mark evans
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Acoustic Zen Double barrel - Biwire
Freako
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They look awesome. Hope they will provide even better sound than before. BTW, isn't it about time we hear what you think your Andra's sound like? Or am I just impatient? Having no clue as to how much burn in they need, or even if you planned to share your opinion, you must forgive me for asking. I just love to read speaker reviews...

mark evans
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Quote:
They look awesome. Hope they will provide even better sound than before. BTW, isn't it about time we hear what you think your Andra's sound like? Or am I just impatient? Having no clue as to how much burn in they need, or even if you planned to share your opinion, you must forgive me for asking. I just love to read speaker reviews...

I hear ya bro. Keld. They are still in the crates.

I need a couple of other guys to help me get them out safely as to not scratch the fragile finish and especially not to get fingers and hands into the drivers as to damage them. This happened to me once with a pair of B&W 801's and it was a pain in the butt to pack them back up and ship them off to get repaired. And expensive too! These Eggs weigh 250lbs. ea. and I don't want that to happen to them. Plus, I need these bi-wire cables for them. Or at least, get a pair of jumpers until then.

Thankfully, they have already been burned in by the previous owner.

As soon, as I get them uncrated and hooked up, I so look forward to giving a review. It is killing me to have to just look at them laying in their crates.

Mark

Freako
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Thanks. At least they're safe in the crates

tom collins
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you won't feel any lack of bass with those andras i can tell you that. very clean and tight as well as powerful.
best of luck.

tom

mark evans
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Quote:
you won't feel any lack of bass with those andras i can tell you that. very clean and tight as well as powerful.
best of luck.

tom

Thank you Tom, thats nice to know because that is what I was hoping to get in these, a well rounded loudspeaker. From my experience most high-end apeakers I have heard have incredible microdynamics but always seem to be a bit anemic in the Bass region.

Oh cool, I see your from Kentucky. Alabama here.

Thanks,
Mark

Allen Fant
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Hi Mark-

did you get your speakers wired yet? Give us a report on the sound of your new speakers!

David_L
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I'm sure it's "visceral"

mark evans
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I'm sure it's "visceral"

glad your in agreement with me, I'm sure too.

tom collins
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Mark:
I want to follow up on my prior post. Due to an unusual circumstance, that very pair of andra IIs are now performing in my listening room (on long term loan even though I am not a reviewer for a major magazine). Unfortunately, I have had mixed results.
My friend was driving the pair with a Spectral SS amp, rated at 100 watts but with good drive into low impedences. I definitely heard what I reported in regard to the strong, tight bass in his small room.
When I hooked these speakers to my Cary 120S, tube amp, the high end was lovely, the midrange present and beautiful, the imaging like a son of a b--ch, but the bass has been mostly MIA, you can tell it is there, just not powerful as I expected it to be. I started investigating and this magazine reviewed those speakers a few years ago. Thanks to Mr. Atkinson's specification page, I can see that these speakers have a very sharp dip to nearly 2 ohms around 80hz. My Cary is a beast, but is not happy below 4 ohms. So, I believe that such accounts for the problem. This seems to be a common problem with many of the speakers that try to bend the laws of physics to get big bass from a relatively small box starting back in the Wilson Watt days.
When I was a boy, my dad had Klipshhorns. Great big speakers (Mom only just tolerated them) that put out lots of bass, but could be driven with just a few watts, rated at 16 ohms even.
So, I guess it's the age old battle of WAF vs. big boxes.
There is a bright spot, my best listening buddy is bringing his 200 watt solid states amp by tomorrow. I expect the bass will be back, but some of the finesse will be gone from the mids and highs.
My usual speakers are Dali Helicon 800s using 2 8" woofers - they put out plenty of bass with the Cary.
I'll let you know how the Andra's do with the SS amp.

Tom

mark evans
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Quote:
Mark:
I want to follow up on my prior post. Due to an unusual circumstance, that very pair of andra IIs are now performing in my listening room (on long term loan even though I am not a reviewer for a major magazine). Unfortunately, I have had mixed results.
My friend was driving the pair with a Spectral SS amp, rated at 100 watts but with good drive into low impedences. I definitely heard what I reported in regard to the strong, tight bass in his small room.
When I hooked these speakers to my Cary 120S, tube amp, the high end was lovely, the midrange present and beautiful, the imaging like a son of a b--ch, but the bass has been mostly MIA, you can tell it is there, just not powerful as I expected it to be. I started investigating and this magazine reviewed those speakers a few years ago. Thanks to Mr. Atkinson's specification page, I can see that these speakers have a very sharp dip to nearly 2 ohms around 80hz. My Cary is a beast, but is not happy below 4 ohms. So, I believe that such accounts for the problem. This seems to be a common problem with many of the speakers that try to bend the laws of physics to get big bass from a relatively small box starting back in the Wilson Watt days.
When I was a boy, my dad had Klipshhorns. Great big speakers (Mom only just tolerated them) that put out lots of bass, but could be driven with just a few watts, rated at 16 ohms even.
So, I guess it's the age old battle of WAF vs. big boxes.
There is a bright spot, my best listening buddy is bringing his 200 watt solid states amp by tomorrow. I expect the bass will be back, but some of the finesse will be gone from the mids and highs.
My usual speakers are Dali Helicon 800s using 2 8" woofers - they put out plenty of bass with the Cary.
I'll let you know how the Andra's do with the SS amp.

