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PostPosted: Mon May 12, 2008 12:34 pm
by bass_nut
arnoldc wrote:
merlin wrote:ang husay ng tokina 8)


thank you sir Arnold for lending me your tripod... it made my day more convinient especially on available light shoot

sir Val, lets start firing your dSLR... pahiram ka namin ng mga gamit so you won't buy "not needed" items... get the feel muna sir :wink:

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PostPosted: Mon May 12, 2008 12:36 pm
by audiostar
Thanks for the offer doc fer, well appreciated :D

PostPosted: Mon May 12, 2008 1:34 pm
by Noel_14
Sir Val, did you hook-up the vandy sub? :D I hope the synergy is seemless cause you're using one brand of amp :twisted: :twisted:

PostPosted: Mon May 12, 2008 4:08 pm
by hear_me_shout
Congrats to both of you val and jaa :D

To Sir Val: Sayang I should have captured the moment when I was having goose bumps while listening to your system.

To Jaa: WOW, memories from high school instantly flashed back, hanep ang slam!!

Ryan

PS: Your never ending support to us newbies led us to enjoy more of our music over our gears.

PostPosted: Mon May 12, 2008 8:07 pm
by audiostar
Noel_14 wrote:Sir Val, did you hook-up the vandy sub? :D I hope the synergy is seemless cause you're using one brand of amp :twisted: :twisted:


The vandies took care of the slam. Needless to say, they seamlessly blend with my system, with proper power coming from Cayin MK800.

When You Wish Upon A(udio) Star

PostPosted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 10:20 pm
by jadis
Señor Sensible Visits A Star...AUDIOSTAR! :lol:

I always give credit where credit is due, and the new role of Karate Kid guru Pat Morita is now a supreme audio session setter as weeks ago, he booked my long time good friend and partner
Señor Sensible himself Lito Gelano for a trip to audiostar Val V.'s lair in Sta. Rosa. And good thing he inserted me in the line-up. :lol:

Without much ado, here is a picture worth a thousand words, as we start from the very beginning.

The all-important luncheon, hosted by Val and JAA:

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Now that we've got that out of the way, we now chronicle the 'MEET', "Hola!" and another "Hola!". That handshake may have not shaken the world, but something else did, and I shall get to that later.

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And of course, a pic of the now famous ANGELINA, known for her luscious lips and other things.

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If you look closely on the left side of Angelina, you sort of see her lips, and below, 2 eyes and a big mouth. :lol: And to its right, a 'woofer'- actually a subwoofer - the Rythmik. :lol:

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Now that we've gotten the gears out of the way too, we get to see the personalities who reached the 'star'. :lol:

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They all look 'serious'. :lol:

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This is my first time for listen to Val's system with the Transfiguration Phoenix Cartridge. Pat Morita told me that this is the main course of the event as this was the latest addition aside from the 'tweaks' that Val and JAA made since my last visit.

After this afternoon's session, I pondered on Val's system as one of the most unique I have seen and heard. I don't think I have seen one such system with DIY horn speakers driven with 3 single-ended tube amps, active crossover network, numerous buffer units, DIY pre-amps, a modern turntable plus another vintage turntable, and a very controlled and treated listening room. And all of these were configured in the mind of Val and nicely executed in form with patience and pain-staking hard work. That is very clear to me. Today also marks the first time I'm hearing the Rythmik subwoofers, which were carefully set-up and calibrated by JAA. At the first sight of the Angelinas, one would think that with those humongous 15 inch woofers all over them, the last thing one would need was a subwoofer, let alone a pair. My thoughts changed after the session, as JAA explained to me that those huge woofers intrinsically have short excursions and cannot handle low bass properly. With the subs, the foundation stood its ground low bass were handled not only with authority but with room-shaking impact - that is the 'shaking' thing I referred to earlier.

I always like to write my impressions quick lest I forget. And to test the bass quality and integration we heard them in its full glory in Cantate Domino and Bob Fulton's organ record. Definitely the subs just sailed through like eating breakfast. :lol: The most staggering presentation was the last cut of Side 1, Reunion on RR's Dafos LP. Honestly, I have never heard such a seamless rendition of it coupled with the most powerful percussion sound I have heard in a long long time. The volume was no-holds-barred, and the presence of Pat Morita just about guaranteed that. When it comes to torture tests, walang patawad si Pat. :lol: I thought I had heard the fiercest bass whacks on some other large speakers before but this one is totally in another league and dimension. These subs gave me the notion that I ain't heard nothing yet. WOW!

