For the enjoyment of music. Lot's of changes over the years. I typically won't buy something unless I can listen to it in my system. Spending a lot of time recently searching out well recorded and interesting music via hi res downloads. I have a really nice vinyl collection mostly Jazz and pop. Digital I'm filling out my classical titles and more modern recordings. Jan '16
A seriously great preamp...one of the best...if you're reading this...contact me...this is that good..
DCS Vivaldi DAC, Transport, Clock & Upsampler
dCS Vivaldi DAC, Trans and Clock
Transparent Opus Gen 5 & Magnum Opus
replaced mm2 version
Transparent Audio Opus Power and Opus Power Source Gen 5
Transparent Opus Gen 5 Speaker Cable
Speaker cable
Grand Prix Silverstone F1
stand
Spiral Groove Centroid
Uni Pivot arm
Grand Prix Audio Monaco
Direct Drive Turntable s/n 40
Nagra Classic Amp
Stereo amp
Nagra VPS/MPS and VFS
Just added the Nagra MPS power supply. Really more sublime now...the Nagra VPS/VFS combo was already great, however the MPS lowers the noise...sound stage opens up and transparency increases
Grand Prix Audio Apex - Threaded footer
very finely threaded very of Apex for minute level adjustments
Keith Monks Ruby
Killer record cleaner. I've always wanted a Monks.
Shunyata Hydra Triton v2/Typhon/DPC-6 v2
Sigma HC feeding Triton & Anaconda Zitron Feeding Typhon. All front end (dCS, Nagra, and TT motor controller...
Transparent Audio Reference XL Digital
Clock cables for dCS (2) bnc to bnc and Dual AES trans to dac
Hi J, v interesting. My Soundsmith Straingauge Energiser unit (equivalent of phono stage) uses two 24v switching psu's, tiny black boxes 4' x 2" x 1" that, tbh, look a bit cheap and nasty with I'm not sure what output leads/jacks to the Energiser (they look like anything you'd get down at Radio Shack or Tandy). They could v well be limiting what is a fantastic cart. A candidate for battery psu's?
Jfrech, What kind of battery supply are you borrowing? What are the details? Is it a unit into which you can just plug in the power cord from you phono and bypass AC from the wall?
I'm curious because I don't know anything about battery supplies. Thanks.
I am have a 12volt battery supply on loan for my phono stage. Really lowers the noise floor allowing more details to emerge. The surprise however is the bass seems to be more articulate and powerful....been interesting to listen to!
Spirit...this I can understand with clarity "Hence, not a lot to do with actual physical grounding into the actual Earth itself, but the field around the components."
I'm looking forward to Arnie getting the Tripoint and Tellus in for demo...
J and Charles, something is going on, all right. I suspect the Silver Tellus is acting as an electromagnetic sink for all this stray rf/emi hash. There is a function where Tellus can be used to ground the rack itself to create a Faraday cage. This must mean the components are creating a haze of hash that may even be augmented by a metal rack such as my Symposium. Hence, not a lot to do with actual physical grounding into the actual Earth itself, but the field around the components. My 4th and 5th grounding leads are on my SETS now, and the adventure continues!
Lloyd, Yes I agree, something is "going on". These two products get consistently good enthusiastic comments from those who have owned or heard them demonstrated (TripointTroy it seems especially for over a 5 year period now). I get the sense that both are an asset to any system and addressing grounding is a very worthwhile endeavor and represents more than a mere tweak. Charles, .
I am an admitted NON-techie. I have spoken with people who do their own outdoor grounding...I think both Entreq and Tripoint are aiming at grounding, as well as creating common impedance across the various components? NO idea really. Perhaps other things as well? I also think they way they create their own common ground using a variety of materials inside (presumably copper, obviously silver given the name, and likely a composite of other materials)...seems to matter in the end. Again, no techie...and imagine DIY here is very effective. So the good news is the science here seems sound...question is does the quality of execution matter to the level of extreme being demonstrated by both manufacturers? I am told yes, but I cannot say I understand the science nor have I A/B'd DIY and other common grounding vs Entreq or Tripoint. I go by comments of people I know, plus my own ears in my own system. The entreq is the real deal and equivalent in my system to removing probably 2 sets of Ultra 5s. I am waiting to learn more about Tripoint.
Hi Spirit, i was just reading your comments on another forum. I to am getting very curious on this whole grounding thing. I am wondering if I need to work on my system ground first with something like this:
http://www.erico.com/products/ChemRod.asp
My home is on about 12 inches of soil (sandy and gravel) then loose limestone rock...and has a tendency to be dry here in Austin...always seems to sound a bit better when it rains and wets the soil deeply...
I do have dedicated outlets and isolated ground already...curious at thoughts here first?
