Sherod,
No I didn't,I will be raising that issue with Joseph when I send the unit to AH for a full upgrade,Clarity caps,power supply,Vishay resistors,transformers,etc.Talk soon. |
Mark,
I look forward to hearing your impressions after the upgrade. I am particularly interested at this time in the Vishay resistors. How many, what locations, and cost. I wish Joseph would upgrade his web site for current upgrades. |
Joseph brought a TP2.1 with Clarity capacitors and a feature he called harmonic alignment to test in my system yesterday. Sherod and others have noted the musical transparency of the Clarity capacitor. I agree with their assessment but will not repeat it here.
Without comment from Joseph, we listened to the preamp. What I heard that was new to my ears was an increased focus and dynamism to the individual voices and instruments within an ensemble. Voices and instruments seemed to me to vary more independently of one another.
I reported what I had heard and asked about "harmonic alignment." What is it?
It is a method to reduce distortion from signals greater than 60 kHz. Even though signals at such high frequencies are far above the hearing threshold of humans, these signals do cause harmonic distortions in frequencies that are within our hearing range.
At least, that is what I can repeat using my layman terms and understanding. I asked if there was attenuation of audible frequencies when the 60+ kHz frequencies are reduced. "No," for some reason related to impedance. Joseph has always been keen about impedance but he loses me quickly in that area.
Based on a single session of about 1 hour, I would say this feature reduces a distortion that masks the dynamics of individual instruments and voices. Of course, the voices continue to sing in tune together, but they do so in a more lively, independent, and natural manner. I guess you could call that singing with greater harmonic alignment. |
Cider many thanks for the info. Joseph is really going all out
With improving an already fine preamp. I'm hopping he has it all
Together by next month as I will be ready for rolling the dice
With shipping my 2,1 in for a upgrade. I've been lucky so far using
The usps you never no when your luck will run out though.
Mike |
Harmonic alignment.......................cool. |
I'm curious if this "harmonic alignment" is something done to the power supply regarding AC filtration or to the actual signal in the circuitry. |
Sorta like a "Doppler Effect" ? |
"Doppler Effect",don't go there we'll have the H-Cat crowd crying foul. |
Can any preamp be better than the final Audio Horizons TP 2.1 ? (kidding) |
Ouch! You beat me to it, Pat. I guess you'll have to start a new thread and get ready for the flames. (o: |
I am new to this post. I have been a lover of classic analog tuners for many years. I am taking my Sansui TU-919 tuner to Joseph for mods. I started reading this thread and decided to kill two birds... I have wanted to try a tubed pre with my Pass Labs gear for years (the last time I saw a glowing tube in my system was 1971) but never really had a reason. Now conveniance(free home audition) and chance have come together!
I currently have a Pass Labs X-0.2 feeding two Pass Labs Aleph 3s in vertical bi-amp configuration. My speakers are Audio Physic Virgo IIs. I will let you know what I hear!
I drop off my tuner and pick up my Audio Horizon 2.1R this Saturday AM. |
Gandme,
Joseph does great work on his tuner upgrades. He is the Master in this regard. He completely transformed my Harman/Kardon Citation 18 tuner. I look forward to your impressions of both the tuner and the preamp. |
Gandame,
Keep in mind that unless the 2.1R you are auditioning is already burned in it will take 300 to 500 hours of play time before it sings. |
Which brings up the question: If it really does need 300-500 hours break-in to sound its best, is Joseph's trial period long enough to cover that? |
Sherod I went the audition route and would say Joseph gave me more
Than enough time and I was won over by the fine sounding 2,1.
I sure would like to hear from more AH pre users who have gone
The upgrade route.
Mike |
It has been a few years now, but I recall deciding to keep my TP 2.0n after about 150 hours. My next step was finding a nice quad of Siemens CCa tube upgrades for further refinement. |
O yea Siemens early 60s CCAs are a step up along with Josephs Dimension power cord and ICs. Time on my system adds up
pretty fast as i daily play at least three or four lps and weekends its a music fest down here.
