Near Field, Desktop Speaker Listening w/ a SEX

[Lazlo_Hollyfeld]

Thanks for the advice folks… went ahead and ordered some of the new Tuned Thickness Orcas … hopefully the SEX transformer supply chain works itself out and I get to building!

[Doc B.]

I've been prepping S.E.X. kits the last few days. Here's the output iron. When the power transformers arrive (I wish I could say when that will be, hopefully next week?) we will be able to ship them out quickly.

[Lazlo_Hollyfeld]

I've been prepping S.E.X. kits the last few days. Here's the output iron. When the power transformers arrive (I wish I could say when that will be, hopefully next week?) we will be able to ship them out quickly.

Thanks Doc! Promise to keep those with enough morbid interest apprised of my progress and ultimately my impressions. Genuinely excited!

[Happy Ghost]

I built the Overnight Sensations MTM to pair with my S3X amp (4 ohm setting).. They work really well.. Am happy with the sound.. very good for near field listening..

[Lazlo_Hollyfeld]

Thoughts on wiring the SEX for 4 or 8 ohms when paired with the 8 ohm Orcas? I’ll probably be doing 80% near field listening with the speakers vs 20% with my 80 ohm DT770 Pros. Thanks!

[Paul Birkeland]

I would start with 8 ohms, as I don't believe the DT-770 is super duper sensitive. 

[Lazlo_Hollyfeld]

Thanks! Appreciate the advice!

[Karl5150]

I'm very happy with the SEX amp driving a pair of Fostex FF85WK drivers in Planet10 microFonken enclosures. They are imaging monsters. They get a little help down low from a pair of under-desk subs.
Karl

[Lazlo_Hollyfeld]

Thanks for the all advice folks.  The Blumenstein Orcas arrived and they sound awesome with the S.E.X. as a desktop setup.  Its really made playing quiet music while I work so much more enjoyable. Not saying they can't rock, but 90% of the time I'm playing jazz or whatnot quietly in the background as I work and even at low volumes, they just disappear completely. Really impressed with the razor sharp separation and the width and height of the mini-soundstage.  Especially the height ... reaches to the top of my pretty massive monitor even though the drivers are below my ears and level (finding some decent looking tiny stands or wedges may be next up). Still on the fence about adding an under-desk sub as I'm not certain it would really add much given how (and to what) I actually listen to most days.   Anyhow, thanks again!

[Lazlo_Hollyfeld]

Wanted to give an update for posterity's sake.  I just listened to the Rolling Stone's Melody about five times in a row sitting at my desk and I realized I now find myself spending more time listening to music sitting at my desk listening via Tidal > Modi > S.E.X. > Orcas than I do sitting five feet away on the couch listening to my "main" set up of mostly restored/resto-modded vintage equipment (Marantz NR for streaming and Marantz 6300 TT > Marantz 1060 and/or 140 > Sansui SP-X9000.  I love the S.E.X.& Orca soundstage and how you can hear exactly where each instrument is. Sure, my main system has more weight and bass to it (15 inch woofers will do that) and I'm comparing nearfield to couch listening ... but now I need to recreate this on a grander, living room scale set up.  I'm thinking my Sansui speakers are maybe the weak link.  They are all re-capped, fresh polylfil, etc. but now they seem muddy in comparison. C'est la vie.

[Paul Birkeland]

I suspect you are correct about those SP-X9000s.  I'd keep them around for garage use though, I bet they play very loudly!

[Karl5150]

Very nice looking, and no doubt sounding, systems.
The Orcas are very similar to the Planet10s I'm running as mentioned above. Even if you listen to the mellow side at lower levels I would encourage you to audition a small, well placed sub. The few times I forget to switch on the plate amp when I start the system everything sounds fine. I might even listen for hours without a thought...until the switch is engaged. Those bottom couple of octaves just make everything sound correct. (Realistically to the mid/lower 40s?) The price of admission of a PE plate amp and 6-1/2" woofer (or 2) is minimal, and you lose nothing of what the fine desktop monitors bring to the table.
Just my $0.02 - Enjoy.
Karl

[Lazlo_Hollyfeld]

Just wanted to post a short desktop-listening update. I recently moved the Blumenstein Orcas to my office (now powered with a Schiit Rekkr) and replaced them with a set of the newly released Omega Baby Alnico Monitors (BAMs), a front ported and slightly smaller version of the popular Compacts.  They're probably about as big as one could reasonably call "desktop" and even with my massive walnut desk, they still look borderline silly.

But my god, do they sound amazing paired with the S.E.X. (plus a Schiit Modi+ and custom Pine Tree Audio cables).  The sound stage is larger in every "measurable" direction, there is the perfect amount of low end for a desktop (even on a song like the Weekend's The Hills, where the Orca's couldn't reach low enough to play most of the deeper bass on their own, I can vibrate my desk). The BAMs do have a little less "sparkle," but given the change in driver size, that makes sense.  I don't chase sparks though.

BAMs measure somewhere around 95dB efficiency, and I rarely move the volume past what would be maybe a 2 sitting this close. Like my Zu DW6 in my main system (paired with a First Watt J2), they play quiet exceptionally well. Loads of details and range even with background jazz while working.

Can't wait for these to break in, though at about 100 hours at this point so I'm pretty confident I made the right choice.