. He also felt there was buzz throughput the album, which I could not hear. Since he did not hear the buzz in any other album, I am assuming it is part of the album. The speakers and tube combination, according to Gruby brought a vertical dimension to the music.
Bala then played Hosanna from the movie Vinaaithandi Varuvaya with music by AR Rehman. This was the first time I listened to the song in an non-radio environment. Truly exceptional sounding. The sound stage at the end was very large.
The next track played was Infinity from Sivamani's Mahaleela. Engrossing.
To please Sini's kid who was complaining we were not playing music from a movie called Vettaikarkn, we played a song from the movie just as she woke up from a post lunch snooze. She had a real smile to her face. I kind of agreed I like what we in Tamil call Koothu song. The song sounded real nice on the system. There were a number of instruments I never heard before that added a new dimension to the music.
There were a number of demands from people for Abba, that we will play down the line.
Murali played a number of albums on the turntable that included tracks from Giorgio's e=mc2. Electronic music sounded really nice with drums being very tight though sound stage was not that expansive as Pink Floyd. Like me, Gruby said he could had to do a double take to see if the TT was playing. The original master was digital from which it has been converted to analog for the record album. Are we all so used to listening to digital versions of music, that we do like analog versions at all? Something to ponder about.
We then played the Dave Brubeck and Ganesh Kumaresh tracks through the solid state amp again.
In Take 5, Capt. Rajesh felt the sweetness of the trumpet was completely missing in the solid state. To my ears, the drums sounded better in the SS, though Capt. Rajesh felt the base was too much and hurting. Mids and highs were not as crisp as tube according to a lot of people.
Capt. Rajesh wanted to hear a few tracks from Titanic. He felt the last time he heard the Audire's, the base was not good and felt the speakers had opened up now. After listening for a few minutes, he felt it is wrong to play this kind of music in single driver speakers.
When we started the music session, Thad commented that he felt the whole combination was emphasising the lows and high frequencies were missing. At the end he agreed that he would not say that any more.
I disconnected the Arcam amp, moved it to the second hall and set up the video session along with Srinisundar. He used a Mitsubishi FullHD projector, a Sony BR player, the DacMagic, the Arcam amp, and Bala's PSB Alpha B1 speakers for a 2 channel output. We had used a rented screen, and that kind of spoilt the whole scenario. The kids, myself and a few others enjoyed a BR version of Rajnikanth's Sivaji for about an hour. I wish I had some sense as we could easily have run two sessions from the morning. As we ran out of time, we could not see Sridhar's WD TV that he had brought along, nor could we do a DVD/BR comparison that I was so keen on. As other have said, my apologies to both Srini and Sridhar for the short video session. Next time around we shall plan much better. I am very keen to have a full video session that compares BR, DVD, and media players on a full 5.1 session.
While were at the video session, Sashi had come in with his Cayin amp. A number of people stick to the audio session listening to that amp.
I am showing below some of photographs taken. All photos were taken by Swami69. I will posting more photos donw the line once I am sure who is who.
Bala setting up the equipment.
A few members standing around listening to music.
Full attendance at a music session.
Gruby, Capt. Rajesh, and Venkat blindfolded.
A group photograph.
From Left to Right
Sitting: Charu (Mrs. Venkat), Anu (Grubyhalo's friend), Mrs. Rajesh and her daughter, Shreya (Srinisundar's daughter) and Mrs.Srinisundar, pksnathan.
Standing 1st Row: Jeevaboy, Murali_n, Thevortex Bala, Capt Rajesh, Sashi (black t-shirt), Capt Rajeshs son, SUB - Subramaniam, Mohd Nasser, Srinisundar, Grubyhalo, Tell Ranga, Swami69
Standing Last Row: Srikarkav - Sridhar, Mr. Sankaranarayanan (Balas father) , Redd, Venkat, Rajeev
Thanks to TheVortex and Swami69 for all the names.
