What kit are you listening to today?

Where ?

Jerry

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I (it turns out unfortunately) shared a room with him at Scalford. I had some Kharma Ceramique speakers at the time and was using a 150 wpc EL34 Tube Technology Synergy amp to drive them. It was ok and going reasonably well until Jerry decided his Viva amps should be introduced along with his copy of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.

I apologise now to anyone who heard that. It was so embarrassing that I had to leave the room to have a serious guffaw with @ciderpig (who had just walked in and was looking rather shocked) in the hallway.

I have no objection to Viva amps whatsoever btw, but this occasion was comedy gold. I ‘restricted’ their use from that point onwards. The fact that he also brought a ‘T-amp’ to ‘try’ with the Kharmas was moot as I informed him of the amp/arse interface that would have been implemented if he even suggested using it.

Happidaze :roll_eyes:

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Ahh, did you buy the green 2.3 or what ever number they were Karma’s from Chris Smeagol? They were one of the worst speakers he ever had, missed 70% of the music and only seemed to come alive if you thrashed them a bit.

Jerry, that is bad judgement. :mask:

@Wayward also runs a set in his horn rig and has done for a long time.

I also raved about them after Munich 2016

:eyes:

Viva with the right speakers are stunning amps, a bit like Wavac. Taken outside their envelope of comfort and they stink the place out.

Controversial opinion time

I thought they sounded fucking fantastic partnered with Wilson Benesch. Less so with Viva’s own speakers (although far from being outrightly awful)

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I’ve tried Wilson Benesch floorstanders (forget the models - 2.5 way things) with moderately powerful valve amps, and the combo worked really well - way better than the usual solid state stuff they tend to get demoed with.

In all my 55 years, yet to hear a system with Wilson Benesch speakers that sounds any good, perhaps I am unlucky. Usually at shows and the sound there is usually poor anyway.

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Wilson Benesch anything.

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Didn’t you have one of their arms?

Yes. It was shit. Their speakers always give me a headache - I think it’s some nasty come breakup or something.

Yep, hard and nasal.

Looked them up - WB “Curve”. And aside from that one time I’d agree - heard WB Arcs in a couple of systems and hated them - terrible driver integration and overblown bass, and all the rest was hifi shows where they sounded awful every time. :+1:

So, we are basically saying that @TMC is as deaf as a post. :grin:

What’s this ‘we’ shit Tonto? :scream:

Oh, just some narcissistic voyeurism…

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Forum tagline right there.

Not sure if they were the same pair, but yes, the same model. I kept them for a few months.

No issue with Viva amps btw, just not with those Kharmas.