EMT 950 JBL 4343 Quicksilver Integrated Norma LPA 140 Graham LS5/9 Bestvox RATOC

Click all pics to enlarge. Top, what a place! Fantastic! this must be one of the "simplest" systems I have ever seen in the high-end. 

Virtual Home Visits (1): Two Systems in Mumbai!
Overview: JBL

Amended 7/24/20: audiopro's listening experience on the first system added.

Editor: Readers, it is terrible that during this Lockdown we cannot hang out with friends, whether it is having a pint at a bar or sharing a meal. Home Visits are even more of a no-no. Hence, this is the first in a new series. Today, we visit two audiophiles in Mumbai (Bombay), India. For quite a while, I have been in occasional email communication with one of them (Vivek) and got to email too with his friend Prem recently. I hope to meet up with them some day! It is too bad they are too humble to write, despite their perfect English! I tried to entice them to be the Blog's Indian Correspondents but did not succeed. Both use loudspeakers that were Monitors.

For today's Home Visit, some of the equipment are close to my heart (or experience), so I shall ramble quite a bit. So that you can skip, some of my rambles are in italics. At the end of the article I shall write a concise Overview of JBL.

Big Loudspeakers, Simple Setup
First we meet Prem, an engineer. The equipment he has now and the stuff he had before add up to a mightily impressive list, even by my standards! And his curiosity knows no bound.

Prem is one of the few audiophiles I know who only listens to vinyl (at least at home). His main diet is Bollywood Classics, Indian Classical Music, Classic Rock and a bit of Fusion.

This is analogous to many HK audiophiles, who enjoy Canto-pop and Cantonese Operas. For myself, as one who knows Chinese Opera, I relate to Indian (the region's) classical music. In fact, I really admire a lot of their classical music, so sophisticated (when I was younger, like many Westerners, including prominent musicians, I loved to listen to raga's as well as sufi music - I should dig out those CDs!)

EMT 950 with the 929 arm, TSD 15 cartridge and the built-in EMT phono with their step up transformers. I am green with envy! Prem's unit had been completely serviced and restored to original specs by ex EMT engineers in Germany. At the time of purchase he had the option of opting for the original tube phono supplied with the 927 and 930 instead of 950's Soild State Modules. But both the ex EMT engineers and Stefano Passini, who’s written a book on EMT, suggested he stuck to the SS one supplied with the 950 since it mates best. They said if EMT engineers thought the tube sounded better, they would have supplied the tube phono and not the SS phono, and Prem went with their advice. The 950 was a statement product, used by most prestigious radio stations, including the BBC. On this complete unit, one can adjust the output voltage gain anywhere from 0.77 v to 10v (!). It has 2 gain controls, one each for left and right. Since it has a built in pre, Prem just uses it to drive the power amp directly.

Having encountered many EMT's in Hong Kong, I know this is the Centerpiece of Prem's System, something he will never change. And why should he? Few can afford it and it goes up in value steadily (better than volatile stocks). The EMT's I heard in HK varied in condition; all had EMT arms and cartridges, and they always sounded musical. Ditto the 930's of my friends Andy and Mark in NYC. I used to wonder why I never owned an EMT; I guess that is because my smaller abodes in crowded HK and NYC made me adverse to over-sized TT's. I can only take solace in the fact that my Thorens TD-125 is basically an EMT 928. Now, if I have a whole basement (and the dough)...

JBL 4343 This needs no introduction. It was actually the Centerpiece of a 2009 Home Visit in Shenzhen, China, a rare early entry that I wrote in Chinese (English here). In 2017 we also heard it briefly in NJ, but it was too casual a visit to record much (here). I am glad this iconic loudspeaker makes a formal return in this blog! Prem's are the more coveted earlier alnico version.

JBL's, because of their easy load, generally work as well with tubes as solid state, so the HK users are kind of split down the middle in terms of what they use. Though a benign load, despite the spec's, like latter day TAD's, db for db, JBL's are not as easy to drive as, say, Klipsch, Altec and Tannoy. Generally, you don't find SET and low power amp lovers using JBL. It should be noted, HK has close ties to Japan, and is heavily Japanese influenced. The Japanese revel JBL and the subset of HK  Japanese gear aficionados (I am one foot in) also are JBL fans.

In HK, I have listened to a lot of 4343's (both alnico and ferrite), as well as quite a few pairs of its sibling 4344 (largely for the Japanese market), and I prefer the 4343 for its greater versatility. See, JBL, because of its rich sounding midbass, are often favored by jazz, pop and rock listeners. In many setups that I have heard, classical music was not reproduced as well. This tendency is worse in 4344, which I personally think sounds better with ss amps. I have more to say in my JBL Overview at the bottom.

Quicksilver Integrated This is a current QS product (official site). The stereo amp uses 4 x EL84/6BQ5  and 1 x 12DW7/7247 (remember Dynaco ST35, which also uses the same EL84?). The topology is not that dissimilar to the now legendary VTL Tiny Triode's, which differ in that they are monoblocks and run in triode mode.