After all these years i still cant get enough of that good ole classic rock and roll. |
Is it Joseph's practice to give out new units for audition? I would think he'd have broken in 2.1s for audition. |
Unless Joseph is specifically selling a demo unit and/or has otherwise changed his policies, I had thought that all units shipped for evaluation were new with possibly just a few hours on them. A comment from Joseph or Victor here regarding this would be nice. |
I picked up the 2.1R today. It is up and running in my system. All my longer interconnects are XLR and I was using a pair of Cardas XLR to RCA adaptors to connect my Aleph 3s to my Pass Labs X-0.2 pre with balanced cables. For now I only have a pair of 3m $35 Audioquest Snakes....but it sounds great for the conditions! Joseph told be he runs his preamps for 1 week for breakin.
Once I some decent wire between my amps and the 2.1, I will chime in again. |
What tube complement is it running. |
First of all corrections to my last post, "me" instead of "be", and insert "get" in my last sentence. My typing does not always catch up with my thoughts.
I do not know which tubes are in his base model 2.1. I have 2.1R w/ a volume remote and no other upgrades. Joseph or Victor would need to answer that question.
I listened well into the evening and have been playing my go-to CDs to see if I hear any differences between the Pass s.s. pre and the 2.1. Surprisingly I hear more similarities than I do differences.I will have to wait for better wire before I make any true comparsons. After all the Pass Labs X-0.2 retailed for $10k and the Audio Horizons 2.1 retails for $2K. The only thing I can say at this point is the Pass 0.2 has much finer control over volume levels. |
Well if it's just stock EH's,which I suspect,that's already saying a lot.Throw a quad of NOS Siemens in there and it will really sing.Looking forward to your post audition review. |
I received my Audio Horizons Transparency ICs this afternoon. I will let them burn in for 50hrs or so before giving my opinion on the A.H. 2.1R preamp in my system. Just replacing the Audioquest Snake ICs has made a substantial improvement in the overall sound. I can't help noticing already that this preamp sounds good, very dynamic, with a big wide and deep sound stage....in fact freaky good for the price!
It will be difficult to have an objective opinion since my system has undergone so many changes in the last few months.
I have been selecting CDs to use, I will pick recordings that are cemented in my memory so those "ah ha" moments won't fail me. I am not in the position to do a A/B with my last preamp, a Pass Labs X-0.2...I will have to rely on memory.
I'm far from a good writer and even further from a good audio reviewer, but I do know what my ears like.
I have noticed a change in how my Sansui TU-717 Tuner sounds with this tube pre...much more analog,almost vinyl like.
Joseph is doing his full mods on my best tuner, a Sansui Tu-919. Hopefully this will make my radio listening even more natural/musical. It might put my CD player out of business! |
Gandme,
Joseph will do some very nice things to your TU-919. The Blackgate caps he puts in the power supply and signal path will need some break-in time, but in a short while, you might just be listening more to your tuner than your Cd player. It happened to me. Keep us posted. |
I forgot to mention that much later, after Joseph had upgraded my tuner, I put some Blackgates in the MPX section of my tuner and it made another huge improvement. I have a 1977 Harman/Kardon Citation Eighteen tuner so the circuit could be a little different than the Sansui TU-919, but you might run the MPX upgrade question by Joseph. He offers several cost upgrades to tuners. |
Hey Guys:
Well I finally got my AH DAC 3.0 back. The upgrade took much longer than I expected. Been playing it non-stop this weekend and want to give my initial impressions. As I indicated in earlier posts this is the Clarity-Vishay upgrade with harmonic alignment. The same one some of you are looking to apply to you AH preamps. This is not a review! I would never attempt to do that with my level of knowledge so please bear with me on this.
Just a few background notes:
I purchased the dac used from Grannyring about a year ago. My goal was to add some tube warmth and body to my all solid state system. My speakers are somewhat bright and forward sounding and my listening room amplifies these problems. Seemed like a good fit after chatting at length with Bill. The dac had upgraded, warmer sounding tubs so I went for it. The stock unit met my goals and expectations and then some. Just to nitpick a little I always thought the presentation was a little odd or different.
