Microstrip; i meant to include you with my reference to Mtkhl567's comments. and further i agree that the dart never quite seizes the music in the iron grip that a megawatt amp can; but that effortlessness does come with a price when applied to mids and highs......all those inevitable output devices and parts in the signal path remove a degree of life from the music. one must choose.

mikelavigne October 13, 2008 23:32

Tuboo,

i'm at work now and i'm not sure i read Fremer's comment you refer to. i have listened to the MBL preamp a number of times and it is not for me. this past weekend at RMAF the MBL pre and amp was on the Kharma 3.22's in the GTT room....although i like that speaker the sound was a bit mechanical and lacking sparkle and openness for my tastes. it had macro-dyamics but it did not have the microdynamics i would expect from that speaker.

in the past i've not typically agreed with Fremer on amp and speaker perspectives anyway....but he is usually consistent. as far as darTZeel being 'mellow' and 'all too easy on the ears' i agree with Mtkhl567....both the dart pre amd amp sound like music...and can have all the slam and edge the music might have...assuming the proper synergistic speaker is used. i'm not sure the Wilson MAXX/dart would be one of those sysnergistic matches......although i would likely prefer the dart on the MAXX to most other amps and live with the limitations.

if you read Fremer's review on the MAXX II and his reason for buying it for himself.....he liked the bass slam and the big, full bottom end. the dart's are more neutral in the bass and would never be considered 'bloated' or 'boomey' in the bass. his long-term reference amp was the 1000 watt Musical Fidelity (not my cup of tea). this is a matter of taste and not a right-wrong thing.

when all is right; the mastertape experience can be mind-blowing and reference busting. it did take me considerable time and expense to experience that in my own system. it is not plug and play.

mikelavigne October 13, 2008 23:03

Mike, if you don't mind me asking, what was the all-in cost of the modded Studer???

Dave

BTW, RMAF was fun and it was great to spend some time with you and the guys.

dcstep October 13, 2008 20:28

Just before I wrote this message I have been listening to Bartok Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No 2 on the Dartzeel combo. To answer your question I just cut and pasted Mtkhl567 opinion - "extremely fast, dynamic, controlled and coherent from top to bottom".
Orchestral dynamics are excellent.
The Dartzeel system is not mellow - however it does not have the sense of power that sometimes is associated with the idea of a "fast" amplifier such as a Krell FPB750 Mcx or even a cj Premier 350. Also, if you use the Dartzeel with inappropriate speaker cables or speakers it will sound lifeless.
Unhappily everything that I read about burn-in is true : it needs a long time burn-in, more than 500 hours.
BTW, speakers were the Krell LAT1000, speaker and interconnect cables were Nordost Vallalha and a CD7 cd player by Audio Research was used as source.

microstrip October 13, 2008 19:47

Hi Tuboo, yes I too remember Mr Fremers remarks about the Dart combo sounding too "warm" for his taste. I personally have a different ear and experience from Mr Fremer. Mellow to me in his systems context could originate from his Stealhead tube phono amp, and maybe his tt source. My expereince is that the Dart power amp is extremely fast, dynamic, controlled and coherent from top to bottom. The most musical power amp ever, it takes all the strengths of the pre and exemplifies each significantly. If you'd discuss with Herve's design choices you will understand why the pre and power amps are THE perfect match.

Mike L and RTR ... whow, that's going a bit too far for me, let me enjoy good vinyl for a while on the excellent GPA Monaco & the Dart combo :-))

mtkhl567 October 13, 2008 18:58

Have had the opportunity to listen to mastertapes too.
it made me sigh.
just not fair.
who said audiophile life would be fair?

the DartZeel combo.
upon reading the latest Stereophile review of the top MBL preamp Michael Fremer made comparison to the Dart preamp too. now Mikey Fremer has reviewed just about any preamp and phonoamp.
we also know he is into big bass and loves bold dynamics.
and he actually bought the Dart preamp.
but also reviewed the Dart combo preamp poweramp which he experienced as somewhat mellow and all to easy on the ears.
pls read yourself as for exact words, excuse me if i put it in other words.

Mike and our Belgium based DART owner:

do you experience the Dart combo as beeing 'mellow' or even too easy sounding ?
or is this just Michael Fremer who happens to like overly exciting sounds...
taste varies.
curious about any Dart combo ownership and experience on this matter.

still saving up ;-)

tuboo October 13, 2008 18:17

when can I listen to John Bonham on your RTR (..smile)?

maybe 'The Tape Project' can get the whole LZ catalog......

we can dream, can't we.

