Ciao from Italy

[seppstefano]

Hi all,
sadly not a Margin Logan owner here, but interested in high fidelity playback since several decades...

Here to learn and share, of course,

best,

Stefano

 

[Lightloopy]

Welcome! Lots of information here and some very knowledgeable folk.
Please share your current system and how you got there.

 

[seppstefano]

Thank you,
well as of today my devices are Amphion Prio 620, Adcom GFA-555mkII, Accuphase C-222, Monarchy 22B, Monarchy upsampler, Pioneer DV300K, Sony ST-S770ES, Optonica ST-3636, Squeezebox Classic. Would say that all have been modded (with improvements for my ears )

Cables from Audioquest, RAMM, Furutech and some DIY. DIY deck based on a Cadberg platter&spindle + heavily modified RB250 awaits to be installed (my main issue is to find room for my vinyl collection in actual flat).

Came here while following a thread on mains cables and glad to be here.

Stefano

 

[Reverb]

Welcome, Stefano, and enjoy the forum. Got some pics of your current setup?

 

[twodogs112]

Wow, lots of goodies there. I have had many electrostatic speakers since ‘84. Martin Logan’s since ‘94 . There are few speakers that compare in my opinion. However, that being said, I currently listen to a pair of Kef 105/2 in my system. Their not the same transparent mid and hogs as the Martin Logan’s but really good. Got a great deal and had to try them out!!! I’ll go back to the ml’s when my house renovations are done.
My recommendation is to listen to anything you can and get what sounds good to you. You can always move up.

 

[twodogs112]

That’s highs, darn spell check. Didn’t know speakers had hogs!!!

 

[seppstefano]

Welcome, Stefano, and enjoy the forum. Got some pics of your current setup?

Here we go...

 

[seppstefano]

Wow, lots of goodies there. I have had many electrostatic speakers since ‘84. Martin Logan’s since ‘94 . There are few speakers that compare in my opinion. However, that being said, I currently listen to a pair of Kef 105/2 in my system. Their not the same transparent mid and hogs as the Martin Logan’s but really good. Got a great deal and had to try them out!!! I’ll go back to the ml’s when my house renovations are done.
My recommendation is to listen to anything you can and get what sounds good to you. You can always move up.

Yes, absolutely. I come from a pair of small Dynaudio Contour 1.1mkII, but the finns (which I didn't know at all) are really much more transparent. Their clarity remind to me the planar speakers I remember I listened to, at several audio exhibitions. No "boxed" sound at all. Out of interest, how do you support your speaker? I've read a lot of isoacoustics Gaia but I find a bit "unnatural" to shed out 500+ EUR for speaker feet, yet I believe (and tried) that effective speaker isolation is a must...

Stefano

 

[twodogs112]

My home is on a concrete slab. So vibrations are not really a problem. I did isolate my turntable on the home made version of an isolation platform based on ikea cutting boards(see you tube) . My Kef speakers are on casters, otherwise they are to heavy for this old man to move.
Eventually I’ll be building a hi fi rack out of wood slabs I have access to. I am handy with tools! My Martin Logan’s have sorbathane pads on the bottom. Thanks, I think you have a great system there.

 

[twodogs112]

One note, with your speakers, you could go to a marble counter top supplier and have them cut two slabs to fit under your speakers. Put rubber feet under the slabs to prevent damage to the floor. The added mass/weight will cut down on any feedback. Much less expensive than some audio product and it works. Good luck, twodogs112.

 

[seppstefano]

Thanks, it's very kind of you!

I heard good things when I isolated my speakers even if i didn't feel my floor was "shaking". To have some evidence, I downloaded an interesting app for Android (Hann seismograph) and could really see how high frequencies were propagated through stiff coupling and mitigated with other materials (actual feet made with IKEA cork and cuts of GUNSTIG mat, as per pinkfishmedia thread), by just placing my mobile over the speakers and over the floor. My previous house had a concrete slab floor, too and I used sandbags under the small dynaudios on granite stands. If I had concrete floor, I would surely try GUNSTIG. I think that high frequencies can propagate easily through concrete floors.... But perhaps I'm wrong

P.S.: I think you noted that the rack was DIY, my complain is that I could have allowed for an added height of an inch or two...

 

[seppstefano]

One note, with your speakers, you could go to a marble counter top supplier and have them cut two slabs to fit under your speakers. Put rubber feet under the slabs to prevent damage to the floor. The added mass/weight will cut down on any feedback. Much less expensive than some audio product and it works. Good luck, twodogs112.

To be honest I have another couple of IKEA butcher's block to try under them

 

[twodogs112]

Thanks for the suggestions, once the renovations on our house are over, I’ll try it. Right now my wife and I are living in our living room. My hi fi is barely usable. Can’t even see it!!!
Where are you in Italy, my wife wants to go see where her grandparents grew up. It’s on the eastern coast. I have been to all the major cities in my younger years. I loved Venice, and Milan. Rome and Florence not as much.

 

[seppstefano]

Genoa, on the western coast. Of course, you're invited for a beer or a glass of wine, should you be around!

If you're inclined, you could also try cuts of IKEA GUNSTIG under your units. I have it under the IKEA thick cutting boards, while each unit (save the optonica, due to available height) rest on a low inflated Vespa tyre

 

[twodogs112]

Thanks for the invite, will keep it in mind, when things calm down. Great ideas. Keep in touch. Twodogs112 ( my handle on Xbox) and I do have two dogs. A westie and a one eyed beagle.

 

[Northy]

Here we go...

Ciao, Stephano. Benevenuto! I have the Adcom GFA 7605 powering up my centre and rears. Your model was designed by the Man himself - Nelson Pass when he was commissioned by Adcom to design a few amps. That is a great piece. Your Amphions look amazing. Tell us if you want to enter the Martin Logan universe any time soon.

 

[Reverb]

Here we go...

Awesome, it's great to see a pic of your current system. Thanks for your response, and keep us posted?

 

[Robert D]

What a beautiful country you have! I took my family there back in 2019 before Covid hit. I think my favorite city that we visited was Florence. Sorento was the most beautiful though as far as scenery. I rented a Mercedes E class and regretted it a bit because the streets there are so tight! A smaller car would have been better. I hope to go back someday.

 

[seppstefano]

Ciao, Stephano. Benevenuto! I have the Adcom GFA 7605 powering up my centre and rears. Your model was designed by the Man himself - Nelson Pass when he was commissioned by Adcom to design a few amps. That is a great piece. Your Amphions look amazing. Tell us if you want to enter the Martin Logan universe any time soon.

Thanks a lot! I think Mr. Pass designed the original MkI but the two models are anyway similar. Somebody on the net thinks it sounds too harsh but in my opinion it is faithful and the character of sound is quite similar to what I get through my Beyerdynamics DT-1990 when wired to the headphone out of the pre. So far I do like the finns but who knows...

 

[seppstefano]

Awesome, it's great to see a pic of your current system. Thanks for your response, and keep us posted?

Absolutely! As of today I'm looking for experiences on power cords (furutech, neotech, acrolink, oyaide) and geometry... anyone willing to share?