I have one on order, and, with God's good grace, it should be here in several weeks. :) I heard the prototype at CES, and it floored everyone who heard it. We were using the preamp section of the EMM DCC2 (which, IMO, is one of the most accurate, revealing pre sections out there), and the Dart was clearly better in every regard: quieter, much more fluid, more dynamic, more revealing, etc., etc., etc. Jonathan Tinn (JTinn) and Mike Lavigne (Mikel) have both heard the finalized version, and both are positively drooling over it. DarTZeel is starting to get some very good press over here (that utterly ridiculous Soundstage review excepted), and the preamp should vault them into the stratosphere. It's certainly not cheap at 20k, but that has more to do with the weak dollar than anything else. IMO, judging from what I heard at CES, it'll set a new standard in preamp design. It's that good. Give Jonathan a call, and he'll go into detail about it with you. His email is info@chambersaudio.com. Hope this helps! |
Frank:
I thought twice about writing that comment--perhaps it was worded a bit strongly--but I thought I should make my thoughts known. (And I actually am pretty open-minded. If you read my posts, that should be pretty obvious.) If you read that review, Jeff Fritz paired ONE DartZeel with the Alexandria X-2s. He claimed that the Wilson is an 8-ohm load, but that only tells part of the story. Actually, the Wilson dips below 4 ohms in the bass and elsewhere, and that may explain his complaints about the bass. As for value, I can understand his reservations. The cost of the Dart is largely based on the weak dollar. And I didn't agree at all with his comments about the comparisons with the M1.2 and Boulder 1060. You own the Lamm, correct? I don't mean to step on any toes, but I've heard the 1.2 several times in friends' homes--one actually had them paired with Kharma 3.2s--but the sound just wasn't my cup of tea. (I prefer great SS to great tube, anyway.) While the construction of the Boulder 1060 is beyond reproach, I found its sound sterile and uninvolving. Same thing with its bigger brother. Yes, it was Fritz's opinion, and to that he is entitled. But I'm entitled to mine, and I found his choice of partnering gear a little suspect. I heard a single Dart paired with the Maxx2s, and I didn't like it all. The X-2s simply were not a good match for the Dart. And to make the pronouncement that the Dart is not a good value, based on what was clearly a system mismatch, is a little irresponsible. You, as a reviewer and longtime audiophile, should know how important gear matching is--especially when your comments could potentially make or break a company. Also, you write for Soundstage, don't you? Was your post perhaps a little influenced by that? If not, I apologize. At any rate, as you say, we're all entitled to our opinions--that what this hobby is all about anyway--but I think journalists have a responsibility for covering all their bases before they make a pronouncement like Fritz did. As a one-time writer for a New York newspaper, I know all about that. BTW, I didn't attend the meeting. Ellice wanted to see the Rodin exhibit at the DIA. After years of her suffering with my audiophilia, I thought it time to reciprocate. :) I may host a meeting once I get the preamp in and everything broken in. Then we can get a chance to argue again! |
Frank:
You make good points. And I don't want to argue, either. I was just being facetious. Guess my humor needs a little work. You're right: There is WAY too much arguing and dick swinging in this hobby. It makes my stomach churn. As for my calling Jeff's comments irresponsible, again I may worded things too strongly, but IMO the X-2 is NOT the best match for the DarTZeel. Maybe our sound of "great" sound differs. The DarTZeel may be 100w, but for some reason I can't explain, it doesn't sound as good with really tough loads, which the Wilson definitely is in the bass. I heard another friend's Grand Slamms paired with the 2.1s, and, at least with the music I'm used to listening to (rock), it just didn't have the slam and balls I wanted. Others may have different expectations, and that's fine, but for me, the combo just didn't do it. But, that's my OPINION. I did hear the M1.2s that you have (I think) paired with the Kharma 3.2s, and even though it essentially is a solid state amp, it still does have a tube, which influences the sound. If not, why would Vladimir put it in there? Anyway, I liked the sound alot, but something (I'm not quite sure what; I have to flush the cannabis from my brain) just didn't click with me. I didn't mean to start a war with you with my words. I thought that Jeff's matching of the Dart was a little suspicious because of the Dart's quirky speaker-matching characteristics--and I stand by that--but I don't want this to turn nasty. There's more than enough of that on these forums. Let's just say, we agree to disagree about certain things. I will watch my words a little more carefully from now on, but in the heat of the moment, sometimes things don't come out as you quite intended. I'm sure you're not immune to that, either. Ellice loved the exhibit. Makes my impending purchase of the Dart preamp a little easier. Did you make it to the inaugural meeting of the SE Michigan Audio Club (or whatever it's called)? I'd like to make it to the next one. Maybe we'll see each other there. No hard feelings? |