OTOH 'The Scissors Sisters' might be good too (..smile).

seriously; the only RTR LZ i've ever seen was at 3 and 3/4 speed 4-track. i'd prefer the CD.

mikelavigne October 09, 2008 19:04

Thanks Mike. Yea. That answered my questions. If I get serious with this stuff I will try and do what I always do. That is I learn as much as I can on my own. Then, I would probably try and find someone who has had some experience with this. For instance, there are quite a few players on eBay
Technics, Tascam, Nagra, Teac, Pioneer. I would not know what direction to go in. I would have to hope that I could get some solid advice if I one day choose to do this. I see two Studer decks on there as well. But I don't know if I would go that high for my first one.

mikeduke October 09, 2008 16:47

Mike,
Very cool re: RTR. Knowing that this has been a long project for you I'm glad that your finally enjoying a great result. BTW, when can I listen to John Bonham on your RTR (..smile)?

Mark

jazdoc October 09, 2008 16:40

Mike,

some people like the way RTR sounds compared to digital copies and will record their Lps onto tape. or off FM broadcasts. that would not be me......as far as outperforming a CD it would likely sound different but it would depend on the quality of everything whether it would outperform a digital CD.

ebay is best for finding inexpensive RTR decks, but Craig's list is also quite good for local areas. many people don't want to have to pack a big heavy RTR deck up and ship it so they will sell them for pick-up only on Craig's list.

for the Ampex and Studer i run an 8 meter set of XLR (Audience AU24) cables into the XLR input on the darTZeel. that input has a 'pro-audio' switch for higher output sources. for my EAR Technics RS-1500 i move it over to right next to the darTZeel preamp and use a 1.5 meter set of Valhalla RCA interconnects.

i am using 1/4" tape and that is what you will mostly see. most 1/4" tape is 2-track.....meaning half the width is for one channel and half is for the other. another name for this is half-track. most of the ebay pre-recorded tapes you will see will be 4-track.....meaning the tape has 4 tracks, 2 in one direction and 2 in the other. it is still 1/4" tape but the track width is only half as wide and so the sound is not as good, less bandwidth and information. 4-track is also called 'quarter-track'.

for pro audio master tapes in addition to 1/4" there is 1/2", 1" and even 2" tape. these wider tapes require different heads, rollers and mechanicals. the over 1" sometimes require larger motors. the 2" tape is mostly 16 or 24 track for multi-track recording.

1/2" is the most popular long-term pro standard for making 2-channel masters.

i hope that answers your question. please note that i myself am a tape newbie and i'm the last person who should be teaching about this stuff.

mikelavigne October 09, 2008 16:34

Thanks Mike. This does seem like a "neat" niche to look at. I was wandering on eBay and I happen to find a few tapes that I would jump all over if I had a player. "Record" off of otther media" Would that mean that if I recorded a cd to tape, then played it back through the tape, that it would outperform the cd source.

Are there places other then eBay where you can get a quality inexpensive RTR player? Can I ask how it is connected to your system? I am assuming it is going into the Dart pre? I think I also came across different sizes? Can any player accommodate any "size" tape?
Thanks again.

mikeduke October 09, 2008 15:41

Mike,

if you click on the links in my first RTR post above from this morning you can see pictures of the A-820 and my other RTR decks.

regaridng cost; i will generalize. all these RTR machines are from 15 to 40 years old.

there are three catagories of machines;

--consumer machines.

--prosumer machines, which is the largest group of machines and the target of most tape enthusiasts. these were used by broadcast media.....radio and tv stations and such and were daily workhorses.

--master recorders. used for making records. big, heavy, expensive.

the Studer A-820 is the last of the master recorders to be built and is argueably the best and most complicated. you can buy one for anywhere from $4k to $10. if you want it to perform at it's best you then find a qualified tech and they go thru it and make sure it is working optimally. that could get expensive.

let's say i am in mine north of $10k by more than a little bit.....but it is likely the best performing piece of audio gear that has ever been built.

mikelavigne October 09, 2008 15:35

hi Mike,

regarding RTR media, there are a few sources.

