Daddyjt

yea, I can certainly pressurize the room, lol. I was playing the Titanic 4k disc last night, during the sinking - the groans and creeks were awe inspiring, and a bit scary…

I currently have the subs set to LFE+main, but I am going to switch back to just LFE, and set the fronts to LARGE and see what happens. It really bothers me to have the mains (RF7) set to small - especially as efficient as they are (101db) and the fact that they are being driven by a 500t MKII. My surrounds and back surrounds are Klipsch RR 500SA (I had RS7 x4, but 2 of them were damaged in the flood, so I went with 4x of the 500SA). The 4 ceiling speakers are Klipsch 8” in walls - not sure the model. All surrounds are running off a Parasound Z-12. 8 channels are bridged to 4 @ 100w for the surrounds and back surrounds, the other 4 channels are pushing 50w to each of the 4 ceiling Atmos speakers (Parasound watts are much like Carver watts - you get more than the number implies, lol). The other 500t MKII is running the center in “power steering” mode.

The old one was too wide to accommodate the dual subs up front, so I had to make a new one. 3/4” oak plywood stained black with 5/8” threaded rod supports. The center channel tweeter is EXACTLY the same height as the mains (I’ve learned that this is one of the most important elements of a cohesive front stage).

The rebuild of my HT after the flood of 2023 was just recently completed a couple months ago. As I was rebuilding it anyway, I decided it was a good time to transition to a 4K Atmos 7.2.4 setup, from my previous 1080p 7.1 setup. As part of this change, virtually all of my components changed - in fact, only my trusty Oppo 105D made the cut to the new system (playing FLAC and DVDA, which the 4k Atmos Panasonic won’t play). I also pulled the Velodyne DD18, and added 2x SVS SB4000 subs. This is where the headaches started. Headache #1 - In order to get the Marantz SR6015 receiver to apply the Audyssey calibration to the subs correctly, the main speakers must be set to “small” - even though my RF7 mains are more than capable of playing down to 40hz. Headache #2 - Integrating two subs is a royal PITA. do you tune them together or separate? Do you make adjustments in the Marantz, or in the EQ suite of each sub via the mobile App? Headache #3 - what frequencies do you boost for the “punch” of movies, and then how do you restore some sense of fidelity for music listening? As a solution to all of these headaches, I purchased a Velodyne SMS-1 on the local classifieds. Anyone that has used one of Velodyne’s DD series subs has experienced the electronic tuning interface. It’s a brilliant system that feeds a sweep tone (and on-screen GUI) into an input of your pre/receiver, then utilizes a microphone to measure the sweep tone, displays the results on screen and allows a plethora of adjustments via an 8 band parametric EQ. The SMS-1 takes this electronics suite and puts it in a stand-alone component that goes in the equipment rack (mine is on top of the power conditioner on the left). Well…. Even with the SMS-1, I wasn’t getting anywhere near the bass response I wanted. My frequency graph looked more like a hockey player smile than anything resembling a straight line, and I had no “punch” or “impact”. So I decided to move my Velodyne DD18 into the room (back left corner), bringing me to 3 subs in a 17’ X 13’ room. The DD18 has its own electronics suite, so I just fed it from one of the “through” outputs of the SMS-1. I set the DD18 low pass at 45hz - just looking for it to fill in the lowest of the Lows. I was still not getting what I wanted, when it hit me - phasing. I have the Klipsch RF7 mains playing down to 60hz, the SVS pair playing up to 80hz, and the DD18 playing below 45hz. So I switched the SVS pair 180 degrees out of phase. Boom - everything fell into place. I now have a VERY flat bass curve. I “think” that the SVS pair is now cancelling out any overlap they have with the RF7 mains, and the DD18 is cancelling out its overlap with the SVS pair. another benefit of the SMS-1 is SIX (6) presets. So for movies, I have a couple settings with various bumps at 40hz, 50hz and 60hz, and for music a couple that are pretty flat. heres the curve (I didn’t take a shot of the pre-phase shift, but trust me - it was BAD…

If we are going to chat about “limited series” shows, I’d be remiss if I did not mention HBO’s spectacular series Chernobyl. It’s only five (5) episodes, which is a shame, as I could have watched 10 or more. I remember when the Chernobyl disaster happened - I was in high school. I also remember joking about it with my friends at the time. After watching this impeccably created documentary-drama, I have to admit that I feel like an ass for joking about this horrific event. the entire series is a master class - from the depiction of the initial explosion, to the political ramifications, to the depiction of death by radiation sickness (that will haunt me for the rest of my days), to the second-by-second breakdown in the final episode of what happened that night to lead to the explosion… All of the performances are fantastic, but Stellan Skarsgard flat-out steals the show. He portrays Boris Shcherbina, and his character arc is off the charts - from the ignorant party line bureaucrat to the most touching end scene - he’s excellent. I can’t recommend this series highly enough…

