Have we done this one lately? What is everyone's (owned) reference loudspeaker?

[MylesBAstor]

Maybe so in the USA , think they are pretty well regarded in Europe and Asia . If I am not mistaken Bob Levi at PFO uses a Marten Bird as his reference .

No sure the model but yes, Bob does have Martens last I heard

 

[Saturntube]

4 way Horn loaded. I am running a SET direct coupled amp from 110 hz up, and an SS amp for bass 100 hz dowb to 25 hz. Active Xover for bass only.
I like them red!

 

[Bill Hart]

View attachment 10585 View attachment 10586

4 way Horn loaded. I am running a SET direct coupled amp from 110 hz up, and an SS amp for bass 100 hz dowb to 25 hz. Active Xover for bass only.
I like them red!

More info on your horns and woofers, please, from someone else with red horns, SET amps and solid state woofs.

 

[Saturntube]

Hi there, Well its a compression driver on the mids, a cone driver on the big horn with a lot of compresion taking the driver up to around 108 db, so 1.5 watts is enough!
The woofers are complicated, it is a design that has a labrynth in the back and returns the back wave of the driver and adds it up to the front wave with double power, a little like the tapped horn principle, makes the drivers very clean and have a lot of output!
All perfectly time aligned.

 

[Robh3606]

Here are my 2 reference speakers. The larger 4 way system is a classic JBL 4344 large format monitor. I had always wanted a pair so I built these once I was able to get the drivers together. The smaller 3 way system is a JBL 1400 clone upgraded to charge coupled crossovers and beryllium compression drivers.

Rob

 

[LenWhite]

My Raidho C3's:

 

[Peter Breuninger]

Len,

That's a good looking room. I'm a big fan of Raidho and I bet it sounds fan tas tic. Is that a ML amp?

 

[LenWhite]

Len,

That's a good looking room. I'm a big fan of Raidho and I bet it sounds fan tas tic. Is that a ML amp?

Thanks Peter - I've put a lot of effort into room acoustics, the system foundation, and equipment in the past 5 years. The amp is a Lindemann 855 - the external design does resemble ML.

 

[Steve Williams]

My Raidho C3's:

View attachment 10596

I love the room and I love the Raidho's. They are some of my favorite at shows

 

[jeromelang]

That's quite a tale , here's hoping to, your speakers reach safe n sound .

Eventually those speakers did arrived safe n sound.
But personal losses marred the occasion somewhat....


I arrived in Paris on a wednesday morning.
arranged to meet friend at the steps of the paris opera house.
took the roissybus from CDG airport. just 10 euros. went smoothly enough...

on the train with my friend to his place, we had to change trains at the invalides station.
going from 1 platform to another, we have had to negotiate several flights of steps up and down, left, right and centre.
eventually at the flight of steps down to the platform to take the metro to Châtillon – Montrouge, i descended with 1 hand holding the railings, and the other hand carry the suitcase. it was like 30 steps down, and very steep. both hands were occupied and i still have a sling bag on my right shoulder. this isn't a place to take your granny to.

after getting off the train at Châtillon station, i suddenly found that my sling bag's side zip pocket was half opened.
that's strange, i thought. i immediately slipped my hand inside and checked.
nuts! my wallet has been taken.
that meant about SGD$7000 in cash plus all the credit cards, IC, driver license, Train cards, and friends' contact.

not a good way to start a holiday.

later i heard someone i know had the same problem while in Spain....
And then another friend (with his family) felled victims to thieves while sightseeing at the Niagara Falls losing more $10k cash.

first 2 days really heart pain.
A lesson learnt....

from paris to lyon, smooth journey. my hosts were very kind. good food, nice company. wonderful scenery.
Eternally grateful.

 

[jazdoc]

Wonderful room and speakers Len. Enjoy.

 

[jeromelang]

I bought my fourth pair of SS-M9ED that I saw in Japan!!!

The photos below chronicle the purchase of the SS-M9ED (called SS-1ED in Japan) while I was in Japan the week after the France trip.
I had this Japan trip booked earlier even before the France trip.
My purpose going to Japan was to listen to the ELP Laser Turntable which I was contemplating buying.
I arranged to visit the ELP factory to listen to it, and then spend the rest of the week traveling around Tokyo to buy vinyl LPs and to enjoy the sights of the Japanese cherry blossoms.

