Wavecor Ardent Mid Priced Build

[Renron]

Steve,
Duly impressed. No wonder you do such excellent work. Now I understand. I used to build houses for your peers.
My son really is a rocket scientist, but designs / develops locomotive carriers (chassis)
You two would have fun talking shop. I'll fetch you beers.

A single stage is fine if your not trying to spray syrup. (latex)

Ron

P.S. You'd be the guy to ask. What do the inscriptions on the glass panel @ Cern mean? Looks like hieroglyphics.
And Why the Shiva statue??? pm is OK

[Renron]

Couple of Pics for this evening. First one I was waiting for the sun to come out for a good picture. It almost came out.
Glamour shot will have to do for now.
Second picture is "I'd give my left sock" to be sitting with Bob listening to the speakers. I never made it to Bob's place (long drive)
but the sentiment is still there.
First impression summed up by the wife unit, I've got goose bumps---. Also said it's like being in a room with a grand piano as compared to a cheap upright. We have a very nice Yamaha upright, it's not cheap.
Alison Krauss sounds like I could touch her, maybe in my dreams. Mids sounded sharp for the 1st hour and are much better now. My last set of quality speakers really changed ~ 50hours.
What's the consensus of hours for the change on these from those who have many hours on them?
Very Happy Man.
Ron

[BobEllis]

Congratulations Ron. It's been a long road and you finished ahead of me since I'm listening with breadboard external crossovers for now.

Mine settled in pretty quickly, more change in the bottom (smoother) than the mids. Then again we have different midranges.

[Steve Manning]

Those look amazing Ron ..... both you and Bob have done a killer job.

[Renron]

Thanks guys. They are wonderfully articulate and powerful without being boomy. One Country Western song, Honky Tonk Badonkadonk has bass notes that hit so hard you can feel them in your chest 18' away. Still not Boomy, 'they're powerful. The sweet spot is enormous.

[JonMarsh]

I would say 50 to 100 hours is good, enough for the caps and dielectrics to settle in, but keep in mind they respond to everything else in the system, so as that evolves, so will your experience.

VERY glad to hear that what you hear pleases you...

A really amazing thing is that I think these are now my most "popular" design after the NatalieP, based on numbers of pairs built or in construction... Remarkable considering the price of entry.

And a very nice build and nice pictures! :T

[scottvalentin]

Beautiful work Ron! Well done!

[BobEllis]

...

A really amazing thing is that I think these are now my most "popular" design after the NatalieP, based on numbers of pairs built or in construction... Remarkable considering the price of entry.

And a very nice build and nice pictures! :T

Funny thing is I watched the original Ardent thread, thinking that I liked the look and wanted to try the C79. Then I saw facet cutting and decided it was not only too expensive but too hard. Times changed. thankfully. I've still kept mine playing almost all day long, and at the end of the day it's hard to shut down and go to sleep. Oh, I'll just listen to one more song. Yeah right. "Are you coming to bed?"

[sdl2112]

Couple of Pics for this evening. First one I was waiting for the sun to come out for a good picture. It almost came out.
Glamour shot will have to do for now.
Second picture is "I'd give my left sock" to be sitting with Bob listening to the speakers. I never made it to Bob's place (long drive)
but the sentiment is still there.
First impression summed up by the wife unit, I've got goose bumps---. Also said it's like being in a room with a grand piano as compared to a cheap upright. We have a very nice Yamaha upright, it's not cheap.
Alison Krauss sounds like I could touch her, maybe in my dreams. Mids sounded sharp for the 1st hour and are much better now. My last set of quality speakers really changed ~ 50hours.
What's the consensus of hours for the change on these from those who have many hours on them?
Very Happy Man.
Ron

Beautiful Ron :T...looks like you really achieved the deep finish you were after. Great clarity.

I am using a varnish finish as well...Pratt and Lambert 38 clear. I would love to hear the details of your finishing steps. Did you wet or dry sand to level and what products did you use? Then what was your rub-out/polish process?

I am forging new ground with mine and pretty nervous of the next steps. As I applied coats of finish I was surprised at the grain exposure of the bamboo. Sanding a test piece revealed the shiny grain pockets. I'm at 8 wipe-on coats after some seal coats and things are looking better. If time permits this weekend I'll do somewhat aggressive sanding to help level then on to 8-10 mores coats. Anyway I'm using this half-way point to test some methods. It will be 5 days+ since the last coat so hopefully it will be pretty cured. The final coats I'll wait 3-4wks before proceeding. I'm aiming for a even satin sheen.