Frank:
You make good points. And I don't want to argue, either. I was just being facetious. Guess my humor needs a little work. You're right: There is WAY too much arguing and dick swinging in this hobby. It makes my stomach churn. As for my calling Jeff's comments irresponsible, again I may worded things too strongly, but IMO the X-2 is NOT the best match for the DarTZeel. Maybe our concepts of "great" sound differs. The DarTZeel may be 100w, but for some reason I can't explain, it doesn't sound as good with really tough loads, which the Wilson definitely is in the bass. I heard another friend's Grand Slamms paired with the 2.1s, and, at least with the music I'm used to listening to (rock), it just didn't have the slam and balls I wanted. Others may have different expectations, and that's fine, but for me, the combo just didn't do it. But, that's my OPINION. I did hear the M1.2s that you have (I think) paired with the Kharma 3.2s, and even though it essentially is a solid state amp, it still does have a tube, which influences the sound. If not, why would Vladimir put it in there? Anyway, I liked the sound alot, but something (I'm not quite sure what; I have to flush the cannabis from my brain) just didn't click with me. I didn't mean to start a war with you with my words. I thought that Jeff's matching of the Dart was a little suspicious because of the Dart's quirky speaker-matching characteristics--and I stand by that--but I don't want this to turn nasty. There's more than enough of that on these forums. Let's just say, we agree to disagree about certain things. I will watch my words a little more carefully from now on, but in the heat of the moment, sometimes things don't come out as you quite intended. I'm sure you're not immune to that, either. Ellice loved the exhibit. Makes my impending purchase of the Dart preamp a little easier. Did you make it to the inaugural meeting of the SE Michigan Audio Club (or whatever it's called)? I'd like to make it to the next one. Maybe we'll see each other there. No hard feelings? |
Jtinn:
The Malinowski review is quite interesting--and heartening to an owner of the DarTZeel amp. I'm a little surprised that Mike had such good results with the X-2, since mine with the Maxx2s was less than impressive. I chalked it up to the impedence dips in the speaker, but perhaps I was wrong. Maybe the amp wasn't broken in. Who knows? I've been wrong enough times to fill the Grand Canyon. |
Oneobgyn:
I understand and appreciate your stance. I don't think Jeff Fritz fell outside the mainstream because he described what he heard. At first I thought that he had matched his components poorly, but I trust Jonathan and Mike when they say that an 18W amp can drive the X-2s successfully, so a 100-watter should as well. My experience with the Maxx2s led me astray, as there must have been something wrong with the Dart at that demo. Either it wasn't broken in or something else was amiss. That experience led me to conclude that the upper-end Wilsons were tough loads not ideally suited for the DarTZeel. Obviously the 6 Moons review has proved me wrong. Wouldn't be the first time. At any rate, I want to let this rest. You have a beautiful system that must give you immense pleasure and satisfaction. Mine is well different from yours, but it also gives me satisfaction. Your comments about the Halcro, BTW, are accurate, though I think the buzz was even stronger with the Halcro. IMHO, and to my ears, the Halcro generally didn't live up to the hype. Maybe the DarTZeel will. Who knows? Only time will tell. I'm a pretty happy camper right now, though, and that's all that counts to me. |
Frank:
