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hammond 193m - listening impressions

Posted by rhyno (R) on May 25, 2009 at 08:31:04

not sure who gets props for this tweak (al? alan?),but they deserve credit.

i have 3 dedicated lines, with 2 going to mono amps and the 3rd feeding an Acoustic Revive RTP4 conditioner (which feeds the line level gear). all the wall outlets are oyaide R1s

in addition, i've modified my EMM CDSA to remove the POS multi-function rear IEC / AC switch / fuse holder / condiitoner, replacing it with a furutech IEC, dual bybees, and cryod fuse holders. an Audio Magic Pulse Gen DX goes across the +/- of the CDSA, and i'm also using an Acoustic Revive Ground Conditioner on the CDSA.

point of the previous being: i take AC seriously.

now to the 193: the 193M was constructed with an attached AC cord as detailed here:

http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/tweaks/messages/144032.html

(leaving it plugged in 24/d, it does not even get warm to the touch)

i plugged it into the R1 feeding the RTP4 (ie all line level gear). it took about 5 hrs to perform its changes. it results in clear, audible improvements in re: to midrange clarity, listening ease and space.

good AC gear reduces glare. the 193M does so in a very similar manner to the Pulse Gen DX (but evidently they are accretive, per my experiences). top end extension is not reduced, its more resolved and less forward in the mix (giving the sensation that the mids & bass are 'pulled fwd' in the mix). its a very relaxing presentation that invites long term listening, whereas digital + SS amps at their worst invite short listening sessions.

midrange resolution (esp in vocals) is quite a treat for such a simple / cheap tweak. low level info (drum stick clacks, vocal sibilance as notes trail off) is more obvious, and tonal depth & harmmonic decay is improved.

final point of obvious benefit is space: ie the recorded space b/w musicians in the mix. its a function of a blacker background (which, given all my AC tweaks, i thought i couldnt get much further improvement). as the noise between performers goes down, the space between them becomes more notable, helping to define 3-d imaging if your system allows (3d imaging is a function of having both width & depth, along w/ a low noise floor so that performers can be heard as separate entities on the same stage, rahter than as 1 continuous stage without the 3d effect).

so, yes, a very good tweak. in re: my fave tweaks, i'd put this one mid-list:
1) room treatments / tube traps
2) dedicated AC
3) good AC outlets (oyaide R1)
4) vibration control
5) pulse gen DX
6) hammond tweak
7) bybees
8) cabling (huge impact, but b/c of $$ involved, its low on the list, as i dont like spending $)

for the $, a bargain, and worth the trouble.

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