yah the XLO used is a Reference series. Purple and green.
RCA 2meter/pair, Reference Type-1 interconnect.

no point, coz there was no equipment there that got any balanced output.

Actually the Reference series has been long discontinued already. You could get some bargain ones s/hand around those s/hand hifi shops.
Otherwise, e-bay also is ok.


www.xloelectric.com


But bear in mind, while XLO was really world-beating class back in its days, I'd think that there would be some other cable mfg that would have caught up or even exceeded XLO's performances today.

That's the nature of hi-fi (or just about anything for that matter). You can be "best in the world" in a certain point in time, but there is no guarantee that you'll stay no.1 forever as there is always competition out there.

But of course, if one has not been exposed to how cables can really affect a system, then it can be a startling revelation.


An interesting test performed that day was to hear the differences between the XLO vs the VandenHul interconnects on both the NAD and Krell amp (driving the SonusFaberConcertinoDomus speakers).

On the Krell amp, the difference was quite impactful. On the NAD amp, it was not so pronounced.

i think you meant to say that by using all XLO cabling, the EFFECTS of cable capacitance , inductance, resistance would be MINIMISED.


nobody in their right frame of mind would want to "maximise capacitance, inductance and resistance" in the hi-fi value chain.

Can we agree on the terminology here ?





This post has been edited by mugenfoo: Jun 23 2009, 09:12 PM

the old SFs are so different sounding than the current generation of SFs.

Old SFs ... more warmth, less transient. More softly embracing.

New SFs, quicker on the pace, more forward sounding. Zippier and abit more "pedas".
This is from comparing my own Concertos (& a friend's Concertinos from the old generation) against PCWork's SFCD.

Goes to show that product evolution & product life cycles are all part and parcel of any brand.

Old SF better for those who like warm & airy sound. More layered in depth.

New SF better for those who like abit more slam & zip. More forward sounding and involving..

Is just different. It just depends on the user's preference and type of music played.

yeah i've heard those "lectures" before also. It's full of beans.

Is that an Ikea rug u got in the front ? ....

looked kinda familiar !

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Added on July 15, 2009, 11:36 pmLemme guess ......

mebbe he finally got a KRELL AMP to drive the SFCD !!

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.....



This post has been edited by mugenfoo: Jul 15 2009, 11:36 PM

Hmmm... we should do an A/B test with the Krell again....

15 year old Krell KAV-300i vs. brand new AA Settanta.

Who's keen for it ?

i wonder how much does a pair of 1st generation Concertino goes for in the s/hand mkt these days ?

Concertino is a speaker ...... Verdi Settanta is an Amp.

What compare talking you ?

The first generation of Concertos/Concertinos are part of the "Concert Series" launched sometime in the early to mid 90s.

Most unique features of these cocert series speakers are then they have frontal tweeters that are offset, and the speakers are sold as symmetrical pairs. Also the leather wraparound and brass studs at the side cabinets.

Those familiar with older SFs would recall that the even older Electa/Elec-Amator speakers have the tweeters placed upper left of the woofer for both left n right units. With the grilles removed, it was visually disturbing (although SF claims there was no audible difference in doing so). But as market forces would dictate, SF eventually create symmetrical offset bookshelf speakers and these were the Concert series. Tweeters positioned inwards as recommended by the manual.

The Concerto is the bigger brother, with a 6" cone whole the Concertino has a 4 or 5" cone. Both have front firing ports (also offset from the centre axis), and the cabinet sides have visible brass studs, as part of the cabinet internal bracing frame.

I have a pair of the 1st Gen Concerto. A very good friend of mine has the smaller Concertino. And he's thinking of selling them.
(Mkt price going for RM3K someone said ? ... pls PM me ! )

Then came the "Concerto Grand piano" which is a floorstander with glossy piano finish for the side cabinets.

come to think of it ... the current "Toy" model would be very similar to the Concertino 1st gen.

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Added on July 19, 2009, 6:35 pmhttp://www.hifi-notes.com/sonusf2/indexsf.htm

http://www.hifi-notes.com/sonusf2/concertino.htm
http://www.hifi-notes.com/sonusf2/concerto.htm

http://www.sonusfaberclub.com/home.html


This post has been edited by mugenfoo: Jul 19 2009, 06:35 PM

wow .... u guys planning a group purchase of Toy speakers ?

Thats alot of money man ....

SFs are really getting overpriced in Bolehland now.

5+K for a SF Toy is really ridiculous IMO.

Its like VW cars .... VW in the rest of the world is like a typical Proton-equivalent , but when come to Bolehland, becomes a premium brand instead.

Oh well, as long as the buyer makes an informed decision. Its their hard earned money and how they want to spend it on.

it all depends on what equipment you use with the Toy .....

Hey PCwork, when are you keen to come and experience more stuff beyond just SFCD, SFCD and just SFCD only ?

There is so much more to audio reproduction than just SFCD , or even the SF brand alone? Or even just the in-house brands at Perfect Hifi only.

Don't worry. Listening is always free one.

mebbe chopped up for firewood, or sold off to some "Chor Kor" newbie in hifi .... ?

i wonder why PCwork is soooo defensive here...

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Added on January 12, 2010, 10:26 pmForgot what i wanted to post here initially .. but here goes...

On a totally unrelated point, this is transcribed from the h4s forum regarding tweaks and tuning accessories.
Good to share:

To me, my experience taught me that accessories are exactly what their name says : accessories. When the system is complete and well-balanced, accessories helps to extract the maximum out of them. But they too should be properly matched to the rest of the system as well.

I hate to say this but I suppose I can 'soften' it by saying I too was in this 'trap' once. Often when we yearn for but can't afford or can't justify a true high-end component, we then make ourself believe that we can take a lower-end equipment and accessorize or modify it and make it outperform the high-end equipment.

But just like how a smart and honest Honda fan will freely admit that no amount of modification can make a Type-R outclass a Ferrari Modena 360 or Lamborghini Diablo, sadly the hifi world works the same way too.

I have seen people buy a cheaper amp, then do mods to power supply, power cable, this and that, thinking it will make the amp sound better than established high-end amps. But in all honesty, it is not going to be very likely to happen to say the least. And the danger is sometimes we get carried away and we actually spend so much money, we could have bought a higher end amp in the first place. Not to mention the time spent modify this, modify that and not listening/ enjoying the music.

When the system is complete and well matched/balanced, accessories can be very surprisingly effective. But just like we don't buy diamond studded Rolex watch if we are mere salaried workers (or at least I don't ! ), I personally feel we should be sensible in choosing the accessory to match our system. Some super expensive accessory works well in super high-end system but really won't deliver a lot more than a more cost-effective alternative.

This post has been edited by mugenfoo: Jan 12 2010, 10:27 PM

Best is to get those "Leather care" products from specialist car auto-detailing shops.

Some are 2-step kit.
part 1) leather cleaner. This will get all the dirt and stains off, if it's not been on the leather for too long.
Part 2) Protectant oil or coating. This is the "oil" portion that helps to restore & reshine the leather surface. Keeps the leather from cracking as well.


The one from Autoglym is damn bloody expensive, but if u want to absolutely pamper the leather, this is the one to use.
Other similar products for car leather seats would be almost as good, if not the same.