Low Fi Sansui Kyoeon H-9A

Click Pics to enlarge. This is an old pic of System 1.

Letter from Shenzhen (21-7): High on Low Fi?
Kyoeon H-9A Bluetooth: A Reckoning

Here I am. I am here. Am I here!

After almost 3 months, I feel I am beginning to "settle in". I have been trying to rebuild some routines into a schedule, meanwhile to get to know the city better than before (as I have to be here for longer). The most obvious casualty of a less rigorous routine is Writing, but it is coming back a little. Several articles are in the pipeline; aside from a long one on "HiFi Basics" (even I smirk here, as many articles in this series can really be viewed as Anti-Fi, or rather, Anti-Hi, and I am proud of that), there shall be an equally long one on my take on living in this city. I also have quite a few pieces of equipment from my soujourn in HK that demand write-up's (not least the Ruark Crusader III). All due, but in due time...

What has been disturbed the least is Listening to Music. I still use the piecemeal time snippets to stream music through NML (yes, the hunger is very much there). A piece of sad news: since a recent router change by the service provider I lost my previously easy access to Spotify. But I am reasonably up to date on new issues.

Readers are likely curious about what equipment I use here, so this report.

System 1
Long ago I appropriated the second largest bedroom as my main listening room (though it is also a storage room), and it has been reported on before (here). The Sansui F-55 (Audioquest CV-8) loudspeakers are approximately 7-8 ft apart and the listening seat is a little further away, an isosceles triangle that is close enough to equilateral, my favorite geometry. The loudspeakers are narrow in baffle but quite deep, so the front baffle is a little more than 2 ft from the front wall.

The system is simpler than before, using whatever is around. The Revox A720/A722 (French Filotex RG-58 cable) combo is still the center of the system. CDP is the trusted Sony DVP-PR50P (cheap AV MIT). Streaming is via my Laptops hooked up (HK Unitek USB cable) to Meridian Explorer I (Line out via minijack adaptor to cheap AV MIT). Occasionally, I also use the Meridian as headphone amp with my Grado SR-80E.

As reported before, the sound of the system is decent enough; I get thrilled with big orchestrals, yet still enjoy good details at low levels. There are no spec's, but the Sansui F55 Loudpseakers by ear go down at least to a solid 40-45 Hz. The woofer is 8" but I neglected before to mention it is complemented by a passive 8" radiator.

With Jazz and Vocals, the presence is quite stunning. With orchestrals, since they cannot be further in-room, the soundstage is a little shallow, but not at all flat, and still atmospheric and provides a semblance of the venue (the IKEA beehive-like shelf helps). Imaging is very good. Overall, I am quite satisfied. I don't need a sub yet, but I'll not rule out one in the future.

System 2
This is in the Living Room and here I encountered several challenges (detailed below). It currently makes use of the rest of the original Sansui AV system. The 2-way Sansui S60 bookshelves were designed to be rear speakers that complement the Front F55. These have 5" woofers and are 6 ohm 65-20k Hz. The tweeter has a broad but shallow circular waveguide. To minimize contact with the low cabinet below and to raise the image, I use a pair of disposable chopsticks to prop up the baffle front a little.

The Amp is Sansui UX-800 (here, now in its Mk II iteration). This 6.1 AV amp has Digital as well as Analog Inputs. I don't know whether the latter are first digitized. Cables are Mogami 3082. Researching, I saw a second-hand ad for CNY 350! :-( That shows the cruel depreciation of AV equipment. The ad has more pics should you be interested.

The electricity from the busy outlet on the front wall, where the router, TV Box and TV are also plugged in, is shockingly dirty, certainly the worst I have encountered. I first actually tried to setup another smaller AV setup (Changhong) but the noise proved too much. The Sansui was much better at noise suppression.

Streaming is via the Bluetooth Kyoeon H-9A (Thanks Eric again!) hooked up to the "analog" AUX input via its earphone output (built in Line-Out is too low in level) with a minijack adaptor connected to old and cheap Monster RCAs lent to me by old friend Hon Wo, who also lives nearby in Longgang.

