Audiophiles Gathering

We shall post the almost weekly gathering here to share the experience and joy of listening. Although the number is small but it is definitely fun.

Almost each week, there will be a specify 'menu' to 'dish out' for the gathering. Thus far, we have done comparisons between a few tube amps, a shootout of 3 reputable standmount loudspeakers, as well as pitting 3 power cords.

It has been an honour for us to host this audiophiles get together. We would also like to express our gratitude for those who have brought their beloved gears over for the 'showdown'. Lugging their prized loudspeakers such as piano finished KEF LS3/5A and the small but heavy tube amps. I am glad all of us are very open minded which make it more enjoyable.

We might also do a home visit too.

The photos that were taken earlier turned out to be too dark due to low ambient light in the room. However, we shall have a brighter light installed for photography purpose.

Sneak Peek

Room Acoustic. Is it same for Hi-Fi and HT?

Many people did ask me about this question; Is acoustic treatment for Hi-Fi same as acoustic treatment for home theater? The answer is no. There are some differences between these two.

While employing sound treatment to a room is important, one should not over do it and know the basic rule. As Art Noxon puts it:

"I'd rather listen to a mid-fi system in a high-end room than a high-end system in a mid-fi room, any day."

There are some differences between acoustic treatment for Hi-Fi and home theater. For that, I have append 2 articles on basic room treatment for your reading. I do hope that you will find it useful if you are to embark on room treatment.

1. Hi-Fi listening room

2. Home Theater

On that note, we are in the midst of upgrading our acoustic treatment for our demo room to provide an even better enjoyment to our customers.

The KL International A/V Show 2011

The show is here again for its 11th year!

Show Information

Dates: 29th - 31st July 2011 (Friday - Sunday)

Time: Friday - 11am to 7.30pm, Saturday & Sunday - 10am to 7.30pm

Venue: J.W. Marriot Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

Last year, Maxx Audio Visual participated in this established show at Boardroom 1, Level 4. It is to showcase SVS products especially its new range of SB subwoofers, the new S series loudspeakers as well as the upgraded PB and PC subwoofer series. A 7.2 system was set up at the show for the visitors to get a feel of a true subwoofer's performance.

As for this year, we shall be doing stereo system instead of home theater. We will be at Room 8031, Level 8. Expect to see Triangle (a selection of Esprit Ex, Genese as well as the flagship Magellan series), Exposure Hi-Fi, Rythmik Audio, Kimber Kable as well as XLO at the show. We hope to spring a surprise for the show too.

See you at the show!

Triangle Genèse Voce

Genèse Voce in Mahogany

This centre channel features bass drivers which are very similar to those of the 6.5” TRIO, as well as the semi pod-mounted tweeter. It completes the GENÈSE range with its smooth tonal balance

Number of channels	2
Loudspeaker type	Bass Reflex
Sensitivity	91 dB/W/m
Frequency range	50 Hz – 20 KHz (+/- 3 dB)
Power handling	90 W
Nomial impedance	8 Ω
Cabinet dimensions	260 x 582 x 381 mm
Weight	15 kg
Finish	Black lacquered or mahogany

Currently, we have Genèse Voce on demo in our showroom. Price: RM5,550.

Reviews:
http://www.triangle-fr.com/presse/genese/PRESSE%20PRIME%20AV.pdf

Official webpage:
http://www.triangle-fr.com/en/genese/voce/

Good article on home theater acoustics by Acoustic Sciences Corp

There are many occasions that we were being asked about the importance of room acoustic by customers. Many failed to address the problem while some think that by buying a better system, the problem can be minimized, which is wrong.

A good system in a bad acoustic room will sounds just as bad. That is why room acoustics is very important and should be dealt with in order to truly enjoy your HT or hi-fi system.

This article is very informative and we find it to be useful for other HT enthusiasts as well as audiophiles. As the article is very long, we only extract a portion of it. For the remaining, you may click at the attached link.