Moving on to the other new toy in the house, the Transfiguration Phoenix cart. Pat had trumpeted it no end prior to my experience today, and I had never heard a Transfiguration cart in my life. Pat knows that I'm a lifelong Koetsu lover with the Koetsu blood running all over my veins, but he issued me a friendly challenge - listen and you will hear. So our ultimate test, bring out Carol Kidd and let's see if there's still a tomorrow! :lol: The cut 'When I Dream' was played, and after that, I turned to Lito and asked him (with my own answer kept secret) - Does the voice have the patented Koetsu lushness? He answered: I think so! My thoughts? I think so too! :lol: Pat, what are you doing? Changing my bloodline? We joked that we're going to repaint his Tranfiguration cart to look like wood since it has the lushness of the 'wood'. The thing is holding its own. I'm impressed. Well, Pat should know, he owns old old versions of the Koetsu Black and a Long Body Rosewood, one day I hope he brings them to my place for 'further testing'. :lol: But he pointed out that his Phoenix does not only do lush vocals, they can send thunder and lightning too with incredible swiftness. This I heard as well.

In the end, I was very impressed with Val's sound for what it is and for what he has tried hard to do and achieve his goal. He talks of endless tweaks in between the years since he assembled the Angelinas by experimenting crossover points and small tweaks. That has been very fruitful, I can see. And he's definitely happy about it. The good thing is that Val KNOWS what he wants and sets out to do it. We're not talking about price here, as I heard that the speakers are not cheap by any standards, but at what his own readings and research points to, and how he sets out to construct it piece by piece, and actually achieves it to his own satisfaction. This is one system that defies pre-conceived notions, that huge bulky looking speakers cannot image in such a small room. The fact it, they do, and Lito even commented to me at one point - 'I'm hearing a center image even though I'm sitting on the left side of the couch.' That is testimony enough to me, that this system has gone beyond the expectations of its physical design, and all because 'when you wish upon a star', you dreams CAN come true. Congrats to you, Val and John. Well done and well executed. :clap:

Re: When You Wish Upon A(udio) Star

PostPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 12:56 am
by audiostar
Many thanks pare :-) You and those who want to hear my 'experiment' are very much welcome to drop by. Just what I was telling you, I believe that it is not how big or how small in size and price your system is ultimately measured, but on what you're prepared to do to make each component in the chain work harmoniously to recreate music that suits your preference.

When You Wish Upon A(udio) Star

PostPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 7:39 am
by jadis
audiostar wrote:Many thanks pare :-) You and those who want to hear my 'experiment' are very much welcome to drop by. Just what I was telling you, I believe that it is not how big or how small in size and price your system is ultimately measured, but on what you're prepared to do to make each component in the chain work harmoniously to recreate music that suits your preference.


My pleasure, pare, and many thanks once again for the gracious hospitality you always accord us on our visits. It gave me another chance to have a 'thrill ride' with the hellraiser driving of pat morita who I think now with his driving style is trying to get everything - including the MMDA - out of his path. :lol: You don't really need to go to Universal Studios for those cardiac rides. :lol:

And just some more things to add from the session, I have observed that your system can be revealing of recordings, from the dull ones to the bright ones. We played 2 different Proprius recordings, Gloria Patri and Jefta, and immediately heard the contrasts in these 2 styles, and even the soundstage changed in each recording. The 2 UK pressings of Cat Stevens were likewise revealing of the superiority of the Pink pressing against the Palm Tree pressing. One doesn't even have to listen hard for these. And again, the Reunion cut from the Dafos LP is one of the most staggering rendition I have ever heard from an LP, virtually at live levels with heart-thumping impact. We do not plays these things 24/7 but it's good to know at least once, that your system is capable of achieving things that the producers of the record intended to project to the listeners. And that, to me, gives gratification to the efforts and time given by the audio hobbyist in his quest for a better listening experience.

