Start of my audiophile journey

Letter from Hungary (20-02) Dexler Poppe on his audiophile Journey

Editor: As readers in the comments noticed, it was a Pro-ject 1.2 turntable.

In bigger cities of Hungary, there's a system in place which can be described as municipal bulky waste collection. In even more descriptive terms: the purgatory for stuff that you relegated to the attic, basement or the darkest, most unreachable corners of whatever storage facility you have 2-10 years ago, because you successfully convinced yourself that it _will_ be good for _something_. This rationalization then neatly masks the fact that you can't get to terms with loss of value and/or emotional departure. But feelings eventually fade out, and the day comes when you finally say goodbye to that possibly ok-ish faucet which you rescued the last time you renovated the bathroom along with the broken chair that, sadly, could not rise to the occasion and be good for _something_.

I loved these events, as I could discover time and again that someone else's trash could be my treasure and be endlessly fascinated by my findings. Apparently I wasn't alone with this as roaming the city at night to browse through heaps of stuff before it was collected in the morning became an event onto itself. And on one spring afternoon in the city of Pécs, an old Tesla turntable appeared in the purgatory.

Let's diverge: a little Tesla history. For those of you who are not yet familiar with communist-era Czechoslovakian turntable industry, Tesla was the state-owned, consumer electronics manufacturer in the country operating until 1989. This means two things: First, due to the peculiarities of the era's economic system, you've already learnt about every player of the Czechoslovakian turntable industry. Second, Tesla turntables were designed and built for the masses, definitely not for the "discerning audiophile", therefore they were not particularly renowned for their sound quality. They played the approved records and the cool stuff form Yugoslavia and mostly that was it. However, two models were supposed to be good enough to be sellable in the West, but these were marketed under different brand names: both the NAD 5120 and Lenco L-802 was basically a Tesla NC 470 while the Lenco L-500 was in fact a Tesla NC 500. Try to spot the differences in the photos below!

Tesla NC 500 (Source: phono.cz)

Lenco L500 (Source: lencoheaven.net)

The idea was to market the Lenco version in the West and the Tesla in the countries of the Eastern block but typical of the era, not much went according to plan. So much so, that in Hungary both versions were available simultaneously. To add a little bit more confusion to the story, the L-500 was also available in an upgraded version (white plinth, different platter, cabling, modified tonearm and better cartridge were included), which was in fact only available in the Western countries and was also simply called L-500. According to reports of the Hungarian hifimagazine, only this latter, upgraded version was up to audiophile standards.

So how many incarnations a turntable can have? - I hear you asking. This is a valid question, but I'm not sure if there's a universally fixed number for this. What I do know is that the NC 500 had one more, which turned out to be the most successful. Have a look at the Pro-Ject P1 below.

Pro-Ject P1

It looks familiar, doesn't it? Yes, you've guessed right, this is also the NC 500 in yet another disguise. In fact, one could argue that the NC 500 was the ancestor of the current Debut line in Pro-Ject's portfolio. This could happen because after the fall of the Iron Courtain, Tesla ceased operation as a sate owned electronics manufacturer and the turntable division - including remaining stock and tooling - was acquired by an Austrian businessman, Hans Lichtenegger, who then started his own company, the now well-known Pro-Ject.

My Tesla wasn't an NC 500, it was one of their lesser models, but unfortunately I can't remember the exact model number. I can't even say anything about its sound, as I've practically never listened to it. Right after I found it, I checked if the motor and the mechanics work. They did. Unexpectedly, I also found out that on ordinary line input is not suitable for turntables. I had a lot to learn! I badly wanted a suitable amp for my turntable so I went online to figure out what I need exactly and what are my options. I soon realised that I'm probably better off with visiting hifi shops. This turned out partially true as my limited budget and lack of experience triggered some sort of weird arrogance in some dealers, which I found very off-putting. It must be said that to this day, my relationship with dealers remains a bit of hit-and-miss. That said, I did met very helpful dealers and I actually managed to buy a decent, second-hand integrated with phono input from a shop. This was from a fairly unknown Italian company called Aeron. The amp was their A4 model.

Aeron A4 integrated amplifier (Source: audio4.it)

Since at the time I was busy surviving without having a boring 9-to-5 job and making sure that I'm regular to minimal techno parties on Wednesdays besides the weekends, I had very little left for speakers. Of course I wanted floorstanders, because my techno records needed bass and because they looked more serious. This is where I made my first mistake, because I ended up with a pair of floorstanders from a home theater series from Swedish brand, Eltax, simply because they were affordable. They were not terrible at all, but in hindsight I could have done better at that point. And I also believe that I could never actually hear what the Aeron was capable of. To be completely honest, I don't even consider my first setup being a system per se, rather than a bunch of components connected to each other and to electricity. However, the setup proved to be a quite effective gateway drug.

By the time I got home with my phono-capable integrated, the belt on my Tesla became so loose that it could hardly spin the platter. Most likely the turntable hasn't been on room temperature for years before and the new thermal conditions were just too much for poor 20+-year old rubber belt. I've tried my best to find a replacement, but I ultimately failed. I gave the Tesla to a friend who likely used it for some of art project.

The next logical step? To buy a more advanced Tesla, the NAD 5120, of course! Since this was the go-to turntable pre-'89 for Hungarian audiophiles, it is very easy to find on the second-hand market for very low prices. The 5120 was routinely modified by Hungarian audiophiles, but mine was in its original condition with the flat tonearm and intact plinth. I liked it's quirkiness quite a bit, less so its sound. It was unable to deliver the drive, weight and bass that I heard in the clubs and at friends' places from Technics 1210s. Eventually, I sold the NAD and bought a Pro-Ject RPM1 instead. It was much better than the NAD, as it played a significant portion of my collection quite enjoyably. Yet it still sounded bland, gray, boring playing the rest of my collection. Truth to be told, I enjoyed listening to my iPod through headphones a lot more than the turntable and when it came to my portable Sony minidisc palyer, there was absolutely no contest.

NAD 5120 (Source: zstereo.co.uk)

Soon after I acquired the Pro-Ject, a pretty hectic period started in my life with lots of moving involved. Hifi was not a priority. In fact there were several periods when my equipment and records were all boxed up and tucked away in a corner for months. When this ended, I found myself alone in a lovely, rented flat in downtown Budapest that was all mine. I concluded this was the end of a period in my life, and it's time for a fresh start. In cases like this, I have a tendency for big, symbolic gestures to mark the moment or something along these lines. Some have a radical haircut. I sold every piece of hifi I had. I only kept my iPod, a pair of earphones and my turntable.

