Viard HD12 Luna Gris Orange Entreq Micro Kit Studer

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Sometimes, Things just Happen, Part I
Letter from Hong Kong (23-1): ELO reaches new heights, Part I

Sometimes, things just happen, even following just a small change, intended or unintended. One thing I have learned is not to give up easily on one's ideal, whether at work, in photography, or chasing the Audio Nirvana.

My Ideal System
Over the last few years, I have been chasing my ideal hifi system. While at times I have felt I was getting close, other times I would feel I still had not achieved Level One. I have set my target that for me to achieve Level One, the system must let me settle down to enjoy music. It sounds easy, to demand my system to let me communicate with the musicians, allow me to understand the nuances of every note and what kind of emotions they are trying to convey. In a nutshell, the system must make me feel that the musicians playing through my setup are professional and skillful enough to be worth their payroll cheques!

Equipment that anchor my system That would be my Dynaudio Crafft, the Emerson Analog (I have re-iterated so many times that it is a gem for the price and for what it offers), the RJ45 ethernet cable HD12 from Viard (very smooth and musical). These stay constant. Following are the other players, first some brief updates to remind you of my system (below in shaded box), then some newer ones.

Aiyima A08 Pro I had before some high-powered amplifiers. While they were fast, had deep bass, good extension on highs etc etc, and could drive my Dynaudio Crafft to adrenaline raising level, they didn’t make me settle down. I know some of my acquaintances are laughing at me for using this little Class D amp, but I find it to have ample power for driving my speakers. Moreover, it does not sound edgy and piercing, though I still find it to lack the last bit of musicality. Enter the tube Elekit TU-875 preamp, which does add an extra but small Midas touch in musicality.

Rayaudio’s Signal Isolation Transformer Another essential mention. Ray’s SIT (L pic) is indispensable as it elevates the sound so much, not just in my system, but also in many other systems of friends! I’m eager to receive the 1:1 Transformer from UMI. It was raved in China's Hifi press. A comparison shall be interesting.

“Studer” Cables Another revelation. This cheap cable (yellow striped cable in R pic) actually is transformative, the more of it you add to the system, the more the return! It’s musical, smooth, yet has lots of details and a wide soundstage; most importantly, it’s not fatiguing to listen to. Currently, I’m using all Studer for signal, from Emerson to Elekit to Aiyima.

Now for treatment of some stuff that I haven't really covered in depth before.

Network Swtich I had tried a network switch. While it was a really good one that provided a lot of details and clarity that I had not experienced before, somehow, perhaps due to system matching, something was not to my liking and I’m still looking for an upgrade (like the SW8 from LHY, which makes me drool just by looking at the interior of the unit).

Luna Cables Luna Gris When it came to speaker cables, I was happy for a while with my Belden 9497, which bettered my previous Gotham. Then came Luna Gris, which I liked a lot. It was natural, never flashy. As a cheapskate however, while I thought I could gain more from their next level Orange (on loan to me by generous distributor Ray - so many nice Ray's) I resisted installing it into my system. No doubt it would further improve my system, perhaps significantly, but at more than double the cost of Gris! I tried not to open up the Pandora Box. Many months went by, and it seemed no matter how I tweaked my system, I could not tune it to my ideal sound. Luna Orange So I finally hooked up the Luna Orange. At first, I heard some difference, but it was not earth shattering though. I was patient and let it burn in for an extended period and things started to change. The overall sound had become more organic, musical and natural. Bass has depth and clarity; vocals are as genuine and natural as I would like; everything seems to fall into place and the music is very listenable. I could finally enjoy music but there was still something missing from my Level One expectation in the overall sound - but it was getting close though.

Viard Cables HD12 I always am interested in Viard. The French cable company's philosophy matches well with my audio beliefs. So, I bought a pair of their HD12 Speaker cables at sales price. Though it was not cheap, it was still relatively cheaper than Orange, and I was hoping I wouldn’t need to break my wallet for the latter. To cut the long story short, at the beginning it was no match for the Luna Orange, even after 2 weeks of intensive break-in. The Orange definitely had the upper hand in terms of detail resolution, naturalness and musicality. Against my cheapskate will, I began to think really hard that maybe paying the hefty price for Orange would still be worthwhile. Meanwhile, I had loaned the Orange to my friend Kwong for a few days and was making a last-ditch effort to try to live happily with the Viard HD12 …. But I knew I was missing the Orange already and was ready to check out at the counter…Then one thing happened that turned things upside down...

Enter the Ground Box from Entreq!
My friend who loaned me the Nait I loaned this ground box to me. A lot of people may have heard about Entreq, a brand that has a lot of diehard followers, and their product can sell up to over $200K USD!!! The entry model Micro Kit, just slightly larger than the power supply for my Aiyima, comes with a ground cable and sells for $250USD, which is very affordable compared to their top models, which can sell up to over $200K USD!!! It is said to be designed mainly for headphone amp and so I guessed it may be good for my preamp too.

My DIY troumaline ground box brought significant improvements to my system. I had also brought it around to try out in many friends' systems (including uber expensive ones) and had never failed to persuade them to connect their setups with either DIY or branded ground boxes to improve the sound. In general, the result is darker background and smoother sound, without the “noise” that sometimes fatigues people. Another important improvement is the heightening of the musicality, coherence and passion of musicians. This has been proven, but how is one box different from another? How will a DIY unit stand against a famous brand? These are things that I have always been wanted to find out; deep down I believed there would be some difference, but perhaps not a whole lot.

I brought the Micro Kit home and hooked it up immediately. At once, I heard a difference but, since I had only listened for 30 minutes and my boss took over the living room, I reluctantly retreated. The next morning, I listened to it briefly before going to work. I thought I did hear something different, for better or for worse, and that lingered all day in my mind during work. It felt like something amazing had happened to my setup but yet I could not fully grasp it at the time.

It did not take too much testing, and I was soon fully convinced. “Transform” is a word which I would like to use judiciously. I try to not use it too often so as not to discredit myself (much like Cry wolf). This time, I literally heard my system transformed from barely listenable to highly enjoyable! Another incredible thing is, with the Entreq the Viard HD12 became the Cable of Choice in my system!

...I finally bought a Entreq Micro Kit, which is a no brainer for me.

In Part II, I shall offer more detailed assessment.