Hello. Excellent looking system. I love the history. I tried to find that review of the Flora, no good. I am increasingly drawn to the theory of operation and concepts of transformer based "preamplifiers". I have always viewed the volume control (an analog pot, a digital pot (latest ARCs and others), a stepped, whatever) as the critical element in the success or failure of preamp design. I think about the lowest analog levels getting traded for noise in these volume controls, then that 'result' has gain applied to it...The common feel out there about passives OTOH is that they squash dynamics and harmonic shadings, and the culprit here too, is noise. The idea to use an autotransformer or a TVC, as the volume attenuation is very promising. The i/v interplay from the magnetic flux 'windowing' is the only thing (assume wide bandwidth transf) really responsible for the changing the magnitude of the signal. Nothing lost as heat in resistive dividers. Don't have to worry about thermal Johnson noise generated from ALL resistors. SInce the I/V at the line level is so small effective wide bandwith transformers can be realized with little hysteresis effects. HOW DOES IT SOUND??
I do realize that the Flora is not a TVC per se, and it does have an active buffer stage, but I am about to journey into the TVC world myself. I am anxioulsy awaiting the arrival of this Malaysian TVC from promethius audio.

I have also always been bothered by the acceptance of excessive gain in modern audio systems (I assume it has a lot to do with being generic). Most cdps, for instance have at least 1.5 to 2 volts rms output. Most amplifiers in the same line, require about the same to reach rated output. I would venture to say that in most preamps actually apply no gain from the gozinta to the gozoutta (even though there is a gain block following the volume control), but actually massive attenuation. SOrry for the excessively long rant.

dpac996 August 31, 2007 19:47

System edited: Just posted a review here on the Gon with all the details why the Flora is my new reference.

teajay August 31, 2007 19:05

Teajay noticed you have put up your Bent Tap up for sale!

Want have you replaced it with?

dev August 17, 2007 10:33

System edited: Just posted a review on the Accustic Arts reference Tube Hybrid DAC II, which now is part of my system.

teajay August 14, 2007 00:53

System edited: Just added the Indra and two more pairs of Metacarbon to the system. The total effect is just amazing and brings the whole system to another level of "musicality and liquidity" then before.

teajay April 19, 2007 06:58

Samuellaudio, the Tap did everything as well as the Placette active, but bettered it in three main areas:

1) The Tap does a better job on the decay of notes in a more natural way then the Placette.

2) The Tap offers a bit more of a "relaxed/warmth" then the Placette and to my ear's a more natural sense of timbres.

3) The Tap offers more image density, not more space between players, but more solid images then the Placette.

If you have not seen my review of the Tap here on the GON take a look at it for alot more details comparing these great linestages.

teajay April 17, 2007 15:53

how was the placette versus the bent audio pre? Did you sacrifice dynamics?

samuellaudio April 17, 2007 07:40

Well Teajay, I ordered the Oracle 2000 on Friday, should get it in a week so I'm told. I decided against the 2500 because really I just want a transport and the 2000 has the AES connection that my current Stealth Sextet cable is. I am looking forward to getting this unit.

Have you looked into the AMR cd player, I have been looking at this since Nov. of last year. This really looks like a serious player, from my contacts I'm being told that it is amazing and being put up against very expensive systems and coming out on top.

dev March 20, 2007 02:01

Chris, I have heard the MBL DAC/transport on a couble of occasions, found them quite good, but not better then my Accustic Arts combo, and was not motivated to do a home audition. The MBL pieces were not the reference combo, but the pair that sells for around $15000.00. I never have heard the MBL 1521A, but would suggest you post on my thread, entitled, Reference DACS: An overall perspective for information on this piece. I would also recommend you put on your audition list the AA CDP MK-2 which offers great performance in the price range of the MBL player.

teajay March 18, 2007 04:59

TJ, have you auditioned MBL? What does it sound like? I'm thinking of replacing my Accuphase DP-90 CD-transport for a MBL 1521A.

Chris
[email protected]

dazzdax March 17, 2007 21:36

Dev, we totally agree on the Stealth wires, they really offer something special in the system that they are placed in.

Yes, I have heard the WB ACT speakers and found them quite good, open, very detailed without being "edgy", and musical. As far as their bass extension, it seemed fast, and accurate, but I don't know how deep they go.

I know no that has ever tried the Oracle transport. I have read postive reviews of the Oracle CDP, but nothing on the transport. So, if you have a chance to hear your friend's with the DAC1-MK4 in your system, please share what you hear compared to the DRIVE1-MK2! I will say all the Oracle pieces are beautiful "eye candy".

teajay March 13, 2007 14:24

Teajay Stealth product is amazing, get of pair of Indra's from your Dac to pre in xlr wow!

I am really enjoying the "AA" dac and transport combo, I am noticing some slight changes with the transport but nothing huge.

I was just in contact with someone today who actually lives very close to me and he originally owned the Dac3 and original Drive combo two years ago. He has some CJ mono blocks and pre set-up along with Wilson Benisch Act speakers. He replaced his Dac MK3 last year with the Dac MK4 and said he was really impressed with the over all improvement. He said he then bought an Oracle 2000 transport and said the comparison between it and his original AA Drive was the most he has ever heard in his system, huge he said. I asked and he never got around to hearing the Drive MK2 because what he had heard was it was better than the original but apparently not in a wow! factor.

