Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Happy New Year from the LVAC

From all of us here at the LVAC; have yourselves a safe and fun filled New Year's! Be sure to have good food and drink, and get those systems rockin' in the New Year! You know we will! 2014 was a great year for us here at the LVAC; we celebrated our 1 year anniversary among other things. However, 2015 looks to be an even more exciting year for the audio industry, for audiophiles, and therefore, for the LVAC. We look for the club to grow and expand, to have more special events, and enrich the lives of more audiophiles in the Las Vegas (and beyond) area. There will be some incredible and innovative products at CES here in Las Vegas, which is right around the corner (Jan 6th-9th, 2015.) A number of us will be at the show, so feel free to come up and say hello. We are also going to attempt to include photos of some of the great gear at CES here in this blog. We did it last year, so why not for 2015? Stay tuned.

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Our Sixteenth Meeting

Ok, fellow audiophiles in the Las Vegas area and everywhere really (this is the world wide web after all,) the first official audio club ever in Sin City, has now completed its sixteenth meeting.

We had our sixteenth meeting on 12-13-14.

At this particular meeting, we had the great opportunity to evaluate the excellent First Watt J2 amplifier designed by the legendary Nelson Pass. This is a single-ended 25Wpc into 8 Ohms running in pure Class A. The retail price is $4000. Click on the link above for more info.

We had a great time evaluating this amp. It was a fun listening session augmented by New York style pizza and soft drinks. Everything from classical to jazz to classic rock was played, and no one left disappointed. Once again, as par for the course here at the LVAC, it was good times indeed.

Without further ado, here are the panel's findings of this amp. Remember, these are only subjective opinions, and as they say, your mileage may vary.


LVAC President and Founder, Dave: The amp is very clean and pure in the mids and highs. High and mid frequency instruments such as cymbals, voices, and acoustic guitars are spot on. Imo, it would be better served as a HF/MR amp in a bi-amped configuration rather than run it full range. At high or higher volumes, the amp tends to clip and tends to run out of gas. The dynamics and bass are a bit restricted on the JBL S4700 speakers. This is not really the amp for headbangers and 1812 Overture freaks. The JBL S4700 speakers are 94db efficient with a 6 Ohm rating. You might think that's enough efficiency, but it seems they actually need more power to wake them up, especially the woofers. The higher wattage (and current) Class A and A/B amps from Pass Labs (like the X350.8) would be a better choice for the S4700s. Now with something like a Klipsch Cornwall or Klipschorn, the J2 would be all you need really. Those are even more efficient and have a higher Ohm rating than the JBLs I use. Overall, an excellent amp that is transparent and has a very organic feel. At $4000 retail, it is a pretty good value as well relative to high end pricing.


LVAC member Les: This is an excellent amplifier when used in the context for which I believe it was intended. At 25 watts into 8 ohms, it was clearly not designed to be over-driven into clipping 25% of the time or more by listening too loud. Played at more reasonable volume levels, I felt that it sounded extremely clean and pleasant.

I appreciated the opportunity to listen to a Class A FET amplifier for the first time. It seemed to exhibit the characteristic smooth clipping of a tube amp.


LVAC member Mike: The J2 is a quite nice sounding amp within its limits.  I really enjoyed the naturalness of the vocals as well at the articulate high end.  The live tracks we played had that "atmosphere" you don't often hear.  The bass is solid and not at all bloated.  The amp kept up with all we could play though it at reasonable sound levels.  If pushed to hard, it would pay the price, however.  I believe the J2 is on par with many high-end SET amps that I have heard.  You also don't have to worry about the added expense of tubes.  I'm sure the target audience with straightforward, high-efficiency speakers will be quite happy with the J2.  It can rock with satisfactory volume for most of us.  I enjoyed the listening session.  Thanks for the demo!


LVAC member Jonathan: Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in a listening session which was highlighted by the use of First Pass’ J2 power amplifier.  This amp was designed by Nelson Pass, best known as the inspiration behind Pass Labs and a renowned engineer in the field of audio signal amplification.

The J2 is a two-channel 25 watt Class A amplifier which uses silicon carbide-based power J-FETs manufactured by SemiSouth Laboratories; unfortunately, that company shut down in late 2012, and those J-FETs are no longer being made.  The amplifier’s MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) is $4,000 (USD).

Since I  was unfamiliar with the capabilities of the other components used in the system (JBL S4700 speakers, Bryston BP6P preamp, Onkyo DX-7555 CD player, FM Acoustics interconnects and Bryston SC4 speaker cables), I focused my evaluation effort on discerning – to the extent to which I am capable – the impact of the J2’s power amplification on the sound being reproduced.

