[StimpyWan]

I’ve been thinking about getting some alternative speakers to my 1.7i, since I have a million headphones but only one set of speakers. I’m looking at some horn-loaded Klipsch or similar to have some with bigger dynamics and punch than the Maggies. Right now I’m between breaking the bank and getting Fortes or RF7 III, or going for bang for the buck and getting RP8000f.
I’m sure all of these will blast my face off with a pair of Vidars compared to how hard I can push the Maggies, but any ideas here on an orthogonal and more dynamic speaker to try? Have also looked at some Tektons as another option.

JBL has their newer Studio and Stage series of speakers. Both get very good reviews, even in the audiophile press. The Studio 590s look sweet!

JBL Studio 590

 

[Timster]

yesterday it stood : ships 20 may.
today: ships 4-6 weeks
seriously!!??

20th May is 4 weeks away...

 

[Stevko]

and 6 week is 50% more

 

[ScubaMan2017]

....and away we go!

I have one to add to this... Pineapples in Manila are better than both

Maui pineapple, picked fresh from the field. Spoiled me for life.

 

[RickB]

Bifrost 2 landed Monday. Haven't had a chance to listen to it until this evening. Holeeeeee Schiit! This thing is a really big step up from the Modi MB. Which was no slouch. Better separation and articulation of the different instruments. More three dimensionally sounding - I'm getting a much better sense of the actual instrument that was being played. Layered vocals are easier to un-layer and make out the individual voices, harmonies take on a much bigger sense of the individual singers and where they're placed in the mix. There's more of what I consider to be the "correctness" that Schiit's multibit tech brings to 44/16 digital. In a word, Articulate.

Ah, the joy that coming with re-re-discovering my music collection!

Ph*ck, this is good.

Your findings are very similar to mine, only you wrote it much more eloquently!

 

[Jason Stoddard]

yesterday it stood : ships 20 may.
today: ships 4-6 weeks
seriously!!??

We changed all of our backordered products yesterday to more accurately reflect current conditions and uncertainties.

Previously we provided a ship date, like "Backordered, ships May 5," which caused many people to camp out and wait until, like, May 4, then place an order and expect it to ship on May 5. The problem is, even if that date held, we'd be clearing deep backorders and unable to ship their order. So they'd be irritated, having expected their order to ship almost immediately.

So, now we have changed a delay range, like, "Rolling backorder, ships in est. 4-6 weeks." This more accurately reflects the wait for a product to ship when you order that day. It doesn't set expectations for a single magical date. It allows for surprises in the extremely difficult environment we're operating in--seriously, one part out of hundreds can hold up a product indefinitely. Analog Devices DACs are now 26-45 week lead times. Many tiny, seemingly insignificant parts, like capacitors, are out of stock or delayed (or different, and have to be requalified. The lead time for steel and aluminum has drawn out--hell, the cost of sheet steel is up 2X from November and 4X from a couple of years ago (!)

Bottom line, the pedal is on the floor. Everyone at Schiit knows they are empowered to expand, hire, accelerate, but we can only produce so many products of high quality and reliability. We don't want these backorders. Nobody does. And we're working to fix them. I hope the "estimated X-Y weeks" on many products is a pessimistic estimate.

So: best to order and wait, if you really want something in backorder. Or move on. Our estimates are exactly that--estimates. As in, guesses. And to be clear, we don't charge your order until it ships.

 

[DougD]

We changed all of our backordered products yesterday to more accurately reflect current conditions and uncertainties.

<< snip snip >>

So: best to order and wait, if you really want something in backorder. Or move on. Our estimates are exactly that--estimates. As in, guesses. And to be clear, we don't charge your order until it ships.

That's a great move. Listed on the product pages, right under "add to cart".

Should help people set their initial expectations appropriately, and reduce unhappiness and friction all around.

 

[bboris77]

Analog Devices DACs are now 26-45 week lead times.

I gasped when I read this as I have a Bifrost 2 on order. It is actually a testament to good planning and organization that you guys are still able to deliver Bifrosts within 7-10 days from ordering considering this.

 

[quimbo]

Maui pineapple, picked fresh from the field. Spoiled me for life.

Back in the late 70s I worked for a grocery warehouse on the perishables side in CT. We had a produce inspector we would always hang around, especially the days that the jet-flown fresh pineapples arrived from Hawaii just 2 days after being harvested.

 

[crazychile]

So if it takes about a day to properly setup and take measurements on a single piece of gear, then a certain "science based" audio site that measures 2-3 products in a day - by one person.....

Is doing it wrong.

 

[Ableza]

I work in the semiconductor industry. 26-45 week lead times are currently common, and some are much longer. This is why all the major manufacturers have announced plans to build new fabs over the next few years - both because of the ever-onward press of new technology nodes plus just to keep up with demand. And now I am hearing about new and severe silicon shortages... hold on to your hat.

 

[Randolf711]

I have to admit, almost everything in the new chapter went over my head and I just skimmed through... however, when I first got into being a critical audio listener, I was told by someone wiser than me that “audio production and recording is an art form.” There is simply no right or wrong answer. I am lover of modern art but some people also hate it. It is almost always preference and it is quite subjective. One person loves multi-bit and another loves DS. It is up to you and your ears but it is so important to not get too lost in the “how and why.” Just enjoy the music and find a product that brings you hours of joy and sounds great to you.

 

[Ableza]

So if it takes about a day to properly setup and take measurements on a single piece of gear, then a certain "science based" audio site that measures 2-3 products in a day - by one person.....

Is doing it wrong.

Back in the early 90's I worked for THX testing gear for certification while I finished college. I agree with your assessment.

 

[macdonjh]

I’ve been thinking about getting some alternative speakers to my 1.7i, since I have a million headphones but only one set of speakers. I’m looking at some horn-loaded Klipsch or similar to have some with bigger dynamics and punch than the Maggies. Right now I’m between breaking the bank and getting Fortes or RF7 III, or going for bang for the buck and getting RP8000f.
I’m sure all of these will blast my face off with a pair of Vidars compared to how hard I can push the Maggies, but any ideas here on an orthogonal and more dynamic speaker to try? Have also looked at some Tektons as another option.

The Heresy are perhaps my favorite Klipsch. Smaller and less expensive than the Forte, but still able to fill a room with dynamic sound.

Those guys are great .. and LTE 3 is very impressive. Did you get the deluxe version with the second disc loaded with jam session tracks?

Yup.

 

[bboris77]

2021, Chapter 6:
Measurements II, The Sequel

That’s why we still listen. And measure. And come up with new measurements. And listen again.

This is one of the best things I have ever read on the subject of the role of measurements in designing audio equipment. While it is very technical and dense, I would highly encourage everyone to read it because it explains a lot of important concepts and dispels some fear-based myths. A lot of stuff that Jason discusses here needed to be spelled out explicitly to avoid people either accidentally or deliberately misunderstanding or misrepresenting the author's intention. In future, I will be pointing anyone with an extreme point of view when it comes to objectivist/subjectivist debate to this article.

For me, the subject is now thoroughly explored and addressed. The whole measurement-gate had some positive impact on transparency of manufacturers and us having more data and understanding of the subject as consumers, but it did not bring us any huge advancements in audio enjoyment. It is time to move onto more productive topics.