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Am sitting around in rain soaked, dull, central England UK whilst waiting for the plumber... I turned on the PC and by good fortune hit your website. Man, what a find but are you only for tube heads and that persuasion or can the odd tranny guy sneak in? My main system is Naim audio based... okay get out the blazing cross, pointed stick and strong garlic... but most of it was bought a long time ago with the exception of my CDX2/PSU2 CD player... To get the best of both worlds, i.e. the clarity of tubes (we say valves although the younger set are moving towards Americanization) and the tight controlled bass factor of trannies, have you heard of or is there anyone out there who drives his/her rig using a valve (tube) pre amp/control amp and a brace of Naim (135s) power thingees? I dare not ask this question of Naim themselves as the audio heavies would make life unliveable and the mags themselves are not willing to swim with the fish as it were. For the record (no pun intended) my beloved Linn LP12, Ekos, Koetsu Black provided hours of Jazz and classical music enjoyment. Ron Edley
Ron, Thanks for your e-mail and Naim is very good kit! Am sure there are guys out there using valve pre and Naim 135s. In general, there are many people who like tubes in the preamplification and solid-state power amplification. As you say the best of both worlds. Obviously you are enjoying the music :) Enjoy the Music, Steven R. Rochlin
Anyway, the article, is beyond my scope, however, it does give me direction in my endeavors. Thanks, Chuck Juntunen
Chuck, Any number of factors could be the difference. Obviously it is in the way it was recorded and mastered. That is the first step. The more CDs/LPs you listen to, the more difference you will hear on a high-resolution system. Enjoy the Music, Steven R. Rochlin
I read your excellent review of the Parasound JC-1 amps and I'm wondering how they compare to your big VTL tube amps? Are the Parasounds as musical and fun to listen to as the VTL amps? I had a VTL stereo 150 amp and it was so much fun to listen to. I regret selling it, but before I buy another tube amp I'm curious if I can find a great solid state amp that is just plain fun to listen to and as musical as a great tube amp. The Parasound's seem possible, since you like them and your reference amps are the big VTL's. I'm very interested in your thoughts. Thanks, Jerry Tureck
Hi Jerry, I remember the JC-1s as terrific amplifiers, as I said in the review. At the time, though, they did not quite supplant my then-reference VTL 750 monoblocks (which did, of course, cost over three times more). But that review was three years ago, and I have listened to a lot of amplifiers since then. The VTL 750s are also gone now. In preparing to write this note I went back and read the JC-1 review again, and I think my remarks there are more reliable for guidance than anything I could say at this remove. You might also want to check out our October issue, the Blue Note awards: there I mention the very impressive Spectron Musician III, with a link to the original review which mentions the JC-1. I have to say though that your regret concerning your late VTL ST 150 makes me suspicious that you may really be a toob guy, and possibly unlikely to be satisfied with any solid-state amplifier, no matter how good. (Just a thought.) In any case, I wish you the best of luck in your quest--just keep on enjoying the music! Wayne Donnelly
Excellent review of the K701's. I borrowed a set from Mr. Torlone late last year to take to the NY Headphone meet. I fell in love with them. I sold my K1000's, not because I didn't love them but because on 95% of recordings that I listen to the K701's are a better headphone. Given proper associated equipment I feel that the K701's are the best headphone in the world, regardless of price. I will be paying special attention to your writings in the future. It's rare to find a reviewer that actually hears what I hear. Thanks for the review. Sincerely, Ethan Wood
