I asked the distributor WHY the S1000 sounds different than the 2500 QUANTUM and Stromtank responded immediately with the following:(copy and pasted it. They may have used Google translator)
" the 2500 QUANTUM is a higher technology grade, more battery power, more converter power and designed for more music enjoyment - sure more expensive because you can’t do such a super product for a small money. Same question why is an E class Mercedes better than a C class?
It’s got more batteries and a better converter. the quantum has additional features that the 1000 doesn’t have. You can also listen for longer since their are more batteries. The quantum also has a different and better converter than the 1000. The converter is like a power conditioner. It has its own transformer and small capacitors like you would find in an amp.
Stromtanks are different than other conditioners because they also have a lithium battery bank where power conditioners have small capacitors that are constant charging and discharging really quickly"
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With all of the above said, i find it interesting that there are SO MANY QUESTIONS about the Stromtank, but very few questions with regards to $10,000 powecords? If we are going to question the Stromtank, i find it odd that $10k powercords get a pass...often times we can’t explain why these powercords are so much money let alone measure their benefits on the bench and yet the sonic improvements are quite audible.
Some things in this hobby can’t be measured or seen but can sure be heard.
For the first time I will agree with @ricevs about EVERYTHING making a difference. However, not every system is transparent enough to communicate what changed in the presentation. .
I REPEAT: WORK ON YOUR MACROS FIRST!
The Magico S7 has been instrumental at letting me capture what happens with and without the Stromtank. I dig its transparency, but i understand if others don’t.
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PS audio isn’t close to a Stromtank by any stretch of the imagination. I’ve owned the P20 and as soon as I bought a Shunyata Denali, the P20 was gone (this was about 3 years ago)
Stromtank sits in the upper echelon of power conditioners. It doesn’t have any competition. Yes it is expensive, but once again, so are powercords and don’t get me started on speaker cables. You all remember when expensive powercords were frowned upon? After awhile, people accepted them after hearing the positive contribution they made to our systems. Stromtank is simply at this exact phase; "prove yourself".
It has already proven itself to me over the last 2 months.
Mágico owners MUST SERIOUSLY CONSIDER it and MSB owners have no idea how much better their DACs can sound until they use a Stromtank. The DAC gets significantly better and the Magico speakers have so much "ease" with the tweeter being super revealing while never ever getting in your face.
My entire system is connected into the Stromtank with the exception being the Boulder 3060. This amp needs 25 car batteries 😂
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@viber6
no offense...but you know you aren’t buying either unit..come on man 😂... You’re just bored.
I am STILL waiting on you to buy ANYTHING I’ve mentioned here and I’m not talking about buying from me. I’m simply talking buying any product that i have displayed on my channel throughout the past 2-3 years?
Just saying...you make it look like you’re SERIOUS...we both know you are just a curious personality... Let those who are actually serious about the Stromtank chime in here.
You wouldn’t even contemplate the cheap experiment @ricevs outlined above which is far less money so what makes anyone believe you would consider a Stromtank...
If you’re serious about buying a Stromtank, come ready and I’ll blow your mind in my room. No need for me to type a document here as to why it is special. Let’s do it the right way?
We can do this with your lamp cord and the boulder gear too. This way you learn about cables with serious speakers and electronics. It could be a good learning experience for you.
If i start going back and forth here with you about the Stromtank, I’d have to get a part time job on here to support a fruitless effort.
What do you say?
Bring your checkbook and I'll have a recycle bin for the lamp cords because once you hear those in my system, reality will slap you in the face.
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Still waiting on you to show up here Viber...but come READY!...
This not a field trip to the zoo. Show up with money in hand because the disappointment will forever curse you after you hear lamp cords through a magico and boulder. I want to give you an audio lesson that nobody else will so you can update your mind with current audio.
Unless you take me up on it, you're better off hiding behind the bushes and simply reading.
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If the video above doesn't represent transparency, Clarity, resolution then i don't know what else would... End of the road gentlemen. I am walking on thin ice.
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That is done on purpose. No need advertise for everyone out there. I advertise way too much as it is. Boulder, Gryphon, you Wilson, Magico. Etc.