By chance, my friends and I went into the Audio Union Shop in the Ochanomizu station area.
To my great surprise, I found another pair of SS-M9ED sitting there.

The price was nearly half of what I paid for the pair in France, and condition was just as good.
I decided I would have to buy this pair too.
The super tweeters on this pair of SS-M9ED have been removed for handcarry back to Singapore,
while I wait to have the rest of the speakers sent to me by air freight - in the same way as I had arranged for the pair earlier bought from France.
You will understand my extra caution why I would want to handcarry the super fragile super tweeters back with me.
In the past, I have had 3 pairs (6 pieces) crushed while in transit due to the ineptness of delivery people.

The youngish sales guy at the shop had a very bad attitude.
Even after I told him that I wanted to buy the speakers, he still didn't take the necessary actions to conclude the sales.
He, in fact, told me they are only interested to sell to Japanese only.
I had to call my Japanese friend, Mr Takeshi Inoue on the phone to talk to this young sales guy.
However, no carton box, whatsoever would be provided, neither would any packing, or delivery service arranged from their side to send the speakers over to me in Singapore.
While I accepted that no original carton box and packing materials would be available, I was a little upset they would be so unhelpful.
The situation when I bought the speakers 1 week ago in France was so vastly different.
At that time, Flavien Batier went out of his way to provide carton boxes and packing materials to make sure the speakers would arrive in Singapore properly protected.
(Flavien even gave me a 200 euro discount upon hearing that my wallet had been stolen)
For this sale, I was out on my own. I had to call my shipping agent to make some arrangements.
So having to come back the next day to conclude the sales, Takeshi Inoue at least did succeed in asking Audio Union to reserve the speakers for 1 day....

I should say, I needed to go to Akihabara couple of hours earlier, before coming to the shop, to look for a set of star-shaped Alan Keys necessary to unlock the super tweeters from its cut-out housing.
If I hadn't been able to buy this set of Alan keys, I would have to call the purchase off.
After settling the payment for the speakers, it was time to dismantle the super tweeters for separate transport by hand carry back home.

The super tweeters' exposed underbelly.
Just need to cut the black and white cable protruding out from the cut-out housing for the super tweeters.

The super tweeters well protected in a carton box with improvised packing materials that Takeshi Inoue helped cut out.

We left the rest of the speakers at the shop, and carried the super tweeters back home.
Have to arrange pickup, packing and delivery to Singapore

the saga still not finished.....

 

[GaryProtein]

My Raidho C3's:

View attachment 10596

Great looking room.

Are those four recessed light fixtures in the ceiling or skylights?

 

[LenWhite]

Are those four recessed light fixtures in the ceiling or skylights?

Thanks for the positive feedback Gary, Steve, and Jazzdoc. The ceiling panels are custom made of (4) sets of framed 6' X 6' diffuser "clouds" utilizing RPG BAD panels suspended from listening room ceiling. The framing was built to accommodate blue led strip lighting around inside perimeter of center opening in each set of panels. The intensity of the led lighting does look somewhat like skylights. I'm also using (3) RPG BAD panels on the front wall and absorption panels on the rear walls of the upper decorator areas on the left side wall and kitchen areas. Despite a lot of hard surfaces in this typical SE Florida house, this room is very quiet allowing the considerable resolution of the Raidho's to be clearly heard. I like what Mike Lavigne did with the RPG Skyline diffusors, and may eventually replace the front wall RPG BAD panels with something similar.

 

[Ronm1]

Thiel 6's.

 

[defride]

 

[Elliot G.]

Just finished mine a few months ago


[URL=http://s1274.photobucket.com/user/oneobgyn/media/WBF%20Photos/IMG_0005_zps564ab091.jpg.html] [/URL]

add on a room Steve?

 

[mep]

 

[Steve Williams]

add on a room Steve?

Indeed I did Elliot

Here's the write up of the build out

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...Steve-Williams&p=191656&viewfull=1#post191656

 

[es347]

Impressive Mark!