Anyway...back on topic I look forward to seeing more pics of yours...great job!

[Renron]

The cabinets have some orange peel on them, but I can live with it. I sanded and polished the tops and front facet because the dust nibs that felt terrible when you run your hand across the top. Varnish is absolutely beautiful and looks exactly like I was hoping. Very rich tones.
I wouldn't do it again though. Too much trouble for what it's worth IMO.
I would spray a Water borne dye for color, spray some de-waxed shellac as a sealer then 3 coats of a water borne gloss or auto clear coat. Sand lightly to bust up the raised wood fibers and lay down another 2-3 coats and call it good. Maybe on my next pair of Ardents. (just kidding) Only Jon does that kind of stuff, well maybe Bob, and Benthe8track, and Dar47....... Are they Nuts? 1 1/2 years to plan and build these marvelous speakers. Well worth double the time invested.

Ron

I'll be there in a minute Honey............. just one more song...............

[Renron]

SDL2112,
Thank you for the compliments, they do look very nice. Except for some minor orange peel. I think I have a total of 12 coats, honestly, I lost track.

"I would love to hear the details of your finishing steps. Did you wet or dry sand to level and what products did you use? Then what was your rub-out/polish process?"

I used Epifanes gloss Varnish. First coat I used 50/50 Varnish and Napatha VM&P. Second coat 60/40. Third 75/25. Fourth and the rest 80/10/10 the 10% was a quality turpentine. Smells like a Pine Forrest. Wife unit hates the smell. Loves pine trees and the forrest but hates chemical smells of any kind.
I always gave at least 48 hours to dry between coats. Varnish is soft and slow drying. However, I did use a "Drier" which accelerates the drying process and hardness of the finished Varnish. It's called Grumbacher Cobalt Drier. I used 10 drops per 8 oz of thinned product.
I rolled and tipped the first 8 coats. After about 6-7 it filled in the grain pores and I needed to level sand back to the wood. Scary process. I used 220 grit for this.
On the subject of sanding. I have couple of things to share with the Forum folks.
I LOVE the Sander Porter Cable Sander that Jon recommended, best finish sander I've ever owned. Most of my tools are Bosch and I don't buy cheap tools.
I tried the Abranet sanding discs with the backing pad for the first time. They are $$$ but last much longer than sandpaper discs. That said they are NOT the same grit numbering system as say 3M sanding discs. (Hank back me up on this) I feel that they are about 1 grade rougher than the number suggests. ie;
a 320 Abranet feel more like a 280 paper to me. 3M or Mirka paper backed discs seem to powder the finish better. It's not because the Abranet lets the powder get sucked up into the bag easier either. This is my experience, yours may be different.
I used the Abranet 220 and 320 early on before the final few coats. For those I used 3M and Mirka paper hook and loop 320.

Because I used the dryer, I could wet sand / buff the cabinets sooner than waiting the recommended 3 weeks. I waited about 1 1/2 weeks. I only wet sanded the tops and front facet. The rest flowed out reasonably well. I can live with them not being perfect.
Sanding schedule was 2000 wet, 3000,4000,6000 then Meguires Swirl remover then Machine Glaze #2. Use the correct color pad. Makes a difference.
I am going to wait about a month before wax / sealing them. Always wet sand and wipe off well between finer grits. Many times I got to the buff stage only to see deep scratches. Back to 2000 grit.....
There a few minor scratches that I just could not get out without having to re varnish. I'll just have to live with them. After 4 last coats, I'd had enough fun.
There is a time to stop and let it be what it is.......

Ron

Ron

[sdl2112]

Thank you Ron.

I hope to share a successful finishing process when I've had enough fun...:W

~Scott

[dar47]

Ron, Nicely done:T:T:T

The varnish in gloss was worth it for that veneer. Ya 50 hours and the Wavecors loosen a bit, stay tight on the bottom and cross to the mid smoother.

If you ever fall into an extra pile of $$$ you can abscond with the 6640 tweet would be a nice upgrade and your work will support that madness,haha.

[TEK]

Congratulations Ron!
Very happy to see that you have got these playing. Now it's partytime :-)
arty:arty:

I see that Bob is annoncing you as the winner... Is this a bad time to ask both of you where your grilles are ;-)

[scottvalentin]

Who would cover such technological terror and beauty such as those with a grill???

[TEK]

The grills are a part of the ardent design y' know...
The sound is, as with the original they are inspiered by, tuned to be used with the grills on.

