After some small delays in delivery (of SuperLumina speaker cables bizarrely), I have finally installed a lovely ex-dem 500DR, to accompany my 552 and ND555.
I took this opportunity to optimise the installation with the introduction of brawn and brains full fat Fraim stacks, and retained a SuperLumina full loom, although that entailed the replacement of the DIN/XLR (for the pair) and speaker cables (for longer lengths). I also had to buy more Fraim to achieve the 2 stacks and get a little more air around the black boxes (another base, another level and some sets of medium legs to replace standard legs.
I finished earlier this evening and it has taken me best part of 2 days to get everything set up just so! Blimey, that wasn’t easy, but probably the topic of a separate thread for a different day. Anyway, it is done now, and I must say it is the best installation I have done so far.
But I suspect you don’t want to hear me moaning about my back and get on with how it sounds. The whole system has been out of commission for a few days now, so I promised myself I wouldn’t listen to the new set up until it had been playing for a few hours. Fat chance! I have sweated buckets and I was going to have a sneaky listen. Four hours later and I am still listening!
It did take about 40 mins before I could hear an appreciable improvement, after all my trusty 250DR punches well above its weight. But this 500 is starting to show me what all the fuss is about.
I will keep this brief and follow up with a lengthier review when I have have had a chance to listen more and things have settled down a bit (remember I have some brand new cables installed that need burning in).
Well my initial general impression is everything is a little less forced, more natural but with more detail and air. The bass is deeper but tighter, which bizarrely has removed a trace of thickening I was suffering from as a result of a room mode at around 70-80 Hz. I assume this is because the 500 is exerting far better control than the 250.
What I have noticed is the blistering attack and leading edges. I nearly had a heart attack when a cymbal was stuck hard. In fact drums in general seem a little more prominent than they did before, which simply adds to PRaT and musicality. Timing has definitely move up a notch, with some complex pieces, or tracks with odd beats making far more sense.
Overall I perceive a sense of ease and ‘naturalness’ (rubbish word, I know), which makes music sound ‘right’ (another meaningless word, but this is all I can come up with).
Now back to the music.
I am going check on a few to audition soon and see what the 500 can do with them. My ear holes deserve this!