SET Magic

[rryan1]

Something amazing happened to me this weekend.

Over 10 years ago I built a S.E.X. Amplifier, and about a year later I added the upgraded iron and the C4S boards.  I've enjoyed it very much, but mostly when played through headphones.

In all this time I've never had a pair of speakers even vaguely suited to it.

For Christmas I received a kit for a pair of Fostex PE1000 cabinets with 4" full-range FE103en drivers.  I was planning on bringing them to the office along with the included 5WPC solid state amp just for something to listen to.

For fun I disconnected the speakers I've been using in my living room and hooked these up to the little tube amp that could.  They looked ridiculous sitting next to the 2Pi studio speakers that I was using.  They are unbelievably small.

I was amazed.  The sound is so crisp and clear.  Incredibly full for a 4" driver.  No I don't think I'm hearing as low as that double-bass goes, but what I'm hearing is unbelievable.  I can clearly hear fingers on strings, everything sounds like it's happening right in my living room.  The pluck of every note is so distinct.  Highs were a little harsh, but I think I can already tell that they're smoothing out.  I listened to different stuff for countless hours this weekend.  Mostly jazz piano and jazz guitar, but other stuff too.  Not playing incredibly loud, but I'm past needing my music incredibly loud.  My wife, who has always insisted she can't tell the difference between the built-in TV speakers and playing through the amp other than the volume can plainly tell the difference now.

So... I'm getting a 2nd set of these Fostex kits just to tide me over until I can decide what I really want.  Blumenstein Orcas, maybe?  Gonna need a sub.  Crap, something else to spend money on, and I just got a Crack kit that I'm going to start building next week!

 

[Grainger49]

Ok, you now officially have the illness.

The final steps to the program are:

Buy more music,

Buy more music,

Buy more music.

 

[rryan1]

Thanks, Grainger.  Actually I've been buying more music for a long time without really slowing down and listening to it.

So...

Listen...

Listen...

Listen....

 

[aragorn723]

With this site, at least for me, it's something like this:

go on forum
find out about new cool caps to try
purchase
wait for caps
listen
get caps
burn in
listen

lol this site will give you all kinds of fun stuff to try  8)  The nice thing is, when you build your own gear, the upgrades are much cheaper.  Used to buy my stuff from a local high end shop, and the upgrades were kinda expensive..  $500 for a new CDP, $600 for a preamp..  Now with Bottlehead the upgrades are much more reasonable $17 for K75-10 caps, $4 for blackgate caps..  Also more noticable change in sound..  How can you go wrong?

Dave

 

[fullheadofnothing]

I thought all the Pi speakers were >95 dB. Did you ever try the S.E.X. on them?

 

[rryan1]

fullheadofnothing, I'm not sure what to say.  The 2pi bass reflex, which is what I have, is currently rated at 95db.  However, I bought the kit 7 years ago and I don't know if they were rated the same at the time.  Also, although I bought the kit 7 years ago, only recently was I able to get a friend to build the cabinets for me, so the drivers are "new" and certainly not broken in.

I did have them hooked up to the SEX, and while they sounded good, I was not "wowed" like I was with the Fostex drivers.  Part of it is placement, I have a very oddly shaped living room, and the listening position is almost certainly too close to the speakers.

I am not an audiophile, and can't claim to be very knowledgeable.  Building the SEX amp (and I've just started a Crack) and playing around a little is really the sum of my audio experience.  Prior to this I've always had crappy receivers and mass market speakers.  But I "know what I like."

You've made me go back and look at the numbers, and I should probably bring the 2pi speakers back to the living room (my wife curses you, the little fostex have very high WAF) and let them break in for a few weeks.  I could also enlist some advice from Wayne Parham, the designer of the Pi speaker line.  He's always great on his forum helping people out.

I have to talk myself off of the Orca ledge before I spend more money.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[Skip Pack]

In my personal experience with my studio 2 Pi speakers and S.E.X. amp (2.0), you have a very pleasant combination for moderate volumes, but it won't crank too far. Good apartment combo with real bass.

Skip

 

[Matts]

I used to have 2 Pi's, used them with older Paramours.  They're great and one of the best values around comparing cost/performance!  At their price, though, there are trade-offs. They have great dynamics and tone, but don't have as much detail and refinement.  I'd guess the Fostex drivers have more detail and refinement, but less dynamics and punch.  Both are good values, but you will have to spend more to get it all!  It's a process, though- enjoy what you have, and over time upgrade bit by bit as you can afford it.  Regarding break-in, I used a larger solid state amp to break in some larger Pi's with JBL drivers, and it made a big difference.

 

[Hank Murrow]

Dear rmryan;

I like the way you are proceeding into "Bottlehead Land", so let those Pi's break in on the SEX amp for 200 hours and build the Crack, and then see what happens. Your wife is a reliable(likely less damaged) ear, so ask her what she hears.

I can vouch for the Blumenstein Orcas and Subs, as I have been listening happily to mine in an all-BH system for three years. Simply amazing within their volume range!

Cheers, Hank in Eugene