While talking with him today and what he described to me was what I experienced when I put the DacMk4 in my system, large improvement.

I'm not too sure about the speakers, they don't go very low and I have never heard them before, have you? are they ant good?

Well I am very anxious now in wanting to hear his system but really some how want to convince him to bring his Oracle over so I can hear it in my system, if it's that good guess what?

Teajay have you ever heard of anyone using this combo or any thoughts of this transport.

I really like the suspension theory, transport is suppose to be top notch but there are really no reviews that I could find, they were about the 2500. The 2500 is with dac and I don't want that.

Could be very interesting, let me know what your thoughts are.

dev March 13, 2007 04:09

System edited: Just added the Stealth Metacarbon between the Accustic Arts DAC1-MK4 and the Bent Audio Tap linestage. It's a great cable and raised the level of my total system to another sonic level, just like the Stealth digital cable had done before.

teajay March 12, 2007 21:51

Teajay, it looks like I am going down the same path as you but walking behind and not as yet caught up. I am looking at a new pre, I actually have a Supratek Suav. line stage ordered and a Bent Tap as you have to compare to my ARC Ref 3. I am in the market to get a new cd player also and looking at the Accustic Arts gear same as you have. If you take a look at my threads you will see what I have been up to.

dev March 01, 2007 17:29

Mitch4t, my MG-20's are 10 feet apart with the ribbons on the outside. In my old house the speakers were about 7 feet apart with the ribbons on the inside because I was much closer to the side walls and found I got a better soundstage with more percise layering this way. Now, in the new house my soundstage is much wider and deeper, but I still get great layering with the ribbons on the outside.

teajay January 24, 2007 06:52

How far apart are your speakers from each other? I have a 13 foot space between my speakers because the room is so big. You have a large room also and I'm curious as to how much space is in between the speakers.

mitch4t January 23, 2007 03:34

Mitch4t, I have moved into a new home that is a total open design. My MG-20's are six feet off the back wall, which is the short wall of 30 feet and I sit about 12 feet from the speakers with the back wall another 35 feet away. The ceiling is 30 feet high with many posts and beems running through out the total house. It's the best acoustic environment my rig has ever been in.

teajay January 17, 2007 05:31

Did you position your rig along the long wall or the short wall? Which end are the speakers on....the end with the high ceiling or the lower ceiling? How does the sloped ceiling affect the sound?

mitch4t January 16, 2007 21:19

Asradict, again you have asked a question which I cannot answer because I bi-amp my system not bi-wire. I would recommend you call Acoustic Zen and talk to Mr. Robert Lee, who has always answered my questions regarding his wires in a honest and very helpful way in the past.

teajay January 13, 2007 23:14

Hello Teejay! Thank you!

As I told you I´m thinking on the Absolute speaker cable. I´m thinking bi-wire.But I´ve a doubt. Do you think is better an Absolute shotgun or 2 runs of absolute separated (one for the bass and the other for mids and highs). My amp only have one pair of speaker outputs...
Have you any experience on this subject? What you think about it?

Thank you very much

asradict January 13, 2007 13:21

Asradict, sorry I can't help with this one because I have never auditioned the Absolute PC's at all in my system. When I did my auditioning of PC's, tried several different house brands, I liked the Harmonix cords so much better then the others they became my reference throughout my system. At this point I'm not very interested in exploring the Acoustic Zen PC's because I'm very happy with the Studio Masters PC's. However, someone who's ears I trust has auditioned the Absolute PC's and thinks they are terrific, but has never tried the Studio Masters, so we don't know which would sound better in his system.

teajay January 10, 2007 16:04

Hello Teejay!

Thank you for your answer!

Only now I notice that you have an Harmonix Studio Master! I´ve already tried this one on my CDP. More bass and dynamics...It makes a very good match with my CDP (is very sensible to power cords).

Did you compared the Absolute with the Studio master? What where your findings?

I want the Power cable to use on my CDP...

Cheers

asradict January 10, 2007 10:16

Mike, if you already use the Acoustic Zen family of wires, Silver Ref II, Matrix II, and Satori, your getting about 70% to 80% of the performance of what Mr. Lee's reference Absolute wires have to offer already. As I often say that last 20% of performance often is very expensive to get, but does make a real difference sonicly.

In the past, I have tried reference wires from Nordost, AudioQuest, and high range Transparent Labs and find the Acoustic Zen wires to be much more "musical", built to a high standard and more reasonable priced then many other highly respected house brands.

teajay January 09, 2007 14:28

Hello Teejay! Thank you very much for your answer!

Did you try another speaker cables from acoustic zen besides The Absolute? Or other speaker cables from other brands? How you define the Absolute speaker cable?

I already tried Satori, Matrix Ic and silver reference and love them all... But this ones are a bit expensive!

Cheers

asradict January 09, 2007 10:15

Hi, Mike seems like your putting together a fine sounding system. To answer your questions:

1) I bi-amp in my system so I use two pairs of Absolute speaker wires and not Double Barrel.

2) If you like the Acoustic Zen Silver Reference II, you would diffently like the Absolute IC's and speaker wire in your system. For alot of details regarding how they sound compared to the Silver Ref II's go to my review here on the GON and see if the information posted gives you a good perspective regarding the sonics of the Absolute wires, if you still have questions, let me know and I will try to answer them. Good luck.

teajay January 09, 2007 06:09