Changes & Improvements to the Listening Room's Two Systems

Gentle reader,

As you no doubt know, I prowl the various thrift stores in our area looking for music (LPs & CDs) as well as other things that interest me. If you look to the right at the list of popular pages, those are some of my other passions.

Finally after many months of nothing but DVD players and DVD/VCR combos and other electronica that does nothing for me, did I on Wednesday, spy in the stacks at Salvation Army a gem in the form of a high-end Yamaha universal player: DVD-S2300MK2. Here is the official page: DVD-S2300MK2 - Audio & Visual - Product Archive - Yamaha United States 

According to the reviews I have read, it sold for $999 starting in December, 2003 and only for a couple of months as a new model was in the works. I think what makes it a "Mark 2" is the addition of SACD playback. 

 I will not go into a description of SACD, suffice it to say, it is a vast improvement over standard CDs. Another group invented DVD-Audio as competition for the SACDs, just as HD-DVD was for Blu-Ray and Betamax was for VHS. If you have NO idea what those last two are, you are a lot younger than I!

So, I tested it in the store with a CD, being Wednesday (25% off) I got the Yamaha for $7.50. Non-Wednesday price was $9.99 1/100th the price when new. 

I brought it home and hooked it up and test played a couple SACDs. Sound's awesome. Did I mention this thing is heavy? No? Well, it is. Not 30+ pounds like the SONY DVP-S9000ES was, but it's up there.

So, there it is, top right above the also awesome Nakamichi CD changer. The Yamaha sits where the equalizer with the Oppo universal player on top of it sat previously. I moved the former to the bottom right and it now sits atop the CD recorder that I also found at the same Salvation Army.

Above is a larger view of the two digital disc sources. Below is the wiring involved in connecting all these bits and pieces together. Not shown are the two pairs of interconnects that send signals to the Dynaco Stereo 200 power amplifier and the subwoofer.

So, you may be thinking what did I do with the Oppo? Well, as it plays everything the Yamaha does AND decodes/plays HDCDs which the SONY SACD changer also does not play, it has moved to the Six-channel system:

As you can see, the large Cerwin-Vega speakers are not in their usual places. Green masking tape marks where they go. I am still so impressed with those little speakers that I modernized/modified (the ones on stands) that I ordered ribbon tweeters for them too. 

Now, other changes as can be seen below include some nice Chinese-made speaker cables I found at another thrift store. I don't recall the brand, but they are thick and well made and factory terminated with banana plugs. 

This first photo shows them in place of the twisted pair units that my wife said look like umbilical cords. Plus, I did a much neater installation as shown above and below.

I also used them to replace the Monster cable to the front speakers of the six-channel system. Below is a detail shot showing them next to the Monster units I still use for the stereo system.

Above, the Dynaco Stereo 200. You are not likely to ever see another one! 

Some months ago, I was again fortunate to find a beast of a SONY home theater receiver at, you guessed it, a thrift store. I do not remember which one, but I got it very cheap. It is a STR-DE5ES.

It is difficult to photograph black components. They often end up looking grainy as you can see. The top receiver is the one that it replaced. It too is quite capable, but older and has less inputs and capabilities. Many of those go unused as it is for music only, no movies. The business ends below:

And finally, a top view to show the size difference. See that serial port above? The Yamaha has one too. Turns out, they are used for software installation and updating by the factory folks.

It's been a busy day and frankly, I'm tired and going into the den (AKA listening room) and enjoy the fruits of my labor.

Thanks for looking,

Scott

Stereo Speakers I have known. Part Five

Gentle reader,

Last time we left off with the small but very expensive (but not to me: $10!) Spendor LS3/5A British-made licensed copies of the BBC designed mini-monitors.

Now, we start with the "T"s. This first pair, another found-in-their-original-box speakers. Unlike vintage toys, they are pretty useless still in their packaging.

I don't recall researching these, as to their history and position in the speaker hierarchy. However, they are nice looking and I recall they sounded nice.

Note, the tweeter domes were spray painted and the vibration seems to have knocked some paint off.

Next is Tannoy, a legendary speaker maker that is still in business and believers in coaxial drivers. Similar to car speakers, the tweeter is mounted in the center of the woofer. Their thinking is that since in real live all sound emits from a single source, so should it when reproduced. As you can see, these speakers do not follow that logic:

Canadian, eh? As you can see, the cabinets while small are still made of 3/4" MDF. Many makers often choose thinner material which can vibrate or resonate.

Next, the Tang-Band speakers I thought would fit in the Minimus 11 die-cast cabinets. So far, no one seems interested in taking them from me via ebay.

Quite robustly made. The other one's serial number is 007! James Bond, are you missing something?

Below are some pretty speakers made by TEAC. 

The woofer cones are a woven fabric of some kind. Note how they notched the bottom of the tweeter frame to bring it closer to the woofer.

They've gotten very good at making plastic look like wood. 

This photo was made to show that the factory spring terminals are 3/4" spaced and large enough to accept double banana plugs.

Next, the very old University brand speaker that when I found it had a 16 ohm Wharfedale woofer in it. I added a 16 ohm tweeter to make it sound better. Then featured it in a post. Later, I sold those two bits and adapted this Alpine car stereo woofer to the cabinet. This speaker was designed to sit in a corner. The rear waves from the back of the woofer came out through the bottom. Corner placement increases bass sound.

Next, shows the steps I took to make it sound better in vintage form. The aforementioned horn tweeter mounted in the original plywood baffle. That's what they call the wood that the components are mounted on.

Above is the crossover I installed for the woofer/tweeter and below, the biamplify-able speaker terminals that are wired to it.

Above is what it looked like when I got it, less the woofer. Here is the woofer that I refoamed. Of course there was no correct foam surround, so I overcame thusly:

This woofer mounted from the rear as all did in those days. The green felt served as a gasket.

Were getting near the end now, a pair of vintage speakers of which I could find NO information even though the makers address was on the back!

A shame the one grille was stained. Classic 1960's design. The grilles were glued on, and fear of damaging them kept me from prying them off to see what they hid.

Check out that pretty walnut veneer! Here's what the rear revealed:

As you can see, no access from the back either!

Below, classic Wharfedale units.

I was able to find images of the stickers on the Internet and adapted them to the rear terminal area:

 These were attached to one of the speakers, a wealth of information!

Note, above from "BRITISH INDUSTRIES CO". Not to be confused with B.I.C which is similarly named, and once made speakers and turntables in the USA. They still sell that brand, but Asian made.

Now, some more recent Wharfedales, Diamond 7.1 units:

Wharfedale still makes speakers and they are highly renowned. I covet several that they produce.

Lastly, a pair of Yamaha speakers that I gave to my son.

While the drivers appear to be metallic, they are merely silver colored paper. They still make some very similar to these.

That's it for speakers that I HAVE known and have photos of. As you know if you follow my blog, there are many that I STILL know and love the sound of.

Thanks for looking,

Scott