WC,
You are on the right track with Nordost if your finances permit it. As long as you enjoy the music and appreciate the enhanced clarity, there is no downside. But let's assume that at worst, the Odin is acting like a treble booster without affecting the lower freq. If you are still satisfied with the music at even somewhat higher volumes, then all is well. Just don't blast the music because this is not natural. Live unamplified music is rarely unpleasant at loud levels. But amplified rock is unnatural due to the inferior electronics and speakers used. You found this out when you took your wife to a club recently. Use unamplified jazz recordings, and investigate the classical pieces that almarg, guido and I recommended.
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WC,
My experience with the Shunyata Sigma HC PC (not the new NR series) matches yours. I settled with the cheap Shunyata Venom HC, which was a little clearer than the Sigma. But I did not think that either Shunyata gave me the blow away feeling that you have with the Nordost Odin PC. The obvious next thing to do would be to try the Block monos with Odins. One would think that high power amps would benefit the most from a PC, but the benefit to the DAC is harder to understand, because it is not an issue of power delivery. Perhaps the Odin is doing a revolutionary type of filtering noise, which doesn't subtract HF the way the Shunyata Sigma does. Even if Keithr is partially correct about how Nordost may change tonal balance, I say that if you enjoy the clarity of the music, go with it. |
audiolabyrinth,
Thanks for your list of expensive cables, but what sonic characteristics make them preferable to you? To your ears, how does the Odin sound broken?
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The popular Cable Company lending library has lots of stuff, although maybe not many of the top level products discussed here. So far, this thread's members offer the best prospects for WC. Still, I don't know why dealers can't have in stock at least 1 sample of every cable from the company they represent. Cables are durable, and it actually makes more sense to buy used than new. Burned in gives stable sound, not the uncertainty of a new one. And even Odin is cheaper than many Wilson speakers, so a dealer can be happy charging a little rent for a portable cable, whereas he couldn't rent out a heavy speaker. Light electronics are loaned all the time. Is a Nordost dealer worried that unlike WC, most of his customers will think its price/performance ratio is not good?
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For all those who bash me personally, WC doesn't want your negative personal attacks which can draw attention from the moderators, risking shutdown of this valuable thread. Many people have different listening observations and preferences from me, which is fine if they don't engage in personal attacks and tasteless jokes at my expense. The record shows that I don't initiate personal attacks, but just state my findings from personal observations, or sometimes note that a review said such and such. By contrast, the negative personal comments are initiated by people who disagree with me, and then compounded by the cackles that "that was hilarious." As WC advises, restrict your comments to honest findings about equipment.
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WC,
All you need is one more Odin power cord to do some interesting trials. Then you could try 2 on the Block monos to see how the Odins improve on the stock or other power cords you now have on the Blocks. While you await the 2nd power cord, you could use the one you have on 1 channel of the Block and the other cord on the other channel. Listen to a mono recording and hear the difference between the two channels. Then try the Odins on other components to see where they have the greatest benefit. There are fewer variables with the Odin speaker cables, so that is an easy test. I recall Nordost advising that the power cord is the most important cable to try first to get the biggest benefit.
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gtaphite,
I agree that context is important, but there can still be generalizations about equipment that are still valid. For obvious examples, a ref 10 tube preamp will have totally different character than a Boulder. A dealer whose customer wants the kind of sound liked by WC would not recommend the Boulder, regardless of the speaker. The dealer's experience would not treat each system as a totally blank slate where anything can be tried at random. There has to be some process of narrowing down the likely choices to come close to the desired sound. The list of good choices is made from the known general characteristics of the component in many diverse systems. Then, the context of the total sound can better define the best choice. I think this is what you mean by "context."
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WC,
You are right that those inferior electronics at the show don't allow the Neo to sound its best. Another big factor is setup of the Neo in the room. When you first put them in your room, you were underwhelmed. Then you experimented with toe-in, and most important, got 5-6 feet behind them which made a big difference. But even with a great setup, which takes more time than exhibitors can do, any stat has a sweet spot. Listeners way off axis are not getting the quality of the guy in the sweet spot. Even those listeners in the middle (left/right) but in different rows are getting different sounds because the angle of toe-in varies with distance. The most valid comment is from the guy in the single sweet spot, with everyone else's opinion to be taken less seriously.