Not surprisingly, when music was played at an apartment-friendly volume, what I heard was excellent low-level detail that was both accurate and spatial.  Absent were the “clinicality” of some solid-state amplifiers and the pleasing warmth (aka distortion) of their tube counterparts; the J2 is most definitely neutral in terms of a sonic imprint.  However, when the volume was raised and the amplifier was called upon to drive high level transients, the result was far less pleasing.  Clipping occurred frequently.

My conclusion is that the First Pass J2 amplifier should be seriously considered by anyone whose listening preference is overwhelming oriented towards chamber music and who seeks to avoid raising the volume of his music to a level that might impose upon his neighbors due to thin apartment walls.  Everyone else will likely find more versatile, and equally fine sonically, power amplifiers readily available for a similar price. 


LVAC member Terry: I thought it sounded fine, particularly on "simple" passages. I thought when music got more complex or loud it did not hold up well.


The LVAC would like to give special thanks to Desmond Harrington, President of Pass Labs for making all of this happen.

Photos are below. Photos by LVAC member Barry.

the system

The First Watt J2 in all its glory

The listening panel

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Happy Holidays from the LVAC

From all of us here at the LVAC; have yourselves a safe and fun filled holiday season. Be sure to have good food and drink, and get those systems rockin'! You know we will! And take a moment to spare a thought for (and even better yet give to) those less fortunate than yourselves.


Thursday, December 4, 2014

December meeting addendum

"We'll have in-house, a demo of a great new product designed by one of the true masters of high end audio. Details will be forthcoming!"

And here are the details...

It will be the First Watt J2 amp by legendary designer Nelson Pass. First Watt is Nelson Pass' other company dedicated to lower powered Class A amps.

Here's some links so you can get familiar with it:

http://www.firstwatt.com/prod.html

http://www.firstwatt.com/j2.html

http://www.ultraaudio.com/index.php/equipment-menu/300-first-watt-j2-stereo-amplifier

After the meeting, we will have reviews of the amp by our members who have attended. They will be included in this very blog of course. Stay tuned for that later this month!

It should be fun! And that's the name of the game...



Wednesday, December 3, 2014

December meeting place and time set

Our next meeting will be on Saturday, Dec. 13th, 2014 from 2pm-5pm

The meeting will be at LVAC Founder and President Dave's place. If you recall, we had out first ever meeting there back in August of 2013. We have had 2 meetings in 2014 there as well. Since then, there have been new or newer members that have not yet heard Dave's system! Hence the reason for doing at his place once again. Also, the way it looks, and it looks good, is that we'll have in-house, a demo of a great new product designed by one of the true masters of high end audio. Details will be forthcoming!

In case you don't already know, Dave's system features JBL Synthesis loudspeakers aka high end JBLs, and Bryston amplification. The sound is big and bold, and plays as loud as you can stand it. Among other things.

http://lasvegasaudioclub.blogspot.com/2013/08/ok-fellow-audiophiles-in-las-vegas-area.html

Both analog and digital recordings will be played, evaluated, and enjoyed. Pizza and drinks will be served to satiate the appetite.

So, as with any of our meetings, you don't wanna miss this!

Any questions or comments, and details regarding this event, feel free to contact us at:  motorcitydeadman@gmail.com or dave_a_2005@hotmail.com

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving from the LVAC

From all of us here at the LVAC; for those in the US, have yourselves a safe and fun filled Thanksgiving. Be sure to have good food and drink, and get those systems rockin'! You know we will! Also, take time to remember those who are less fortunate. A donation of food, money, or clothing (big or small) goes a long way.


Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Our Fifteenth meeting

Ok, fellow audiophiles in the Las Vegas area and everywhere really (this is the world wide web after all,) the first official audio club ever in Sin City, has now completed its fifteenth meeting.


We had our fifteenth meeting on 11-15-14.


Here is a list of the equipment used according to our host for the afternoon, LVAC member Barry:


  "The CD player was one of the Tascam CD 500's from the house.
  The pre was the Nakamichi CA-5 from my office
  The DSP, a DBX DriveRack 260
  The HF amp Crown CE1000 -- 275 Watt per channel into 8Ω or about 150 into the  16Ω 2441
  The mid amp, Crown CE2000 -- 400 Watt per channel into 8Ω
  The LF amps, Crown CE4000's. One per bass cab. -- 600 Watt per channel into 8Ω. Power dependent they will drive up to 3600 Watts bridged in to a 4Ω load but they sound better to me driving each 2226 with a single channel at 8Ω and they get plenty loud anyway."