Ok, so maybe not quite stellar, BUT… Considering how BAD most 80’s hair metal is recorded (if you’re even a passing fan of the genre, you know exactly what I mean), the “Rock Candy” remaster of Ratt’s Out Of the Cellar was a blast to listen to! The worst thing about almost all hair-metal recordings is the drums - flat, no attack, and all the cymbals melt together in a sort of white noise hiss. Not so with this remaster of Out Of the Cellar - tight snare and toms, punchy bass and the cymbals - just wow! A bit of sibilance on the lead vocals, but all in all this album leaves me wondering why all hair metal can’t sound so good! As for “Rock Candy” mixes, I’d never heard of them before - but I will certainly be seeking out more… https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HHIN9OW?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

I pulled the crossovers on my first pair of 2.9, and I did not notice any caps even remotely bulging. As the crossovers are rather complex, I did not tackle a rebuild at this time. As for the surrounds, they are are rubber (not foam), so breakdown is not a concern. Indeed, the only immediate issue is the foam diffraction strips. @PhilDent, your issue sounds like a potential electrical connection issue in one of the drivers. Swap L&R speaker wires and begin the isolation process. Give me a call when you have time….

Welcome!

It occurs to me that NHT (Now Hear This) speakers have quite a following here amongst the Carver faithful. There is certainly quite a bit of NHT information and opinion/experience scattered about the pages of The Carversite. Hoping to start a topic here to consolidate some of this lore and foster discussion. My own NHT journey started with a lowly pair of 2.5 (2nd from the left in the group photo below). I think Tim ( @PhilDent ) was with me for the “Great Speaker Shootout” of 2019. These lowly little NHTs with a 1” tweeter, 6.5” mid and 8” ported side-firing woofer Flat-out beat Infinity Kappa 9, Polk SDA SRS 1.2 (fully modded), Legacy Focus 20/20, Polk LS70, Klipsch RF7, B&W 805, and Carver ALIII. We were stunned. I mean really, it was difficult (to say the least) to believe. This particular, and my first pair of NHT speakers happened upon me by chance. I was picking up a Carver M500t that was advertised on the local classifieds in Missoula MT. When I showed up to buy the amplifier, I learned from the woman selling it that it was part of her husband’s system - sadly he had just passed away. I was buying the amplifier for $300. She asked if I was interested in the rest of the gear - an AMC preamp, Sony 5-disc cd carousel, and the NHT 2.5 pair. I said “sure - how much? “ She said “just take it all”, as she was moving to a retirement home, and had no need of any of it, as the home forbade anything other than counter-top radios. She even had all the boxes (including the speaker boxes). As I loaded up and drove away, conscious struck, and I hit the ATM for an addition $200 and took it to her. She teared-up and said she was going to miss sitting and listening to music with her husband, and thanked me profusely for the additional funds. I like to think that my “good deed” helped lay the groundwork for my happy relationship with NHT speakers. More to come….

Welcome aboard. Are you using the system for music, movies or both? Are you looking for a remote? Phono stage?

I have discovered another Atmos gem - Tears for Fears release of Songs for a Nervous Planet. Both Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith are still very much engaged in their music, and while Roland sounds great, Curt Smith seems to have not aged a day, vocally. He literally sounds identical to his ‘80s prime. This disc is a fabulous mix of new, old, studio and live recordings, and is mixed by Steven Wilson (who also did Tori Amos and Thompson Twins) - thanks for that tip @PhilDent! I didn’t count, but theres got to be 30+ tracks on the disc too - great stuff! https://superdeluxeedition.com/news/tears-for-fears-songs-for-a-nervous-planet/

There’s something about a good “true story” (or even “based on a true story”) film that I really enjoy. Somehow, watching the plot/events unfold and knowing that they really happened adds a weight and enjoyment to the film. And when the story is of significant interest, and the film well enough made, I come away with the name of the “character” and story indelibly etched in my memory. Such is the case with Wladyslaw Szpilman of The Pianist, Ken Miles of Ford vs Ferrari, Gary Gordon & Randy Shughart from Blackhawk Down, Philippe Petit from The Walk - these are stories and names I will never forget. Last night I added another name to the list - Nicky Winton. If you’ve never heard this name, don’t feel bad - I had never heard of him either. But I will never forget his name after watching “One Life”. A heartwarming, yet profoundly sad story of one man’s refusal to stand by and do nothing. Nicky and his collaborators accomplished heroic feats through sheer will and determination. I highly recommend you give this film 2 hours of your time - you will never forget it.

