Hi Lloyd, Charles and Spiritofmusic,

I am thoroughly intrigued now by the Entreq product. I am not sure who is a dealer/distributor in the US (I couldn't find this information on the Entreq web site), but I will contact Entreq directly and see if an in home demo can be arranged.

Spiritofmusic, I read your separate thread on the topic and I was wondering if you ended up connecting anything from your analog front end - turntable or phono stage or both to the Entreq Tellus?

babybear August 13, 2013 12:24

Lloyd,
Your clear and descriptive writing is appreciated. The Enreq sure seems to be a product of merit and priced within the reach of what a larger group of people can afford.
Charles,

charles1dad August 13, 2013 11:36

Hi Charles,

Yes, I think it has been very carefully and thoughtfully manufactured...and clearly by someone who focuses on the purpose and on value. The box is super heavy, dense but basic-looking. The cables have been thoughtfully created...as per a cable manufacturer/colleague I know who does some similar things with his cables...but using real-world materials and high quality where it matters apparently.

I like it a lot. Since execution matters in these cases, I cannot say for sure if the totally Over the Top build of the Troy makes for better sound (I am told it is even better)...but I can say that the Entreq has opened my eyes in my own system to what both technologies are doing as a basic principal, and it seems sound to me. (pardon the pun!)

Note: I have always shied away in my system from large-scale orchestral (until now) for 2 primary reasons...my older system could not deliver sufficient dynamics to generate a scale that seemed acceptable to me; it also could not keep the instruments separate and things mushed together. I have been listening pre-Entreq to a lot more orchestral as the system has improved its resolution and dynamics.

But now, for the first, time, when massed strings play, I can still feel the roisin and the bow/string tension as opposed to that long single high note of a bunch of violins that you sometimes get when music has a lot of dynamics going on and too complexity for the strings to come out right. That is really wonderful to enjoy.

To be fair, I cannot say how much of this is the 3 Stillpoint Ultra 5s I put under my power conditioner and how much is the Entreq...when I remove the Entreq, we shall see...but I feel confident it is both and the Entreq is definitely contributing a strong fair share of this added new musical benefit.

lloydelee21 August 13, 2013 09:00

Charles, it's a totally superb product. I went into the demo with my system in the greatest arms folded/'convince me' skepticism...and 3 songs in was a total convert. A fraction of the cost of Tripoint with zero of the hard sell (in the UK, Fraser of Kog Audio is the go-to man).
Lloyd described things brilliantly - Entreq engenders a stillness in the air around notes that I felt as a solidity of the soundstage. It's from this calm that notes emerge and decay naturally.
I don't think there's anything on the market other than Tripoint which purports to address grounding. But at a more real-world price tag (in my system Entreq Silver Tellus and up to 5 Apollo i/cs c.£3000/$4500-5000).

spiritofmusic August 13, 2013 06:09

Lloyd,
Thanks for your impressions of the Entreq Silver Tellus. Spiritofmusic has enthusiastically mentioned this device several times and is very happy with it. I get your description clearly, hear the musicians presence and not merely the notes, absolutely right. The Entreq could be a very viable high quality alternative choice for those who find the Tri point Troy too expensive but totally accept the importance of the electronic grounding principle. It seems like a superbly engineered and well made product.
Charles,

charles1dad August 13, 2013 01:47

I connected to the CJ GAT and the Zanden DAC. Entreq have several cables for various connections. The one I used was spade (to the back of the Entreq) with a special RCA on the other which has no pin but simply fits around the outside of the RCA. The design is based on the fact that nearly all RCA jacks end up being full ground to the chassis...thus using this custom RCA end works perfectly and very easily. No messing around with grounding or chassis screws.

lloydelee21 August 12, 2013 23:03

Hi Lloyd,

Your results with the Entreq in place does sound very interesting.

What did you connect to the Silver Tellus and what connection type to the component did you use?

babybear August 12, 2013 22:06

Hi Arnie,

You read my mind...and this goes for Jfrech as well given his observations about your system. The Entreq grounding unit is the real deal...Silver Tellus version plus 2 Apollo cables. It gets at noise floor in a way that intuitively feels very different from traditional power conditioning. Hard to explain. Here goes:

- the noise floor has dropped but more in the sense that the background has stilled when there is no signal playing.
- its almost as if electronic hash (though technically silent) creates a waver in the air...and when the waver in the air gone...you see more clearly than you expected.
- As a result, on Dark Knight, the piano is not simply further back, or the notes more clear...its that you stop thinking about piano notes...and actually realize without even thinking about it at first...that is a PIANIST who played an actual piano RIGHT THERE.
- Your brain does not register 'only piano notes'...it registers 'live piano'.

Along that same vein, all instruments thus begin to take up a life of their own...not just notes but a ensemble of true instruments

The coolest was on Track 1, Sotho Blue, Ibrahim...there is some piano playing...you don't just hear the pianist stop playing...you clearly, clearly, clearly realize he actually hesitates and then immediately plunks down on the key staccato-like on purpose. That is very unusual for a piece of equipment to reveal. But it is now there every time I play the track, clear and undeniable.

Entreq is the real deal and easily worth 3x its cost.

I have been speaking with people who own Tripoint to get a sense of their Troy which is similar but much more expensive. So far, very very similar comments and universally over the top praise. Will investigate further as well.

Ranks up there at the very tip top of 'definitely try it'. I note that most of the guys who own the Tripoint already have dedicated lines, ridiculous power conditioning, balanced power, etc...and all of them find this does something different and spectacular along the way I've tried to describe. All for now. will post again.

lloydelee21 August 12, 2013 20:32

Hi Lloyd,

I definitely agree with you that the Ultra 5's make a very nice improvement as you describe. The Ultra SS work very well as well, with the Ultra 5's taking the improvements even further. And the more of them that you use, the better the sound gets - at least from what I have tried so far. I hope to try some under my amps fairly soon as well.