Tom

Thanks Tom,

Yeah, I'm still waiting for a pair of 8' A Zen double barrel speaker cable to come up for sale so I can hook them up. With me, jumpers are not an option. I believe jumpers are not a good interface and I want the best speaker connection possible even it is painful to wait, but it will be worth it in my opinion. Sounds great what you are saying concerning my Andra's. I have the ML 336 (350w/ch) getting caps replaced. Currently I am utilizing my Adcom GFA555 (200w/ch) in my system. I think the Adcom will suffice until my 336 gets back. The Adcom is known to be a solid performer when the impedence drops. So, I feel good about that aspect.

The good thing is that I am definitely looking for a huge improvement in the midrange and higher frequency imaging since 99% of my music is guitar oriented. The Bass is crucial but not as important as the aforementioned traits.

I am looking forward to what you experience with a SS amp especially since it is a 200 watt amp like my Adcom. Great info. I appreciate it.

All the best,
Mark

tom collins
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That Adcom 555 is the very amp my buddy is hopefully bringing tonight. I did not mention that I am currently using Prometheus C-core passives and wonder if not having gain is an issue too as my Dali's are 89.5 efficient and the Andra's 88. He is also bringing a slightly modded dynaco pas-3 preamp to try.
These speakers have almost changed daily. Last night, I listened to a song by an acoustic group called Iron and Wine. If you have the album, the song is called "Fever Dream". I had the Cary set for Triode mode which makes the depth of soundstage huge and adds a beautiful burnished tone like an SET amp. That song had me totally choked up. I have heard some mega-buck systems, but this was off the charts, even my beloved Dalis have never gotten me like that. I even had to get the wife in there to hear it. If you like acoustic, you will be in love with these.

Tom

mark evans
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Quote:
That Adcom 555 is the very amp my buddy is hopefully bringing tonight. I did not mention that I am currently using Prometheus C-core passives and wonder if not having gain is an issue too as my Dali's are 89.5 efficient and the Andra's 88. He is also bringing a slightly modded dynaco pas-3 preamp to try.
These speakers have almost changed daily. Last night, I listened to a song by an acoustic group called Iron and Wine. If you have the album, the song is called "Fever Dream". I had the Cary set for Triode mode which makes the depth of soundstage huge and adds a beautiful burnished tone like an SET amp. That song had me totally choked up. I have heard some mega-buck systems, but this was off the charts, even my beloved Dalis have never gotten me like that. I even had to get the wife in there to hear it. If you like acoustic, you will be in love with these.

Tom

Same amp! Wow, I anticipate what you have to say about them paired with the Adcom. Im interested in this group called Iron and Wine. From the sound of your listening experience, I might need to think tubes in the immediate future.

Best,
Mark

Allen Fant
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I previously owned that Adcom amp and it is a solid performer!
Give us a report as soon as possible.

dumbo
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I just ordered a set of the Acoustic Zen Satori cables for my setup. I am eagerly awaiting their arrival. Based on all the reviews I have seen on this brand it seems they are supposed to be pretty solid performers in the cable market. I'm hoping my cable search is finally over

soulful.terrain
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dumbo wrote:

I just ordered a set of the Acoustic Zen Satori cables for my setup. I am eagerly awaiting their arrival. Based on all the reviews I have seen on this brand it seems they are supposed to be pretty solid performers in the cable market. I'm hoping my cable search is finally over

Let me tell you, I have tried Cardas (very good cable but too expensive), StraightWire (good lower priced cable), Shunyata (too thin sounding and expensive), Audioquest (very good cable), Monster (didn't like them), Kimber (very good cable and affordable)

And finally, I purchased a pair of AZ double barrel (bi-wire). This cable beats them all. I liked them so much, that I replaced all my I/C's with Acoustic Zen. The Satori is just as amazing IMHO.

Mark

Allen Fant
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Thanks for the update Mark.

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