My first system Once I had a clean slate prepared, I started again from scratch with one clear goal in mind: to build a system this time. I knew I still had some homework to do, so I started reading online magazines, blogs, frequent to forums, visit shops and homes to have a listen to systems which were set up by experienced listeners. Admittedly the latter was a rare occassion, because honestly, I couldn't really relate to most of the people in the local hifi community. Way too many dogmas, arrogance, frustration for my liking. I prefer a more easy-going, relaxed and open minded attitude. I'm in it for joy. So I was pretty much left with reading. This of course led to information overload. It was time to act. The problem was, I still had no idea what to do exactly. So I figured, I'm going to do this in my own way, I'll take my time, because there's no rush to make the ultimate decision right now. What I need now - I reasoned - was a solid baseline, a good reference point against which everything else can be evaluated.

So I set out to build such a system. I wanted a fairly neutral and transparent sound to facilitate future evaluations. I also wanted components from well-known manufacturers, so that they could be easily resold if need be. I decided to keep spending as low as possible and only buy stuff that was easily affordable to me. I wanted to avoid a situation in which I might start convincing myself that "this stuff must be great, because you spent a lot on it!". Finally, I liberated myself from all opinions and "common wisdoms" and bought stuff that truly "talked to me" in one way or another. Eventually I bought a Yamaha A-S500 integrated and the matching S300 CD player. These were demo units from a shop, so I could buy them for half the retail price. I loved and still love the looks of Yamaha integrateds, so I could tick the "talk to me" box as well.

After congratulating myself for being compliant with my own purchase specification in case of the amp and the CD player, the tight process control immediately slacked a little bit and I bought speakers from a relatively unknown German manufacturer. This was the Nubert nuBox 483. I say relatively unknown manufacturer, because they are apparently quite popular in their home country, but not so much beyond borders of Germany. This is due to the fact the Nubert does not seem to be interested growing further: while they mostly rely on direct online sales, their website is only available in German. They don't advertise in US/UK magazines, English reviews of their products are scarce. However, I really liked what little I read about them as well as the engineering-based approach to product design and the obvious restrain from growing the company larger than it's comfortable to its founder. Finally, I loved the short, stocky cabinet and especially the big, 8" mid-bass drivers.

One iteration of a system: Yamaha, Pro-Ject, Nubert

Later on, I added the Pioneer PLX-1000 turntable together with a Schiit Mani phono and - as streaming became increasingly prominent in my life - Schiit Modi 2 Über DAC. All cabling was from Van Damme.

In hindsight, this system provided exactly, what I expected and needed at the time. Most importantly, for the very first time, I indeed felt that I have a hifi system and I acted accordingly. I cared about placement, cabling, support, etc. I started paying attention to finer details of the performance. I tested various components in that system, and I could observe differences. I knew that this is now a level, where the basics are covered.

Would I do something differently, if I were back in time and I had to start over again? No, I still believe that I chose a sensible approach. But I would worry far less. I reckon that choosing components for a first system is among the toughest decision one faces on the audiophile journey. That is, when you are actually there with your limited experience and - likely - budget and have to make up your mind whether to go with component A or B. And you probably heard them in two completely different systems 3 weeks apart. If at all. Today, I would recommend my younger self to have fun and consider the first system as such: a first, that will be followed by others. From that first system, I've already sold the amp - and to be frank, I missed the looks more than the sound. I passed on the DAC to a collague, as I often found myself preferring the built-in Burr-Brown DAC of my humble Yamaha CD player. And the speakers also had to go, even though that was a difficult decision to make since I have a tendency to antrophomorphize objects which are close to my heart. And you just don't toss away a friend, just because you don't go out together so often any more, right? But on the very same token, eventually it just saddened me to see those lovely speakers tucked away in corner collecting dust, instead of bringing pleasure and joy to someone day by day. Luckily, they were bought by someone, who really appreciates them and that ultimately makes me much more happier than me owning them for the sake of owning.

Micromega MyZic Meier Corda Swing MF V-Can II, Beyerdynamic DT880 300 ohm

click pics to enlarge. Top to Bottom: innards of MyZic, Corda and MF.

Headphone Amp Meet: Micromega MyZic, Corda Swing, Musical Fidelity V-Can II, Schiit Magni 3 and Vali 2 (using Beyerdynamic DT-880 300 ohm)

For someone who hardly listens to Headphones, I sure have more cans and amps than some Head-Fi people! I really should sell of most of them, but so lazy am I. After the lockdown started I am by myself and the daily routine just gets boring. How many hours can one listen to music or write? Many, yes, but not all day and night! To put a little variety into it, I sometimes retire into my bedroom a little earlier and listen to a little music through the Headphone while reading. So! Might as well do so comparisons.

I use only the Beyerdynamic DT-880, not because it is my favorite (that would have to be Sennheiser HD-600 and, even more so, my Stax 2170 System)  but because it may not be broken in (I have no idea about how long it takes). I deliberately did not include my Schiit Valhalla 2, and Schiit hardly needs more coverage. My AKG 701 and Grado SR-80 are also just bystanders.

For source I used the 14-bit Magnavox FD-2041 (here). Unlike the vast majority of head-fi people, I don't listen at very high volume and only classical music at bed time (sometimes I listen to WQXR on my clockradio).

For all I know, except for the Corda, which I bought used (report here), all the amps are probably not quite run-in! The Corda is undoubtedly the best built, with a built-in LPS. The worst built is the V-Can II (fortunately I bought them cheap when it was closed out at a HK Show). The 2 Schiit's employ fairly hefty LPS wall warts, whereas the MF uses a small SM supply. The Micromega is SMS too, but built in. Surprisingly, almost all were not built in China. The Schiit in the US, the Micromega in France, the MF in Taiwan. The only uncertainty is Meier Corda, which says "designed in Germany", which I take to mean it was built elsewhere.

Sound There is going to be relatively little here. Given that almost everything is underused and perhaps not broken-in, I consider it a level field. My goal is to give praise to under-sung gear, and there are surprises here.

• Schiit Magni 3 and Vali 2 Using only high gain, the sound of the two are more similar than different. Tube rolling helps in the Vali 2 but not enough. Both, despite reasonable driving power, seem to constrict the sound to the center of the head, making these a failure in classical replay. Dynamics are blunt, with little subtlety.

• MF V-Can II This was very well regarded in its day (see here). Despite its built, it sounds pretty good and not electronic, very close to the Corda in presentation and air.

• Corda Swing Now, we are talking. The orchestra panned out, with superior micro- and macrodynamics. The symphony, whether Brahms 4th (Bernstein/VPO, DG) or Franck (Paray/Detroit, Mercury) has breath and depth. Pleasurable and musical. But the Crossfeed thing is useless for me. The Swing is a discontinued model, but I note that the next step up, the long running, well reviewed and similar Jazz, is trashed by audiosciencereview. I have read this site quite a few times. IMHO while this fellow may know something about measurement, I'd wager he knows little about music (like his trashing of Dayton B652), a manifestation of the worst of head-fi.

