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[Snood]

Hi everyone. My name is Simon, and I'm a Quadaholic (and Surroundophile - sounds a bit naughty). In two months, I will have been a member of this dedicated and friendly group for three years. What a journey it has been and continues to be.

The very first week I've started digging these forums, I've stumbled onto this thread and a post in particular which just had my jaw drop. I would like to give a special shout-out to QQ member wavelength for inspiring in setting my ideal 5.0 system (Cheers Lad!). I saw the picture of his three Stereo amps (back then wee tube amps, now a trio of Rega Brio) used to drive his 5.0 gear and I knew right there and then that this was the path I wanted to follow. I had never been warm at the idea of hooking up everything into a unique processor. I knew I'd be using the analog outputs from my Oppo BDP-105 and connect these directly into an amp or amps. I was using a 1969 McIntosh MC2100 to drive my 1973 Spendor BC-1 speakers, which are my front speakers. I decided to try to find matching amps so I could have a richer and more balanced sound. In the U.S., it's a rather easy thing to do as hundreds of these amps were made and sold. In my neck of the woods, it's another story altogether.

It's taken me three years, but I have now just installed two pristine acquisitions which make me a very, very happy fella.

I was successful in finding another MC2100 to drive my rear speakers and a MC250 (the MC2100's little brother) to drive the center speaker in Mono mode and the sound is simply crazy. Whenever a 5.1 or 5.0 mixed track sends the bass in the Center, it just blooms. It will have taken me years to reach this level of sound and I'm really pleased with how this came about. I'm currently listening to On An Island by David Gilmour and I'm just stark, raving mad happy.

Here's how the set-up looks. I may not have the blue meters everybody raves about but I actually love this bad ass look the tube amp chassis give them.

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Do the lights flicker in the city when you turn out that thing

 

[Robert van Diggele]

Great stuff Simon.

 

[Spock]

Those old McIntosh amplifiers just looks fantastic!

 

[Simon A]

Those old McIntosh amplifiers just looks fantastic!

They also sound fantastic.

 

[Tornado Red]

Just off the charts awesome Simon, congrats!

 

[The Bushmaster]

And I like the cabinet you have them on too.

 

[Simon A]

And I like the cabinet you have them on too.

Thanks! It's actually an Ikea piece designed for a kitchen/dining room. Really solid hard wood so I know it can handle the weight.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Your amps sure make my two Pioneer SA 706's look puny, but due to cost I'll stay with the 706's.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Your amps sure make my two Pioneer SA 706's look puny, but due to cost I'll stay with the 706's.

While tube amps have their charms [and they DO], replacing worn out tubes [some of which arrive dead out of the box] is another major expense....and heartache. And when tubes start to go, a denigration in sound is apparent and after going through whole sets of replacement tubes multiple times, I finally reverted to solid state amps and never looked back.

But the one bonus....they did heat up my cavernous basement in the winter time.

As far as the 'warmer sound of tubes" go, I found that room treatments and EQ calibration can give you the same warmth [if that's what you seek].

 

[Simon A]

Your amps sure make my two Pioneer SA 706's look puny, but due to cost I'll stay with the 706's.

What matters is whether your two 706's make you happy when you listen to music. This is not a contest.

 

[GOS]

Simon - your Macs look simply stunning! I congratulate you on a dream, that you made reality. I would also be pleased....excellent!!!

 

[The Bushmaster]

Oh they do Simon...Yes indeedee they do.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Yup...They make a most joyful sound.

 

[surroundophile]

Hi everyone. My name is Simon, and I'm a Quadaholic (and Surroundophile - sounds a bit naughty). In two months, I will have been a member of this dedicated and friendly group for three years. What a journey it has been and continues to be.