I have always loved the EL84 tube. Prem's words "...I like the EL 84 sound. It’s got good tone, it’s pretty quick, immediate and lithe..." are completely in sync with mine.

Although Prem has had all kinds of brand name cables before, he now prefers Radio Shack speaker cables and generic interconnects with connectors upgraded to Rean (a Neutrik sunsidiary). This kind of preference may be anathema to the average audiophile, but it is not at all uncommon among horn users (my friend Andy uses lamp cords for his Altec A5's).

What are Prem's priorities and where does he want to go? He said: "...I am looking for an honest, natural sound. Focus is on tone, presence and dynamics. The Quicksilver is very decent. In fact the designer Mike Sanders too has a vintage JBL which helped. While the Quicksilver is very musical, I am looking at a bit more resolution and transparency but not at the cost of tone, immediacy and dynamics." He is constantly moving his loudspeakers little by little to maximize their performance. Some of these exercises are discussed in HiFiVision Forum, an Indian high end forum, where everybody posts in English. Judging by some of the posts, that's a pretty high end crowd! Audio seems thriving in India!

Sound? Well here is a description by audiopro!

I cannot resist to list some of the stuff Prem had used before. He had owned a variety of speakers from Tannoy 15 inch Gold's to B and W 801 Matrix Series 3 to Audio Artistry Beethoven to Martin Logan’s to Rethms (Lowther-like loudspeakers). For amps he had used Mark Levinson ML2, Parasound JC1 monoblocs, DeHavilland 845 monoblocs, Dave Slagle customised 2a3 amp and a few others. He had also tried an Audio Note amp but it was too warm and rich for his taste (I agree). As if that's not enough, here is one more for you (mrgoodsound will take note), in his own words:

"...Prior to Quicksilver I had a David Berning customised class A zero feedback amp using 6b4g triode tubes in a push pull configuration. It was a 10 watter but could easily drive my JBL. It’s the same amp that David uses for his personal listening. I found this amp made it a bit lean in mid bass but otherwise it was excellent. Probably not a good match. This amp according to Berning is probably the best he’s designed..." FYI, he preferred that amp to LTA's current Ultralinear amp.

************

Graham LS5/9 on stands. Norma IPA140 on bottom shelf.

BBC Bent, Small System and Big Music

Now we meet Vivek. How time flies! I was sifting through my emails with him and was shocked that it has been 8 years! As one who is soon to be eligible for Medicare, moments like these are kind of frightening.

Like me, Vivek is a big classical music fan. By big, I mean he doesn't just listen to the usual suspects; instead he is adventurous (aside from me, I have never heard anyone mention Martinu!) Just like me in the HK and even the US audio communities, he is among the minority. Vivek enjoys live music and frequently attends concerts. Given that India has its own (and very sophisticated) classical music, it surprises me some of the names that appear in Mumbai with the Symphony Orchestra of India, including conductor Alexander Lazarev, one of my favorites. Western music seems to be thriving there.

Graham Audio LS5/9 Given his classical bent, and given that the space available to him is modest, Vivek is wise in preferring loudspeakers with a BBC heritage. Graham Audio specializes in reproducing classic BBC loudspeakers, and from a humble beginning has evolved quite astonishing a range (not surprising, as Spendor is behind them). Their products are generally well received, including the LS5/9 (TAS review by fellow BBC enthusiast Robert Greene).

I'll weigh in here. I have previously used the second generation Rogers LS5/9 (also called Mk II, bi-wired; now, please don't confuse this with the current reproduction Rogers LS5/9 - it must be lucrative that everyone wants a piece of the pie). The sound of the old Rogers was quite mesmerizing but I did have one issue with it: during that time I only used tube amps and the bass was too loose for my taste. I am sure solid state will do better. I have also heard several times the original (Mk I) and I think it is better than Mk II. When we listened to the larger and excellent Graham LS5/8 (here), I didn't write about it but we actually briefly listened to the Graham LS5/9 (not a fair comparison to its much more voluminous sibling) and I did think the bass was more tightly controlled than both Rogers Mk I and II. BTW, there is a Chinese company called Bestvox that also reproduces BBC LS loudspeakers (not BBC sanctioned, but at a fraction of the price). They are pretty popular in Taiwan, especially the LS3/5A. There is a U-Audio review of Bestvox LS5/9 (translated to English; original) . This review is actually thorough and went into details about the design and it talked about the bass issue. For this article, I read some other netzine Graham reviews (LS5/9 reviews as well as some LS5/8 reviews that came after mine) and I think they are mediocre. These lousy reviewers write the same thing about everything and are boring; you wonder whether they use the same template and just change the brand name. Of course, they know little about the BBC sound and design philosophy. I'd personally avoid those sites for any review.