And then both of them get a new go for the victory

[scottvalentin]

I did not know that actually!

Hahah here's to them both winning!

[BobEllis]

My decorating committee insists that they remain grille-less. Having seen photos of the first round with grilles, she likes it better without. Since she's letting me have them in the living room at home, I won't argue. I may sneak grilles on when she's out, just to see what they sound like (magnets in place under the veneer).

[Renron]

Tek,
Your busting my Bolls,............
here's one of two. Installing the grill cloth was the least fun I've had during this entire process. I started with .190" screen spline. Couldn't make it fit worth a darn. So, I bought all the different sizes I could find, (4). .160 works for me. I can get all the corners installed and the straight track stays tucked in the groove.
Not a fun part of the build. But, I think it sounds better with the felt around the tweeter. I did not put felt around the mid, I tried it, but I liked the sound better with felt on the tweeter only.
I'm working on the other one as I type this. With my other two hands......
Ron

Wife unit and I both agree, they look better with the grills on. Sound better too. IMO.

[JonMarsh]

They WERE designed to be flattest with the grille's and felt in place...

but some people do like a slight smile in their frequency response. :B

[Renron]

Bob, I think that was aimed at both of us!
My excuse for no felt on the midrange is..........wait for it........................slightly less dB due to an inferior midrange driver, (probably true) and loss of hearing articulation due to age (probably true again)

I heard the depth of the soundstage open up a little last night during one song. That was nice surprise.

Ron

[BobEllis]

Grilles are on my to do list. They just may have to go into hiding when the lady of the house is home.

[Renron]

Smart man......

[Wayman]

That is simply jaw-dropping, inspirational work!!

Cheers, wayne

[TEK]

Wow!
Looking really nice. I like mine best with the grills one. Think they look more complete. Also have to say that it is really sweet with the magnets hidden behind the veneer. That "swap" feeling when the magnets just drag them into place is really nice!

I have a couple of in-kahn-neatos inspiered speakers in the living room where I did not make the grills before I hung them up... Do you think I have made grills for those yet? Nope!
So I would really recommend to just get it done. If not it will probably never be done ;-)

[Renron]

Glamour shot

Sunshine photo, and compound used.

[BobEllis]

Very nice, Ron.

[Steve Manning]

Where are my sunglasses 8) ..... very nice Ron

[JonMarsh]

Sunshine photo, and compound used.

I don't know what the difference is between the Megquire's cutting compound I ordered and this one Ron got, but I ordered some of this today... just in case! :T

[Renron]

I couldn't tell you the chemical difference, but the ease of use, and one step worked for me. Reading Meguire's ad info, this one has some features that reduce "haze" after removing scratches and swirl marks. I was able to verify this my self. I also have Machine glaze 2 and swirl remover from Meguier's , I found the Ultimate compound worked better and was only one step.
YMMV.
Ron

[Evil Twin]

Your inputs are most useful...

were Captain Needah as capable and articulate in his explanations, he, too, might still be around. I, too, will order this product... pray that it works as you suggest, and that you retain your status as a highly valued advisor...

[Renron]

Yes my Master.
It will polish your armor and take those nasty carbon marks from blaster explosions right off. I'm referring to the plasma splat residue, after you blocked them with your light saber of course. Leaving a gleaming, shiny, Ever so dark you. ;x(
You may even get better mileage from the TIE fighter!
Ron

[JonMarsh]

Road trip to Rescue the Ardents

Elwood: There's 106 miles to Chicago, we've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark out, and we're wearing sunglasses.
Joliet Jake: Hit it!

Substitute Rescue CA for Chicago, and ditch the cigarettes - only all the other members of my FOO smoke cigarettes, never me.

And who calls a town "Rescue"? - that sounds more like some ironical Cable channel name for an imaginary town in a show where things are not as they seem, or in relation to an over arching theme...


It was an all day road trip adventure, and it was a blast, too. Need to get out of the house more often for stuff other than work... ;-)



Ron and I have been talking about getting together for a while, to check out that everything was as expected with his Ardents, because remember, they are a bit "special" with a ScanSpeak midrange and a different Scanspeak tweeter, the 6600, which is sort of the cloth dome version of the 6640. (or you could say the 6640 is the Beryllium dome version of the 6600. Take you pick of point of view...)

Ron sent me the midranges, and based on measurements, I modified the overall crossover design, but you know, that's on paper (well, not paper, on an LCD screen, actually) and this would be reality.


