CarverFest amp and Stax 'phones

[Magnaryder]

A while ago I built a new work PC. I installed a then new AMD Piledriver 8-core processor, 16gb of 1600ram, a Radeon video card and a Microcenter 128GB SSD drive. I wanted it to be fast and do all of the thing I need for work plus a little 'net surfing when time allows. Well this weekend I'm working at one of my group homes to fill in for an MIA staff member. I figured since I'll have some time on my hands after the guys go to sleep I'd take my CF amp, Stax phones and some of my fav CDs/DVDs and give this setup a listen. I gotta tell you it's pretty damn nice. I'm running the Hammond EL84s and vintage Shuogong(sp) 6AX7s I bought at VHoP last year. I've overclocked the processor a bit, more with a bent toward work document processing. I'm running an ASUS XONAR Essence STX sound card. I really like this combo. The ASUS doesn't have the balls to drive the Stax 'phones, enter the modded CFamp.

WOW!!!

Right now I'm listening to Mark's CF09 disc, but yeaterday I was digging a pirated copy of Joan Baez' Diamonds and Rust and Lonnie Johnson/Elmer Snowden George Daniel turned me on to several Fests ago. Later I plan on giving Mileage Gilbert's 3 Faces, DSOTM, and Holly Cole a turn.

My observations so far:

VERY BLACK background
Very Good Dynamics
Excellent tonal balance
AIR, AIR, AIR
Great Bass Extension

For those of you who may be night-owls or want to listen and not bother the family and have a CF amp sitting around give some Stax 'phones a listen.

ray

I may give the V20 a listen in this configuration when I get home.

[Magnaryder]

This is my last night at work before I load up and go home and after getting all of my ducks in a row here I got to spend a little more time with the Stax/CFamp combo. At this moment I'm running a quad of 1963 Telefunken EL84s, these are great tubes! While I like the Hammonds better, the Teles are a bit more lush and detailed in the midrange seemingly giving up some bass extension to get it. I went to the library and borrowed some CDs, brought them back for a listen before my guys returned from work. Bob Dylan's 'Desire' is a record I've always loved and know by heart. This rig brings him very close to the listener. I swear I could hear a little tape hiss from the analogue master low in the background.

Next up was Grand Funk Railroad's 'Born to Die'. I've been a huge GFR fan since I was a teenager and I'm really fond of this recording. It has the right amount of ambiance around the musicians, it has alot of what I like to hear. I noticed a slight halo of echo around Mark Farner as he sang. After I finished GFR a copy of DSOTM I recorded on my Tascam from a 180gm master disc.

I have a real soft spot for Triumph, something about them just clicks for me. I found a copy of 'Classics' and let 'Magic Power' roll over me in waves. Discovering 'live' music on the web I ran onto Ozzie playing in Philly during the '90s. Good show and the sound wasn't all that hateful either. I found Queensrieche's 'Jet City Woman', love that song too. All of this sounds pretty good. Not bad for free.

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