• Micromega MyZic This is the most distinctive sounding of the bunch. I was immediately captured by the sense of massed strings. More, there is a sense of separate instrumental groups, like when the Wind Choir chords. the sound field is also the widest in the bunch. Before fully warming up, there is a trace of veil, but musically it is faultless. The Official Page contains many review links, and it has received accolades in Europe and HK (I got mine at a good discount in HK), though it has no presence whatsoever in the US. It deserves to be better known.

My brief observations are based on classical music, which makes my observations likely completely different from other reviews. YMMV.

Schiit Valhalla 2 as Preamp Tube Rolling 6DJ8 6CG7 7119 Tube Adaptor

Click pic to enlarge. Valhalla 2 and LTA atop Genesis Digital Lens. Note the pair of Amperex USA 7119 seated in adaptors.

Review: Schiit Valhalla 2, as Preamp, Tube Rolling

Official Link

My interest in OTL has been long lasting (see my Overview), though it was mostly centered on their use with ESL or efficient loudspeakers. Understandably, it was a niche corner of the market and practitioners were few. UNTIL, that is, the advent of Personal Audio. Over the last decade and half, the varieties of headphone designs that have emerged are mind-boggling. Who would have thought high impedance cans would be so commonly embraced today (a paradox given that their power consumption is at total odds with portability). One reason is, given their small size, many people, if not most, own more than a pair of cans. No respectable Head-Fi person would think of showcasing himself without at least a pair of high impedance cans.

Hence, the renewed interest in OTL, as used in Headphone Amps. Most that people use now, including the Schiit, are really late comers. I still remember the first headphone amp I desired (when I didn't even own a decent pair of cans), the original German Ear-Max of 25 years ago, now in its nth iteration (here). I didn't get it because I thought it was way overpriced (it was, and still is) and the tubes used didn't seem that interesting.

When Schiit first came on the scene, I was instantly interested in the Valhalla 1 (I have to say, I love its looks), but I kept telling myself that I had no need for it (true). But, like fulfilling a past dream, when recently a fairly priced 2 became available (with added value) I decided to avail myself of it. Our own mrgoodsound once had used it, and wrote about it (and his exotic OTL Headphone amp) here.

In contrast to almost everyone, I was more interested in its use as a Preamp and Tube-Rolling. Of course, I briefly tested it with my Sennheiser HD-600 and Beyerdynamic DT-880 (300 ohm) and they sounded very good.

For the past few weeks, I have mostly been listening to the Schiit in my streaming station. A word on this station. I switched from LS3/5A for a larger image and a little more dynamics, which the under-rated Almarro provides. Although they are now defunct, Almarro SE amps are increasingly sought after, but their loudspeakers have fallen under the radar. That's too bad; the M1A is a gem, with a wonderfully pure treble (almost ESL like) and a surprisingly tuneful bass.

Bluetooth: Dayton BTR-01 Digital Out
DAC: Micromega MyDAC
CDP: Micromega Stage 2
Analog: Technics SL-1200ii/Denon DL-103
Phonoamp: Schiit Mani
Preamp: Schiit Valhalla 2
Amp: Akitika GT-102
Loudspeakers: Almarro M1A

Tube Rolling Some people say the Schiit Valhalla is not so responsive to tube rolling. Wrong; while the change in sound is not overtly dramatic, the improvements are critical. Rolling the 6N1 already is rewarding, but rolling the 6N6, which most people don't, is just as important.

• 6N1 to 6DJ8/6CG7 I used Amperex Bugle Boy (Holland) 6DJ8 and RCA Clear-Top 6CG7. Either is a significant improvement over the stock 6N1. The Amperex 6DJ8 smooths it out and brings about more air and details, but I ultimately prefer the more solidly grounded sound of the RCA 6CG7. With Adaptors, one can also roll in 5670/2C51/WE396A, which I'd be interested in. However, since I don't have these tubes in NYC, I'll pass for now.

• 6N6 to 7119 This requires an adaptor (pictured), but somehow nobody does it, perhaps because the 7119 (E182CC; same pin-out as 5687) is too exotic. Since I have the Artemis LA-1 which can use this tube (here) I was keen. A Note on the Adaptors The adaptors arrived in about 2 weeks from HK, not bad. There is something one needs to watch out for this type of adaptors. The design is ingenious, a small tube socket clamped and soldered to a small circular circuit board fitted with gold pins. It is solidly made, BUT the socket itself has very tight spring clips. The Tube has to have absolutely straight pins to go into it; otherwise, some of the pins won't go in and will be deformed further (don't force). Since old-stock tubes more often than not don't have straight pins, one should use a pin-straightener. The socket in the Schiit is another common type that is bigger, with a well designed shallow central depression that facilitates to a certain extent tube pins sliding/going in. So, what I did was to insert the 7119 into the Schiit first, then take them out and insert them into the adaptors. Sound While the Russian 6N6 is a well made tube, it does have an edge. The 7119 smooths it out. The Amperex Holland is the most refined, but the Amperex USA has a bit more punch and gravitas. I alternate between them and am very satisfied. Thus tubed, there is no edge to this fine piece of kit. Again, the 7119 is a very fine tube.

High vs Low Gain In my loudspeaker system, in terms of volume setting, Low Gain works about as well as High Gain (I don't feel challenged). However, there is absolutely no question that the High Gain is more detailed and better (I also find this to be the case with my other Schiit Headphone Amps, the Magni 3 and Vali 2). The low gain is meant for low impedance cans.

Comparisons The comparison with the LTA MicroZOTL is almost shocking to me. My LTA is also tubed with all old-stock (Tung-Sol 12AT7 and Sylvania smoked glass 6SN7). The LTA is just a little quicker; otherwise there is no difference to the sound. Of course, the Schiit runs much hotter than the LTA. For reality check, I also compared the Valhalla 2 with both the Magni 3 and Vali 2 Preamp Out: a joke, not even close.

Headphone vs Loudspeakers These days I am also doing a bit of headphone listening in my bedroom. With the Magni 3 and Vali 2, my impressions are the same as on my loudspeakers. Both of these are more closed in, less airy and, simply, less exciting. But, despite its sonic advantage, I am not going to use the Valhalla 2 in the bedroom - just too much heat.

Conclusions

• Desktop For those who also use a Headphone Amp as a Desktop Preamp, the Valhalla is a far cry from the rest of the pack, which just has the Preamp Out as a value added feature. This is a serious Preamp in its own right. Its tube rolling potential is icing on the cake. Its OTL topology confers the utmost clarity one otherwise would not obtain at this price. For budget people, rather than building your system around your headphone, build it around the Valhalla 2. Serious!

