My Long List of Amplifiers and My Personal Review of Each!
Thank you WC, will you have the opportunity of exercising various filters and upsampling levels? Few years ago, when I had the opportunity of having tEsoteric K-01 in my system for a substantial spell, I found that upsampling rates and various filter settings made a remarkable difference in the outcome. Saluti, G.
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WC - I see you came to the same conclusion on the dCS Upsampler vs the clock that I did. The improvement with the Upsampler is huge. BTW I had my WC moment this weekend and auditioned the D’Agostino M400 Monoblocks in my system and was blown away. They took my system to new heights and made me realize it is time to move away from my ARC 250SE’s. The M400’s are the real deal. |
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@whitecamaross really great updates! Definitely matches my experiences with dCS. The upsampler, especially with DSDx2, has this liquid, analog sound that’s really giving my analog rig a run for its money. For the speaker cables, I know you had mentioned you had tried Transparent in the past and found them warm. My experience is that Nordost leans a bit bright. It’d be interesting if you could get your hands on some Transparent speaker cables. You have a very different system now and I wonder how they’d do. Seems worth a tryout before dropping Odin 2 money. Didn’t see any updates about the Boulder. Still in use? I’m eagerly awaiting the 2110 preamp delivery. |
We are all in agreement that this thread has jumped all the sharks right? My lord. What a thread. Pretty clear BURNER accounts BEING used BY many PEOPLE that love to occasionally WRITE IN ALL CAPS. Then, we have...Viper, piping in about all sorts of things he has never owned or heard. Topped off by the fact that the OP’s room has changed at least 3 times. Equipment is being compared with completely different speakers, rooms, and combinations. Rendering all previous comparisons moot. But, it is however impressive that it keeps going. CONGRATS. |
Speaking of the devil, here is the review that released today on the benchmark preamp. https://www.stereophile.com/content/benchmark-la4-line-preamplifier |
Ya, it was in the January issue of Stereophile. I got the impression from the printed review that Kal probably spent far more time setting it up as a multichannel preamp and keep in mind none of his other components are nearly as transparent as yours. I’m sure it’s a good product but I don’t think much can be determined from this review, with lack of comparisons and focus on multichannel. |
I want to say Merry Christmas to all of you. I really never thought that my posts would generate enough interest that people would actually want to leave a comment. Here’s the thing. I still experience today that very same overwhelming excitement every time I receive an email notification that a comment has been left on one of my posts. EVERY SINGLE TIME! Granted, I no longer run around like a chicken with its head cut off when it comes to every single component I come across, but I most certainly do get excited to review the next component and share my thoughts with you all. I love that people want to leave comments here, not because I’m trying to set some kind of comment record, but simply because each comment leads to an interaction and it is these interactions that motivates me to continue writing and working on my craft every day. For those of you who have been visiting this site for a long time – I truly thank you for your never-ending support! And to every other person who has ever read or chosen not to leave a comment don’t think for one moment that I don’t feel incredibly fortunate to have you as a reader and in many cases, as a friend. To all those who have emailed me over the last few years with questions, comments or just to say hello, let me tell you that these interactions are immensely rewarding to me as well. I encourage you to keep the emails coming as each one I receive quickly leads to an abnormally large smile stuck onto my face. And for anyone who has ever thought about sending me an email, you should never hesitate for even one second and who knows, maybe our paths will cross one day ( I've met some of you at Axpona this year). ONE LAST THING!I’d just like to say once again, and this is for absolutely everyone, whether you’ve been hanging around my thread for months or only a few weeks or even if this is your first visit here… Gracias! Whitecamaross |
Merry Christmas to you! I've been very happy with the Star Sound Sistrum Apprentice XLs under both my amps and speakers for several years now - http://starsoundtechnologies.com/index.php |
Merry Christmas @whitecamaross and everyone reading this thread! As for platform/ amp stand, I recommend Amish crafted, air dried maple wood from Mapleshade: https://shop.mapleshadestore.com/Maple-Platforms_c_21.html |