Re: When You Wish Upon A(udio) Star

PostPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:32 am
by audiostar
jadis wrote:
audiostar wrote:Many thanks pare :-) You and those who want to hear my 'experiment' are very much welcome to drop by. Just what I was telling you, I believe that it is not how big or how small in size and price your system is ultimately measured, but on what you're prepared to do to make each component in the chain work harmoniously to recreate music that suits your preference.


My pleasure, pare, and many thanks once again for the gracious hospitality you always accord us on our visits. It gave me another chance to have a 'thrill ride' with the hellraiser driving of pat morita who I think now with his driving style is trying to get everything - including the MMDA - out of his path. :lol: You don't really need to go to Universal Studios for those cardiac rides. :lol:

And just some more things to add from the session, I have observed that your system can be revealing of recordings, from the dull ones to the bright ones. We played 2 different Proprius recordings, Gloria Patri and Jefta, and immediately heard the contrasts in these 2 styles, and even the soundstage changed in each recording. The 2 UK pressings of Cat Stevens were likewise revealing of the superiority of the Pink pressing against the Palm Tree pressing. One doesn't even have to listen hard for these. And again, the Reunion cut from the Dafos LP is one of the most staggering rendition I have ever heard from an LP, virtually at live levels with heart-thumping impact. We do not plays these things 24/7 but it's good to know at least once, that your system is capable of achieving things that the producers of the record intended to project to the listeners. And that, to me, gives gratification to the efforts and time given by the audio hobbyist in his quest for a better listening experience.


Your impression validates what JAA and I have striven to achieve. We want our respective systems to sound neutral as in no coloration such that, whatever recording material you feed into it gets what it deserves. Garbage in, garbage out. It's heartening to know at least, to what you have experienced, that were able to achieve what we have labored on long hours to do. We're more willing to share what we have accomplished to others who are in the same audio mindset such as ours. Afterall this is what our hobby is all about. :)

Re: When You Wish Upon A(udio) Star

PostPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 2:55 pm
by JAA
Thanks for the review Philip,........Val and I spent almost a year tweaking the "Twin Tower" system of Val, as described by Senyor Gelano. No matter how ardous it is, we always see to it that our preferred sonic priorities are always in place. Honestly, there were times that derailment occur in a midst of our critical listening tests, compelling us to call it a day and rest our ears for a week. This is just a hobby, and not a single pressure barred us in a correct path.

Adding the Rythmik servo woofer is essential in achieving a full range output with finesse. The 15" woofers of the Angelina enclosed in a standard ported enclosure were designed to generate mid bass and bass frequency down to 40Hz. The Rythmik occupied the remaining sub frequency in full control, meaning no looseness nor boominess in sound that can ruin the entire sonic output........Just the way it should be.

Also, the transfiguration cart did a lot in controlling the overall sound, and revealed more details hidden in a groove. It's lushness, dynamics, and natural in character makes our job easier and more enjoyable.

It is very rewarding for us to receive positive feedback from you......... :) :) :)

Re: When You Wish Upon A(udio) Star

PostPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 2:56 pm
by audiostar
Let me also add that i had a lot of help from experts: number one is jaa who in my book is the best sound architect ever; lin and larry for executing a speaker design which sonic exceeded my expectation; and pat morita for providing me with the right equipment :-)

Re: When You Wish Upon A(udio) Star

PostPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 3:04 pm
by audiostar
... and the latest addition to the chain, tjaderman's ICs, both rca and xlrs :clap:

Re: When You Wish Upon A(udio) Star

PostPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 3:28 pm
by kabubi
the newest newest addition may be a new phono stage. ;)

Re: When You Wish Upon A(udio) Star

PostPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 3:46 pm
by audiostar
kabubi wrote:the newest newest addition may be a new phono stage. ;)

I hate to disappoint you brader, i'm happily married with my fono stage designed by my brother. No chance of ever upgrading to a new one :-)

Re: When You Wish Upon A(udio) Star

PostPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 3:58 pm
by kabubi
audiostar wrote:
kabubi wrote:the newest newest addition may be a new phono stage. ;)

I hate to disappoint you brader, i'm happily married with my fono stage designed by my brother. No chance of ever upgrading to a new one :-)


i agree. i had a chance to listen to the original and it was very very good :)