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Agree with WC, jafox, bigddesign3 about how stats are not optimally demoed at shows. I stopped going to shows years ago. The only value was to meet designers. However, my first foray into the high end was right after I got my first job as a doctor in 1977. I wanted the Maggie Tympani 1D, but needed to get a new car. I got the speakers, but compromised with a big receiver and used my old AR turntable with a mediocre MM Shure M91ED cartridge. This was good enough to thrill me with the superiority of the Maggie to my old Advent speakers. Of course, later I upgraded the other components and could better appreciate them with the Maggies already in the system. Following what bigddesign3 notes, ML is targeting the midfi market at Best Buy stores. I encourage novices to go there and see how the cheaper ML stats even poorly set up, kill everything else in the store. They can then enter our high end world. At the same time, the sophisticated audiophile knows that there are dedicated dealers who do a better job, where he can get better advice. But as WC noted, there are few or no dealers who demo the Neo. This is a major deficiency, because it cannot be assumed that the Neo is just another ML speaker. Ideally, a dealer should demo both top ML speakers--the Neo and CLX Art. The Neo is for the guy who wants much of everything who has a big enough room, and the CLX is for someone who wants the highest accuracy who is willing to compromise on big dynamics.
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minorl,
Right. My last show, in NY 2-3 years ago, included a Sanders Sound Systems electrostatic hybrid. It was in a small narrow room with not much space behind the speaker. As a result, it sounded rolled off and lifeless, far inferior to an excellent setup at a private home. I considered buying it based on the private demo, but would have rejected it after 2 seconds of listening at that show. Whoever set the system up at that show doesn't know much about optimizing the sound of dipoles in general. Then there is the price of the room. A famous manufacturer like Wilson can afford to get the best room which has the proper space to demonstrate his speaker, but a tiny guy like Sanders who sells direct because he can't afford a dealer network, is handicapped. No excuse for ML which can afford a good room, but just needs informed setup.
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WC,
Much to my surprise, I find that your present recording setup is good enough to reveal differences between components, so keep doing what you are doing.
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kps25sc,
Just look on Amazon for the orange goggles, less than $10. Before you finish typing in all the numbers I gave, the whole thing pops up. Read the hundreds of reviews of customers who tell of their sleep improvements. I have another one in my office and ask my patients to put it on, look at my computer cable, and I ask what color it is. It appears grey or a dull green. Then when they take the goggles off, they are shocked that it is blue. That shows how effective the shielding is for blue light. Even when wearing the goggles, I have to limit the TV time in the PM, or else I will have more trouble sleeping. I have a 4 watt light bulb in the kitchen in the evening. I am an obsessed sleep-o-phile.
Thanks for reminding me about the Mark Levinson Audio Palette. |
pokey77,
For newbie listeners to classical music, I would start with the Rossini William Tell Overture which is only 10 min. The last section is the famous Lone Ranger. The most exciting recording I have heard is the 1953 mono by the NBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Arturo Toscanini. In that recording, the crescendos (fast build of dynamics) in percussion (including tympani--drums) and the crackle of the brass are most thrilling. Even though it is mono, the close perspective suits this music and interpretation.
Next, try the 1st movement (section) of the Beethoven 5th Symphony.
For solo piano, the last movement of the Beethoven Moonlight Sonata. The old recording by pianist Vladimir Horowitz, is thrilling because of its precision and sudden dynamic bursts.
Jascha Heifetz was the most exciting violinist who ever lived. His recordings started around 1920, but he made many excellent sounding recordings from 1955 to 1972. When you love a particular artist, you can listen to any of his recordings and get to know more music in that way.
