How do I go backwards?

Mmakshak, I try to take all peoples views equally, so of course I found your input a valuable view. The AI pre-amp I received from Lugnut is now connected to my 1972 Empire belt drive turntable, and i have enjoyed a number of my old lp's and some of my uncle’s perfect condition 50's jazz. The resolution with these two components is not at all to the standard I expect, yet it too is wonderful music, and as you point out it is enjoyable.

As for the rest of the story, I stumbled upon some Kubala-Sosna Emotion interconnects and have been using one pair between the SCD-1 and Calypso and a second between the Calypso and Plinius. I found them used, and even at retail they cost less than I received for my Valhalla cables that I sold. I am having a home demo next Sunday and Monday with the speaker cables. I am so excited! My impressions are below;

The first night, with then cables I was up until 4:00 AM; I never stay up past 11:00. I needed to try out all of my difference reference disks, (see Calypso review) but rather than simply listening to the cut I use for reference, I listened to the entire disk. Lucinda Williams Essence twice! (My play list is detailed at the end of this email)

To my ear the very first impression was a subtle lessening of pace and possibly dynamics, but as I got familiar with what I was hearing I discovered this not to be true.The second impression was (large Cheshire cat grim) absolute bliss. With my Valhalla cables transparency was defined as thin, with the Emotion transparency is a lack of substance between musicians. It’s been said a million ways, but it needs saying again. There is more pure black space between notes, between instruments. Transparency is clarity and quite with the Emotion cables. As a result of this element of audiophelia the soundstage depth is greater than I have ever heard it. This includes a review period with the Cary 300B SET mono blocks. The singer was further into the room than I have experienced, including when my friend brought over his Aesthetix Callisto pre amp to compare against my Calypso. The drummer was out in my front yard, and there was easily one or two musicians standing at depths between these two extremes. Soundstage width was not affected in any perceivable way.

The next issue I listen for is tonality. I have worked very hard to product very natural tonality in my system without effecting the definition enjoyed with a solid state amp. The only area of complaint I have had with my system using the Valhalla cables is the extreme high end is thin and very close to edgy or bright. The K-S cables balanced the tonality perfectly. The bass remained extremely tight and focused with full extension. Never did it bloat or fatten in the way many cables do. It was the high end where I became mesmerized! Not a single flaw. Piano and violin are so tough! The highest notes can easily become fatiguing, bright or edgy, and I have always tried hard to balance this issue with footers and isolation. The Emotion cables made this a non issue. Full and open with crystal clear, transparent musicality through the very highest C on the piano. Every high note retained color and hue while never appearing artificially painted. Never once did I cringe or pull back from even the brightest spots. WONDERFUL!!!!

Another area I have spent a great deal of time learning, tweaking and experimenting is in transient attack. I insist that the leading edge of a note, whether it from a drum, piano, bass or horn, must be defined with a clear instant front edge. Generally cables that provide the attributes in the high frequencies that these cables do, end up soft, with a lack of front end definition to the note. These are perfectly balanced; the attack remains strong and sudden, while providing full body and beautiful tonality.

Yet another of my issues is naturalness. The music must sound as if I am there in the room it was recorded in. Often this requires subtle cues within the recorded medium. Those clues, possibly referred to as inner detail were so strong. By far the inner detailed information is coming through clearer and stronger that ANY cable I have tried (and I have tried at least 90% of them) I have listened to Lucinda and Patricia Barber so many times my family is ready to puke. I have never heard the air being pulled into their lungs through their throats like it appears with these cables. So many examples could be stated as to the inner detail revealed, but you have no doubt heard it all before.

There were a couple of real surprises for me. Three-dimensionality was beyond reproach. Only a SET 300B amp could be better, yet I could never receive all the other attributes required from my system. It’s been said before, perhaps too often, but I could see a defined vocalist all the way to the back of the head. Of course this is not possible, but there is a magic within the music through your cables. In my opinion this is now the standard to measure all other cables.