Since the home theater flooded last year and I had to rebuild it, I decided to upgrade from my old 7.1 setup to a 7.2.4 Atmos configuration. During the course of construction and equipment acquisition, I collected a few Atmos music discs, and was understandably excited to audition Atmos music at home. Well. To say that I was underwhelmed would be an understatement. I have learned that Atmos mixes come in two (2) varieties. This first (and most common - unfortunately) is the obnoxious practice of throwing a cacophony of sounds and instruments at random speakers, literally abusing the surround and Atmos speakers. Such things as a guitar stating at right-center, then bouncing over your left shoulder, or the snare being dead center, but the hihat behind you. Stupid stuff The second (and spectacular) use of an Atmos mix is SUBTLE use of the surrounds and Atmos speakers to create a sense of space and ambiance. THIS is what I experienced a couple nights ago with two very different discs: Tori Amos - Unrepentant Geraldines. I’ve been a fan of Tori’s since Little Earthquakes debuted when I was a kid. The sound of this disc in my Atmos HT is simply stunning. The mix creates such an intimate sense of space, and the details of her vocals and piano are amazing. There are some subtle percussion bits sprinkled around the room, but far from annoying or unrealistic. Thompson Twins - Into the Gap. Laugh if you want, but I have a soft spot for ‘80s synth-pop (the music of my high school years). This one is a much more aggressive Atmos mix that Tori Amos, but man - it’s crystal clear, hits like a hammer, and the singing ability is quite a bit better than I remember. Demo material for sure. Both of these discs came from the same place - SDE Shop out of England. https://superdeluxeedition.com/news/tori-amos-unrepentant-geraldines-sde-exclusive-blu-ray-audio/ Needless to say, I have several more on the way. PLEASE feel free to post any great finds you’ve come across for Atmos music mixes - seeing (or hearing, as it were) what’s possible with this format, I’m definitely IN!

Don’t forget Trading Places for a Christmas movie….

We did Die Hard last night in the re-born theater room. Sad how many of the film’s stars are no longer with us - Hans, Karl, Theo, Takagi, Dwayne, Gail and Franco. RIP to you all - you created an indelible piece of American entertainment that will live on forever.

“Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later, that debt is paid.” ~ Valery Legasov

For the longest time I knew Hugh Grant as the kitschy rom-com actor, and I never gave him much thought (except for Love, Actually - the most guy-watchable rom-com of all time). However - I saw him in last year’s Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre with Jason Statham, and I have to say, Hugh Grant flat out stole the show. His dialogue and delivery were marvelous, and he played the creepy billionaire perv perfectly. Then, my son drags me to see Heretic the other night, and again, I’m treated to a master-class performance by Hugh Grant. The movie itself is pretty mid, but Grant’s performance was spectacular. I now find myself optimistically anticipating his next role, and wondering WHY he waited until so late in his career to treat us to this level of acting…? https://youtu.be/7g-vhmIEvX0?si=Ff6g469XDneB__Hx https://youtu.be/jpWUOxRozZg?si=HlgOe7_h_OHZ0kVu

I was surfing the web the other night and had this pop up. Never was much of a fan of the original, but this gal’s voice just blew me away. Incredible rendition…

What part of Idaho are you in? I live just north of SLC and travel most of southern Idaho for work…

My daughter (18) begged me to go to a Laufey concert here locally about a month ago. I had never heard of Laufey, but went to the concert with my kiddo. Other than it being an outdoor concert in 100 degrees, I found it quite enjoyable. I was refreshed and pleasantly surprised to see so many young people there. You can debate whether Laufey is “true” jazz or not, but it’s undeniable that she’s light years ahead of Beyoncé, Taylor Swift or the like. Indeed, I found Laufey to be a very talented musician, and rather enjoyable to listen to.

In doing a bit of research, it appears that Cambridge Audio is now using the ESS Sabre DAC, and has abandoned the Wolfson DAC - in their streamers at least. I would be curious to hear the ESS chip in a Cambridge unit…

Yes - let it die…

I prefer the sound of the ESS (Oppo). some criticize it as “clinical”, and perhaps that’s true. I’ve also had significant experience with Wolfson (Cambridge Audio), and found it very pleasing as well….

congrats! I knew going in that the ported model (PB 4000) has a bit lower end and more prodigious output, but for me, there’s really no substitute for the accuracy of the sealed (SB) version. I also really enjoy their app - its very intuitive, and it’s nice not to have another remote to keep track of. Mine is usually set at -14 for music. How about you?

@Sk1Bum