• As Preamp in Your Big System Aside from Streaming, I have also listened to my CDP and Analog, and the Valhalla 2 just sailed with it. I can imagine a big "real" preamp having even more gain or monstrous power supply; I can imagine certain high-value vintage preamps (such as the old Naim's and NAD 1020/3020 that I wrote about) doing a great job, but I am also certain, for the very modest outlay of the Valhalla 2, it can go head-to-head with many Preamps many times its cost. Despite my pontifications, I doubt anyone is going to buy the Valhalla 2 only as a Preamp in their main system. BUT, if you have it already, you really should try it out in your main system. Like a really good preamp, you can listen at very low volume and still hear plenty of microdynamics. You'll be surprised. Caveat Big one. There is only one input, so there, you either plug and unplug (like I) or add a device (maybe the Saga?)

The Schiit Valhalla is already a Classic. No doubt Schiit will continue to refine it or evolve another OTL model. It is a screaming bargain, but do budget for some tube rolling.

Now that I have heard the LTA and Schiit, I hope one day to hear use of 6AS7 OTL as preamp. Of course, what I really want to hear is the Western Electric 421A.

Basic Repertoire Classical Music has an endless array of short pieces that can serve well as openers or encores, much like hors d'oeuvres or dessert. One subset comes from the vast world of Operas. Many forgotten operas, like those by Offenbach, Auber, Suppe and Rossini, live on via their Overtures (played before the curtain rises), Preludes (at the start of an Act) and Intermezzi (usually a moment of repose within an act). Some are achingly beautiful, like this Intermezzo from Mascagni's warhorse one-acter, Cavalleria Rusticana:

ATC SCM19 P1 Schiit Gungnir Marantz PM14S1SE

Click pic to enlarge. System is so simple it is self-explanatory.

Caveman
by Audiopro

Editor: If you look at this simple system, it may escape and surprise you that the author had gone through a lot before, including something as different as a fully tubed Audio Note Level 2 System! Sometimes we get more ambitious, sometimes we scale down, sometimes we change trajectory, but whatever we do our ears (and our hearts), not those of others, must guide us. This makes his points even more worthy of heeding. This is also Virtual Home Visits (11).

My quest for a setup began almost 25 years ago. At that time I owned a Sony FH series mini compo and I listened to music that I loved. My foot tapped, my head bobbed. My body swayed. I yelled in joy on some tracks. I clapped my hands on others. My body wanted to dance! I was going by primal instinct, I was a caveman! Then I turned into an audiophile locked lifeless in a chair and began to listen to music that sounded good only on my setup. So what happened?

I moved from the simple Sony system to a set of floorstanders driven by an integrated amplifier and CD player. Suddenly music no longer sounded fun.

I tried cable swaps, power filtering, speaker changes etc. Swapped speakers, swapped amplifiers, CD players, etc. I began buying audiophile CD’s because I firmly believed the garbage in garbage out fallacy. Sounds familiar? Read on!

I call this a fallacy because very often we are told that a high end system will expose a poor recording. It will expose the warts on it but it shouldn’t take away the primal quality of music. The body is sensitive to music. Walk into a store with some music playing and automatically you feel like swaying. Sitting at a pub you suddenly yell out when they play your favorite song. People faint at live concerts. I’d probably faint in fear at a Slipknot [Ed: Heavy Metal Band] concert but that’s different. Why does all this disappear when we sit in front of a multi thousand dollar setup? What happened to that primal emotion that we felt earlier?

Our expectations are set by review articles that said we should look for adjectives like silky highs, airy highs, warm balance, huge soundstage, strong harmonics, etc when judging an audio setup. Jaws should drop. Your wife should drop the cooking and come into the room and say darling what a lovely sound. Unfortunately IMHO those parameters do not matter when it comes to enjoying music.

Musicians are not trained to play a trumpet in a silky manner or to make their guitars sound warm. Imagine telling Ozzy or Freddie to sing with a silky voice. They probably would have popped you on the head for saying that. They train to time right, articulate using different parts of their head, mouth or throat, manage changes in amplitude with their breath (micro dynamics) and to get you to connect with them. Their voice changes depending on their health and age as well. Listen to an older Aretha Franklin and she can move you to tears with her big voice. A good musician connects to your primal instinct that recognizes music and moves you, be it physically or emotionally.

So what matters?

I grew up playing the piano and while I did, music was a function of three things:

1. Timing – this is what we term as PRAT. Get the timing wrong and no matter what you do the music will not engage you. Timing is everything. This is why sometimes an old mono radio (non digital) sounds good because it gets the timing right. Try clapping in tune with a song in your head. Now clap out of tune and see what happens. Music lives in the space between notes.

2. Micro dynamics – The way one hits a key or plucks a string determines the micro dynamics. We always talk about dynamics but it is micro dynamics that are more important. This is where the soul of music lies. How Louis Armstrong blows puffs of air into his trumpet is what gives him his character. Most powerful amplifiers deliver dynamics but miss out on the delicacy of the notes i.e. micro dynamics. They just shoot through them.

If I hit a key softly and then a little harder randomly, it would go ping, Ping, PING, piNG, and so on. The same is applied for singing. Listen to the song Imagine by John Lennon. When he says Imagine its not said in one amplitude IMAGINE. There is a micro dynamic to it. Listen to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Sara Bareilles. You should be able to pick out the micro dynamics when she plays different piano keys. This is why Keith don’t go [Ed: Nils Lofgren] sounds noisy on some systems. They just slam out his guitaring at one amplitude and fail to differentiate between the various notes.

3. Tonality – If the piano needed tuning, no matter what I played it'd sound weird. It would either sound too high or too low. A piano must be centered correctly tonally. The same is true of a system. If the system is centered too high it will sound superb on say audiophile female vocals where they swoon and tzz and whizz with the notes. Play something by Neil Diamond and it will fail to engage you. Play rock and you will run away. Play Ozzy Osbourne and…OK you get it!

These are the three parameters that any system I aspire to must have. If it fails in any of these parameters the system will not engage me at all. These are the primary characteristics. Even background music will sound good if it maintains these.

Then there are some other parameters I would add to complete the setup, especially two channel ones:

4. Image size – I have heard many people aspire for a huge image size, huge soundstage - everything must sound bigger than life. When I listen to a setup, I look at the size of the vocal image. Ideally it should emerge from a space the size of an orange or a small Cantaloupe. This prevents multiple singers and instruments from blurring into each other and creating a smeared soundstage. Smearing tends to affect micro dynamics because you cannot pickup individual instruments. It turns towards a mushy sound. We then end up turning the volume up to try and hear through the mush and it sounds noisy. This is also a function of speaker positioning but position a speaker well and use two different amps and you will pick up the differences in image size.