Norma Revo IPA 140 As of this writing, Vivek is testing out this amp, which is on loan to him. This is a new name to me, designed by yet another Rossi (no relation to Vinnie). It has been well reviewed in HiFi+ but, interestingly, Vivek said he was even more swayed by a review in Taiwan's U-audio (in Translation; in Chinese). Obviously, the Translators have gotten so much better to allow English speakers to comfortably read Chinese articles and, as in this blog, for Russians to read English!. That has not always been the case, and does represent progress.

I asked Vivek what he thinks about the Norma and he said: "...I have the perfect description for the NORMA...Take the LFD that you reviewed (here). Strip away some excess warmth and add some more resolution, mid-range solidity/palpability, more bass control and less sweetness (a pinch) in the treble and voila!" That sounds pretty good to me! FYI, Vivek had previously used LFD Mk III.

Analog - Rega P3-24
Digital - Cambridge audio CD player and SOtM player (Pi with JRiver as server) feeding into RATOC RAL 24192DM1 (link).

Vivek also has the TEAC PD-H600 CDP, Elekit TU-8500 preamp and a Clones (gainclone) amp. Previously I recall he had used the Harbeth C7ES and Leben integrated amp.

I am very grateful to my two Indian friends for entertaining us! A round of Applause!

Brief Overview: JBL
Although in HK I have likely heard more JBL's than any other loudspeaker brand, this Overview is brief. Why? Because on the internet there is so much information already. JBL's own pages are not worth anything; Rather Lansing Heritage is a good place to start. Here I shall only briefly chronicle my own impressions, experience and assessment.

General Character Because of its popularity in home use, people tend to forget that JBL is a company with a professional monitor heart. As with other monitors, they usually have a flat response and are easy loads. Because of that, they generally work as well with tubes as solid state, so the HK users are kind of split down the middle in terms of what they use. Despite the spec's, like latter day TAD's, db for db, JBL's are not as easy to drive as, say, Klipsch, Altec and Tannoy. Generally, you don't find SET and low power amp lovers using JBL. It should be noted, HK has close ties to Japan, and is heavily Japanese influenced. The Japanese revel JBL and the subset of HK Japanese gear aficionados (I am one foot in) also are JBL fans. Mid-bass and Bass When JBL lovers tell of their love for the bass, they are really talking about the full sounding midbass. This is not to say there is a midbass bump, rather the bass rolls off very cleanly. Inch for Inch, JBL (and TAD) actually has less bass extension than many other loudspeakers (like Tannoy). For classical replay this is a disadvantage. Electronic Crossovers Perhaps influenced by Japanese, in HK, there are a number of people who insist on using electronic crossovers. My view is simple: it can do good but it always do some wrong too. Basically it is a more hifi kind of sound if done well, and subpar when not. It is also more demanding of power. Not my cup of tea.

Now this is something: I have almost never heard a really bad JBL setup. An easy choice for audiophiles. Also, despite the time span and evolution of drivers, the basic JBL sound is pretty consistent. Now, I don't know the current products, but  I doubt they are better than the vintage classics.

4343/4344: adapted from above. The 4343 needs no introduction. It was actually the Centerpiece of a 2009 Home Visit in Shenzhen, China, a rare early entry that I wrote in Chinese (English here). In 2017 we also heard it briefly in NJ, but it was too casual a visit to record much (here).

In HK, I have listened to a lot of 4343's (both alnico and ferrite), as well as quite a few pairs of its sibling 4344 (largely for the Japanese market), and I prefer the 4343 for its greater versatility. See, JBL, because of its rich sounding midbass, are often favored by jazz, pop and rock listeners. In many setups that I have heard, classical music was not reproduced as well. This tendency is worse in 4344, which I personally think sounds better with ss amps.

L300 For me, if I have the chance and dough, I'd grab the now very expensive L-300, which is time aligned, more home oriented and I have heard that perform very well with classical music. One of my dream loudspeakers.

4310-L100/4311/4312 Because of the large number of units out there, these are the most commonly encountered, particularly the long running 4312 series. I have heard a lot of these. My own experience with 4312A included stacking two pairs 4312A (here). That was a high point of my audio journey and I remember it with fondness. I have also heard some 441x, of similar sound.

4430 This Bi-Radial model is also frequently seen. I have heard it several times (even its larger sibling), and they do a good job, but personally I think the 431x and 441x sound better.

K2 Series In my opinion, these are very suitable for home and they sound wonderful. They are truly home-friendly horns. I have heard the 9500 but I prefer the later 9800 (with a supertweeter). I still remember my 25 wpc Fisher X-101-C driving the latter to perfection in a 200 sq ft room (outperforming the very expensive and artificial sounding Swiss FM Acoustics). Too bad I never got to hear the Everest.

