Just chiming in. Received my DIs a couple of weeks ago. A little about my background: In the past I've worked in the high-end audio retail side for about a decade and the engineering and manufacturing side for part of that time. I've owned Von Schweikert, Dali, Analysis Audio panel speakers, Klipsch, and now Tekton. I don't like push-pull amps (tube or SS), period. I gravitated to SET Amps early on and have never looked back with the exception of a few CLASS D amps which were purchased because the speakers dictated it.
I currently own an Art Audio Diavolo 300B Copper Reference SET Tube Amplifier (10wpc) from the UK made by Tom Willis. This is the 2nd one I've owned, which might speak volumes to some regarding my feelings toward their beautifully crafted and seductive sounding amplifiers; albeit my feelings toward their price point is a bitter pill to swallow.
I use a Benchmark DAC2 HGC for my digital/preamp front-end and ROON's Software for music management.
I use Analysis Plus Big Silver in a biwire arrangement and love their build quality, double 9awg size, and their utter neutrality, but not for any placebo related perceived improvement, per se.
Compared to the Klipsch's 101db sensitive @ 8ohms I can tell you that with only 10wpc the Double Impacts play much louder and do not soft-clip like the Klipsch easily do. It's been said they fudge their sensitivity a bit, but then again, many others do. I can tell you I'm able to push my amplifier much farther to very loud satisfying volume levels in my 16x14x9ft room.
Im very pleased with the Double Impact' s horn-like dynamics and appreciate that it doesn't have to come at the expense of the subsequent horn-loaded sonic aberrations that I find compromise their sound in a deleterious way.
The DIs are a very musical speaker when compared to analytical or hyper-detailed speakers such as a few Wilson's or B&W offerings. They image incredibly well with an exceptional soundstage height, width, and depth that leaves me wanting for nothing.
A big pet peeve of mine with regards to perceived sound quality is top-to-bottom coherence, something many speakers manage to fail at surprisingly often, some more than others (ie. Most lowered tiered Martin Logans as an egregious example...there, I said it =-P).
The DIs to my ears present a very coherent top-to-bottom sound which I suspect lends to their big and bold wall-of-sound presentation and it's sure to please and beguile the owners of electrostatic or planar magnetic speakers.
The most two important things that must be present in spades for me to be satiated sonically and emotionally are micro-dynamics and palpability in the midrange.
SET amps of good engineering will get you part of that equation only to have it nefariously raped and robbed by lesser or simply incompatible speakers. In my system, the DI's reproduce micro-dynamics and palpability in spades, and with startling delight, with all the accompanied emotional hair-raising, tear-jerking, and goose-bump inducing pleasure that comes with it.
I'm very fortunate to have found this thread and the one on Audiokarma before going down the rabbit hole of spending 5-10 times more for a speaker that would provide nothing more to my enjoyment. For this reason, I applaud and kindly stand in ovation to those of you who pioneered the way and contributed to this thread which helped me find such a rare unicorn in the audio world; extremely high value with no audible compromise which lurks in these pages of this fine thread.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Carcopo
Raleigh, NC
Music lovers are always welcomed to my home for a listen!
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mdlofnwhr, I’m glad you’re going with the DIs. I love a good SET Tube Amplifier, but I’m biased in my opinion. (tube humor) I have ordered a pair of Nord Acoustic nforce hypex based 400w monos for a client’s install and I’m sort of kicking myself for not having them delivered to my address instead of at his just so I could have auditioned them with the DIs prior to setting them up for him on a pair of klipsch I recently sold him. What brand were you considering? I felt like Nord offered a great product for the money, but I’m curious if you decided on a different brand. If I was going with an amp other than a SET tube amplifier, a great Ncore Class D would be in my short list. Good luck with your system! Let us know how things are going! |
For immediate release
June 2nd 2017
Tekton Design LLC - we’ve completed the design phase of the patented Ulfberht loudspeaker....
Eric Alexander - Designer
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Hey Eric,
I’m loving my DIs, but I’m also excited about the Ulfberhts.
