Horns+Tubes+Vinyl and digital too- Listening Room 2- Near field setup

ddk

Well-Known Member
May 18, 2013
6,261
4,040
995
Utah
Player
  • Micro Seiki SZ-1t
  • Micro Seiki SX-8000 (or other tables in rotation)

Electronics
  • Lamm L2
  • Lamm LP2
  • Lamm ML2 (2 pairs)
  • Lamm M1.2
  • Lamm M2.2


Digital
  • Mark Levinson 31.5
  • Weiss Medea


Speaker
  • JBL M9500 (or other horn speakers in rotation)



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3.jpg
 
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Reactions: Johan K and tima

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
12,304
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Manila, Philippines
Nice :D
 

ddk

Well-Known Member
May 18, 2013
6,261
4,040
995
Utah
Nice I like the JBLs you do not see them that often how do you like the JBLs I see you sit near field is that better with such big speakers or if you could farther back

Garth,

Been collecting, buying and selling them for a long time now, like JBL speakers a lot. The high end community here missed out on a few generations of fantastic JBLs and efficient horn speakers altogether. The M9500 is a very special speaker, its efficient enough and an easy load for lower powered SETs yet it still sounds wonderful with ss electronics. In my experience for the most part horns sound like crap with solid state amps.

A larger room is definitely preferable but the room is what it is. You have a very strict set of rules when setting up large speakers in a small room for near field listening. You must be very precise with the placement of everything and even the type of chair you use makes a difference but it can very rewarding when done right. In this case you're exactly 6' away from each speaker.

david
 

Portugal

New Member
Jan 13, 2013
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(...)
You have a very strict set of rules when setting up large speakers in a small room for near field listening. You must be very precise with the placement of everything and even the type of chair you use makes a difference but it can very rewarding when done right. In this case you're exactly 6' away from each speaker.

David, interesting. Nice system too.
 

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Garth,

Been collecting, buying and selling them for a long time now, like JBL speakers a lot. The high end community here missed out on a few generations of fantastic JBLs and efficient horn speakers altogether. The M9500 is a very special speaker, its efficient enough and an easy load for lower powered SETs yet it still sounds wonderful with ss electronics. In my experience for the most part horns sound like crap with solid state amps.

A larger room is definitely preferable but the room is what it is. You have a very strict set of rules when setting up large speakers in a small room for near field listening. You must be very precise with the placement of everything and even the type of chair you use makes a difference but it can very rewarding when done right. In this case you're exactly 6' away from each speaker.

david

David

I have a friend who collects JBL speakers and has over 500 pair of different models going back 30-40 years. You should see his garage
 

ddk

Well-Known Member
May 18, 2013
6,261
4,040
995
Utah
David

I have a friend who collects JBL speakers and has over 500 pair of different models going back 30-40 years. You should see his garage

Whenever I make it to your neck of the woods Steve you have to take me to his garage.
 

pcosta

Well-Known Member
Jul 25, 2010
364
123
950
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
David

With all the TT you have you use the SME 3012 on nearly all of them. Am I missing something here. To many people have dismissed that arm for a while now. Any comments on what could be gained from an arm like that. I have had a parade of arm through hear, and I have tried to many but the 3012.

Paul
 

ddk

Well-Known Member
May 18, 2013
6,261
4,040
995
Utah
David

With all the TT you have you use the SME 3012 on nearly all of them. Am I missing something here. To many people have dismissed that arm for a while now. Any comments on what could be gained from an arm like that. I have had a parade of arm through hear, and I have tried to many but the 3012.

Paul

Paul,

The same many people you mention have been touting this as one great arm.


WT arm.jpg


And here's its latest and greatest revival, need I say more?


WT arm and ball.jpg


Over the years I did my own listening to many high end and exotic tonearms mounted on different tts and a variety of cartridges, in the end I settled on the 3012 as my reference and sold everything else off. Every wonder why a tonearm with such a long longevity and years of production is so relatively rare and usually commands many times its original retail price? Not everyone has dismissed it.

david
 

ddk

Well-Known Member
May 18, 2013
6,261
4,040
995
Utah
Thanks for the reply I have always felt JBL is to often over looked . As to rooms hard to get a great room even harder to make a bad room great I wish I understood room management better.
I have a set amp in the back room a KR audio on a pair of loth X .

Thanks for your input Garth

Garth,

Its extremely hard to find a good listening environment/room and it can make or break a great system. I always struggled with them, even this large room has its challenges. Proper setup goes a long way, trust your ears.

david
 

pcosta

Well-Known Member
Jul 25, 2010
364
123
950
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Paul,

The same many people you mention have been touting this as one great arm.


View attachment 17180


And here's its latest and greatest revival, need I say more?


View attachment 17181


Over the years I did my own listening to many high end and exotic tonearms mounted on different tts and a variety of cartridges, in the end I settled on the 3012 as my reference and sold everything else off. Every wonder why a tonearm with such a long longevity and years of production is so relatively rare and usually commands many times its original retail price? Not everyone has dismissed it.

david

David

Are the 3012 all the R version. Do they have any mods like the brass bearings from various companies out there, or are they the metal SME bearings.

Paul
 

ddk

Well-Known Member
May 18, 2013
6,261
4,040
995
Utah
David

Are the 3012 all the R version. Do they have any mods like the brass bearings from various companies out there, or are they the metal SME bearings.

Paul

Paul,

They had several series R was the last version they produced, its the one I recommend. They came with the nylon bearing as standard and offered a steel upgrade. There was also a silver cable option, don't buy! Forget all the the brass tweaks and audiophile wiring you see on the net, they change the balance of the sound which for me is one of SME's strengths. Get an unmolested 3012-R with standard wiring, don't worry about the bearing the nylon is very good and you can buy steel bearing from them and swap it out if you wanted. Depending on which tone arm cables it comes with, it might be worthwhile to look for older ones. The latest version has hybrid wire printed on it, that's the one you don't want, the earlier ones have nothing printed on them.

david
 
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Taksil

Well-Known Member
Feb 5, 2012
34
7
920
Sydney, Australia
Very nice David!

Are you able to advise on whether the MS8000 armboard is an AX-6G drilled for an SME mount?

If it is, is it a sonic improvement over the AX-4G that is normally used with the SME arm?

Thanks
Taksil
 
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