The Tape Project is where you can buy 15ips fully licensed master tape dubs. i have 7 of these so far and they are amazing. there is also a European group selling 15ips master tapes. look for a significant increase in titles coming soon.

ebay always has plenty of vintage RTR commercially recorded tapes. i have about 100 of these in various conditions. it's a crap-shoot to get good ones.

you can record your own master tapes.

you can record off other media.

then there is the master tape underground.....all that secret stuff, tape trading and dubbing.....copyrights be damned.

when comparing different formats one must be specific as to what level of a particular format you are describing. generalizations are wrong. and price is not always the issue.

there are very inexpensive RTR decks when playing the best RTR tapes would sound better than the Playback Designs and be competitive with the Rockport.....if not quite at the Rockport level playing the best Lps. OTOH that same RTR tape deck playing a 7 and 1/2 ips commercially recorded tape might not reach the Playback Designs level. if you use a more modest tt then again it is hard to generalize.

what i will say is that at the very top of the food chain for RTR decks and RTR media RTR is supreme amoung formats i have been exposed to.

mikelavigne October 09, 2008 15:21

edit:
before my post was posted I saw that you posted another one. I am pretty much jaw on the floor mode when you went into how much it would cost to rebuild one of those. I guess that is one avenue I don't have to go down :).

mikeduke October 09, 2008 15:00

Pretty interesting on the RTR. What about media. Are there places that sell tapes for them?
"and let's say i don't expect my Rockport on Lps to be able to compete.....and possibly it won't be close."
Also interesting :). So I guess it is safe to say that the RTR sounds "better" then the Playback? Are you using it on the floor or will you get a stand to put it on. Not sure if you mentioned it, or if you want to, but what was the final damage for your tape player.
Thanks

mikeduke October 09, 2008 14:29

here are some random thoughts on Fred Thal and the time he spent helping me get comfortable with the A-820 and RTR in general. it was priceless getting this support from an expert.

the shop is a large space and there are a number of Studer products in various states of repair. Fred seems to have all the neat tools (electronic and other) to do whatever and measure whatever on a Studer. one impression i got was after seeing all the specialized Studer tools he has is that anyone DIYing an A-820 will struggle to get it to work optimally. it would be like diagnosing a modern automoble without the proper interface to the CPU. you would not know where to go next.

i was very impressed that he has documented all the things he did on my A-820.....he showed me every part he replaced (dozens and dozens) and had notes on every step he took. even bits of wire and such he had taped to log sheets.

it is not a retail space or display space and has no pretenses as such. it is a work area.

Fred was very kind to me and spent lots of his time making sure i was capable of enjoying my A-820. he started me out by explaining the basic landscape of the A-820 and some of the design features which make the A-820 such a dream to use.

-the A-820 stand does not look like anything special; but on closer inspection the mounting mechanism is over-built and has very solid 'indents' that work with swiss precision and allow you to rotate the A-820 to a number of angles....and then holds it there a solid as a rock. you can stand it almost on it's head and access the rear fuses comfortably while sitting down without kneeling and bending over. rotate it all the way over the other way and the card panel which is below the front is easy to see and read. then there is level, +7.5 degrees, +15 degrees, -7.5 degrees, -15 degrees (if you want to inspect the heads or do fine cleaning around them this is great....again, no bending over).
this sounds like a small thing but it sure made my A-820 education much easier.

-he explained the fuses and power supply failure circuts. i actaully measured each failure circut so if i ever had a problem and he got on the phone with me i would already be familiar with it.

-we spent a couple of hours on the programing tree and methodology of changing the programing. it actually is very simple and logical but i would have never been able to figure it out myself in a million years. i did set-up on 'A' and 'B' set-ups with alignment tapes. switching between equalization and set-up presets is simple.

-he showed me all the very neat tricks (well...maybe not all of them) that the transport does.....and how to adjust it with the programing. it has the shuttle and cueing wheels and they work with great precision.....it is so easy to find the beginning of the music. there is a sensor which slows the tape down as the tape is rewound and makes it simple to then use the shuttle to find the beginning.

-the pack is so smooth and flat....better even than when you first recieve new 'Tape Project' tapes....even at rewind speeds it is almost perfect. there is a library rewind and it is easy to program the speed of the rewind.

-there is a 'secret' switch which keeps others from changing the programing....when engaged any programing reverts to prior settings when restarted.

-we spent a good amount of time on the card slots and how to reboot, the correct way to pull a card out and the wrong way.

