Showing posts with label Brand-Metronome. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brand-Metronome. Show all posts

15 July, 2010

The Yumcha Diaries 飲茶後記: 26-06-10 and 03-07-10

The Yumcha Diaries 飲茶後記: 26-06-10 and 03-07-10

03-07-10 鄔 Sir Sir 地認識了一些老發燒友
一次的機緣,讓我認識了幾位老一輩的發燒友。覺得他們挺有趣的,就此記下。

事情是這樣開始的。沒多久以前, 飲茶前在 Pro Sound 唱片店無意聽到一位先生跟朱老闆在聊天中提及聞名已久的盧華煇 (ML)。 知道此人是發燒友後, 就跟他搭訕, 聊了起來。原來此人就是也聽説過的 "鄔 Sir Sir"。鄔 Sir Sir 性隨和(爲了方便朋友,也就這樣自稱),大家言談甚歡, 就約了改天去盧先生那裏拜訪。

就在王羽佳的音樂會上又踫到了朱 老闆和 鄔 Sir Sir 等一票人。音樂會完了就跟了他們去宵夜。坐上還有另外兩位:一位 DIY 先生,也就是朱先生 Pro Sound 店裏那部聲音不錯的 DIY 12E1 膽後級的製造者;另一位是古典發燒友。這幫人都是注重聼現場古典音樂的人,在發燒友中少見,大家遂聊得很開心。

房術
言歸正傳,是日飲茶後就隨 "鄔 Sir Sir"上了盧先生的場。用“場”一字,再貼切不過,因爲屋子裏藏了不少玄機。 其中之巧妙,盧先生也在開場前一一為我們詳細介紹。先說主聆聽空間, 原來是間六面與外隔絕的“屋中屋”,有地台墊高的“房内房”, 比起大多錄音室的隔音處理有過之而無不及。所有的電都經過大排大排的 Isoclean 處理。房内的木板很多都有弧度的,有調聲之用。相對來講,頂尖的器材好像變了配角似的:

Vinyl - Clearaudio Statement-Goldfinger
Digital Transport- Metronome Kalista Reference SE on stands
DAC - Wadia 931 Controller + 922 monoblock DAC
Phonopreamp - FM Acoustics 222 MkII
Preamp - Audio Note M10
Amp - Edge NL Reference monoblocks
Speakers - JM Lab Grand Utopia EM

耳鳴
此房隔音之佳,我想一時無倆。同行 whlee 說一進屋就耳鳴, 令我想起當年去鄉下 Delaware 探望我二姐時,那令人難眠, 寂靜如雷轟的夜之聲。器材放在不起眼的地方,面對著的只有喇叭和放大器,感覺很舒暢。此刻想起二姐那標緻無雙的瓜子臉孔, 卻只能緬懷...

聲音也好。就算我這號角喇叭和單端三極管愛好者和盧先生口味可能南轅北轍, 也能盡情欣賞他的一些首本戲。如果你去拜訪,請聼聼以下的幾首黑膠:

-Direct-to-disc 日本妹鋼琴,彈得一般, 但音效一流。
-Manger 靚聲王 LP 第三首的鋼琴,第二的詭魅之聲。

如果你聼過後,覺得你播這些比盧先生播的好的話,就請你在網上發表, 邀請我們去聼聼, 以證其實。

話又說回來, 在背景寧靜和細節重播上,Clearaudio Statement 肯定是優秀的,可是我認爲這個唱盤似乎有點遺漏了音樂重生最重要之一的一環, 那就是節奏感。 這是我聼過 Statement , 甚至於 Master Reference (乃至於大部份 Clearaudio 唱盘) 後都沒能揮去的感覺。如果你擁有或聼過這些唱盤, 不同意的話,不妨說說你的觀點。盧先生自覺得正在升級的 Continuum 在小品的重播是比 Statement 更生動的, 但大爆棚就以後者爲優。 我期待短期内能聽到盧先生頂級的 Continuum。

在這裏我沒用"前輩"或者"師傅"這些人人掛在嘴上可沒放在心裏的表面之詞。這些年, 見過太多庸俗不堪的 "前輩", 以老賣老的老不朽。 盧先生令我耳目一新。 他有他的觀念,可他沒有説教, 平和, 可嘉。鄔 Sir Sir 那天說, 音響對一些人來說,像宗教一樣黑白,一笑。

26-06-10 A Challenge to digital amps
The day was stormy, but that did not prevent us from squeezing in a "challenge" between yumcha and the HKPO-Wang Yuja concert. The resident system was simple and digital (Tact and Lyngdorf). We brought over a very cheap system: Counterpoint 3.1 tube preamp and Adcom 555 MkII amp. I shall be brief. To most of us, the cheaper conventional system scores over the digital amps in most aspects, particularly in bass and dynamics.

10 October, 2009

Home Visit: La Scala redux

(click on pics to enlarge)

Home Visit: La Scala redux

I should have done this much earlier, but fortunately it's never too late. Quite a long time ago I met conrad2002 and learned that he, like me, is a Klipsch La Scala user. Recently I called him up and he said his setup does not sound good. A few days ago, before a group visit to Andy L and Simon in 錦繡花園, Andy L and I paid him a visit and instantly proved that he was far too humble. Setup:

Digital: Metronome
Preamp: Pass Lab
Amp: Sun Audio 2A3 using Full Music 2A3 and GT 6SN7
Speakers: Klipsch La Scala (later non-alnico) with midrange horn replaced by EV; Tannoy "supertweeter"
Cables: All very cheap

Once again, it proves that the La Scala benefits from corner placement. The corner is part of the folded horn we should remember. The bass is excellent, full and agile. Many years ago, Leo Fung in 音响之路 advocated the use of 10 tricks to augment the "insufficient bass"of La Scala, but that was only because he had the speakers way into the room to get more "soundstaging".

The simple but effective setup has stunning clarity and presence factor. With full-bodied sound that sounds like the musicians are in the room one does not even think about artificial soundstaging. I am convinced that the Electrovoice horn contributes a lot to this great sound. The horn is unusual in that in addition to the direct front-firing central small horn, the back-firing sound is directed into the larger outer horn. driver (I should mention the same La Scala midrange compression driver is used). The "percussion" Carmen was sonorous and crystalline in clarity. The midrange is very slightly lean on vocals, possibly due to the ss preamp, but no mistake about it, the setup is marvelous and what a horn setup should sound like! With an efficiency of 104 db, I doubt the lower-efficency Tannoy tweeter is making much sound at all.

A humble system that puts many hi-end setups to shame. The Persian is just as lovely!