I like youtube for exposure to similar pieces on the right side, so this is a great way for you to quickly expand your experience. |
WC,
Now that you have discovered the top echelon of brands like Block and Odin, you can safely sell the lesser Dag and Gryphon in order to put the money into more Odin. Even though Dag 400 and Gryphon monos would be interesting to try, they would probably show a similar house sound to their other models you know, so I say to go for the best which you know. Probably the best bang for the buck for your tastes is double Rowland 535's, as guido has described.
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thezaks,
Power line noise is a major source of frustration, which can turn a great amp into mush. My Shunyata Denali has helped a lot, but there is still variability in the sound--usually clearer in the mid AM when people have gone to work and there are fewer appliances being used in my building. RF is medically dangerous and so is "dirty electricity" which is high freq of 3 Khz to 10 Mhz riding on the 60 Hz AC line. I am presently experimenting with Greenwave filters which dramatically reduce the dirty electricity according to the company and confirmed by my measurements. You can read about the medical dangers of RF and dirty electricity on lessEMF.com, radiationrefuge.com. There are interesting videos of Geovital.
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ron17,
Yes, dimmer switches create RF and dirty electricity. Watch the short videos on lessEMF.com. Incandescent light bulbs are the best, CFL's the worst, and LED's acceptable. They use the Stetzerizer meters. I bought the competitor to the Stetzerizer, the Greenwave filters and meters. What is disappointing is that the Shunyata Denali conditioner doesn't appear to reduce the dirty electricity voltage in the region of measurement 3 Khz to 10 Mhz.
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thezaks,
Which RF testing equipment did you get, and what numbers did you measure? I got the esi24 meter from lessEMF, which measures low freq electric fields, magnetic fields, and RF at 2.4 Ghz. I have measured all rooms in several homes, and it appears that RF is the major problem. Several people have reported to me that they were getting better sleep when they found rooms and sleeping head positions with lower RF readings. I typically have measured RF to be 100-2000 microwatts/sq meter. Maybe you are lucky to be living in a secluded area so your readings are better. International safety recommendations for optimal health are for 10 or less. I am still experimenting to see if audio quality is improved by mitigating dirty electricity and RF.
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techno_dude,
Electrostatics are plugged into the wall to get the voltage that charges the stator panel sandwich. Think of it as a giant thin Oreo cookie. The black outer cookies are the stator charged panel, and the white filling is the electrostatic membrane that responds to the musical signal. Therefore, the transformer that plugs into the wall and is used to step up the low DC voltage doesn't carry the musical signal. All speakers use crossovers and electronics to some extent, but the accuracy of electrostatics is mainly due to the low mass driver which is tightly controlled between the stators. I have heard the GT Audioworks ribbon/planar magnetic speaker. It is excellent and exemplifies many of the desirable qualities of good electrostatics. An advantage is its high efficiency.
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techno-dude,
Good point about Magnepans, also true of ribbons. A fabulous speaker is Eminent Technology, similar to planar magnetics, so reasonable at $2500 direct for their top model. When I heard it with modest electronics, the midrange was SOTA, and the medium size of the speaker gave a good image in the medium/small room. These speakers are not quite as accurate as electrostatics, because the electrostatic membrane is more tightly controlled than ribbons and planar magnetics. This factor of control of the membrane outweighs the downside of plugging in. |
WC,
Your description of the Odin speaker cable as having more articulation/separation and more decay than the plat 7 means that the Odin has more accuracy and resolution. But "huge sounding" with larger images is a characteristic of less accurate sound, as in the case of tube amps with bloated images, an exaggerated case. This has been my experience. We'll see as time goes by, but so far it seems like both Odins go for accuracy/resolution, which is desirable. I feel you made the right moves with the Odins.
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minor,
Excellent balanced points you make. If we were all wealthy and retired with lots of time, it would be desirable to personally hear everything in own homes. Even then, it is not possible to hear everything, so choices have to be made. How do you make choices? A strong theoretical background helps. Knowledge of the house sound of pieces you have heard at home suggests in a general way what the sound of an unknown piece by that designer may sound like. Honest helpful contributions here would say whether you tried it at home, or whether you are doing intelligent speculation based on reviewers you have come to trust. To save space, we shouldn't have to create a lawyeresque description of these reasons every time we post. It should be assumed that everyone is sincere and not trying to mislead anyone.
