some more pictures http://www.flickr.com/photos/metropolismusic/4261312831/ |
I wonder why JRDG seems to be using Cardas inside his products and Odin outside, these are two completely different cables from the caracteristics they have |
of course in blind hearing tests ... |
à propos remote: today I let fall the remote of my Capri on the wooden floor (some 50 cm) ... pang! it broke in two separate parts ... only 50 cm !!
|
When I visited Jeff in his shop he talked about being amazed at how different an amp or pre-amp could sound by changing one or two internal wire I am pers. amazed how ext. cables can change the sound, I have been using my wife and friends to corroborate that I don't suffer under acoustic hallucinations ;-) |
the main theme of Bruckner 4th ? ... nice choice ;-)
congrat. & enjoy |
Brazcole,
couls you ask the MBL dealer if your 312 is strong enough to drive the 101E ?
these are truly amazing speakers, which I love too ;-)
saludos |
Hi Guido,
thank's for the news. Are you still using Cardas Golden Ref. cables?
I heard for first time yesterday the JR 312. I had the impression it's quite different to the 501 + PC1 but as it was not my system it's nothing more than an impression: very sweet and warm sound, has made Avalon's Ascendant sound like I have never heard them before, I didn't knew they could produce such a bass. Transfiguracion of these loudspeakers. With Amati Anniversary quite good too.
Regards |
I mean of course the combi 03 from Esoteric ... sorry |
Sorry for the mistakes... I am writing from an iphone ... Not so easy ... It seems that a new combi from accuphase is also coming out ... Could be interesting ... And Zanden
regards |
Guido,
please the tell us then what perception you had from dCS.
One more question to the Criterion: you seem happy and convinced but not so crazily enthousiastic about the change from Capri to Criterion ... am I right ?
Here in Europe the price difference beetween both is from one to seven !! ... it's quite a huge step.
PS to my former post: Prof. Johnson has developped the Spectral latest CD player, it should be excellent. |
Hello everybody, i haven't neither heard the Esoteric 03 side by side with the Puccini but only in the system of a friend which i know quite well. My impression was it's very nicely built, but it' s very analitical without this incredible mellow touch of latest dCS products. dCS has this incredible capacity to get everything out of a cd and never sound hard, harsh or digital. Sorry for the diferent opinion. This being said if you have the € go directly for the scarlatti which is absolutely stunning! I have heard it twice a couple of hours and i was just amazed! Emm lab, wadia (by the way both incredibly slow to start when you get a cd in), esoteric, krell, arc dont arrive in my opinion at this level. Never heard paganini.
Saludos |
Hi Guido,
I met yesterday my friend who has had the Esoteric Combo 03, he told me it was not new and had be runing for a while.
Regards |
Brazcole,
could you tell us was is better with your Gamut D200 than with the 312?
muito brigado |
Hi Guido,
I lovedyour response ;-)
sic"What is even more interesting, is that rather than given you a sense that you are 'seeing deeper into the soundstage', it is more like Criterion plops a solid and vast 3-dymensional soundstage into the listening area"
I made one time this experience: with the pream Viola Cadenza ... just amazing
It would be great to compare the criterion to this one and also to FM acoustics preamps |
Guido and Dcstep,
the big stereo amp from FM Acoustics is the 1811 it costs 133'500 swiss francs
the monos are the 115, a pair costs 85'000 swiss francs
all FM Acoustics products are sold in swiss francs
the big preamp is the 268 which costs 110'000 sf
prices are stratospheric ... how is the sound?
Best regards |
Hi Guido,
did /will you have the oportunity to compare the Criterion to an FM Acoustics preamp like the 255 for example ?
This would be very interesting!
Kind regards |
a new preamp ? .... in price class beetween Capri and Criterion ? |
Hi Guido,
I have heard here in Switzerland that Rowland will present his new preamp at the CES ... ?
do you know something?
