Sanders ESL Power Amp & Mono blocks

I have the ESL preamp, phonostage, esl amp and crossover/bass amp and Eros Mk II and think the sound is absolutely spectacular. Both digital and analogue sound awesome. I purchased my setup from Roger before the big reviews, and before he sold and moved to Colorado, so picked up the whole shooting match for a song. Tough to upgrade as I would probably need to spend $50k just for amps and speakers. I think the synergy of having all the same components may have something to do with it. I auditioned some pretty nice sounding systems (B & W 802, Classe amps/preamp and CD player; Dynaudio 25's, BAT CD player, amps and preamp) and Roger was recommended by a friend of his. Ordered the system from Roger solely based on the design, his buddies recommendation and the fairly limited press at the time. Once the reviews hit, it all became history. I am absolutely delighted with Rogers gear. He is a genius--and was easilly approachable. When my amps went into oscillation because of a speaker wire termination issue (not by him) he not only talked me through things--he gave me his cell phone number!

The sound from my system isn't lean at all. I do run fully balanced (preamp to amp is Tara Labs RSC Air one balanced and amp/crossover are Tara Labs The One Balanced). I do use Shunyata Python power cables on all components through a Shunyata Hydra and I'm sure it helps. CD player is the Esoteric X03SE (also Tara Labs The One Balanced, Shunyata Python Vx Helix)); tuner is Macintosh MR78 (modded) with Tara Labs RSC Air One single ended (preamp only has one balanced input) and TT is VPI TNT Jr/Benz Micro Glider L2 with Cardas phono cables and phontostage to preamp uses Tara Labs The One single ended. I have Cera pucs under both the ESL amp and crossover/bass amp and Symposium Svelt shelfs under the ESL speakers and fat pads under the preamp. Looking back to the system prior to the power conditioner/power cable upgrade and before putting the speakers on the svelt shelves, and cera pucs under the amps, I could now say that the sound may have been a little lean, compared to the sound I have now. The system now is absolute bliss. SACD is pectacular, as well as very well recorded redbook CD's. It is a very revealing system. Anything other than well recorded CD's don't really want to make me sit there an listen. Vinyl sounds great as well as FM and squeezebox (through Benchmark DAC and CI power supply--also Shunyata Python and Tara Labs RSC Air One). It is a very non-fatiguing, very musical sound. Wide, tall and deep soundstage and it is very easy to hear where each instrument is. You can easilly distinguish steel strings from nylon, violins from violas. The dynamics are excellent and background incredibly black. In Jacintha Goes To Hollywood. Que Sera Sera, in the opening accordian piece, you hear the keys lifting under the fingers of the accordian player. The system benefited alot from the upgrades. I listen mostly to small jazz combos, vocals and classical. Broke put with some 30 year old classic rock vinyl over the weekend (hadn't listened to them in years) and was floored by the sound. I received the 3 SACD set Jazz at the Pawnshop last night and just couldn't stop listening. You just felt where each instrument was and I actually felt they were in the room with me - work night so no wine either!

I was under the impression that the preamp is balanced. I thought I discussed with Roger when I switched from single ended to balanced. I may be wrong. The balanced was a fuller sound with deeper and wider soundstage. More air around the instruments. More of a hologram, if you will.

I first used inexpensive balanced cables and all it did was lower the noise floor. When I went to the Tara Labs RSC Air One and The One on CD player, the difference was much, much more noticible, to what I described in the aforementioned. I tried an Ayre preamp - forgot model but it was $3,000 and I liked the innersound more. It was richer, more lifelike, better transparency, dynamics and just an addictive sound (to me). Again, I think the synergy with the rest of the system has alot to do with it.