As an remote member of the aforementioned Chicago shootout gang, I feel most impressed by the degree of attention our little thread seems to have generated.
I might as well ask Kana813 where in the US he had the fortunate opportunity to listen to a Teac P0 player, augmented by a G0 external clock. The Teac Esoteric USA site does not list P0, D01, G0, G0S in the US catalogue because Teac America has sadly not seen it fit to import such devices.
As for our little thread being a testbed for sociological case studies, I am truly delighted Lazarus28 has found us worthy of such exalted academic attentions. Regretably sociology, being 80% untestable assumptions and 20% mental elucubrations ad-absurdum, does not qualify as a science.
It is fair to point out that SMILIN, AVGURU, JAYCTOY, yours humbly, and the rest of our little gang are not pretending to be questing for that almost biblical or alchemical TRUE TRUTH [version 4.1), nor that ideological clap-trappery epitomized by Zdanovian Socialist Realism--but rather for that ineffable sound which will uniquely delight us in so many differing ways. There are some of us who have found the most temporary solace in the APL mods, others in the DanWright ones. Others are still holding out, and hoping secretly that their true love (X-01) will still Reign Supreme--mayhaps we should aptly rename ourselves the 'Iron Audiofools" and invite Chairman Kaga to preside over our esoteric circle!
As for myself, I am yet another foolish digital audio grayhound, hopelessly chasing the electronic rabbit running ever faster along the digital rail. . . Arf, Arf, Arf!!!
Ponderously yours,
Aloysius Q. Schmaltzenstein Gavronsky |
TBG, it is my understanding that APL 3910 was in fact included in the shootouts. That would have been 711smilin's unit. Though, as I recall, at that time the unit did not include the masterclock that Alex just lately added to 711smilin's unit. So in my view, fresh rounds of shootouts among the latest APL 3910, Modwright Sony 999ES, and Teac UX-1 and X-01 are in order. Please note that the ModWright does not support a masterclock at this time. It will be interesting to determine if this feature makes a decisive difference. |
TBG, the Exemplar 2900 was in the contest. But, apparently unanimously, it came in behind the APL, and at least for those who thought the ModWright 999ES to be best, it came in third place. You are correct in stating that any shootout results should be considered with a grain of salt. On the other hand, the only thing worse than having such shootouts is not having one at all. Let us remember that the Chicago gang is primarely busy having fun. As an added bonus, they are sharing their fun with us. It is up to you/us/everyone-else to read through and extract those little nuggets of priceless information that may be useful to us. Besides, isn't it fun just reading these threads? Guido |
TBG, as all threads are linear lists, it should make no difference monitoring a short or a long one. Only the last 50 postings max are displayed by default. To see the last few postings of a thread all is needed is to press ctrl-end to go to the bottom of the page, then up-arrow a dozen times. I am totally blind and it takes me no more than 3.5 seconds to find the last posting on any thread. I bet it will take you as a sightling a lot less than that! Happy reading. |
JayCToy, did you mean X-01 instead of 0X1? |
Kana813: Please do describe the supersistem you listen to with the Teac front-end and give us your sonic findings in detail.
TBG: There are two Teac clocks compatible with X-01, UX-1, P70/D70, and the higher components: G0, and G0S. The G0 is likely some kind of advanced crystal oscillator clock. G0S is Rubidium-based, but whether a Rubidium crystal is used as an oscillator, or nuclear decay is measured from a sample I do not know.
I am pasting below some info I posted on them on the DV50 shootout thread:
Teac Esoteric G-0 external clock generator has an accuracy of ±0.1ppm. It is said to be:
a. ten times more accurate than the DCS Verona, rated at 1ppm.
b. 30 times more accurate than the internal clock of the X-01 and X-03, which are rated at 3ppm.
c. 100 times more accurate than the internal clock of the DCS Verdi, apparently rated at 10ppm.
The list price of G-0 in Japan is relatively reasonable: equivalent to $4500.
The Rubidium-based Teac Esoteric G-0s clock generator is yet another entire kettle of fish: a staggering accuracy of ±0.05ppb(=±0.00005ppm)!! List price in Japan approx equivalent to $11000!!
Both clocks appear to be compatible with X-01 and UX-1, and will likely also work with X-03 and UX-3. They are also said to be compatible with DCS gear. |
Kana813: The only two-box front-end from TEAC I heard was the P70/D70 combo. I found its sound to be so close on redbook to single-box X-01 to make the apparent difference negligible. Granted, the statement must be tempered by the fact that I heard these on two different systems.
