[musickid]

Why not go qobuz/roon or tidal streaming?

 

[GreenBow]

Just realise that the useless stuff on you tube can never adversely effect the quality of something like the triple stack. A bonus to watch animals on you tube in hi res sound. When you listen to the music you know that's what it's really about. The TT toby was designed for the TT chord range, TT, TT2 and mscaler so toby was designed and tuned for them something you won't get with a non chord solution. The pic was on chord's facebook page. Just my two cents. With TT2 and mscaler you won't even remember qutest no matter how compact and good it is for what it is.

It depends. If I choose to go the amplifier route, because of power or heat or any other reason, I will use Qutest. When I had my Rega Brio going before I went TT2 speakers direct, I flipped between TT2 and Qutest loads. Sometimes more than once each day. All it takes is one switch on the amplifier, and change default sound setting (DAC) in Sound Control on PC.

Then I would use Qutest for all other work, than music or Blu-ray movie. Which reminds me I have that film called Apollo 11 to watch. It was made around the time of the fifty year anniversary, and received outstanding reviews.

I'll add two photos of it, for folk to look up. (Check out the five star ratings on the back cover.)





Like TT2 is for important stuff. Awesome films. Or films where sound creates immersion, which is all really. Mostly I think I want TT2 for music and movies.

Qutest is nothing to feel bad about using though for gaming. Like how many gamers have even heard of Qutest. I know we discussed this before, about using TT2 for gaming. I argued for it, and in some games it makes sense to use TT2. However some games not. For those, I would rather have TT2 off, and use Qutest. Like if there were a Mojo TT, I might be using that for some games. I would use Mojo for less important stuff, but being battery powered it drives me nuts.

 

[GreenBow]

With an 8 ohm load TT2 will only clip at +7dB on the volume (single ended), so keeping it below that level will be absolutely fine - even with reactive loads that drop to below 3 ohms like the B and W 803 D3.

I keep thinking about this.

I can only surmise that by sidestep, with headphones, that have a higher impedance that it's OK to use higher dB. That's because the TT2 is designed for hard to drive headphones, in the higher omh region. (I might have missed you say it but. I assume that there is less of a volume cap to be observed by headphone users.)

I am asking about headphone use, since I was recently looking at hard to drive headphones. However Iam also asking because I use 6 ohm speakers. I know you said you speakers drop to below 3 ohms, and I bet mine don't go anywhere near that. However, I was wondering if there is some sort of linear impedance and TT2 clipping level, that we know. (That I missed.)

Sorry if I am nagging.


Just that I wanted to touch on that subject. Additionally in this post "Post #7268 of 7787, you said, "The gain can go as high as +18 dB when you set the volume to max".

Wanted to mention that because in High Gain, my TT2 goes to +22. In low Gain, my TT2 goes to +13.

Just letting you know.

 

[GreenBow]

By the way, sorry everyone, I know I made a lot of posts recently. However I usually find it useful. E.g. when I was talking about buying the Naim Supernait 3, @N Quarter advised me of an issue with it.

Sometimes when I am stuck, I find it good to just post my thoughts. (Even when I don't know what it is I need to do.) Folk are intelligent and can often pick out what I mean, and relate their thoughts too.


How did we ever manage without forums? I suppose it was the HiFi mags, and that was it.

 

[Hooster]

Just realised i've been listening on filter 4 (warm with hf roll off) since i've owned tt2 so about 2 months now. Quickly back on filter 1 absolute incisive this evening which was white on hugo 2 256fs. I wonder if this transition will extinguish the idea of upgrading to dave next year. The guitar plucking on Romeo Santos' album Golden is more distinct and the drum programming is sharp. Not placebo.

Holy Moses... You just saved 8500 pounds by simply changing filters. Well done! Spend your savings wisely.

 

[N Quarter]

I better check my filter and crossfeed settings when I get home from work, I might of done the same as MusicKid ,for all I know. So what are the consensus best settings for Amp mode driving speakers from XLR’s? Pretty sure I am on high gain, but the other ones I remember cycling through, but don’t remember where I stopped at.

 

[Hooster]

I could live with an amplifier in the system, but now I think it would have to be a good quality amplifier. That's not me being arrogant, or dissing the Rega Brio. It's because the temptation to go back to driving speaker with TT2 would always be strong. (Even more - so with a lesser amplifier.) I will leave the drive speakers direct option open, by having adapters in the XLR sockets. Then move speaker cables over. Most of the time, I am thinking of leaving an amplifier in the chain though. Trouble is it get really hard looking for a top quality expensive amplifier with a low pawer rating.

Don't get hung up on the power rating. A high power rating does not have to be a negative and it does not necessarily lead to less sound quality than a low power rating would.

(I have recently experimented with light-dependent resistor (LDR) attenuation technology pre amp. I was completely blow away by it and I can not recommend it highly enough.)

By the way, the Lavardin you spoke of looks really cool.

 

[Hooster]

I better check my filter and crossfeed settings when I get home from work, I might of done the same as MusicKid ,for all I know. So what are the consensus best settings for Amp mode driving speakers from XLR’s? Pretty sure I am on high gain, but the other ones I remember cycling through, but don’t remember where I stopped at.

The best setting is the one that sounds the best to you in your room and your system.

 

[GreenBow]

Haha yeah, the Lavardin ISx Reference. Only 50W per channel into 8ohm. (Only 102w per channel into 2ohms. My 6ohm speakers would be about 63W.)

Had to comment because they charge £380 for that two button volume control remote that you see.



Apparently the sound is incredible. Fast, tonally perfect richness, and tonally bass-treble balanced.