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WC,
I thought of a great analogy that further explains my statement that larger images are characteristic of inaccuracy. Imagine an attractive woman whose waist is 22. She looks great in a perfectly fitted outfit that shows off the details of her body. Then she puts on lots of sweaters and a large furry overcoat to go out in subzero weather. Now her waist is 40-50 and looking at her in the coat, you cannot see the details of her body and she is not as attractive. What the Odin and other accurate components give you is the leaner indoor look of her in the nice outfit. The less accurate components make her look larger, but certainly less detailed. These less accurate components create a fuzzy overcoat kind of halo around the core sound, enlarging the image but smearing it.
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WC,
Glad you found my woman analogy useful. In my experience, no. 18 or 16 zip cord has focused the sound much better than any other cable, even the Nordost Frey 2 speaker cable. Many people say that zip cord has deficient QUANTITY of bass, which is true, and that zip brightens the sound, which is also true. But the overall clarity, snap and sparkle of zip is an overwhelming advantage for me. We had this discussion a few months ago, with someone recommending the Mapleshade cables. That designer feels that large cables fatten and smear the sound, consistent with my observations. Mapleshade is fairly cheap, and zip very cheap. Try the zip for speaker cables--you have nothing to lose, and you may be pleasantly surprised.
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bigddesign3,
Agree on the merits of judging 1 thing at a time, patiently. What 8 gauge speaker cables are you using? Are they giant simple zip cord? What are their sonic characteristics, and how do they compare to other speaker cables you have used?
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@pokey77,
Glad to inspire you. The Beethoven Moonlight Sonata starts with a slow, contemplative simple idea. The last section is fast and exciting, so this famous well-loved piece gives you everything. Feel free to message me, so I can recommend more pieces once I see what you like. Guido is a music scholar, so he likes the complex pieces like the Rite of Spring, whereas I go for the simpler, romantic pieces that I believe would also be most accessible to the newbie.
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jetter,
I agree that the Sanders amps would be great to try, especially with Roger's 30 day free trial. I never heard them at home, but reviews are very favorable, with sound described as accurate and balanced. This description is similar to that from a nice man who spent a whole day driving me from NJ to Virginia to visit his client with one of the Sanders electrostatics. It was a complete Sanders ESL system with the ESL amps. It sounded great. From my reading of the Sanders site, the more powerful amps for dynamic speakers are also suitable for ESL's.
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WC,
Please go back to my analogy of the woman in the big overcoat. From your description of the plat 7 speaker cable, it is like the woman in the overcoat--deeper and wider, but less accurate/detailed. But the Odin is like the lean woman the way she really is with an attractive thin layer of clothing. I believe you need to get accustomed to the Odin type of sound, both power cord and speaker cable. The Odin is less full, but more detailed and accurate. That said, the Odins may not be best value for the money. Try zip cord as I mentioned to see if you accept the zip type of sound--lean, clear, snappy, sparkly, tight but not full bass. To use a painting analogy, the Nordost Frey 2 speaker cable in my system was like a fuzzy impressionist painting, whereas zip is like a clear photograph. Impressionism is great visual art, but its philosophy is obviously different from accurate portrayal of the world. One day I will try the Mapleshade cables which may expand on the benefits of zip.
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eziggy,
Yes, I totally agree with you about the clarity vs. depth issue, all the examples you gave. To me, the fundamental feature of music, in a single word, is clarity. Music is a language, and we all realize that with language, clarity is everything. I enjoy taking a walk and being startled by the unexpected sound of any instrument or voice. Where it comes from (depth, etc.) is much less important than its basic sound in all its clarity and impact. In recordings of various instruments on the real soundstage of the studio or concert stage, there is the natural depth of the recording, but in a euphonic system with less clarity, the depth is exaggerated, images are enlarged but with that halo of fuzziness I talked about with the analogy of the woman in the overcoat.