I am sure I could find a way to import the P01/D01/D01 tri-box solution from Japan or I may be able to get Teac America to special order it, but its price tag makes it quite simply out of the question. The beauty of X-01 is that it is also a very good starting point for future expansion. A fellow audiogoner from N.Y. (MGOTTLIEB) is using it now as a transport: he has augmented it with the DCS Elgar + Purcell and finds the mixed stack to be superior to a purely DCS stack.
A similar arrangement could be made with X-01 and a Zanden DAC. And of course X-01 would accept the G0 and G0S clocks. Now, if you are starting to ask yourself why on earth I do not stop talking about this and act instead, you are not the only one. . . It's the usual WAF: a rather complicated 'quantum entanglement' of sorts. |
Thank you AVGURU for your kind words.
What is also amusing is that my current CDP is in fact an excellent--if venerable--EAD T1000/DSP7000 Mk.3 combo unit, which in distant 1994 sat towards the top of the then young digital dungheap.
Of course, I did not choose it because it was a two-box unit, but because it sounded better than anything I could find in not-so-sunny Toronto at the time, except for its larger brother, which had been vetoed by my financially responsible better half.
In recent times, having heard the DS tristack with firewire, Teac X-01, Teac P70/D70, and a variety of single box players, including Burmester 001 and Bel Canto PL1-a, I haven't heard anything which sounded as 'right' and gave me 'palpitations' as the X-01, not even the vaunted DCS stack, which in fact failed completely to stirr my grizzling heart.
I should also like to point out that--from a purely tactile point of view--the solidity, fit and finish of the Esoteric products easily surpasses anything I have experienced/touched this far. Even the bottom plate of the unit is built, assembled and finished to the same standard as the rest of the unit. Honestly, if you turned the X-01 upside down, and forced it to sit belly-up and feet-up on the shelf, it would not look any less gorgeous. |
Thank you Mel and AVGURU. No offense taken and no apologies needed.
blindness is much like a mother-in-law: you may not truly love her, but you can get along fine; only you'd rather didn't have to deal with her every day. In that I consider myself half lucky: mother-in-law lives 2000 miles away. So, no prob at my end.
While not wanting to overstate the rather modest social advantages of the condition, I have become over the years rather apt and fond of judging the quality of the construction/finish of equipment using the tactile experience [yes, that means fondling], as you may read in my previous rant about the hidden virtues of the X-01's exquisitely wrought and taught underbelly.
The same X-01 also produced for me the most enjoyable synesthetic images of sound and music, among all the players I have seen this far. Yet I do know that it can't be the ultimate.
Finally to all: let us go back to the music and our quest for digital audio Nirvana! [in kinly camaraderie, that is]
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Children, Children! To your rooms! Time out, 30 minutes! No audio tonight! |
Folks, may I gently point out the current caffaffle started because of an inadvertantly worded sentence by one of the contributors. The simple matter was cleared in private messages and should now be considered closed. We all had our reactions pro or con; we all had some fun; vented some audio steam; roared with rightious audiophilic wrath, played at "My DAC is Bigger Than Yours" and "My Powerchord is certainly Longer Than Yours. Now, let's all settle down. I for one would be most interested in knowing from people who have had experience with the TacT DSPs and digital amps. Who will take the baton? Guido |
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TBG: please share with us what finally tilted the balance for you in favor of the single-box single-tube APL3910, rather than the twin-box twin-tube ModWright 999ES. |
Oops, TBG, I goofed again, you wrote Exemplar and I read APL. Sorry for that, My question stands though modified: how did you choose Exemplar over APL and ModWright? |
For anyone interested, Alex Peychev of APL has started his own dedicated discussion forums. You will find several related discussions at:
http://www.aplhifi.com/phpBB/
Both current production and work in progress is discussed. |
Dennis, you bring up a very good point.
Once you reach certain rather exalted levels, personal preference also plays a significant role.
From my personal discussions with AVGURU and JAYCTOY it would appear that they perceive the sound of the ModWright Sony 9000 [not the latest moded 999ES model) to be slightly lusher, open, detailed, and with an even larger sound stage than APL. My two friends found the ModWright even more of their liking than the APL 3910--prior to the 3910's reclocking mod.
As I understand, conversly 711SMILIN finds the Modwright to have even too large of a soundstage, perhaps resembling that of a church, and the sound print to be slightly euphonic. |
TBG, We are all on the same quest. Your individualistic approach and Steve Milin's collegial one are clearly different, but equally valid in themselves, and valuable to many of us.
As you appear to be a resident of the Lone Star State, I am not surprised by your inborn reluctance in relying on the opinions of an external collegiality.
I am looking forward to your Exemplar review. I am likely to make my eventual final decision based on a synthesis of my own judgement and ears and those of a few respected fellow audiofools, including some of the members of this and the excellent DV50 Chicago shootout thread. |
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