Wow! I just had to voice my preliminary impression of the upgrades done to my TP 2.0 pre and 8.0 phono stage. I hate to simply echo the many comments that have already been posted, but I'm pretty freaked. I guess one gets quite excited when his system takes this kind of major leap forward.
Truth be told, I was a little cautious about the upgrade to 2.1 specs having read some discrepancies on this thread. I'm so glad I decided to pull the trigger. The sound that I'm getting even at this preliminary point (about 50 hours) is just plain scary. Detail, immediacy and dynamics - not much imagination is needed to hear things you only get from the live event. This is truly high end sound.
As for the 8.0 phono stage, I previously had the MM coupled with external step up transformers. The step ups were Bent Audio MUs, which are by no means slouchy. But I always felt that the 8.0 just didn't give me that last bit of excitement. All that has changed with the internal installation of the MC version of the 8.0 by Joseph. Setting aside the fact that this phono stage is just dead silent, it is simply outstanding in every way (and this is with an over-achieving, but "budget" cartridge). My comparison is to some very well-regarded phono stages, some costing 3 times the cost of the 8.0.
Please excuse my effusiveness. It comes from knowing that this pre is going to get even better time. I still have things I want to upgrade, but this preamp (which has all Siemens E88CC gray plates) is not going to be one of them.
Thanks so much, Joseph and Victor. Cheers!
Sang
System: Joule VZN 160 OTL monoblocks, ICEH2O Audio S250 Amp, Bi-amp'd Magnepan Tympani 4's (crossover mod's), Michell Orbe, SME V, Denon 103R and Koetsu Urushi, G&D Transforms Reference One CD player, Behringer DCX 2496.
*And for the record, I have no affiliation with nor do I receive anything from Audio Horizons other than their bill for services, which I appreciatively pay.