Thanks for your review of the Oracle V. I have had one myself and at times have regretted parting with same. I have a VOYD currently with an AN Arm 2 (the Rega with AN V wiring). I often wonder whether the VOYD beats the Oracle-did you come to an unequivocal conclusion about this? The VOYD has a huge dynamic range and sound stage from the 3 motors employed, but as you noted the Oracle gets micro dynamics and a low noise floor right. I find the VOYD adds a bit of melodic musicality but is incredibly lucid in making all the musical strands accessible. Sometimes depending on the recording I felt that the Oracle squashed/flattened the sound as to make it difficult to understand the melodic lines and structure. It brought to mind what Peter Q. has felt about clamping-he says he suspects it stresses the vinyl. But, I have never heard a turntable shows such variation among recordings as the Oracle, even though some recordings sounded lean and smaller in sound staging. As I have Audio Note gear I would keep my VOYD forever, but if I could have 2 high end turntables, the Oracle V is a compelling addition. So did you come to an overall conclusion re the Oracle V VS the VOYD? Thanks, Mike Ranfft Mike, Your comments very much sum up the difference I hear between the two turntables. Frankly, you should be a reviewer as you hit the proverbial nail spot on the head. The VOYD and Oracle each have strengths and it all boils down to which presentation one prefers. In a sense it reminds me of tube rolling between songs to choose a preferred sound that is dictated by the music... or my mood. Both are truly outstanding turntables. Enjoy the Music, Steven R. Rochlin
Gregory Mauer
Regards, Gary Waul
Curious, David V. Dear David, Your are right I was rushing to get the Vivo article in before the October deadline. I just e-mailed the Editor to ask him if it was not too late to include it. Later in October I brought the Vivo to an Audio Society meeting and all the audiophiles in attendance just loved the sound of this amplifier. One recording stands out in my mind an Operatic Aria that sounded so pure and real that I appreciate it now even more. Ron
I read your Analysis Omega review and feel you left out one very important fact and that is you compared them to the Magnepans... come on these Omegas are a dead copy of the magnificent Apogee Duetta Signatures or 3-way Diva's. Magnepans are a bunch of junk compared to Apogees & probably the Analysis line. I hope you have experiences the Apogee di-poles because there is nothing like them. My Diva's to this day beat any speaker I have ever listened to and every audiophile have I've had over for a listen whole heartedly agrees! Your mini-review left me with the distinct impression this was your first experience with full range ribbons. Cheers, Ross
Ross, Geez, can't anybody read anymore? The opening of my "mini-review" (nice little insult there -- congratulations) acknowledged the Analysis' inspiration by and debt to Apogee. I then mentioned Magnepans, BUT ONLY AS A FORM FACTOR COMPARISON -- i.e. an example of a tall, wide, thin speaker that many readers would have seen before. It's unlikely that many younger audiophiles have ever SEEN, much less heard, Apogees. I did not compare the Omegas to the Magnepans; indeed, I wrote nothing about sound of the Maggies! OK? So you have a working pair of Divas and you love them. Great! You're a fortunate man and your near-religious devotion to the Apogee line is understandable. They were a classic milestone of loudspeaker design. Can you point me toward a dealer who can sell them to our readers? You know, new speakers with warranties? Our reviews cover products that are currently manufactured and supported by viable manufacturers. There are other channels for discontinued products, and if someone wants to take a chance on used Apogees, G-d bless 'em. As to your "distinct impression," I have heard various ribbon speakers over the years -- including Apogees. The Omegas are the first extended-range ribbon speakers I have reviewed -- so what? A review is an evaluation of performance, and the process is consistent without regard to the particular driver technology used. Keep enjoying the music on your beloved Divas, Wayne Donnelly Editor's note: It appears that there is a service to get spare parts for the vintage Apogee loudspeakers. Also, the news was just released that new loudspeakers under the Apogee name would be coming to market. This was not known during the review process.