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Nobody has answer on here with regards to the stromtank because I'm almost 100% sure that most regulars of this thread don't own one. If they give an opinion, it's an unqualified one based on pure speculation.
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Go knock on someone else’s door. Explain to them why tubes are terrible since they have distortion. Also let the masses know why cables don’t make a difference while you hold a voltmeter on the opposite hand. I think audioholics could use your skill set.
Don’t forget to tell Michael Fremer why his Wilson XVX are not that great since the measurements taken by John Atkinson were not that PHD perfect. I’m sure Fremer will gladly respond to you.
Lastly, leave that degree in the drawer. Means nothing unless you live with this stuff. Theory is great but practice and experience is what counts. No wonder why so many college graduates are failing after they get a job. College doesn’t teach you how to have drive, hustle, strong will and have common sense.
Someone in my military days said something very powerful that I’ll never forget: " i respect the rank, but not the person wearing it"
Truth...
Ps: i am still wondering why characters like you pop up on this thread randomly and piss on my lawn only to be blasted away after a few days. ..maybe other threads are not that entertaining... Or they come to me for an attitude adjustment which I'm tired of doing.
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Measurements mean nothing...take your PhD with you and go write a paper or something. It's been brought to my attention via private messages that most of your posts throughout audiogon are confrontational. I won't get into it with you.
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Oh it’s possible...it’s possible... But then again...how would you know unless you live with this stuff...I’ve tried different powercords on battery operated preamps and they also changed the presentation on these preamps...i then confirmed my findings with some folks who owned the same preamps and we all arrived at the same conclusion...
What would i gain from making such statement? Do I sell powercords for a specific brand? Nope...there is no incentive for me. I’m only reporting what i hear.
That said, are you also one of those cable doubters? I mean we can’t measure cable performance on a test bench so we must be nuts by saying cables make a difference?
Would you believe me if I told you that if you were to wipe down all of your cables and electronics with a damp cloth that the system would sound better? You would be removing static by doing so... Yep, I’ve done this and it is true but then again, if i say this, i become the "crazy guy"...
Audio industry is something we don’t fully understand and this is why WE ALL will continue to keep feeding it millions of dollars.
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The dude who comments on my room..I’d love to see yours buddy. Don’t hide and show us your concert hall.
We must rip a page off your book and learn a few things...oh and thank you for beating around the bush with regards to cables...you didn’t have much to say about that huh? Or about tubes? Hmm...you pick your battles, but the unfortunate truth is you cant dodge my bullets.
Go away and keep writing. We are all anxiously waiting to read your theories about high end audio. When is your YouTube channel going live? I’d subscribe...
Nobody wants to read lengthy stupid papers about audio...don’t let the truth hurt your feelings... People want to see, touch and hear components they are interested in...
You’re pure talk...SHOW ME your YouTube channel and world class room with electronics and I’ll LITERALLY HUSH and shut down this thread... DO IT... Or close the computer and go feed your cat 😸....
You come in here making fun of me?.what do you own? SHOW US your system. Let me see the insanity you got in your room...
The world is sitting down waiting to see this episode...
Next time you got something to say, come at me in a civil manner and not with the attitude you came. If you feel the need to give me that attitude then do it in person... Just let me call 911 first.
😂
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Thanks to those of you who messaged me privately to stop engaging in this pettiness that seems to be like a virus that comes and goes.
I will listen to you and stop now because you have been part of my core and clearly stood next to me since the beginning of time. Thanks!
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I own a JVC nx7 and use it 3 times a week. I am actually contemplating the new laser JVC nz7....
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Folks,
Let's get this thread on track shall we?
@kren0006
Were you surprised i got a turntable?
I know many of you didn't see that coming...
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So yes I had said no Vinyl and I wasn’t planning to but the buyer of my VAC MONOS traded it in to me and so I thought it was a perfect opportunity to jump in. The stars kinda aligned and i also think it will help the channel grow (fingers crossed).
