You need a few shots of that Pappy for those speakers to start looking pretty.
Lol
All jokes aside, congrats on the fantastic retirement system!!!
Retirement System Finally Completed: Impression of the Mola Mola Tambaqui
I have made the last upgrade to my system for enjoyment in retirement. The Wyred4Sound 10th Anniversary DAC that has provided much musical enjoyment for almost 7 years was replaced with a Mola Mola Tambaqui (MMT). While I find the 10th to be the best DAC at its price point, 3x the spend provides greater performance across the board. I auditioned Mola Mola competitors from DCS and Bricasti but chose the MMT. The decision to go with the MMT was based on the its ability to produce accurate timbre and organic/dense images with state of the art detail that is neither etched nor fatiguing. The DCS was as detailed but with a more laidback presentation and less dynamic. Also I personally found the MMT more true to timbre where the DCS had a colder presentation. The Bricasti was a close second to the MMT IMHO. The bass performance, organic/dense images and dynamics of the MMT made favor it. To clarify, all three are phenomenal, differences minor, and choice should be based on personal preference. I also chose the MMT based on my preference in SQ and system matching. The Burmester 032 IA and Vivid Giya G3s Speakers are consistent with the system design intent and the components complement each other in this regard. To me, the sound is tube like liquid and sweet but with solid state transient speed, micro/macro dynamics, and clarity. Aficionados of old school tube sound and ladder DACs may not like this system, but that is the beauty of our hobby - each of us can determine our preferences and build systems to our liking. There will be no further changes now that I am on fixed income and I dare not propose any or the wife acceptance factor will go into the red danger zone. Shout out to GTT audio and Bill for his patients and knowledge in working with me to get the MMT. I will enjoy the system always with a good bourbon or cognac in hand for as many years as He permits. Thanks to all the members of this forum who have educated me over the years to be able to establish my final system for retirement. Pics updated in my profile.
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Congratulations for your purchase and your retirement system. Presumably we will be congratulating you on your retirement soon.
I did something similar a couple years before retirement, with the thought to the additional time I would have. While for me it turned out there was another upgrade in my future. My largest by far upgrade happened a couple years after I retired. But there is no question the my system has brought me great joy. I now have two or three hours a day to enjoy it… and I do very much. |
@ghdprentice I have been retired for a year. Now contemplating some part time consulting to keep the mind active. Thank you for your posts. You have been one of my audiophile mentors. |
Well glad to hear you are retired. I know quite a few retired folks. Most say it takes five years to make the adjustment. While I always worked more than sixty hours a week I also pursued multiple hobbies… photography, literature, philosophy, hiking, bicycling, so upon retiring I my hobbies instantly expanded to fill all the time.
There is an adjustment period letting go of other people’s interests (work) and reestablishing your own. So for me, intellectual pursuits switched back to philosophy, cognitive and developmental psychology, astronomy, history, and art. I highly recommend “The Great Courses”… they are available on Audible, many free with subscription… with ear pods and you are set to learn and re-establish the connection with interests you had as a child. These are 24 lectures to over 70 per course.. the professors are great orators, simply great speakers, with dense and interesting material. Podcasts and Audible the great books from literature can be incredibly rewarding. I listen a couple hours a day at least… while dog walking and bike riding. I have reread a couple hundred books like Anna Karenina, Catcher in the Rye…. Brave new world. As an adult they are truly works of art… you probably got 10% of it reading as a high school student. I have been rendered speechless repeatedly during or at the conclusion of many of these. But with a lifetime of experience they are simply stunningly profound. Retirement offered unlimited intellectual opportunity. I now tend to dive deep into current issues, the war in Ukraine and more recently the Israel - Palestinian conflict. I have listened to 6 - two hour interviews with the world’s leading experts on different facets of it… urban warfare, history of the region, recent history, on the ground reputable journalism. The amazing thing is, the reality, from a deep knowledge perspective looks nothing like the view one would get if one just sees the headlines go by or even reads a couple journals cover to cover daily. It is shocking to see how little you can know about a subject by being working a casually being a news junky. Now you have the opportunity to really dive into reality. You no longer must work.