Everest DD66000 I got to hear this several times! In HK, at an audio show and at an audiophile's big house; in NYC, in a small house(!), and in Guangzhou, China, in a warehouse. They all sound "good" but I was never impressed. The experience in the HK audiophile's house was seminal. This fellow has always been a JBL man, "upgrading" all the time. He "upgraded" from the K2-9500 to the DD66000, and we all thought it was for the worse (I heard he later went for the current 67000). The most incredible thing is, bass was seriously lacking, despite the double 15" woofers. It should be noted that he used electronic crossover. He later added 2 Wilson Thor subwoofers I heard. I shake my head. If you ask me, I have never heard good bass from this .5 way of dividing the bass duties between 2 drivers (a lot of loudspeakers do that). Maybe on paper, but not in action.

Hartsfield Although my experience here was not perfect (placement in particular) I could tell these could be superb. But any corner horn is difficult to implement.

Paragon Yes, I have heard it. This odd duck can make OK background music but there is no way it is serious audio!

L101 My experience here.

L20T/4406 Excellent. My experience here and here.

Century Gold Excellent. My experience here. The sound is tighter and more modern than the 43/441x series.

Studio 5 Series mrgoodsound reports on Studio 590.

Professional By this I mean older professional products. I am not familiar with the model numbers of the drivers but I have heard them to good effect in DIY horn systems in HK, as well as in NYC, with my friend Simon and Andy (here and here).

Subwoofer In HK I loved my vintage JBL subwoofer (mine is Digital 12). It has a paper woofer, and I prefer the sound to the more famous and upmarket REL Strata III (rubber). Look up craiglist and you may get a pair for next to nothing.

Direct Drive Turntables

Brief Overview: Direct Drive Turntables (with budget emphasis)

UNDESERVED BAD REPUTATION Audiophile Aversions Among audiophiles, direct drive turntables as a genre has a reputation of being hard-hitting, lean sounding, even crude or only for DJ's. Some of this is because the average audiophile only knows the cheaper Direct Drives or the ones intended for DJ use. Fact is, there were many esoteric hi-end turntables (except for EMT, majority Japanese) that are classics and coveted by connoisseurs. Another factor is due to the Linn-led suspended table, belt drive crusade (for it was really that) - any other methodology (including my favorite, Idler Wheel Drives) were deemed heretical and adherents burned at the stakes (spectacles even now staged on the internet). Motor Noise One of the important turntable design parameters is how to isolate the motor noise for a supposedly clear midband. Belt drives do this with relative ease (though a lot depends on how you mount the motor), but all the great direct drives have Herculean engineering to minimize this. It is all in the implementation. Why I like them While I'd not deny belt drives do have their own set of virtues, I have always liked Direct Drives for their speed, transients (much as you would for panel speakers) and slam. As noted above, I appreciate all kinds of design. Maybe a Direct Drive should not be your only turntable, but it should be one of several. The Direct Drive's Rhythm and Pace is different from the Belt Drive (or even the Idler Wheel), a little more insistent (even take-no-prisoner), less subtle, but undeniably exciting if you can tame its "undesirable" aspects. Another reason I like Direct Drives is because they are less cluttered, usually more compact and, though suspension-less, heavy for size. Also, Classic Direct-Drives are Screaming Bargains, because a High-Torque Direct Drive Motor is very expensive to develop and produce. Take the Technics SL-1200, its price (then and even now) is so reasonable only because it sold in huge numbers. By comparison, a second-hand Linn LP-12, with a cheap low-torque motor, is NOT innovative, and NOT a good buy!

Current Revival Fashion recycles; styles that have gone out of fashion all of a sudden make a comeback. This is no less true for audio. While belt drive still rules the analog hi-end (albeit in suspensionless designs mostly), tides are certainly turning for the Direct Drive, as in recent years quite a few new direct drive designs have emerged (Read the informative article by Roy Gregory in theaudiobeat). Many of those mentioned in the article have reviews on the net, and it is fun reading them, just google the manufacturer's name and direct drive. No doubt more is to come. Also, in Stereophile, Herb Reichert gave a rave review of the Pioneer PLX-1000, a clone of the Technics SL-1200.

 Drive Turntables - My Experience

• Price/Performance Ratio Current vs Classics I'd be interested in comparing the current crop (pretty expensive, understandably) against the classics, say the cheapest and ubiquitous Technics SL-1200! Someday I hope... Classics vs Classics This gets more interesting. Disclamer: I don't own the most expensive ones, but since EMT's and classic Japanese turntables are popular in HK, I have heard a lot. If you stick to Technics, It is definitely true the more expensive SP-10 is better than the SL-1200. BUT, imho they are the bargains among quality Direct-Drives, maybe even "giant-killers". Some classic Direct Drives, like Micro Seiki, Pioneer P3(a), not to mention EMT's, command a very high price, but should you spend so much? Here is an anecdote: my friend Edward once asked Walt Bender, godfather of vintage gears, about EMT, and he said he thought the Technics SL-1200 is just as good, and totally under-valued. Well, take it with a grain of salt - aside from mechanics, they do sound quite different. Point is, for a modest outlay, one can get a very good direct drive design.

