Matt, "analog" means different things for different people... For me it is only an engineering term without any positive correlation to what I seek to hear... Far too many times I have been in "analog" suites at RMAF filled with ecstatic gents listening to sound that ranged from turgid, to grating, to soporific, and yes on occasion... to mesmerizing... Just the same as in suites where the source was a digital one.
Hence, I do not call analog a sound that I inherently enjoy a priori... I call my goal sound harmonically complex, linear, and mesmerizing... But "analog" per se is not for me associated with dopamine or oxytocin rush flow.
Hi Norm, I have no doubts that digital technology continues to make strides in a variety of different and equally valid directions, and so most likely does analog reproduction.
G.
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Hi CalvinJ, after a few years of happy ownership, I am still very much in love with my Vienna Die Muzik... Totally effortless, with fantastic stage and extension, and all those fine things that I like to call rich complexity, and bass to die for -- provided your room is large enough to avoid bass over-exhuberance. Can Die Muzik be bested?
Yes of course, by Matt for example, who has discovered an uber Die Muzik in his Dynaudios.
And of course by anyone who prefers a different sound signature instead.
Saluti, G. |
Hi Ketcham, I realize that searching on almost 60 pages of thread will be tedious, but the PS Direct Stream has been already examined and discussed at some length on this thread.
G. |
For anyone attending the NYC show this weekend, the new Rowland Daemon super-integrated will be live in the
Elija Budd Room
Saluti, Guido |
Hi CalvinJ, I am very keen on Daemon for the same reasons cited by Matt... Potential of substantial system simplification without sonic compromise. All third party reports this far point to Daemon sounding and looking spectacular. Unfortunately I have not experienced the creature myself yet. Just in case you missed it, here is the Daemon home page on the Rowland site:
http://jeffrowlandgroup.com/us/daemon-integrated.html
Guido |
Hi CTSooner and Matt, thank you for the clarification. I had an inkling that the Rowland integrated in question might have been the Continuum S2.... For no other reason that Rowland Daemon is still a very rare breed.
Saluti, G. |
No prob at all Ctsooner... For next time you are on an integrated hunt... Continuum S2 is the cute 35 pounder with vestigial cooling fins priced just below $10K... Daemon is the one you can't lift because it's a 100 pounder, has a big honking horizontal selector/volume wheel, and is priced around $40K.
I do like continuum S2 quite a bit... Daemon I have not herd yet. |
I suspect that Rowland Daemon at NY sounded even better than the one used at RMAF.... The NY unit had at least two weeks of solid break-in on it before getting to the show.
Guido |
Teranis is a lovely amp indeed. Yes, I would consider its overall performance as a junior, and perhaps subtly warmer version of the Merrill Veritas.
In its default configuration of 26dB gain, Teranis will do fine with moderately large speakers that do not present particularly tough load challenges... With my Vienna Die Muzik, and the amp driven by Rowland Aeris, when increasing volume to realistic listening levels, suddenly the sound crosses into an area of lesser linearity, where the presentation becomes slightly boomy/shouty and less relaxed.
However, this is not a fatal flaw. Merril increased my evaluation unit gain to 29dB, which enabled Teranis to handle my speakers with ease.
It is worth noting that some other NCore NC500-based amps -- such as the Acoustic Imagery ATSAH 500 -- sport a dedicated NC1200/700 SMPS per channel instead of the single NC1200/700 shared for the two channels in Teranis. I conjecture that such implementations might be better suited for relatively demanding speakers.
Regards, G.
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Thank you LabTec, yes you are right... To each his own. I am delighted that you love all your tube and SS amps.
Personally, I do not seek amps that emulate the sound of anything in particular. I seek devices that instantiate the sound signature and musical concept that I have in mind.
Being essentially maintenance-free, not doubling as furnaces, and enjoying a stable performance without tube replacements, are also very desirable characteristics for me.
Today, a pair of Rowland M925 class D monos give me amazing nirvana... To a greater extent than most amps I have ever auditioned. Interestingly, they are highly reliable, are very efficient, and their performance remains stable over time. What more could I wish?!
Tomorrow, I might discover amps that yield an even greater degree of enchantment. M925 might be replaced by some low or moderately biased class A/B amps, or I might still be with some class D device.... Class A and high powered tubed amps are unlikely to make the cut for the reasons mentioned above, but I do not exclude them apriori.
Bottom line is that I follow neither "the road less traveled" nor "the more traveled" one... Fact is that I could not care any less about the number of travellers on a road, and which topology "most people" return to... I only seek that which gives me audible joy, evaluating amps one at a time solely on their own particular merits,while keeping as open a mind as I can to the world around me.
G. |
Hi Labtec, if you go to CES, try to have a look at class D offerings from
* Rowland: possibly present might be - Daemon superintegrated ($42K), - Continuum S2 integrated ($9.5K). Roy Gregory's review at: http://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/jeff_rowland_continuum_s2.htm - M925 monos ($58K) - based on NCore NC1200, - M825 stereo (approx $30K - based on NCore NC1200). Marc Michelson's review at:
http://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/jeff_rowland_model_825.htm - M625 S2 stereo (approx $15K - this one running in class A/B).
