hello all, my fist post (bar introductions)... I've been working for the last couple of weeks on a pair of Nagaoka super-swans, using some FE108eSigmas which I picked up on a recent trip to Akihabara (tokyo), I know that ideally they should be the special edition 108s for the super swan but it seems that the eSigs are good for this design too. I haven't had much chance to play in the drivers yet so they sound pretty awful (I couldn't help trying them in the swans which in the workshop sound doubly terrible, but hopefully they'll start to sound better in a while.
I did a variation on the head of the speakers which is like a pretty smart looking commercial design in japan, but it's purely cosmetic to try to improve that all important WAF.
Lecky.
I did a variation on the head of the speakers which is like a pretty smart looking commercial design in japan, but it's purely cosmetic to try to improve that all important WAF.
Lecky.
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Congratulations!
Unlike most I think they look kinda cool, but in an unconventional way ;^))). My buddy who lived in Japan for 3 years sez Swanns are a fav for diyers in Japan. Something about a single 4" doing everything. I heard a pair at the CES Fostex room years ago and they sounded great, better than many $$$ mega monoliths. Perhaps, less is more.
Where in Akihabara did you buy the 108Es? Were the SE edtions still available (if so how much and where)?
Thanks for sharing and keep us posted on your progress.
Unlike most I think they look kinda cool, but in an unconventional way ;^))). My buddy who lived in Japan for 3 years sez Swanns are a fav for diyers in Japan. Something about a single 4" doing everything. I heard a pair at the CES Fostex room years ago and they sounded great, better than many $$$ mega monoliths. Perhaps, less is more.
Where in Akihabara did you buy the 108Es? Were the SE edtions still available (if so how much and where)?
Thanks for sharing and keep us posted on your progress.
I got the eSigs at Kimura Musen on the fourth floor of Radio Kaikan. If they'd had the special edition ones I'd have got them for sure - I had heard some in a friend's super swans in rural Kagawa - sadly they're now unavailable and I believe they go for quite high prices second hand in Japan. I hope they'll sound as good as you heard them... They are popular in Japan, and they were favourites of Nagaoka who used them as reference speakers for testing hi-fi (although that perhaps speaks more to their ability to show up weaknesses in the chain than quality in themselves...)
ropie, shhhh, I've only just persuaded the wife that they're OK... (select apropriate smilly...)
I played them via my new charlize and an ipod today and with some Charlie Mingus they sounded quite sweet. Obviously there's not much serious base, which is OK for jazz, (and I haven't played with placement at all yet to maximise what's there) and a bit harsh in treble still, but even so they sound quite cohesive and involving already. the other guys at college (where the speakers are at the moment) are starting to get interested - had a few offers to make more of them, but I'm not sure the college technician would appreciate repeating the cutting list again for me...
My only concern is the extent to which I have to use the ipod volume to supplement that of the charlize which worries me for line level sources, but they're in a big studio space now and maybe that won't be a problem when I get them home.
I played them via my new charlize and an ipod today and with some Charlie Mingus they sounded quite sweet. Obviously there's not much serious base, which is OK for jazz, (and I haven't played with placement at all yet to maximise what's there) and a bit harsh in treble still, but even so they sound quite cohesive and involving already. the other guys at college (where the speakers are at the moment) are starting to get interested - had a few offers to make more of them, but I'm not sure the college technician would appreciate repeating the cutting list again for me...
My only concern is the extent to which I have to use the ipod volume to supplement that of the charlize which worries me for line level sources, but they're in a big studio space now and maybe that won't be a problem when I get them home.
Thanks, I've just got a docking station with line out and (even more so when the monster cables arrive) I'm sure that'll help.
A little placement adjustment helped imensely with bass, now at least with jazz the double-bass sounds full and usually quite natural, I'm sure that the occasional sense of sloppy ill defined bass has a lot to do with the room and will improve a lot with a smaller more furnished room. The harshness to the treble is already smoothing out. A long way to go still though I think, and I haven't started tuning the cabs with sand yet.
Here are some more (better) pictures:
A little placement adjustment helped imensely with bass, now at least with jazz the double-bass sounds full and usually quite natural, I'm sure that the occasional sense of sloppy ill defined bass has a lot to do with the room and will improve a lot with a smaller more furnished room. The harshness to the treble is already smoothing out. A long way to go still though I think, and I haven't started tuning the cabs with sand yet.
Here are some more (better) pictures:
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I haven't tried them with and without yet so I couldn't tell you about the difference - I was thinking about letting the drivers settle in a bit, and getting really familliar with what they do before swaping them in and out and that sort of thing... I'll report back when I get to that stage. I'll see if I can find the instruction paper for them which has an accurate diagram which might help in copying. I don't think they'd be any problem for a reasonably competent machinist to make up - certainly the price new is eye watering, so it'd be worth giving it a go.
lecky
lecky
It's true, but brass isn't so expensive... and you could make highly luxurious brass coasters out of the middle bits. I suspect that the advantages of the rings are marginal in relation to their price - they supposedly tighten the sound up a bit, but they certainly look good. I got them because one of the japanese guys with a website relating to the swan recons they're well worth it, and I was willing to splash out in Japanese yen prices more than I would in the UK (partly as it's all cheaper in Japan, partly as holiday money is always easier to spend anyway). In any case I'll do a bit of experimenting in about a month or so if you can wait that long.
Lecky
Lecky
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