In the end, all the above statements are simply audiophile comments listening to equipment. For me I quit listening to equipment three years ago when my system found synergy. I listen to music, not equipment. Above all attributes, my system must be musical. I own a lot of disks because I love music, not because I love sound. These cables are so perfectly balanced that it was hard for me to listen as an audiophile. My mind simply wondered away from the cable and into the performance.

So I have re-invested some of my money I pulled out from my selling of equipment. The net result is I still paid the hospital, and have a small cushion to live on as I await the Social Security Disability back pay (soon!) The real surprise; I pulled out 1/3 of the value in my system, and right this minute I enjoy it at least 1/3 more. I have been listening every night for hours now, and that is quite a bit more than before the changes. I do miss the second amp and the final 3% of slam, but I can live with that! I guess that is testament to the fact that the best sound does not always cost more. I will keep you all informed on the speaker cable trial.

Thank you again for the great support and caring. None of my Audiogon friends will ever fully understand how much your love means, unless you too find yourself in my shoes. I would never wish my health on any of you, so learn through my how important we all are to each other!

JD

WOW!
I’m overwhelmed by the loving people here and your generosity. As I read through the above posts plus the many emails I discovered two things. First I’m not alone and it may not be as painful as I’ve built it up to be. The biggest thing I found is I didn’t actually understand what I am doing, and how much I have wrapped up in my system. I was at my shrinkchologist today and discussed money and my stereo. I found that within my mind, this is the final piece of my life to give up. Let me explain, not for your sympathy, but because I need to share.
When I had my heart attack eight years ago and lost all ability to enjoy the physical life I had created, I found my stereo was still an escape for me. I had always used “extreme” or very “on the edge” sports were my greatest escape from the real world. Skiing, competitive sailing, white water kayaking, climbing, etc. allowed me to think of only the event, the rest of my thoughts were quite. Music is the ONLY place I have found where this experience still happens, so the importance I’ve placed on my system may be well over what is logical. As I built the system, and shared my experiences here, I never considered the fact that I would face today.
What I mean is I was never given any chance of living over five years. My wife and I based all our decisions on this prognosis, and in that I was still earning some income up to two years ago, we never expected to be broke. Either I would die and my family would have my life insurance, or I would get a transplant and I could work again. I never considered this, I would stay alive, but be too sick to earn money, and not sick enough to get a new heart. Well here I sit; the last piece of my life must be sold. At least that’s how my mind sees it. We have sold everything of worth and borrowed up to the value of our house. Our expenses continued to grow with the added debt, but it was ok, I was going to be dead long before we had to face the consequences of our earlier decisions.
Now the only way to keep our youngest in his last two years of high school is to sell my baby. We again were forced to make a decision to move or stay these final two years. Given that our youngest is severely disabled with cerebral palsy, we felt the emotional impact on him would be too deep.
After posting this thread, I finally understood what I was doing. I became very sad when it hit me. Then as I read the responses above I figured it out; how lucky I am to have the friends I have here. The support is incredible. The empathy and caring is humbling and quite frankly overwhelming. The thoughts shared from sell everything, to a piece at a time are thoughtful and demonstrate a great empathetic understanding of what I feel. Add to that the incredibly selfless offers made to me, and I am indeed in awe.
Thank you, thank you, and thank you. The offers and advice have encouraged me that this new chapter may not be my goal, but it can indeed be enjoyable.
As much as I hate being in this position, I see hope. As recently as three weeks ago I was trying to figure out how to upgrade my pre-amp to the next level. My system has been basically the same for three years, and the recent change of pre-amp and subsequent testing of the Callisto showed me a nirvana I could live in for the remainder of my life. Then a few (new) issues arose in our life, (unexpected co-pay on my last hospital stay) have forced a change in life.
DAMN, I really feel screwed. Again I can not express properly how your concern and support is excepted and needed.
As I discussed with my shrink, this is really the last piece of a life long past. I can not thank you all enough for all the love and support as I advance.
As to how I’ll proceed, I’m not fully clear. I think a piece at a time combined with the generous offers will help me get to where I’m going. I also must say, there is a sense of relief knowing we can financially exist for another year.
Thank you again. I am truly blessed!
Jade (J.D.)

