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Accession - sometimes too much of a good thing?

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    Posted: 05 Jan 2019 at 10:05pm
Having borrowed both the accession and the ref lex via the learner programme, I now find myself in a quandary...

To my ears the Accession is, as expected, better than the reflex on most recordings.  Live recordings of classical and jazz  sound fantastic. The problem is its so good it can be too unforgiving.

The example that sticks in my mind most is ABC's Lexicon of Love Album.  With the reflex, it is awesome.  You know there's a lot of 'production' on that album but you can't hear it.  You just get 'perfect pop.'  With the Accession you can hear how it's been put together and the amount of overdubbing distracts from the music.  You hear too much and the result is less satisfying.

Graham, perhaps the Accession mk11 could have a less revealing 'pop' setting that leaves all those production illusions intact!

Have others had similar experiences with the Accession?


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Richardl60 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Jan 2019 at 10:36pm
No similar concerns noted at all, my accession was superior on all material.  Could the Accession be showing other weaknesses in say arm or cartridge?  Also have you tried the loading switches?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Graham Slee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Jan 2019 at 1:41am
Simple: Go for the Reflex! Wink

You simply have to go with the best match you can, which might not reflect what others are saying, but we all made different system choices, and some combinations coalesce, and some disjoin. But knowing this happens we set up the loaner program so you can find the most suitable part.

 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bags Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Jan 2019 at 8:14am
I think I need to clarify here.

I'm saying that I find the Accession too revealing on some pop which has been 'highly produced'.  It is so good at revealing the 'construction' details that sometimes its too much of a good thing, and those 'details' detract from the overall effect.

On live recordings (most classical and jazz) the extra details add to the enjoyment, but on music that is stitched together, the stitching gets revealed too!

It had crossed my mind that getting the reflex too would give me the best of both worlds but my bank balance won't stretch to that. Smile

Perhaps using the incorrect impedance settings might have the desired effect of 'photo shopping out' the 'stitching.'

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Graham Slee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Jan 2019 at 1:07pm
The point I was trying to make is that one combination of electronic circuitry (products in other words) will make the sound stitched together and another seamless. It could have been my doing or it could have been the designer of another part of your system's doing. I just know that I spend more time than would ever make commercial sense technically tweaking the sound to make it do the best job I can with the widest possible range of music (a good cross section of my record collection) as well as the best audio analyser I could afford. I can be here at 3 or 4 in the morning coaxing the last gram out of a design because I live on the premises and wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't take it to the furthest limits. I don't have the record you're having problems with but I bet I've got plenty worse that I listened to. Some things go together, some don't. Sorry, it's the best explanation I can give.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Richardl60 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Jan 2019 at 5:53pm
I have looked at my Lexcicon of love many times recently and really must spin it.

Heavily produced material can be taxing often on tightly mixed vocals but I have found that performance on multi-layered vocals is a good test or hardware which when properly separated and layered can prove a revelation. Thinking here of say Bee Gees, ABBA and such like can be a good test and found the Accession performed admirably here and isn’t perhaps an area which can always be reflected by classical.

Unless I missed it earlier what kit are you partnering your phono stage with?


Edited by Richardl60 - 06 Jan 2019 at 7:03pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bags Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Jan 2019 at 6:56pm
My vinyl front end is Gyrodec/OL modded RB250/Dv10x5.

It's a pretty good combination, and with the loaner programme Accession, it certainly dug plenty more out of the grooves than I had heard before.

I'm looking forward to a number of happy years with an Accession, but I think I will be hanging onto my existing phono stage for those recordings where the extra detail results in a less satisfying experience.

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