-my A-820 came with a new looking complete service manual....400 to 500 pages in a large binder. we used it for a reference so i would be familiar with it. one of Fred's pet peaves on 'The Studer List' is when posters don't even check the manual prior to asking questions.

-he explained what he replaced and what was not 100% and why it was OK. a complete rebuild on an A-820 could be over $100k and even a semi-complete reconditioning would be around $35k. basically the parts costs are astronomical.

-we spent some time on cleaning and what is important. he also said that i would never need to demag......Studer had gone to great lengths to construct the A-820 with non-magnetic materials and demaging would likely only cause harm. he also thought the ATR-102 likely did not need much demag either. i have no opinion on this other than i don't mess much with my cartridges (i own a cartridge demager as well as an Annis Hand-i-mag).

i'm just touching the surface here.....but you get the idea.

mikelavigne October 09, 2008 14:24

Fred spent from 7:30am until 3:30pm 'just scratching the surface' on the A-820. what an amazing machine. really a work of art.

i am basically a clueless non-technical person who can set-up a turntable and do a reasonable room and system set-up; but up till now i have struggled understand RTR nuances. Fred was very patient with me and did a primer on the A-820. he went over the basics of use and changing the programing.....showed me how to trouble shoot things.....and raised my RTR confidence level a ton.

i had never seen my A-820 before and it is literally a work of audio art. i guess i was very lucky to have found one that was little used but still cared for. it had not been used since the late 90's. it is flawless cosmetically; the wood grain has no chips, even the leather bumper is perfect. Fred said that while working on it he noticed it had been particularly well assembled. my unit, serial number 1129, was built after the first 100 or so when they were working out the bugs, but still when Dr. Studer still owned the company and the best techs were doing the assembly.

how does it sound?

i've listened to 3 Tape Project tapes on it so far.....and let's say i don't expect my Rockport on Lps to be able to compete.....and possibly it won't be close.

the level of nuance and information is staggering. it combines delicacy and dynamic impact perfectly like real life. on musical peaks the stability of the musical flow is astonishng.

i'm no RTR expert; but i've spent some time around them and own the fully reconditioned Ampex which is certainly considered a pretty damn nice machine. there is nothing i've ever seen like an A-820 in the way it works.....

mikelavigne October 09, 2008 14:09

i've been messing with reel to reel tape for a little over a year now. and up to this point i have found RTR has very good performance but not better than Lps on my Rockport. i own 4 RTR tape decks; a stock Technics RS-1500, an EAR modified (Tim DeParavincini) Technics RS-1700, a Jeff Gillman reconditioned Ampex ATR-102, and a Studer A-820. those first 3 have been in my room for awhile and the Studer has been being 'gone over' by Fred Thal (the Studer Guru that runs 'The Studer List') in Ukiah, Califonia since January.

'The Tape Project' was what motivated me to get into RTR and my hope was that RTR would offer a step up in performance over the Rockport. to be fair; even though i have spent a good amount of time investigating RTR i have not really had the knowledge or training to get the most out of the RTR decks i've had. so even though i've been a bit underwelmed up till now i figured that there was more performance out there than what i had heard.

my Studer A-820 has finally reached a point where it was ready to pick up; so Monday i drove 800 miles from the Seattle area to Ukiah, which is about 100 miles north of SF along the coast. i arrived at Fred Thal's shop at 7:30am Tuesday morning and Fred spent 8 hours getting me aquainted with the A-820. then we loaded the A-820 into my Honda Pilot and i drove back to my home.

i got home Wednesday morning at 6am......my son helped me put the 200+ pound A-820 onto it's stand, and i went in and slept while the A-820 reached ambient temperature. i came back out later, plugged the beast in, ran XLR's from it into my darTZeel pre, and loaded a tape.

Finally; after a year of effort here was the performance i was looking for. really amazing in every way......beyond any Lp i have ever heard in pretty much every way particularly in the sense that you forget about any reproduction chain.....it's just music. no compression, no artifacts, just music.