Happy new year! |
not to take Capri's place but to be ocupate the place beetween the Capri and the Criterion |
|
curious, Jeff Rowland suffering the critics or better said the absence of critics from the american press, because going class D (and making miracle with it) is steping back ?
I am surprised |
the 625 - 350 watt stereo - $12500
the 925 - 550 watt mono - $45-50000 pr
|
Photos of the Corus can be seen here:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3117378&id=72837407592
photos of the new monster amplifier here:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3117378&id=72837407592#/photo.php?pid=3117377&id=72837407592&fbid=258312222592 |
my dealer has already ordered the Corus and the 625. I am very curious to compare them to the Capri and especially the 625 to the 501 and 312.
"All the truth" beetween Class D & Class AB ;-) ? |
Guido,
my dealer guesses he will get the Corus in spring and the 625 "later".
I am surprised to read that the 312 is "no longer in production" ... ?
it seems really that Jeff Rowland is changing strategy and going bach to class AB amplifiers. Is this now because there are really better or just because class D was never really accepted by High End Audiophiles ?
BTW I have the 501 + 2 PFC1 with special cabling un beetween ... I still had no time to compare it to the 312.
A nice day to everybody |
I also have a 501 that I use for my center channel. It improved a lot when I got the PC-1, but was still definately behind my 301´s.
...
But believe me, it improved even more when I later on connected the PC-1 to my Burmester 948 which is powered by a Nordost Odin power cord!! Now I think the 501 are almost in the same league as my 301´s
sorry I don't understand ??? |
"very sensitive to other equipment and cabling"
Capuccino,
very interesting posting ! ... I think you are right
Power cables can make a huge difference and of course also interconnects. That's also why J.Rowland developped his PFC1
Read what Gary Koh from Genesis says about class D ...
interview:
"
N.D. -I would like a few words about your class D amplification, which is a relatively modern implementation in the high-end audio business – it has been mostly seen in consumer applications. Do you believe that it might even account for the future in amplification?
G.K. -The first working model of a class D amplifier was designed by John Ulrich, it was called «The SWAMP» (SWitch WAve AMPlifier) and was delivered in 1976 by Infinity. One of the founders of Infinity, Arnie Nudell was also the one who founded Genesis. In 1991 Infinity was already using class D amplifiers; we’ve been using class D amplifiers for the past nineteen years!
N.D. -So it is a myth that class D is not adequately developed to serve its purpose…
G.K. -It was not developed adequately. Until a couple of years back, class D amplifiers… I could not sit and listen to, they did not deliver music. Class D was very, very good for bass, which is why Genesis speakers used class D amplifiers since 1991 for the servo-bass part of the system.
My class D amplifier came with a story. I was trying to find a more reliable, a better amplifier for the bass and I reviewed all the available class D amplifiers; all those that were available as modules or as designs. After about two and a half years, I finally settled with the Hypex amplifier module, for the bass. Around that time, I don’t know if you are familiar, but I developed a tube amplifier for Genesis...
N.D. -Yes, I saw that they are sold out!
G.K. -The tube amplifiers are sold out… The tube amplifiers were done for only one reason: They were proof of concept that a cheap amplifier can be used to drive Genesis loudspeakers. You see, the designer of Genesis Loudspeakers, Arnie Nudell, was very famous for making speakers that are very difficult to drive; they had very low impedance, they demanded a lot of current and a lot of dealers said that -at that time the equivalents the 5.3s were like, I think, $14.000- to drive a $14.000 loudspeaker they required a $30.000 amplifier! I told them “no, this just means that the amplifier is not designed properly!”. So, a very famous dealer -I won’t mention his name- looked at me and said “if you think you can, you design an amplifier that’s cheap and can drive these spakers!”. It took me… two years; two years later I brought a pair of the M60 monoblocks to his store, I put them down and said “OK, which preamp do you want to use?”. He picked a preamp, he connected it in, then we connected it to… that was the 5.01 and it drove it perfectly. So he lost his bet; I won my bet… Here was a $4.000 amplifier that drove, at the time, a $14.000 loudspeaker!.. The problem with tubes, though, is that the moment you buy the amplifier, it begins to deteriorate, so I didn’t want to really continue making those. However they were a proof of concept; if I can design it -and I am not a famous amplifier designer- then everybody else can design it! That’s the amplifier, I’ve proven my point that you don’t need an expensive amplifier to drive the Genesis speakers.