Anyway, that’s one way of playing it. Enjoy retirement. |
@mitch2 Thanks and I will continue on this sight to learn and possibly help others even though my knowledge is limited.
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Are you kidding me $65 per bottle!!!!! You robbed that liquor store dude!!! I’m a bourbon fan myself and I haven’t been able to come up on a bottle. |
@audphile1 No, I did not rob the store. It was yet to establish its reputation. I was there at the right time. Within a year after my purchase it was $1k/bottle. Now I see it from $1.5k to 2.2k per bottle. Four Roses Single Barrel is also one of my favs due to its complexity. I never experienced the Anniversary. Enjoy. I guess we need to apologize to the other members in making this thread one from The Whiskey Advocate. Please accept our apologies. |
No apology needed as i see it over the rim of my glass…. congratulations on the DAC. i’ve heard one at significant length in same system as my current DAC and could easily make the switch. Very nice bit of kit. Lot’s of retirement wisdom from @ghdprentice …i think he’s subtly mentoring us all… i’ve been quasi retired for 8 years …. it flies….. |
Congratulations! I was a professional sound engineer for 40 years then I got into audiophile equipment and it wasn't what I thought. It wasn't about accuracy like everyone says because audiophile systems don't sound like professional systems, (I have both in my listening room). I would say don't stop striving for what you enjoy no reason to quit auditioning new equipment if you love music. Here is a provocative statement, I've worked with some great sound engineers that couldn't hear very well because they were so old and lived a life behind speakers so don't worry about your ears worry about your brain understanding sound.
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@jsalerno277 sounds like a nice system, glad to see you chose Burmester, great stuff and all I use, enjoy |
Congrats on your system. Burmiester and the Vivids go hand in hand. I remember hearing the first version of the Giya G1 about 14 years ago. Was like nothing I heard before as the music was totally detached from the speaker. Heard their latest version this spring at Axpona and did not disappoint . Congrats again and here’s to keeping your health and hearing!!
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Congrats to you!!! I'm happy to report that I too have finally completed my retirement system this year after spending the past four years putting it together. The core on my retirement system consists of Revel Salon 2 speakers, Ayre Acoustics QX-5 Twenty streaming DAC, Hegel H590 integrated amp and Roon Nucleus Plus music server. I also spent great time and expense upgrading all my cabling over the past four years as well. I'm one extremely happy camper for the foreseeable future!!! Happy listening. |
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@audiotroy From what depths of the shorting synapses in your brain did the bashing of @ghdprentice and his preference for the state of the art Aurender he loves come into this thread. Nowhere did I or GHD mention Aurender. A resounding +1for @rsf507. When I said I personally prefer and recommend Burmester at its price point in a different, recent thread, and indicated the improvements over my 1997 vintage Krells, while also stressing to the initiator determine your own SQ preferences and audition, you criticized my fair post and analysis, pitching your products. It is sad as previously pointed out. There is no absolute. Some may actually prefer the products you pitch. Others may not. I just hope they are not influenced by your high pressure sales and they make the decision with their own ear-brain connection. |
jaylermon gdprentice is aways extolling Aurender which is fine however we have stated and our ex Aurender clients have stated the Evo is superior. iI I was him I would have asked for a home trial.
