Rod did my Master Set also. I think it's critical to get that done before you start trying to evaluate equipment. Yes, you can evaluate equipment without a Master Set, but stopping the fight between the speakers and the room removes much stress (probably IM distortion)that makes it harder to hear the little refinements. When the speakers are working right, then the smaller difference pop out so much easier. Dave |
Clio09, I think you'll be happy. Be sure to let the Capri burn-in at least 100-hours before getting critical in your listening, that includes the phono-stage (I bought a little inverse RIAA card that allowed me to burn in the phono cards with my CDP). Keep everything running for a week and you'll have 150-hours on it before you know it. It should be a fine match for you VAC. If you ever want to go ultra-quiet, then consider a full-Rowland set up with PFC and Rowland amps. Still, as you have planned should work well. Dave |
Yes, use balanced wherever you can. VAC will be excellent, now and post upgrade, but try to hear all-Rowland with Power Factor Correction before you make a final decision on that amp upgrade. YMMV regarding balanced, as a lot depends on your RFI/EMI environment and how tightly packed your components are (particularly the digital stuff). The inverse RIAA card kit is $29 from Hagerman The Capri's phono card is excellent, in the very top echelon. In my case it blew away my Pro-ject SEII, but, more importantly, it replaced a Levinson and a Sutherland in other systems that I know of. I don't know of anyone that replaced a K&K and I've never heard the K&K. Everyone's reporting plenty of gain with a wide variety of pickups along with enough loading choices to work with most cartridges. (If you've got "special needs" for loading, then there could be an issue, but the Capri handles "standard" loads). Uncolored, transparent, sweet, open, large stable image are things that I've heard from the three or four reporters that I've heard from directly by phone or email. The phono presentation is very consistent with the line inputs. Dave |
Search around for Guido's comments regarding the PFC. He prefers the Capri without PFC. Since it's a low current device, that's very understandable, but YMMV depending on the quality of your mains' power and the load presented by other devices in the same circuit. Guido's JRDG 312 amp has PFC, so you know it's presenting a nice sine-wave like demand to his mains, but you may not have that case in your system. Everyone that I know that combined the Capri with amps without onboard PFC, like the Rowland 501s, noted a very major gain by adding PFC to both, which the PC1 is set up to do with Rowland products. That 385v is after PFC in DC mode. In AC mode (w/o PFC) you could hear some voltage sensitivity. Like I said earlier, a lot will depend on the basic stability of your mains along with whatever your amps and other components may be doing to contaminate. All that said, assuming a relatively average environment, I think you'll be darn happy with the Capri without PFC, particularly if you use balanced at every possible point. Dave |
Choffend said: "... The Capri, reported by many (herein included) to be sort of tube sounding, especially for a SS preamp." I don't recall anyone ever saying such a thing about the Capri. Was it here on Agon? I'm curious to read that post. I like your description of the highs, which is very consistant with my observation. I'm using the Continuum and don't note the imaging issue that you point out. Cutting out the amp/pre interface is very nice. In this case, I think that less is more. Dave |
Thanks for the references Ckoffend, I stand corrected. ;-) I would never say that the Capri is "tube-like" but maybe that's because I don't necessarily see that as a plus. I know that many seek a euphonic experience and often receive it with tubes. Many other tube users merely seek sonic accuracy and the leading tube devices provide that. In this case, the Capri is more like the second set of tube devices, providing non-euphonic accuracy, in my estimation. I hesitate to call that "tube like", given the substantial constituents of tube devices that seek euphonics. Accuracy should not mean "tube-like" or "ss-like" or "Class D-like" or "Class A-like" or "SET-like", since accuracy is it's own standard. Getting rid of the "-like" allows us to listen without the handicap of expectations. I see that you surely understand this, given your equipment choices. I only make these comments as so many come to these discussions with an expectation of a particular euphonic quality whenever "tube" is inserted into a description. I know it's often consider a compliment, but the discussion sometimes gets wobbly when it's relied on as a descriptor. Dave |
Even though it gives me pause (yuck), I agree with your shorthand, but "tube sound" is so broad that it is dangerous. As you know, some tube amps are very colored and euphonic, particularly at the less expensive end of the "quality" scale. Many, IMHO, are designed with the attitude of "let give them what they want" rather than with a view toward accuracy. Unfortunately, when many hear "tube-like" I'm afraid that euphonia the image counjured up. People with that image in there heads (I venture to say that's roughly half our readers here) will likely be sorely disappointed in the Capri. The Capri will NOT smooth out the hardness of their cheap CDP or DAC and they'll report something like, "the Capri is hard edged sounding in my system, but my XYZ amp is 'musical'". (Neither will the "best" tube preamps, which is what I think you're referring to). Dave |