I don’t suppose you would consider offering any trade-in or trade up program for recent DI owner’s who need an excuse to upgrade?
Just think about it, because I am thinking hard about it. ;-) |
Chris/Charles : I totally agree on the Emission Labs 300BXLS . It's the best sounding tube up until now that I've tried in my Art Audio Diavolo Copper Ref SET. It's equally outstanding in sound quality in both 300b/8wpc output mode and also in the higher wattage output mode (15w-16w approx) . This possibly affords me some extra headroom at louder volume levels during difficult/complex musical passages without any soft-clipping or transformer saturation, but regardless the DIs play plenty loud at the lower wattage setting anyway.
(Tom Willis at Art Audio put the beefier USA version Jota PSU so I can switch back and forth between low voltage and higher voltage transformer windings with a 4PDT switch that I added and a quick 30sec auto-bias adjustment from 80ma-110ma)
They best my KR300BXLS and KR842VHD tubes and there's no going back to any of the 6 pairs of Chinese 300B tubes for me.
I just got a new pair of Elrod 300B to try out a couple of days ago and I'm breaking them in, but I have to say they are glorious sounding as well. I'll be evaluating them more critically after 100hrs. My only concern is reliability with their issues a year ago, which hopefully have been resolved.
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Hello jcarcopo,
Let me know if the new production Elrogs 300b prove to be reliable , obviously this will take time to determine. Ìt is a fabulous sounding tube in my amplifier but unfortunately unreliable. This reportedly has been resolved with the current batch per new ownership.
Charles Hey Charles, Sure thing! I’m hoping the quality problems are resolved with the Elrog too. Personally I feel for the price they should at least match if not exceed Emission Lab’s standard warranty, especially in light of past problems. |
I’m listening to Eva singing "Fever" on a 24/96khz remaster very loudly at the moment. I couldn’t imagine listening to this except a SET tube amp and the DIs at such a high volume and not being forced to turn it down on most speakers with metal tweeters or horns; a close shave indeed! Boy, she has a really big voice!
My new Elrog 300B tubes are glorious sounding and may supplant my Emission labs bxls.
I’m definitely thinking hard about DI SE or mini Ulfberhts, but I can’t see how this gets any better with the emotionally satisfying sonic holography I’ve currently got!
Anyone evee listen to Lila Down’s "Semilla de Piedra"? That woman’s explosive voice will test your tweeters. She tests the upper limits of her voice on that track and momentarily breaks the microphone diaphragm!
Edit: The Arc Choir on Mapleshade records has some of the best explosive vocals I've ever heard too. |
Jeffrey regarding the 'forward in your face' description; Are you able to increase the distance between you and the speakers, or try to aim them with less toe-in using a focal point behind your sitting position by several feet, or space them apart much further apart (or a combination of the 3), to reduce this effect if it's undesirable?
Personally, I like dynamic vocals that are a tad forward, especially at lower volume levels, but I wouldn't sacrifice coherence for it. When I say "In your face" to describe a sonic presentation it's used as a perjorative to describe a deleterious reproduced midrange that's calling attention to it's self, lacking in coherence, shouty/shrill/peaky/lacking in micro dynamics and nuance (like a certain OEMs horn with a measured rising top end from 2k-10k of 2-8db!) not to be confused with "a close shave" something I might say about certain metal tweeters that are hot and cut like laser beams severing your ears off in the process. So on a scale of 1-10 (one being very recessed, 5 being about right, 10 being you can tell the lead vocalist needs to floss better) where do the Ulfberhts fall?
Thanks again for your honest assessment of their sound and I really value your opinion, but I just wanted to compare how we both say the same thing and if we mean it in a bad or a good way and to what degree. If you could tell me and forgive me for asking this if it's been answered, but what are your room dimensions? What is the distance between the speakers, the speakers front baffle to the back wall as well as your listening positioning? Just approximations, and again forgive me if this was answered before.