  "The HF horn is my favorite large format HF horn,  Community 60° radials with a JBL 2441 drivers loaded with proper JBL D16R2441 aluminum diaphragm's."


  "The mid horn is also a Community, an M80 with a JBL 2020H in them."


  "The bass horns are RCA 9462's loaded with JBL 2226H's. These horns were made in about 1953 and they slay the JBL 4550's sorry to say."


The meeting took place at LVAC member Barry's place. This was Barry's second time hosting. He was quite gracious and accommodating. And as you can see in the list of equipment above, most of his components are vintage. For all intense purposes, this was a PA system. An audiophile PA system. Yes, that sounds like an oxymoron, but the results showed it to be true. Surprisingly enough, the sound was clear as a bell, but had the dynamic range that most home systems can't even begin to touch. Peak sound levels were way over 100 db, and even at those levels, the sound stayed clean and clear, not jumbled up or garbled in the slightest. It had the grace of a ballerina with the full charge of a bull elephant. It could easily convey the power and glory of a full tilt heavy metal band, a big band, or a full orchestra. This system is not for the weak of heart! It was quite the experience to say the least and everyone who attended walked away very impressed. Most genres of music were played, and all of the different genres sounded great. The system did not discriminate on recording quality. So overall, it was once again a very successful meeting, and the food Barry provided (subs, chips, cookies, and soda pop) was nothing short of excellent. So basically, once again good times were had by all. No one left disappointed and hungry. And of course that's the way it should be.


Photos are below. Photos by LVAC member Les and Doc Mark Rutledge out of Southern California.
















Wednesday, November 5, 2014

RIP HP

The LVAC would like to offer our condolences to the family and friends of one of the pioneers of high end audio journalism (and high end audio in general,) Harry Pearson.

http://thehighfidelityreport.com/

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/harry-pearson/


Tuesday, November 4, 2014

November meeting place and time set

The November meeting place and time is now set.

The date and time will be on 11-15-14 from 2:00 to 5:00 pm PST.

The meeting will be at LVAC member Barry's place. You might know Barry from the killer pics he took that are right here in this blog.

Barry's got some huge (mostly JBL) speakers, so it won't be for the faint of heart! So get your ticker checked by the doctor before you attend!

Any questions or comments, and details regarding this event, feel free to contact us at: dave_a_2005@hotmail.com or motorcitydeadman@gmail.com

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

LVAC membership dues

As of this day 10-22-14, the LVAC now has membership dues. Dues are in the amount of $30 USD which will be charged annually. In addition, all new members must pay $30 USD annually as well and also pass the special questionaire.

For details, email to:  dave_a_2005@hotmail.com or motorcitydeadman@gmail.com


Monday, October 20, 2014

Our Fourteenth meeting

Ok, fellow audiophiles in the Las Vegas area and everywhere really (this is the world wide web after all,) the first official audio club ever in Sin City, has now completed its fourteenth meeting.

We had our fourteenth meeting on 10-18-14.

For a list of equipment, check out our last blog post here:

http://lasvegasaudioclub.blogspot.com/2014/10/october-meeting-place-and-time-set.html

The meeting took place at LVAC member Todd's place. This was Todd's first time hosting. You couldn't tell by the way Todd presented. He was very professional. And as you can see in the list of equipment via the link above, most of his components are vintage. You can't judge book by it's cover, and the vintage components put out a sound that was on a par with today's top stuff. It was dynamic, transparent, and had a visceral quality. Interestingly enough, more members preferred the oldie but goodie Klipsches (with Velodyne subwoofer) to the new flashy JBLs. Of course it was apples to oranges, but the fact remained, the modified Klipsches were the clear winner here. So, it was a very enjoyable experience to say the least, and most genres of music were played, leaning heavily towards classic jazz from the Blue Note and Atlantic labels. Overall a very successful meeting, and the food Todd provided (pizza and wings) was nothing short of excellent. So basically, once again good times were had by all. No one was disappointed. And that's the way it should be! That's how we roll here at the LVAC!


Photos are below. Photos by LVAC member Todd.
















Wednesday, October 15, 2014

RMAF 2014

Well, ladies and gentlemen, here it is, our exclusive pictorial of arguably the biggest audio show in North America; The Rocky Mountain Audio Fest!

Photos by LVAC member Mike.

