This is a collection of equipment (note how I dont call it a system!), the purpose of which was for me to sample as much as possible prior to settling down to equipment I can use in a final room I am building with Rives. Needless to say, I ended up getting deeper and deeper in this, learning that reviews are typically falwed because (i) reviewers have specific motives, (ii) they dont generally have very good systems, and (iii) no system is perfect and therefore personal preferences matter a lot.
The room is by no means great but it is custom designed and measured. It works quite well, even though these speakers need more room to breathe.
Happy to answer questions about my experience with all this equipment, all of which is quite excellent in its own way. I have some on order which I will add when the time comes.
Other equipment I have owned include:
-Tenor 300hp
-MBL 9011 monos
-MBL 6010D preamp
-VTL 7.5 mk i and ii
-Audio Research Ref 3 preamp
-BAT 75se
-Other
UPDATE: Moved to new room, much more spacious and finally allowing me to sit within the prescribed distance for driver integration. Also, I cleaned up somewhat the amp list: I now use the Wavac 833 mkii (4 box) and for solid state the Class A Gryphon Colosseum Solos. Added to the preamps is the Soulution. All cables are Jorma Prime including an 8m length xlr. Power cords being changed all to Valhalla. Here you also see an attempt to test the continuum turntable through a wavac phono. The sound of the system has ameliorated appreciably and it is now starting to be a system after all. Very happy with it.
It is no exaggeration that since I turned vinyl I have not used other front ends for a single audition. It is now 3 months. Only for comparing when people visit to listen to the system, and they quickly ask me to stop that and put back the lps.
This obviously does not mean that other formats are not excellent in their own ways and may also have strengths and weaknesses. However, I find records to be more listenable. No edge. Also, the process of getting the record on, cleaning it etc forces you to then sit down and listen as opposed to skipping. As a result, I have listened to more music than I have for a while.
I am a big fan of high res formats and servers, I used them a lot and I am sure I will continue to do that. As quality improves, the sound will also. But for now, SACD does not sound as good as LPs or at least it offers an additional source of great recordings, performances etc.
I do think that at the highest level LPs continue to perform better but you have to decide to invest the time and effort. For me it was well worth it. And I am still not in receipt of the larger continuum which is supposed to play even better.
I am afraid no experience with Siltech in my system although I have spoken to people who have had good results with Wavacs and the siltech power cords. For me, I stuck with Jorma.
Mihalis - I am curious to learn if you have tried Siltech cables in your many different setups - as I mentioned earlier, I have had quite a few Gryphon and Jadis gear with all-Siltech wiring (from AC to spkrs) and have found a nice balance of resolution, body, speed and extension.
I have been following your travails and have found your process quite interesting. One thing we have in common is late entry into analog. One my good friends, who is an extremely knowledgeable audiophile, continues to talk me out of vinyl. He believes that it will be surpassed by high rez digital, and thus not worth the hassle and $$$. Of course he has a vinyl set-up!! (although he rarely uses it). I would love for you to expound on whether you have felt as if "going analog" was worth it for you. At the level I would probably do it, it would cost me a small fortune. Plus, I am a reluctant tinkerer. Thanks,
Guys, dusting is the most important thing here! Indeed, the maids are not allowed near this stuff. It is up to me and my 3 year old girl who uses the continuum like a pro!
To answer some other questions I got, I am using the My Sonic Ultra Eminent BC cartridge through a wavac phono and a goldmund ph3 phono. I am about to add the Ultra Eminent step up and try it out. I also used the Lyra Titan i and Skala.
The latest comparison I have been running is with power cables. I just ordered a bunch of Jorma Primes. I tried their mid level model against the Valhalla, Gryphon, Shunyata and other power cords and it made a positive difference, more than actually any interconnect cable. The Valhalla is the closest and since one can purchase it at reasonable prices on audiogon I have stocked up on it for all my secondary uses.
I am experimenting with Purepower which has made an amazing difference on my front end. Interestingly, by inserting a burmester I further improved (by a much smaller margin) transients. Weird...
Krinontas apo tis fotografies, mporo na po oti h poreia sou sto hi fi einai polu entuposiaki. Exo akolouthisei paromoia poreia kai me analogis poiotitas mixanimata kai antilamvanomai ton enthousiasmo sou 100%.
