That ratio is my goal! Only the ratio, nothing else!
Actually my Amp comes in a Stereo or twice as powerful monoblock version. Thankfully my speakers are highly efficient and would make little use of more power.
Seriously, thank you giant ice cream cone speakers!!!
Is someone doing a spreadsheet with all these results? I am not volunteering.
Mine is 21k in Amps to 8k in speakers.
No stats are being captured.
I am āup-side downā as well
MSRP values, not what I paid:
Accuphase P 4200 $13,500 X 2
Magico A3ās $12,500
Gets really bad if you throw in the preamps
Concert Fidelity CF 80LSX2 $23,000
Modwright P 9.0X $3,800
Guess I need a speaker upgradeš
Best,
-JP
I feel that the BHK line (I have only heard the amps) has blown up the traditional cost/quality relationship.
If I were to add the retail of my TAD speakers, including the subs and super tweeters (all of which are driven by the amps) Iām over $50k. My BHK 300ās are only $15k. But they could easily drive (most) any speaker regardless of cost.
Where I skimped was speaker and IC cables, where Iāve spent less than $1K. I do have some top older phono arm cables and maybe 2 good AC cables (one being the ones PS Audio used to make).
If anyone wants to set up a go fund me to get better balanced cables than my Mogami mic cables, Iām all ears, LOL.
Well, most of us tried a few cables before we settled with something that sounds good to our ears. Given that you have the BHK 300s, you could test Paulās recommended cables. I did and never regretted the purchase.
Thanks Serhan for the suggestion. Iāve had some varied and super expensive speaker cables in to try, from top of the line AQ Wel Signature, the model just below (which were surprisingly not nearly as good) and The Iconoclasts, (which were excellent and actually louder than standard ultra fine stranded copper).
I didnāt have the Belden at the same time as the AQ unfortunately, so I couldnāt really compare them. The only reason I didnāt go with the Iconoclast was at the time they would not sell anything less than 10 feet, and I needed short runs for monoblocks. Also Iām using a quad run of cable for each side, so cost is an issue.
Iām using inexpensive Diamond and gold speaker cables from Underwood Hifi that work quite well.
Iāve never had really good XLR cables to try to go between my BHK300ās and tube pre, since the run is about 15 feet. My preamp manufacturer (Atma-sphere) claims that properly designed 600 ohm balanced outs should make the effects of ICās much less. Iām sure there is room for improvement over the Mogami gold XLR mic cable I use, but itās extremely hard to audition the length run I need and the cost would be quite high. Iād rather put the money into trading up to the DS version 2 when released.
Thanks for the suggestion. Will have to look into it, though the version 2 seems tempting and not too expensive, though the continuous cast version gets up there in price.
Iām at about a 1 to 1 ratio. Speakers and amp. I have been pretty happy with Audioquest biwire cables. But have been toying with trying a single speaker cable run. I have decent jumpers. My internal speaker wiring is from Audioquest. Should I stick with that company or branch out? Underwood Wally seems like a good brain to pick. My local dealer pushes hard on Audioquest himself. Any thoughts?
My gear is vintage by most standards: Ayre V5 evolution & Yamaha NS1000m. Not sure of the ratio since if the speakers were purchased new now they would be very expensive due to the beryllium drivers. My guess, on the used market, would be 3:1.
Another source for more reasonably priced XLR cables is Take Five Audio in Canada:
https://www.takefiveaudio.com/categories/219-xlr-interconnect
Iām well aware of your Atma-sphere makerās opinion that XLR cables make the effects of interconnects less important but my experience belies that claim. At least with the BHK pre and BHK 250 pairing. The performance differences between XLR cables has bordered on profound in my experience and I donāt use that term lightly.
Thanks for the insight. Can you tell me what you were using and you traded up to?
When I got the BHK amp I had Douglas Connection make up a 13ā long set of Furutech Fa-As22 XLR interconnects with Furutech XLR connectors. I used them for a couple years and thought they were ok. After moving the amp I needed a shorter length and got another set of Luminous Audio Synchestra Reference XLR cables and was amazed at how much more lively and open they sounded vs the Furutech cables. Iāve had great luck with Furutech AC Cables but their top of the line bulk interconnect cable sounded rather dull and uninteresting in comparison to the Luminous Synchestra. The difference in those XLR interconnects was greater than I ever heard between RCA cables, very unexpected.
Iāve never been one to invest extreme amounts in interconnects or other cables. Iāve been a customer of Luminous Audio for many years and have used their Synchestra Reference cables in RCA and XLR versions, long and short lengths, for many years and in several systems. They just sound correct and very musical to me. Theyāre not that well known in the USA and their owner Tim Stinson tells me much of their product goes to Japanese audiophiles. There are old reviews of them on the web, but theyāre one of those products that has stood the test of time and hasnāt changed just for the sake of marketing. I also keep Wireworld Eclipse, LessLoss Homage to Time, and DH Labs Revelation interconnects around to aid in fine tuning how things sound.
I grew up listening to the Yamaha NS1000s (my father still owns his non-M in the dark wood finish). I think he bought them in the late 70s. Talk about a good investment. 40+ years of use and theyāre still worth more than he paid for them⦠Every time I visit him I think, damn, those things put out some clean highs and vocals! The only bummer with the NS1000s was when I was a teen and trying to crank my Thrash Metal music, they just couldnāt put out the kick I was always wanting. But his SAE electronics had a killer loudness button which helped immensely
They are capable of putting out some serious bass, but itās always well controlled and never boomy. The 12ā drivers can move some air. Mine improved going from 100W / ch class D W4S to the big Ayre amp. That said, they wonāt plumb the depths a big pair of subs.