5. Bass – One can never have enough bass. Bass isn’t about going thump thump. Bass conveys the two things – fun and space. The mid bass adds to the PRAT factor. We enjoy mid bass; we enjoy a kick from the drum. Low bass (which is a function of your room to a great extent) shows you space. It adds a feel to the sound. The size of the recording venue, the space around the music. Bass sets the canvas on which music is painted.

I personally look for bass that is drier rather than wetter. A dry bass tends to attack and then has a short decay like a Mike Tyson punch. A wet bass tends to be soft on the attack and tends to go poooooof on the decay. Some call this a loose bass. While a wetter bass may sound nice on audiophile recordings I feel it affects music negatively overall.

6. Harmonics – Most people place this first in their list. They want a harmonically rich system. Tubes! I want tubes! When done right harmonics will move your soul. When done wrong it will get you to move out of the room. Every instrument, voice, etc has its own harmonic structure known as timbre. When you hit a 400hz key on the piano it isn’t playing just 400hz. It will deliver maximum amplitude at 400hz along with a bunch of other frequencies above and below this note at lower amplitudes.

The mistake is done when we expect the system to add a ton of harmonics, thus seriously altering timbre. The recording has to capture the harmonics while the music system must play it back. If the recording has failed to capture it you will not hear it. All systems add colour to some degree. If the system is balanced right (i.e. not too high or too low) it will sound good on a vast number of songs compared to one that is harmonically over rich modifying the timbre greatly.

7. Tube Coloration I have experienced this with tubes. The Telefunken 12AX7 tube is a neutral tube. It adds just a dash of harmonics (like Goldilocks porridge). On the other hand a Mullard tube is harmonically rich but tends to turn into mush. Alison Krauss may sound sublime on the Mullard tube but something with a little get up and go will sound boring and dull.

8. Listen for the singer. To understand this, have a look at this Beth Roars video on youtube (here, or play the video embedded on the bottom of this article). She is a voice coach and she evaluates how different famous singers sing. See if your system can reveal this. A singer is like an instrument. They all have their own set of timbre, pitch, dynamics, articulation of vowels etc. They cheat at times to hide their limitations by suddenly ending a sentence. You should be able to experience their character in your system. It is difficult to achieve this but it is possible.

How I chose my setup:

A system must sound balanced. We often try to balance a bright speaker with a warm amp etc. This is not called a balanced setup. When you do this you may end up with a reasonably listenable sound, but it almost never sounds right. This is because both products are pulling in opposite directions instead of complementing them. The point I am trying to make is try not to buy a product that is too skewed sound wise because then you are compensating for that skew with other products. The less the skew the easier it is to build a system. In theory you should be able to flavor the system with a single component, be it a wire, source, etc.

My current setup is based on my room size. I have a small 11 x 12 feet room with some basic treatment. I picked the ATC SCM19 speakers because they do not over power my room, are neutral and deliver lovey PRAT courtesy of their sealed box design. I cannot stress this enough – do not pick a speaker that is too large for your room! Or the journey will end the minute you hit play.

The ATC speaker doesn’t try and act smart. It needs current, so I recommend using an amp that delivers high current by using more than two transistors per channel. Most amps above 120W at 8 ohms will use parallel transistors and should work fine in terms of drive.

The ATC speaker delivers what it is fed. So by picking a neutral sealed box speaker that delivers adequate bass for my room I am not left compensating for the speaker's skew in sound signature, nor am I trying to compensate for the room.

My amplification chain consists of the ATC P1 power amplifier, which again to a large extent is neutral with a tad of MOSFET warmth in the bass and upper highs. It has enough drive for this speaker. It times well and is dynamic.

My DAC is from Schiit audio – the MB Gungnir. This dac is pretty neutral and dynamic. It is a dense DAC which means it delivers each note with a certain amount of weight. This prevents the highs or voices sounding thin. It is neither harmonically over rich nor is it lean. It doesn’t get confused by complex music and has a wholesome bass.

I use a Sony Blu Ray as a transport and stream Tidal using Chromecast. I may add an Allo transport for Tidal at a later date.

So with most of my chain being balanced neutrally I am left with the pre stage to take the system whichever way I want. This is where I have flavored it. I use a Marantz PM14S1 SE integrated amplifier as the pre. This amp is a HIDDEN gem and has flown under the radar. It’s pre stage is to die for.

It offers superb PRAT and micro dynamics are stunning; it's fluid; image size is near perfect; just the right amount of harmonic structure and a dry bass. It was as if Ken Ishiwata asked me what I wanted in an amp and voiced it that way! This doesn’t sound like the Marantz of old which was warm and tubey with poor timing. This is a perfect blend of the parameters that I look for. If I had to nitpick I’d say it has a tinge of hardness in the upper mids. This amp needs burn in. Don’t judge it on day 1 or it will sound hard. If you can get hold off a piece I strongly recommend you do so. It is able to drive the ATC speaker by itself in my small room but not as confidently as ATC’s own power amp.

Lastly cables – I use simple plain-Jane 16 guage copper speaker cables from Sommer or Supra. Interconnects are simple copper ones soldered by myself. Power cables are stock. Again the idea is to avoid products that are heavily flavoured. Do the flavouring at one level and let it flow through the rest of the setup.

I’ll sign off by sharing the following tips:

1. Try and understand the house sound of a manufacturer and if you like it and the manufacturer builds the entire chain, try and stick with it as much as possible. Example: Rega CD player with a Rega amplifier. Naim with Naim. ATC speakers with ATC amps. Sim audio amps and dacs. This removes a lot of guess work.

2. Match the speaker to your room and to the amplifier correctly. This will break a system if done wrong and no amount of tinkering can solve this.

3. Position your speakers well. Take time to find the spot in which the bass sounds right. Then focus on the image size. Image size at a macro level is primarily a function of the room though equipment, especially amplifiers, affect it greatly on a micro level as well. Complete speaker positioning is beyond the scope of this article but it is absolutely critical in achieving good sound.

4. Keep the parameters discussed in the beginning in mind. Timing, micro dynamics, well balanced sound, image size, etc.

5. Try different gauges of speaker cables. Sometimes lesser gauge wires offers better balance. Get hold of affordable 12, 14 and 16 gauge wires and try them out. High end cables DO work when you are trying to compensate for system skewness!

6. Try and listen to music at approximately 80db with 95 db peaks. This in my experience allows the singers voice to scale perfectly without hardening or bloating or loosing control. This is a personal choice though.