Ena megalo mpravo gia to meraki sou, to pathos sou gia ton anaparagomeno hxo kai pano apo ola, gia thn agaph sou gia tin mousiki.
To mono pou me enoxlise prosopika einai oi arnitikoi xarakthrismoi pou aneferes gia tous reviewers sto proto sou minima. Sumfono sto oti oi perissoteroi einai etsi opos tous perigrafeis, alla oxi oloi. Eimai kai ego reviewer san deutereuousa enasxolisi, alla den anoiko stin katigoria auton pou periegrapses kai elpizo oti einai kai alloi san kai emena, toulaxiston ektos ellados.
Isos giati den zo apo auto. Isos giati exo megalo pathos gia ton anaparagomeno ixo. Isos giati mou exei ginei emoni idea na katafero se ena sustima na apodosei opos auto pou akouo piso apo tis konsoles ton studio kai auto na me boithaei na diakrino kapoia xaraktiristika sta mixanimata. Isos giati pote den perasa apo tin "alli pleura" kai akoma kai simera parameno "pelatis" tis agoras tou hi end.
Opos kai na exei, den thelo na sou allakso tin gnomi, apla na sou ekfraso mia antitheti apopsi, giati den anoiko stin katigoria auton pou grafoun me "kinitra", opos aneferes sto enarktirio minima sou.
Teleionontas tha sou euxitho kali sunexeia se auti tin toso omorfi periplanisi kai gia akoma mia fora ena mprabo gia to meraki sou, to pathos sou kai tin agapi sou gia tin mousiki. Pragmatika thelei mia romantiki kai paidiki trela gia na ftaseis mexri ekei.
Argyro, I am obviously a big fan of the way of the future which is downloaded audio, servers etc. I use servers through Kaleidescape and recently started using a Weiss firewire hub to run high definition recordings (Linn, etc.) I love them, they are very listenable and in many ways excellent.
Having said that, nothing can come close (in my system) to the tonal accuracy of vinyl. The continuity of records makes them more engaging even if the recording is not outstanding. I have some incredibly impressive digital recordings which can impress but once listened again and again become a bit gimmicky. I find digital to be just a little less smooth, and often over exaggerate the individual instruments, to impress but lose the whole.
These are small differences and very dependent on recordings. So I would say that my view is that the future is indeed digital downloads through excellent DACs, and vinyl!
This is from someone who started listening to records 2 months ago, mind you...
Flg2001, for me the Gryphons are the solid state I have settled with. Mind you, the one that I have not tried is FM Acoustics above the 411, which might challenge the Gryphons. This is partly because of my preference for Class A, and partly because I think the new models got it right. The resolution is wonderful, excellent staging, depth and speed. Very well built, easy to use, great functionality by combining with Crestron screens, home theater etc. Having said that, I mostly listen to the wavacs which I think are unparalleled.
For the speakers I love these ones. They have the dynamics and scale of nothing out there. I think their biased crossover makes the difference. I d like one day to have the theoretical perfection of active crossovers in an all wavac system but until then I will keep this.
Hi Michalis, I own about 200 albums of High Definition albums feeded directly to my Weiss Medea. In my opinion there is no comparison with the 16/44 or vinyl. This is the future.
SheI50, HA! funny. If you are a cute 25 year old girl let me know and I will have to negotiate with my wife. She has put up with all this audio, so you never know!!
I am now trying out a Weiss converted and downloading some 24bit audio from Linn. I ll report later on how this compares to CD, SACD, vinyl, and Kaleidescape server music!
Natan, I prefer Gryphon which also enables you to connect through Crestron screens etc making it super versatile and easy to use. It has its own interface so you can control it from that screen.