* Gato might show its newest integrated amps... I suspect you might enjoy more the one based on the Pascal M2-Pro than the S2-Pro version.
* Bel Canto should have its Black System, which is based on customized versions of the NCore NC1200 designed by Bruno Putzeys (approx $50K).
* On A Higher Note is likely to have once again the Mola Mola... It is a fine NCore NC1200 implementation, but you might find it a little forward for your taste.
* Hopefully, Merrill Audio will have its Veritas monos based on NCore ($12K). My review at: http://positive-feedback.com/Issue68/merrill_audio.htm
* Devialet also makes fine class D integrated amps.... I find them a little too peaky for my taste, but my memory is of a 3 years ago, and they are likely to have evolved since then.
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Hi Matt, which class D Rowland amps specifically have you listened to and compared to ?
Saluti, and Happy New Year! Guido |
Hi Matt, I applaud giving the EMM DA-2 a thorough break-in before posting your impressions. How many hours in total are you planning to put on it before posting?
Saluti, G. |
Yes, varying the reference current in the DAC chip is a wonderful and musical way to implement volume control in a DAC, if not a particularly new one. The Rowland Aeris implemented this very design as early as 2010... And Aeris has cured me from DACophilia nervosa... At least for the time being *Grins!*
G. |
Hi Mitch2, currently I am running Aeris directly into the Rowland M925 monoblocks. In olden days, I ran the Rowland Criterion linestage between DAC and amps.
Which arrangement is "better"? The answer is... It depends... Immediately followed by... I might be persuaded to change my mind, because things are achangin'....
First of all, what I observed in the past....
* Aeris by itself yielded a subtle amount of greater resolution compared to having Criterion in the chain.
* With Aeris only, there seems to be deep silence from the speakers when music is not playing, vs a very low level of hash when Criterion was in the chain... To perceive the actual noise caused by Criterion, you had to place your ear 6 inches or less from a tweater.
* However, with Criterion in the chain, you would experience a subtly warmer presentation that admittedly is quite intoxicating.
Having gone back and forth for several months with the two configurations, I felt I prefered the presentation without Criterion.
Having said the above, Rowland has now started to ship the ultra-capacitor based Power Storage Unit (PSU)... Essentially this is an additional full chassis component that can be applied to replace both the external power supply of the Corus linestage (audio circuit identical to the now withdrawn Criterion) as well as the power supply of Aeris... Meaning that a single PSU can power Corus and Aeris simultaneously. Essentially PSU serves pure clean DC 24/7 for compatible line components and takes them completely off the AC grid. There are two banks of ultra-caps inside PSU... While one charges up from the AC line, the other one is offline from the grid, and serves DC to the devices downstream. When the bank of ultra-caps serving devices becomes depleted, the role is switched seamlessly, and the process is repeated... The answer is no, the flipping event is not audibly perceivable.
I have not heard PSU yet, but according to all reports I have heard this far the result of PSU on Corus and Aeris might be quite impressive in terms of subtlety, quiet delivery, image and stage, and resolution... I guess the main benefit is being completely off-grid, while not having the problem of reduced dynamic agility caused by the slower transient handling of batteries.
So, now I am thinking that a combination of Aeris + Corus + PSU might outperform Aeris alone... Probably even quieter than Aeris, and perhaps with the added grace of having Corus in the audio path.
Saluti, Guido |
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Exactly my impression of CH Precision when I heard it at RMAF a couple years ago... Hrd, edgy, with very displeasing treble on any material that had sostenuto in treble parts of any complexity... To my taste it was unlistenable... I asked the importer if the unit was fresh out of the box and not broken in. I was told in no uncertain terms that CH Precision is so good that it does not need any break-in... The gent continued asserting that CH Precision is so good that I needed to "learn" to appreciate its incredible quality.
Really unfortunate that I have the bad habit of trusting my own ears... Took back my test CD, thanked the gent, and walked out to enjoy much better sound most everywhere else at the show.
G. |
Excellent point about servers CTSooner.... How about your or Matt start a much needed
absolute top tier Music Servers
thread. I for one do not know enough about servers.... But eventually would like to migrate from my beloved Esoteric X-01 used as a transport for all my CDs to a server with integrated solid-state storage. Rather than broadening this fine watering hole to include servers sub-topics, it would be nice to have a sister thread concentrating on SOTA servers.
Saluti, Guido |
Hi ctsooner, there is no "average" monthly cost for keeping a system fully powered up 24/7. It depends entirely on the current draw. In the late 1990s I kept my old Rowland M7 high bias 350W monoblocks running at full power for some three weeks in Austin (TX). The overage on my AC bill came to about $15. These days I keep my system at full power all the time, including the Rowland M925 430W class D monos, and my montly electric bill is minimal... Wife never complains.
But leaving the system at full power is not purely a matter of minimizing system stress during rapid thermal excursions.... I have experienced with my gear over the years that it takes a couple of hours to up to a couple days for a system to reach peak performance... That is running at full power, and grinding some audio signal. Even if fully powered up, the first CD I play after a few days of inactivity ends up serving as "warm up".... The second CD, is quite nice, and by the third one the system is glowing with music.
