Getting more out of my Lyrita
- Thread starter prem
- Start date
For the last 8 to 9 months i have been struggling with my system. I had changed my cables. I had also changed my rack to an all wooden rosewood rack. Also all the footers under the amp were changed to rosewood. But the system wasn't sounding right and i attributed it to break in of cables. Then i started playing around with the resonators in the room to change the sound. It still wasn't sounding right.
Some forum members had visited my place a few times. I got comments like mids are a bit recessed or the highs are missing a bit but i could not solve the problem. Solving one led to another.
Recently a friend had come home. His first comment was the metallic sound of the strings was not coming through. There was no brass in the saxophone. Mid bass was bloated. There was a false sense of spaciousness because of the bloat. Voices were not sounding full. In a nut shell it was all screwed up.
Franck Tchang had warned me that i was using too much wood and that i needed spikes on my equipment. I had ignored it. But this time based on my friends feedback i decided to heed his advice. I put spikes under the amp and a copper penny as an interface between the spikes and the shelf. This is a must. I also moved back to using spike cups under the speaker spikes. With these changes things began to fall in place.
I thought i would share these experiences so that someone going the wood route should know a little metal is probably required to drain out the resonances.
Some forum members had visited my place a few times. I got comments like mids are a bit recessed or the highs are missing a bit but i could not solve the problem. Solving one led to another.
Recently a friend had come home. His first comment was the metallic sound of the strings was not coming through. There was no brass in the saxophone. Mid bass was bloated. There was a false sense of spaciousness because of the bloat. Voices were not sounding full. In a nut shell it was all screwed up.
Franck Tchang had warned me that i was using too much wood and that i needed spikes on my equipment. I had ignored it. But this time based on my friends feedback i decided to heed his advice. I put spikes under the amp and a copper penny as an interface between the spikes and the shelf. This is a must. I also moved back to using spike cups under the speaker spikes. With these changes things began to fall in place.
I thought i would share these experiences so that someone going the wood route should know a little metal is probably required to drain out the resonances.
ghatgepatil
Active Member
But 'still' your new system is yet to fall in place, as you want it ?!
Thanks for clearing that up! I was sitting here thinking what the heck was wrong with my hearing - my last visit to your place was great.
The old Bollywood vinyls you played sounded amazing.
Very interesting to note Franck Tcheng's comment on too much wood!
aks07
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2008
- Messages
- 332
- Points
- 63
I risk being clobbered for saying this but in a SET amplifier I have found the most audible, and perhaps measured, transformation can come about with the following .
1.Tweaking or beefing up the power supply.
2.Rolling the tubes, specially the drivers.
This assuming that the amp already uses the best possible ironware for its price point and reasonable quality passive components.
I am sure things like IEC sockets must be making a worldly difference. But I have never even tried these as my limited, and steadily degrading, hearing resolution wont do justice to such esoteric mods. Instead I would look for good quality safe sockets that provide a spark proof connection.
//ducking back to the trenches
1.Tweaking or beefing up the power supply.
2.Rolling the tubes, specially the drivers.
This assuming that the amp already uses the best possible ironware for its price point and reasonable quality passive components.
I am sure things like IEC sockets must be making a worldly difference. But I have never even tried these as my limited, and steadily degrading, hearing resolution wont do justice to such esoteric mods. Instead I would look for good quality safe sockets that provide a spark proof connection.
//ducking back to the trenches
Hi aks07
Its great having you post on this thread. Never had the pleasure of meeting you but heard Rajiv speak very highly about your audio experiences, especially with tube amps.
Yes, i completely agree with you the heart of a tube amp is its power supply. Since i have no understanding or expertise of power supplies, have let Viren decide on what to do. The chokes in the power supply have been got from Dave Slagle.
With my limited experience in tube amps, i would rate output and interstage transformers as a very critical component of the amp. Here too i use David Slagle 80% nickel transformers.
Tube rolling to me is voicing the amp to your personal taste. Agreed change of brands changes the presentation.
I honestly feel upgrading tube socket, connectors and controlling mechanical resonances also contribute to improving the sound. Bit i completely agree that addressing power supply, output transformer and tube issues are the more major ones. Once they are addressed, the smaller tweaks can contribute to greater enjoyment. Here everyones mileage may vary.
Its great having you post on this thread. Never had the pleasure of meeting you but heard Rajiv speak very highly about your audio experiences, especially with tube amps.
Yes, i completely agree with you the heart of a tube amp is its power supply. Since i have no understanding or expertise of power supplies, have let Viren decide on what to do. The chokes in the power supply have been got from Dave Slagle.
With my limited experience in tube amps, i would rate output and interstage transformers as a very critical component of the amp. Here too i use David Slagle 80% nickel transformers.
Tube rolling to me is voicing the amp to your personal taste. Agreed change of brands changes the presentation.
I honestly feel upgrading tube socket, connectors and controlling mechanical resonances also contribute to improving the sound. Bit i completely agree that addressing power supply, output transformer and tube issues are the more major ones. Once they are addressed, the smaller tweaks can contribute to greater enjoyment. Here everyones mileage may vary.
Hi jls001
Steel spikes. I have stopped experimenting on my own. I don't understand Franck Tchangs stuff. Can't figure out how they work. So have decided to blindly follow his advise. He recommends steel spikes on a one cent euro coin which is copper plated steel. I have no idea how these things work in a non Franck Tchang treated room. But for now i am not questioning him.
Steel spikes. I have stopped experimenting on my own. I don't understand Franck Tchangs stuff. Can't figure out how they work. So have decided to blindly follow his advise. He recommends steel spikes on a one cent euro coin which is copper plated steel. I have no idea how these things work in a non Franck Tchang treated room. But for now i am not questioning him.
A few more changes. Have changed all caps to Elna Silmic. At a few places used Elna Silmic in a Super E configuration. There's more stuff on this on DHTROBs site. Replaced resistor with a hand wound one. Also replaced Kiwame with Rikenohm.
Last week replaced the Shuguang with RCA grey biplates. The biplates in my system are more musical and give more information than the Shuguangs. In comparison Shuguangs have a glassy sound which masks some musical information
Last week replaced the Shuguang with RCA grey biplates. The biplates in my system are more musical and give more information than the Shuguangs. In comparison Shuguangs have a glassy sound which masks some musical information
Wharfedale Linton Heritage Speakers in Walnut finish at a Special Offer Price. BUY now before the price increase.
Similar threads