PS Audio and vintage Infinity IRS Beta's

Vegas Image Audio system

VPI Turntable with Bob's Devices excellent CineMag step-up transformers

Vapor Audio Speakers with Allnic electronics

Classic Audio T 1.5 Reference speakers with Altma Sphere Novacron Mk 3.2 triode amps

Wavelength Audio Amps and Vaughn Audio Plasma speakers

Musical Concepts Pass/pro mod for the Hafler DH101 pre amp

Volti audio Vittora speakers and Border Patrol electronics

Devore Gibbon X

ModWright electronics with Daedalus Audio Muse speakers

Audio Research Reference amp with KT 150 driver tubes

Nola Studio Grand Reference Gold speakers

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Membership in the LVAC

By becoming a member of the LVAC, you’ll enjoy these benefits:
  • Invitations to all LVAC meetings and events.
  • You’ll get to meet top designers, distributors, and luminaries from the audio world.
  • Audition equipment and music not normally available from local audio salons and dealers.
  • Exchange ideas with others sharing the same interests.
  • Attend meetings at members' places and local audio-related businesses.
  • Participate in CES
 
How to Join
Dues are $30 USD annually. You must also answer a little questionaire (via email) which will be reviewed by our President and Founder, Dave. If you pass, you will be sent an acceptance letter. If you fail, you will not receive any further correspondence. So as we always say here in Vegas, good luck!

Email to: dave_a_2005@hotmail.com or motorcitydeadman@gmail.com

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

October meeting place and time set

Sorry everyone about there not being a September meeting. Things happen.

Anyway, everything is set for October!

This time around, LVAC member Todd will host at his place.

The meeting date and time is Saturday, Oct. 18th from 2-5 pm PST.


Todd's system is as follows:

Klipsch La Scalas with up graded Bob Crites A/4500 X overs and T-125 Tweeters (speakers)

JBL Studio 590's (speakers)

Mcintosh MC 225 (amp)

Mcintosh MX110Z (preamp)

Thorens TD 145 (turntable)

Teac A-3340s (reel to reel)

Sony XA-5400es. (SACD player)

Any questions or comments, and details regarding this event, feel free to contact us at: dave_a_2005@hotmail.com or motorcitydeadman@gmail.com

Monday, September 1, 2014

Happy Labor Day from the LVAC

The LVAC wants to wish everyone in North America a safe and fun filled Labor Day. Be sure to have good food and drink, and get those systems rockin'! And please spare a moment to recognize the hard work of labor that manufactures (designs, constructs, and ships) our favorite components and to those (the artists, producers, and engineers) who make the recordings a reality.




Saturday, August 23, 2014

Our Thirteenth meeting and 1 year anniversary.

Ok, fellow audiophiles in the Las Vegas area and everywhere really (this is the world wide web after all,) the first audio club ever in Sin City, has now completed its thirteenth meeting and celebrated its 1 year anniversary!

We had our thirteenth meeting on 8-16-14.

For a list of equipment, check out our last blog post here:
http://lasvegasaudioclub.blogspot.com/2014/07/august-meeting-place-and-time-set.html

First, some words about our 1 year anniversary. This has truly been a labor of love over the past year. We had no idea the club would last this long, and grow like it has. It is truly surprising and is a humbling experience. It is because of dedicated audiophiles like the LVAC members, and even those who aren't members that have supported us, that have made this club a reality. So, we made it, and let's hope we can make it for yet another year. The way it's going, it is thus assured. So a big thanks to all of our members, industry people, and dealers who have hosted meetings and have supported us in general. Viva Las Vegas Audio Club!

Now the meeting; the meeting took place at LVAC member Mike's place. This was Mike's first time hosting. You couldn't tell by the way Mike presented. He was like an old pro. And as you can see in the list of equipment via the link above, most of his components are vintage. You can't judge book by it's cover, and the vintage looking components put out a sound that was on a par with today's top stuff. It was dynamic, transparent, and had the old reach out and touch quality. The Apogee speakers imaged like crazy, and the ribbon tweeters made percussion instruments like cymbals and cowbells sound very realistic indeed. The bass was deep and tight courtesy of the twin 10" woofers per channel in the Apogee Grands. So, i was a very enjoyable experience to say the least, and all genres of music were played, from classical to rock to blues to jazz. The sound was so good that we went overtime in the meeting. Which rarely happens. All in all a very successful meeting, and the food Mike provided (chile verde, rice, cheese pizza, unlimited beverages, and last but not least, a huge anniversary cake) was nothing short of excellent. So basically, once again good times were had by all. No one was disappointed. And that's the way it should be! That's how we roll here at the LVAC!

So, if any of you wish to join the LVAC and get in on all the fun, email us at dave_a_2005@hotmail.com or motorcitydeadman@gmail.com 
It's still free to join at this time, but that won't last long, so join now!

Photos are below. Photos are courtesy of LVAC member Barry.



There's no T in LVAC!

Munchin'!