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bigddesign3,
Yes, I have found that thinner speaker cable yields a more treble oriented balance. It seems obvious that a thicker cable transfers more energy which is desirable. The thinner cable would transfer less energy at every freq, but perhaps the handicap to the bass is more than the handicap to the highs, so it appears that the tonal balance of the thinner wire is brighter and more detailed, because more of the higher harmonics are emphasized. Maybe almarg can help with some sensible science to back up our listening impressions, rather than the pseudoscience of many cable designers. Ultimately, each listener will decide what he wants based on his subjective ideals.
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almarg,
Thanks. Yes, the "sound" of any cable ought to be able to be described in terms of objective characteristics like resistance, inductance, capacitance, length, characteristic impedance, insulation thickness/dielectric absorption, skin effect, as well as comparative amp/speaker parameters. Nordost gives most of these specs for each of their cable lines, so it should be possible to predict in a general way, the sound of each of their cables, subject to the unknown characteristics of the amp/speaker. I was just asking if you could take a simple cable like zip cord with known specs at different gauges, and approximately predict that bass frequencies are reduced more than high freq for thinner zip. You can make up some numbers for some amps or speakers you know, so you can estimate the effect, or just use a pure resistor as a model for a speaker (Maggies are said to be a pure resistive load). If this is still not possible for you to predict this, I thank you and respect your insight.
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Dasign,
Yes, cable winding geometry and its consequent E/M field pattern is the big unknown factor. Perhaps this can be described in terms of familiar measurements of inductive and capacitive reactance, which vary with frequency. My knowledge of physics is rudimentary so maybe someone can help. Thanks to Al for his honest input. When Nordost and other companies publish their specs, they might be referenced to a particular freq, but what is missing is how these specs vary with freq. If we knew this, then maybe it would be much easier to predict the "sound" of a cable, instead of getting frustrated with system variabilities, asking the dealer to break cables in for 200 hours, etc. We are all in this random jungle of endless trials for cables, like prospecting for gold when the odds of a bonanza are slim.
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dasign,
Right. What are the tonal characteristics that you hear with the Acoustic Zens? It seems that since we cannot correlate sound with known specs on any cable, auditioning is necessary. Variations in specs and distortions with frequency may be a major part of the explanation of sound differences. In effect, cables are like equalizers. At least with EQ, you can see what you are manipulating, but with cables you are blindly twiddling the dials albeit in a subtle manner.
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grey9hound,
I think it is quiet here because WC is having the dealer break in one of his Odins. Maybe this is all good because he can just relax and enjoy what he has before making quick changes. Also a good time to consider cheaper but still excellent alternatives.
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allvinyl,
Glad to hear about your GTA speaker. I will hear the latest version at Steve's house in a few weeks. What are the specs and tone quality of the Viola Symphony amp? I think it is an older amp. I heard the Viola Concerto amp a few years ago. It was in the sweet solid state camp, roughly equivalent in tone quality to the Merrill 114. How large is your room? As you know, Steve drives the efficient GTA with only a 60 watt Pass in his moderately large room.
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WC,
In your words, "The gryphon is amazing with slam and dynamics but it does add a hint, a smudge of honey." So I interpret this to mean you rate the Gryphon 6 for sweetness, compared to 5 for Sim, 7 for Luxman. How about the Merrill 118 for sweetness and resolution? Do you still have the 118 so we can hear it A/B’ed with the Gryphon? If not, just give your ratings of Merrill vs Gryphon, thanks.
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Sound quality is mostly related to creative thinking behind the design. Expensive things are related to parts quality and count, weight, which don't necessarily correlate with sound quality. WC has discovered this with a few pieces. On the 1st page of this thread, he said that the Emotiva 250 sounds as good as amps costing 10x as much.
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WC,
I thank you for your work and presentations. But since you have owned and listened to the Gryphon a long time, it shouldn't be much trouble to say why you think it is still better than the Sim. You have extensively listened to the Merrill a few months ago, and now you are even more enthusiastic about it, so it would be nice to complete your thoughts about it instead of just brief mention as the best class D. The Gryphon, Sim and Merrill you consider very special, unlike nearly all of the hundreds of other amps you have gone through. Thanks.