Last edited:
Thad E Ginathom
Well-Known Member
I was also enamoured of that transparent connections block! More so now I know some technical details
. It was something of a relief to me that I found these guys, real enthusiasts who are far more into this stuff than I am, saying much the same as I felt that I had heard too. Particularly as I have fairly bad high-frequency hearing loss --- as anyone who tried to have a conversation with me might have noticed. Maybe that also explains why I was in the loo when the group photo was taken. ...Or, maybe not! LOL.
Hey! I said I agreed, which is a very different statement!
. It was something of a relief to me that I found these guys, real enthusiasts who are far more into this stuff than I am, saying much the same as I felt that I had heard too. Particularly as I have fairly bad high-frequency hearing loss --- as anyone who tried to have a conversation with me might have noticed. Maybe that also explains why I was in the loo when the group photo was taken. ...Or, maybe not! LOL.Hi Venkat,
thanks for that wondeful post. The way the blindfold tests were done the way you have reported the results are really impressive.Seems like you guys had a blast. The little I can see of the audire speakers they look gorgeous. Do they use the same drivers as used by Viren in his Harmony one speakers?
Thanks.
thanks for that wondeful post. The way the blindfold tests were done the way you have reported the results are really impressive.Seems like you guys had a blast. The little I can see of the audire speakers they look gorgeous. Do they use the same drivers as used by Viren in his Harmony one speakers?
Thanks.
Did you just bully him or did you beat him up?
Thad there is no way the person I saw at Music Hall was you in the pics I see today. He must be a different person ... or do you wear a wig?
Just kidding!Venkat I really admire all the pains you take to make things happen. And Bobby to sit till 2am for an enthusiast meet, after a long days work ... Great Stuff!
Happy listening!
Cheers
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I wanted to add something. The bonhomie within the group and camaraderie; nothing signified that better than Srinisundar driving from the club to his office at Besant Nagar to get a monitor (display) as yours truly just assumed that the projection equipment can be used for this. This was at around 11 am too.
The other thing that need to be added was that the ambience was fantastic - perfect for music. Not too much external noise. The food too was pretty good.
Another example of the spirit of cooperation was present when Rajiv had come in with a couple of changes in rectifier tubes for the valve amp. He is somebody I have a lot of time for when it comes to tube selection as well as anything about valve amps in general. We did switch the rectifier that I had been using (Bel GZ34) with the one that he had brought in (Brimar). I thought the change resulted in the treble receding a bit and the music being a bit more laidback. Rajiv added that the sound appeared to be more airy than before.
Lastly, consider this. We played relatively less powerful amps (The 60W Arcam and the 3 Watt Lyrita) through full range speakers, albeit with 3 inch drivers, in a huge space of more than 600 sq ft (or more). The hall was also fairly populated with people. And yet we had fun. Now that I would say is an achievement.
I dont think any of the equipments brought in were a disappointment in any way - including the Stanton turntable that Swamy69 had brought in. Actually the turntable (and the LP of The Wall) thoroughly surprised me. I would not have been able to identify the source as an LP had I participated in the blind tests. That is how good it was!
The other thing that need to be added was that the ambience was fantastic - perfect for music. Not too much external noise. The food too was pretty good.
Another example of the spirit of cooperation was present when Rajiv had come in with a couple of changes in rectifier tubes for the valve amp. He is somebody I have a lot of time for when it comes to tube selection as well as anything about valve amps in general. We did switch the rectifier that I had been using (Bel GZ34) with the one that he had brought in (Brimar). I thought the change resulted in the treble receding a bit and the music being a bit more laidback. Rajiv added that the sound appeared to be more airy than before.
Lastly, consider this. We played relatively less powerful amps (The 60W Arcam and the 3 Watt Lyrita) through full range speakers, albeit with 3 inch drivers, in a huge space of more than 600 sq ft (or more). The hall was also fairly populated with people. And yet we had fun. Now that I would say is an achievement.