So right out of the gate I could tell the sound was much smoother and refined. There appears to be a film or haze that has been lifted and clear, detailed, wonderful music has emerged. The thing I like best is you can enjoy these new attributes at much lower listening volumes. Also, that presentation issue is a thing of the past. Perfect balance! From what you all are saying the best has yet to come keeping in mind I only have about 10 hrs of break-in time so far.
Ill report back in a few weeks.
Charlie |
Great news, Charlie. I look forward to hearing more of your impressions as the unit goes through its break-in process. I'm thinking it will only get better. |
Charlie, glad to hear that without any burn in you love the upgraded DAC. That is a great DAC and I am sure it is now something very special.
I have an idea for you if your amps are on the floor. Place them on Sistrum SP 004 stands and then place about 2 pounds of clean sand in a nice zip lock bag and place on top of your amp. The Sistrum stands the 003's or 004's can be had for about $150 each used.
Now listen to your system. Wait until you have some 200 hours on the DAC before doing this amp tweek. You will be very pleased! |
Yes indeed Bill. Likein this upgrade a lot. Just over 20hrs on it and I would already rate it as very, very positive! I can already verify two things that have been said in previous posts.
Cedar's post where he talks with Joseph about harmonic alignment is pretty much right on. The issue I mentioned earlier about presentation was not articulated correctly. What I was trying to say was instruments seemed a bit over emphasized compared to voices. This condition varied depending on recordings but it was noticeable to me. It is now a thing of the past.
Sherods comments about this upgrade being a no-brainer is also right on. Detail and clarity is just outstanding already. It gives the illusion of better musical dynamics simply by hearing more and being presented in a smoother and more refined way.
Sand on my amps??? Have you had a few too many this weekend? lol |
It seems a lot had been discussed about this AH preamp in here. Yet my question to your guys is:
Are this AH preamp that good:
Some of the contenders I have in mind and experienced with:
Sonic Frontiers Line 3
Canary CA-903
Also, I have noticed that Grannyring he had recently replaced this AH with the TRL Dude, right?
I am lost, please help
Robert |
Hi Robert,
No reason to feel lost. It's quite simple. E-mail or call Victor or Joseph to make arrangements for an audition. AH has a money-back return policy if you aren't happy with the preamp in your own system. |
Robertwofee,
I did replace my AH with the TRL Dude, but my AH preamp did not have the latest upgrades available from AH. I think his latest with all available upgrades would cost well over $4500. The Dude cost $3500.
I would like to compare the two someday and may.
Charlie, no I don't drink at all and I know it sounds a little strange, but the tweek with sand bags really helps some amps - not all amps :-)
The Sistrum stands are the real deal on all gear and speakers I have ever tried them under. |
I just upgraded the caps and wiring in my Reference 3a Dulcet speakers. The cap is the new Duelund VSF copper foil and it is as good as they say it is. Can you say "natural"? After much break-in, these speakers are really showing just how good Joseph's preamp is, particularly now that the pre's output caps have the new Claritycap MR caps in them. The transparency, dynamics and musicality is " to-die-for". (O: |
Sherod aint life grand when your stereo can deliver that natural sound.
What kind of wire did you use.
Mike |
The wire is a custom-made UPOCC copper solid core that Reference 3A buys in bulk. They sent me enough to do the pair. Interesting that the tweeter wire is .56mm and the mid/woofer is 1.26mm. |
Cdente - do you have more results to report from your TD3.0 DAC upgrade?
If I understand it correctly, this upgrade involved significant change, including a new DAC chipset (192kHz) and power supply chamge. |
Cedar:
I do have more results. My upgrade consists of caps, resistors and the harmonic alignment that you spoke of in an earlier post. There is no chip or power supply upgrade available (for their DAC) to the best of my knowledge.
I have a solid 100 hours of break-in time under my belt. There simply is no comparison of the unit now vs. when I first reported in at 20 hours. This upgrade is really very significant. Im happy with the overall results but there are a few aspects of the upgrade that have not bore fruit as of yet.