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lhasaguy,
Totally agree, especially how live music fundamentally differs from all hifi. Also, you can buy high value products like Mytek, Benchmark, Emotiva, Plinius, Oppo, etc., even at retail prices, as WC and others have found.
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WC,
I urged techno_dude a while back to try the Shunyata Denali 6000. At home, my Denali is a big improvement, much more than any Shunyata power cord. The Denali creates better focus and detail across the freq spectrum. Images are thinner, which is characteristic of focused clarity, as I mentioned in my analogy of the pretty woman in a delicate dress. But there are no HF spikes or any suggestion of imbalances. Good move for you--you will be happy. |
I agree with jafox. DA converters have evolved to a common high quality, but the differences between DAC products have a lot to do with their analog output stage and power supplies. For those familiar with turntables, tonearms and cartridges, there are vast differences among all these analog transducers, almost as great as speaker differences. Analog circuitry shows somewhat less differences, but still greater than digital. It is truly great news that the inexpensive Oppo competes favorably with the Lampi. It is also great that WC has the honesty to reveal these truths, in contrast to the typical audio mag-rag that is biased toward expensive stuff because those companies bring in great revenue to the mag-rags.
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WC,
One thing which is clear is the benefits of the Denali, which I have said yields bigger differences than many power chords. I just have the 6000 which I use for all components, and never had the need for the additional 2000 which is dedicated to the power amps. I am glad you have confirmed my findings in your system. Whether tubes or SS, today's best DAC's are converging to similar if not nearly identical sound characteristics. Even plain cheap CD players aren't a big comedown from SOTA digital systems, unlike the YUGE differences between cheap MM cartridges and the finest MC cartridges. Your confusion using different cables may reflect the truly small differences between the Oppo and Lampi, which will be true no matter what cables are in the system. Don't fret and feel you need to spend big bucks on cables.
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I have not tried the Torus, but I tried another isolation transformer. It was heavy with 2 15A AC outputs. A minimal debatable improvement. But the Denali 6000 is a MAJOR improvement, as WC and others also noted. It is well worth the price. The technology is such that break in is done quickly at the factory. Prior to the Denali, I had an Isotek EVO sigmas conditioner, which was better than the isolation transformer, but not as good as the Denali. Go for the Denali. There are no reservations, like "this component is more detailed and accurate, but I don't get the seductive sound I like, etc." Enjoy it.
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kren0006,
Funny that you mention a hypothetical A/B between the Wilson Alexx against the Maggie LRS. I'll bring the Wilson Master Chronosonic to that fight. I respect the Chronosonic design as the best Wilson because of its time aligned concave projection design. How would this best dynamic multiple box design compete against the bottom of the line low mass boxless LRS? Serious question--I don't know.
A related question is who I would hire as a bodyguard--a 100 lb woman who is a top martial artist, or a 400 lb obese out of shape guy who is slow. I know a body builder who is on the NYC police force. He spent $8K for his personal gym and works out 4 hours a day. He said that only 1-2% of the police force is in the shape that he is. Most big guys are slow when it comes to fighting. The exam requirement for the police includes 20 chinups. They pass him with a wink if he can only do 15. Big deal--I can do 25 myself, but I am only 165 lbs at 6 feet. I'm not bragging about my physical capabilities.
