New K2 S9900

[Loffen]

Check it out here : http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/solid...sound-jc1.html

No I still do NOT think it was becouse my JC1's did clip Valentine

[Valentin]

sorry you are probably right

I really do not think that my Parasound JC1 can clip...

shure

[Titanium Dome]

I thought it best to place a few items regarding actual K2 S9900 listening experience here, just in case someone looks for more on these sublime loudspeakers. After all, this may be the last, great Northridge designed and built product in the Lansing Heritage. I know I've been visually impressed with the new K2s on my visits to Northridge, and I've been in awe of the assembly and driver manufacturing.

Anyway, at the California Audio Show in the Design Interactions room, Widget and Co. held forth with a day-long Everest II, 1400 Array, and Revel Ultima 2 Salon demo, until we prevailed on them for the K2 to get a shot after hours.

I wrote:

The Everests were challenged by the room's peculiar mode(s) more than the other systems, but as the day wore on and the in-room attendees increased, they actually worked better with more bodies in the room. It was by far the best-attended room of the day, and people would not leave at the six o'clock closing time. After doing some additional demoes, only a few diehards were left, so I kept whining that I wanted the K2 S9900s to be hooked up, and a couple of guys with $100 bills hanging out of their pockets were all for it, too, so Widget and crew moved them, hooked them up, and WOW! what a great cap to a great day.

So in one room: Everest II DD66000, K2 S9900, 1400 Array, and Revel Ultima2 Salon, all driven by Mark Levinson and Pass Labs electronics, with a couple of nice turntables, an iPod dock, and a great Furman power unit. Nice.

and

I was ready to declare the Revel Ultima2 Salons as best in show until the K2 S9900s were hooked up. Now I'm not sure which impressed me more. In a better room, the Everests would have been the champs iMO, but in that room on that day, the Salons were exceptionally good, and the K2s just blew me away. The 1400 Arrays were impressive, too, but the room was big; the LE14H-3 drivers certainly reproduced the LF material with authority, though.

[Titanium Dome]

Ian Mac was there (hey Ian! ) and it's always a pleasure to spend time with such an affable and fun gentleman.
He wrote:

Hey Doug,

If it were not for significant shipping costs and custom duties I would have bitten the bullet on the K2 9900's there and then.

The high & mid range reproduction of the Everest and the K2 9900 seemed least effected by the demonstration room and in that respect they are the most accurate and natural sounding systems I have heard. Listening in close proximity to the Everest and the K 2 9900 the bass reproduction was equally impressive.

and

The Everest and the K2 9900 and the Array produced a more integrated midrange and high frequency performance in the demonstration room. I think Bo also came to this conclusion. (actually Bo bought this up first!). This could be a result of the demonstration room and system placement.

But to put this in perspective the Revel system wiped the floor with every other non JBL loudspeaker at the show in terms of realism. The other systems suffered excessive high frequency brightness, lack of bass and seemed to show more issues with in room peformance than the Revel and the JBL systems.

When the K2 9900 was played after the Revel system it was a no brainer which was the superior system. But at twice the cost most (except a JBL fanatics) would still be satisfied with the Revel.

[Titanium Dome]

My reply:

Awr, you're making my head hurt. While we listened to the K2s, I actually used the BofA banking app on my iPhone to check my account balance. Thank goodness I got out of there in time! I was afraid I'd walk out with two systems. I talked about the K2s and the Revels all the way home (six hours), whether Grumpy was listening or (pretending to be) asleep.

Dammit, Widget!

[Titanium Dome]

So there you have it. Of Lansing Heritage members, only a small number (not counting Mr. Widget) were present when the K2 S9900s were briefly fired up.

Bo
Ian
Dave
Doug

If Bo or Grumpy have anything to add, of course it would be welcome, as they were among the lucky few to actually hear them in this after hours treat.

[Titanium Dome]

Ah, there's this exchange between 4313B and Grumpy, too.

What do you guys think about the 045Be?

It's coming on at 20 kHz in the Everest II and 15 kHz in the S9900 (It was 10 kHz in the S9800).

