I unsubscribed from Paul’s channel after his ridiculous death metal video last week. I guess I have lost tolerance for people who are so reckless with their expert reputation that they don’t spend 30 seconds to do some research about a topic

We probably need to clarify a few terms:
-Active speakers generally mean a speaker cab with onboard power amp, often bi-amped with active crossover. Altec, JBL, EV all offered these over the years.
- Passive speaker is one powered by an external amp (most hifi speakers)
- Passive Radiator is an unpowered speaker cone that dampens the speaker enclosure and reinforces LF without a wired audio signal.

If you parallel a 4ohm and an 8 ohm woofer pair, the resulting load is 2.67 Ohm, not 6 Ohm. When paralleled the final load is the sum of the inverse of the combined speakers. This might mean the difference between great LF sound and terrible clipping. Sometimes the details matter.

https://speakerslegend.com/speaker-ohm-calculator

My recommendation- Drive each speaker with an amp that runs comfortably at the given load and output wattage to match the speaker. If the speaker is rated to 400w RMS, run it with 400w RMS. Avoid bridging whenever possible because a bridged amp requires a higher impedance than each separate channel. As I recall the VMPS towers were 100db SPL @ 1W/1m so 400w of clean 4 ohm power would generate 126db @ 1w/1m in your living room. A lotta sound.

An RCA to 1/4" TS adapter cable is a very inexpensive solution to get into a high quality amp to drive the sub.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rca+to+1%2F4”+adapter&adgrpid=1337006711754246 &hvadid=83563133896220&hvbmt=bp&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1 06967&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=p&hvtargid=kwd-83563283314645%3Aloc-190&hydadcr=17955_13444534&mcid=538994a4506b329085 f9a9209d528c76&tag=mh0b-20&ref=pd_sl_5rzghrzo17_p

I did ask about some details last page. Here is a possibility, hunt down a used BAT VK500 or VK600 and a Mini DSP flex, done.

I'm sorry I didn't reply earlier... I'm still trying to decide what my "needs" are this time around :).

I have been focusing on a pre-amp/DAC first... gotta start somewhere... I have a couple of questions. My old pre had a lot of digi inputs (optical & coax) along with RCA ... no XLR out... (A Sony ES TA9000)... I had that sucker digi inputs maxed out ... and used some RCAs in also.

Can I use a single optical input on the Adcom with an "optical switch" which attaches a few (4-6) digital inputs? Mebbe not "ideal", but I make compromises for convenience.

Can XLRs be adapted on an Adcom GFP 915 or others? I have no need for phono (now), and only 2 channel.

The Polks and amps ... I'll be reusing what I have ... know how they "sounded" with various combinations of Carvers (stereo (400w +) and bridged mono at 1K)... have all the proper SDA interconnects (one custom made by THE Polk guru Ken S. 25 years ago) that I gotta get outta my crawl space.... I wuz younger then ;).... but I digress....

I still have a Carver 4.0T (prolly needs a refresh) and two "fried" 1
0T.... along with a Sony ES TN9000 (for my baby Polks)... both are GREAT.... for me.

Here are my Polks ... I know them well ... not for everyone... but we have a history :)






http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1739963138.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1739963155.jpghttp://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1739963210.jpg

These aren't my pics (I have pairs of SRS, 2.3, and 1A)... but here we go...

Thanks :)!

I'll still use my 4.0t and Sony amp initially... prolly add amps later... don't ask....

Just because :D

Why do you want to use the optical input? If coax is available that will likely sound better.

I'm a former data networking dinogeek ... fiber was a gift from the gods :)

But in audio... coax? You are correct .... but back when ... I had a couple of sources via coax ... several by optic ... I honestly could not tell.

No coax inputs going forward.... no DATs, etc. ;)

I have about half of my cds in several Sony multi-disc players ... I will only use 3-4 ... optic out.

Not just one system .... at least two ;)... a migration/work ... in progress.

Thanks!

3 way optical switches are available for $30 on Amazon, same for less on Ali. 4 ways are also available from other sources but are 3x the price . I guess you could cascade them if you really needed 4-6. XLR to RCA is readily available from a number of sources.

Refreshing the Carvers is possible, Carver audio repair is well thought of. It'll run you $400 or so per unit plus shipping.