WOW, WOW and double WOW!!

here are a few pictures of the A-820;

A-820 closeup

A-820

EAR Technics RS-1700, Studer A-820, Ampex ATR-102

mikelavigne October 09, 2008 14:03

hi Louis,

it is nice to hear from you.....Albert mentioned you and your tt's a few times during a couple of our phone calls (i think?). we are truely going down the same road, you are simply ahead of me by a few months. if i get a 312s (which Albert strongly recommends) and PC-1 we will be twins.

i wonder how the 312s and Schroeder affect the Technics character differently? i am considering having the Mk3 plinth fit 2 arms.

i am curious about how you would describe the sonic difference between the Technics SP-10 Mk2 of Albert's and your Mk3......i'm packing up my Mk3 now to ship to Steve.

thank you for making this contact and i will look forward to more exchange between us.

mikelavigne October 06, 2008 00:14

Luigi,

i did purchase my 301 on ebay...UK ebay that is. Steve sees lots of 301's and said mine was one of the best overall he had seen but it did need a new bearing. he said the bearings he installs are better (quieter) than original but original can be very good too.

i cannot yet say which arm i prefer between the Triplaner and the Schroeder. it's hard to separate the arm from the tt and cartridge in the brief time i've had them both. i don't plan on being without either. if i had to choose it would be the Schroeder i think.....

in my very brief time with the XPP it is not bright, brittle or edgy sounding at all; if anything it may be a bit less edgy than the XCP but with all the energy retained. i had always preferred the XCP for it's explosiveness and greater vividness to the somewhat softer sounding XGW.....which is why i traded the XGW. don't get me wrong; the XGW might be the right Colibri for most people as it has a bit more ease and is slightly more forgiving than the XCP. but for me i want all the energy so my choices were another XCP or the XPP. i just figured it would be more fun to try something different. the only issues are the lower output (.3mv) and the very short canteliver which will not work for every setup. since i have 2 phono stages and changable armboards neither issue is a big deal for me.

my 6 year favorite cartridge is the XCP; it's too early to change that feeling. right now the XPP would be 1A.....and who knows in a few weeks.

the XGW has it's strengths but i suppose it would be number three for me personally.

mikelavigne October 05, 2008 23:59

Hi Mike,

I can see by your recent acquisitions we are traveling on a similar path.

Around 18 mths ago I purchased a Garrard 301 looking for a simple alternative to my Walker that offered flexibility to try different arms and carrtridges.

I was intrigued by the drive and energy of this rim driven turntable, but it was only after the recommendations of Steve Dobbins to upgrade it with the Loricraft 301 PS, Kokomo bearing, Triplanar arm and Dynavector XVis did i realize this is a serious contender; but it didn't happen over night. The Loricraft takes around 200 hours before it breaks in, but when it happens you get a surprising airy bloom that accompanies this wonderful drive. The cartridge also needs 100 hours. I am using it on a Grand Prix base as well.

Also after wittnessing first hand Albert Porter's success with his Technics sp 10 Mk II, I bought a Mk III which I am using with an SME 312s and Air Tight PC-1.

This system sounds different from the Garrard/Triplanar/Dynavector, but where they are similar is they both share the same magical drive that translates into increased dynamics and transparancy, that I have not found in any belt drive turntable.

Althought different, I can listen for hours to either and be perfectly satisfied with the experience. It is too soon to contrast the difference, but if I were forced to give a one word comment, it would be that the Garrard system is micro and the Technics system is macro. I am certain the other components influence this perception as well.

Please stay in touch and communicate the findings of your journey.

Best. Louis

logenn October 05, 2008 18:37

Mike,

I'm sure that Steve's view on layered plinths being more neutral makes a lot of sence. This way the plinth can be tuned to absorb resonances making it very neutral. I'm sure that Steve is the man when it comes to plinths for vintage tables. If I decide to go down the path of vintage tables I'll definitively be contacting Steve to do this job for me. It's also great that Steve also tweeks the table to bring it to a new level of performance.

I wanted to ask you, where did you find your 301 on eBay? From what I understand eBay is the most common place to locate and buy vintage tables such as the 301. Also, did you buy your Schroeder Reference SQ used? I ask because from what I understand there is such a high demand for the Schroeder arms that Frank can't keep up with production and there is a long wait time of 22 to 24 months to get a new Schroeder arm. Also, how would you compare the sound of the Triplanar and the Schroeder? I know that this is a dificult question considering that both arms are on different tables and plinths.