The What HiFi review of the ISx Reference says pretty much all we need to know. However the HiFi+ review of the ISx (not Reference model) tells us interesting stuff too.

I found Lavardin maybe two years ago because they have on in the buyers guide at the end of What HiFi. I like the black one; it's perfect. Understated, purely analogue, no phono stage (but you can pay for one added), no headphone socket. Lovely stuff.

£380 for the remote though, it's almost enough to put me off, ha!


EDIT:

By the way, am not hung up on power rating as such. I want less power so my amplifier (if I get one) doesn't step up too fast. The attenuator might be an idea. I'd rather not have more inline components though. I like low power for late night listening. When I press the button on the remote, I don't want too much gain. I can lower the output of the TT2 though, if I take it out of DAC mode. Not ideal, but totally suitable. It's -3dB for 3V, and then four clicks down for 1.9V. (2V give or take.)

If I buy an amplifier, it must be lively at low power. Not go dull like some apparently do.

 

[Hooster]

If I buy an amplifier, it must be lively at low power. Not go dull like some apparently do.

That is a quality well worth looking for. I also value that very highly.

 

[GreenBow]

That is a quality well worth looking for. I also value that very highly.

Yeah I run my TT2 anywhere around -30dB to -10dB, when driving speakers. Since -3dB is 3V (if I recall Mr Watts right), in High Gain (and Low gain). Then with High Gain I'm using only a very few watts of the 7 watts that TT2 does in High Gain. Again if I have my information right; TT2 is 7 watts into 8ohms. I use six ohms so my output would be marginally higher overall, if I ever used that power. I don't. 0dB is my stop position.

We can use up to +7dB with speakers according to Rob Watts. Meaning I have a bit more push if I need it. There-in lies the problem though, at that power it will get warm in summer if used for a long time. (Hence one reason I am exploring amplifiers.)

Only occasionally do I need to run close to 0dB on the TT2 with a very quiet music source. (Like now I have been awake all night, (long story). Am whacked and just listened to Hawkwind Sonic Attack Bonus CD at -30dB. Amazing stuff on those two CDs.)

What surprises as well as the TT2 and even my Rega Brio when in use, sounding good at low volume. Is that my speakers rock at minimal volumes too. My speakers on the TT2, on my life, it does not matter how quiet I play music on them. They are still punching, sweet, dynamic, whatever you want. There is of course the unavoidable drop in out perception of lower bass and higher treble at low volumes. That's just human hearing though. It's why older amplifiers used to have a loudness button. It boosted bass and treble at low volumes. I think however newer equipment is more open and detailed, and maybe for that better at low volumes.

However that aside, I can not criticise in any way Dynaudio. Either with my previous Emit M10, or my current Special Forty. Total pleasure to own, and I think I am very lucky and exceptionally grateful.


I chattered on again, didn't I? ........... Arf!

 

[tesarpa]

HI All,.
I have borrowed TT2 for a week for testing on my stereo system. The original idea was to connect it directly to Audio Note AN speakers through XLR->bananas adapter (https://www.flashbacksales.co.uk/ac...4mm-in-line-sockets-cable-set-372.html#SID=81). Speakers have high sensitivity, so 18 W is more than enough. Surprisingly, the sound quality is not as good as I expected. Bass is smeared, mids are not clear... In every aspect worse compared to playing through solid state power amplifier (2 x 100 W), where TT2 provides the best sound I ever heard of these speakers. This is confusing me, as I really expected directly driven speakers by TT2 to give the most transparent sound. Do you think that this relatively cheap adapter could decrease overall sound quality so much? Or what could be the reason? The power of TT2 is all right, I play -25 dB in high gain, so far from peak.

After longer listening sessions, changing direct drive vs. amplifier, trying two different cables, I came to the conclusion that it was just my ears or brain which needed to be recalibrated. So let me call my previous post off. Directly driven speakers sounded so scary detailed, so much trebles and mids-in-detail, that bass was kind of hidden. But later I got used to that sound and my ears found the bass tones again. There is nothing wrong with Flashback adapters, I compared them to DIY cable XLR->Bananas and no significant difference.

 

[GreenBow]

By the way, if anyone is interested, I think the What HiFi wards magazine 2019 comes out today.

After longer listening sessions, changing direct drive vs. amplifier, trying two different cables, I came to the conclusion that it was just my ears or brain which needed to be recalibrated. So let me call my previous post off. Directly driven speakers sounded so scary detailed, so much trebles and mids-in-detail, that bass was kind of hidden. But later I got used to that sound and my ears found the bass tones again. There is nothing wrong with Flashback adapters, I compared them to DIY cable XLR->Bananas and no significant difference.

Yeah yeah that's how it can be going to direct driving speakers. I only went back to amplifier for a short time, and then had to readjust going back to direct drive.

What appears to be more treble, is details on sounds. The individual sound images are larger and more defined. Meaning more area around the core of the sounds in which there is still sound. That enlarged area is where I hear what appears as extra treble. It only took maybe four or six albums to readjust back to directly driving speakers though.

All that detail takes it to the next level of listening. It's incredible and, and like you say a bit scary. It almost feels like it should not be happening. Yet we paid for our gear so it should, but I think it's more because it's beyond out expectations. Or anything we could have imagined. …… Like I can imagine adding the M-Scaler, but I bet I can only imagine part of that upgrade. I bet there are improvements that I could not have imagined with adding an M-Scaler.

 

[delirium]

Hi! Can i ask what kind of filter setting you all are using? Thanks

 

[ekfc63]

Haven't really experimented too much, so left at:
XFD0: No Crossfeed
FIL1: Incisive Neutral