• Technics SL-1200 General The most famous of direct drives is without a doubt the Technics SL-1200 and variants, in constant production for decades and a DJ staple. I need not further elaborate as there is a huge amount of info on the internet. Literally, millions have been sold (unique among "hifi" gears), and as a result, obtaining one is not difficult (though still escalating in value). Also, many parts are available, so refurbication is not a problem. Mods Given the underground cult (deserving imho) there are many hifi mods dedicated to them, chief among them KAB. But I think the most significant mod would be to replace the tonearm, a somewhat laborious project (guides available on the net). Re-Birth! The SL-1200 has been discontinued for a few years, but a completely updated anniversary edition, and maybe more, are coming the summer of 2016. It has just received a rave review from HiFi News (not yet on the net). This one is immortal! My Experience This is the one of two turntables that I have in both NYC and HK (the other is Thorens TD-124). For my own general experience see here, also here for matching with the incomparable Decca cartridge. Currently, in NYC I use it with my mono Denon DL-102 (here). All those combo's - how's that for versatility? The Technics SL-1200 is not as good as the SP-10, but it is mighty good! I have never heard a modified one, but I'd be curious. One day, I'd hope to go that route too, although I have to say, given my variety of experience, I don't think the stock arm is that bad!

• SL-120 This is a curiosity, more for home use than DJ purposes. Unlike the SL-1200, it is not quartz-locked and the motor is an enclosed type (which some say is better). It has an armboard, which allows mating with any tonearm, an advantage over the SL-1200. If you see one with a suitable arm board for you, buy it! An after-market armboard costs a bit, and if you subtract that sum from your cost, the turntable really costs very little. I just acquired one in HK (SME board) and you shall hear more from me.

• Technics SP-10 (top pic; info here) This is Technics at its pinnacle, and my personal favorite. The sound has bite, but is smoother than the SL-1200 - everything is just a little better. For my experience, see here and here (which includes a link to the Revox direct-drive). It is commonly said that the plinth is undesirable, but I personally have never heard feedback or unwanted noises emanating from that. That said, recently at my friend seng's place, putting Vibrapods under the feet dramatically improved the fluency of the sound. In HK, a noted audiophile, limage, has stuck with this TT for decades, and he gets good sound from it. This is worth all you can throw at it (if you are convinced your measures will work). Unfortunately, it is getting more expensive.

• Audio-Technica AT-PL120/AT-LP120USB These are basically the same thing, with the current version sporting USB ADC for digitizing purposes (and reversing PL for LP). This is a blatant clone of Technics SL-1200. Although still massive at 27 lbs, it is made in China and not as sturdy as the Technics (one knock at the plinth's surface and you'd know; a hollow sound vs the Technics' dull thud - plastic vs metal). Perhaps it is too cheap (in street price) for its own good. For some reason, I have never formally "reviewed it", but my satisfaction can be gleamed from my experience with the Empire Cartridges (here) and Shure SC35C (here). Note here that for the last month, partly fueled on by Andy, I had been playing with MM's using this turntable. I cannot say things were as refined as my other more expensive turntables sporting MC's, but I can say I really did not feel much was wanting. I'd think there's no better testament to its value. Also, its built in phonoamp (MM) is not bad at all, making it a screaming bargain.

• Taiwanese "Super OEM" Hanpin While researching, I read this: "...As vinyl began to wane as a mainstream format, Chinese (editor: Taiwan) company Hanpin produced the ‘Super OEM’ turntable, the most well-known model of which is the Stanton STR8-150, but which has been adapted and re-badged by numerous companies. What the Super OEM had in it’s favour, besides good build quality, was that it was the first deck to take advantage of the expiration of the Technics motor patent. So, finally, there was a Technics ‘clone’ on the market with truly similar performance.
  The beauty of the Hanpin design is that, working from a solid base with that motor, manufacturers are free to then innovate around that. So bell & whistle features like line-level output, reverse play, pitch correction, and digital pitch readouts have all appeared on Super OEM decks, reaching a zenith with the Reloop RP-8000 and it’s built in midi controls..."
  So, there it is. The Audio Technica AT-LP120(USB) is made by Hanpin. The aforementioned Pioneer PLX-1000 too (see Stereophile link above). Somehow, I doubt the more than twice as expensive Pioneer is built much better. I'd be most curious to hear the Pioneer though. I also would love to hear Hanpin's own copy (official link here). I wonder if Hanpin is one of the reasons why Technics ceased production of the 1200? If so, that is a bad thing!