Let me say right away, Ron's Ardents are beautiful, a definite work of art, with a gorgeous finish.




The ultimate DIY meet might be a collection of all the Ardent owners in the world, and we could have a concurs judging for which set looks the best- I haven't seen the others in person, but his would certainly be a front runner or early favorite.


I unpacked my MacBook Pro, mic, preamps, test amplifier, and a pile of cables, and we got to work- it didn't take too long before we could get our first results.

Uh oh...




I checked this at several vertical angles, on axis for the mid, and for the tweeter, and got variations on the same theme. Checked the second one, same thing- so this was consistent, and as you might imagine, looks like a clear case of midrange polarization mis match needed to be corrected. (Ron's checking the files and posts to see whether I gave him the wrong info- I had the impression he was going to stay up late last night doing that just so I couldn't do one of my moderator revisionist history tricks and edit the post to reflect my preferred version of events...)

Ron used quick connects, so the easiest way to reverse the polarity was to pop the drivers and switch the cable polarity.

At this point we also had the cabinets pulled out into the room....

The suspense was excruciating, but short lived....



This was measured on the midrange axis at my body calibrated 1 meter distance. (Ask Ron, he'll explain) No grille cloth panel, so tweeter output is a bit elevated.


Given the roll off on the top, I also measured on the tweeter axis at the same distance; here, we see more extended output from the 6600.




What I suspect is happening here is that the soft dome has some internal modal behavior at high frequency that messes up the off axis above 18-20 kHz, because I see better behavior from the 6640 at 10-20 degrees off axis. well, you ought to get SOMETHING for your extra $250 dollars per tweeter, right?


I didn't have time to build any more voicing modules, but I did bring along my first article prototypes, and we hooked them up into the signal path from the preamp output cables to the amplifier input, after doing a first music cut check straight through. We did have the grilles off for this test and the subsequent listening session. Here's a level matched comparison:





For final reference, here are plots without grilles on my original set with C79 and 6640, in room with a similar 100ms gate.






We then setup the AURALiC gear I brought along with the NAD M22 Class D amp, and played a variety of music off my MacBook Pro using JRIVER and a USB connection to the Vega. BTW, we did pull them out into the room with something close to a Cardas spacing and arrangement. I think Ron like the sonic results, even if he can't leave them setup that way all the time.

Artist	Track Title
Lorde	Tennis Racket, Royals
Curando	Aras
Harry James	Corner Pocket, Cherokee
Shelby Lynn	Just a little Lovin
Andreas Vollenweider	White Winds
Spyro Gyra	East River Blues
Spin Doctors	Two Princes
Fleetwood Mac	Oh Daddy, Gold Dust Woman
Peter Paul and Mary	Blowin' in the Wind

All in all, it was a very fun day, and it was a real pleasure to meet Ron and his wife in person and get to know him a bit more- and "certify" his customized Ardent version!

I do plan to make sure more information about this configuration is included in the "official" thread, because after listening I think we both agree it is a very viable alternative.

[BobEllis]

Wow! That shot makes me want to take a belt sander to mine and re-apply my veneer. Using clamp and caul I have some waviness in my veneer surface that I dare not try to sand out.

Guess I need to break out my measurement gear and verify that my Ardents are wired correctly. I'll be spending a lot of time in front of them in the coming months recovering from a knee replacement in late January.

I'm looking forward to Ron's impressions of the AURALiC and NAD gear. I'm sure it was a long way better than my little Schiit DAC.

[JonMarsh]

Ouch! I feel for you... I have a right knee that is just not right... already had a torn meniscus repair, which subsequent research indicates may not have been justified and actually made things worse- keep us updated on how that goes for you. To add injury to insult, my right hip is bone on bone.... this is one of those times I wish I DID have two left feet, or left legs, as I would get around a lot better.... :W

And if you do have measurement gear, by all means a QA check is not a bad idea...

[JonMarsh]

Totally off topic, what a Yamaha GTS1000 is

Just replying to Ron on something I couldn't explain very well yesterday, what the Yamaha GTS1000 is- notice, no front fork.


Yeah, it's just mag lev and virtual reality! And in 1991, too! :B

This is mine with the new Corbin seat after I picked it up from North of Seattle couple of years ago...





What the frame/chasis actually looks like under the skin, from the other side:

[Renron]

WoW, Just Wow!

