The greatest invention in/for Audio (Lush^2)

[PeterSt]

Hi Mani - Thank you very much for your reporting. Appreciated !

Cheers,
Peter

[Stanray]

I received my Lush^2 almost a week ago and let in play for about 10 hours before I started listening.

I copied the current “status quo” A: B-W-Y-R  / B: B-W-R for a start and try some other configurations when I’m in the mood for it, but hearing how it sounds now, I’m in no hurry.

It’s hard to avoid clichés to describe the sound. The first thing I noticed was a kind of “silence” in the background, which results in hearing everything better across the whole spectrum. And that results in a more natural and convincing sound. Not only with good quality recordings, but also average recordings from the seventies a much more enjoyable now.

It has a kind of addictive quality now.

And no Mach II, III or whatever here, just a simple DIY Audio PC (see sig).

Peter:   

I stop now, music calling.

Regards,
Stanley

[PeterSt]

[Rmalits]

Hi Peter,

a few weeks ago it became harder and harder to get my NOS1a
recognised by my Mach III when they were connected with my Lush^2. I had to try more nad more often, plug the Lush^2 in and out and so on...
With other USB cables like my Lush^1 and others connecting the two devices was never a problem.

Finally, when my Lush^2 completly refused to work, I messured this Lush^2 with my multimeter and found out that there was a contact between one of the inner USB pins with the outer metal (connected to the black cable) of the PC-side plug.
That made me curious and I cut this plug open to have a look inside. The 4 inner pin cables are kind of crimped together (including their plastic shield). After I had bent apart this crimping the contact failure described above was gone. My Lush^2 is working again, but connecting the two devices is still not as easy as with other USB cables.
And I got the impression, that the sound is smearing now when this Lush^2 is used. This impression may also be caused by my new speakers though.
Therefore I play music with my old Lush^1 most of the times now, what works and sounds great with my new SQ settings, what I posted today.

Peter, what would you suggest to do? Shall I send you this broken and maybe not well repaired Lush^2 ?

Kind regards
Richard

[PeterSt]

Destructive you ...


Richard, we will send you a new one. Same length ?

Best regards,
Peter

[PeterSt]

Hey hey ...

A:B-W-Y-R, B:B-W-R

This has been the configuration for many months. Maybe from of today we can change it to this one :

A:B-W-Y, B:B-W

with thanks to kurb1980.

Unless it is me or my ears or electrical charge from outer space ... this is such a refreshing one ... hard to believe it is real. Many things in there I never experienced before.

First odd thing : I never noticed a real change on day one of listening to this. Maybe the wrong music for it, hard to tell. But this goes in combination with day two, where it was one large jaw dropping experience (this was yesterday).

Odd: Bass sounds like with too much energy, but at second thought and "seeing through" it is about a layer under what you here foremost, that layer implying extra-low frequency.

Odd: When walking through the middle of the sweet spot (crossing the room from left to right and back), in the middle there's a clear increase of volume. I did not check with the SPL meter, but I guess it will be easily detectable. Anyway, like all adds up on the sweet spot.
I know, this may be logical to happen, but I never noticed it, and the increase is really quite much (feels like 6dB).

Odd: The depth of the sound stage is as flat as can be.
Huh ?
Yes, but in combination with a sound stage which never has been wider.
Huh^2 ?
Before trying it out, try to envision that. To me it seems impossible from theories. Still it is so. There is no depth but there is infinite width. And the most troubling issue : I can not detect where this bothers me. I mean, the speakers are not detectable anyway (and that with this flat stage ??) and it just is a most pleasant presentation.

There is detail in an again lower area which brings forward all kinds of sounds and voices and mumbling and a 100 things I never heard before. This also does a lot to cymbals and percussion instruments. I am also confident that this attributes to the (music) reality level ... not-normal.

But supposed you know my way of thinking, something quite else is going on ...

I (or we) already know of what happens to the "accuracy" as such, when the stage is made wider by what I call unnatural means. The sugar cubes are an example of that. You end up in a church but in the end all is more vague. The idea ? the energy in the sound waves is spread (by whatever voodoo force ) and therefore all becomes less accurate (it is torn apart). Get the idea ?
All right. This Lush^2 configuration works a kind of other way around;

The sound stage is wider, true. But the reason now is : all is compressed in a flat space (if I say it is 1 meter deep then I will exaggerate). And notice me dealing with the "energy does not get lost" law of physics. What I plainly hear is this :

All the energy is in this tight space (you could do the math on it, and compare with a depth of e.g. 3-4 meters as how it was previously). There it fights for space. This is the buzzing of the bass but which only happens when not listening at the right position. This is also related to the 6dB (?) of higher level which is perceived when being right in the middle (of the speakers) - hence at the sweet spot again. All there beams as should, comes together where intended and "adds up".