N.D. -It was like an etude, a study on the subject.
G.K. -It was a proof of concept, it was a study.
N.D. -Your current class D modules, do you design them or are you still using Hypex?
G.K. -I still use Hypex, but I heavily modify the Hypex modules. The reason is that if you listen to a lot of class D amplifiers, they don’t have what I call the “soul” and the emotion of music. You know, you don’t feel that the singer sings of a lost love or you don’t feel that the singer is actually in love with you and she’s singing to you. The problem I solved -after actually discovering that it wasn’t a problem of the module- was the problem of the power supply. I designed a power supply that works perfectly with the class D module, to deliver that soul and emotion.
N.D. -Is it a linear power supply or a switching one?
G.K. -It is a linear power supply… I couldn’t make a switching power supply work; I tried.
N.D. -I know it is quite a bit of a challenge, but, if anyone can do it, I believe it’s you.
G.K. -Thank you!" |
|
have you compared it to FM Acoustics or Viola ? |
oh yes! ...
but strangely these kind of tests seem to be very difficult to realize in our hobby
imagine calling three diferent dealers and telling them about the exercice ... |
I personally have never heard FM acoustics preamp ...
I know the Criterion and the Viola Cadenza (the cheapest preamp from Viola) but heard in diferent rooms on other systems ...
I was very impressed by the 3 D precision of the Viola ... but how would have it performed in the same system in direct comparison with the Criterion ???
This is exactly what I would love to know ;-) |
and what about the Chorus ? |
it seems that the Criterion will be replaced (upgraded?) by end of the year by the the Criterion SC |
Guido
I have heard also that the next amp to come out also by end of the year will be the 725 ... the 925 is still not "ready" |
I have seen ;-) and heard the Criterion this morning
beautifully build, the front plate is slightly curved inside ...
one curious thing, the two leds produce a white / yellow light, letters & numbers on the screen are blue pale ... ?
I heard it on following system:
Avalon Sentinel
Pass monos XA-160
dCS Puccini with clock
NBS 1 & Transparent Reference MM2
difficult to say anything else than beautifull as I don't know the system well enough to say what differences exist with other preamps ... but I asked to hear with and without battery. Well it was quite clear in "mi chiamano Mimi" with Katia Riciarelli, orchestra and voice sound more calm, warm, the voice is less "rude" in the Forte parts. |
Guido, I find this a little bit strange because the Cardas (I am not talking about the Clear which seems to be quite different) are cables more on the dark and warm side and the Odin at the opposite on highest resolution and speed ...
but maybe it's like french cooking, you put sometime a little bit of sugar before salt & pepper ... ;-) |
Hi Guido, i can't answer your question because i don't know. I was very surprised to hear the system of my friend (sonus faberNom* amati palladio, jadis jp 80, manley mono 500 ... All tube) so harsh and dry (he got it from a dealer to try inhis sytem, finally he didn't bought it). So maybe it was the point you mentioned, but other way are the dealer so s...? I can tell you that the 2nd time i have spent a couple of hours with the Scarlatti it was fresh unpacked from the box. Another friend bought it. On maggie 20 it was magic! I personnally have puccini & clock although i would prefer to have the scarlatti i am very happy with it. I am always looking for high resolution & definition but at the same time musicality and i believe from what i have heard dCS is the best compromise i have heard until now. i have highest respect for Prof Johnson, so that maybe one should try to hear latest spectral cd player.
Kind regards. |
Which makes me think of the FM Acoustic, another amplifier that I liked a lot, but the six-figure price was offputting and it was not clearly superior to the trio that I mentioned before. could you tell which FM amp & preamp you have heard and how it was? thanks |