What's wrong with Rescue? Nothin'! LOL, I actually really like the name, it always brings out conversations. I live right on one of the old Pony Express routes with the Livery and Bunk House less than 100 yard away. Perhaps it was the riders "Rescue"?
Livery on the left, bunkhouse on the right. The fog started rolling in thick as Jon left last night, I'm glad to see he arrived home safely.

Jon arrived exactly on time Sunday morning, I think he secretly waited close by until 9:00 O'clock just so he could be punctual.
After a warm greeting and introductions it felt as thou we were old friends becoming reacquainted. Such a nice gracious man.

We unloaded his cute little car/van and the springs moaned a sigh of relief after unloading all the expensive equipment Jon brought with him for testing and the listen session that followed. I'm just kidding about his Honda Element, it's a very capable vehicle with an enormous cargo area considering the size of the vehicle. I drive an Extended Cab Ford F-250 longbed diesel truck, which is more like driving a Cho-cho than a car. I'm not compensating for anything, I have a boat and a travel trailer I tow. (I know what your thinking Bob)
Shortly after stacking up multiple boxes of what what most of us would consider Uber high-end equipment, Jon and I enjoyed a toasted croissant and strong coffee, cafe Au lait style. He asked for it and deserves it. Any man that can tolerate and enjoy a cup of my coffee should get a medal for bravery.
Jon proved his mettle with a second cup, and later in the day a third. This guy is an animal!
We discussed the differences (in theory) between the Mid-Priced and Full Monty Ardents along with pleasantries of a more personal nature. How Jon got his addiction for audio and his roots in his professional life. Oh, I'm sure y'all know audio is addicting, be honest.

I had Bob Ellis' Schiit Modi 2 Uber DAC along with my DIY HoneyBadger and Pass DCB1 preamp warmed up and ready to go for a music test for Jon. I put on Allison Krauss and within (I'm not exaggerating here) 10 seconds Jon had heard enough. He knew something was rotten in Denmark. (just for you Tek) American Slang meaning something was obviously wrong. Without embarrassing me, Jon said he wanted to set up his test equipment to substantiate his diagnosis. Dr. Jon is in the house.
After measuring the first speaker, sure enough, his prediction that the mid driver was wired out of phase was apparent by the huge dip in the waveform.

"Mid polarity inverted, and all looks as expected... " link here;

https://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php?42798-Wavecor-Ardent-Mid-Priced-Build/page6

Now I'm willing to admit I make lots of mistakes, but I interpreted this meant to invert the polarity of the mid range driver when installing the wiring. :huh: We'll let you be the judge of it's meaning. (Joke between me and Jon)
So after a quick pull of the driver and swapping out the wires we retested the speaker for response flatness. Bam! Nailed it!
I must share that I was enjoying Jon's company and stories so much that I pulled the wrong midrange speaker out first. We had the test setup on the other speaker and didn't want to move the mic. If I had been thinking instead of yammering, I'd of pulled the DUT (driver under test) first before removing the other driver from the secondary speaker. It all worked out well as I had to change it out anyway. We laughed at my mistake and moved on to testing the properly wired speaker. We laughed quite a bit during the day and I enjoyed Jon's company. Did I mention he's a really nice guy?

With his extensive collection of Hi-Rez files on his computer loaded up we sat back and listened to the above listed songs with our eyes closed. To say I was amazed would be a gross understatement. The dynamics of the horns of Harry James took my breath away. I told Jon it felt like I was sitting in the front row of the Jazz club and had to wipe the trumpet splatter off. That's REAL!
One of my personal favorites was from Lorde, the song Royals. It's a pop / light Rap song and her voice was just magical, magical.
When you listen to superb audio, trying to find the appropriate words for it's description tend to lessen the personal impact. Fantastic sounding is selling these speakers short.
About this time my lovely wife unit (she really is) came home and stood behind Jon and I sitting on the couch. We were both vying for the sweet spot (Jon got it, btw) if I had sat any closer it may have been uncomfortable. This is said with humor, as we were never uncomfortable or had a moment of awkward silence. I talk too much for that. However there is an unspoken rule of silence when listening to music that sounds this good. Nice.
My wife units response to what she heard was something like, "I've never heard music like this unless I was in the presence of the musicians". I would agree. Textured and palpable were the timbers of the instruments, strings on guitars vibrated and resonated
with a reality of "reach out and touch" them. My wife unit's favorite song was one that Jon forgot to mention in the above list, he can be forgiven due to his advanced age. (we're the same age) An oldie but a goodie from the way back past of Peter, Paul and Mary. "The Answer is Blowing in the Wind". This one is from our parents era, but somehow Jon's recording sounded like it was done yesterday with top equipment. Amazing.
Just kidding about Jon's age, I think this man multi-tasks on different cores while he's sleeping. Most of us will master a subject or ability in our lives with a high level of understanding in one other. Jon has mastered about a dozen and counting. I gained IQ points just by osmosis.
I could have listened for hours longer than we did, but Jon had a 2 hour drive home and the Fog was rolling in. As a last request I wanted to hear Harry James again because it was just that good, being live at the club describes it best. Amazing and goose bumps were the words of the day. I cannot thank Jon enough for his efforts in making the XO for me personally, and then donating his time and effort to drive up to my place where he corrected my wiring errors.
The audio world should acknowledge him with an award for his lifelong contributions. May he build and design for many more years.