The night the music died.

Phase one somehow has grown out of control and spilled into phase two. I have now sold one Plinius amp, one set of Valhalla speaker cables, all four sets of Valhalla interconnects (replaced by John’s NBS Statement interconnects), The Great Northern PASI (Passive Audio Signal Isolator) and the original Hydra power conditioner with specially made Anaconda power cord.

As I stated earlier the second amp and speaker cable was acceptable as was the Valhalla being replaced between the pre amp and amp. When I added a second set of NBS Statement cables between the PASI and pre amp it was still very pleasing albeit beginning to lose some inner detail. The next night came the PASI and final Valhalla interconnects. The PASI sold within an hour of being listed. This added some edginess and a bit of artificial glare to the sound. Still acceptable but some of the naturalness was gone. Piano was now beginning to sound digital once again, but I could live with it.

Last night the system fell apart as one too many steps were taken. I removed the Hydra and Anaconda power cord feeding the Hydra. The only component plugged into the Hydra was the Sony SCD-1, and I was not sure how much (if anything) it was doing any more. You see I had installed dedicated circuits and new outlets to my system, so I thought maybe the change would be subtle. Well subtle it was not. Suddenly the entire soundstage became flat and un-involving. No more is there space and dimension to the notes; it’s all like looking at a poster of the mountains vs. seeing the mountains in person. All the subtlety, inner detail and naturalness have left. The tonal quality is no longer neutral; it’s now edgy and biting. Bass became large and uncontrolled. This is of course in comparison, it’s still far better than a lot of systems I’ve heard. That being said, I have killed my systems magic. It’s gone! Each change was distinct and yet acceptable until this point. I do not give full credit to the Hydra and its very costly power cord, I think it’s the sum of the total that has effected the sound. It’s just once this last piece was removed, so was the life of the music. I was starting to sense the loss with the PASI, but the two together, well I just went too far.

I can not ethically and will not renege on the sale of my Hydra/Anaconda, but I will offer to take it back if he does not like it. As for how I now proceed, I simply do not know. I wonder if the new super clock would help if I modified my SCD-1 further. Audiomod also has some other modifications, including a re-built power supply that might do the trick. That would cost as much as I made on the Hydra/Anaconda, (not to mention the cost of shipping again) but it might be the answer. Or would I still feel unattached? What if I traded in my Calypso and upgraded to an older Callisto? That was surely magical when John and I tested it in my full system, so many changes ago. I do not believe simply finding a new power conditioning system is the answer, in that I was loosing the joy even before that change.

I do not know what to do now. I have reached the point where others posting above saw me going, where the whole system is lost and it might be best to just start over. I’m not (I hope) going to need to do that. I do however need to do something, for in the state it is now, I simply do not enjoy the music for last night the music died!

JD

P.S. Thanks for dropping off the other cables John. You truly are a good friend.

Tvad, I would love to try it. that way it could help determain solutions for my system.

Thank you Chad and Lohan. John, you have become a good local friend thanks to this wonderful web site, and we have many, many hours to learn together! Greg, you are an old time friend who I wish I could meet personally. This is the only problem with the internet, the people I have met, I wish I could spend time with and hear your voices.

As an update to my downsizing, I still am pining for the second amp, but life is life, and I simply had no choice other than to get rid of it. The exciting news is I was extremely fortunate to have run across the Kubala-Sosna Emotion cables. I first was introduced to these cables here at A'gon, and ended up talking with Joe Kubala because at the time he had no dealership locally. To make a very long story short, I ended up having Joe Kubala spend an afternoon at my house. One cable at a time we switched from NBS interconnects to Emotion. Then Valhalla speaker cables to Emotion and finally my power cords. I was using Electraglide Epiphany, Elrod EPS-2 and NBS. When Joe put in the last Emotion cable. It was the third jaw drop of the afternoon, each cable added body and tonal hue, yet was more extended and open. The background was darker with each step, and as a complete "system" the Emotion cable was better than my system has ever sounded.