• EMT (950/948/938) I have never owned one, but they are popular among Asian vintage collectors. Hence, in both NYC and HK I have heard many (including the non-direct-drive ones, like the 927 and 930). EMT is well documented on the internet (try the wiki entry; stefanopassini, emt-profi.de and febtech.de). Most of the EMT's are not direct-drives and imho they are now way over-priced. However, the direct-drive 950 does have a fair claim to be the best direct-drive turntable. Although the price is sky-high one should keep in mind it was very expensive originally. As for the sound, it is hard to assess the turntable individually, as they are usually used with their own 12" arms and EMT cartridges, which like Ortofon's SPU's, have a full midrange sound that is noticeably not modern (which is what many prefer, but I have my reservations). In NYC, my friend Andy has a good 950 setup, and in HK I have heard the related 948 (here) to good effect. I have never heard the 938.

• Goldmund Studio As mentioned in theaudiobeat, this is a classic, and a curiosity. The most interesting thing about it is that it is built by Audiomeca, with a suspended direct drive! I have heard one in my friend Andy's place to good effect.

• Revox (790/791/795) These look very elegant. I owe the 791 (with a Shure cartridge) and the sound was lean and certainly take-no-prisoner! Unfortunately, it broke down (an often occurence) and I have yet to service it.

• Micro Seiki Here is a very interesting article, with valuable links. Again, the brand is very popular in Asia. Micro Seiki made all sorts of turntables but the ones I have heard tend to be hi-end models, including direct drives. Somehow, most of them sound kind of mechanical to me. Not one of my favorite brand.

• Pioneer I have heard several times (like here) the expensive and iconic P3, usually to good effect. However, I never got the feeling that it is much better than its much cheaper Technics brethens. That said, I have never used one myself.

• Rockport Sirius III This is yet another all-out effort. I have heard it previously in HK to good effect. Anyone interested in direct drives should read this huge article in IAR. Note that Rockport is notorious for not supporting their old products. Thumbs down.

p.s. This article is not meant to be exhaustive, concentrating on my own experience mostly.

Home Visits: TAD and Rey Audio

Home Visits: TAD and Rey Audio

It's time to tie up some loose ends, and write up a few recent visits. Foremost is a wonderful Rey Audio setup.

Part I. Rey is King (in Spanish it is)
Sometime ago thanks to icefox I had the fortune of visiting andyhkw (aka 富貴, I believe) at his Tsuen Wan loft. He had recently finished re-arranging his gears. That's no mean feat, as he had rotated all equipment 90 degrees to another wall, and his main speakers weigh several hundred pounds, each! Andy's setup is relatively simple (but hugely costly):

Digital: EMT 986 (hard disc player). Delicious!
Analogue: EMT 948
Preamp: ARC Reference 3
Amp: MC2 MC-1250
Speakers: PMC MB2i and huge Rey Audio (RM7)

First we auditioned the PMC in front. Previously, with lesser PMCs I have always been bothered by bass that seemed a little lagging behind, which I attributed to the transmission line designs. Not so this time. This was true monitor sound, tonally accurate, well integrated and dynamic. Rock and pop recordings were fast and highly exciting. Overall, in this large room, bass was still just a shade lean. Moving the seat up a foot or so produced better defined bass and even extension. I suspect a little room mode at work here. Still, a highly commendable setup.

With great expectation we moved on to the double-15" woofer Rey Audio. It was a revelation when the first bass notes of a classical piece came in and we just FELT it. A clarification is in order, it was classical music at low volume, so this was not what's commonly referred to as 褲管震 of the rock-JBL kind; rather it was a sensation of feeling a distant rumble, of feeling THREAT, of feeling atmosphere. There's no better attribute to the quality of a system if one has this feeling during listening (this is not something you'll ever feel with Maggies, e.g., no matter what their other attributes are). The Rey's were almost completely blocked by the PMCs, darker and likely less neutral, yet the sound had tremendous authority and the presence of live music.

A note here on the equipment. Once again it upheld my belief that a good tube preamp matched with a solid state amp frequently is a simple and effective solution for speakers that demand power (both in this case). I'd also like to note that, although I have long been an ARC fan, previously I had not been impressed by the ARC Ref3, even suspecting it of lack of dynamics. It's all in the implementation after all. It should also be mentioned that both digital and analogue replay were very balanced and tonally similar, as it should be in a good system.

Now, we have here not just a highly commendable setup but an awesome system. In many ways, I think it even gives Alansoo's wonderful (and complex) so-called "TAD2401" system (now more and more of a Goto system) a run for its money? Competition is healthy! :-)

Part II. A Tale of Two TADs
Of the huge number of hifi systems in 錦繡花園 there are two that I know quite well, those of the 2 gentleman in the picture. Both use TADs with tubes but their approaches differ greatly.

On this day we all met up and by chance talked about approaches. Although they looked to be of similar vein, Andy on the right always claimed his hearing has been compromised and builds his system upon high frequency air and treble performance; Simon on the other hand, craves warmth and smoothness, preferring to build upon a solid bass.

