Phil Ressler (213cobra) visited me today. We replaced in the Jadis JA100s the EH KT90s with Ei KT90 Type 3s.

Transparency increased, with the concomitant perception of more open high frequencies with slightly greater perceived sibilance. I am okay with pocketing a bit more transparency, as my next step is to replace the input and driver tubes with NOS Mullards.

Playing "Also Sprach Zarathustra" and "Dark Side of the Moon" at 100dB to 105dB SPL peaks Phil heard dynamic compression and amplifier clipping. Between 6 EL34s in the JA120 (likely 70 watts) and 10 EL34s in the JA200 (likely 115 watts) I am inclined to take a chance on the JA200.
Did you hear it that way...the compression and clipping?
 
On his Mahler 3 there was compression and clipping in the video, which is always an accurate representation of in room.
 
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Phil Ressler (213cobra) visited me today. We replaced in the Jadis JA100s the EH KT90s with Ei KT90 Type 3s.

Transparency increased, with the concomitant perception of more open high frequencies with slightly greater perceived sibilance. I am okay with pocketing a bit more transparency, as my next step is to replace the input and driver tubes with NOS Mullards.

Playing "Also Sprach Zarathustra" and "Dark Side of the Moon" at 100dB to 105dB SPL peaks Phil heard dynamic compression and amplifier clipping. Between 6 EL34s in the JA120 (likely 70 watts) and 10 EL34s in the JA200 (likely 115 watts) I am inclined to take a chance on the JA200.

How often do you listen to those volume levels?

Do you only listen to those volume levels when others are visiting you and WANT to drive your system into clipping?
 
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Phil Ressler (213cobra) visited me today. We replaced in the Jadis JA100s the EH KT90s with Ei KT90 Type 3s.

Transparency increased, with the concomitant perception of more open high frequencies with slightly greater perceived sibilance. I am okay with pocketing a bit more transparency, as my next step is to replace the input and driver tubes with NOS Mullards.

Playing "Also Sprach Zarathustra" and "Dark Side of the Moon" at 100dB to 105dB SPL peaks Phil heard dynamic compression and amplifier clipping. Between 6 EL34s in the JA120 (likely 70 watts) and 10 EL34s in the JA200 (likely 115 watts) I am inclined to take a chance on the JA200.
I mean, 105db peaks on rock is going to compress most amps. If it were being pushed at 90-95 that's different.
 

Ron, you reported on the differences your father and brother-in-law heard between tape and digital files. Could you share their comments about the sound of vinyl relative to those other two sources? What does Phil think about the sound of your new turntable system?
 
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Could it be more loudspeaker/room 'compression' than amplification? 105dB is a considerable spl for a domestic setting. Most drivers would incur in significant IMD at such levels. Most rooms also express different behavior as their response is non linear with pressure across different frequencies and spl.

I'd blame the amplifiers last!
 
Ron, you reported on the differences your father and brother-in-law heard between tape and digital files. Could you share their comments about the sound of vinyl relative to those other two sources?
We did not do any other direct, same-title comparisons.

What does Phil think about the sound of your new turntable system?

I did not ask him. So much has changed since he was here last time -- and it was months ago -- there is no way to attribute any sound attributes in particular to the new turntable system.

I continue to hear the sound of the new turntable system as more delicate, more transparent, more refined, more relaxed.
 
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Did you hear it that way...the compression and clipping?

I changed my post to "maybe clipping."

No, I did not hear that, but that is because I am unfamiliar with "Also Sprach Zarathustra" and Dark Side of the Moon.*

* By the way, other than for sound effects, why does anybody like "Money"? Or the whole album for that matter?
 
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Could it be more loudspeaker/room 'compression' than amplification? 105dB is a considerable spl for a domestic setting. Most drivers would incur in significant IMD at such levels. Most rooms also express different behavior as their response is non linear with pressure across different frequencies and spl.

I'd blame the amplifiers last!

I think that's extremely unlikely.

The range of peaks was 100dB to 105dB, not average SPL.

Phil had no doubt it was the amplifiers beginning to compress sonically at that SPL.
 
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How often do you listen to those volume levels?

Only when testing for amplifier compression/clipping.
Do you only listen to those volume levels when others are visiting you and WANT to drive your system into clipping?

no

As a matter of audio system philosophy, I think the amplification system should have sufficient headroom that it is virtually impossible to drive the system into clipping -- thus VTL Siegfried IIs.
 
* By the way, other than for sound effects, why does anybody like "Money"? Or the whole album for that matter?
Smoke a joint and you will understand.
 
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Here words are simply thrown into the room again. Cliiping means that the amplifier no longer correctly amplifies the sine signal from the input, for example. The sine curve is cut at the upper end, which initially produces no additional distortions. Only if you turn the volume up to 1.28 times the normal output power of the amplifier then you produces distortion of 10%.


clip128.gif

With more power than the speaker can handle, it doesn't get any louder, it just distorts, heats and destroys even more! This is called compression (see picture).clipkomp.gif
Compression range: Here the speaker no longer becomes louder in proportion to the increase in power. The causes are mechanical limitations and increasing resistance depending on temperature. The additional power is therefore used extremely ineffectively! Compression in dB is the distance between the real and theoretical volume.
I don't know the maximum value of the spl for the ribbon speakers. But they definitely reach their limit earlier than cone speakers at lower frequencies.
 
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I changed my post to "maybe clipping."

No, I did not hear that, but that is because I am unfamiliar with "Also Sprach Zarathustra" and Dark Side of the Moon.*

* By the way, other than for sound effects, why does anybody like "Money"? Or the whole album for that matter?
As prog albums go, I am not that impressed with it from a musicianship perspective. It was quite innovative with the sounds incorporated and the interesting compositions. I find Pink Floyd in general to sound very "samey" from album to album (starting with Meddle...before that they were all over the place) and I grew kind of board with that sound.
 
Here words are simply thrown into the room again. Cliiping means that the amplifier no longer correctly amplifies the sine signal from the input, for example. The sine curve is cut at the upper end, which initially produces no additional distortions. Only if you turn the volume up to 1.28 times the normal output power of the amplifier then you produces distortion of 10%.


View attachment 118616

With more power than the speaker can handle, it doesn't get any louder, it just distorts, heats and destroys even more! This is called compression (see picture).View attachment 118615
Compression range: Here the speaker no longer becomes louder in proportion to the increase in power. The causes are mechanical limitations and increasing resistance depending on temperature. The additional power is therefore used extremely ineffectively! Compression in dB is the distance between the real and theoretical volume.
I don't know the maximum value of the spl for the ribbon speakers. But they definitely reach their limit earlier than cone speakers at lower frequencies.
IMO, this compression is one of the big culprits in the difference between live and played back music. It is why horns will do dynamics better...not because this doesn't happen...it just happens a lot louder!

Of course, compressed recordings will impose their own will on the playback that also blunts realism.
 
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Why do people get broke up about speaker break up and distortion when DB are over 100. I have a friend with bad tinitus now from playing in the 90s. Your focus should be optimum playback in the 80 dbs. Is the amp matched to the speaker at optimum volume levels.
 
I figured it was something like that. Space jams are just not my thing.
Its more about instrument phrasing. Those guitar rifs mixed wirh the synth and drumming are art.

Chicks with guitar are 1,4,1,4,1,4,5. Just Rythem and drums to create a platform for a solo singer. Talk about samey.

FWIW I'm pretty burned out of PF myself. Chicks with guitar hasn't taken a hold with me yet I do like Ella or Rosemary Clooney. I use to dig The Pretenders and Sheryl Crow.
We all have our taste.
 

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