Try Lamhorns!! I have Kornef's best 45 monos
Review: Korneff 45i Tube preamp
Category: Preamps
I had been lusting after one of these since I read Peter Brueningers drop dead rave review in Listener Autumn 99 issue. At the time I had recently bought of Dayton Wright XG8 MK III electrostatics and was awash in clarity & immediacy which required high wattage to perform. I spent many happy hours with them, but something was missing. I added a sub, but the crossover sucked the life out. Back to the Dayton Wrights alone and they sounded great BUT...
At CES 2000 and last years VSAC show I managed to hear some SET's. Three demos that never left me were the Avantgarde's, Moth Audio and the eXemplars. All driven by SET's.
A couple weeks ago one appeared on Audiogon & I could not wait any longer. Next thing I knew the sacred Korneff was in the house and I had no speakers for it. I scrounged around the house and borrowed a pair of el cheapo RCA's from a compact system in my sons room just to see if it would play. The box it came in had been crunched by the fedex manglers.
Tubes inserted and softly glowing I sat down with Diana Krall. Whoa, what is this? Tone, timbre, sustain, decay and assorted other audiophile babble ping ponged around my brain as I tried to identify what I was hearing. I just could not believe it. My relax-the-back chair was levitating and I was hearing a Hawaiian sunset. And out of those shoeboxes that call themselves speakers. There was depth and vivacity and joy of cooking. Wowie Zowie!
Toneranger1
P.S.
The DW's are gone & I am searching for the elusive affordable high efficiency speakers for the sacred Korneff. I am fast becoming an Altecoholic.
Associated gear
Copland CTA 301 preamp used as phono stage, Rega P300 turntable, arm & cartridge, Marantz Laserdisc used as CD player, Musical Fidelity Xcan DAC.
I had been lusting after one of these since I read Peter Brueningers drop dead rave review in Listener Autumn 99 issue. At the time I had recently bought of Dayton Wright XG8 MK III electrostatics and was awash in clarity & immediacy which required high wattage to perform. I spent many happy hours with them, but something was missing. I added a sub, but the crossover sucked the life out. Back to the Dayton Wrights alone and they sounded great BUT...
At CES 2000 and last years VSAC show I managed to hear some SET's. Three demos that never left me were the Avantgarde's, Moth Audio and the eXemplars. All driven by SET's.
A couple weeks ago one appeared on Audiogon & I could not wait any longer. Next thing I knew the sacred Korneff was in the house and I had no speakers for it. I scrounged around the house and borrowed a pair of el cheapo RCA's from a compact system in my sons room just to see if it would play. The box it came in had been crunched by the fedex manglers.
Tubes inserted and softly glowing I sat down with Diana Krall. Whoa, what is this? Tone, timbre, sustain, decay and assorted other audiophile babble ping ponged around my brain as I tried to identify what I was hearing. I just could not believe it. My relax-the-back chair was levitating and I was hearing a Hawaiian sunset. And out of those shoeboxes that call themselves speakers. There was depth and vivacity and joy of cooking. Wowie Zowie!
Toneranger1
P.S.
The DW's are gone & I am searching for the elusive affordable high efficiency speakers for the sacred Korneff. I am fast becoming an Altecoholic.
Associated gear
Copland CTA 301 preamp used as phono stage, Rega P300 turntable, arm & cartridge, Marantz Laserdisc used as CD player, Musical Fidelity Xcan DAC.
2 responses Add your response