A tad sharp?
In a previous visit to Andy he was using the stock TAD 3401. Since then a lot has happened. He acquired 2 adjacent houses and crafted new spaces out of them. In the new house, the listening room is a lot larger than previously, though still kind of squarish. I have visited this place several times.

Now he is using a pseudo-2402, in that the treble-midrange driver with its original horn is placed out of the box, on top of an aftermarket cabinet that houses the woofer. For reasons of symmetry and bass performance, Andy placed the speakers almost right against the wall. Gears:

Analogue: Clearaudio YKW (the unmentionable you-know-what); Goldfinger
Digital: MacIntosh-Amarra-Firewire; Weiss Firewire-XLR converter+professional DAC
Amplification: Kondo step-up, M7 phono, M7 preamp, Ongaku

We listened mostly to vinyl. The sound of the TAD is now very crisp and sharp, and there is a lot more bass to be had than in the old room. This marks a big step-up from his old house. In case you wonder, yes, the Kondo system drives the TADs quite well. It showcases hifi recordings quite well but falls down a little on mellower classical material. Nonetheless, it is frequently exciting and never ear-grating, though at times one is aware of an "anal" control, a refusal to let loose. Presence is quite good with the right material. The TT has recently been upgraded. Sound is very dynamic, with black background, but I am still bothered by its lack of rhythmic elan. I remain unmoved by this Clearaudio.

I should mention that the crossover in the picture is newly developed by our friend tubediyer. I have listened to the original crossover and can attest that this DIY one maintains the tonal balance while improving on details and perhaps transients. I understand our friend wadia is also trying one out (for his Rey Audio) to great satisfaction.

Andy in the last 2 years has completely gravitated to CAS. Previously he was using iPod/iTransport, but now that has been replaced by the full system detailed above. This is probably the most expensive CAS system I have encountered. On a previous visit I listened to it in detail. I was quite disturbed by a glassy sound. Replacement of the Nordost XLR by a Kimber immediately ameliorated the situation. This shows other hifi parameters are still important in the digital domain, and one can EASILY trip up.

Am I impressed by the very expensive Weiss? the answer is NO. It does not equate a good CDP, not to say trailing far far behind vinyl. My view on CAS remains: have fun on the cheap, and forget about all the bullshit of delivering the best. That's only sales talk cleverly crafted by certain "experts", who have been wrong again and again on the path of digitals.

A tad smooth?
For some reason, previously I have only briefly treated Simon's system in these pages. His has always been a musical system. 300B driving TAD of course is a challenge, and Simon has steadily improved his system's driving ability. System now:

Analogue: Verdier La Platine-Boyer arm-EMT cartridge
Preamp: Shindo Giscours (using WE349a)
Amp: Shindo 300B monoblocks using old stock WE300B
Speakers: TAD 2402

Compared to the previous visit, the system certainly gained in dynamics while remaining highly musical. I asked him what he did. He said the only changes were the tonearm and cartridge, plus a little tube rolling.

I have always treasured some of the very fine sound coming out of the WE tubes in this system. That's not for mere mortals to savor, perhaps even know...:-) More power to him.

The Yumcha Diaries: 19-09-09

The Yumcha Diaries: 19-09-09
大而有當 系则成统

Part I: 大而有當--HiFi 精 A--First Encounter with Goto Drivers
Last week, we were glad to see two more surprise guests at yumcha and the pentagon promptly forgot about the terrorists and had a good time bonding. Afterward, three of us went to re-audition the famous setup of Alansoo (aka HiFi 精 A), which needs little introduction. It's been a while since I last visited, and now much has changed. I forgot to bring my camera, but despite some lapses I still hope my report is richer in details than what pass for hifi reports out there (almost only pics). Briefly, the gigantic setup uses 5 amps (some details may be erroneous; forgive me, given the complexity) :

Horn system: TAD 2401 + (18"?) JBL woofer + 1x GOTO (super) tweeter + 2x Pioneer (super) tweeters. No electronic crossover is used.
Digital: ARC CD-7
LP: EMT 950
Preamp: Bruce Moore tube preamp driving
(Super) tweeter amps: Russell (according to Alan precursor of Final) and something else I am blocking.
Midrange amp: A very nicely made 300B amp using 5U4 rectifier and 6SN7 drivers and Tamura trannies.
Bass amp: Parasound
(Sub) woofer amp：Professional Class-D amp; forgot name

First, let's not mince words. This is a heck of a system, as you ALWAYS expect from this man. It was so good I almost didn't go upstairs to check out his museum (listening to the top-of-the-line Kuzma shall have to wait till next time). From a whisper to a full orchestral cry, sound was much more effortless than previously, when Alan didn't use so much power. From Kogan's violin to jazz, everything has the proper scale.

I just got my Shura Cherkassky Liszt Hungarian Fantasia CD (LP heard so effectively at 珠寶梁's place; The LP may be hard to find, but the CD is not freely available either. This performance by the great pianist is buried in a 2-CD Liszt album. Click for full info).