I have merged a 2 channel system with home theater recently, and find that my current tube CAT preamp (my reference for years) falls short of all the comforts of convenience like inputs, and remote volume, processor bypass, multiple outs etc. I am considering MBL 6010D, ARC ref 3, and VTL 7.5 and leaning toward MBL. Any insight appreciated. Thanks, Natan
Elberoth2, note that the mikado signature does not do sacd. I find actually that the cd performance of the emm and the mikado are similar BUT I only listened to the mikado for 2 hours, so it is too early to tell. The dound is engaging, forward, instruments are large in size. The music comes to you. Accuphase is laid back, more detailed and accurate in my opinion. It opens up the stage and imaging, and offers what I think is much closer to analogue sound. I would say the same applies to the sacd sound. EMM is very engaging, dynamic, in your face almost. Accuphase lets the music draw you in instead. Note that Esoteric, for example, is more lean and even more laid back but in a way that no longer offers this believability that I get from Accuphase. Overall I prefer accuphase on CD by a large margin and on SACD by a smaller margin. Add to that the option to use digital equalization and you have what I think is one of the very best front ends.
System edited: Various changes. The most important one is that I changed houses and the new room is much larger, allowing for better placement of these large speakers. Importantly, I now sit 5 meters away from them, which is the min necessary distance for full integration of the drivers. Obviously imaging has improved, without dynamics paying a price. I have now settled on an all wavac and an all gryphon system. The wavacs were upgraded to the 4 box mkiis and the Gryphon to the new Colosseum Solos. You can see some other new preamps etc but more interesting is my effort to evaluate some turntables, starting with the wonderful Continuum.
Gia sou Chris ke efharisto pou tin ipes ston vlaka noritera!!
Well, I have become a fan of accuphase through the years, although initially i found them to sound a bit sterile in shows. The designers of Lyra in Tokyo alerted me to Accuphase and I think they were right. In addition to the excellent sound, the quality they build at is amazing. Compare the super quality of the accuphase sacd to my junky EMM Labs, for example, and it is no contest. Also, their technology tends to be at the forefront. The issue abroad is the cost since they are not set up really to export so what you buy in Tokyo for 100, costs 200 in the US. At 100, they are amazing value for money.
I have not spent much time in my system with their analogue stuff so I would rather not comment if you dont mind. The Class A amps they make do sound terrific but I have only heard them in shows and, unlike all these reviewers, I have never heard a show sound that compares to a good room, other maybe than the enormous Soundlab/EMM system that appears sometimes at CES.
My room is treated but since i am still renting (I will be building a Rives HT in a year or two) the acoustics are not amazing and the electricity is dirty. The Accuphase DG38 and the DG48 that I use now are essential to the sound I have. First of all, my system is not easy to set up since the subs need to be set up carefully vs the mid/high towers. And the size of these speakers in a small room is too great. But the equalizer is just essential. Frequency peaks/lows disappear, providing better 3 dimensionality and especially depth. The benefits are so great versus any potential disadvantages, that I cant think of listening in my room with my system without the equalizer on. Not to mention that it enables me to change equipment without spending hours to tune it in.
Note that this is all done in the digital domain and at very high sampling rates. Accuphase connects it all through CAT cables. Some will say that you need to have greater analytical ability than the Accuphase offer (eg parametric equalizers, more octaves etc) but Accuphase maintains that they think having more detail means more DSPs and therefore more sound degradation. I dont know. Respected audio analysts will argue both sides, with a lot of theory to support their arguments. I can only report what I hear and it works incredibly well.
I upgraded to the DG48 although I cant really report differences from the DG38 to be honest. I know some of the Accuphase people still use the DG28 themselves. I am certainly intrigued with what Lyngdorff is doing but I would rather I built the right room; clearly, the less processing the better.
Hi Mihali, bravo for your system and effort. I would like to ask a few things: - what is your opinion on accuphase amps and preamps? ie what about the c2810 pre or the big monos m8000 from accuphase? - which has a bigger impact on your listening room:the use of digital room correction(dg-38) with the worst sounding for your ears of your amplifier or no room corection alond with your best sounding amp? The dilema and opinions vary but i would like an unbiased opinion.
I am asking this, since i heard a reaaly silly comment from someone at an audio show: we were about 5 people auditioning in a really small room a really nice system(soulution+sf stradivari) and one guy gives with a big emphasis his congratulations to the dealer, claiming that he himself although heard the Stradivaris many times in germany, this was the best sound he heard from this speakers.... Come on...the press also raved about this sound, and for other systems, but none made even a remark for the best sound we heard(lindemann cd+octave amplification+marten coltranes+nice big room)...
anyway hope not being tiring for all the friends here, anticipating your comments.
