Some of you all know me - I came to these audio forums about 10 years ago as a firm JBL Fanatic -
at one time i had JBL 4341 monitors biamped with a JBL/UREI Active crossover and JBL/UREI amps.
I wound up setting up a 2nd system for strictly 2 channel music upstairs (the room with the plants and cathedral ceiling),
I got some Magneplanars in that space and got caught up in imaging ... Later I tried some DCM Timeframe speakers -
I liked their sound, sold off the JBLs downstairs in my surround/media system and set it up all-DCM TFs.
6 Months later I got a deal on a pair of Vandersteens 2CEs upstairs, liked their sound better,
wound up selling off all the DCMs, and converted the downstairs surround system to (nearly) all Vandys.
I have found the upstairs 2 channel system (and that listening space) is much more conducive for imaging and general music listening.
I switched that system over to a tube amp and got a Jolida JD502BRC 60w/ch integrated tube amp from JJohnson nearly 2 years ago.
Sources include an Oppo DV981HD disc player (Bluebook, HDCD, SACD), Apple Airport Express (streams lossless track from my office MacPro)
fed through an Audio Alchemy DAC that the Oppo shares, and a (rarely used) Denon DF45F turntable (I bought it new back then) with a Stanton 681EEE cart.
But this is about British gear!
Last fall I got a pair of Ruark Talisman II speakers from Wes in VA (he had earlier bought from JJohnson).
Then on Feb 19th, I got JJohnson's KEF 105.4 speakers.
(I also have a pair of customized JBL L200 speaker cabinets converted to 3 ways with external mid-horn and slot tweeter in that room -
this thread is not about them).
So far all I did was reassemble the 105.4s with the casters on the bottom, instead of the grey platforms he used with them (on edge in the front of the pix) - and shuffle them around in position somewhat.
I did use the bullseye sighting window to line them up for my listening chair - can't say right off if it helped - I am quite new to them and need more listening time ... but they are interesting!
This is an upper floor in a 1950s-era house - Cathedral ceiling with skylights and hardwood floors, with an open room below. These speakers have plenty of bass capability -
Clash's "Robber Dub" remix is almost unlistenable its so overkilled with Bass.
Boz Scaggs "Desire" (on Dig) is actually full without overkill ...
Some of the fast bass playing on the Tony Levin era King Crimson Cds is quite distinct and nice.
Ryuichi Sakamoto's "Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence" from his 1996 CD is stark and sweet and near perfect ...
as is Ry Cooder on "Get Rhythm", "Teardrops Will Fall" or "Diaraby" (Talking Timbuktu). Nice and tight and crisp!
Jean Gulliou's organ playing of Wachet Auf is good - I believe its missing the lowest pipes, but I am not an extreme pipe organ buff - so its fine.
I'm not likely to put my M&K Volkswoofer sub in that room to go deeper - The maggies really needed it but these speakers are fine without that extreme bottom.
More as I get to know them!
Grills and Hats off and to the left, and grills on.
at one time i had JBL 4341 monitors biamped with a JBL/UREI Active crossover and JBL/UREI amps.
I wound up setting up a 2nd system for strictly 2 channel music upstairs (the room with the plants and cathedral ceiling),
I got some Magneplanars in that space and got caught up in imaging ... Later I tried some DCM Timeframe speakers -
I liked their sound, sold off the JBLs downstairs in my surround/media system and set it up all-DCM TFs.
6 Months later I got a deal on a pair of Vandersteens 2CEs upstairs, liked their sound better,
wound up selling off all the DCMs, and converted the downstairs surround system to (nearly) all Vandys.
I have found the upstairs 2 channel system (and that listening space) is much more conducive for imaging and general music listening.
I switched that system over to a tube amp and got a Jolida JD502BRC 60w/ch integrated tube amp from JJohnson nearly 2 years ago.
Sources include an Oppo DV981HD disc player (Bluebook, HDCD, SACD), Apple Airport Express (streams lossless track from my office MacPro)
fed through an Audio Alchemy DAC that the Oppo shares, and a (rarely used) Denon DF45F turntable (I bought it new back then) with a Stanton 681EEE cart.
But this is about British gear!
Last fall I got a pair of Ruark Talisman II speakers from Wes in VA (he had earlier bought from JJohnson).
Then on Feb 19th, I got JJohnson's KEF 105.4 speakers.
(I also have a pair of customized JBL L200 speaker cabinets converted to 3 ways with external mid-horn and slot tweeter in that room -
this thread is not about them).
So far all I did was reassemble the 105.4s with the casters on the bottom, instead of the grey platforms he used with them (on edge in the front of the pix) - and shuffle them around in position somewhat.
I did use the bullseye sighting window to line them up for my listening chair - can't say right off if it helped - I am quite new to them and need more listening time ... but they are interesting!
This is an upper floor in a 1950s-era house - Cathedral ceiling with skylights and hardwood floors, with an open room below. These speakers have plenty of bass capability -
Clash's "Robber Dub" remix is almost unlistenable its so overkilled with Bass.
Boz Scaggs "Desire" (on Dig) is actually full without overkill ...
Some of the fast bass playing on the Tony Levin era King Crimson Cds is quite distinct and nice.
Ryuichi Sakamoto's "Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence" from his 1996 CD is stark and sweet and near perfect ...
as is Ry Cooder on "Get Rhythm", "Teardrops Will Fall" or "Diaraby" (Talking Timbuktu). Nice and tight and crisp!
Jean Gulliou's organ playing of Wachet Auf is good - I believe its missing the lowest pipes, but I am not an extreme pipe organ buff - so its fine.
I'm not likely to put my M&K Volkswoofer sub in that room to go deeper - The maggies really needed it but these speakers are fine without that extreme bottom.
More as I get to know them!
Grills and Hats off and to the left, and grills on.
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