[longbowbbs]

60 watts of KT88 should power about anything

 

[Audio Addict]

60 watts of KT88 should power about anything

Steve indicated it could also use the new KT120 production for even more power.

 

[longbowbbs]

I would start measuring the living room for a pair...

 

[ericfarrell85]

My CSP2+ is on route and I realized that it has a wooden knob, rather than the gold knob on my Taboo. Anyone have an extra to sell? Trade for a gold? 

 

[jazzerdave]

I'll trade my Taboo's gold knob for the wooden one that comes on your CSP2+
 

 

[SemiAudiophile]

Wood knob is so much nicer. I had thought the same too. I'll trade you my gold knob on my CSP2 too

 

[dminches]

How much could Steve possibly charge for an extra wood knob?

 

[jazzerdave]

Quote:

How much could Steve possibly charge for an extra wood knob?

 
I'll be he doesn't charge much at all, but it's an option you have to remember to specify. 

 

[longbowbbs]

This is the new Decware special WKCKC (Wooden Knob Christmas Keeps Coming). The knob has a 24 week order time. Greatness requires patience...

 

[ericfarrell85]

Um... so this came as something of a surprise. My CSP2+ just came in and I'm running them with a Sylvania 5U4G and 3 Genalex 6922 Gold Lions. My Taboo is running a Sylvania Black plate EL 34 and Mullard 12AT7. I've always liked my LCD's, but for enjoyment had them behind my HD800, HE6, Omega MK1 and sometimes AD2000 would run ahead on a purely sensationalist level. I never found the LCD's particularly dynamic and the shallow staging was distasteful, but nonetheless they were tonally pleasing, hefty and plenteous sounding with drool-worthy bass.
 
The CSP2+ has added ENORMOUSLY to the LCD's. I was expecting an incremental gain and purchased the CSP2 mostly to drive future T1's. I've not read many comparative accounts of Taboo (alone) vs CSP2 + Taboo. Everything is different. The overall sound is brighter, faster, much more tactile and present and also, and this is most rattling: far, far more dynamic and transparent. I keep having to lower the volume as unexpected bursts of sound threaten my cochlea. I'm beginning to wonder if there wasn't something remiss about my Taboo setup, which is noticeably darker and less resolved (as though the sound was wrapped in cotton - comparatively speaking). Anyone else notice so substantial a change with their CSP2+? In truth I don't know which currently is the more dominant emotion - confusion or satisfaction. 
 
*On a somewhat related note, I tried my Zana Deux as preamp into the Beta feeding an HD800 and this brought a very noticeable change. I never knew the HD800 could do bass like that! They were also more hulking and ample, which is certainly not an acknowledged HD800 attribute. These changes were not of the same magnitude as the CSP2+ though, quite a ways from it. Perhaps it's a preamp thing, which certainly makes me wonder as to all the potential yet unexplored. 

 

[Argo Duck]

Very interesting Eric - and encouraging.
You seem to have found the sweet spot straight-away with your tube combination 

 
Have had very little time for serious LCD2 listening since the CSP2+ joined the Taboo last month. Bear this in mind reading the next comment: I've so far  found Taboo's dynamics increased but transparency suffered. Still running the CSP2+ mostly in stock form though; have only experimented with the driver tube to date. I look forward to the evidently large improvements to come. (BTW, as I think I commented in this thread at the time, the T1 is outrageously good with the CSP2).
 
I'm pretty sure I remember Frank I commenting on the large improvement the CSP2 made to the Taboo/LCD2 combination in his Taboo thread - indeed, this is the post here. He mentions dynamics, focus and sound-stage.

 

[setamp]

The rectifier tube made the biggest difference in my setup.  I rolled USAF 596 rectifiers into both the CSP2+ and Taboo and the soundstage with my LCD2.1's became huge, more transparent while retaining world class bass response.  I am still playing with driver and input tubes to get the right synergy but this Decware/LCD2 trio is a winner.

 

 

[dminches]

Quote:

The rectifier tube made the biggest difference in my setup.  I rolled USAF 596 rectifiers into both the CSP2+ and Taboo and the soundstage with my LCD2.1's became huge, more transparent while retaining world class bass response.  I am still playing with driver and input tubes to get the right synergy but this Decware/LCD2 trio is a winner.

 

 
What were you using before?

 

[setamp]

Quote:

 
What were you using before?

The stock 5U4G's and Mullard CV378

 

[ericfarrell85]

Quote:

I'm pretty sure I remember Frank I commenting on the large improvement the CSP2 made to the Taboo/LCD2 combination in his Taboo thread - indeed, this is the post here. He mentions dynamics, focus and sound-stage.

 
This makes perfect sense Andre. I bought Frank's Taboo and his recommended configuration - Sylvania backplates and Mullard 12AT7 - was what I quickly settled on. I also remember reading that he used a Sylvania 5U4G in his CSP2+ and that he was a big fan of the Genalex 6922, though I'm not sure if these were the CSP2 drivers he used when he had the Taboo. It's comforting to know that with similar, possibly identical setups, our conclusions are also similar. But yeah, transparency, focus and dynamics are the most evident improvements and are readily noticed. Do you have any rectifiers you can swap in your CSP2+?