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In Reply to: RE: Good/bad news :-)) posted by Dawnrazor on October 20, 2010 at 19:21:16:
D,
This is mostly about the bass, leaving other attributes of MultiMag842, "T" or "R", aside for now. I just replied to Colebearanimals on the overall improvements and observations. It has other answers to your Q's.
As you may remember, I tend to use NO subwoofer for music, so I need to maximize [quality] bass. Anyway, I had brought up the subject of electrical solid copper 12ga because of its punchier bass output, as I remembered from tests many months ago. Never mind that this solid cooper 12ga is a Neanderthal in overall sound quality. However, in my MMGs, this stronger punch had remained out-of-reach for even the MultiMag842T, which has about the same equivalent gauge.
To be sure, in all my friends' speakers MM842T delivers top quality bass relative to each speaker's capabilities. Deep, punchy, detailed and controlled. But these other speakers are all dynamic and fuller range at the bottom. Also, my MMGs, for what they are, sound great at the bottom with MM842T. But, again, I HAD HEARD punchier lows with them being driven by the solid core 12ga. Not better or as detailed, just punchier and more perceivably present.
Largely because of this, the time came to give the ribbon concept a try last weekend. Truly, this past week I felt like I had baked the cake and ate it too. The ribbon version had lost nothing from the "T" version. It had gained in several areas. Chiefly, the bass was as punchy as I remembered it from the tests with the solid 12ga. Importantly, this was detailed and defined bass, not bloated at all. I attributed it to the ribbon configuration. THEN, YOU SOWED DOUBT! :-))
On Friday, to make sure my memory was not fooling me, I stopped at Home Depot and bought new 12ga solid cable to test again. I also got more butyl insulation tape (Armacell's AP/Armaflex brand, BTW). On Saturday, I compared things more "properly".
Early on Saturday, the extra Armacell tape went to cover the remaining set of the "T" version that I have. I was still curious about what you mentioned. Namely, that the tape damping could be the one doing the job, not the ribbon configuration. So, I compared. Well, version "T" sounds no different with the Armacell insulation tape on. That's settled in my mind. Any damping by the Armacell tape itself is not the one doing the additional improvements in MM842R. It is largely a ribbon-shape holder. The ribbon configuration itself -- by its internal separation of cables -- must be doing the additional improvements job.
Next, that day...what I remembered of the bass output when I tried the electrical solid 12ga wire, many months ago. Well, it behaved just as I remembered. Only, this time MM842R beat it even at its sole attribute. MM842R's bass punch is as strong or stronger, and comes with better detail. Plus better texture in non-punchy bass passages. For example, there is a clear difference when a double bass' strings are being bowed.
Intriguingly, the frequency response sweeps, included below, reveal almost no difference. However, listening does bear it all out and my Cool Edit test for dynamics, did reveal a consistent pattern. In all tests at the same output level (electrical volume), MM842R edges out the solid copper 12ga to varying degrees, depending on the music. Similarly, the solid copper 12ga does beat the MM842T...in one case, grandly.
For example, recording the first 1:40 minutes of bass-intensive "Tequila" (David Sanborn/Timeagain). At the same output level where the 842T version records with about 7,000 samples pushing past the clipping point (VU 0), the 12ga solid copper cable clips just over 26,000. The ribbon shaped 842R, pushes close to 30,000. This piece shows the widest spread but in all 4 pieces tried, the story is the same. [I should add that the subjective difference between the T and R versions with "Tequila" a week ago, while listening through a pair of B&W 802D, was not as marked as in my MMGs. Perhaps, because the B&W deliver a deeper low end.]
Bottom line (pun intended), the improvement is so clear to me that I decided not to drive to a friend's house to retrieve my subwoofer on Sunday, as I had planned. (He has had it on loan for a few weeks.) Instead, Sunday was devoted to listening to music and thoroughly enjoying it! Have I ever mentioned how good a pair of Razored & braced-frame MMGs can sound? Well, then, at least just try the Razoring...it ain't too bad :-))
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Follow Ups
- RE: Good/bad news :-)) - JBen 01:03:46 10/25/10 (0)
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