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Hi All,I just replaced my binding posts with Cardas. The configuration is this: the amp has two sets of binding posts for bi-wiring so I have a bridge between the posts. Then the speaker leads soldered onto this bridge.
My amplifier - Sonneteer Alabaster - has extremely good bass control, and very clean and smooth, almost warm midrange and highs. I haven't decided if I like the sound yet. The first thing I noticed is that the treble is much pronounced, almost grainy. There is even a sibilance which I never heard before. The bass is also much stronger, almost boomy. It is almost like I am listening in high-res. One could say it has 'opened' up the sound, but I might even say it is too open, perhaps a little uncontrolled, and covers up the midrange a little. At the same time, it's become much more pacey, which I like.
Now I'm trying to figure out if this is due to the Cardas binding posts or the solder I used. I decided to try WBT instead of my usual Radio Shack silver bearing. I seem to remember reading a post saying that the WBT solder gives a hard edge to the sound, but the search engine is kind of whacked now and I can't find anything in the archives. It could also be because I'm using a different bridge wire.
The old posts were assemblage style - nickel-plated brass, very thin. The previous bi-wire bridge was probably a silver multi-core wire covered with solder. My current bi-wire bridges are made from four twisted conductors from a length of Belden CAT5 twisted pair.
I'm hoping it's the solder because I went to great lengths to widen the binding post holes to accept the Cardas and I can't go back to my previous set without a lot of work. Can't believe the change made such a huge difference!
Any ideas would be appreciated.
Best,
Chris
Follow Ups:
I'm somewhat adverse to the use of large chunks of metal anywhere in the signal path, having experienced something similar to your problem once upon a time. I know that I'm asking you to take some time and trouble to do this, but this is the best way to find out what your binding posts do to your sound (it ain't pretty!).Take the binding posts out of their holes and simply clamp (alligator clip?)or twist together your speaker wire connector with the wire internal to your amplifier. In other words completely eliminate the binding posts as the interconnection point between your amp and speaker wiring. Let me know what you think . . . big surprise in store for you!
Craig Goff
Just a hunch: your 15 W soldering iron + silver bearing solder + large posts may have caused cold solder joints.
I suggest that you buy a 60W soldering iron or a soldering gun and re-flow the joints with some fresh solder. Cold solder joints act as semi-conductors, distort the treble and may sound brittle.
good luck
Chris, Before jumping into any conclusion of which solder to use, you should thoroughly check each element of your system. Does it have any silver cable(IT or power or speaker cable)? What preamp are you using? Some preamps are analytical(Thin?). Do you use SS amps? If tube amps, what kind of coupling caps were used in your amps(MIT of Hovland tend to be leaner than Jenssens)?All these add up. The more you have them, the more analytical your system wouyld be.
I have WBT solder on every single jonit in mine. It did not give any hard edge of sound.
Stewcle,OK... let me explain a little. I spent a lot of time putting together a system that is synergistically perfect for my ears. I absolutely adore it. It is extremely accurate, refined, but lush and full (but not artificial). Very good control of bass... extremely tight. I consider myself very familiar with nearly every aspect of my system, though obviously I haven't the last word in describing what goes on inside the components. For details go to: my hi-fi . There is a substantial amount of silver in my system; I use shielded Pure Note Refs to phonostage, Homegrown Super Silver everywhere else. The silver is what I would call accurate, with exemplary bass, and in this system has never been bright.
So... I haven't had anything to tweak for months (except that I got some AP Oval 9's which made a very nice difference), and TPC was having a huge sale, so I put in an order for binding posts. I got WBT's and Cardas to try out, but ended up with the Cardas (gold/rhodium on copper) because the holes I drilled were too big for the WBT (gold plate on brass). So basically I can't go back unless I get some washers or something to fill the gap.
The only thing that has changed are the binding posts and the bridges linking each pair per channel together for a total of 4 pairs of binding posts, with 4 bridges. That and I decided to try some WBT just to see how it sounded. I attempted to use a minimal amount of solder.
OK, I may be totally blowing smoke here, but I am guessing that either
A) the old posts were a euphonic filter, and the new posts now let everything through, or
B) the solder is a bad-sounding filter, and passing only certain frequencies, or
C) the cardas posts are bigger, so bass frequencies pass more easily; they are high mass, so the midrange gets quelled somewhat; and the gold/rhodium plate passes the high frequencies like a champion, so it's very bright and sharp.After listening for several hours last night and letting the amp equilibrate, it seems to be getting back to a more balanced sound. So "A" is probably out of the question. I know that moving an amplifier will cause its sound to change, and I had to take it all the way to my school's machine shop - steel chassis are ridiculously hard to machine! Also, my soldering iron is a measly 15W Weller marksman, so I wasn't melting all the solder at once. Those posts are really good heatsinks! Leave the cap nut on, and you've got a lot of mass, take it off, and those screw threads act as a convective heatsink. A crapola joint will sound brittle, I know that, so perhaps letting the amp run warm and running loads of current through it has made a better connection. However, I am still hearing some sibilance, and what Todd describes as a 'brittle' sound in the treble. So it may be a combination of "B" and "C". Also, the bass has lost much of its control, becoming a tad boomy. I can't explain this at all.