CD is played through the Bubugao DV-997 DVD player. BBG was the Chinese arm of Oppo, and you can think of it as an equivalence of the Oppo 9xx series. This old DVP was touted by the HK DVD-A crowd in its time and was modded a little by one of them. I wanted to use its analog out, which is quite decent but, lacking in cables, I was forced to connect digitally. First, I tried my ancient XLO 0.4 Digital Coaxial but the noise proved annoying. I then dug out a generic Optical Cable and that vanquished the noise. The sound is quite acceptable, so I am thinking of purchasing another FX Audio BT device and use its Digital Out.

Having established the sound of the CD playback was quite satisfying, I returned to streaming and soon had some doubts about the sound of the orchestra.

Now, the loudspeakers are about 7ft apart, but the listening position is far away, almost double that, so a very narrow isoceles triangle. I know this does not favor a stereo spread but was still puzzled that the lower strings seemed to be in the center (some orchestras are fanned out like this, but not the majority). In fact, even the violins seemed to hover close to the center. I switched to the lower-level RCA outputs and the result was the same. I then streamed one of my test tracks, the Allegretto of Concertgebouw/Haitink's Shostakovich 5th (Decca), which has clearly delineated lower strings to the right. My worst fears were confirmed when I heard them hover near the center! I then switched to my Meridian Explorer and, voila! The stereo spread was clear. So this was not a problem with the loudspeakers or the setup.

The diagnosis is clear: the Kyoeon H-9A has poor channel separation; in fact it is almost mono in sound!!! I failed to notice this before as I had only used it sparingly, briefly in HK and on the desktop in the quarantine hotel. Eric had used it for longer but his system too seems to be almost desktop in its limited embrace. Also, my sample may not be representative. I don't recall my Dayton Audio (FX Audio) BT (or even the lowly HK008) to be like this (my NYC small speakers have a vast soundstage), but I wonder. Actually I may get another FX here to compare, as its digital output will fit my current amp. In fact, this re-ignites the mono-stereo debate - there is something musical about mono, as some insist. Mind you too, with a lot of a stuff I don't mind the mono, and could even prefer it (I thnk my friend Andy and our very discriminating mrgoosound would agree), but with large orchestrals, I need my spread.

In this system I am usually seated too far away on the sofa. If I sit on the high chairs, which are closer (I love to use my laptop here as it affords me a good view from the balcony), the sound improves despite the seat being high-up and skewed all the way to the right. Also, even with some propping up and tilting, the loudspeakers are really too low to have good dispersion. It is obvious the sound is not nearly as good as in the dedicated room (System 1 above). I have a feeling the system is not in its final state. I may try to work again with my even more humble Changhong system (or a heretic combo of the two) if I can surmount the noise problem. There shall be more on this; the challenge is to be creative and use whatever is around to deliver reasonable sound. It never surprises me when dirt-cheap stuff is made to sound good. The corollary is It never surprises me when ultra expensive stuff fail to deliver (indeed it is almost a rule, and a curse for many).

Everybody would be happier if music, not -fi, is the focus. Am I a happy audiophile and music lover? Yes. From this angle, with my horns and Western Electric inaccessible for the moment, am I happy? A resounding yes too. So, you, friends and readers, should be happy for me. More importantly, YOU should be happy! Cheers.

System 2

High Chairs 

Kyoeon You Sheng Heng H-9A Meridian Explorer Waveguide for Laptop

Letter from Shenzhen (21-5): doctorjohn muses on Internet and Data Usage
Kyoeon 友昂 (You Sheng Heng 友聲恆) H-9A Bluetooth vs Meridian Explorer
Talk Tweak: Waveguide for the Laptop

First, I have to thank Eric L for gifting his fabled el-cheapo Bluetooth (BT) device to me. I took it along with the Meridian Explorer to use on the Laptop and in China.

During the Quarantine, I employed the Hotel's WiFi and my 2 bargain basement laptops, an HP with Windows 10 Home (Edge and Firefox), and an Acer Chromebook. For general purpose, Edge is easier to use as its bing search engine works here. Firefox and Chrome work but their default search engine Google obviously doesn't and I have to remember to open a bing window (or the local baidu.com) for search. bing is not as good as Google, but I use it mainly for low-level purposes (such as dictionary) and it's OK.