Hey J, I know you're showing a lot of interest in the whole grounding issue. Both Lloyd and me have been getting great results from Entreq, and Lloyd is still awaiting an a-b of Troy v Entreq Silver Tellus. Well, after my purchase of SETs which I'm totally, well, set on, I'm getting seriously into the effects of Entreq grounding. Have got great results with Apollo ground ics from Straingauge energiser, cdp and preamp to the Tellus. But upon adding two Apollos from my SETs, the system has hit the stratosphere. I've just listened to a cd I thought I knew backwards, and I've realised I don't know it at all. Learning to laugh and cry with joy all at the same time. So many veils are being lifted, I can't keep up!
I got to listen the Audio Research Ref 2SE today vs the Boulder 1008 phono stage. The system was Wilson Audio Alexia's, Dan a'gastino (sp?) amp and pre, AMG turntable and arm with a Lyra Kleos cartridge. Shunyata AC cabling/conditioner and Nordost signal/speaker cables.
The are both great phono stages. One isn't better than the other...but they two are very different from each other. The ARC Ref 2SE had big images and big presentation...very good detail and air. I just kinda melted right into it...
Then we switched to the Boulder 1008. The soundstage was just as wide and deep, however the images had more specificity with in that soundstage stage along with more detail and resolution. The surprise was the Boulder sounded a touch warmer in the mids and top end. The bass and top end was certainly more extended and resolute, the cymbals more sweet and it really conveyed the emotion and intent on the musician better. I could hear the Miles Davis' trumpet inflections more clearly...or course the boulder had a blacker background...but the ARC had next to zero noise with your ear 1 inch from the wilson tweeters..
In this system, I responded to the Boulder...I wish I could have compared it to my Nagra VPS in the same system...
Surprised me a bit, I thought the tubes in the ARC would have been the best compliment with the SS pre and amp.
Hi John I'm on vacation so it's a little difficult to respond. Ack is a member of this forum and he just bought the Pass labs XP25 and loves it. He heard my XONO and values the same stuff that you and I do about music reproduction. I think he too is on vacation so it may take him a while to get back to you.
Hi Peter, hope all is well. I looked up Ack in the directory and couldn't find him...what am i missing? Are you still considering trying the Pass XP 15 or XP 25?
I swapped my Lyra Atlas for my Allaert's MC2 Finish yesterday. These are both special cartridges. The Allaert's is a super low output, about .2 mv (some say lower). It is more transparent, more delicate, more powerful more effortless. And the killer is how it separates instruments and unravels the music...
The downside is it is just so damn finicky on set up and especially picky about the phono stage. Pretty sure it's exposing the noise limits on my Nagra VPS..the Lyra Atlas was a perfect match here with it's .57 mv output. I am still trying to track down a hum. With the lyra and at normal listening volume...it was silent (literally your ear up to tweeter...) now I can hear the hum/tube rush at my listening position during quiet passages.
I will try it this way for a few weeks, may try to borrow a diff phono stage, if not, then not sure if I'll stay with the Allaert's or go back to the Lyra...I value the transparency but the super low noise also...
We discussed this...we both love our preamps and have different systems and each makes it's unique impression. Babybear recently had his amps out for a upgrade...we should have tried it then...not sure we can get to this one soon...but you never know ;-).
Also we both have special cabling...Babybear uses Echole which his preamp is also internally wired with and I use Transparent Ref MM MM2 and those networks need to be retuned when you try something new...So the cable synergies we both experience might be lost in this experiment...
Jfrech and Babybear, It would be great if you guys can compare the Robert Koda K-10 and Absolare Passion Signature in the same system. I'm sure both are SOTA but the differences will be interesting in case I get an itch to change pre. :-)
I definitely agree that your system has made a major sonic improvement since the last visit. The change in speaker position (and perhaps further speaker break in) coupled with the other adjustments that you made have really paid off. Your system sounded wonderful on everything we played.
It would be fun to hear that Allaert MC Finish cartridge. I went back and did some reading about it and I think it would be great to hear it. If you do mount it, let me know what you hear but I do understand your hesitation as your Atlas was sounding superb.
I have to make a trip there, lets work on that. Seriously.
As for best sound, I was thinking same about my speakers while watching the two movies we put on this evening.
I hope with analog this next week and the new tubes in driver position I'll feel the same way with music.
I think the time Andy spent burning your Rockport was a great head start on your break in.
I just tweaked the VTF on the Lyra Atlas..it was around 1.7...I got it spot on at 1.72 per the instructions...a bit more resolution, ease and dynamics..
That is precisely where I run my Lyra Atlas, 1.72 on my Winds.
Arnie stopped by again today. The tweaks and careful positioning are beginning pay off sonically with the Rockports. Really the best I have heard my system...after Arnie left...I just tweaked the VTF on the Lyra Atlas..it was around 1.7...I got it spot on at 1.72 per the instructions...a bit more resolution, ease and dynamics...kinda wish Arnie could have stayed a bit longer!
I was thinking about mounting my Allaert's MC Finish just to hear how it does with the Rockport's...after this last tweak on the Lyra Atlas...I'm a bit nervous with messing with a great thing...
