Hi, I have LM 805 too with Spendor D7. I would to test what you suggest and plug the speaker to 4 Ohm, but I don't know if there is any risk on the speakers or the amp if I do that. Any idea? have you noticed a real improvement in the bass when doing that?
I couldn't wait for the answer and made a test. I confirm that plugging the Spendor D7 on the 4Ohms out of my LM-805 improved the bass a lot. It is amazing how D7 sound now. Thank you so much for the tip
I really think the 4 ohm output is a better impedance match for the D7's. There is really no risk in changing the output taps within reasonable limits. In fact, it might prolong tube life on the lower tap from what I understand. On the flip side, maximum output/gain is a little bit lower - on the order of 2db.
I'm amazed by the improvement by using the 4 Ohm impedance. Coming from bigger B&W speakers, I felt that D7 was lacking bass compared to B&W. Now I have just the right amount of bass and absolutely no harsh sibilance. I recommend to all D7 speakers to use 4 Ohm impedance output. They will be very surprised
Given borderline sensitivity of 90db, most folks are probably using solid state amps with the D7's and impedance matching is moot. And it also depends on the tube amp quality/transformers/etc. But for those who are using tubes with the D7's, would be interesting to know what they find using their 4 ohm vs 8 ohm outputs (or 6 if they have one).
Hi, Quick question: how do you clean your D7? I have them in dark walnut and I don't know to clean them without scratching them
@dakchi Just a soft cloth like for any other piece of wood furniture? fyi, another long-time poster on Audiogon forums who owns both the D7's and O/93's (and likes them both for different reasons) also says the D7's sound better on the 4 ohm output of his amp. Really loving them as currently dialed in. It's really hard to fault them in any way - everything is just really well balanced.
Not directly D7 related, but relevant to the above: My Revel F52 speakers are rated as 6.5 ohm speakers but are known to dip as low as 3.5 ohms. They sounded good on the 8 ohm taps of my PrimaLuna. But they have much better bass response connected to the 4 ohm taps and non-bass is the equal or slightly better also. If you read the PrimaLuna documentation they say there are no hard and fast rules, within reason, and that you should fee free (and presumably safe) to experiment with whatever sounds best. Can't speak to Line Magnetic though. Cheers, Robert
I finally bought a house and it will be soon time to move the D7s out of the apartment and into a nice large, carpeted basement. I'm leaving the front end in the apartment so I will be looking for a new amp (probably Integrated) and dac. For the integrated I'm going to go one of two ways: A Pass Labs Int 60 or a Line Magnetic 805. I definitely want to go class A. The main reason being I want to add some sweetness and a little warmth to the sound. The D7s can be very technical sounding. Also, the house I bought is at 4,000 feet in the CA Sierras so the warmth will be welcome in the winter! LM 805 Owners - How does the LM handle sub bass? Is there any apparent loss in speed and impact? Or does it add any softness in this area? I think a little loss in definition here wouldn't be a bad thing honestly. Some electronic music sounds a bit incisive in the bass, which can be a bit uncomfortable. - I'm guessing the midrange will be magic and the treble won't be accentuated. - Is it a pain to bias the tubes? How often do you have to do it? Pass Labs Owners - Is there anything you don't like about the combo of D7 and pass amps (XA30.8, XA25, etc.) - I'm more used to a solid state sound. But after reading tons of comments about pass labs I think an XA30.8 or Int60 will add more tonal color and vividness than my current setup affords. Thanks!
Congrats on the house! I auditioned the LM 805 with smaller Graham Chartwell speakers. Very nice sound. As highlighted I tried different things with my Spendor D9s. I currently have a Linn Majik DSM (Linn’s entry level streamer/DAC/90 watt Class D amp). I have the amp and the volume control turned off. That feeds into a Pass Labs XP-20 preamp and then into a Pass Labs XA30.8. The sound is fabulous! I purchased a used Linn Akurate DS. This unit lacks the connectivity of a Linn DSM and has no amp. Costs three times as much as the Majik. I am waiting for the Katalyst DAC upgrade to arrive from Scotland. This is a huge upgrade and also gives me a new 5 year warranty from Linn. I am also upgrading my turntable station slowly. Hope to pick up a Parasound JC3+ phono stage on Sunday. I would do this: create a detailed diagram of your listening space, with dimensions, ceiling height, speaker location, listening location, etc. And list your equipment. And send off a query to Kent English at Pass Labs. He was super helpful to me. I would also contact Mark at RenoHiFi. He is THE dealer for new/demo/used Pass Labs kit. Super helpful as well. For me Pass Labs was a game changer. Much more musical than my previous SONOS, Rega and Bryston trials...
Thank for sharing your experience @PhotoMax. I've definitely been in touch with Nelson Pass and Mark at Reno Hifi. Mark seems convinced that the Int 60 is the best match from an integrated standpoint. I do see that the X30.8 has more headroom (actual power numbers are 130 watts into 8ohms @ 1% THD).