Sincerely, Gratefully, Humbly
Ron

[Renron]

AURALiC and NAD

It's difficult if not impossible to express how the AURALiC and NAD components sound. We did not try any other combination after lunch as time was running out already. I have no way to compare, I can only say they are exceptional and clean sounding. Doesn't do them justice. Sorry.
Perhaps this will help;
This morning my wife unit says she's looking around the house for items we don't use anymore.
Hinting we would sell them and use the $$$ to buy upgraded front end equipment which Jon recommended.
The wife Unit was impressed beyond words and now "KNOWS THE FULL POTENTIAL OF THE DARK SIDE"! What a wonderful wife unit, unprompted, she wants to buy better stereo gear. Ha!
Evil Twin must have been hiding outside and used his Jedi mind control tricks on her. Way to go E.T. I owe you one.

I'm keeping my eye out for a used Cambridge 851D first, If Jon has a recommendation for an amp ~$1000 or so well go there next.
Happy, Happy, Happy
Ron

[Steve Manning]

Very nice write up Ron ..... a word of caution though, don't make too much fun about those Honda Elements, my wife has one and if you think ET is a bad ass, make fun of her car and look out.

I see what you mean with the mid wiring confusion, though it took me a few minutes because I was looking at the schematic first and I could not see where it's reversed. Then I found the blurb you were talking about. I did that when I built Jon's Modula's ...... though I just plain forgot to reverse the wiring for the mids at the driver as intended. Boy did that make a difference when I swapped the wiring.

I certainly second what you said about Jon being a very nice guy and as you also noted is there anything he does not know something about. One amazing guy for sure.

[Renron]

^+1,000

Jon, that's one for me.

[BobEllis]

I wholeheartedly second your nomination of Jon for a DIY contribution award. He seems to get more done in a couple hours than most of us do in a week. And so generous with his time, creating both of our special versions.

So nice when the lady of the house understands and seems to share the obsession with audio and doesn't just "bless your heart".

I am with you on the upgrade path. Not as much fun as DIY, but there's no chance I will build a good DAC, or at least one worthy of these speakers. Analog side, maybe. Have you tried a different C1 on your Honey Badger? That's the next project on my list. It made a world of difference (for the better, smoother less sibilance and smearing of treble) in my Aleph J going from Wima MKS to a lowly Dayton MKP. There's not room for anything more audiophile in the AJ, but there sure is in my Honey Badger build. A bit over budget, but a pair of nCores and enclosures like TEK built would likely be very similar to the NAD, especially if you do the mods Jon suggested.

There are nearly as many cars as trucks in the area around my summer camp in northern NY, so I didn't think anything of you driving a gigundo truck, Ron. Except that I'm glad I don't have to feed it at California gas prices.

[Renron]

I'll look into the C1 upgrade, caps are cheap in comparison. Thanks.
PM sent.

[JonMarsh]

Whoa! What a write up, Ron! :T


BTW, I DID remember the Peter Paul and Mary, but for some reason when filling in the table I drew a blank at the end- it's fixed and updated.

Most fun Sunday "working" I've had in ages!

And that's a nice sounding room with those high ceilings!

Now, next time I come over, I'll have to bring some bass traps to try out in the corners, and maybe a Jen U Wine High End DAC, just to be annoying! And if you're really bad, I'll get ET to bring over the Halcro's!

[JonMarsh]

How about this, Ron?

I'm keeping my eye out for a used Cambridge 851D first, If Jon has a recommendation for an amp ~$1000 or so well go there next.

This might ring your bells... :B

https://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php?43221-Clean-and-inexpensive-Cambridge-Audio-651W-Power-Amplifier

[Renron]

It does indeed!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URAqnM1PP5E

Thanks Doc!