Would you describe what you heard when you replaced the tubes on the Modwright 3910. I own one and while it is a bargain and the best I've had in my home by a large margin, I find it short on focus and transparency compared to my Kuzma/triplanar/Shelter 90x rig. Ok, it pretty much sucks compared to the vinyl (on red-book). Alas. I do not want to seem to be slamming the Denon, it has eliminated most if not all of the obnoxious digital sound that has permeated my CD collection since the 80's. But good vinyl, as you know, brings the musicians to life. I may be just wishing for the moon but wonder if the Bendix 6900's might get me closer to the transparency of my vinyl rig. I'm writing because the tubes weigh in at close to $400 each and I would appreciate a candid opinion from someone that has made the change. Results vs. cost is a personal thing that only a prospective buyer can judge, but still a description might help me resolve in my mind what I hear. I know e-mailing people back probably takes a lot of time so "Thank you" in advance. Lyle Hobby
Hello Lyle, I sympathize with your problem. But if your goal is to have CD sound that equals or surpasses a first-rate analog rig such as yours, I'd say the odds are that you're going to fall short even after you hot-rod your Modwright/Denon CD player. As much as I like mine these days, it still doesn't quite scale the heights achieved by my Basis/Graham/Transfiguration with a good LP. For me, vinyl still rules. That said, I think it's fairly likely that you would find the Bendix 6900s a worthwhile investment, although $400 each is pretty steep. While they have not changed the essential character of my 3910, the improvements are substantial and most gratifying. Soundstage size has increased, most notably in depth -- on the best shiny discs, sitting in my darkened room, it sometimes sounds as if the side and back walls have fallen away, morphing into a semblance of the recording venue. And within that expanded space I do hear more precise image placement and more accurate dynamic scaling than before. In other words, getting noticeably closer to the pleasures of analog even if not quite all the way there. I hope you find these ramblings useful. Good luck and good listening! Wayne Donnelly
Have you had a chance to listen to Soundfusion's more affordable Nova. How might it compare to the Hyperion? Thanks, David Stern
Hi David, The Nova is the passive version of the Hyperion. I've heard it briefly paired with some very fine tube amps and it performs very well indeed, although not with the same speed of response of the active pair. I didn't put in enough hours to give you a fuller answer than that. Enjoy The Music, Phil
I'm a bit of a ' late starter ' with your reviews until they recently caught my eye , particularly the ones on the Hyperion HPS-938 and Consonance Cyber 211 monoblocks. In your opinion, are the Hyperion's in another league from the Gallo Reference 3.1 which I believe you've heard, or more recently the Von Schweikert VR-4jr's which you may have heard, which compete at the price point ? Secondly, do the Cyber 211's drive them with real authority, or are there definite trade offs, for example in bass presence and depth, versus very good solid state, or perhaps high- powered valve amplification , which may limit the range of music the combination is suited to ? I listen to a tremendous range of music and am wondering if the particular magic of this combination suits certain types of music for it to be experienced ? Thank you, I appreciate you're probably in overload as regards this subject, but I can't resist posing the questions, as this combo is very high on my purchase list following your assessment of same. Regards, Gedas PS: I live in Brisbane, Australia, which is a bit of a hi-fi backwater and have to purchase on faith, hence my email.
Gedas, Thanks for your e-mail from the Land Down Under. While I would not place the Gallo in the same upper leagues as the Hyperion and the Von Schweikert, the choice between the two excellent floorstanders is not an easy one. Both the VR-4jr and Hyperion HPS-938 are extremely impressive and easily driven by good tube amplification, the sound difference are such that it comes down to personal preference. Like you, I enjoy a staggering array of diverse music at various volume levels. The Consonance should be fine until you get to extremely loud house party levels with either of the floorstanders. AM having a hard time saying wither the VS or Hyperion as they are both excellent, with the VS being more upfront and direct and the Hyperion being more subtle. Neither is 'right' or wrong', it is all in the presentation desired. Best bet is to find a store to audition each and decide for yourself. In the end what really matters is that you... Enjoy the Music, Steven R. Rochlin
Please give me your experience since you have extensive experience in the field and with these speakers in particular. Thank you in advance, Spyros Karatzas
Spyros, Thanks for your e-mail. Have heard various Martin Logan speakers over the years and they simply do not satisfy me. The Hyperion are one of the best values for the money in my opinion. They do a wonderful job and your amplifier will easily drive them well. My vote is for the Hyperion. Enjoy the Music, Steven R. Rochlin
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Hi Steven,
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