Happy reading.

Home Theater Acoustics

One of the first things the novice acoustician does upon entering a room is to deliver a sharp clap of the hands. This is followed by a grave shake of the head and comments about how bad the room sounds. Next comes a proposition to fix the room and the fee. The unsuspecting client then administers a sharp hand clap, nods the head in agreement, and gives the guru a retainer. The only problem here is that these people are busy buying and selling modifications to the sound of their own hand clap. We don't listen to a speaker while holding it in our hands, yet we can be tempted to consider acoustics based on the sound of our own hand clap.

Home theater audio systems have an ambiance channel. It usually delivers a bandwidth-limited (no bass), mono signal to a pair of speakers that have been mounted high on the wall and to the side of the listener. If you stand on a chair and clap your hands in the location of the ambiance speaker, you will hear a very funny and undesirable sound effect. Is this really something we can hear? If so, do we want to listen to this sound effect or provide it to our clients? If not, there might be something we can do about flutter echo colorations.

THE ACOUSTIC CLAP TEST

On a practical basis, the only time that a self-administered and self-audited hand clap is directly relevant to anything in audio is when the recording engineer is setting up mikes in a studio. Only in this special circumstance does the desired audio signal leave from and return to the same place. Listening to one's own hand clap duplicates this round trip, acoustic process and thereby is a relevant test. If someone ever wants to know how a loudspeaker sounds to the listener, a different technique must be followed, one that mimics the actual speaker/listener acoustical path.

A hand clap contains only high frequencies. For a loudspeaker, the high frequencies are directional, forward of the speaker box. To properly administer a hand clap that mimics the high-frequency beaming pattern of a loudspeaker, the hands must meet at waist height while the clapper is facing the same direction that the speaker does. The body of the clapper blocks the expansion of the clap sound backwards. The listener is no longer in the clapper position, the listener is now seated in the listening position. This time, the hand clap is cast forward from the speaker position and is heard by the real listener. It is how the listener hears the speaker that counts and not so much how the speaker sounds to itself, at least in hi-fi playback settings.

In order to properly evaluate the consequence on the listener of the strange sound we heard when standing on the chair and clapping our hands overhead and near the mounting position of the ambience speaker, we must repeat the test while a listener is seated in the listener's chair. True enough, in this case, the zing we hear when we clap is also heard by the listener. And so, is the sound we hear, good, bad, or inconsequential? Certainly this sound effect is distracting and that alone is enough to warrant its eradication. On the other hand, we want to retain an overhead liveliness so as to promote the ambience signal. We can't sacrifice the lively quality of the overhead space in the room, yet we must try to get rid of its distracting effect known as flutter echo.

For more info :

FLUTTER ECHO/FLUTTER TONES

Rythmik Audio F12 sealed subwoofer

Specification
* Driver 12" high excursion with custom sensing coil
* Driver materials Black or silver anodized aluminum with rubber surround
* Cast aluminum basket
* Copper flux modulation shorting rings
* Amplifier 370w RMS class A/B patented servo controlled
* Dimensions : 15-3/4"(W) x 15-3/4" (H )x 17"(D) - (18-1/2" D with grille)
* Shipping Weight : 80 lbs
* Frequency Response : 14 - 100 Hz (-2 dB @ 14 Hz)
* Crossover slope : Selectable 12 or 24 dB / octave (PEQ and XLR versions)
* Crossover range (Low pass) : 25 - 100 Hz
* Rumble Filter (High pass ) : 20 Hz 18 dB / octave
* Phase response : 90 degrees phase shift at 20 Hz
* Phase adjustment : 0 - 180 degrees continuously variable
* Bass damping factor settings high (Q=0.5), med (Q=0.7), and low (Q=1.1)
* Finishes Available in Black Oak Vinyl and Matte Black only

Price : RM4,000 (wef 22 July 2013)

More info : http://www.rythmikaudio.com/F12.html