Decware Appreciation Thread (MT review up on first page 2-10-12) - Page 40

Does anyone know if Decware is on vacation or something this week?  I have been trying to contact them about warranty work on my Mini Torri but they have not responded.  I called and emailed and have not heard anything for a week.  Thanks
 

Finally got around to buying some efficient speakers for the Taboo.  I visited the Blumenstein Audio location in West Seattle.  I got to hear their Orca full range and sub speakers on their reference tube amp as well as on a pair of Bottlehead monoblocks .  Simply amazing.  Detailed, excellent clarity, natural tone, holographic and fantastic imaging.  If you live in Washington state you should look them up and visit their site.  The owners are welcoming and for those of us new to the speaker world such as myself it was great to tap into their knowledge about set-ups/positioning/tubes.        

Will post pics this weekend.  The natural color Orca matches well with the maple Taboo.  Waiting on my speaker cables to come in and I'll report back on how the Taboo sounds with the Orcas.  If it is on par or above what I heard with the Bottlehead amp I'll be a happy camper.  The dangerous side of visiting audiophile makers is now I want to try a DIY preamp for the Taboo and I got to hear Emission Labs tubes. 

http://www.blumensteinaudio.com/

WNBC, what a great site. I had not heard of the Orca's and now I have to give them some serious thought!

At last...have been ultra curious about these speakers - thanks WNBC 

I gave up on the Joey Roth Ceramic speakers. Nice concept and good looking but they just don't work with a lot of material. Even a subwoofer didn't help. Tend to sibilance, get confused with complex music, and some instruments sound unnatural.

Look forward to hearing how they the Orca sound with Taboo 

Just a quick report and iPhone pics after a couple days of listening to the Blumensteins.  

Color me impressed.  The Orcas are detailed and display a pleasant/natural tone.  No harshness to the top-end of these speakers.  Going to play around with different tube configurations as well.  I'm very happy with this purchase even this early in the break-in process.  The Orcas have my full endorsement as a Taboo owner.  My original intention was to get the Taboo for headphones but I'm loving it as a speaker amp as well.      

I may add their sub down the road but not necessary right now.  

The maker of this speaker comes from a background of headphones and those of you out there that enjoy headphones will have no problem adjusting to these speakers.  Toe-in configuration and sitting in front of the speakers several feet away gives you a great headphone-like experience with the speakers providing a larger soundstage and better imaging.  For me, these speakers provide enough of what I want for low-level listening.  For those of you who like higher volumes I'm sure the Orcas won't disappoint in filling the room.  I'm still new to the speaker world so I'll report back when I've learned more.....           

Very nice WNBC....You'll have to fill us in on their break in results.

Great info WNBC. These seem promising.

Following the disappointment of the Roth ceramics I flipped back to the KEF KIT satellites. As I've found before they are a good match with Taboo, despite being only 85dB efficient. Their one fault is restrained highs - they make the LCD2 sound positively bright!

I too look forward to your break-in results 

Question for Taboo owners.  I am in the process of locating a buzz / hum in my system and just realized the volume control works the same on the fixed and the variable inputs.  Is this normal?  I though the fixed in's bypassed the volume control.

Quote:

Originally Posted by setamp 

Question for Taboo owners.  I am in the process of locating a buzz / hum in my system and just realized the volume control works the same on the fixed and the variable inputs.  Is this normal?  I though the fixed in's bypassed the volume control.

I would think the the fixed inputs would bypass the volume control.  I haven't tried that on my Taboo.

I pulled the tubes out of a Hammond Organ.  They are hot now and playing so I can't get the numbers off em.  The rectifier is a GT, maybe a 5ru4?  It says made in Great Britian.  Man, that tube is nice.  Then I put in the EL34s?  Made in Germany.  Even better sound.  The Taboo has all Hammond tubes.  The Hammond GT rectifiers are in the CSP2+ and the Taboo too.  Sorry I can't be more specific now, all I want to say is the old Hammond tubes have made me very happy.  More detail, the soundstage is right at the Heresy speakers.  On some tracks it seems to float just above the speakers.  An audiophile may scoff at Hammond being on a tube, these are the best tubes I have had in my amp so far.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by setamp 

Question for Taboo owners.  I am in the process of locating a buzz / hum in my system and just realized the volume control works the same on the fixed and the variable inputs.  Is this normal?  I though the fixed in's bypassed the volume control.

I noticed the same on mine (has planar headphone mod) and I assumed it was related to having the headphone jack installed.  Otherwise kind of a bummer as I use a CSP+ for volume control and would prefer to skip an extra volume pot.

setamp, on my Taboo the vol control works on both inputs, but not quite the same.

On fixed, all the way down is off. Then, just a slight turn is (say) 80-90% on. Turning all the way produces a very gradual increase up to 100%

(From the little electronics I did in my teens, I think they 'bypass' the vol control by placing a low-value resistor in parallel with the pot on the fixed input. 

But I could be well wide of the mark... )

In my Taboo thx to the hammond organ amp is a 12ax7a.  Two 6BQ5 EL 84 tubes and the wonderful GT rectifier.  Wow!  That was an upgrade.

Quote:

Originally Posted by snapontom 

In my Taboo thx to the hammond organ amp is a 12ax7a.  Two 6BQ5 EL 84 tubes and the wonderful GT rectifier.  Wow!  That was an upgrade.

Pics please.....