My daily routine is less drawn out than before. Using the local network, ALL the HK news sources that I usually read, Apple Daily, SCMP (even if it's now Chinese owned) and even hk01 are blocked out. Through my email I get a NY Times capsular newsfeed everyday and it's highly informative (you can too by just registering). Then I read msn, which, with Hotmail, is available here. Finally, I peruse Yahoo, which I didn't before. The real surprise is, I can sometimes get through to World Journal, the US Chinese newspaper with Taiwanese background (actually not, given its opposition stance).

My US (T-Mobile) and HK (China Mobile) phones are on roaming, and they both work here. If one doesn't use the phone and forego voicemail, there is no charge, and one can still receive free SMS/texts, important for carrying out banking and government transactions. Wechat of course works here. Even Whatsapp does, at least for the text, though not pics nor video.

When it comes to cell phone, most android phones are tethered to a Google account, as are mine. As much as I use some Google features, and know how to use a few apps etc, I am not a fan of the closed-in system, just as I am not a fan of the Apple ecosystem (my US iphone is an ancient 5s). I have a Samsung Galaxy S7 and a Redmi Note 5, but I avoid their proprietary apps and systems entirely. I never use any Cloud nor any sync, instead just keeping as few files and pics as possible. I use Apps minimally. Wechat is unavoidable in China. My HK friends use Whatsapp, so I have it, but I dislike its basic premise of enabling anyone in the Contacts access. Just because someone is in my or someone else's contacts doesn't at all mean I want to chat with him on social media.

Pics are important. I usually take pics with my HK phone, and the gallery is linked to my Google pics. But I don't access Google all time, so I downloaded the Your Phone App (Microsoft) on my Laptop. It mirrors the gallery of my Android phone very well, and I can download whatever I need (easier than Bluetooth, which doesn't necessarily work well across all devices), BUT it doesn't work here!

Reducing dependence on any ecosystem and minimal app usage comprise my modus operandi. Today, various OS interfaces have improved greatly. In the past, though not dependent on it, I like the Apple way (my US iphone 5s and my lamented 2012 Macbook Pro, which I ruined). Now, for my admittedly limited ways, my humble Redmi is just as good as my iPhone. And I can use my current laptop and chromebook with ease. Even Samsung got better - anyone who has used their earlier phones surely would not miss their "logic".

Which brings up the question of backing up and syncing everything. I have never lost a phone or wallet, so restoring data is a moot point for me. I understand its value, just in case, and it may be a good way for someone locked into a single system, say an Apple user, but not for a cheapskate who uses all makes. I hate to change cards or even switch cards so I keep separate phones. The great thing about syncing is supposedly to be able to access everything on any device. I can see the point for someone using Google for work or learning, but not for the casual user. People spend so much time tending to their backup, talking care of notifications! And have you asked yourself what have you backed up over the years? I can assure you most of it is just baggage. I have moved many times in my life. Every time I move, I find a few boxes that have not been opened since the last move, yet I still find it difficult to dump the box. Crazy, right? We keep so much junk, and the Cloud is full of them. Mind you, one of these days the Cloud is going to break and rain on everyone. You have been warned. Thanks, I'll keep using my little paper notebook, where I have noted down all numbers and important info. Not a few friends have called me over the years for numbers when their devices crashed.

And passwords and security questions? You are bound to forget a few and they cause you trouble, so either have a good personal system or have as few accounts as possible. A big news recently concerns Stefan Thomas, someone with 2 password guesses (out of 10) left before he loses FOREVER 220 millions worth of bitcoin. It is estimated 20% of bitcoin holders are locked out of their moneys because they cannot remember the password. Thank you, I'll hold on to my somewhat outdated ways.

Of course, I need to surmount the blockade sometimes. To this end, my HK roaming data card's portable hotspot works well. By tethering it to my laptop I can access anything Google, including this blog, and all the HK news. To keep data usage to a minimum, I use it only briefly every day. For writing, I basically draft the article on WordPad and then, with the help of my HK card, load it onto the blog and make adjustments. At the same time, I briefly check the HK news.