Thanks again for helping us all with your experience with the Ulfberhts. I really want a pair for my large listening room.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Carcopo
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Thanks Jeffery for the very thorough response. A 7 isn't as bad as I was assuming. I needed that translation into a number scale to take my own bias out of the equation. I can't fault your chosen positioning of them as a contributing factor either. You're not crunched for space at all in that space, that's for sure.
I'm not familiar with your amplifier, I researched, but found very little. What's the story on your amp? I wish I could send you my set amp to audition just to have your assessment on the sonic presentation and overall experience, and I could, but flying pigs would need to roast in hell so we could all enjoy some BBQ prior to it freezing over before I would even go 12 hours separated by my "precious". Seriously, I need help.
Lol 😂 |
soundermn: My room is a mere 13X16 and they image perfectly 9’ apart and about the same distance from my listening position. I just adjusted the toe-in to focus them about 2’ behind my listening position (per Eric’s suggestion) and they coalesce really well. They are very dynamic and responsive with great jump factor, but they never sound too big for my room or overwhelm it even at very high volume levels. I’ve owned speakers from $1000-$25,000 and these speakers bested them all, I feel like I stole them at the price I paid. These really are the best sounding speakers I’ve ever heard that can equally be driven by my Art Audio Diavolo 300B Copper Reference Tube Amplifier running either a standard 300B tube at 8wpc or my Elrog 300B tubes (amazing tube, but overpriced) also at 8wpc, or my Emission Labs 300BXLS tubes at 8 or 17wpc (These are the best value for the sound quality and, btw in 17wpc mode it’s totally overkill) & with absolutely no compromise of sound quality or volume level. Quite the contrary I have incredibly tight bass and a glorious midrange with very detailed highs that lack nothing, but aren’t fatiguing at all. The coherence will amaze you. These are the real deal. High efficiency and a non-reactive impedance curve should be the very foundation of a well designed speaker for maximum compatibility allowing the user to use any amplifier of their choosing to gain said amplifier’s sonic virtues. I’m of the firm belief that SET Amplifiers recreate an event in your sound room that’s so holographic, dynamic, and organic that it’s simply transcendental. They create an event in your room that is startling, spooky, and mesmerizing. If you’re not getting emotionally involved with the music, tearing up from time to time, having chills sent up your spine, and listening for hours blissfully and upset when you have to go to bed, well you’re missing out on what’s possible. Many here are quite content with 1-3wpc driving their DIs. Get that 1st watt right and you’re 90% there. I apologize for the digression, but I really like steering people to SET amplifiers and I am very biased. I have heard it all, but nothing fills the void for me like a well engineered SET amplifier. I discovered their virtues and magical abilities when I was 25 while working with a high-end audio boutique in San Jose, and after listening to every amplifier that was available to me I kept coming back to SET Amps, and I have never looked back. That was 17 years ago. I’m as enthralled with their presentation sonically today as I was then, and hell, even more so today because I finally have a no-compromise speaker to mate with my amplifier. Best of luck with your speaker and amplifier search. If you’re ever in the Raleigh, NC area, I invite you to hear my system. That goes for anyone who reads this long-winded gush-fest. -Jonathan |
soundermn - DIs are not the least bit bright speakers. Silk soft-domes tweeters = Not bright or forward vs metal tweeters = close shave, lasers. forward, hifi-ish, overly detailed, can lack coherence with the rest of frequency range, and tend to sound exciting for 15 minutes, and fatiguing thereafter. Regardless of the speaker you choose from Eric, brightness is likely a non-issue across the board. I only now listen to opera pieces with enjoyment, which can get a bit peaky, but with the SET Tube Amp I use and the Tekton's DI's I am never chased out of the room. The coherence and wall of sound effect is planar-magnetic or electrostatic panel-like. |
lmswjm,
I appreciate the feedback. 🤣
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Charles1dad,
I've kind of known this for awhile 😃. Why are you just now just figuring this out. 😂
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mac48025
Thanks, long Island ice teas are my muse this evening. 🤣
I’ll try a shorter distance apart. I always like my speakers fairly wide and thought I’d lose some soundstage keeping them too close together.