I dont think any of the equipments brought in were a disappointment in any way - including the Stanton turntable that Swamy69 had brought in. Actually the turntable (and the LP of The Wall) thoroughly surprised me. I would not have been able to identify the source as an LP had I participated in the blind tests. That is how good it was!
unleash_me
Well-Known Member
Out of context, this trinity picture would be rather funny to look at especially the blindfolded trifecta vs. heavy headed empty stares.
especially the blindfolded trifecta vs. heavy headed empty stares.
Thad, the group photo was taken at the very end, and you had left by then. But don't worry. I do have a few photos in which you are there.
Cheers.
Hi Guys,
It was great meeting the guys at the meet.And it was inspiring to see the enthu showed by Venkat and Bala to get the meet going.It was a day well spent.My son who said he will stay only half a day remained the whole day.Such was the fun we had.
As i said before Bala's tube amp was the cynosure of all eyes.The music from it thro the single driver speakers was good indeed.murali felt the treble was lacking.But as Venkat said i am not able to say how different it is from the SS amp.May be a listen in Bala's home environment may make this lead ears to differentiate. I must say i enjoyed the Wall song the most when it was played thro the Marantz CDP and arcam. Thro the tubes i enjoyed Rahman's Hosana song immensely.My son felt that our old Technics is a little better than the Stanton used.But i told him it was not right to judge a TT so casually wit less than ideal stettings for it.A TT should be fussed over before we get the best out of it.
The blindfold test proved to be most fun.All the three of them gave very good insights about what they heard..Thanks Venkat for thinking of an idea like this.
Yes i think as Bala has said we should have a complete script(including the songs that should be played) before we go for the shoot hear after and stick to it.After the planned sessions are over members can indulge in their likings if time permits.Yes i was disappointed the video session did not get off and i agree we are still at the learning curve in arranging the meet.
And Venkat... after taking such great pains to arrange such a fabulous meet there is absolutely no need for you to apologise to anyone.i once again thank you and Bala for such a wonderful time.And swami too for taking the photos with his awesome looking camera.And i was moved to know Jeeva was awake till 2am to make the box.Thank you too young man.And my good friend murali too for playing some great vinyls.And to Srinisundar for saying he was disappointed not for himself but for the others. His words in short signifies the spirit of all the members of this great forum.
Guys let us have many more meets like this and get to know some more nice people too.
cheers,
sri
It was great meeting the guys at the meet.And it was inspiring to see the enthu showed by Venkat and Bala to get the meet going.It was a day well spent.My son who said he will stay only half a day remained the whole day.Such was the fun we had.
As i said before Bala's tube amp was the cynosure of all eyes.The music from it thro the single driver speakers was good indeed.murali felt the treble was lacking.But as Venkat said i am not able to say how different it is from the SS amp.May be a listen in Bala's home environment may make this lead ears to differentiate. I must say i enjoyed the Wall song the most when it was played thro the Marantz CDP and arcam. Thro the tubes i enjoyed Rahman's Hosana song immensely.My son felt that our old Technics is a little better than the Stanton used.But i told him it was not right to judge a TT so casually wit less than ideal stettings for it.A TT should be fussed over before we get the best out of it.
The blindfold test proved to be most fun.All the three of them gave very good insights about what they heard..Thanks Venkat for thinking of an idea like this.
Yes i think as Bala has said we should have a complete script(including the songs that should be played) before we go for the shoot hear after and stick to it.After the planned sessions are over members can indulge in their likings if time permits.Yes i was disappointed the video session did not get off and i agree we are still at the learning curve in arranging the meet.
And Venkat... after taking such great pains to arrange such a fabulous meet there is absolutely no need for you to apologise to anyone.i once again thank you and Bala for such a wonderful time.And swami too for taking the photos with his awesome looking camera.And i was moved to know Jeeva was awake till 2am to make the box.Thank you too young man.And my good friend murali too for playing some great vinyls.And to Srinisundar for saying he was disappointed not for himself but for the others. His words in short signifies the spirit of all the members of this great forum.