9. Never ever ever ever listen to an audio salesman telling you garbage in garbage out and that the setup he is demoing sounds bad because your CD’s are poor. If the system delivers on timing, dynamics and is well balanced, majority of poor recordings will get your foot tapping. Listen to a talented homeless man sing or play a cheap guitar on the street and see what happens to your foot.

10. See if your foot taps and head bobs when you listen to a system. If the system is setup well it will connect with your primal instinct and you will enjoy the setup. It will grow on you. Bass, treble soundstage, this parameter or that will no longer matter because the setup connects with your soul.

11. Pay attention to your equipment support. The material the equipment is placed on will shift the tonal balance slightly. This happens at a micro level. Place your amp on the floor, then on a stool, then on a rack and you will notice it sounds RIGHT on one of them. Avoid placing equipment one on top of the other. I consider equipment support as part of my system setup. I do not use expensive racks, but I do have different base materials like wood and granite, which I use as a final balancer for my setup.

12. Lastly, as our friend Prem says (his system the JBL4343 has been featured here too) “Don’t think of sound as warm, big, soundstage, silky treble, tight bass, etc. Think of it as tone, timbre, dynamics and presence.” The former are audiophile parameters, the later primal ones.

Welcome to the Jungle!

On Headphone Listening Pt. III The Finale! Jupiter Audio Research HD600 abbasaudio OTL Amp (also Schiit Valhalla 2, Eddie Current Dana Deux)

On Headphone Listening, Part III The Finale! JAR HD600 abbasaudio OTL Amp

By mrgoodsound 

Part I, Part II

This article will be part three of a series on headphone listening, and for now, a finale. I have received my heavily modified HD600 headphones, and output transformerless amplifier, both of which have been on order since late 2019 and will be the main subjects of this article. After living with both for several weeks, I am ready to share my thoughts and feelings on them.

In some ways, the findings in this article and my current headphone system have been a work-in-progress for 5 years. As I mentioned in part one, I began my journey in audio with headphones and have been chasing a sound that only existed as a concept in my head. Until now I had never quite gotten there, despite many hours and dollars spent. Like all good stories this one has a beginning, middle, and end.

In the beginning

Schiit Valhalla 2

The first headphone system I would consider myself satisfied with was a stock pair of Sennheiser HD650s and the Schiit Valhalla 2 amplifier. I would define satisfaction in this case as the ability to listen for a period of at least several hours without fatigue and with involvement in the musical program. The HD650 was chosen for its linearity in the critical middle frequencies and lack of distracting sonic aberrations. The Valhalla 2 was chosen (at the time) because of its optimized power current delivery into the Sennheiser's 300 ohm load. Unfortunately, I did not comprehend just how important its transformerless topology was until much later. The Valhalla 2 had several compromises in its design, chiefly the use of copious amounts of negative feedback to lower the output impedance and achieve sonically unimportant low distortion figures. I understand that Schiit as a mass market company did not want to manufacture a 'specialist' amplifier that was only good for headphones with high impedance voice coils, and thus feedback and a cathode follower were incorporated into the design. Their marketing images showed the Valhalla 2 connected to an Audeze LCD-2 for example, despite this being a pretty terrible match.

This amplifier was still a superior match to virtually all transistorized and hybrid options I had tried, but unfortunately, these compromises meant that the Valhalla 2 had a dryness and grain to its middle to high frequencies which caused fatigue after several albums worth of listening. This could be alleviated to a degree with a warmer or laid-back source, but given that I wanted to listen for more than 1-2 hours at a time this ear irritation became the reason I started to look for upgrades to the Valhalla in 2017.

In the middle

Original Zana Deux, credit 6moons.com

To cut a very long story short, 2 years of time and many thousands of dollars were wasted searching for the ideal solution. I began reading headphone forums and researching all the high-end valve-based amplifiers available on the market. I tried many headphone amplifiers ranging from $1000 to $3000 (!) but was ultimately disappointed with each. Most of these models were traditional transformer-coupled single-ended designs. It is widely agreed that in these designs, the quality of the output transformer is responsible for the integrity of sound. For reasons I still cannot fully explain, it seems that the sonic compromises of output transformers are more easily detected or even amplified when listening with headphones. You cannot get over the impression that you are 'monitoring' the music rather than indulging in its aesthetic qualities. Some of these amplifiers made attempts at revealing subtleties in the sound but usually at severe compromise to one or more parameters such as dynamics or transients.

At first I thought the matter was related to impedance, as most audio transformers are specified with secondaries of 4/8/16 ohms, but then a later experiment with an output winding specifically optimized for ideal damping factor into a 300 ohm load proved disappointing, so I ruled this out.

I decided to return to OTL amplifiers, and settled on trying one model in particular, the Eddie Current Zana Deux. This model has been around since 2005 and is well-known in Head-Fi circles. It had a certain mystique about it and a very flattering review on 6moons. Unfortunately this experiment would further detour me from the ideal path. The amplifier was extremely colored and musically unsatisfying. I again attribute this to its design compromises: a copious amount of negative feedback and giant capacitors to output couple the giant 6C33C triodes, ruining any chance of musical integrity. I did own the latest version, the 'Super', and as I understand the original would've better suited me.

Discouraged and apparently frustrated after these experiences, I took several months hiatus from headphone listening and tinkered with stereo equipment instead. It wasn't until I exchanged PMs with an audio acquaintance from Denmark that I learned of the manufacturer Abbas Audio, and saw that he had an OTL amplifier in his catalog of products. I took quite a large gamble to order this amplifier unheard, and it is the subject of today's review.

Jupiter Audio Research HD600 Mod 

My JAR HD600s

Having sold my HD650 before taking a break from headphone listening, I needed a new pair of high Jupiter Audio Research through forums. Jupiter is an independent manufacturer of modifications to the popular Sennheiser HD600 & HD650 headphones. Many community-sourced modifications exist already for these models, most of which involve applying mass-loading and dampening to the driver housing and spider. I never tried these for fear of irreversible damage to my favorite pair, but I was attracted to Jupiter's mods as they took things a step beyond the DIY solutions. He fabricated a 3D printed screen to take place of the headphones cup grills and provide the necessary rigidity and dampening to the headphone housing. Some unnecessary elements of the stock housing were completely removed, and some experimentation was had with the amount of damping foam present in the rear of the driver.

The mod is fantastic! All the positive elements of the stock sound are retained but a much higher technical level is achieved. The sound possesses more clarity and cleanliness at all frequencies, transients become sharper and less smeared, and a pervasive softness present in stock form is replaced with a sense of solidity and previously unheard composure. The character of the headphones does not change, and the limits of the driver can still be heard, but I highly recommend it to anyone who is already a serious fan of the HD600 or HD650.