I have the Boulder 2008 phonostage in the room and i will be ordering artesania prestige 3-shelf rack with a turntable shelf on top. The issue is that i was told it will take about a month before i see it so I don’t expect the turntable to be set up in my room until next month. It’s not just that turntable, but i have to drop money on the artesania stand (luckily I’m a dealer) plus the phonostage 2008 from boulder and a cartridge which could run me another 5-10k PLUS the XLR cables to go from the phonostage into the preamp... This is an insane investment...i wasn’t planning for it but it is what it is.
I totally get it, the experiment is costly. However, i needed to bring a turntable that was worth comparing to my MSB select 2. I heard my KRONOS turntable briefly in the room where i was on my last video and it was an eye opener.
My thought process is this: I will spend the money and see how a turntable compares to my DAC. If and ONLY IF the turntable just simply takes me to an entire new level never experienced by me with digital playback then I’d keep the turntable and overlook all the tinkering associated with it. I’d probably even downgrade my digital to something more affordable and put money in the bank.
That said, that is no easy feat for a turntable. Will this turntable earn its keep in my lab? The only way that materializes is if it beats any other source I’ve previously owned to the point that i can't listen to digital anymore.
Do you all think this turntable has what it takes to best my MSB SELECT 2?
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@chayro
Thank you for the offer above. I'll definitely take you up on it.
Also, the tinkering is something that i have indeed done with digital but if I'm being honest here, I'm pretty much done with digital folks...explored it, did just about everything that can possibly be done. Could i change to another DAC? Sure but I'd be changing flavors and not necessarily improving the experience. Maybe analog has something special for me? Who knows...
I also want to take the time to say this: I'm sick of hearing the same music...this has slowly made me bored because my ears are used to the same songs and my brain is like " ugh not again"... Playing the same music has certainly affected my drive. I realize that this is one of the many reasons why we change out oir equipment so often. We keep listening to the same music and so we change components to change the sound of the same recordings... Yep, i hate to admit it but I'm tired of the same songs... Makes me want to sell my entire system at times and just start buying aftermarket parts for my truck to make it faster...
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Then we got sound quality issues 😂
This hobby is TRULY CRAZY!
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It's not that it isn't important, it's just that playing the same thing on repeat will drive anyone nuts... boredom sets in....
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Thank you everyone for this conversation above. This is GREAT healthy discussions that i need to hear more of.
I need to look through the music you sent me @grey9hound for sure.
Anyhow, Oz just left my room. He came over to listen to my system and you will get to hear his thoughts on my system as well as me giving you all more information with regards to my turntable journey. Oz will be the person setting it up for me and by the way he had interesting things to say about my all Digital rig.
The video will drop tomorrow since we just finished shooting it.
Thanks to everyone for chiming in above and making your recommendations with regards to vinyl. You all can school me on this one and I can take the back seat. No problem with that.
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Whoa 😳!!!!!!
I'm loving this level of fire you all are showing with regards to turntables and records. I knew me bringing a turntable would be a good idea but i didn't expect to see you all so passionate about analog. This is freaking AWESOME and i TRULY THANK YOU ALL!
@daveyf
Thanks for the info on how much more mportant is the turntable itself than the cartridge. I was actually fishing for this information but you made it easier for me 👊
Look, don't get me wrong, you all know I'm crazy AS HELL and part of my craziness is what you all love about me (i hope?)
With that said, i wanted to buy like a next level cartridge (maybe 15k cartridge?) But i was warned by my close turntable gurus that cartridges are a dangerous investment IF AND ONLY IF i am simply looking to try a turntable to see how Iike it.
I heard my turntable at Oz's home on his modest system and i was impressed at the immediacy and snappiness as well as clarity I heard through the Kronos (totally unexpected).
@keithr
Interesting 🤔. I would have imagined that the set up was the harder part and not the record selection. This is what is very nerve wracking for me because most of the music that is being pitched to me happens to be older stuff which i am unfamiliar with but that is fine. I need to force my a$$ to listen to new music. I might have to borrow good vinyl (if that's even possible) and see what people deem as "special" and learn.
@viber6
This Lyra brand is being talked about all over the comments section of my last video. It seems to be a popular cartridge i suppose? There is quite a bit of buzz which is certainly going to make me look at it closer.
I'm still not sure what I will be selecting because I agree with what someone said above that the cartridge also needs to have synergy with the system.