It all comes down to time. Rationing data has the advantage of focusing oneself. Instead of checking things umpteenth times a day and responding to things fed by others I'd rather use the time to face an empty sheet (or doc) or mull over what I have written. Constant and Instant Access more often than not numb, even stupefy, people more than enlighten them.

Bluetooth vs Streamer

I actually tested Eric's el-cheapo BT from Taobao in HK (using its RCA out). I tested it against the diminutive HK008 (using a minijack to RCA adaptor) I had reported on before. Through my main setup (to be reported later) the sound level of both, even if maxed out, were just too low to really work. The Meridian Explorer, with adaptor in the line output, was much more satisfactory.

I took Eric's BT (Kyoeon or You Seng Heng H-9A) with me to Shenzhen. I tested it against the Meridian using my laptop and Grado S-80e Headphones. With the BT, I plugged the earphone directly into it and was shocked by the very loud volume. There is a huge discrepancy between the minijack and RCA outputs. I am puzzled, but that is the case. With the Meridian Explorer (connected with my favorite HK Unitek USB to Micro USB cable), the headphone and line outputs are more evenly matched.

The Hotel WiFi was fairly good. After all, the TV ran on it. The performance of the BT, however, left much to be desired. Unlike the HK008, which can be charged, the H-9A needs to be plugged into the outlet to work and, in the hotel, there was a constant background noise that is likely interference. Also, it seemed rather demanding of internet quality. In the wee hours, when most people were sleeping, it worked well, but it basically stopped working after 9 am and would break off more than connect.

I did get to test the BT against the Meridian Explorer (1st gen). Through the earphone, the differences are quite obvious. Sound of the BT is fuller, with a richer but slightly less defined bass. The most important difference will likely elude a lot of people, but it is an area where I am sensitive to: The BT is rhythmically a little more savvy, with better articulation and phrasing of strings.

There's BT and then there's BT. AND, more expensive may not at all equal better. Remember Eric L sold his iFi Zen and preferred the el-cheap H-9A? icefox told me the H-9A also worked well for our friend Mila (the barber featured in one of the Virtual Home Visits). Another anecdote, my NYC friend Andy preferred the diminutive HK008 (not much bigger than 3 stacked US Quarters) to the Dayton/FX BT-01 which I had also extensively reported on before. icefox once postulated to me that the el-cheapo Chinese BT's sound good because of the simple Chinese chip (unlike iFi). If I am not mistaken, the chip itself can output analog sound (but at low level). One can augment the output and add all kinds of refinement around it for sure, but circumstantial evidence indicates that, perhaps again, less is more. An analogy may be found in NOS DACs.

Waveguide for the Laptop

Given the poor BT Connectivity in the Hotel Room, sometimes I just listened to music through the laptop's built-in loudspeakers. Now, these are much maligned and people would automatically defer to headphones but, limited as they are, like TV, they are not that bad because they are basically small "full range" loudspeakers. These may lack ultimate extension and certainly dynamics, but they are timbrally correct. Your hifi setup is more likely to be timbrally wrong than these. If you don't believe me, play a familiar voice (say the President's) through the hifi and see if you think the voice is correct. In HK, everyone knows the voice of opera singer Leung (梁醒波) but every time I hear his voice at a HiFi show it is wrong, often very wrong (particularly with those ultra-expensive Scandinavian and German loudspeakers and electronics), when he simply sounds correct on any TV.

The sound of my HP PC laptop emanates from fenestrations close to the hinges that span almost the entire width of the device. I simply inserted a width of thin cardboard or paper into the crevice and anchor the "Waveguide" towards my head. Voila! The sound (especially the piano) is much more focused! And for simpler music, such as baroque or chamber music, it is quite decent. As I write, I am listening to Schubert's Trout Quintet.

Every device has a different location for loudspeaker and some may be less amenable to tweaking. My Acer Chromebook's sound emanates from underneath, on both sides (the curved chassis is a waveguide itself, a smart design), and my paper "Waveguides" had a small effect that is much more subtle than that for my PC. You have to experiment with your device to see if the result is worth it to you.