In the end: abbasaudio OTL amplifier

This amplifier has transformed my headphone listening experience. It is no longer possible to listen to music via headphones as background noise. Unfortunately many of the technical design details are not available in English, so I will speak only to what I can. The 6080 triode was chosen for the output lamp based on its exceptionally low plate resistance, making it a natural for a design without transformer loading. The passive parts and wiring are largely vintage. Of note are the 'bumblebee' paper-mylar coupling capacitors typically found in American-made electronics of the 1960s.

I now understand that the properly designed output transformer-less valve amplifier is an ideal (read: less compromised) solution to drive high-impedance headphones such as the Sennheisers. The sound from this amplifier is incredibly immediate and pure; both in its tonal colors and its clarity of the emotion and message of music. Grip on the drivers without over-damping is outstanding, with an ability to maintain composure and drama under the most complex and demanding of musical passages to a degree that I previously thought the Sennheiser's were not even physically capable of.

My headphone listening station

Despite the measured roll-off of the HD600 driver, the depths of low frequency content through this setup is surprising, not unlike Stax, but without the electrostat's plastic bass timbre and lack of muscle. It has been said before, on this very blog, that bass is the foundation upon which musical energy is built. I was completely oblivious before to just how much was missing in the presentation with an inability to resolve low-frequency information. With this amplifier the space in and around my head is pressurized in such a way that a believable sound field is created and the absolute presence of music is felt, at all times, even during passages of silence. I have not experienced this before and previously resigned to believe that headphone listening despite its intimacy was not capable of sounding more or less detached to a degree, as if one was 'monitoring' the playback rather than being immersed in it.

Above all else, the emotion of music is transmitted intact, regardless of genre or source. I am nearly always subject to involuntary physical movements and reactions when listening to music through this system. I have been moved to tears, on multiple occasions, with both popular and symphonic music! This is absolutely unprecedented for me. If only I could achieve such emotional compulsion as consistently and thoroughly through my speaker system, though I am convinced I will get there eventually. I tried to listen through this system while writing parts of this article, and was unable to. The music takes attention, whether I am listening to FLAC, MP3, a streaming service, YouTube or 78 RPM shellac rips.

The guts of the Abbas OTL amplifier

To temper myself after writing the above paragraphs, I went back to listen multiple times and try to hone in on deficiencies in the sound. The input stage of the amplifier using the EC88 lamp is based on a SRPP scheme, which is known for having a heightened sense of dynamism or speed. Indeed, the amplifier is intense, and perhaps slightly more so than what peaks in recordings of large scale music call for. However, given that the aesthetics of the musical performance are not disturbed, and a vividness is given to headphone listening that otherwise would not be there, I hesitate to call this a shortcoming.

For the JAR600, the Sennheiser driver has its limitations. It cannot resolve high frequency (>7kHz) transient information very well. There is a ceiling to its ability to portray subtle contrasts and intonations in music. Its frequency linearity and presence may be too monitor-like for those preferring euphony, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, anything that I would consider a true upgrade is very far away from its price point.

I consider this to be an audiophile victory of the highest degree, and well deserved in terms of the investment made to get to this point. The abbas OTL amplifier cost just over $1,000. It is also capable of serving as a pre-amplifier or buffer with simple modification, which I will attempt later.

Unfortunately, it is not clear if he is still offering it as a serial product. I loathe to heap so much praise onto a product that may very well not be available for purchase anymore, but such is life, and it is not too different from raving about a vintage amp you can't reasonably find anymore. What is equally exciting and daunting is that for the first time since 2016 I feel the HD600s are the weakest link in my headphone chain. Possible candidates for upgrades are the ZMF Verite and MySphere 3.2, although considering both these models cost well over $2,500 I do not think I will be experiencing them anytime soon.

I will conclude with some practical recommendations. For lovers of music who want to put together a headphone system without breaking the bank, I recommend the Sennheiser HD600/HD650 models. Be mindful that Sennheiser has recently switched production from Ireland to Eastern Europe and compromised quality control. I would recommend sourcing a made in Ireland pair, which shouldn't be too hard. You may modify them yourself at a later date or send them to Jupiter Audio to be modified.

For amplifiers, either the Schiit Valhalla 2 or Bottlehead Crack will satisfy on a budget. The latter is sold as a kit but is so popular several well-built examples are always available on the second-hand market. I believe this will serve most peoples needs, unless you are married to synthetic electronic music with deep bass content, in which case you may consider any number of planar magnetic models and an inexpensive transistor amp such as the Schiit Magni. Some have also reported success with using a small subwoofer playing in parallel with headphones.

Micromega MyGroov MyDac, Meridian 200, Akitika GT-102, Schiit Saga

Click pic to enlarge. On rack, from top, Thorens TD-125, Audio Technica AT-PL120, white Micromega MyDac atop Meridian 200 and a bit of 47 Labs Shigaraki phonostage , Schiit Saga; lower middle, Micromega MyGroov in front to MoFi Studiophono; right, Pioneer PL-10.

Let's Get It On: Akitika GT-102 + LS3/5A, A Happy Union
What's Going On: Reconfiguration of System III, a Cheap and Effective All Solid State System
Review: Micromega MyGroov, Part II
Review: Micromega MyDac, Part III
Review: Akitika GT-102, Part II

Review: Meridian 200 CD transport
Review: Schiit Saga, Part III

Review: Monoprice Toslink Cable

Micromega MyGroov, Part I
Micromega MyDac, Part I
Akitika GT-102, Part I
Schiit Saga, Part II
47 Labs 4718, Part III
Pioneer SW-8 Subwoofer, Part II

Many of my articles are basically housekeeping. In the process I try to seek a moderate improvement or some insight into some of my under-used equipment. This article is one of them. It doesn't really review anything new; instead working things out and going deeper into things. 

From time to time, I reconfigure my systems. Usually this is brought about by a particular piece of equipment. In this case, it was because I moved the Thorens TD-309 from System III to I for my Koetsu Black, which weighs a little heavy. Also, as it was basically not used, to reclaim space I dismantled System IV in the living room, so quite a few pieces of equipment were again available for use.

System III This is by my seat. For someone as overreaching as I, it is not easy to cram everything onto one rack, so I tend to use things with small footprints. Ever since the arrival of Schitt Saga (here) and Akitika GT-102 (here) they have been used together with the Audiomaster LS3/5A to great effect. The crispy and fast sound of the Schiit actually suits the Audiomaster LS3/5A, the darkest of my 3 pairs. Thinking to improve things, I propped in the Nagra PL-P and was surprised at the somewhat rolled off sound. Not synergy and so out it came. Then I focused on reconfiguring my sources.