The result was me buying interconnects and two power cords used. I'm now awaiting speaker cable and a final power cord!

The best part is I am able to switch speaker cable (used Valhalla and new Emotion) as a wash, but in my system this is an upgrade. The same can be said for my power cords, a virtual wash.

So with these changes I may indeed be happier with my system now ($12,000 less) than before! I'll keep you informed once the cords are here and I'm able to (re-tweak) my system to the new parameters.

As for advise on how to downgrade? Keep your options open, but be careful because too much loss will destroy the magic, but change can be made.

The true reward however is right here, Audiogon has brought me two local "new" friends Jafox and Artg, and I love them both and am blessed to have found their friendship. I also have deepened my love for many of my long time Audiogon friends. It is you guys that make life a joy to continue with. I have grown to see the joy remaining in my life and focus less on the loss. It is you people who have given me this vision, and it is Lugnut who has lead the march.

I love all you guys, Thanks.

JD

With the help of Jafox, phase one is nearly complete. We tried his amp, then went back to one of the two Plinius I was using. We tried some different combinations of cabling John brought over, finally settling on one Plinius amp and his NBS cabling. The success of the NBS was no surprise to me, in that my system used all NBS Statement cabling before the Valhalla. John and I were surprised to find his amp was not producing the dynamics and imaging of the Plinius. It did however produce some serious magic on the string section on The Philadelphia Orchestra, Nature’s Realm SACD. Track one, Liszt: Les Preludes, Symphonic No. 3. Every passage with the string sections came alive with a definition not heard before on my system. This left both of us scratching our heads and John on a mission to find a better tube combination. I suspect his amp will return some day for a second trial.
So phase one pulls out one Plinius amp, one set of Valhalla speaker cable (I hooked both sets of wire in the crossover onto one binding post. This allows me to not have to degrade the sound with jumpers), four sets of Valhalla interconnects, a Great Northern Audio PASI (passive audio signal isolator) two power cords (again thanks to John) one Aurios Pro, a set of Walker High Definition Links and one set of Titanium Orchard Bay cones. The result was surprisingly good considering I removed around $15,000 (used price) worth of equipment. Some loss of dynamics and a bit of the inner detail, but I think the system remains extremely revealing and very musical.
Phase two begins next week when I try out Lugnut’s pre-amp and speaker cable. I have Wellfed coming next weekend to let me demo some equipment he thinks might work for me. I look forward to seeing Wellfed, it’s been a while. I expect phase two will also look into power issues. I plan to remove the Hydra power conditioner and try some other power cords. I have not tried removing the Hydra since adding my dedicated circuits and outlets, so I may be pleasantly surprised.
I believe this will be the end of my changes for the summer. It should provide enough funds to cover most of my latest hospital bills and allow me some time to experiment with further alterations to my system. It’s very interesting to know how each of these components added another layer of detail, and yet pulling them out was not too bad. I’m not sure I’d be quite so pleased without Johns cables, but still I am amazed.
I again appreciate the caring and help, especially from John and Pat. You two are wonderful friends!
JD

John, as an Engineer I expect people like me drive you crazy. Unfortunately I tend to react and think so time down the road. Call it the right brain, creative half of me. I appreciate your patience and understanding as you work with my half baked ideas. I am very lucky to have a friend like you who can help level me out. I look forward to another system session. Besides, it’s a lot more fun discovering this stuff with a friend rather than being frustrated on my own. Apologize to your wife as I continue to steal you away from home. At some point she’s going to wonder who Jadem6 is. Are you having affair with a woman named Jade, or what the H#*% is going on? I promise I’ll try not to wear lipstick next time we meet.