What I would not like to happen is my inadvertently getting used to the sound for the time-being, because it will take perhaps several weeks of play for me to realize I'm not getting the same 'feeling' out of the system as I was before.
I dunno... I'll give it more time. Maybe I'll get a big soldering iron and reflow all the joints. What I should have done was flux the shit out of the binding posts before I soldered them to make sure the solder flowed. Oh well... too late for that. :)
Thanks for your help. Best,
Chris
Chris,Took a quick look into your web site. Great work!
I really like your front end equipment: TT, Black cube pre, and especially the H2O cartridge. The Dyna 1.8 speakers are great stuff too except I will try not to toe-in them as you will lose a lot of soundstage depth and get more high frequency info at the listening position. 4 ft apart seems too close?
I used to own a few ss amps(Sonneteer is ss. Isn't it?), some silver I/C, speaker cable and digital cable. They sound brighter together. Don't know much about Sonneteer it might be different? I think ss will be better fit with copper cables to produce reasonable warmth, even the least expensive MIT I/C(should check our audioadvisor site they always have these on sale) will do the tricks.
As my journey went on, I was getting rid of the silver cables - one by one! I also started DIY tube amps. I now have all home brew stuff: Jadis JP80 pre, a 2 tube MC amp based on 6dj8 tubes and a pair of JE Labs 300B Parellel(18W per channel). I think tube amps are more musical(Mark Levinson is starting to make tube amps?). If you have a chance get an Anthem amp to try out - since you know TPC.
Your mileage may vary.
Probably now you have already run in your cardas posts/wbt solder. I don't think by adding merely this in would drastically change the sound of your system. You just need a few more hours to break-in the massy metal.
Good luck
Steve
I really like your front end equipment: TT, Black cube pre, and especially the H2O cartridge. The Dyna 1.8 speakers are great stuff too except I will try not to toe-in them as you will lose a lot of soundstage depth and get more high frequency info at the listening position. 4 ft apart seems too close?Thanks for the compliment. The front-end could be considered 'entry-level', but set up properly, it sings. Very smooth and easy, competitive with very expensive TT setups I've heard. My room is not very wide so I'm having difficulty placing the speakers. The Dyns can image incredibly well (I heard them at the dealer), but I need to place them wider and add acoustic treatments, the former of which won't work because there's a radiator on one side and an always-open window on the other (rain, etc sometimes comes in). I'm trying to get a new picture of the setup onto the page; I might benefit from some suggestions as to how to place things in the room when I get the negs done.
I used to own a few ss amps(Sonneteer is ss. Isn't it?), some silver I/C, speaker cable and digital cable. They sound brighter together. Don't know much about Sonneteer it might be different? I think ss will be better fit with copper cables
Yes, I tend to agree that Cu might is warmer/less forward for SS, although Sonneteer is quite special because they have figured out how to add a very perfect warm sparkle to the sound. Not extremely full like tubes, but very warm with a lot of authority. If you have heard SimAudio, the sound is similar, but fuller. The silver cables have been detailed but never sounded too forward in this system (due to the amp; also the Benz is quite warm-sounding), and I like the bass. I know what the amplifier is capable of, just bizarre that it lost some of its control in the aforementioned 'upgrade' .
I think tube amps are more musical(Mark Levinson is starting to make tube amps?). If you have a chance get an Anthem amp to try out - since you know TPC.
I would absolutely love to get into tubes sometime. Wish I had the cash for this big sale they're having. Some of those kits are 50% off! Burned too much dough on those Dyn's tho. :)
Probably now you have already run in your cardas posts/wbt solder. I don't think by adding merely this in would drastically change the sound of your system. You just need a few more hours to break-in the massy metal.
I think you are right, and waiting on this is what's called for. At one point I will probably reflow the joints or try some of that Kester solder. The bass and midrange are back to normal now, though the high treble (cymbals, 'sss' sounds) are still slightly too forward.
Best,
Chris
Try Kester solder with "44" core. Either Sn63/Pb36/Ag02 or Sn95/Ag05. (The latter formulation is my fave and is rare, but I could send you a sample.) If the problem is the solder (it could be something else), I think this product could make a difference.You maybe read my opinion on the WBT solder. I personally find it to make equipment sound "cold" and/or "brittle". Kind of like "bad solid-state."
The new binding posts, AND the new solder joint need time to break in....be patient and put some hours on them. Things should smooth out after 100+ hours.
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