@carey1110
I agree with your statement above 👊
Ok, and now I get to the part that most of you guys and my YouTube channel have been asking about: what is the special 6 figure component I've been mentioning. I am going to review the edits made by the video editor today and if it all looks good, i will be releasing it tomorrow. I made some pretty strong statements which show passionate I am about this stuff (you gotta watch it).
Thank you all above for the support and the collaboration. Can't do this without you guys- NONE OF IT.
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What's the order of importance here?
Turntable
Tonearm
Cartridge.
Please chime in!
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Well folks, the time has arrived to unveil the most important and special component I’ve owned: THE G.O.A.T.
This is the one component that has transformed everything about my system. It has ZERO RIVALS in its path and it completely DEMOLISHES ANYTHING ELSE I’ve owned.
This is NEXT LEVEL and I’m very happy to bring it to you all
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Lots of scenarios but they are just scenario...
I'm not sure I'll ever break the seal on the 2160 boulder. This 2160 was ordered in 220v which makes it that more special since the 3160 is also 220v... It would certainly be an apples to apples comparison.
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Thanks guys. The system is mind-blowing in every regard. Once you hear the 3,000 series amp and preamp together, you'd need a brain transplant to forget what it sounds like.
The most beautiful aspect of this system is FINALLY i don't have to crank up the volume to get every single attribute delivered to me. These 2 can be the Batman & Robin going forward. I can put any speaker you can think of and make it sing. No power limits, no lack of anything. If the system is doing something you don't like, it's the music you are listening to.
I am enamored with what I am hearing. I have just ordered the final transparent opus cables to round out the system and create the first transparent opus loom ever in my room.
The Kronos turntable will be compared to my select 2 through these 2 components and we will DEFINITELY hear which source really performs better than which (depending on the record of course).
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Boulder 3060 & Boulder 3010
As many of you all know by now, I’ve been through a TON of equipment. I started this with power amps then went through preamps, DACs, speakers and cables. Thousands of hours and backache from all the heavy lifting and of course, i drove a ton of miles to chase the components that became available to me.
With that said, I’ve had the pleasure to own so much and although i did encounter special components along the way, i kept pushing boundaries. Every night I went to bed thinking 🤔 - how can I raise the bar???
A few times, i thought i had nowhere else to go but down. I went to shows to explore new possibilities and see if there was something that could spark my interest and i failed.
Fast forward to 2022 - I acquire the 3060 Boulder amplifier. From the beginning, this amp and I didn’t quite shake hands until i strapped its sibling behind it; the 2110 Preamp.
I spent countless hours fine tuning these 2 components with cables , stands, power conditioners until i got them to sound AMAZING. This was no easy feat because fine tuning is essential in any well-designed system and can be extremely painful.
Then i get an email... The Boulder 3010 is available to me and it took me gutting what remained of my disposable income to bring the 3010 into my home. What followed were the most important changes I’ve heard in my system: cristal clear presentation, resolution, no limitations of ANY KIND.
As i sit here tonight, listening to these 2 components I realize that my past simply a taste of what the real thing sounds like.
There has NEVER EVER been anything like these two components in my room. They are sitting on the throne while every other component I’ve owned is kneeling at their feet.
This is the end. My gut tells me there is nothing above these two. I’m complete and i can say with 1000% certainty that they are THE BEST I’ve ever owned. No ifs, no maybe’s, no beating around the bush. I’m being 100% clear without stuttering.
Boulder 3060 & 3010 - Jay’s Audio Lab top components.
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Apex will still happen...
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@kren0006
I wish you all could hear this in person...bring your music, push play and sit down. It is that experience you can't forget. I actually don't even feel like comparing any electronics anymore because the sound is astonishingly good.
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Man I'll have to mortgage the house for those...it's nuts at this level... I have an acquaintance who owns the 3050s and he brought the CH m1.1 monos and those only lasted 2 days in his room... Not even close to the 3050s.
He also owned soulution 701 monos and Gryphon Mephisto monos...
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Actually that's not the case. It has to do with the fact that I might be changing direction. I can't say much right now.
