I've been on this journey for a couple of years. It has taken me many places where I initially started with Swiss gear (Goldmund / Orpheus Lab) and then got enchanted with Tubes (Hence the original name for my virtual system - Move to Tubes). I was heavily into Zanden and Wavac for some years until I found Tidal Audio. This is by far the BEST electronics on the planet, and as you can see, I have slowly moved to an almost complete Tidal Suite. Sound is shockingly transparent and is glorious to listen to... Where will I go to next? Either try analogue (that I have been resisting) or find a good Computer audio system (that I am currently researching but can't seem to find anything on par)...
Italian furniture manufacturer (www.molteni.it). Not an audiophile stand but visually beautiful with superb finish. Pictured is the all aluminium storage bin that comes with the stand. Notice that a Acoustic System resonator is placed in the bin
Acoustic System Resonator
1 Platinum, 2 Silver and 1 Copper resonator. You have to hear this to believe these little jewels. Mind boogling amazing!!
Tripoint Troy
Amazing what it does to the sound!
Tipoint Orion
Master Reference A/C Conditioner. My system has undergone a magical transformation!
Orb Audio Kamakura Power Tap
One of the best passive power conditioners. I'm using 2
Murataltuev, yes, the next upgrade is the Tidal Preos. Unfortunately, the Tidal Impacts do NOT mate well with the Wavac PR-T1, so will be moving to the full Tidal Suite soon!
Paul, Didn't really test it against other clocks. I bought because it was value for money. It wasn't as expensive as other clocks. The differences in the sound were not dramatic, but there was a difference; which justified the price I was paying.
Congratulations! So, next upgade is Tidal Preos and you'll get full Tidal system after 6years of searching the best:) I'm also going to have Contrivas for audition at home.
I have also listened to Wavac MD-805m with Contriva and the sound was pure magic. Of course there were limited dynamics and SPL's but it was still AMAZING.
I just hope the Wavacs are going to be enough for my Piano Cera. If not I will probably go for the Sovereign Glory power amp!
Hello, I just saw on audiogon that you have the Grimm clock cc1. I was hoping you could give me an idea of what you get by using this. Have you tested against other external clocks? As Esoteric g0r?
Murat, I use Argento exclusively throughout my system. The PCs are exceptional! I have a few FMRs, the EE Digital cable (which IMHO is the best out there), Speaker cables, interconnects etc. Only complaint I have is that the white cables look beautiful when you first get them, but end up becoming grey when dust gets on them.
The saddest story you are likely to be reading right now is about the Takumi K-70 currently boxed in Sydney with a friend of mine while I try to get this European tour finished and return to Oz. One day I WILL get back to my rig, you will agree my images in my posts are pathetic representations of the rig I lived with for a while.
By-the-by, Rob Koch was this talent I came across one day in Tokyo and if the Takumi is his first effort coming to market then we can expect some incredible stuff in the future. His grasp of electrical circuits floored me and he seems perpetually mind-bending this and that board or electron flow mentally, even while sharing sushi with him. I promised Rob I'd buy the scrolling mess of wires I heard on his living room floor one day, his "home project" (I mean, Home Project!? My home project is putting together a Tamiya remote control car!!, Rob builds amps. all over his living room floor) and getting the call that Production version Takumi no.1 was available I snapped it up, Rob having engraved mine with a small Australiana name, a name we jokingly bandied about while Rob was trying to name the amp. The amplifier was never going to be named after Australia's northern animals, ever, I was just joking. But he engraved that name on No. 1 for me, what a guy.
I must get back to Rob about building me No. 4. the number 4 in spoken Japanese is 'four' and 'death', so he is not aiming to build a No. 4 in the current production line. It would never sell in Japan, but I'd take it.
And to the point in all of this, if Rob ever gets his pre-amp. ideas out into our land of the sonic maniacs then we are in for a new pinnacle system, so I would only recommend that the Takumi would be your preference, in lieu of a Robert Koda pre-amp. maybe coming together (one day). One day.
I see maybe you Folk swap gear in and out a lot, however, and waiting for a product-line path may not be suitable to your frequency of 'upgrades'. But a Robert Koda pre to a Robert Koda power, that's going to be special.
Best of luck anyway, your outfit looks spectacular.
I'm looking for the best digital cable and thinking to buy Argento SMR EE. What cables you compared with yours? I just got Argento FMR power cord and totally impressed! Murat.
Mike, You've made the right choice with going with the Contriva. Its an 'end-game' piece. As all audiophiles understand, we are always searching, always not satisfied, always wanting more... but with the Tidal Contriva Diacera ... you've gotten probably one of the best sounding speakers around. You already have one of the best preamps on the planet with the PR-T1. I'm not familiar with the Sovereign. The next level of spakes IMHO would be the Tidal Sunray ... but they cost 2x more. You should post a review of the Tidal on Audioexotics after listening to them...
Check out the forum section from the website http://audioexotics.hk I buy most of my equipment from them. They are probably the premier retailer in Asia and their forum is a great source of information!
Thank you for the reply. I've just read about very recent upgrades to the Vekian...I should probably give it an audition :-) There seems to be greater interest in it in the Far East.
Smoothjazz - My humble opinion after owning Kharmas and now the Tidal Kharmas impart a sound. It has a signature that is unmistakably Kharma. It is a nice sound though, which is why people love it. I have to say the same for Sonus Fabers. I owned the Amati Anniversarios... It has a SF sound. The Tidals though are neutral, extremely transparent (shockingly realistic) and has a level of refinement that I have not come across before.
Mike, Congratulations on getting a fine speaker. Frankly, I think this is it for me in terms of speaker upgrades. The only speaker that is probably better than the Tidal Con Dia, is probably the Tidal SunRay... but then you'd need to mortgage your home to buy it. One word of caution though. The MD-805M, while a good match with the Tidals in terms of musicality, passion and expressiveness, is a little light on the 'oomph' factor. If you're sticking with Wavac, you'd need to get the 833. I'm frankly thinking of either moving to the Tidal Monoblocks or the new Robert Koda Takumi's. I'll be auditioning them in a month, and will post my thoughts.
Sam, I initially went with the Zanden DAC as anyone would. However when I did an a/b comparison with the Vekian, I felt 1) The Zanden was a refined and polite 3) The Vekian was refined and expressive It was personal preference, but the new upgrades to the Vekian that just came out would probably put it at a league above the Zanden DAC
You had the Kharma speakers for some time, and talked about the great synergy with the Wavac amps. I was wondering if you could comment on your move to the Tidal speakers; what made you decide to change to them, and how do they compare to the previous Kharma line?
Beautiful system. For me another encouragement towards changing to Argento cabling sometime. I've heard Argento many times now with Tidal gear and it seems like the "natural choice" (in the truest sense of the word "natural") for a system featuring Tidals.
Your choice of the Vekian DAC over the Zanden looks fascinating. I've never had an opportunity to hear Stahl-Tek gear. Until now, to me Zanden represented the top, but your comment leaves no doubt which one is better. Can you say where Zanden has its flaw(s) compared to the Vekian? Or is it a case of overall musical superiority? Thanks.
Congrats in your great system, the Tidal Contriva is going to be my next speaker purchase! I have heard it with the MD-805m and I was ready to cry listening to "Soldier of Fortune" by Whitesnake!
