the professor
Active member
Is it next week yet?
New D3's....first impressions
- Thread starter Rhapsody
- Start date
Lmao Jock!!!!!
I'm really scared to hear the d3's because they are out of my pricerange, and probably too big for my room. But that don't mean squat to me. There's always a way. Lol!!!
the professor
Active member
dlb2
New member
Hold the presses brotha. You're saying that 52w SET Mono's drive the D3's with no problem AND may just be the best sound you've ever experienced?!!!
:exciting::exciting::exciting:
I know where there is a slightly used pair of D1's.
Lol!!! I'm gonna have to cancel my Internet service , if I stick to my plan of not buying anything for a year . Is it a year if I wait until 2014?
- Thread Author
- #167
YES. That is what I am saying.
We can split a pair Doug !!! Lmao!!!!
Bob - that's great to hear. The D3's are a big step up from my D1's. Mine are approaching 350 hours and settling in beautifully. It is certainly the best sound I have ever had in my room - ever. The Raidho tweeter is outstanding and the best I have ever heard, but what also impresses me is the detailed bass. Every note on a stand up bass is identifiable. One of the things I noticed during the break in period, besides a real tightening of the bass, is the mid range driver breaking in nicely and vocals are front and center now. I'm getting that dreamy midrange with all solid state electronics, something which was only possible with an all tube setup on other speakers.
Now that the speakers are broken in (or almost broken in), over the past 4 days I have really dialed in placement. I have found that 3 feet exactly (measured from the back wall to the back of the speaker) works great for me. The speakers are 16 inches from the side wall, measured from the wall to the outside front edge of the speaker. The speakers are a little over 11 feet apart and I'm sitting about 10 feet back, with the tweeters toed in just outside each respective shoulder.
Getting decent bass response in my room has always been a problem. My room has a real bass suck-out issue. However, with the Raidho's, bass is not a problem and I get some real ass rattling bass!
Because nothing "sticks out" on the speaker, I find myself closing my eyes and really becoming incapsulated by the musical experience. The soundstage is equal to that of some of the biggest electrostatics, while providing the pin point accuracy and depth of traditional dynamic loudspeakers. The midrange driver delivers vocals in very a realistic presentation. The right amount of pitch to male and female voices. Raspiness in an old blues singer and velvet sweetness on an angel like Alison Krauss or Streisand or Karen Carpenter.
The Raidho D3's are making a strong case for staying in my main system. Decisions....decisions.....I hope to have my friends D'Agostino gear to try next week. That may just seal the deal.
Now that the speakers are broken in (or almost broken in), over the past 4 days I have really dialed in placement. I have found that 3 feet exactly (measured from the back wall to the back of the speaker) works great for me. The speakers are 16 inches from the side wall, measured from the wall to the outside front edge of the speaker. The speakers are a little over 11 feet apart and I'm sitting about 10 feet back, with the tweeters toed in just outside each respective shoulder.
Getting decent bass response in my room has always been a problem. My room has a real bass suck-out issue. However, with the Raidho's, bass is not a problem and I get some real ass rattling bass!
Because nothing "sticks out" on the speaker, I find myself closing my eyes and really becoming incapsulated by the musical experience. The soundstage is equal to that of some of the biggest electrostatics, while providing the pin point accuracy and depth of traditional dynamic loudspeakers. The midrange driver delivers vocals in very a realistic presentation. The right amount of pitch to male and female voices. Raspiness in an old blues singer and velvet sweetness on an angel like Alison Krauss or Streisand or Karen Carpenter.
The Raidho D3's are making a strong case for staying in my main system. Decisions....decisions.....I hope to have my friends D'Agostino gear to try next week. That may just seal the deal.
I haven't ruled out tubes....
- Thread Author
- #172
Bob - that's great to hear. The D3's are a big step up from my D1's. Mine are approaching 350 hours and settling in beautifully. It is certainly the best sound I have ever had in my room - ever. The Raidho tweeter is outstanding and the best I have ever heard, but what also impresses me is the detailed bass. Every note on a stand up bass is identifiable. One of the things I noticed during the break in period, besides a real tightening of the bass, is the mid range driver breaking in nicely and vocals are front and center now. I'm getting that dreamy midrange with all solid state electronics, something which was only possible with an all tube setup on other speakers.
Now that the speakers are broken in (or almost broken in), over the past 4 days I have really dialed in placement. I have found that 3 feet exactly (measured from the back wall to the back of the speaker) works great for me. The speakers are 16 inches from the side wall, measured from the wall to the outside front edge of the speaker. The speakers are a little over 11 feet apart and I'm sitting about 10 feet back, with the tweeters toed in just outside each respective shoulder.
Getting decent bass response in my room has always been a problem. My room has a real bass suck-out issue. However, with the Raidho's, bass is not a problem and I get some real ass rattling bass!