If by now you think I really lost it, then be happy as it is and leave it be.

All the again extra detail which is there now, comes from the far better accuracy because of the more compact sound (more compressed ?). Much more collides and much more literally energizes.

Warning : I have the clear idea that this now requires the Custom Filter Low setting, although I did not try plain Arc Prediction (each second of trialling things feels like a complete waste of time - haha).
The other and more important warning is about letting this config be for a first day and only judge at the second (it is too hard to imagine that I just missed this all on the first day).

I noticed that it was impossible for me to judge the quality of the "sound" because the music itself attracted too much (this is always a good thing, IMO). However, I was continuously and throughout pointed at the new sounds I heard everywhere. In amount, think twice as many (I am serious).
I coincidentally started out with some old hit (Turtles - Happy Together (1967)) and was open mouthed from the super clear sound and how undistortedly beautiful the lead singer brought this song to me. A-ma-zing. And with a channel separation of which I readily knew I never heard it before.

An other odd thing is that while on one side there's super speed exhibiting, there's an unsurpassed palpability at the same time. Listen to the snare drums and you'll understand what I mean. Full with body, never sharp and just how it sounds in reality.


Peter

[PeterSt]

I now think that people can save the trouble of trying this
A:B-W-Y, B:B-W.

At the third day I got totally crazy of too much energy. Too much buzzing with it - at least how I perceive it.
Because this seems highly related to some burn-in process (or maybe groundloop build-up ?) I will try it tonight once again, but if it starts out the same as how it did yesterday, I will revert to
A:B-W-Y-R, B:B-W-R
within20 seconds.

Yesterday it was literally killing. Super super tiring, although no harsh sound anywhere. Explosive energy. I don't know what really happens ...

Peter

[manisandher]

I now think that people can save the trouble of trying this
A:B-W-Y, B:B-W.

Yeah, I already determined this (edit: actually not exactly the same, but similar) back in September:

I tried a few configs today.

1. A: B-W-Y-R, B: open

Wow, what a crazy sound. Almost holographic. Very appealing for first few seconds, but then sort of disorientating. A bit vague - not anchored.

(It's a similar feeling I have when I'm sitting in the aisle on a plane - I really don't like not having a reference (being able to look outside the window and see the ground) when taking off and landing especially.)

2. A: B-W-Y-R, B: B-W

More solid. But still slightly unnaturally holographic.

3. A: B-W-Y-R, B: B-R

I think similar to 2, but I need to go back and check.

4. A: B-W-Y-R, B: B-Y

I had a slight preference for this over 2 and 3, but I really need to go back and check.

5. A: B-W-Y-R, B: B-W-Y-R

This is giving me the most pleasant sound. All traces of an 'unnaturally holographic' sound have gone. Just a really nice, balanced and anchored sound. So this is what I'll stick with for now.

Mani.

[Nick]

Mani hi,

What Lush setting were we listing to yesterday at yours ?

Nick.

[PeterSt]

Yeah, I already determined this (edit: actually not exactly the same, but similar) back in September:

Mani, I don't think that you referred to your config which was "not exactly the same" and you merely refer to your judgment, right ?
I mean, your config was not the same in any of your listed trials ... (that I can see).

Kind regards,
Peter

[Nick]

Hi,

Just to add another combo into the mix (Im not sure if this has been visited by someone before).

I have been using A: B-W-R-Y, B: B-W-Y for ages now. I think I got to this setup  trying to apply  A: B-W-R-Y, B: B-W-R in the dark and could not see the colours properly 

For me  A: B-W-R-Y, B: B-W-Y brings a very livley but natural sound. Getting great presence and stage with excellent base weight speed and pitch.

Regards,
Nick.

Edit - notation was not the standard format.

[PeterSt]

trying to apply  A: B-W-R-Y, B: B-W-R in the dark and could not see the colours properly

Hahahaha - That could be the best way !

Nick, I will try that (A: B-W-Y-R, B: B-W-Y) for sure.
Thanks a lot,
Peter

[manisandher]

... your config was not the same in any of your listed trials ... (that I can see).

You see correctly. I thought that I had tried it, but I hadn't. (I will do though!)

Mani.

[manisandher]

What Lush setting were we listing to yesterday at yours ?

Hi Nick, we were listening to A: B-W-Y-R  B: B-W-R.

(The Lush^2 is 4-5 weeks old, so I suppose we can assume it's settled down?)

Mani.

[Nick]

Thanks Mani,

Might be with a try with A: B-W-Y-R, B: B-W-Y. Gives a very nice sound here but quite livley compared : B-A: B-W-Y-R, B: B-W-R.

Nick.