You're right that there could be a double standard here. Hey, I really don't care. I just want to enjoy my music, and this whole blowup is seriously getting in the way. If you and others don't want to give me or Mike credibility because we're close friends with Jonathan, that's fine. Doesn't bother me one whit. No one else cares what I say, so why should anyone here? :) But I do essentially agree with your point. If the reviewers are to be criticized for their ties to Boulder and Lamm, then, yes, maybe Mike's and my motivations should be called into question because of our ties to Jonathan. I can assure you that my opinions of my gear are NOT biased by my connection to JT. You and others may think so, and you're entitled to your opinion. But I've listened to a lot of gear over the years, and this is the best I've personally heard. THAT'S MY OPINION, and people can either accept or reject it as they see fit. Doesn't bother me in the least, just as it shouldn't bother you if people disagree with your thoughts on Kharma or Lamm. As for my comments on Fritz's review, yes, it does look like I was wrong, but at the time, and based on my audition, I seriously thought the Wilson was too tough a load for the DarTZeel. So sue me; I was in error. You're a good guy, and you're in the game for the right reasons, but have you never been wrong about an audio component? Everyone makes mistakes, but I was crucified for mine. I guess that kind of stuff happens when you make yourself a target, though, doesn't it? :) |
Oneobgyn:
To say that I "continually" make comments about how the DarTZeel requires adequate break-in before it's full potential is reached, you'd better go back through these threads, because I doubt if I made that comment even ONCE. I'm usually commenting on its sonic characteristics, not break-in requirements. Please don't put words in my mouth. A man of your obvious educational background should know better than that. |
Frank:
Just to clarify: My "utterly ridiculous" comment was tied to a previous phrase in which I said that DartTZeel was starting to get some very good press in the States, the lukewarm "Soundstage" review excepted. And, while I may have started this whole thing by my comment about the review (which, as you know, I gentlemanly retracted), I claim no responsibilty for the ugly and nasty turn it has taken since. JTinn and others may respond to your post, and then you'll likely feel compelled to respond to his/theirs. At some point, someone has to let it go. It's getting increasingly bitter and vitriolic, and it's not helping anyone, especially the poor original poster who just wanted opinions about the preamp. And, as much as you wanted to summarize the chain of events, I really don't like the fact that my "mistake" is being brought up over and over. I already feel like enough of a jerk, and this is just making me feel worse. As I said, someone has to let this mess go eventually. It's already spun far enough out of control. Just my OPINION. |
FYI, I have it on VERY good information that even the original CDSD upsampled to 2x DSD, and it did so automatically. I will try and confirm that tonight. |
Just FYI, I had a looong reply planned for Frank, but as the adults we are, we contacted each other offline and resolved ALL our differences in a most understanding and friendly manner. As far as both of us are concerned, this matter is settled. Period. It does not affect my friendship with JTinn in the least--I still love the guy like an older brother--but it's always better to have two friends than one. Frank and I both understand that to err is human, to forgive divine (Grandmaster Flash said that, right? :). Bickering like we've seen here is not only meaningless, it also hurts what matters most to us: this hobby and the friends we make from it. It also hurts a great company, DarTZeel, and an even greater man, its owner, Herve Deletraz. Let's try to put agendas and egos aside, and enjoy what we're all in this wacky pursuit for: the MUSIC and the ability to enjoy it in the luxury of our own homes at the highest possible fidelity. Can I get an amen? |
Ah, Mike. . . . Analog vs. digital. It begins anew. Well, you know where I stand on that one. :) |
My my, what a furor a few hastily chosen words can cause. It's completely true that there is no "right" or "wrong" in this hobby. There are many ways up the audio mountain. Each person who has posted to this thread has his own, and each is equally valid, IMO. My comments about Jeff Fritz's review did not paint him as an "SOB" or "disengenous," even though, in my haste, I did call his review "utterly ridiculous." I don't really feel that way, but at the time of the review, I felt that the X-2s were a hard load for the DarTZeels, and that he should have either chosen a different speaker or a different amp. My experience with the Maxx2/Dart combination did nothing to change my mind about that. But since some here are having great luck driving the X-2s with 18W Lamms, maybe I missed something. Maybe the Darts truly weren't broken in, hence the lackluster showing. I trust JTinn when he says that the Dart can drive the X-2 to ear-splitting levels. I just have to hear it for myself. As for the Fritz review, it may not have been for the reasons I cited, but his journalism DID leave a lot to be desired. See Jonathan's and Jack's comments above for a recap. |