Never tried it though.
I find you one watt tube lovers to be the bravest bunch of purests. I’m not used to going that low in power. I have had issues with 13 watts not being enough for other, al beit less efficient speakers 🔊, but I’d consider it a viable option with these speakers. I think I could see a 2A3 amplifier in my future as a baby 🚼 step towards the goal reducing my wattage output for sonic purity.
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Just ignore fetguy for he has a small member and he needs hundreds of Bryston SS watts to overcompensate for his shortcomings.
(Also, he's my friend and just razzing me ) ;-P
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I have the 4ohm DIs, but the Triode Lab 2A3s-MK3 only come in 8ohms or 16ohms. Wondering is there's any chance of that being swapped for 4ohms with an alternative or custom OPT? They make their OPT custom now so it would seem they could, if they wanted to. Just curious. |
fetguy:
(They were Von Schweikert VR2s) The bespoke socks were needed in lieu of the imaginary hybrid labyrinth transmission line that Albert had seemingly forgot to include with the speaker, but heavily promoted the speakers as possessing.
I had flippity, floppity, bass before the socks, but stuffing the ports helped a lot. They were black dress socks, I recommend them for their camouflage effect. |
Solid-state Class A: Didn’t do it for me
Push-pull SS/Tube: Didn’t do it for me
Class D: (Nords) or Benchmark AHB2: Didn’t do it for me entirely, but definitely an improvement over many PP/SS amps and the very best get closer to a SET in some ways, a viable alternative if your speakers are inefficient or you have a very large room that dictates the necessity for more power than you can get from a SET in your price range.
High quality SET Tube Amplifier with the right Speakers:
Creates a real emotional event that’s dynamic with startling jump factor even at lower volume levels.
Palpability in the midrange and vocal region that can leap out and you think the vocals are simply there in the room with you (startling at times), micro dynamics cues and subtle delays are rendered so well you’re enveloped by a surround sound hologram of the venue using only 2 speakers, tonal textures in instruments that are to die for. A liquidity, and effortless playback that blossoms naturally with no fatigue.
I’m utterly biased in these comments, but nothing connected me emotionally to music more than a well executed SET amplifier and the right speakers.
With EML 300bxls or Elrog 300b at 8 watts the DIs play very loud and lack nothing in the bass region. It doesn’t run out of steam or soft clip and the OPT never over-saturate. If I switch the amp to higher voltage and increase the autobias circuit to 110ma the additional 7 watts from the 300BXL is nice to have at 100db+ playback levels, but it’s overkill, otherwise.
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Good to remember that tube amps are not practical for all and impossible for some. For mixed HT and 2 channel use they are not practical. Can't imagine watching TV and movies with $1500 300b tubes😁 My Benchmark DAC2 has a HT Bypass, but I don't need it. I use XLR outs to send the signal to my Dynaudio Powered Monitors for Movies/TV, and the provided single-ended outputs are going to my Art Audio Diavolo SET which is turned off when the TV is on. If I cared about multichannel (I did up until age 25, but haven't cared since) I would use the HT Bypass feature. I most always have music on in my home. I bet my system runs at least 8 hours daily. Some days much more. Sure, often as background, but I am not going to use a tube amp day after day with this kind of daily use. My system is controlled by a smart outlet that is activated by Google Home which also sets a 3 hour timer on the tube amp to power it off. I must tell it to turn on at least 3-4 times a day! I work from home a lot. My tubes are $850-$1200 a pair, but I would likely not use the $1200 pair of Elrogs except for special occasions and run my Emission Labs 300BXLS at 8w instead of their higher wattage rating most of the time which would effectively double or triple the tubes longevity because it's loafing. Some have small children and do not have the luxury of a dedicated /set aside music room with a door keeping those hot tubes away from children.