BTW, did you get a chance to listen to the Entreq grounding box in your system and if so, what were your impressions?

babybear August 12, 2013 15:57

Hey Jfrech,

I am going to throw one out there without any experience with your system...you may wish to try some Stillpoints Ultra 5s. They do a LOT for micro detail, hearing the soundstage way in the back...and bass tightness. You hopefully will be pleasantly surprised. Clearly, Arnie has tons of firepower so that is simply a mass of physics there working for his system. But yours aint no slouch so interms of hearing in the back...or tightness within the scope of your system...and the fact that you've got one killer source as well...I'd love to learn your impressions of Stillpoints (again go for the Ultra 5s) in your system.

Perhaps Arnie has some thoughts there having heard your system particularly since he uses Ultra 5s.

lloydelee21 August 12, 2013 09:38

Hi John,

Thanks very much and I enjoyed our listening time as well. It was great!

And I am looking forward to hearing your system again.

babybear August 12, 2013 03:43

I got a chance to spend a few hours with Arnie's system with his new amps yesterday.

First it's just a incredible system. From my Rockport Altairs and my front end compared to his Rockport Arrakis and his front end, Arnie's possess more resolution everywhere, I am assuming this is the new VTL amps vs my amps. Also the back of the soundstage the musical notes/spatial clues just have more energy and are more easy to to hear and finally the bass is massively tight and tuneful. Pretty sure this is a combination of the Arrakis vs Altair, the rockport electronic crossover, his REL subs and the new amps ability to change damping factors.

So I expected the bass tightness/tunefulness....4 600 watt tube amps, 2 subs, and 4 more bass drivers vs my Altairs (2 15" woofers and 2 more midbass drivers ) and you do get great bass...Arnie certainly does.

Also this system has the Stein Music harmonizers...I am curious to check those out now...

Arnie thanks so much, enjoyed the music and the company!

Congrats on the new "upgraded" amps !!

jfrech August 11, 2013 12:08

Super :-).

albertporter August 09, 2013 01:53

Hi Albert,

You are so right about that. Once I had the system dialed in - meaning that experimenting with the different settings for damping factor as well as appropriately adjusting the Rockport Arrakis external crossover to rebalance the amps for each channel (as you raise the damping factor, the gain of the amp goes down a bit) I was pretty astounded as what the speakers are capable of doing.

So, as Bob Barker used to say on "The Price is Right" TV show - Albert Porter - "Come on Down" to Austin and have a listen!

And I am still planning to visit you in Dallas to hear your wonderful system.

babybear August 09, 2013 00:12

hi Arnie...will post!

lloydelee21 August 09, 2013 00:09

Hi Lloyd,

Thanks very much.

I am curious about what the Entreq Tellus does (I have read about it and the Trippoint products) so please let me know your impressions once you have heard your system with it in place.

The Rockport Altairs should be an interesting listening experience for you. Looking forward to your impressions.

babybear August 09, 2013 00:04

Come on Albert a 200,000 speaker is just begging for these amps.

jwm August 08, 2013 23:43

Arnie, That reads like the perfect recipe.

Being able to set two identical tube amps to ideal damping for the driver it operates is heaven.

I want to hear this someday. I also need to save up some money and get a pair of these new VTL.

albertporter August 08, 2013 22:07

Wow...sensational! Congrats, Arnie. I hear the Altairs next week...really looking forward to it.

Also auditioning Entreq Silver Tellus grounding unit tomorrow. Have heard great things.

lloydelee21 August 08, 2013 20:11

Just a short update on what I am hearing with the new Siegfried Series 2 amplifiers.

I have had them back from VTL for 8 days now and the jump in performance from the previous version of the Siegfried's is pretty amazing. The overall tonality is still the same (a good thing), but there are some significant sonic improvements in the following key areas:
1. The sound is more transparent, pure and open
2. There is better frequency extension at both the top and bottom
3. The sound is harmonically richer in the upper mid range and high frequencies
4. There is a definite increase in resolution.
5. The new amps allow the Arrakis to even better separate performers into their own space within an even wider soundstage.

There is a new feature on the Series 2 Siegfried amps which is an adjustable damping factor control. It has four settings - LOW, MED, HIGH and MAX. I have experimented with this feature and have ended up with the Siegfried amps driving the mids and highs of the Arrakis set to LOW and the Siegfried amps powering the bass drivers set to HIGH. The net result is pretty amazing - there is very large and easy to hear and feel increase in the grip and control of the speakers. I have not heard this type of control on such large speakers with tube amps before.

Bottom line, is that at this point, I couldn't be happier with what I am hearing.

babybear August 08, 2013 14:03

I honestly think Kereem thought you wanted all balance jeff. At CES this year the system was set up single ended I believe. Likely simple miscommunication.

charles1dad August 04, 2013 23:02

Hi Jeff,

Not sure on that one. When I ordered my Balanced Signature pre, I asked what configuration of inputs and outputs were available and so I decided to get one unbalanced RCA input just to be safe.

Perhaps that is the standard configuration for the balanced model?

babybear August 04, 2013 14:44

I don't know why he gave me all balanced connectors?

jwm August 04, 2013 14:18

Hi Jeff,

My Absolare preamp on the input side has 1 pair of unbalanced RCA connectors and 2 pairs of Balanced XLR connectors. For output, I have one pair of each.

Arnie

babybear August 04, 2013 13:08

Babybear does your preamp have all balanced connectors or do you have a couple on unbalanced connectors as well?

jwm August 04, 2013 13:03