Macca's System Blog

[Macca]

Well I thought as much in that the little Dulci does not have enough power for my needs. I can get a decent volume out of it since the speakers are quite large and sensitive but listening 20 feet away, no it just isn't working. I have to strain a bit, really concentrate in order to listen, despite background noise levels where I am being very low. Whack it up and you lose everything that makes the Dulci special.

I could move things around, sit closer, listen near-field. Or get some really sensitive speakers, but would need to be over 100dB, maybe a single driver horn loaded or similar. But I like listening at a distance from the speakers, it is the best way to get that sense of the recording existing as a tangible entity in the space at the far end of the room. Close listening for me just constantly reminds me it is loudspeakers I am hearing, a machine making a sound and that loses the magic.

Put the NVA A30 back in although now fed by a Pioneer DVD 575 which I've not tried with it before. This player has introduced a welcome bit of mid-range clarity, air and space. A step forward from before. Even so I was playing some hefty rock and there were times on some more dynamic material that the A30 sounded a bit strained. And with complex mixes it gets a little fuzzy, losing the separation in the soundstage a bit. With simpler fayre it is really not far of the Dulci for tonal quality and 'wow listen to that' moments. It is in fact bloody good for £340 quid new. If the NVA doesn't really have enough power for me at 30 watts no wonder the Dulci can't quite manage with 4.

I really need to grow up a bit and stop playing loud rock music, maybe that will happen at some point... but I hope not. The thought of being restricted to a life of girl with guitar and Diana Krall....no thanks.

Options now? Get a bigger NVA or try something else I suppose.

One thing I intend to do is I'm going to get another passive pre and make a separate 'late night near-field' system with the Dulci. I have some easy to drive Studio Spares bridge monitors and I think with them on stands in open space about 5' away from the listening position that will work well.

In other news made a big improvement to the bass side of things by getting the sub properly set up. Can't tell you how many subwoofer threads I read but it was a lot. A few times it was recommended firing the sub into the corner to get a more even distribution. Well, I'd tried everything else but blow me down this actually does work with volume about 40% of max and rolling off at 65 Hz I get a bit of extra weight with rock and some decently timed deeper bass with programme that has it. No bone shaking stuff and it is a little soft but the integration is perfect - you would never know a sub was being deployed until it is turned off. If you've been trying and failing to integrate a sub and not tried this give it a go.

[_D_S_J_R_]

Maybe that 'stack' on ebay might be of interest and flog off what you don't need...

[Fretless]

Macca. You really do need an (NVA) amp with more 'oomph' than an A30 to do justice to your room and speakers.

[Macca]

I was looking at that 'stack' but don't really want monoblocks. Fretless you are right of course. Volume-wise it is okay but really need a bit more grip and effortlessness going on. It's interesting that I now have the Dulci which does that valve SECA 'palpability' and 'tactility' thing but at low volume only. The NVA which is more real world and substitutes a bit of the magic for some power, and the XTZ which has endless power and gives that studio control room presentation, albeit a bit bleached out compared to the other two.

So a bigger, better NVA would seem to make sense, except I do quite like that control room thing - you can watch the mix like you would watch a film and it never loses the separation no matter how hectic it gets or how much SPL you pump out. Would something like the A80 do this do you think?

[_D_S_J_R_]

NVA Mono's shouldn't be different in size to the XTZ I reckon - maybe a tad taller.

Martin, you have the option of trying and returning and, after what I heard this afternoon, I promise you that the basic circuit as in your A30, sounds absolutely amazing given a much larger power supply to feed it. Totally effortless and free of grain or other solid state nasties.

[Shevans]

Nice pair of MK11 A40's in the classified section

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

The stack is a good suggestion and so is Seppy's A40's BUT he needs the protection of suck and see and trade in, and he only gets that from me.

You should make that trip Macca.

[jammy395]

Pimp yer ass Macca and get a pair of A80's - You know it makes sense.....

[Fretless]

I'm sure that if you got that old Statement stack and didn't happen to like it (!!!) there will be somebody on HFS who will take it off your hands.

[jammy395]

I'm sure that if you got that old Statement stack and didn't happen to like it (!!!) there will be somebody on HFS who will take it off your hands.

Shane........