No children have been harmed in my pursuit and lust for tubes and SET amps. Knock on wood! :-P Lastly, I have found SET amps shine on certain kinds of music with jazz being one. So the type of music one listens to also plays a role IMHO and based on my experience. I agree that certain SETs are limited to some degree by certain genres, but not all SETs fall into that category. My Diavolo amplifier plays at 8wpc or ~15wpc depending on the power transformer windings I use and where I set my autobias circuit to in milliamps which is dependant on the tube I am using. I play very loud house music (presently), deep house music, classic rock, jazz, blues, bluegrass, opera, classical...as long as it's not rap pretty much anything goes. Having a great sounding dynamic speaker as efficient as the DIs affords me the latitude to play whatever I want now with no compromises in volume or quality on any source material, but I'll admit on lesser efficient speakers I've owned in the past there had been previous occasions where things would compress at high volume and soft clip on certain complicated passages more prevalent in certain genres. Let's not forget we listen to systems, complete systems. The resulting sound is not a matter of amps alone and the right SS amp as part of a well thought out system and tweaks can certainly deliver on the sound adjectives used for SET amps in this thread. I have tweaked my current rig with wire, capacitors, gear, tweaks etc... to the point that I no longer miss my tube amps and SET amps. It can be done as today's technology and gear is making it a real possibility. It's a great big audio world out there with near endless total system possibilities. No single person can possibly have exhausted and experienced all that can be making definitive statements on the best Impossible. We all must find our own way and settle in on the sound we think is wonderful. Once we have done this remember that where we land is based on finite and biased preferences. I'll let you know if I ever hear one, but I've yet to hear it in 17years. Years ago when I began this pursuit I auditioned a dozen or so SS amp available to me at my old high end store that I worked at for around a decade in CA, and we only had one SET amp in the store to audition. After 2 months of borrowing equipment, I only missed the SET amp. I bought the store demo for 50% off retail and the owner was glad to unload it because he thought SET lovers are all kit builders and won't pay profit. (not entirely untrue) I do agree we all hear things through a bias. Much like my amplifier, I must have a personal auto-bias circuit towards SET amps and their magic. As long as you're happy with the sound that's all that matters in the end. |
audioman58
I can’t tell if you’re being serious or trolling us? LOL
My general take on the Martin Logan (nice guy btw), is there's a coherence issue endemic in speakers trying mate woofers with panel speakers of whatever ilk. |
@jaytor Perfectly stated, I wouldn't change one word! 👌 |
I recently did an install for a guy using the Nords. They are pretty impressive sounding SS Class D amps for the money. Very detailed and very controlled bass. He opted for the warmer richer sounding sparkos op-amps for his One-Up SE monoblocks, but IMHO I wouldn't call the sound warm at all when compared to valves, but maybe compared to the Sonic Imagery op-amps they might be. I have no frame of reference. In hindsight, I maybe should have recommended the Benchmark AHB2 amp as a slightly better, but more expensive option, but the guy is 76 with hearing aids and his wife was nonplussed about the nuances of audiophilia. He did tell me his wife and daughter’s family visited from out of town and they had a blast until 2am listening to the amplifiers and the Klipsch RF-7IIS I had sold him after I received my DI’s.
+10 pts for working into the conversation a brief mentioning of the DIs in an otherwise irrelevant digressive post.
Lol |
@hiendmmoe I had Analysis Audio Omegas ribbon planar speakers ($24k) and Von Schweikert VR5, they weren't as good as the Double Impacts. I now own the Tekton Encores and they are my forever speaker. A friend of mine had the Kef Blades, he also preferred the Tektons. If you knew how much you're being ripped off by typical speaker manufacturers it's not hard to build a better sounding speaker at an affordable price sold directly to the consumer. |
@corelli Thanks buddy. Yeah I'm very happy with them. Life is good. |
I officially hate the double impacts! I can't get nothing done anymore! I just listen 👂 like a crackhead all day at home 🏡. I'm drawn to them like a flies to a bug 🐛 zapper. #1stWorldProblems 😂 |
Pawsman,
I'm in good company then!
Evolvist,
Big ditto buddy!
Jcarcopo
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Mahan Esfahani is crazy good. I love the harpsichord more than a piano. Great suggestion, imsjm!