WC, Thanks for your heartfelt appreciation of everyone who contributes to your thread. I appreciate you in the same way. In fact, I just decided to look for a used Nordost Valhalla 1 power cord rather than a new lower grade PC from another company. The Odin 1 is probably the best for me if a super price comes along. I like your strategy of buying used, especially for cables where break in is very important--this is more reliable than buying new. Merry Christmas. |
@p59teitel that photo of the salons on that rack makes me nervous just looking at it. Seems like such narrow contact footprint for such a tall speaker. @whitecamaross check out modulum audio racks. They make a pretty large amp stand. I’m awaiting delivery of 8 shelves worth of their racks to replace my Box rack and currently have their amp stand in house on loan from the dealer and every component I’ve placed on it has responded with greatly enhanced clarity and broader dynamic range. Not cheap but not stupid expensive given the cost of those Pass amps. |
@kstaken "that photo of the salons on that rack makes me nervous just looking at it. Seems like such narrow contact footprint for such a tall speaker." I wouldn't do it if there were a five year old present, and the door is closed to keep the dog out when I'm not around. But you can bump them without them moving much. |
@whitecamaross WC, thanks for the very nice Christmas present. Like many, I've been following since near to, or at the beginning. I've enjoyed all the twists and turns and how you've ordered your journey. Looking forward to 2020 and all your observations. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to your and your family and to all following this thread. |
The moment has arrived. I will be doing a comparison of the nordost Odin 1 PC vs Odin 2 PC plugged into my DCS. The speaker cables are still odin 1, standard PCs on the pass amps since I need to take one of them to compare it. I’ll need to first let the Odin 2 settle in the system for about 24 hrs before I do any critical listening. Everything will be plugged into the wall, moderate volume levels. I also will be receiving cardas clear beyond xlr on Monday which will be compared against my Platinum 8 Wireworld. |
From Nordost website. DIRECTIONALITY Are Nordost cables directional? Yes, Nordost cables are directional. This is especially true for single ended (RCA) interconnects as the shield is connected at the source or output end only. Which way do directional arrows point on Nordost cables?The directional arrows always point away from the source. For example, from a CD player to an amplifier, the arrows should point towards the preamplifier or power amplifier. On a speaker cable the arrows would always point towards the loudspeaker How can cables be directional?When cables are manufactured they do not have any directionality. However, as they break in, they acquire directionality. |
Nordost Odin 2 PC has arrived. I am going to simply plug it in and let it settle in. Impressions to come tonight and then tomorrow night as well. I want to see how this cable changes with continuous playtime. I remember that my Odin 1 didn’t wow me instantly but the next day after it had been playing music I was impressed tremendously. I am still unable to get out of nordost Odin powercords. I can’t find anything that rivals them and if it exists then please send it my way. |
@geoffkait Maybe the 'Machina Dynamica Brilliant Pebbles Large (1)' that you sell on your website for $59.00 would bring one's system up to current times? This might just be the trick us old dogs need to try! https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis9gb3a-machina-dynamica-brilliant-pebbles-large-1-tweaks |
Is a comprehensive and accurate assessment (and comparison) of 34 to 36 amplifiers in just 12 months possible? Most professional reviewers take at least a couple of months of careful listening in conjunction with as many different components as they can lay their hands on before even attempting to arrive at and report on any firm conclusions. |
Feedback I was given about it wasn't very good... Here's my issue with cable manufacturers: if they are releasing cables that retail at this price point , they better bring a dog fight for the big proven brands. One reason I like nordost Odin is that it sounds great and it actually sells once you are ready to sell it but then you scratch your head and wonder what the hell else would you get and well there aren't reslly many options that compare to nordost Odin. If I were a cable manufacturer and wanted to take down nordost Odin , Id buy nordost Odin and bring it to my factory and try to create something that bests it but the issue is that it isn't easy to do. It is not a walk in the park. |
rbach@geoffkait Maybe the ’Machina Dynamica Brilliant Pebbles Large (1)’ that you sell on your website for $59.00 would bring one’s system up to current times? This might just be the trick us old dogs need to try! https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis9gb3a-machina-dynamica-brilliant-pebbles-large-1-tweaks >>>>Hey, Brilliant Pebbles was the product that put me on the map. Why it was the map of Kuala Lumpur nobody seems to know. |
