"I absolutely love my Sound Lab Ultimate 1 PX'"
Still kicking myself for not getting a used pair of 545's that WAS in my budget.
Enjoy your new found "right."
My VERY POSITIVE Experience with VTV and Warren Coleman (Attention: Sound Lab Owners!)
Good Morning Fellow Audiophiles!
In the season of Thanksgiving, I wanted to stop and share my incredibly positive experience with VTV Amplifiers (vtvamplifier.com) and Warren Coleman in particular.
While I absolutely love my Sound Lab Ultimate 1 PX's, they are, in many ways, "a speaker in search of an amplifier"!!! 😉
After doing a great deal of research, I elected to contact Warren at VTV in order to explore the HYPEX N2K amps, hoping to find something that could offer both musicality AND the brute force necessary to command control over the startling low-frequency reproduction of which these amazing electrostatic loudspeaker's are capable (if one can overcome their >30 ohm impedance in sub-bass region)!!
Warren was very generous in speaking with me over the phone in advance of the purchase. He walked me through the potential pros and cons of the various amplifiers he offers and counseled me concerning op-amp selection to optimize the performance of his amps in my particular system (and to my particular tastes!)
Purchase was seamless through their website and communication excellent. The amplifiers arrived SOONER than promised. They were carefully packaged to insure a "safe ride" (despite UPS 😂).
The build quality of the amplifiers was excellent. There were no cosmetic issues either.
In my experience, all class D amplifiers take time to run in, and these were no exception. However as the units "matured" I was rewarded with lovely, musical sound and a degree of command over the notoriously difficult to drive Sound Lab Ultimate 1 I have never before experienced.
But, I am an audiophile. 😁 So, I had "nits" to pick with the transparency of the sound. Once again, Warren corresponded with me (virtually in real time, and always promptly) to address these concerns, even sending alternative op amps for me to install and try to "dial in the sound".
In short, I could absolutely not be any happier with my experience as a customer of VTV Amplifiers. It turns out Warren has a Nashville connection, and I am hopeful he and I will meet in person when he next travels this direction.
HIGHEST, unqualified recommendation, period. But Sound Lab Owners should pay especially close attention!
BH
P.S. AND NO, I HAVE NO PERSONAL or BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP with Warren or VTV. I'm simply old school and appreciate people who are passionate and care about their customers!
18 responses Add your response
@bouncehit Congrats on finding a great match. Though I do not own Sound Labs yet I do lust after them after hearing them with 400 watt Classe mono blocks many years ago. What other amps have you owned or auditioned with your sound labs? Appreciate the feedback. |
Your lust is well-placed! ;) Over the years I’ve owned multiple Sound Lab products (A1, Auras, A3, and most recently U1/PX) and driven them with everything from Fourier Sans Pareil OTL’s to VTL MB 750’s to Levinson 23’s and Krell MDA 500’s, just to name a few. More recently my forays into Class D have included ROUGE Audio with the ICE AS1 chip, Class D Audio (GaN FETS’s), and now the VTV. There is a “certainty” the grip imposed on the speaker by the VTV N2K that causes one’s shoulders to relax. Clipping seems unimaginable. Dynamics are startling. I truly didn’t know ESL’s could sound like this! |
Ralph! It's Craig from Nashville, Bob K and Ray L's friend. I also have a pair of Class D Audio 200wpc GaNFETs that are very, very good with the Sound Lab U1. If only they had just a BIT MORE POWER! 😉 When will you be coming out with a Class D amp that can drive the U1/PX to its fullest? No pressure!!! Best, Craig |
@bouncehit We don't know when but we are working on it. |
Vtv has caught my eye. Had some initial email exchanges this week and got very prompt and useful responses. Looks very promising! They offer a nice variety of designs and very good relative value. There should be a fit there for most. It is a bit daunting to sort through the website given the variety of models, specs, op amp choices, etc. but a few quick email exchanges helped me zero in on the product that seems best fit for me. |