"idlers are about musical energy and a meaty, robust sounding organic presentation."

You really nailed it. You're a very perceptive writer and I enjoy your sonic description. It's a pleasure to read the sound report on your new toys.

Have fun!

______

hiho July 24, 2011 02:00

Mike,
I would love to see some photos of your new NVS table with the two Talea arms. Your whole equipment area must be much simpler now that you don't have so many turntables. The system must sound glorious. Please treat us readers to some new images.
Peter

peterayer July 23, 2011 15:21

...."I also have two separate phono's in my pre but I ordered with one MC and MM, could always send it back and have the MM converted to a MC but Kevin has been working on a Reference phono which I'm awaiting to hear so we will see. "

A new reference phono? Do tell!

theaudioassociation July 22, 2011 14:18

Hi Mike,

that's a bonus, when you really think about and how much the phono part is worth in both yours and my pre-amp and then the cost of say the Allnic for example it's a far stretch, never mind adding the extra cost for a IC pair and PC cable.

One would think should out perform the built-in, I felt the same way when I did my comparison, makes you really wonder.

I also have two separate phono's in my pre but I ordered with one MC and MM, could always send it back and have the MM converted to a MC but Kevin has been working on a Reference phono which I'm awaiting to hear so we will see.

The BK is a amazing table, sonically, build quality and eye candy to boot, very happy indeed.

VAC, all I can say is WOW! in relation to these Statement 450's, Kevin has done a fine job. I actually listened to them in a system with the same speakers and pre-amp as mine for three days and just had to have them, you know the feeling. I'm anxiously awaiting for their arival, should be soon.

dev July 22, 2011 00:39

'fly disc'? i'm trying to imagine that name and what it's purpose might be.

i suppose that the 'lever' switching of the 50+ year old Garrard could be considered crude....but i prefer to describe it as charming. and remember, 'chicks dig tt's with levers'. a little retro is good for the soul. maybe it does extract a cost in ultimate refinement. in balance; i'm glad Garrards are what they are. and that tweaking a Garrard does not take away it's 'Garrard-ness'.

mikelavigne July 22, 2011 00:03

hi Dev,

i have 2 separate phono stages inside my darTZeel NHB-18NS preamp; and that is what i'm using now. i sold the Allnic H3000. i did slightly prefer the dart to the very very nice Allnic.

the TW Black Knight w/Minus K certainly should be an excellennt performing turntable. i've not played around with those phono stages, but i always like the Vac electronics.

i'm not sure when my 2A3 amps will arrive; i know the work on them is proceeding. i'm anxious to hear them. the builder is confident they will be capable of working with my speakers.

mikelavigne July 21, 2011 23:53

The Garrard can sound amazing. The Kokomo MKII bearing update made a huge improvement in my system, I wish I understood why! It consists of what the inventor calls a "fly disc" and he sent me the part at no charge (as a registered owner of the bearing).
The one thing I must admit I don't like about the Garrard is the "crudeness" of operation. That's something nobody wants to mention. I much prefer the user friendliness of my SP-10 mkII, which I'm sure your new table has in spades. Touching a button and having it be at the correct speed instantly means I can get back to my seat faster..................

idos July 21, 2011 17:47

Hi Mike, haven't chatted for a while, boy those are some changes; down to only one table and two arms.

Great to read that you are lovin your new table, what phono are you going to end up with.

I'm also lovin my TW Acustic Black Knight table, I have it placed upon a custom made Minus K platform.

I currently have two arms/cart combo's. I have heard a couple of external phono's, ARC REF2, Audia Flight and one other and I will say I liked a little of this and that but in the end when I went back to the Vac it just sounded so realistic so for now I'll just enjoy.

Vac Sig. MK2a pre-amp w/phono paired up with the Vac Statement mono blocks, very very happy indeed.

