Hi Peterb,
I recently took the plunge and ordered the NWO-2.5. I'll post my impressions after I receive and evaluate my unit. In the meantime, I would like to share what I uncovered in my research. This was very helpful in making my decision to take the plunge. Perhaps, it may be helpful for you also.
There are several reviews/impressions of the NWO series on the APL Forum and on Audiogon. Some of the reviewers of the NWO also own several top-tier digital sources including EMM Signature combo, dCS stack, Spectral SDR4000S, Zanden combo, and Reimyo as well as the state-of-the-art vinyl front-ends that ranged from $32K to $65K. In addition to the seductive superlatives for the NWO, the reviewers heralded the NWO-2.0 and its superior successor the NWO-2.5 not only as the state-of-the-art digital but also as being head-and-shoulders ahead of the top-tier players listed above, in both the Redbook and SACD formats. For some reviewers, "nothing came even close" to the NWO-2.5. Perhaps more significant, were the comments that placed the 2.5 on par with or better than the state-of-the-art vinyl. In other words, this may be a milestone for both digital and vinyl. For details, see for example: http://www.aplhifi.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=558
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?ddgtl&1126769860&openfrom&285&4#285
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?ddgtl&1126769860&openflup&306&4#306
I'm a hard nosed academic and I'm not easily seduced by reviewers' superlatives. Therefore, I wanted to know what is the solid basis for those superlatives describing the NWO-2.5 milestone; the hardware, software, engineering and implementation:
1. The NWO is based on the Esoteric UX-1. It uses the UX-1's chassis and it's top-of-the-line VRDS-NEO transport (NOT the smaller and lighter version of the VRDS in the UX-3, X-03, P-03 or in the Spectral SDR4000S). Check out the pictoral comparison between NWO's transport (the VRDS-NEO) and some transports of other top-tier players: http://www.aplhifi.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=560
Those pictures are worth a million words! The rest of the audio elements in the NWO-2.5 are the brilliant extensive re-design and implementation by Alex Peychev.
2. 20 DACs per channel: A configuration of 10 DACs working in differential mode where each DAC chip has separate DACs inside for the differential outputs. These are the flagship AKM DACs that were designed for professional application with significantly less out-of-band noise compared to other DACs. That should dramatically reduce distortion and noise.
3. 211KHz/32bit upsampling (The world's first implementation was in the NWO-1.)
4. Proprietary APL Hi-Fi Master clock
5. Fully balanced and transformer coupled Class "A" tube output stage that features the dual triode 6H30pi known for it's extremely linear transfer characteristics.
6. H-Attenuator, with remote volume control (so, no preamp is needed), that is configured in Class "A" differential mode.
7. A special version of the output transformer, additional linear R-core power supplies.
Please note that I am not affiliated with APL Hi-Fi. I currently own the excellent APL 3910 with AKM DACs, and I'm impressed with what Alex accomplished in that player. Given NWO-2.5's solid engineering, my sublime experience with it's predecessor, and it's superlative reviews, it appears that this milestone is worth mortgaging the house for. In my humble opinion, it's worth taking the plunge. Stay tuned. I'll post my impressions.