Was curious to know why you got rid of your XGW Colibri (gold/wood) for the XPP Colibri(platinum/policarbonate)? Having had an XCP in my system I found the Colibri to be an incredibly fast cartridge, I loved the explosive dynamics and mine was a Copper. Wouldn't Platinum make the cartridge sound a bit on the bright side? Could you describe in a few words the difference in sound between the gold, copper and platinum Colibri? Which is your favorite of the 3?

luigipenagos October 05, 2008 06:31

Dgad,

i did try the XPP on the SQ but due to the mounting height of the SQ relative to platter height on the SP-10 i could not get the required arm height to get the XPP magnets to clear the record surface. the XPP has a particularly short canteliver and i would expect my XCP or even an XGW (i traded my XGW in on the XPP) to likely be ok on this issue.

i could easily make a different height arm board to solve this problem but i have not yet done so. the XGW is quite light but the XPP or my XCP should have sufficient mass for the SQ. if i get a chance to mount my XCP onto the SQ i will be sure to post results. i did know about the brass mounting plate but thanks for reminding me.

regarding SWIMBO.....sorry.....it should be 'SWMBO'--She Who Must Be Obeyed---my very understanding wife.....

i am just starting to learn about the SQ.....it seems wonderful so far. it is so non-mechanical yet not colored. all it's adjustments are counterintuative to begin with and it has taken me a little time to figure it out. it's very detailed particularly inner detail and nuance. i think i've only just scratched the surface of it's potential so far.

i've only spent time with the Koetsu on it so far......the Mantis is on it now and i'm expecting big things.

i just have so many balls in the air right now....

mikelavigne October 05, 2008 04:18

Mike,

Got a few questions for you. Did you try your XPP on the SQ? I am getting a XGW shortly. Based on some tests by one of my friends the arm of chioce so far is the SQ but time will tell. If the XPP is too light, order the Brass mounting base. I should know in 10 days about how good the combination is.

2nd, what is SWIMBO? Got me on that.,

You are really taking it up a level. The comparisons I am sure take time. How do you like your SQ?

dgad October 05, 2008 03:26

Luigi,

i had spoken to Albert Porter regarding his preference for his Technics SP-10 Mk2 over his Walker and that had got me excited about adding an SP-10 Mk2 to my system as i wanted a second tt which might be good enough to not be crushed by the Rockport. so i purchased an SP-10 Mk2. i had known Steve for quite a few years as a fellow audiophile and vinyl investigator extrodinair. he has owned and played with almost everything vinyl. when i found out that Steve was making these plinths and tweaking these vintage tt's he seemed the right person to make one for me. while discussing the Technics Steve said that along with the SP-10 i really needed a Garrard 301. so i purchased a 301.

i did investigate the Oswald Mills plinths and even thought about the Saskia. there is no doubt that as works of art natural slate is pretty wonderful. Steve's perspective is that any plinth made of all one material (particularly a natural material) will have unwanted resonances. layered plinths can be engineered to be neutral. based on my listening experience i agree with Steve. Steve has played around with natural slate and even includes one layer of man-made slate in the plinths he built for me.

regarding the Thorens TD-124.....it has a belt.....and my preference is for direct-drive (or rim drive). the TD-124 may be better than the SP-10 or 301 or in the same performance class.....i don't know myself as i've not investigated them. as i go down this vintage road it may include a TD-124 at some point if i hear one and it knocks my socks off. i do know that the TD-124 has followers that hold it as the best.....so it must be special.

with 4 RTR tape decks (2 that are as big as washing machines) and 3 tt's (one that is pretty big) i'm kinda done for awhile and the SWIMBO has pulled the reins in on my audio expansion.

Steve recommended the Triplaner for the Garrard so i went with it.....and so far i love the Triplaner. the arm boards are interchangable and eventually i plan on adding some more arms to experiment with synergy. with the last 6 years with the Rockport i had missed messing with arms. the Rockport just works and has not drama.

i just switched the Mantis from the Garrard to the SP-10/Schroeder.....but have not yet listened to it there. i agree that the Mantis is a very balanced cartridge and has the body of some other cartridges (my Koetsu RSP and Dynavector XV-1s come to mind) but also excellent speed, neutrality and energy. a great all around cartridge. i liked it on the Garrard/Triplaner but i likely prefer the Colibri XPP as more neutral and revealing more detail and nuance from the Garrard. the XPP brings a level of transparency to the Garrard unique to the Colibri that balances the natural warmth and boldness of the Garrard to my ears.

the SP-10/Schroeder seems to be a more overall neutral combo and i expect the Mantis will like it there very much.

mikelavigne October 04, 2008 14:46