When do you get your new tube amps?

dev July 21, 2011 16:00

i'll add about the Garrard; i love it.

i would have kept it had i not also needed another arm, cartridge, phono stage, and have the space and rack to set it on.

mikelavigne July 20, 2011 21:51

the Garrard is sold. it's boxed up waiting for the transaction to be complete. i've decided to have one turntable with one arm for stereo and one arm for mono.

Steve Dobbins cleaned up and tuned up my Garrard 3 years ago now, which is when he installed the Kokomo bearing. i cannot say about Mk1 or Mk2 Kokomo. and i've never heard my Garrard without the Kokomo bearing. the biggest change i've seen about the Garrard was when i got Steve's copper-top platter, which lowered the noise floor a large margin. that change cut the noise level difference in half between the Garrard and the Dobbins Technics SP-10 Mk3. the Mk3 was not quite as quiet as the Beat, which was not quite as quiet as the Rockport, which was not quite as quiet as the prototype NVS....the production NVS is a quieter again by a significant margin.

so in terms of ultimate detail and resolution the NVS is a few levels better than the Garrard. i had switched arms around on the various tt's and the current arms on the NVS were both on the Garrard at one time or another.

all that said; idlers are not so much about ultimate detail and low noise, although they can be quite good those areas. idlers are about musical energy and a meaty, robust sounding organic presentation. the Garrard can hold it's own with any of the above mentioned tt's in pure listening pleasure.

it adds fun in exchange for absolute accuracy. if you listen to classical music, the Garrard might sound a bit heavy handed. but on golden age jazz or rock'n'roll it will boggie with the best of them.

the NVS is easily at a higher level of performance than the Garrard; but it should be for $40k list price. but there are things that the Garrard does which deliver music to you at similar levels of enjoyment.

mikelavigne July 20, 2011 21:07

I appreciate your excitement over the sound of your beautiful new turntable, new toys are always the best. Can you describe the sound compared to your Garrard (using the same arm/cartridge combination)?
Has your Garrard tech updated your Kokomo bearing to the latest MkII configuration? I recently did mine and it was Jaw dropping. Good listening......

idos July 19, 2011 12:59

yesterday i did have a couple friends over to listen to the NVS, and i've had more time to spend listening.

it's amazing to me how you can get accustomed to a particuar reference, and then limit your expectations to that. it's not until you hear something that breaks thru that barrier of performance that you can see in perspective that the previous level of performance that you were enjoying contained noise and speed non-lineararities. this reminds me of 2002 when i first listened to the Rockport Sirius III. it was a whole new ballgame at that time compared to anything else.

that is how i feel now listening to the NVS compared to my previous references. i'm not sure that the difference is quite as profound as back 9 years ago. the Rockport Sirius III, at that time, was head and shoulders above all comers. but since tt performance has most certainly advanced since then, maybe the NVS's achievement is as significant.

the combined effect of the speed and noise improvements i now hear from the NVS are that the music is much more involving.....passages previously assumed to be fully communicated have taken on deeper meaning and content. much more space and depth, the 'there' is more 'here' in my room. aspects of the venue have come into focus. and this is not detail for the mind, as much as adding to the musical whole and getting the reproduction process out of the way.

yes; i hear things i never heard before, but it's hard to keep your mind in an analyitical mode when listening. you are listening to music. it's more that you are enjoying what the musician did that was previously not recognized.

and the affect on the listener physically is interesting. there is such an ease and relaxed nature to the presentation when the speed is really truely correct (or more properly, more 'really, truely correct'). we all commented on that during yesterday's session. we felt better because of how 'real' it sounded. why? i don't know exactly.

so yes, i'm loving the NVS tt and enjoying the discovery process on what it brings to the table. at first listen you know it's something 'beyond'. kinda like 'we are not in Kansas anymore, Toto' kinda deal. but understanding the implications of what it's doing takes awhile.

mikelavigne July 17, 2011 15:06

Mike,

Thanks for the update.My gut feeling is he`s going to provide you with a really special amp, I look forward to reading your impressions when the time comes.
Regards,

charles1dad July 15, 2011 18:45

Ish,

thank you, and my i-tower lights do work great.

