What is going on here all written in damn Chinese? I read my dear old comrade - Marvel - a few times on some of the discussions. Did he do something explosive?
Sorry for my belated contribution to this heated thread as I was occupied with some family matter today. At the same time I need to seek some ‘sublimation’ after the audition session yesterday.
Mr. Dynamic has written quite extensively and comprehensively about the ever evolving system in PT’s home. Every step PT takes has to shock everyone “beyond doubt”. We all have to pick a leave from PT on such relentless spirit and undivided attention. For example, the volume of the Cessaro 項羽 Xiang Yu subwoofer was decreased from 0db (last time I visited him) to -13db (yesterday), after he tested repeatedly on different recordings. He settled consequentially until all sub bass energy of Mahler Symphony number 5 is ‘comfortably’ accommodated within the physical space without stressing the room. (That means no presence of standing waves at all even at loud volume, which is defined as 1-2 o’clock position on the preamp volume.) Frankly, my heart nearly exploded towards the end of the 14-mins long Mahler 5 as so much energy penetrated thru my body activating “musicality” in my brain. Once this ‘臨界㸃' is achieved, all musical energy develops freely.
Throughout all these years, audiophiles including myself are seeking for coloration to deceive ourselves. The missing sub bass portion is always part of the music but we conveniently choose to assume it a non-critical role. A truly revealing subwoofer requires sensitivity and speedy responses to complete the last 2-3 octaves in order to restore a full frequency spectrum. That allows us to ‘feel the completeness’ of a pianist‘s stroke on the treble key due to augmentation of minute bass details. Without the sub, our perception on the sonority is often bright as though some wooden hammers inside a piano were taken away. Let’s be very clear that what is missing can’t be resurrected!
The magic in PT’s home is that one could feel objects are moving without seeing the wind! I didn’t feel the presence of the subwoofers like tsunami flooding over. Energy just radiates a borderless soundstage - all physical walls in his home simply disappeared in spite of presence of typical household furnitures next to the system. I believe the reflection characteristics of sub bass frequency is very much different from anything above 80hz. Argument sake, one could easily feel the acoustics deficiency in the absence of a subwoofer or disintegration between the subwoofers and the main speakers. This was illustrated by switching off the XiangYu. Immediately I felt the music is more constrained by the room despite proper acoustics treatments.
The reproduction of Mahler 5 in PT’s home is the most phenomenal in my whole 25 years hifi journey with PT starting from his bedroom system in Park Road. That represents a major milestone of all technologies under AE management, which are meticulously integrated in the hands of a veteran with a true passion for perfection. I am utterly shocked!
Marvel bro, your writeup is enticing. I read a few times. If the subwoofer volume is -13db, do you hear any sound from them at all? It sounds like they are not even working. I trust every damn words of yours given we know each other here for 15 years. This is a very interesting post. As you guys are asking WHY? That is the power of knowledge sharing.
Comments
Sorry for my belated contribution to this heated thread as I was occupied with some family matter today. At the same time I need to seek some ‘sublimation’ after the audition session yesterday.
Mr. Dynamic has written quite extensively and comprehensively about the ever evolving system in PT’s home. Every step PT takes has to shock everyone “beyond doubt”. We all have to pick a leave from PT on such relentless spirit and undivided attention. For example, the volume of the Cessaro 項羽 Xiang Yu subwoofer was decreased from 0db (last time I visited him) to -13db (yesterday), after he tested repeatedly on different recordings. He settled consequentially until all sub bass energy of Mahler Symphony number 5 is ‘comfortably’ accommodated within the physical space without stressing the room. (That means no presence of standing waves at all even at loud volume, which is defined as 1-2 o’clock position on the preamp volume.) Frankly, my heart nearly exploded towards the end of the 14-mins long Mahler 5 as so much energy penetrated thru my body activating “musicality” in my brain. Once this ‘臨界㸃' is achieved, all musical energy develops freely.
Throughout all these years, audiophiles including myself are seeking for coloration to deceive ourselves. The missing sub bass portion is always part of the music but we conveniently choose to assume it a non-critical role. A truly revealing subwoofer requires sensitivity and speedy responses to complete the last 2-3 octaves in order to restore a full frequency spectrum. That allows us to ‘feel the completeness’ of a pianist‘s stroke on the treble key due to augmentation of minute bass details. Without the sub, our perception on the sonority is often bright as though some wooden hammers inside a piano were taken away. Let’s be very clear that what is missing can’t be resurrected!
The magic in PT’s home is that one could feel objects are moving without seeing the wind! I didn’t feel the presence of the subwoofers like tsunami flooding over. Energy just radiates a borderless soundstage - all physical walls in his home simply disappeared in spite of presence of typical household furnitures next to the system. I believe the reflection characteristics of sub bass frequency is very much different from anything above 80hz. Argument sake, one could easily feel the acoustics deficiency in the absence of a subwoofer or disintegration between the subwoofers and the main speakers. This was illustrated by switching off the XiangYu. Immediately I felt the music is more constrained by the room despite proper acoustics treatments.
The reproduction of Mahler 5 in PT’s home is the most phenomenal in my whole 25 years hifi journey with PT starting from his bedroom system in Park Road. That represents a major milestone of all technologies under AE management, which are meticulously integrated in the hands of a veteran with a true passion for perfection. I am utterly shocked!
可否分享下PT的超低音 setting?如Marvel兄説，subwoofer volume 是 -13db，好似唔係太夠？
Zanden兄,
當天試Mahler 5 track 5。PT屋企當然無boom，其實要做到無booming一點也不難，坊間求其買兩件bass trap都能夠改善得到，但通常一併連其他音樂細節都吸埋，變得死聲！我係佩服Chris對調聲的一套理念，因此聽「黑教堂」在房間都能表達到教堂裡的一整座管風琴，整個音場係不受房間限制，尤其係教堂高度都充份表達，而能量感之強係我未曾喺任何家訪出現過(不論價錢)。當中動態起落、豐富泛音、音質及定位，完完整整淡定地表露無遺。
黑教堂的重播更是令我印象深刻，因为是一整坐管風琴結像放在眼前非常巨大和浩瀚! 完全冇諗過我現在是身在一個家庭環境中。
現時項羽 setting 是Volume: -13db , Low pass: 64hz, filter BUT 6db , High pass OFF ,
相比之前-6db , 的確項羽在整套系統内面，係比較突出，亦可以話聽得「過癮」，但當聽大編制樂章時，就有點誇張同賣弄，-13db 在PT 家中，將整對項羽隱形了，超低來去自然，我亦嘗試把項羽關掉，埸面、尾音、氣氛、中排密度、高頻柔軟度都大打折扣，正實了項羽扮演嘅角色，並不只在超低音部份，而是在整體。
High pass off 就是指64hz以下全部開放，而且是非常gentle的6 db roll off。請問房間長度有多少？有冇用Bass Trap? 我很難完成相信一所apartment可把教堂高度還原。請賜教。
不敢賜敎🙏🙏，我都係從旁見證，只是PT 找我一起參與😅😅，PT 處深度不足二十尺，沒有bass trap, 由於Epoque設計是近距離聆聽，故座椅較前，亦避免了背後牆的反射，除了喇叭本身的包圍感外，我相信係項羽令超高與超低頻的伸延，和諧自然地釋放出來，敎堂高度得以還原，感覺置身於教堂內。