Yes, this is not the LP, but the piano sound is rich and full-bodied, and appropriately big in size! Wonderful! I urge you to get this one.

My attention was particularly focused on the rare and VERY expensive Goto drivers, of legendary status and the dream of many horn buffs. I do not care whether they are Titanium or Beryllium, and no matter since the sound was very beautiful and smooth and I was not aware of an edge or any grain, rare in my experience with supertweeters. Info is very hard to come by on these drivers; try the following links:

6moons article on Goto
Goto USA/check out Flash pics
Great Goto horn systems; Note the metallic tweetrs
Alan told me he suspects the $300K Magico Ultimate II uses a Goto tweeter.

If you know of any good Goto websites, please let me know!

Sound was remarkably coherent given 5 amps were being driven. Each amp has its own volume, and I am sure Alan had spent a hugh amount of time adjusting the knobs! If a slight dryness remains, I shall attribute it to the speakers themselves. If there is any loss compared to previously, when I heard just the 2401 driven fullrange by a single amp (and different components) sound might have been just a tad (not punt intended) more coherent then. But given the enormous gain in dynamics I'd say the gargantuan effort has been worth it. How many times have you visited million-dollar big setups that are 大而不當? Alan's setup is not THAT expensive, but it sure is 大而有當 and Goto is surely Ichiban!

After that I went to visit yet another smaller but meritorious setup...

Part II. 系则成统--When Amati meets SME

Photo of the setup borrowed from here. Go to link for more pics. Note TT is now different.

After Alansoo I was joined by 2 more friends in a visit to simcity. This was my first visit to his beautiful new home, the interior of which was all designed by himself.

I have known simcity for quite a while. To me, he has a good ear and can instantly tell you what he thinks. One evening long ago, when he and some other friends came to my place, we were switching components and I found myself in agreement with most of his comments, all instant and on the fly. Previously, he had a rather small LR yet the sound was reasonably balanced. The current setup is as follows:

LP: SME 20/2A with SME V arm/Benz Micro Ebony
Phono preamp: Pass lab XP-15
Digital: Mark Levinson transport into Orpheus DAC
Preamp: Conrad Johnson Act2
Amp: CJ Premier 350 ss amp
Speakers: Sonus Faber Amati

Much of the setup has changed over time, but his loyalty to Conrad Johnson remains. In fact you can go to his thread in R33 (打做我的影音天地) to see detailed description of his CJ love story and previous gears.

We warmed up by listening to his digital setup. From the first instance, and unlike some of my previous encounters with Orpheus, sound was warmly musical, with good rhythmic and dynamic integrity and fine tonal balance.

Sonus Faber is a brand I have always admired and I miss the Concertino and Signum that I have sold previously. Luckily I still have a pair of Elector Amator II in NYC, still the best transducer for massed strings that I have heard. The Amati, much like Cremona, is not an easy speaker to get right. This pair of Amati is likely the most balanced higher-model SF floorstanders that I have heard. Its seamless balance and musicality is taken for granted, but what was really surprising was the deep bass, tight and qualitatively right even if the listening diatnce is quite on the short side. simcity told me he went through much trial and error, and that the sound was dreadful at first. If you have trouble with SF, you might want to chat with him, for it sounds great now! The balance was such that we enjoyed all kinds of CDs without encountering even a wink of discomfort.

Althought the SF Amati seemed to be the star of the setup, and much as I admire these speakers, for me the show was stolen by the SME turntable, which we listened to only after one hour.

In a world of rampant re-packaging, boring sameness, overkill and much ugly acrylics (your esthetics may vary), the understated SME Turntable 20/2A is a breath of fresh air and rather uniquely designed by the legendary Alistair Robertson (click for details in damping and the use of an elaborate set if industrial O-rings as suspension). For me, the no-nonsense industrial look and sensible footprint strike just the right chords. All of this would not matter if the sound were not so fine!

Against a very quiet background, from the first time the stylus touched down on the LP surface, we were served analogue playback of the highest quality. Clean, fine tonal balance and refinement, and excellent PRAT (rhythm and pace). The last is particularly of note, as SME V arm (even the SME TTs) has an undeserving reputation of being rather lacking in life. In my experience, this is true in the case of the Oracle's that I have heard, but I have also heard SME Vs work very well with Michell Orbe, Garrad 301 and, now, SME TT itself. The sound also held fast impressively; no matter how loud we played sound never broke up and there was a sense of supreme confidence. And all this with Benz-Micro, likely not the most dynamic cartridge out there! This is an impressive job.

simcity even took pride in the replay of the trains in Hugh Masekela's famous Hope album, now on Thorens LP. The myriad details were rendered with utter clarity; the trains were as breathtaking as they could be, lacking in heft only if compared to that rendered by a 15" woofer.

A great turntable! And much thanks to simcity.