those diffusers are just a ballistic plastic shell; they are Auralex T-Fusors. you can adjust their absorbtion by filling them with various types of insulation. for me; i only wanted diffusion, so they are empty. any sort of absorbtion will change the tonal quality of your system.

mikelavigne July 15, 2011 16:04

Rockitman,

thanks. i do enjoy the Adona rack. it's got to be one of the better buys in audio, considering it's quality at the price. and it does sound great, i agree.

mine has the 27" x 21" turntable top shelf which gives the 'oversized' NVS lots of room.

tonight i plan on taking things apart so i can have a friend cut off about 7 inches from the legs to lower the top shelf height from 45 inches down to 38 inches. i want to be able to see the surface of the Lp from my sitting position. it's cool that the modular design allows for that sort of customization without build compromise.

mikelavigne July 15, 2011 15:58

Mikelakers,

i don't think there will be a 'black' one; but you'd need to ask Jonathan about that.

the production NVS is better than the prototype, and not by just a little. i've only listened to 4-5 hours of vinyl on it so far, so i'm reluctant to make definitive statements; but i'm hearing the music less a recording and more real. i just have a hard time describing what i'm hearing with a sonic checklist. sure, there is more detail, more microdynamics, it's more vivid and lifelike, more growl and leading edge energy. but; it's more that you hear the complete expressiveness of the piano, or violin, or standing bass. the emotional content of the music comes thru less restricted.

i will say that the production NVS exceeds what i expected it to be able to do in terms of improvement to the performance; i was surprised. i was expecting a small step up. this is a big step up over what was world class tt performance.

this weekend i'm having a few friends over who have been in the room 10-15 times in the last year. i'd like to hear their take on the difference and see whether they hear the jump i'm hearing.

mikelavigne July 15, 2011 14:05

Charles1dad,

i did just speak to Scott Wedneesday regarding my 2A3 amps; he finally got settled in his new digs and has been working furiously the last few weeks on my amps. he said he's close to being done with the design, and so is in 'build' stage....whatever that means. they might be 2 days, 2 weeks, or 2 months away....i don't really know. we spoke about choices of the power tubes.....reliability and longer lasting verses ultimate performance and higher cost. i said i want it to sound the very best it can.

i'm excited that Scott is feeling very good about the result he is getting, he says it's quite a bit better performing than the 45 tube SET's that got my full attention back a few months ago.

i can't wait.

mikelavigne July 15, 2011 13:47

Mike:

Very nice table indeed. ALso love you 'iLights"

I also see some diffusors on the wall. Are they hollow or stuffed?

gallant_diva July 13, 2011 21:50

Mike,
How are things coming along with your Found Music 2a3 SET amps?

charles1dad July 13, 2011 21:07

Congrats Mike. The new table looks wonderful. I think you will be impressed with the Adona GX rack. I bought one with the grande turntable shelf option. The rack sounds great !

rockitman July 13, 2011 16:08

Looks great Mike, I'm green with envy. However, I love to see a black one.

Now that is all dialed-in, how does the production table sound?

mikelakers July 13, 2011 16:04

more pictures....

NVS on Adona rack

NVS and Adona rack

closeup on Rack

mikelavigne July 13, 2011 05:54

NVS with the 2 Talea arms mounted

i've not yet listened to them, but the arms are mounted.

mikelavigne July 12, 2011 23:51

OMG...the new owner of the Rockport/Olympos has to be elated!

We simply must make another excursion to the Pacific Northwest to hear your system and room ;-)

Of course, we extend a warm invitation to you, as well!

c1ferrari July 12, 2011 23:01

thanks Sam.

the Olympos left with the Rockport.

and honestly, even though i like the Olympos and it has a very special sweetness, overall i prefer the A90.

if i kept multiple tt's and arms i would have kept the Olympos.

mikelavigne July 12, 2011 17:43