Best Regards,
John |
Hi Hbarrel, One has to wonder if the aforementioned threads are nothing more than a marketing strategy. Reasonable skepticism is good but baseless speculation is not! Most of the positive comments about APL's NWO in this thread and in the provided links were made by audiophiles who are not affiliated with the APL company. They are not unlike some of comments you made on other threads. For example, you commented on the AH! Njoe Tjoeb 4000 CD player on at least eight (8) thread on Audiogon. Your comments were effusive, gushing with delight. AND, you provided links! But, it would be equally baseless for me to speculate that your comments and links might be a part of a marketing strategy! Best Regards, John |
Hi Clio09, Puremusic - pointing to an APL forum is helpful but in no way is it objective IMO. As of today, you have answered 419 threads on Audiogon and initiated 17 threads. What percentage of those were objective? Best Regards, John |
Hi Optarchie, It is very important to try everything in you setup. Also realize that the other components must be able to allow you to hear differences otherwose it is very hard to discern between digital playback. I totally agree with you that the best way to evaluate a particular component is in a properly set up system consisting of sufficiently resolving components and in your own familiar listening room. I would add that proper acoustical room treatment/correction is also essential because poor room acoustics could camouflage both strenghts and weaknesses of a component. And in my humble opinion, it's best to evaluate a component over a long period of time. In the links I provided in my post above, it is made clear that several of the reviewers owned both the NWO and the particular top-tier players they were comparing it with (including Meridian 808 Signature, EMM Signature combo, Zanden, dCS stack, Spectral SDR4000S, Reimyo). It is also clear that those comparisons where done in state-of-the-art systems. These comparisons were NOT done in dealer showrooms or on a short term loan from a dealer. Therefore, your blanket implications to the contrary are not true. To let them stand without a correction would be irresponsible. It is one thing to express your opinion about equipment, it is quite another to falsely imply that those audiophiles with their state-of-the-art systems were negligent in their comparison tests. Perhaps, your lack of knowledge of the details was due to your not being able to use the above links since, for some reason, they got truncated. Should you request, I can provide those links in a private email. I wish people would say more accurate responses when someone needs their help. Amen! Judging by the calibre of the digital sources you auditioned (Ayre CX-5e, dCS separates, Wadia 861se, Esoteric X-01 Limited and the P-03/D-03 combo), you are obviously a very devoted audiophile. The fact that the NWO-2.0 and the Meridian 808 are the only digital sources that now remain in your system suggests to me that, except for your opinion on the 808, you agree with the reviewers in my links that the NWO is superior to the rest of the top-tier players you heard. The difference of opinion on the 808 can perhaps be attributed to individual preferences/systems. It's great that you have found a player that satisfies your taste preferences and is synergistic with your system. Congratulations! You are entitled to express your opinions about your equipment as you have done. For example: The apl players are very nice indeed but you folks are being very milseading by saying it crushes the Meridian 808. There is no digital playback made that can do that period. I have the Apl nwo-2 and it is a great player but it doesn't hold a candle to the meridian. It appears that you are of the opinion that no digital playback can crush the Meridian 808 but the 808 can crush other digital players. I attribute this extreme opinion to your youthful exuberance for your new toy. By the way, you didn't mention if you have heard the NWO-2.5, the successor to your 2.0. Those who heard both the 2.5 and the 2.0, claim the 2.5 crushes the 2.0 (see the links in my previous post). If you do hear the 2.5, let us know your impressions. Best Regards, John |
Hi Dracule1, I posted the following on another Audiogon thread on 9/3/06: The APL NWO-2.5 for USA is $21K and for Europe it's $22K. As I understand it, the price difference is due to the higher cost of the European version of the Esoteric unit. Best Regards, John |
Hi Dgarretson, With $10K in mods on top of the Esoteric mule, APL is at an unprecedented price-point for a modder. It seems like what we are seeing here is evolution beyond the modder's art to a branded, productized solution, albeit one with dual branding. The NWO-2.5 is Alex Peychev's cost-no-object design. Technically, this is not a "mod" of the Esoteric UX-1 (or X-01) because all audio elements get replaced by proprietary elements as I have noted in my post above. To design the best possible digital source, Alex decided that he needed to start with the best available transport. Since Esoteric does not licence their top-of-the-line VRDS-NEO transport (They do licence their smaller/lighter VRDS.), the only way to get this transport is to use an X-01 or UX-1 as a mule. Some may call his decision fanaticism