Spock system (the importance of fine tuning)

[Spock]

Definitely better without spikes!

Adagio on Vimeo

I was already on the right track when I made the inverted cones. The idea was that the vertex should be upwards and have a good contact area on both sides. They were an excellent experience. They overcame those of the speaker itself. Perhaps what failed was the material. I think steel is not the best. But either way, now I’m going to move on to a flat solution.
It will take some time due to COVID19.

 

[Stehno]

Spock, I've still not read everything here but you've got some good stuff going on. Nice choice on music and I'd be interested to know what you're using to recording these in-room sessions.

Many of your in-room videos sound pretty stellar, thought eh 2001 A Space Odyssey had some strange sounding bass. Not sure why because it did not seem present in the other videos.

Anyway, you are soooo right about how every little tweak matters. In my opinion, all the individual tweaks amount to a solid foundation for which the components are able to perform far closer to their optimal levels. As you've clearly made evident by your videos.

Excellent job. I perceived tho art an animal striving for the best. It's so good to see one perform such due diligence. As an old friend once said, the best thing one can spend on their system is time. You've demonstrated that here repeatedly.

 

[Spock]

Thank you for your kind words.
First, you may not believe, but I use a Xiaomi Redmi Pro.

Now, the search of the Holy Grail...
It is my belief that in life, if you seek excellence (whatever it is) you have to dedicate yourself.
I started when one day when I was surprised by the difference that an interconnect cable made in my audio system at the time. Then I thought: hey, there is something more to interfere in the final result of what we hear... opcorn:

A fundamental thing is also to understand where you want to go and how to listen.
One day I bought a speaker cable that did not satisfy me at all, and, as it had not been expensive, I decided to use it in experiments. I separated the conductors that came in a spiral. The sound became thin, without bass. But on the other hand it became more open, extended at high frequencies and more dynamic. Interesting. From then on, I could not do without these improvements. But what about the bass? I joined the spiral conductors together again. And the bass came back! Ah, well, listening better is not really bass, it is more of a shadow, a dark and diffuse sound that gives body to the music but does not identify the instrument that produces it. And now, what to do?

It goes on and on today ... :huh:

 

[Stehno]

Spock, so many don’t address power at the source and omit consideration towns vibration. If your foundation is not solid, your house crumbles.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Are you and Spock from Mars? I'm joking of course. I've been saying for years how electrical and mechanical energies are managed whether inferior or superior make up the foundation for every last playback system. And as in perhaps every other industry it is the foundation that determines the performance level of everything above the foundation. An inferior foundation creates a universal performance-limiting governor that ensure our components can only operate at their base performance levels whereas a superior foundation allows our components to perform far closer to their optimal levels. Levels that even their designers could only dream of.

As such, I've also been saying that the electrical and mechanical (vibrational) products, well the superior ones, are not accessories in the least. In fact, superior version of these products are the minimal requirements for any playback system and it is the components themselves that have become the accessories.

So nice to read about others also realizing this. I figure the industry will catch on in about 50 more years.

 

[Stehno]

Thank you for your kind words.
First, you may not believe, but I use a Xiaomi Redmi Pro.

Now, the search of the Holy Grail...
It is my belief that in life, if you seek excellence (whatever it is) you have to dedicate yourself.
I started when one day when I was surprised by the difference that an interconnect cable made in my audio system at the time. Then I thought: hey, there is something more to interfere in the final result of what we hear... opcorn:

A fundamental thing is also to understand where you want to go and how to listen.
One day I bought a speaker cable that did not satisfy me at all, and, as it had not been expensive, I decided to use it in experiments. I separated the conductors that came in a spiral. The sound became thin, without bass. But on the other hand it became more open, extended at high frequencies and more dynamic. Interesting. From then on, I could not do without these improvements. But what about the bass? I joined the spiral conductors together again. And the bass came back! Ah, well, listening better is not really bass, it is more of a shadow, a dark and diffuse sound that gives body to the music but does not identify the instrument that produces it. And now, what to do?

It goes on and on today ... :huh:

Very interesting, Spock. You've gone further down the path of R&D than perhaps any other - except for me maybe? Your approach to extreme forms of electrical and mechanical energy mgmt seems a bit contrary to my own. But still, it's quite evident that you're got a rather musical playback presentation that few others can approach. You've got the recording side down too and that in itself is no easy feat. What microphone do you use? I'm using an iPhone 12 pro and a small Shure MV88 stereo condenser mic that plugs directly into the iPhone.

Awesome and congratulations on your achievements. BTW, our biggest difference appears to be in our chosen vibration mgmt methodologies. You seem to be adhering to the isolation methodology while I'm 110% committed to the resonant energy transfer methodology. But the fact that your playback system's performance is at the level it is has me in a state of disbelief. For what it's worth, I never ever mention isolation in a positive light. So I'm a bit puzzled.