In my 40years of audio experience am always testing out new gear if the new one is better it stays and the original goes,. the same way you tested out the mola mola dac
jaylermo no high pressure we sell our products with a two week money back policy
as per krell ppost the point was new krell sounds very different now like burmeister gear and sold it for years |
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I honestly don't understand why @audiotroy gets dumped on so much in this forum. Yes he recommends products he sells, but he always discloses the fact that he is selling them so no one is being fooled. Not to mention that his recommendations are quality products in their own right. It's not like folks are discussing good power amps and he keeps pushing NAD. Honestly, if a person were shopping for an overpriced, underpowered PC they could do worse then consider 432evo as an alternative to Aurender. From where I stand, the vitriol seems unwarranted and it is definitely off-putting. Just my 2 cents
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Congrats on the MMT and your retirement system. I retired 6 years ago and my system has given me many years of great listening pleasure, so glad I have it. The MMT has always intrigued me, but being retired does limit my interest levels in more Hifi gear. I’ve become a fan of R2R DAC’s and enjoy my Denafrips T2 very much, it works great with my Sopra 2 speakers and their beryllium tweeters, adding a nice degree of warmth to my system. Enjoy your retirement when you get there, best decision I ever made. |
@devinplombier - This is a thread where folks are celebrating with a poster who recently retired and has already "made the last upgrade to my system for enjoyment in retirement". The OP isn't looking for a new server so the unsolicited interjection of a sales pitch in this thread is, at a minimum, bad form. Also, this has nothing to do with how good or not the products are that audiotroy is peddling, but rather that he chooses to relentlessly peddle them on these forums as if it were his own private marketing playground. Also, it is usually doesn't go like, "hey, consider giving this a try", but more often a harder sell, like, "we have tried what you own and it doesn't hold a candle to the 432Evo Aeon," along with an implication that the sales target's substandard system needs their product in order to achieve some acceptable level of performance, i.e., "if you want to take your system's sound quality up a notch". It usually comes across as audiotroy telling others what they need to do, and for self-serving reasons. |
Congrats @jsalerno277 ! I've had my Tambaqui for a bit now and it continues to amaze! I also have Vivid speakers, Giya G2s2s and love them. Plus, my electronics, Audionet, are similar to your Burmester in that they are clean, fast, resolving and non fatiguing! I am curious do you run Roon or Conductor (if you are streaming through an Aurender)? I am also pretty sure you heard the Grimm MU1 streamer with the Tambaqui if you were at Bill's. My best sound running Roon is through the MU1 into my Tambaqui. I have also upgraded the internal ethernet cable in the Grimm to KS Realization through GTT and that made a noticeable improvement. . enjoy the Tambaqui!!! |
+1 @mitch2 @fastfreight I run the Conductor app. I did not do head to head comparisons of the Grimm with my Aurender N200. I did hear it running my old Wyred and the Tambaqui when I did that head to head comparison, but unless I conduct a comparison of the Grimm to the Aurender, I will never know. I am at a point where I am happy with the performance of my system. So I will not do that comparison for, from what I have read on the Grimm, it will leave me wanting. I will also not move up the Aurender line. One reviewer (I do not remember his name or publication) used the acronym FOMO - fear of missing out. I never have fallen victim to this. You have a phenomenal system. @benzman I think you may have asked me the question before. While I cannot give you a percentage, I can attest the Townsends perform as advertised and as reviewed with improvements in bass, staging, imaging and detail. |
@jsalerno277 Congratulations on your retirement, definitely a milestone, I remember mine. Sounds like you’re headed to eternity with one fine-sounding system. I can only drool over a Mola Mola Tambaqui. Enjoy, for however many years you have left before singing with the saints in heaven above. |
@audiotroy if you think krell is equal or better than Burmester, well to each there own but come on, apples and oranges |
Hey @jsalerno277 , congrats again! I actually liked the sound of Conductor with Tambaqui the best vs Roon. But I also really like roon... You have a great system! Ken |
I can never understand this fear men have of their wives over their hobby. You share a life, share interests and yet something that makes 1/2 of the relationship happy is at odds with the wife. There should be a greater understanding that you each have interests and encourage each other to enjoy their passions. I am more fortunate than I ever thought. I have a relationship where I am not threatened by an unhappy wife if I buy something. I have an audio system, a home theater, an CVO Street Glide and more toys that likely total as much as some people’s houses. She has her hobbies and passions. Having our own passions has kept our marriage as a great friendship instead a battle of the sexes. I hope you enjoy retirement. Don’t kid yourself, you’re not done changing your system. It’s a passion and change is the renewal of that passion.
