My Long List of Amplifiers and My Personal Review of Each!
I agree that preamps and dacs don’t need to be very expensive anymore to give near or sota results. The Christine pre and Benchmark pre are probably good examples. My own experience showed this in me acquiring a 4.5 k $ CAD demo Mac pre with included dac module that bested a 6 k$ USD dac and separate preamp. Amps and specially speakers, thats another story. |
I still don’t agree that someone needs to pay the big $ to get sota preamp or dac performance. Most of audiophiles preaching that route would fail the blind test and have their jaw dropped. Sure, WC ´s journey through prestigious preamps is very interesting and I would absolutely not want him to go otherwise. It’s very cool to read about the top stuff outhere. But a thread is also for discussing options, all options. That is the beauty of this hobby. |
Suddenly, what ?!! So all that preamp is king praise was just bs... Oh dear. It seems your friends are more influential....than the soundstage inflation preamp song we normally read. Are you sure you have enough huge bass slam going direct ?... Maybe your ears and preferences are shifting..... to...... Viber’s land.... Oh dear, this is huge. |
You would not, you do like my posts, in your own way. I have been right many times... I believe Maple has a valid point. Though I don’t think WC is a dealer, I believe a close friend of him is a dealer and they help each other. Maybe they split profits ? Who knows ? Sure when you move that number of gear, it should only be a matter of time before you make a close friend out there. WC should not be mad about this. It’s just the life of having a big thread like this one. Chill out, it’ s just audio guys... |
Isn’t it akward that your vast dealer contacts and gear availability never have given you the opportunity to compare the Sigma NR to the Odin PCs. Only one reason, they don’t want you to. Sigma NR doesnt need to be pushed to sell, as it’s price point is much lower. It ´s not a big buck maker for them. |
We all know this. The DAW is the superior more recent speaker, the Alexia 1 has poor bass control. WC wants us to believe everybody that has heard that uncontrolled bass did not have them set up with proper amps. I know this is mostly wrong, a well made speaker design these days does not need that huge amount of power to work reasonably. Not nearly the case. And Wilson did make the Alexia 2 for a reason , didnt’ they ... And now the measurements show this also. The one who argues it lives in denial, plain and simple. |
Some can be stubborn when the truth is in the front of they eyes. But just won’t admit it. Wilson changed the Alexia 1 profoundly for the Alexia 2 for a reason. If the 1s were so good and perfect, why change them ? An amplifier can only do so much if the speaker design has a flaw. The Alexia 1 have a bass / crossover flaw that was recognized by both the audiophile community and Wilson itself by having changed that specific point in the 2s. WC is only minimizing that flaw with better amps... You know what they say, put lipstick on a pig, it’s still a pig... |
Yes, they move forward. But in the case of the Alexia 1 , each day that passes a different user comes here testifying about it’s flaws... Not me. There is smoke everyday about them here, yet you keep saying there is no fire...that the fire comes from others or reviewers amps...that only your amplifiers are the ones that are fire free... |
Sure it’s great that all this sota gear is being reviewed. But if the gear ends up at a dealer close to WC, we have no choice but to take the review with a grain of salt. It would explain why he never exposes directly the flaws of a piece no more. The more dealers or makers with sale interests around you, the more reserved you become in your critics. You do not want to offend your close relationships... This is still a great thread. With great opinions. We sure have to give WC credit, and some slack. |
This is why I do not use a laptop as a digital transport. I use a tower pc , and a IFi iusb power to not transmit any noise from the computer to the dac inlet. I also use the Fidelizer software that shuts down everything that is not audio needed to transmit the audio files. If one uses a pc also, never use the accessories side usb outlets. Always use the main ones that are conected to the mother board. |
Ok sorry , I was a bit rude I admit. This thread is still very good. I guess we will have to keep enjoying the revealing of differences between the gear, instead of knowing which one is good or bad. It’s a bit sad, because that way we try to read between the lines, and that often brings confusion into the discussion . Anyway, that’s the way it’s going to be, will have to live with it. |
https://shunyata.com/products/power-cables/qr-series-power-cables/omega-qr/ You Odin powercords ´ kryptonite has arrived. |
Still no news about the Magico M3 ? Let me guess, they lack bass compared to the Alexia 1... ( this will happen to any speaker that doesn’t have overblown bass like this older discontinued Wilson model). The Magico beryllium tweeter should be better resolute than the soft dome of the Alexia 1. It’s always the case with cymbals decay. The tradoff is normally the beryllium which can be hot at high volumes reproding some instruments. This is why Magico puts a very thin layer of diamond on their beryllium dome. B&W have the best dome imho, all diamond. Now Viber can write about HF clarity. 😉 |
Yes he is kind of show offy and his love for the big expensive prestigious is getting through unfiltered on yt. But it’s all fine. He ´s human , we all are, our passion transpires raw sometimes. As long as we don’t take this too seriously, knowing the gear is moving and gets resale and the ´´ reviews ´´ ( entertainment ? maybe not that far) are filtered not to offend... We do get to learn about the ultra high end. WC do have some kind of an open mind, for example he listened to the advice with some music playing in the second video... |
Ask yourselves this. Why does WC does not hang on whatsbestforum with audiophiles like him who possesses sota gear like he does, from whom he could learn and discuss. With experienced guys who also own ultra high end gear... Because WC doesn’t like advice ? Because he can’t sell something there? Because they are pretty much rational up there and do not not fall into the ´´ the more expensive it is , the better it is’´ camp ? Who knows ? |
Any manufacturer would be bless by the fact you review and compare their much less expensive dac to big guns like the Esoteric Grandioso and dCs Vivaldi. They won’t loose anything. It would only up their sales. What are you afraid of...Would it offend your close relations in the high end business... My father always said the truth hurts. WC, don’t be hurt by my critics, it’s just audio after all. Drop the ´´ultra high end ego ´´ just a bit. I’ m not the only one saying this. Remember, without us , this thread would be a 1 post 1 user discussion... |
Not everybody, only some who like to be off topic and pollute the thread... Ego still hurt because we have seen through the ´´ never offending friend’s reviews’´. Or maybe because some of us don’t agree with you the Alexia 1 being a great buy ?... Just relax, it’s audio , it’s a thread, some of us will challenge you sometimes. The Magico M3, are they great ? You are a lucky person, we keep following you. I have even subscribed to your yt channel as you suggested. |