Eric Caldwell, buy the Double Impacts, room dimensions be damned! I sent you a private message. Call me 919-904-5657!
~Jonathan Carcopo |
@mac - great minds think a like! 😂
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@Eric, So excited for you and your success. I’ve read other Tekton threads on hear (sic) and the Tekton Double Impacts, et al, are indeed very disruptive and causing consternation in many audiophiles who are convinced their speakers have to be better because they spent a fortune on them and begrudgingly can’t accept that the Double Impacts are as good or even better sounding in many respects. "I’m licking their tears!" (Thanks Scott Tinnerman ~ Southpark) This was meant to be comical, if you take it the wrong way, well I wouldn’t cry about it if I was you. Lol 😂 I'm referring to this thread: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/tekton-double-impact-phase-issues |
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I'd put the Benchmark AHB2 amplifier in the "Tekton of Amplifiers" category for most innovative solid-state at a cheaper price point than the upgraded Double Impacts ($3000 last I checked). It sounds very good too, but I still ended up returning it and going with the Art Audio Diavolo SET 300b Copper Ref Tube amplifier at a bit more than double the price because I know what I love to hear and it delivers the goods everytime.
There may very well be better SETS, but not for me, because I stopped looking.
I so wish a used one was available at the time I was shopping, they make very affordable and reliable used tube amplifiers. My last one clocked a decade before I stupidly sold it chasing Omega panel speakers dreams from Analysis Audio of Greece.
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@james_w514, I didn't get to try the ahb2 on the Tektons. I actually purchased their monitors and thought they were competent, but not magical or anything special. Very well made though. Yeah the amplifier seemed a tad unemotional to me, but very good for solid-state. Definitely a move in the right direction. I'm very biased though towards SET Tube Amplifiers.
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@Aniwolfe
I agree entirely. BTW I messaged you back. Just give me a call.
Jonathan |
Great video Jeffrey, sounds great. The Allnic is a very impressive beast! I'm salivating over here! This current video definitely beats your first one sonically! Sounded phenomenal on my system. Thanks for sharing! |
Mapman,
My purely biased answer is that Single Ended Triode tube amplification is the best sounding for any emotional meaningful reasoning in sound presentation.
Generally speaking, solid-state is a compromise IMHO, but more specifically, Push-Pull amps are a compromise regardless of whether it's tube or solid-state. Even the best class A Solid-State doesn't compare to Single Ended Tube Amplifier sound quality-wise. I prefer 8-10w 300b variants.
This is purely subjective of course, but I'm not alone in this camp. |
We sold ASL through a boutique and indeed, it was a problematic brand with service issues more so than other brands. It didn't do much for me sonically either, but it was cheap for people buying a price. They may have improved by now though. |
@mack71 - I would call Eric. Emails don't get timely responses sometimes because he's so busy. It's very much hit or miss. I've copied your post and sent it to him via Facebook messenger in hopes the mobile notification will alert him to your request. |
Do any other SET amplifier owners have a dubious opinion of SET amplifiers that utilize a tetrode/pentode as the power tube? I mean come on, its called a single ended triode amplifier for a reason and shouldn't a Triode be employed if for no other reason than name continuity alone; notwithstanding obvious sonic benefits of simplicity, intended application of the proper tube for the proper circuit, and me personally, I don't like my electrons having to jump through additional hoops or grids to get to my ears. Seriously though, am I being a purist snob here? Am I alone in the sentiment that a real set amplifier should have, at the very least, a real triode tube employed? Do you roll your eyes when you hear the words "triode mode" as a switchable option on what is most definitely not a set amplifier, at least imho. Please discuss. I'm dying to get off my high horse and just need to be talked down by some rational banter. 😂 I mean I'd suffer with a parallel set amplifier, but that's where I draw a line in the sand. |
@teajay I put a 😂 on the end of that sentence, because I was being a bit facetious. I wasn't singling you out, per se, but I won't lie and say that your mention of a kt88 set amp didn't prompt my post, but it's comforting that you at least felt similarly in the past until hearing this particular amplifier. I'm not totally crazy then and there's still hope for me.