I thought it would be good to let those who care know what has happened over the past weeks. I have been able to sell off four sets of Nordost Valhalla interconnects, one pair of Valhalla speaker cable, three sets of NBS power cords, Great Northern Sounds PASI, two sets of Aurios Pro bearings, Black Diamond shelf and five sets of cones, one pair of Walker High definition links, and some tubes and other stuff. I am hoping to finalize a sale on the Plinius SA-102 amp soon.

In the last discussion, I had shared the consequences of removing the original Shunyata Research Hydra power conditioner and its Anaconda vX. It turned out that after discussing the result of removing these two items the buyer allowed me to back out. I can not explain well enough how well the Hydra works with my Sony SCD-1 and how much I lost without it.

So today I have the Sony SCD-1 with mods, Aesthetix Calypso pre-amp, one Plinius SA-102 amp and Dunlavy IVa speakers. I still am using Nordost Valhalla speaker cables, an Elrod EPS-2 power cord on the pre-amp and NBS Statement power cord on the amp. I ended up trading one pair of the Valhalla interconnects for an Electraglide Em power cord on the SCD-1. Thanks to Jafox I have interconnects (NBS Statement, older model) which pair up with my system very well. (I used NBS Statement before the Valhalla) Beyond that, thanks to Lugnut I have a phone stage and I can play around with my 30 years old Empire turntable. The net result is I paid off my latest hospital bill and a portion of my massive debt I carry. YEA!!!

The best part is the musicality remains. (With the Hydra back) Yes some of the dynamics, some slam, some of the highly detailed soundstage suffered, a small amount of inner detail is missing…. But the NBS did add some body to the sound. In the final wash it’s still very wonderful, and the cost vs. benefit is strongly revealed. I still love my system, so for today phase one is complete and I got some $16,000 out of my system. I do have one more move, but it’s a surprise that I will reveal in a later review!

Best of all, I have discovered the greatest thing I could hope to find. Friends, love, compassion and empathy that is running ramped in the Audiogon community. To all who have been in contact with me either as a friend or a buyer (and most both) THANK-YOU! It is the Audiogon community that has turned what was a very sad process into one of the best months I’ve had in years. SOOOOO many great friends! Thank you all for your sincere empathy and shared love. This site does have the greatest people in the world.

I now have a very wonderful friend in Japan, another in New Zealand and quite a few in the US/Canada. Thank you Audiogoners, I have incredible faith in our society. I am in complete awe of how great people are, and yet one guy ripped me off for $1000. I am sad for his soul, he clearly is lost. He is one sad man contrasting an entire world who is lost, what a great world we have. The difference between Audiogon and the Terrorists who are so angry in the world is staggering. I pray the great people here can continue to share the love and compassion I have seen, and maybe some how the angry few can have a taste of what we have.

THANK YOU ALL!

Jade

Hi Lohan,

I wish to thank you for your empathy. I would like to partially address your question of spirituality. Yes I have an incredible relationship with God, and for the past eight years I’m sure He (She) has been caring me as I walk this path in life.

I belong to no religion, or organization, I feel this helps me to not be judgmental of peoples beliefs. The way I see it, everyone is right, one God…. My faith has developed through twenty five years of following the twelve step program of AA. It has been enhanced and verified through a near death experience and eight years of life when I was only given a 10% chance of leaving the hospital. I have learned a great deal about life, my family, friends and God. I have not worked for over three years now, so I find myself with a lot of time for reflection.

I am very lucky to have been able to live these last eight years because it has allowed me to be a big part of my kids, wife and friends life. We also have a disabled son who requires assistance in everything. He has shown me how to accept and how to see the joy in every moment of life. I have told him he is God’s special messenger and that God created him for others to see the truth about their own lives.

I have spiritual faith, my faith is simple. Love. In the end, love is what is important and what my soul needs from other souls. If I can remember to love, I can do no greater thing. That’s my belief, and I’m sure it sounds a bit over the top, but really, what else is there?

I’m sorry if this short tack off the course of this thread, but I feel obliged to let people know what I have learned.

JD