Re: When You Wish Upon A(udio) Star

PostPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 4:20 pm
by amonv
audiostar wrote:
kabubi wrote:the newest newest addition may be a new phono stage. ;)

I hate to disappoint you brader, i'm happily married with my fono stage designed by my brother. No chance of ever upgrading to a new one :-)


Me too!!!
:clap: :clap: :clap: :up: :up: :up:

Re: When You Wish Upon A(udio) Star

PostPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 4:21 pm
by jadis
audiostar wrote: and pat morita for providing me with the right equipment :-)


one of these days i shall ask ponytail pat to provide me with some equipment too! :lol: like the QUAD 57s....then to provide me with some rythmiks to blow the neighborhood down. i have been stocking up on nuclear O.W.N. LPs in anticipation of a future D-day - ARMAGEDDON!!! :devil: pinadadala ni pat sa akin kahapon pero sabi ko di pa panahon. :D :D

Re: When You Wish Upon A(udio) Star

PostPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 4:29 pm
by jadis
JAA wrote:Adding the Rythmik servo woofer is essential in achieving a full range output with finesse. The 15" woofers of the Angelina enclosed in a standard ported enclosure were designed to generate mid bass and bass frequency down to 40Hz. The Rythmik occupied the remaining sub frequency in full control, meaning no looseness nor boominess in sound that can ruin the entire sonic output........Just the way it should be.

It is very rewarding for us to receive positive feedback from you......... :) :) :)


john, i am very happy to have heard your works with val. and from moment i sat down yesterday, i noticed the sense of coherency in the music when the stylus touched the groove. remember i had to get near the speaker and literally stick my ear to each driver to believe that each driver was functioning properly and indeed i heard different frequencies from each driver while we were playing THE WELL of Jennifer Warnes. But when I went back to the chair, the coherence from top to bottom was seamless, with the 2 fifteen inch woofers how handling the lower mids while the horns producing a very pure midrange. and of course the aurum cantus ribbon tweeters and the rythmik subs provided the 'extention' - top and bottom. thanks for sharing the technical details with me and lito as well.

Re: When You Wish Upon A(udio) Star

PostPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 5:42 pm
by JAA
audiostar wrote:Let me also add that i had a lot of help from experts: number one is jaa who in my book is the best sound architect ever; lin and larry for executing a speaker design which sonic exceeded my expectation; and pat morita for providing me with the right equipment :-)


I'm flattered Val! But the blame should be pointed to our mentor, Pat Morita. He taught me his self-made doctrine in audio, and I'm just doing my acquired knowledge in audio based from proven theories and experience. The big deal here is Pat's ability to pin point and match his target gears regardless of price and specs, but primarily on the design platform and the creator's personality. That's Miyagi San's magic! :clap: :clap: :clap:

jadis wrote:
JAA wrote:Adding the Rythmik servo woofer is essential in achieving a full range output with finesse. The 15" woofers of the Angelina enclosed in a standard ported enclosure were designed to generate mid bass and bass frequency down to 40Hz. The Rythmik occupied the remaining sub frequency in full control, meaning no looseness nor boominess in sound that can ruin the entire sonic output........Just the way it should be.

It is very rewarding for us to receive positive feedback from you......... :) :) :)


john, i am very happy to have heard your works with val. and from moment i sat down yesterday, i noticed the sense of coherency in the music when the stylus touched the groove. remember i had to get near the speaker and literally stick my ear to each driver to believe that each driver was functioning properly and indeed i heard different frequencies from each driver while we were playing THE WELL of Jennifer Warnes. But when I went back to the chair, the coherence from top to bottom was seamless, with the 2 fifteen inch woofers how handling the lower mids while the horns producing a very pure midrange. and of course the aurum cantus ribbon tweeters and the rythmik subs provided the 'extention' - top and bottom. thanks for sharing the technical details with me and lito as well.


My pleasure Philip! :) :)

Re: When You Wish Upon A(udio) Star

PostPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2011 6:10 pm
by Chuckyboy
audiostar wrote:
kabubi wrote:the newest newest addition may be a new phono stage. ;)

I hate to disappoint you brader, i'm happily married with my fono stage designed by my brother. No chance of ever upgrading to a new one :-)


Sometimes extra-marital affairs are more exciting... ;)

Believe others when they say 'it wont hurt to try' :D :D :D