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Yeah that's where I am at...
Anyhow, changes are coming and the Taiko extreme will be going up for sale this week.
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That should be the case...Oz might bring his reel to reel so we can compare too.... This will get interesting 🤔
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The stand will make a difference on the phonostage and the Stromtank I'll be using for the phono and turntable...
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Thanks everyone for all the birthday wishes!
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Good morning folks,
Throughout the video above, i chose recordings of different quality. You heard Elvis, Tracy Chapman and of course the typical audiophile songs. The intent was to let you all hear how this super transparent system handles everything. I believe you can capture the sheer clarity and articulation even if you are using your phone on speaker mode. The system is at such a high level that i don’t dare to disassemble it.
The question remains, why does it take so much money to make a power amplifier perform like the 3060? Why is it so important and expensive to reduce the noise floor in order to extract everything from the recording?
It’s tough to answer those questions. I am no engineer but the gap between the 3060 and other amps I’ve owned is quite significant; The gap between the 3010 and my previous collection of preamps is astronomical.
I truly wish that all of this performance could be had for a fraction of the price but that isn’t reality. Maybe in the next 10 years or so we could see components with the level of performance of the 3,000 series from Boulder for a fraction of the price? Who knows...
I hope you all have enjoyed the video.
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No DAC gets close to the 3010...it becomes a laughing matter when comparing the two...
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Don't waste your money on this cable.
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Thanks - the turntable will have world class electronics presenting it to you all. I am baffled with the boulder 3000 series and yes, i expect it to stay for a very very long time.
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You just wasted a good 30 min of your life typing the U.S. constitution above...nobody is going to try ANYTHING you wrote above... Nobody that contributes to this thread... Why don’t you message viber and see if he can fly you into his home so you can do this ?
Then you can film it and put it on YouTube or send me the footage and I'll put it on my channel.
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@ricevs
What bothers me is the narrative. You keep insinuating that what you propose is better than the Stromtank but you haven’t heard it? As a matter of fact, over 90% of people here haven’t heard or let alone see a Stromtank in person. Everything is speculative but you create these visions and dreams that your lab experiment could best a Stromtank. I’ve got nothing against your proposition and ideas, but when you come in here with a miniskirt and pom poms preaching this nonsense of this or that beating the Stromtank, that’s when I come out and set the story straight. Don’t confuse people here with tons of hypothesis. There are a lot of educated folks on here that deserve facts rather myths.
As a Stromtank dealer, i can say i have never heard a mágico speaker sound better and as a matter of fact I’m getting ready to bring the big Stromtank 5000 model. If i didn’t believe in it, I’d be finding a way to get out of it and avoid dropping more Money into to. I am sorry to break it to you, but it takes MONEY and Component matching in order to build a top end system. You can’t build top end systems with radio shack money.
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All I hear is talking. Do you work at a call center by any chance???
So I'll put my money where my mouth is:
Come into my home and let's do what you said. I will give you the keys to my room and you can bring all the stuff you claim. We will let the world hear through my system. That said, no excuses and yes my boulder stuff WILL bury you forever if your experiment doesn't fly. No excuses such as ," oh my experiment didn't work because that boulder stuff is next level and doesn't benefit from my experiment "
If you can agree to it then let's do it.
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I don’t see myself doing high efficiency speakers. I’ve tried different brands such as horns, Klipsch, JBL, fyne audio and although they we were good, I wasn’t able to connect. I have a gut feeling that the s7 won’t go anywhere for a long time .
I only see myself with Aida 2 or potentially Alexx V. Rockport Lyra could be possible but other than these speakers, nothing interest me. As far as amps and preamps, I feel beyond satisfied. I’ve had ZERO DESIRE to purchase anymore amps or preamps since I got the 3060 and 3010. It’s like if you owned a 1500hp buggati Veyron... Very few other cars would impress you.
The worst part of playing at this level is that you are playing alone...
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Something interesting that you all might have noticed: my last video has almost 10k views in a single day... Cables seem to be one of the most viewed videos and interesting topics for the masses. Maybe I should do a comparison video of the top cable brands...
Isn't it nuts that cable conversations are so attractive for most people???
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