G.
G. |
An attractive feature of the Antipodes DX is the integration of a CD reader mechanism. Does anyone know if Aurender may be planning to introduce a similar feature on some upcoming/future server models?
Regards, G. |
Thank you tdimler, do keep us posted!
Guido
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THank you so much Matt, I played the Aurender video... I was not able to determine if ACS will be a stand-alone unit sporting ripper+storage+server, or will it be something that one needs to pair to a server like N10?
G.
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Thank you Matt, I also fear that ACS might be an add on for other music servers instead of an integrated server+storage+ripper, which is not what I am hoping. Eventually I would like to replace my trusty Esoteric X-01 with one single device to serve as an integrated server with mass storage and CD ripper.
Future will tell. I am hardly in a rush, and will happily wait for these types of devices to mature. Guido
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Thank you so much CTSooner for the suggestion.... I have started an Excell spreadsheet to track servers with storage+ripper features... Only three entries this far... Please keep suggestions coming. I am confident that by the time I am ready for taking the step towards a music server, there will be a number of choices.
G.
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Hi Glory, which Antipodes model are you referring to... And what do you not like about it?
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Thank you Richard... Matt, if Antipodes DX2 is officially "Off the island", please do post your final comparative findings vs Aurender N10.... Audiophrenic minds crave to know!!!!
Saluti, G. |
Hi Audioman58, Andreas Coch of Playback Design is a fabulously talented engineer. The zany gang of this DAC watering hole have examined PB and PS Audio DACs at length in the past, as you will be able to read in older pages of this thread... However, currently the gang are examining DACs that appear to be outperforming PB and PS Audio.
G. |
Trying a USB cable that lacks a DC line would be indeed a worth while experiment.
I believe that my Rowland Aeris DAC does not require a powered USB cable.... I need to check this with the factory. I am using a coaxial connection using an HFC Ultra... SPDIF being the superior connection for this DAC, according to the manufacturer.
Concerning PS Audio Huron driver, it is inevitable that DAC manufacturers keep leap-frogging one another with software or hardware upgrades, and retests are definitely worth while... Case in point, the audible performance of my Aeris has been enhanced by a staggring factor since I have replaced its stock power supply with the new Rowland Power Storage Unit (PSU), which is a full external chassis that feeds Aeris clean DC from a bank of ultracapacitors, resulting in Aeris operating off the AC grid 24/7.
Guido
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Mola Mola is an extremely small company and Bruno Putzeys is the heart and soul of the company. Mola Mola's DAC, while having a very small footprint, is extremely complex. I am not surprised that it is late. On the other hand, the delay may be caused by an external factor, like it happened on the Kaluga amp, where the construction of the casing by external suppliers turned out to be challenging.
Regardless, Putzeys is a major luminary of the industry, and his work/product is worth following... Patience ever remains golden.
G. |
Hi Matt, I suspect that the Merril Element 118 class D prototypes might be a little less demanding of your AC than your class A/B Burmesters.
Even without their final Power Factor Correction (PFC) circuits, secondary regulators, and various other proprietary subcircuits still to be integrated, the amps should achieve an efficiency of at least 75%. Once the devices are finalized, efficiency might eventually reach somewhere between 85% and 95%.
This is not to say that Element 118 monos won't benefit from being each fed through a dedicated line to maximize isolation, and minimizing cross-talk, noise, etc... But depression of transients and low level detail might be less of an issue than with your Burmester amps sharing AC circuits with each other or with your line level components.
G.
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Al, you are correct, when I moved into my new home in SC, I plugged each of my ROwland M925 monos into a dedicated 20A circuit, with a third circuit used for my line-level devices.
At first blush, I did detect a certain amount of hardness in the overall tembre. Within 3 to 4 weeks the hardness tapered off gradually and the tembre bloomed, and eventually it very much surpassed what the system was able to deliver in my previous home, where I had one dedicated circuit plus one shared line.
I should point out though, that my equipment had been in storage for six months between the old set up and the new one. So, it is possible that some of the initial anomalies and subsequent settling had to do with the electronic having regressed, and then re-broken in.
Guido |
Hello Matt... I'll drink [fizzy San Pellegrino] to that... Here's to real love of sound and music, and our ever-patient quest for audio Nirvana!
G.
G. |
Hello Elizabeth.... I am not surprised that the Bartok quartets might sound a little strident.... I'm afraid that your new Marantz needs to share the blame with good old Bela.... As much as I love Bartok's overall opus, his quartets are, IMO a little edgy for my old ears *Grins!*
Saluti, G. |
" @david_ten - If you like NOS PCM DAC designs (no DSD), I suggest you check out the Metrum Acoustics Adagio which is their top of the line. It incorporates
a unique volume control implementation which varies the operating voltage of the DAC rather than adding in an additional stage or digitally implemented
volume control. It provides a continuous volume control without typical losses or compression most other designs exhibit."
Sounds like a perfect description of the volume control of my Jeff Rowland Aeris... Yes, not the newest DAC on the market by any stretch of the imagination, but particularly when powered by the external PSU power supply, an amazing maker of music.
G. |