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McIntosh always surprises me that they are still a going concern at their excessive price point considering how they sound to me at various times that I've heard them setup over the years. I think it's well made and very attractive gear, but I wouldn't own it based on their sound quality and my own preferences of what I like to hear. |
@kdude66 You,I and possibly others may be a little crazy for loving our old technology SET and SEP amps but here is my take on this. Kenny, we are definitely not crazy, but I do like to self-deprecate so I can make my point in a less a offensive way. One way to begin a non offensive post, but still make your point. Step 1: "It’s not you, it’s me...open with some non threatening self-deprecation." ie: "Maybe I’m mistaken, wrong, and clearly insane, but I believe I’m right about XYZ" Now that’s just step 1, there are more steps, but I don’t like giving out trade secrets or boring people with diatribes as I get older, but step one is like getting your foot in the door of a person’s mind and tends to keep it open. Comedians self-deprecate to woo their audience all the time. LOL the distortion spectra of triodes is favorable, with a rapid fall-off of the upper harmonics. (This is less true for beam tetrodes, pentodes, or solid-state devices, which are intrinsically less linear and have higher-order distortion curves.) Ditto, couldn’t say it better if I wanted to. This performance is with a Set amp running in their sweet spot of output which is 20 to 30% of that particular amps output pwr as a general rule for the very best sound.
This is were the best purity of sound "May" come from for folks that like these kind of Amps. Again, spot on. Again this is a highly personal and subjective subject and there is no right or wrong just different flavors of that coffee available to us Individually for our enjoyment of music,that we love,playback in our homes. This^ is the final step in my guide of how to write non offensive posts and still have an opinion. LOL I call it Final Step: "Opinions are like assholes, so acknowledge other people’s if you want them to acknowledge yours!" LOL Looks like you’re playing with a full deck to me, definitely not crazy at all. I will only add that when I learned that amplifying the entire sine wave continuously in class A without decimating the signal and introducing cross-over distortion via the use of a phase splitter in a push-pull topology was like an "Ah Hah" moment for me being very interested in the simplicity and purity of the SET circuit design. I equivocate it to my "Humpty Dumpty" analogy. Sure you can separate phase and antiphase, but putting it back together again isn’t without some degradation or the introduction of crossover distortion. In other words Humpty Dumpty can be glued back together again, but ends up looking like a mosaic puzzle with cracks and fractures and is now nothing more than a shell of his former self. (+5 Word Play Points). |
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@sbayne - 😂 no worries. I’m glad you motivated me to finally post my system. I checked yours out too. You have a sweet setup too and I have no doubts it sounds wonderful as well. Do you have enough tweaks yet? Lol 😂
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@mac48025 - Thanks for the kind words. Eric picked the color and finish because I asked him to after being an indecisive pain in his ass for 2 weeks, LOL! I forget the Pantone number for the color. I tried to find it on Pantone's website to see if I could jog my memory, but they have so many colors so it's very hard. I think it's Pantone 180c, but that's a guess. Regarding the Diavolo, I know right! An absolute gorgeous amplifier just to stare at while listening to. It's actually my 2nd Diavolo amplifier from Art Audio.
I couldn't find one used when I was in the market a year ago so I bought a discounted demo Diavolo unit from Tom Willis directly at Art Audio for about what I could get for a kidney.
They can be found for around $4k-$5k used if you see one on Audiogon/Audiomart/HifiShark. They are totally worth the money. They are reliable workhorses that check all the boxes for me sonically and it ended my search for "something better".