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jafox,
Thanks for your detailed descriptions of your experiences. I now better know your tastes. My first good speaker was the Maggie Tympani 1D which I loved for its spaciousness and good accuracy. Then I realized that electrostatic transducers are more accurate than planar magnetics. I understand and agree with your assessment of ML stats as being "sterile" compared to Maggies, but what many people call "sterile" I regard as accurate. We hear the same things but have different tastes and preferences. I belong to a NY musical club named "The Bohemians" whose performances are held in a small 100 seat hall with a high ceiling and no carpeting. I sit in the front row in the middle, within a few feet from singers, 6 foot Steinway grand piano and other players. From this seat, I am shocked at how powerful and RAW the singers sound, of course unamplified. The sound is dynamic to the max, full, but definitely not sweet and seductive. There is smoothness but definitely not the kind of lush quality that may be heard in a typical midhall seat about 75-100 feet away. The sound at my close seat is more like "sterile"--so I realized that like it or not, "sterile" is accurate. The piano has a kind of iron-fisted impact, leaning in the direction of an anvil struck by a heavy metal hammer. The piano sound is full, dynamic, but also sterile. Most recordings are made with relatively close mikes with occasional mixing of distant mikes to get more hall ambience. The recording perspective is more like my front seat than the midhall typical listener seat. Therefore, for audio accuracy, "sterile" is the truth, although any listener is entitled to prefer a more lush midhall type of sound. As for you and me, I will better understand whether I might be interested in any component you evaluate based on your honest descriptions. Thanks for that.
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BTW, what are the identities of the shootout between the Audience front row and Valhalla 2? Do a quick video on that, so you will get paid. I guess you might have less commentary on this thread, and more on the videos.
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dguitarnut, +10.
psnyder149, +10.
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eziggy,
Right. You could say that ML stats are accurate, which is the same as unforgiving. I just wouldn't go so far to say that bad source = bad experience. On my Audiostatic 240 stats, I can certainly hear the flaws of a particular recording, such as 1980's digital. But I love the overall clarity and just ignore the few moments of digititis, so it is still mostly a good experience. I prefer this situation to one in which I am listening to a forgiving system where even though there are no nasty moments, everything is mediocre and boring. I want audio to be exciting.
WC, another woman analogy for you. A famous model of 20-30 years ago (Cindy Crawford?) had a mole near her left lip. This became her unique trademark. You would certainly enjoy being with her and forget about her mole. |
WC,
I agree that the sound is really mediocre. Dark, bass muddy, vocal veiled, no air. On your other videos with this music, the sound is exciting and wonderful. I am wondering if the amp is defective. But then it would cost money to send it back to the factory and get another unit to answer the question.
A markup from $4K to $10K--is this typical of most foreign products? That is certainly a good reason to stay away from foreign products. Many companies use cheap foreign labor for parts or subassembly, with the final product originating from the US--that's OK.
In order to keep your music comparisons coming, I suggest keeping the commentary minimal on them just to mention cables, with written captions as #1,2,3, or the component name. Just present a 2-4 min selection. With 2 or 3 choices, the video would be only 4-6-12 min long. Then make a separate video with your comments on the sound. This way you could get paid for your comments only. We would have to go back to the music video again, but that's life, and you certainly should be paid for your efforts, which we all appreciate. |
It sounds like the Gryphon will be leaving, my guess. If so, please do a video A/B with Merrill. If the Merrill is gone, bring back the Sim. From your statement that the Gryphon is a little warm in sound, I believe that the Sim has greater clarity, unless you want to refute me with a Gryphon/Sim shootout and/or greater clarification of the differences. You could live happily ever after with the Sim. Imagine the Sim on top of this stand. WOW.
The stand is impressive and reveals MUCH MORE clarity from the Momentum. The guitar twangs are sharper and really impressive. There can never be too much clarity, and anyone who says they prefer less clarity and more dullness is on the wrong track. Let's see if such a person prefers the amp without the stand. If this increased clarity is too jarring, keep the volume reasonable, and/or accept the recording for what it is. The stand sounds like a totally different amp. The other possibility is that the RF/EM suppression with the large disc on top can be responsible for the clarity. The simplest thing to do is try the amp + stand with and without the disc on top to see the effect of RF/EM pollution by itself. The disc looks like it weighs about 10 lbs, but this is negligible compared to the weight of the Dag, so I believe that the major effect of the disc is RF/EM suppression.
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Grey9hound,
Thanks for the article. Makes sense. Still, I find relatively small subjective differences after break in, with components and cables. A big exception was the Nordost Frey 2 XLR interconnects, which were crystal clear at first and then became comparatively blurry. My Nordost Frey 2 RCA interconnects are still wonderfully clear and precise.
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