I can speak from the LM 805 side...I've had it since May of 2019 and I've had to adjust the bias once and that was after swapping around some tubes. And it's super easy to do as long as you have a set of eyeglass screwdrivers or something equally small.
Prior to getting the XA30.8 (nominally rated at just 30 watts) I had a 250 watt Bryston. If you were craving tunes at a house party the Bryston was your amp. But the Pass XA30.8 is smoother, richer without sounding like “warm poo”. I prefer the Pass at lower listening volumes. I think its better with bright faster recordings. Good match with full range Spendors. It has plenty of attacking power at high volumes as well.The volume control on the XP-20 is stunning as well. The XA30.8 is a beast physically though. Big and heavy with massive heat dissipating fins. It requires some air around the case. I built an addded stand with a shelf for the XP-20 power supply. The XA30.8 sits on the floor underneath this stand. I have it plugged straight into the wall with no power conditioner.
Great to hear! Are you pairing that amp with the Spendor D7? Any other thoughts regarding the sound combo specifically in the sub bass area? I listen a lot of Rock, Folk, Electronic and some piano and jazz.
Yeah it seems I cannot go wrong with Pass Labs. The cost of entry is higher than LM, but will also likely hold its value better over time.
I recently acquired D7.2's to go with my LM805ia and on the 4 ohm output it's a fantastic pairing. Everything in balance and harmony. Hard to answer the question re sub bass on the LM805. Just to be sure I assume that you are not really meaning 'warmth' on the lower end? Because that's more to do with mid-bass than sub-bass. Anyways, I find the sub-bass to be great - articulate, extended, and very clear. But I think that's more a property of the Spendors than the amp to be honest - the bass is extremely tight on these speakers with little overhang. The LM805ia might loosen it up a *bit* compared to solid state - regardless it's a great pairing on the bottom octave(s). I had one bad stock 805 tube that started going out of bias a few months in. Was replaced on-the-spot by dealer and have never had an issue since. I was worried about stuff like this before getting the LM - my first tube amp - but it's a complete non-issue now. Once set, the big tubes will last for thousands of hours and require almost zero biasing. While I haven't listened to the Pass Int-60, I think that the LM805ia is a good partner for the D7's because it allows you to tube roll and find the right 'attenuation' of the D7's that you seem to be seeking. With the Pass amp you will get what you get, and while it will no doubt sound amazing, you may still be wishing you could adjust the tonality/incisiveness further.
The only point of reference I can offer is that my O/96's sound much better with the LM805ia than they did with the Pass XA30.8.
If anyone is interested I'm going to be listing my Wireworld Eclipse 8 speaker cables (3M bananas) for sale soon - half the price of new. They were absolutely the perfect combination between my Pass XA30.8 and Spendor D7's. I found that Auditorium23's work better with my O/96's and LM805ia amp. Eclipse 8 Speaker Cable Pair – Wireworld Cable Technology Store
Oakland to the Sierras, that'll be a nice change of pace! I dream of living in the Sierras someday, aside from the fire risk. Be ready for some potential placement challenges in that basement. Basements can be a pain when it comes to achieving a smooth bass response.
Hi Chris. I'm not referring to warmth in the mid bass, but impact in the 30-40hz range. But it sounds like it should be a great pairing based on your findings. Thanks!
I think that pre-stressed, reinforced concrete is in evidence everywhere in every condominium building, apartment building, and so on, built over the past forty years. But drywall, absorption (clothing in closets), broadloom with underpad, engineered hardwood flooring with underpad, area rugs with non-slip underpads, bookshelves full of books, ceiling treatments, upholstered furniture and on and on all serve the same purpose when someone is finishing a basement as they do when finishing a main floor or second floor of a house or an apartment or a condo. Approximately 30% of the listening rooms in which I find myself from time to time are in finished or partially finished basements. Most of them sound great, a few need help, and a few need to be completely ripped out and redone while keeping the well-meaning audiophile (and his partner) well away from the scene of the crime. Basements often get the benefit of perimeter insulation in three of the walls that main floor rooms and second floor rooms don't get. Still, the most important thing anyone can install when setting up a basement listening room is a remote control to shut off the A/C-furnace-boiler before settling down to a good album.
My basement was easier to treat and integrate a sub than my first floor living room with lots of windows and more irregular perimeter and higher ceiling. I'd submit it's often easier to get a basement to sound better because treatment is often more straightforward.
In a typical downtown high rise, yes, but not in suburb apartment complexes or single-level ranch homes. Those walls are the typical siding/OSB/insulation/drywall configuration. Of course, every space presents slightly different challenges. My first and current basement system has certainly been the most challenging when it comes to bass.