I think I hear some questionable areas surrounding the bass. Sometimes your videos are pretty good with the bass and other times not so good. My hunch is this has nothing to do with your methods or discoveries but may have everything to do with your speaker placement / tuning within the room. IMO, exreme forms of electrical and mechanical energy mgmt will drastically improve everything about a playback system's level of musicality. Except for a speaker superior positioning within a room to tightly couple acoustically. A playback system's electronics induced noise floor fixes everything except the speaker's acoustic coupling to the room. These are two different noise floors that cover two parts of the playback vineyard with very little overlap into the other's part of the vineyard. But when are sufficiently addressed, we've got everything. IMO of course.

Nevertheless, one of these days we'll have to compare notes.

 

[Spock]

What microphone do you use? I'm using an iPhone 12 pro and a small Shure MV88 stereo condenser mic that plugs directly into the iPhone.

Xiaomi Redmi Pro

I think I hear some questionable areas surrounding the bass. Sometimes your videos are pretty good with the bass and other times not so good.

You got it!
Bass is the heaviest subject of the audio. The bass I am looking for gives structure to the music, gives an harmonic envelope even to the highs, but does not pollute. To find this bass... That's why now I´m working around the speakers feet, replacing the spikes...

 

[Spock]

My Infinity came back to life. :heart:
Playing at my parents' house, with modest Nad C320 and C520.
(Some distortion in the bass is because the camera does not support it)

M Mena1.mp4 on Vimeo

 

[Spock]

The new speakers feet are ready! :woot:
First photo. More a few days of waiting
Will they make a difference? That is my question of almost 400 € !! :skeptical:

 

[Spock]

How can they improve the voice of God speaking through Nils Lofgren's guitar?
Can´t wait to answer

Some must dream.mp4 on Vimeo

 

[Spock]

The video camera is no longer enough to show the differences.
But I hear the new video and I feel that there is a little bit of what I hear in the room: more detail, with more balance, more density in the middle range.
In short, a step that was worth it!

Some must dream2.mp4 on Vimeo

 

[Spock]

If I make my own power cables, why didn't I remember before making one for the subwoofer??????
Better bass, better mid range and better treble!! :audiophile::disbelief:

NV.mp4 on Vimeo

ADUFE.mp4 on Vimeo

 

[Spock]

I've been thinking about doing them for almost 2 years :huh:, but I kept putting it off, partly out of laziness for anticipating the hard work they would take.
But I finally decided to get to work.

Around €500 worth of materials (including Audioquest connectors)
About 24 hours!! :blush: of work (made gradually took more than 2 months to complete),
Was it worth the effort?
Yea!
One more step towards the Holy Grail. It's funny how in an increasingly tuned system, the "fireworks" effect of the jump between bass and treble disappears, and the sound appears in a more continuous, more linear, denser, fuller way, with a disarming naturalness in which the audiophile chip switches itself off to simply listen to… the music!

Here they are, made by me :celebrate008_2:, my new speaker cables!

 

[Spock]

Nick Cave on Vimeo

Anne Sofie on Vimeo

 

[u-sound]

congrats, nice job!!

 

[Spock]

Play around with support feet until you find the ones you think are right. But when you find them, remove the original ones and attach them to the equipment.

teste2.mp4 on Vimeo

teste1.mp4 on Vimeo

 

[Spock]

By the way... It has nothing to do with sound but I painted the speaker bases in black. Tell me they didn't get prettier? (see photo in #90)

 

[Spock]

I read and i hear so much talk about silence...about dark background stage.
I hear about it being normal ? for high quality gear to have humm and hisss…
Can you hear the silence?

(turn up the volume)

INCANTATION.mp4 on Vimeo

 

[Spock]

Amazing how a good system can benefit from a good power cord...
Amazing how a power cord can benefit from quality plugs...

CD TESTE.mp4 on Vimeo

 

[Stehno]

Amazing how a good system can benefit from a good power cord...
Amazing how a power cord can benefit from quality plugs...

CD TESTE.mp4 on Vimeo

You seem to be onto some good stuff, Spock. And your videos are quite musical. Tell me, are you building your power cables for others? Others in the US? Can others audition your PC's? What is your asking price?

Anyway, good job.

 

[Spock]

You seem to be onto some good stuff, Spock. (*) And your videos are quite musical. Tell me, are you building your power cables for others? Others in the US? Can others audition your PC's? What is your asking price?

Anyway, good job.

I'm flattered by your interest, and I'd be glad if you could hear the cable. But, of course, I don't have any with the USA schuko connector. Maybe i´ll buy one!
I´m not selling, unless i´m forced. Already happened with 4 of my friends. A funny and true story with one of them: I sent the cable for him to try. About a week later, I got a phone call saying: "We have problems. The cable has merged with the amplifier" (Burmester). Worried I replied: "WHAT?" He tells me in a serious tone: "yes, the cable has merged with the amplifier". I was so worried that I didn't realize it right away. Until, in a more "smiling" voice, he says to me: "the cable won't come out of here anymore. Tell me how much I owe you!"

Anyway, thanks for asking as I'm very proud to talk about my cables. After all, it took me years :blush: of trial and error to arrive at this result in terms of geometry. Lately I've been trying with different plugs and, with the last ones, was a HUGE difference.

(*) Note that the last videos were made with a modest Samsung cell phone.