As long as the EQ is off! Did the two of you confiscate his EQ? I'm glad to hear that DUP is a nice guy, I've always suspected that his forum persona was somewhat a character.

For some reason I have the perverse need to know what kind of EQ it was. Something tells me it wasn't a Cello Audio Palette. I bet that the driver integration issues had to do with the close seating position. That seems way too close for such big speakers.

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In fact, DUP is a very gracious host, quite lively and entertaining, and generally a really nice guy. I enjoyed his company immensely.

I had always suspected that there was a nice guy behind the forum rib tickling of DUP.

With all due respect to the great DUP - the whole Watts thing just wasnt very scientific -- It's like Horsepower in Cars - you can have 800BHP but if the tyres wont plant it on the floor its wasted.

If the watts are used efficiently, and as you guys discovered, the feed into amplification is the shortest possible route from source to delivery, science and music can come together.

Glad you took out the EQ and removed all that phase distortion, poor separation and synthesis.

I wish someone would come to my house /me dusts off BBQ

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I neglected to find out which EQ it was. I had no interest in it, so I never bothered.

You should have taken it into the garden and had it shot.

Thanks for the review. I'm sure we'd all be interested to hear what all the fuss is about and meet the man behind the character called DUP. In fact, it's really too bad we don't all the opportunity to hear each others systems at some point. If anyone's ever up in the Boston area I hereby give an open invitation to swing by for a listen.

So one thing in your review you don't mention is that DUPs setup also has serious power conditioning etc, so that adds to the overall cost and care of the system. I have always figured on some level his rig is pretty good (it's less money than some for sure, but I don't think it's cheap)- the question that begs to be asked of course is: how much better could it sound with better interconnetcs and speaker wire?

One other thing- he talks a lot about DSD and such. What source components was he using for your demo? And lastly- is the guy a bachelor or is this concert-level room of sound actually integrated into a married domestic environment!? Inquiring minds need to know.

RANE DEQ-60L w/XLR connections, through a RANE Balance Buddy. which makes XLR-RCA or vice versa. I bet if I put in the effort, I could make it sound any which way it needs to be, it's extremly versatile. It's been set and forget,
Furman power conditioners, fed from Furman power factor conditionsers, which compensate the line for the large inductance of the 4 large AC transformers in the amps. PM*-series II and a PM Pro series II
And some PF-Pro R power factor/line conditioners.
Well it looks like I will need to set up a fund to get me up to HELIX from Legacy...if I am going to win best of show.....competing against the $80K Horn system. Send money.....The Helix are listed at around $45K or so....2.5X the Whispers...movin' on up....then there is the issue of VINYL...which was not touched......

It was a fun day, it worked out well. Interesting observations, good company. And there are so many other combinations that could be listened to......I wonder if the thinness Alex noted on one CD playback setup could have been due to which pre amp it was running through. Since I have 2 AVA Ultra Hybrids...BUT one is the latest 6N1P type while the other one is 12AX7/12AT7 AVA chnaged over to 6N1P, which is more filament current at 6V versus the 12V of the others. According to AVA 6N1P has a few advantages over teh 12AX7 types. The TASCAM is fed first into the newer AVA whist, some of the others route through the 12AX7 one from a different digital switch. So many variables, too little time.
Or I could get several copies of the same CD/SACD and play that through the different players, processors. With and without tone in or out, EQ in or out...OR record it onto the KORD DSD recorder put that back onto a CD-R....FREMERIZE it, and start listening.
I will be buying my next door neighbor's house and expand the listening room, for the HELIX, send money NOW!!!!
It was a great time, thanks Alex and Stew

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DUP said yes, I called my friend and we were on our way to the nether lands of Jersey.

Excellent story, and I wish DUP had invited me too. I have "only" 1040 watts in my two-channel system, but any time y'all would like to come out to Connecticut to hear my JBL pro studio speakers in a well-treated room I'll be glad to have you. And that offer is for everyone, not just Alex and DUP.

Good show guys!

--Ethan

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...but any time y'all would like to come out to Connecticut to hear my JBL pro studio speakers in a well-treated room I'll be glad to have you.

Which JBLs Ethan? I just recently got a pair of the LSR6332 monitors and am very happy with them.

Excellent post and great to see people actually visiting and enjoying music together. Oh how I remember the 70's when it was a way of life for so many.

It's always a treat for me to find a 'happy' thread where like minded people share their passion for music and playback systems without having to turn it into a "pissing contest."

AlexO great Album choice. And DUP good on your for opening up your home to others to enjoy/test your system.

Fun report!

The Whispers are wonderful speakers. I am delighted to learn that he is getting great sound from them.

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As I wrote before, he does so many things "wrong" that I wonder how much better this rig would sound done "right" or whether it would at all. I will have to audition these speakers at a dealership to see whether these are as good as the Avantgarde Trios done right.

Yeah, let us know what the difference is b/t the whispers with his gear vs. your audition.

I'm sure I will never be able to afford the whispers, unless DUP were to donate them when he gets the Helix

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Which JBLs Ethan?

I have a pair of JBL 4430 speakers. These are large and meant for pro studios. They have a 15 inch woofer with bi-radial horn. So they're different from the usual box and driver types you see from JBL. They can also play very loud.

--Ethan

Not doable for me. I'm thinking Tannoy Dc6 right now, then save for some floorstanders when I get the space.

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1. The biggest problem I had with DUP's system is that it sounds as though the music is coming at you from 6' above your seating position. This is very disconcerting. I don't know what causes this. I assume it's because the listening position is too close to the speakers (we were about 5' away from the speakers). I hope that in a better setup, and a greater distance from the speakers, this issue would be mitigated to a great extent.

No wife or kids to sell (at least there is no WAF), but the physical space is not enough after reading your innital post.

In the nice weather I open up the windows, doors and listen out in the yard...CRANK IT!!!!!! & CRANK it some more.....It sounds good anywhere, up close, far away, 3 houses down....hmmm, If I can find a set of Whispers at 1/2 price used, set them up in the next room, add more AVA P500 Haflers...now we getting somewhere. Install 3 more AC lines, it's all coming together....What" You never heard of the WHISPER STANDPHONES..not headphones, STAND in the middle of the speakers, and get a full body rub......