I sort of felt the same way when I watched that awkward video, but I realized long ago that PM listens more to the equipment, less to the music, and this is true of a large percentage of audiophiles. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. It's just his focus, and everything about his business, including Octave Studio, is about a listening experience where the accuracy of the soundstage is by far the most important aspect of the listening session.

Been A long time since I watched any of his videos. Spouts a lot of audiophlie BS......cables and what not. He is obviously an engineer and employs many engineers, I think he knows better but its not in the interest of his company.

You tube is full of reviews saying almost nothing at all. Likeable guys like the audiophilac, darko, and cheap audioman. I think feature reviews are almost the only useful take aways for these channels.

Erin's Audio Corner is currently my favorite channel, bringing real data and good insights. you tube is also full of intererviews from industry greats: Floyde Toole, Andrew Jones, Sean olive, and others. You really can learn a lot about actual acoustics and audio engineering.

Then off course there is the cult of ASR (audio science review), they do a lot more good than harm but a lot of members take themselfs a bit too serious at times.

KC911, Yes easy to adapt XLR, search RCA female to XLR female to use an RCA patch cord or XLR female to RCA male patch cable. The cable assembly will save space behind the unit.

Having XLR pre output to XLR amps is a real advantage for placement, able to run much longer cables.

What amp's do you intend to use? The Carver 4.0?

Audiophiliac - my wife loves his shirts that his wife makes him..:-) Nice guy. I lost interest after a few years but occasionally tune in. Love him or hate him, I am still a Fremer fan. I could be wrong but to me, he is one of the least likely people to talk a bunch of BS at this point in his life. I could listen to him all day long

Cheap Audioman was my first stop in research when i began the quest to buy the right stuff this past year. He also does watch stuff. I quickly figured out he's just doing/saying whatever he possibly can to increase revenues. I quit his videos when he talked about how great Metallica's S&M 2 is. That is one of the worst recordings of anything i've ever heard. You could listen to that garbage for a month straight and have no idea what Metallica sounds like. Or maybe it's 'sounded like'.

Darko is an excellent presenter but sometimes i feel like i'm in high school listening to a group of emo's talk about their favorite bands nobody ever heard of.

Erin's is over my head but i still check him out.

Andrew Jones seems like a lifestyle gig to me. And call me crazy but his wife who is never shown (that i've seen) sounds very much like a watch chick on youtube i've run across.

I guess it's just too subjective to get any real value. They call that stuff 'lifestyle reviews' or something like that. A great comment i recently read on an audiophile group was the guy did room correction, etc and hated the sound. I read that and was wondering why bother to chase the perfect response line when it is entirely subjective. Norah Jone's voice is, to me, a bit grating at higher volumes. I don't think a perfect curve would be good for that TO ME.

PS- Guttenberg is a nut!

Man, a little harsh...

So he put the wrong descriptor in the title for those bands. As he said, he wasn't familiar with them. His comments would still apply.

Frankly, I can't remember the last time I thought any rock album sounded good at a high volume, no matter what system it was on.

Is there another andrew jones? I was referring to the speaker designer. Super accomplished and talented as well as being a gentleman. Worked for Kef, TAD, Pioneer, and most recently designed the point source speakers for Mofi.


https://youtu.be/8iG4GnXtHPE?si=FMKbA29sTCbFZ_GV

Ah I was thinking of Andrew Robinson!!!! My mistake!

Then you must be unfamiliar with The Aristocrats or Oz Noy. On a properly set up system in an acoustically appropriate room, a normal human could not avoid the sheer joy of listening at 80+db. :D

Maybe a little harsh but him considering Def Leppard “death metal” when you are in the music business makes you sound like an idiot, whether you’re familiar with the bands or not. If you are not, then get familiar with them before you label them something that they clearly are not. I concluded right there and then, that he is an idiot who just doesn’t care.

I have many “rock” albums that were recorded well and sound excellent at high volume, including metal and even death metal (pretty much any Opeth album for example, except maybe Sorceress). Im too busy to make a list right now but trust me, they exist

Nope and nope.

That music is more like a jazz recording than rock.

And 80 dB ain't nothin.

Back in Black can rock pretty loud.

Loud to me is occasionally touching 90db.