@sbayne - Thanks, I already had the Big Silver Oval cables from a previous system and figured 10awg of overkill speaker cables dedicated for the highs and 10awg dedicated for the lows would lower the resistance just enough to make me sleep better knowing that I'm getting every ounce of wattage out of the SET amp as humanly possible. LOL Seriously, it's for peace of mind. I don't worry about cables anymore. I just think they are pretty cables, add some bling, and unlike many expensive cables that act as a tone control, they are very neutral sounding. Bigger is better, right? LOL, I don't belief in bi-wire cables for audible reasons based on anything I've perceived in listening tests, but doubling the amount of cable going to the speaker can't hurt and only reduces resistance, even if it's just a rounding error. LOL, I realize a SET amplifier doesn't need 2x 10awg cables to carry 8w-13w of power so your question is not lost on me. LOL
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@charles1dad - You're quite welcome! Thanks for the kind words. I think it's a very neutral sounding system and not as warm sounding as my original Diavolo SET + Von Schweikert VR2s setup and it lacks a tad of added 3D dimensionality that Von Schweikert is known for. I'd love to tweak or upgrade something to get that added effect back. I love the Benchmark HGC for the money and the fact it doubles as my preamp which keeps the signal path shorter and hopefully purer. I am curious if a better dac or tube preamp wouldn't be one of my next moves, but I'm afraid I might muck things up or lose detail introducing a tube preamp or add too much euphonics to the sound. I love tubes so much and a tad more warmth wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, but I'm afraid it might get tiring to listen too. Decisions, decisions... |
@charles1dad - Great, now I need a tube preamplifier. 😂 The Vinnie Rossi LIO DHT, possibly with their DAC2 upgrade makes me salivate, but I'm out of kidneys to sell. It's simply out of my reach. In your opinion, what's a decent tube preamplifier for the money? Anything out there that offers the bang for buck performance of the DIs in a preamplifier? My audio budget is exhausted at the moment from the hit I took recently on an investment I made and my recently built system set me back a lot, but at least I can start setting funds aside for a preamp. We have similiar tastes, so what's your suggestion? |
@charles1dad Yes, we’re on the same page sonically. The thing is I only have 1 actual source and it’s my Benchmark DAC2 HGC which does have 2 digital sources connected via USB and Toslink. So what I need is a simple tube preamp that buffers the only source I would be connecting it to. Incidentally the HGC model of Benchmark DAC2 is a real preamplifier with 4 analog and 4 digital inputs plus a motorized alps volume control with remote. Of course it’s op-amp based and I’d prefer it to be tubed based. I didn’t want to give the impression that I’m strictly running source direct with no active preamp, it’s just that it’s embedded in the DAC2 HGC and lacking any valves to buffer the output to my Diavolo. I could see budgeting a couple of grand or maybe more $ over time.
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@teajay @mac48025 - I was just waiting for somebody to bring up Linear Tube Audio, again, for the umpteenth time 😂 lol. It's obviously crossed my mind, how could it not the way people gush about their products on here? I'd be a fool not to consider them considering the repeated high praise. So okay, it's on my list. I'm not hard to persuade, but more importantly I respect both of your opinions. They are also priced competitively which is great because I've hemorrhaged too much money this year on audio. I have a lot tied up in Elrog/Emission Labs power tubes and various NOS tubes too. I'm worse than a junkie with audio.
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@charles1dad - Zero gain tube buffer sounds interesting too. I could always sell the Benchmark DAC2 HGC and get a standalone Benchmark DAC3, it's probably a wash on money, but I'm still thinking it has an op-amp gain stage and it still uses a volume control as its designed to be run source direct, but also through a preamp if one chooses. The HGC adds the additional inputs, but I'll check the non-hgc specs and see what's what. Maybe I need to find a different dac?
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@james_w514 & @klh007 - There's nothing notably harsh about my presentation with the Benchmark, but I could easily see you running it source direct to solid-state and having that experience considering my own experience with my tube amplifier. Running through my Diavolo SET tube amp I think there's a reasonably good balancing act going on where my amplifier's euphonics are taming the Benchmark's sterility. The Diavolo SET is supposed to be pretty warm and rich sounding, but instead I hear a fairly neutral sound that's not clinical or harsh sounding, but it could use a tad more warmth and richness and I don't think that would be a bad thing either. Thanks for the suggestions and I will research them.
@mac48025 - May you find audio nirvana before you run out of money. I'm curious how you like the Transcend SET and I want the DI SE as well pretty badly. |