Quick summary:
1. Clarity and detail is just stunning.
2. Dynamics are improved and continuing to get better.
3. Overall sound seems bright and a bit thin.
4. Bass is nowhere near what I was hoping for but is slowly seeping out.
I have confirmed that the Clarity MR caps take lots of time to break in. In fact I suspect it will take another 100 hours to really get an ideal of the final result. Other components and my room could be at the root of issues 3 & 4. I did find it interesting that the Clarity MR caps did not work out so well in my new preamp. Had to go back to the Mundorf Supreme caps. With that said I cannot be sure that the bulk of the DAC improvements are the results MR caps or the combination of them with Vishay resistors and harmonic alignment. Ill report back at the 200 hour mark.
Charlie |
Ive just finished reading the entire thread! And I am seriously considering buying one AH 2.1. Do you know if I get any discount for reading the entire thread? :):):)
The thing that surprised me the most is the few comments on the Audio Horizon phono preamplifier, the TP 8.0. That is important to me, because I listen to Lps more than Cds. How does the TP 8.0 (alone or as part of the 2.1) compare to good phono sections out there? Many thanks, Pablo. |
Although I moved away from vinyl some time ago, I have listened to the TP 8.0. It's a very good phono preamp. You can listen to it, too. Contact Jospeh and ask for a trial. |
Pablo
I think that if you summarize the thread concisely without leaving anything important out, it should merit a discount:) I do feel that even without a discount you will be very pleased. My AH has given me years of undiminished enjoyment.
Welcome to the club
Joe |
Hey Charlie!(Cdente) How are those components sounding now with some time on them? |
Sounding absolutely wonderful and keeps getting better. I've got a solid 200 hours on it now. All kinds of changes occur between 125 and 200hrs. It's really fun to experience. That brightness in the highs is fading away and the sound stage has got deeper and wider. Voices sound like real people. Bass continues to improve but at very small increments.
I think you said that I can expect more improvements up to 300 hrs. Is that correct? This will probably be my last report since I'm introducing a new preamp tomorrow. All I can say is this is by far the best improvement in sound I have ever experienced - upgrade or new components alike. Thanks to all again for turning me on to the MR's! |
Charlie,
As you know I only have the MR caps in my preamp, but yes, I heard improvements up through the 300 hr. mark. Once you hit the 200 hr. mark, you're 90% there though. I look forward to hearing more comments from you about your system and particularly your new preamp. What preamp do you have coming? |
Hi Sherod
Giving the TRL Dude a try. I just got it today. I pulled the trigger on the DAC upgrade and Dude purchase at the same time. Finally just got the Dude. Both companies took forever to deliver but as you know I'm very happy with the DAC upgrade.
I can't say much yet about the TRL Dude other than thisbut I can say this. After only 7 hours the bass is already better than my Bel Canto Pre3 that it replaced. I can also sense the ease at which it play's at higher volumes. In other words the sound gets bigger not just louder. Way to early to comment otherwise.
I may have an issue with the right channel and the darn thing did not come with feet! Don't know what that's all about but it does not make me happy. Out of town all next week so catch up with you later.
Charlie |
Hey Charlie(Cdente),
How's that Dude and Dac upgrade sounding. I would love to hear your current impressions. |
Hi Sherod:
The Dude is going through its second break in milestone and I'm replacing a defective tube. Give me a little more time and I'll fill you in.
cd |
Hi guys,
Trust most have seen the 50% off promo sale on mods being offered by Joseph.Fortunately I waited to do the "cv" upgrade,Clarity caps,Vishay resistors,harmonic re alignment(I love that term)My question is this,AH is also offering the install of line balancing out transformers for $550(ouch)and input transformers at $350,no discounts are being offered on these mods.Has anyone done this transformer mod,worth the money,consider doing both or just one and if so which one? |
This new promotion is a good deal for those who have been holding back:
http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?preatube&1256773013&/Audio-Horizons-TP-2.1-July-Pro
I am strongly considering the Vishay resistor upgrades. I already have the Claritycap MR caps in the pre outputs. |
My error,the discount upgrades only apply if you purchase a new pre amp.Doh! |