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@audiotroy ... I enjoy your perspective! |
I seem to be a very unique individual in that I hope I never retire. I'm retirement age and still work 25-30 hours per week. I'm a craftsman in a family business, the pride I have in my work never grows old. Being able to have work that allows me to individually complete each work piece in it's entirety means I have total responsibility for the quality of finished product, responsibility can be a great thing if one embraces it.
In regards to audio, continuing to work means no fixed income, in fact adding social security to my work income means I have more disposable income than previous to retirement, audio purchases and interest in audio continues unabated.
This is first I recall hearing about retirement systems, although I'm sure its always existed. I'm curious as to whether these are indeed final systems, are audiophiles ever done?
In any case, happy retirement, I understand retirement is often thought of as a present one deserves after a lifetime of ambition and achievement. |
Why would he need your permission to post here? |
Congrats on retirement! Wishing you much listening pleasure from your excellent system. Heartily agree on your observations of the Tambaqui. All these years after its debut (an eternity by digital standards) I am not sure I would pick anything over it at even twice the price. Incidentally, which dCS did you audition? I heard the Lina with clock at a dealer and thought it was quite good, but couldn't say how it compared directly to my Tambaqui. Without the clock I am fairly certain it was not as good - it lost a lot of depth and detail. With the clock, likely competitive, but that is a lot more money. You could get a Makua with DAC module (identical to Tambaqui, both electronically and sonically) for less and I am confident that would be easily superior to the Lina without a preamp, and likely even with a $10k preamp. What source are you using for the Tambaqui? Not to upset the peaceful bliss of your retirement, but... I finally and very reluctantly upgraded to an "audiophile" network switch (like $900, not something insane) for my Grimm MU1 feeding the Tambaqui, and I admit... it makes a difference. Comparable to, maybe even greater than, adding the external clock to the dCS Lina. I haven't tried it with the Tambaqui's ethernet port yet but I have to imagine it would have a similar effect there.
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Congratulations on your system and retirement. I hope you enjoy them both very much for a very long time. It seems we have reached a point where DACs like the Tambaqui, and others at similar price points, have reached a pinnacle of sound quality that is hard to beat incrementally without having to spend "crazy money". The question for myself and others with less money to devote to audio is whether and when such qualities will continue to move down the food chain and into lesser priced DACs? It isn't like there is some "super great, new-fangled" technology out there that will blow these $10K to $20K DACs out of the water anytime soon. |
+1 I agree with all. In particular +1 on your partner should not be an impediment to your hobby. I like to joke about it with my partner… addiction, audio dollars vs regular dollars… I give her a huge gift prior to a large audio purchase, but in the end we are just teasing each other. She has always helped me achieve my goals (and I hers) and desires… because, well, that is what a healthy relationship relationship is about. I always feel bad about folks that say, “the boss says no”… cuz, quite honestly, that would be a deal breaker for me and she would be moving on. Only healthy supportive relationships here. |
I have an additional perspective but heartily agree with you. In addition, as partners we challenge all significant spends we make, and reach agreement. I believe joint decision making in this regard critical I considered this a significant spend and considering with 18 months I improved amplification and the streamer/server as well as the DAC. So I can state I get support for this hobby but as the angel on my shoulder financially, I respect her position. |
+1 @smodking1 and @ghdprentice |
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Earlier in this thread, @ghdprentice mentioned “The Great Courses” as a retirement activity. It was a great suggestion and I heartily concur. There are a few lectures in the catalog specific to listening to and understanding music by Dr. Greenberg. I have several, but most enjoyed a course he did on Mahler which really helped me to understand and appreciate his music (which can still be hard for me). I did these courses a good number of years ago - might be time for me to listen to them again as I retire in 2 months, Best to all, |