Guys let us have many more meets like this and get to know some more nice people too.
cheers,
sri
hehehe! - long time (two weeks) since i had to refer wikipedia for the meaning of a word - trifecta!
but, here it is - before other forum members ask -
"In horse racing terminology, a trifecta is a parimutuel bet in which the bettor must predict which horses will finish first, second, and third in exact order. The word comes from the related betting term, "perfecta". A trifecta is known as a Tierc in France and Hong Kong and as a Tris in Italy.
Trifecta is also used to describe scoring three points at one time.
[edit] Politics
The term has been extended to the realm of politics, where it is used to describe a situation in which an executive of government appoints another elected official to a position and is also allowed to appoint his successor. This process can be chained together; in other words, the executive can appoint an elected official to a position, appoint another elected official to the other's previous position, and finally appoint anyone to the second official's position. The first permutation of this chain is called a "quadfecta".
you learn sumthin every day!
Congratulations from the Delhi/NCR Audiophiles to the Chennai Audiophile Group for successfully organising such a great meet.
Research/Analysis + listening to music for pure enjoyment thereafter-very nice!
Also loved seeing some ladies & kids participating.
@ Rajeev, Bala-did you try out the 45's on the Lyrita SET apart from the stock 2A3's ?
@group photo- nice to see the faces behind the monikers; I wish everyone would post their pics in their Avatars a la Capt Rajesh.
Some more pics, plz , if poss.
Again, well done guys!
Research/Analysis + listening to music for pure enjoyment thereafter-very nice!
Also loved seeing some ladies & kids participating.
@ Rajeev, Bala-did you try out the 45's on the Lyrita SET apart from the stock 2A3's ?
@group photo- nice to see the faces behind the monikers; I wish everyone would post their pics in their Avatars a la Capt Rajesh.
Some more pics, plz , if poss.
Again, well done guys!
I thank all members who had worked hard to make this event happen.
A special thanks for Venkat for being the prime mover and also posting the happenings of the event.
With regard to the comments that I've been quoted to have made, I take this opportunity to make a few corrections.
Just to set the record straight.
A special thanks for Venkat for being the prime mover and also posting the happenings of the event.
With regard to the comments that I've been quoted to have made, I take this opportunity to make a few corrections.
Just to set the record straight.
jeevabobby26
Active Member
Hi to all forum members,
It was a very good HiFiVision Chennai meetup,I to had my blast and Im very much happy to be a part of it and i enjoyed a lot. It was like more than a meetup, as i earned many friends for life who had there love and passion for music, movies, Equipments, DIY etc.
Thanks to Venkatcr and Bala (Thevortex) for managing and coordinating this wonderfull HFV chennai meetup. And also, all the HFV forum menbers who had came with there equipments and also who ever took part in this HFV chennai meetup. Last but not least our HiFiVision Forum and Moderators, without this forum we could not able to make such a great meetup and discussions. Thanks a lot for all this happenings.
It was a very good HiFiVision Chennai meetup,I to had my blast and Im very much happy to be a part of it and i enjoyed a lot. It was like more than a meetup, as i earned many friends for life who had there love and passion for music, movies, Equipments, DIY etc.
Thanks to Venkatcr and Bala (Thevortex) for managing and coordinating this wonderfull HFV chennai meetup. And also, all the HFV forum menbers who had came with there equipments and also who ever took part in this HFV chennai meetup. Last but not least our HiFiVision Forum and Moderators, without this forum we could not able to make such a great meetup and discussions. Thanks a lot for all this happenings.
Did you just bully him or did you beat him up?
I gently whispered the error of his ways in his ear and threatened not to give him any food if he does not agree.
That was the plan in any case. Fortunately he 'heard' things better at the end of the day. Cheers
A beautiful, well-constructed speaker with class-leading soundstage, imaging and bass that is fast, deep, and precise.
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