The very first week I've started digging these forums, I've stumbled onto this thread and a post in particular which just had my jaw drop. I would like to give a special shout-out to QQ member wavelength for inspiring in setting my ideal 5.0 system (Cheers Lad!). I saw the picture of his three Stereo amps (back then wee tube amps, now a trio of Rega Brio) used to drive his 5.0 gear and I knew right there and then that this was the path I wanted to follow. I had never been warm at the idea of hooking up everything into a unique processor. I knew I'd be using the analog outputs from my Oppo BDP-105 and connect these directly into an amp or amps. I was using a 1969 McIntosh MC2100 to drive my 1973 Spendor BC-1 speakers, which are my front speakers. I decided to try to find matching amps so I could have a richer and more balanced sound. In the U.S., it's a rather easy thing to do as hundreds of these amps were made and sold. In my neck of the woods, it's another story altogether.

It's taken me three years, but I have now just installed two pristine acquisitions which make me a very, very happy fella.

I was successful in finding another MC2100 to drive my rear speakers and a MC250 (the MC2100's little brother) to drive the center speaker in Mono mode and the sound is simply crazy. Whenever a 5.1 or 5.0 mixed track sends the bass in the Center, it just blooms. It will have taken me years to reach this level of sound and I'm really pleased with how this came about. I'm currently listening to On An Island by David Gilmour and I'm just stark, raving mad happy.

Here's how the set-up looks. I may not have the blue meters everybody raves about but I actually love this bad ass look the tube amp chassis give them.

View attachment 32716


View attachment 32717


View attachment 32718


View attachment 32719

I beg your pardon ?

 

[Spock]

New Atmos speakers!! JBL Arena 130

The manual pull down projetor screen (106") may look small but it is 2,5 meters (over 8 feet) long

Read somewhere that the Atmos signals used in my setup deliver full range - decided to get get speakers that can deliver more low range, than those I had. Now I can set the cross over to 80 Hz like the rest of the speakers.

And YES - it was a big improvement, now I get the punch from the ceilig too.

 

[GOS]

New Atmos speakers!! JBL Arena 130

The manual pull down projetor screen (106") may look small but it is 2,5 meters (over 8 feet) long

Read somewhere that the Atmos signals used in my setup deliver full range - decided to get get speakers that can deliver more low range, than those I had. Now I can set the cross over to 80 Hz like the rest of the speakers.

And YES - it was a big improvement, now I get the punch from the ceilig too.

Awesome....so I have some questions.....as you might know, I purchased 4 of the atmos speakers that sit on top of my current towers. Other than their shape that lend themselves to sitting at the proper angle on top of another speaker.....why couldn't I at least try them up in the corners? Whey do they have to be "reflective"

I find myself getting hung up on the terminology....maybe I shouldn't think that hard.

 

[Spock]

Awesome....so I have some questions.....as you might know, I purchased 4 of the atmos speakers that sit on top of my current towers. Other than their shape that lend themselves to sitting at the proper angle on top of another speaker.....why couldn't I at least try them up in the corners? Whey do they have to be "reflective"

I find myself getting hung up on the terminology....maybe I shouldn't think that hard.

They are designed to sit on the top of speakers. But there is nothing stopping you from trying them up in the corners. Just remember to select the proper setting in the AVR menu - so it delivers the signals correctly.

Just do it! Maybe it sounds better? If not put them back on the speakers.

 

[Spock]

You had the Klipsch R-14SA right?

In addition to delivering the Klipsch Dolby Atmos sound, the R-14SA Elevation Speaker's versatility allows it to become a surround sound speaker angled perfectly on your wall.

https://www.klipsch.com/products/r-14sa-dolby-atmos-speaker

 

[GOS]

You had the Klipsch R-14SA right?



https://www.klipsch.com/products/r-14sa-dolby-atmos-speaker

yep!

 

[Spock]

New speakers, new automatic setup, this is my Yamaha AV Preamplifiers automatic speaker calibration:

They call it "The Angle/Height Measurement", very cool

(the picture is for illustration purpose only, actual listening position is not on the table)