Combo of (Be M&HF + Be UHF) vs (Mg+Be UHF) for me, in that room, with that listening
material was a wash. Didn't stuff a sock in the 045Be to check the "air" that the 045 might
provide. I -did- prefer that combo (whether Everest or K2) to the very top end of the Salons...
personal thing, I'm sure. Also, that $15K source and $$$ front end really seemed
to allow whatever was on the recording to come through (another area that I will not be
duplicating in the near future... "Dammit, Widget "® ).

[scott fitlin]

Check it out here : http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/solid...sound-jc1.html

No I still do NOT think it was becouse my JC1's did clip Valentine

Hello Loffen, I read this post, and then the thread at diyaudio, and have something to add to what may have happened to your speakers.

Although your JC-1 may not have been driven into clipping, and probably wasn't, the Parasound HALO JC-1 is capable of putting out and delivering 135 amperes of PEAK CURRENT! So, even though you weren't overdriving the amplifier, it did put out a massive amount of current, which exceeded what the resistors you burned up were capable of handling.

The Parasound HALO JC-1 is a massive amplifier, well made, and the HALO amps have massive power transformers, enormous amounts of filter storage capacitance, and lots of high current output devices. The HALO amps, especially the JC-1, are designed to produce high output current, and you, even though not overdriving the amp, exceeded the safe limits of certain components in your speakers.


But you have great taste in amplifiers as the HALO JC-1 is an incredible amp. However, with the Parasound HALO JC-1 output rating of 135 amperes@8ohms, it is an amp to be careful with. You did NOT clip or overdrive the JC-1, you exceeded the current carrying capability of the resistors in the passive networks. Which is why Mr. Greg Timbers offered to send you heavier duty resistors that CAN handle the current you will put through them.

[grumpy]

Minor point: 135A@8 ohms? That's over 1000V

135A peak? OK, I'll buy that... -very- briefly, at maybe <0.1 ohms.
Make sure to clean up the arcing from the connector after trying that

To say that it will behave as a true voltage source down to
very low impedance (it -is- rated at 1200W@2 ohms) is still
saying a lot. That it can continue to output relatively obscene
power levels when other home equipment would fail or shut down,
is a potential that doesn't give you a clue that the load could be
internally melting (with that "load" being designed with a certain
peak/crest/avg duty cycle expectation that was apparently exceeded).

-dave/grumpy

Re: K2-S9900, on my short list (regardless of $ or "type").

[scott fitlin]

Dave, it is rated 135amps@8ohms PEAK so yes your correct, I forgot to add that. But, some things can't stand even momentary bursts like that, IF high enough I am sure your aware.

The HALO JC-1 is still a massive amp, by any standards.

[grumpy]

just not into 8 ohms ( -that- was my minor point... it would need a 1000+v power supply ) ...
the rest looks all good to me

[scott fitlin]

just not into 8 ohms ( -that- was my minor point... it would need a 1000+v power supply ) ...
the rest looks all good to me

I'll stand corrected to the 8 ohms, but the JC-1 is one big amp.

[grumpy]

Yes, indeedy!

[Titanium Dome]

With all this focus on amps, what would you drive a pair of K2S9900s with? This is an open question for anyone, not just those dragging out the Parasound story.

Widget would likely say Levinson or Pass, and Ian would probably say Pass as well, but they can of course speak for themselves on this issue.

There's the old joke about the guy who asks a Texan how much it costs to drive his Rolls Royce (or some other car), and the Texan replies, "If you have to ask, you can't afford it."

Well, I'm asking anyway. I doubt that I would be able to get a current Levinson, Pass, or other $$$$$ in addition to a $$$$$ pre, $$$$$ source, and K2s at the same time. OTOH, a Soundcraftsmen from 1990 isn't going to cut it either. There are a lot of pro amps that could handle the job, but NO ONE drives this kind of gear with a pro amp.

Maybe a Synthesis or two (bridged), or one of the new ATI Balanced models (or a derivative like Theta)? If you were limited to staying under $3-4k, what would you be looking at?

[Mr. Widget]

Widget would likely say Levinson or Pass, and Ian would probably say Pass as well, but they can of course speak for themselves on this issue.

When I had the K2s in my living room, I was using my vintage 80wpc GAS amp... they sounded fabulous! Must be the room.


Widget