Because nothing "sticks out" on the speaker, I find myself closing my eyes and really becoming incapsulated by the musical experience. The soundstage is equal to that of some of the biggest electrostatics, while providing the pin point accuracy and depth of traditional dynamic loudspeakers. The midrange driver delivers vocals in very a realistic presentation. The right amount of pitch to male and female voices. Raspiness in an old blues singer and velvet sweetness on an angel like Alison Krauss or Streisand or Karen Carpenter.
The Raidho D3's are making a strong case for staying in my main system. Decisions....decisions.....I hope to have my friends D'Agostino gear to try next week. That may just seal the deal.
Mike, Sounds great!!! I know my D3's are going to get even better, but as you so eloquently stated that EVEN with SS you are getting the type of sound that has always required tubes to attain. That's my same exact experience as I said earlier. I really would be completely content to live with all SS on the D3's. It is dimensional and the voices and instruments just hang in 3D space.
It will be fun to have this conversation after you hear the Absolare gear on the D3's!!!
dlb2
New member
Would that be our "mono" set-up Steve?!!! :lol:
- Thread Author
- #174
What personally works best for me is to have a really great tube pre of your liking and then a great set of tube amps along with a great set of SS amps. My listening moods change and so does the climate etc. Personally I cannot live without a tube pre, but there are a lot of great SS pre's out there as well, it's just a personal thing. I'm fine with SS amps and good matching tube pre, but I don't care how good an all SS system, as soon as I put on a tube pre I go "Awwwww".
Lol!!! Yes sir!!!
I've often been told to get some sort of solid state in between all the tubes but I never have.
But as far as tube pre, I know the feeling, my hovland will be buried with me. I once thought about selling it and buying a steelhead and go pre-less but was told not to do it. To keep the tube pre in the mix and run phonostage through it.
Even my older bat vk3i was no slouch at just $900 used
I could see tube pre and solid state amps would work really well together.
I also think picking a pre just because it's the same company as the amps is not necessary .
I'd test them both separately before deciding. But that's just me
- Thread Author
- #176
Lol!!! Yes sir!!!
I've often been told to get some sort of solid state in between all the tubes but I never have.
But as far as tube pre, I know the feeling, my hovland will be buried with me. I once thought about selling it and buying a steelhead and go pre-less but was told not to do it. To keep the tube pre in the mix and run phonostage through it.
Even my older bat vk3i was no slouch at just $900 used
I could see tube pre and solid state amps would work really well together.
I also think picking a pre just because it's the same company as the amps is not necessary .
I'd test them both separately before deciding. But that's just me
Steve,
Agree with EVERYTHING you just said. I used to be a Manley dealer and I lived with the Steelhead for a few years. I thought it was a very good phono stage. It was always tempting to do without the pre and run it straight to the amps. I bet I went back and forth 10+ times doing that. I always ended up with a good pre in the system along with the SH. Of course different strokes for different folks and I'm sure a lot of people are loving their SH with no pre. My personal take is that the preamp is really the heart of the system. I think it creates the soundstage and then the amps fill in the soundstage that the pre has created.
As far as the same pre with the same amps, well it never hurts to use the same mfg. as there is always some sort of synergy with both pieces designed and manufactured with the same philosophy. But in my 40 years of doing this I've always matched and mixed and have experienced many magical matches with pre and amps from different companies. Just so all of the electrical/elctronic spec's match up then it becomes personal preference imho.
Kiwi - correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that Raidho speakers are designed to be listened to in the near field. In fact, if you look at the Raidho c3.1 manual (this is the manual that ships with the D3), you will see it says to have the speakers 9-12 feet apart, while sitting 6-8 feet from the speakers. It also notes placing the speakers close to the side walls.
As for the front wall proximity, a friend of mine had his c4.1's setup by Lars and he placed them approximately 3 feet from the front wall. That wasn't my guide, but when I listened to how the speaker interacted with my room, I felt the bass was unified at 3 feet. I tried 4, 5, 6 and 7 feet and various intervals in between. The issue was that mid bass (40-110hz) became quite problematic the further out from the wall I went.
Perhaps Lars can chime in here and offer some setup guidance.
True and that's why I tried various distances and like where they are now. But that may change as the break in continues, some diffusion treatments are added and new amps are selected. Thanks for the tips. I will definitely try them again.
- Thread Author
- #179
In comparison I have my D3's 10' from the back wall to the back of the speakers. The speakers are only about 9' apart from each other and I am sitting about 7' from the speakers and really it sounds divine. I really think that it really depends on both the room and personal preference as to how you are going set up the D3's. It's a balancing act between image focus, spatial/soundstage/layering quality and bass fine tuning.
And she had fun, fun, fun till' her Daddy took the T-Bird away!
And she had fun, fun, fun till' her Daddy took the T-Bird away!
the professor
Active member
Mine are 3' from the back wall and about 9 1/2 apart with my chair at about 10' away.