or obsession. After following Alex's work and enjoying his previous creation (the APL 3910), I call it the ultimate devotion to perfection. But even with this extra cost, Alex was able to achieve the state-of-the-art at far below the cost of many of the top-tier players. I saw a post somewhere by Alex that said Esoteric/Teac supports his effort 100%. Don't know what APL's marketing plan is for this unit. Word of mouth? Travel to CA for Audition? It's quite an evolution in the hi-end that the world's best player could also be the world's best kept secret. At present, there does not appear to be a marketing plan. It's all word of mouth. As I read and heard the comments about the NWO-2.5 from a variety of sources (Audio Asylum, Audiogon, APL Forum, private communications), it was clear to me that most of the superlatives attributed to the NWO-2.5 went beyond what I have read about other top-tier players. They were groping for a new language to describe the NWO. And these were comments by audiophiles who owned several top-tier players and state-of-the-art vinyl systems. That inspired me to order the 2.5 and check it out for myself. I'll post my impressions when I get it. In the meantime, I agree with you that there should be broader coverage. I'm trying to do my part by sharing the information that I came up with during my research. But my real test will be in tasting the pudding. Stay tuned. Best Regards, John |
Hi Dgad, I keep seeing each of Alex's newer units as being described here in Audiogon as "blowing away" the previous generation. There is a lack of description of how it is better. In my first post above, I provided a link to a thread on the APL Forum which contains the information you are asking for. You will find extensive details there by three different posters on 8/27/06, each comparing the NW0-2.5 with the 1.0. And on 8/29/06, a poster gives many details comparing the 2.5 with the 2.0. (With some research, additional relevant details can be uncovered elsewhere on Audiogon, Audio Asylum and the APL Forum.) No short summary could do justice to the extensive comments made in those four posts. That is why I provided that link to their first-hand accounts. Three of those posters, like me, are not affiliated with the APL company. After reading those posts, you can decide for yourself if this is just "selling" or information provided by serious audiophiles. For your convenience, I will provide the link again: http://www.aplhifi.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=558Best Regards, John |
Hi Hbarrel, True, but I was commenting on an established product. Not some phantom device that doesn't even exist on the companies own web site. Unfortunately, your reply to my post about your speculation is based on erroneous assumptions. If you had checked out the above links, you would have noticed that the NWO-2.5 was first announced on the APL web site on 8/24/06. (See Announcements in the Digital section of the APL Forum on the aplhifi.com web site. The interactive nature of the web site was achieved by integrating the forum with the web site. Personally, I prefer this to the static one-sided web sites.) What may make that announcement more credible for you is that it was made by an owner of the NWO-2.5, not by the APL staff. You will also find on that site listening impressions by owners of the NW0-2.5 and other audiophiles who have auditioned a production unit. By definition, an object that actually exists is not a phantom. To argue otherwise, has no basis in fact. (Similarly, your speculation, in a previous post above, lacks factual evidence.) Calling the NWO a "phantom device", contrary to the evidence, amounts to name-calling. Personally, I prefer a more civil discussion. Best Regards, "The Phantom":-) |
6moons.com just posted a preview of Srajan Ebaen's review of Esoteric P-03/D-03/G-0s which uses the VRDS-NEO transport. This is Teac's top-of-the-line transport that is also in APL's NWO-2.5. Srajan uses, with permission, Alex's photo comparing the VRDS-NEO with other transports used in some high-end players. He also credits Alex for bringing this to our attention: "Alex to the rescue." If more high-end manufacturers will pay more attention to their transports, we could all benefit. Here is the link to the 6moons' preview: http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/esoteric4/trio.html |
Check out the impressive measurements for the APL NWO-2.5 that Alex Peychev posted on the APL Forum: http://www.aplhifi.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=593They correlate with the stunning sound that is unfolding with only 65 hours of burn-in time on my NWO. I can't wait to hear it when it's burnt-in with the recommended 200-300 hours and when my primary amp is back in the system. |
Smilin, Yes I did get my NWO-2.5 recently. But shortly before its arrival, one of the monoblocks of my venerable Jadis JA80 amps had to be shipped off to New York for repairs. So, I'm burning in my NWO using the solid state amp that normally drives the subwoofer. You got to have pity on a tube man like me:-) I can't wait for the NWO to burn-in so I could check out what it's made of. Hopefully, by the time I return from my holiday trip to California my Jadis will be back. I'll definitely give you my impressions of the NWO.
Best,
John |