For digital, as I had moved my Sparkler CDP to System I, for some time I had been using the Linn Karik CDP. Desiring to be able to occasionally play albums on my computer, I decided to go separates. I recruited my ancient Meridian 200 transport and Micromega MyDac.

For Analog, the Pioneer PL-10 with Rao's MC mono cartridge remains, but is assigned to an adjacent shelf. In place of the Thorens TD-309 I swapped in my Audio-Technica AT-PL120 with the Shelter 201 MM cartridge. This turntable, with removable headshell, is great for comparisons, but for the near future I may keep it an MM turntable (with maybe 78 rpm option in the future). I also added a third turntable. My Thorens TD-125 (with SME 3009 and Denon DL-304) from System I, now displaced by the TD-309, claimed the top shelf as I shoved the AT to the shelf underneath (just enough room to carefully maneuver without the cover). Needing a third phonoamp I added the Micromega MyGroov. The Kondo Shigaraki phonostage is MC only, but both Micromega MyGroov and MoFi Studiophono are MM/MC, making the system highly configurable. I tried multiple combinations.

Micromega MyGroov (official link)
Aside from European (French and Spanish) reviews (link) there are virtually no other for this humble component. In Chinese, there is a surprisingly good one from Taiwan's HiFi HiVi. Switch Mode Power Supply and Surface Mount technology are used. See Part I link above for my previous, very favorable, impressions.

Micromega MyDac (official link) This one has been rave reviewed by many when it came out but surprisingly I don't see it mentioned much afterwards (perhaps it is too cheap for its own good). In my detailed Part I review you can read my utter enthusiasm for it. Actually before this round I briefly tried it out in System I with Theta Data Basic (btw a great transport) and the combo went almost head-to-head with the formidable Sparkler S306, which is my reference. Kudos!

Meridian 200 CD Transport I have used or heard quite a bit of Meridian digital products (to me their specialty,) from the first 200 series to the much later 800 series, and they in general offer excellent sound. Perhaps one day I shall write an overview. The 200 is Meridian's first CD transport. It was initially paired with the 1-bit (bitstream) 203 DAC, which I used to own in HK but sold for its ultimate lack of resolution (though it was musical). Meridian's own archive has this excellent early review of the 200/203. Meridian later replaced the DAC with the delta-sigma 263 (see Stereophile), which is likely much better as I still own (in HK) their 206, a similar one box CDP. Another reason for loving them is the styling - early Meridian had the most elegant industrial designs. Yet another is the longevity of the Philips CDM-4 mechanism, and the sound of course.

Sonic Impressions

• Akitika GT-102 + LS3/5A As before, the combo with Schiit Saga and LS3/5A worked a treat, especially with digital. The LS3/5A are placed near field and in front of my horns, and they just disappear. At low level, the images are relatively small, but crank it up to normal listening level, the images flesh out. In fact, one could easily mistake the sound to be coming from the large horn system behind. From vocal CDs to Bruckner LP, the sound is highly articulate, just enticing. Few bookshelves can equal, let alone surpass, the LS3/5A.

• Schiit Saga This round reaffirms that the Schiit Saga is a very neutral device, not for systems already on the lean side. I started using it as a passive preamp, but soon found myself running out of gain for analog, especially my DL-304 (0.2 mV). I then used the Saga as a buffer amp into my Langevin 102 preamp and the analog sound fully fleshed out. More discussion below...

• Analog + Passive Preamp? t shows once again that a passive device is not optimal for an analog based system. I know there are purists out there who insist on passive preamp but who also use analog. Maybe with a high output MM (like the Shure 44-7) one can get away, but with a low-output MC it is just lacking in muscle.

• Micromega MyGroov This is not the most "precise" (as in pinpoint details) phonostage, but it is a highly musical one (Perhaps one can view it as a somewhat upgraded Schiit Mani). It musical warmth and finesse more than compensates, and it proves to be a much better match with my Thorens TD-125/SME3009i/Denon DL-304 than the leaner 47 Labs. It is very cheap and unjustly neglected. My Part I impression stands.

• 47 Labs 4718 As mentioned in Part III (link above), it is getting run-in. Sound is smoother now but still can be insistent occasionally. As mentioned, it did not gel with my Denon DL-304 (nor my mono rig for that matter). But a later sub of Denon DL-301 Mk II (review coming) was very promising. I then switched in DIY 47 Labs cables and it was superb. This is the best sound I have heard from it.

• Micromega MyDac/Meridian 200 I first connected the DAC with my Linn Karik and the sound was lovely, so I was totally shocked when I switched in the Meridian 200. Synergy! It was like flowers blossoming, everything was alive with colors. It went head to head with the vinyl systems. I liked Marvin Gaye's Let's Get it On so much that I pulled out his What's Going On - just did not want to stop. Absolutely superb combination. USB The MyDac played my humble iTunes/AIFF files very well too, (in fact in this setup better than many CAS setups I have heard) and that will be sometimes useful. Toslink What was most amazing was that the Optical Input, connected to the same Meridian 200 with a $6 Monoprice cable, sounded virtually indistinguishable from the coaxial input (Belden 1694A). I checked my notes (see link above) and, my, I forgot I made the same observations before. It is good keeping a blog to check on oneself. I'd guess there must be some effective re-clocking or de-jittering in the MyDAC for every input to sound alike. In such a small product, quite an achievement. The Micromega MyDac is a serious rival to the Sparkler digital products.

And so I arrived at the current configuration:

CD: Meridian 200 Transport and Micromega MyDac (Belden 1694A coaxial; Monoprice Toslink)
Turntable 1: Audio-Technica AT-PL120
Turntable 2: Pioneer PL-10 with Rao's MC Mono
Phonoamps: 47 Labs 4718 Shigaraki, Micromega MyGroov, and MoFi StudioPhono
Buffer Preamp: Schiit Saga
Active Preamp: Langevin 102
Amp: Akitika GT-102
Loudspeakers: Audiomaster LS3/5A (15 ohm)
Subwoofer: Pioneer SW-8

Subwoofer Finally, I added a subwoofer, the cheap and excellent Pioneer SW-8 (see link above). The LS3/5A does not reach deep, but its subtle mid-bass hump gives one a satisfying feeling that is frequently enough. But not quite for classical music, at least not for Bruckner and Big orchestral and Piano music. It took me a while to dial in, but the result was more than worth the effort. The fuller sound actually gives more support and air at the top. I went through an entire Bruckner cycle (LP, Jochum, DG) with great satisfaction. CD playing benefitted greatly too. The piano sound of Radu Lupu's Schubert D845/D894 (CD, Decca) was resplendent, not quite like my horn rig, but very reasonably close. Especially in Schubert, the often foreboding rumbling bass notes are very important in the overall feeling.

In this system, if I only play digital, I can get away without using the active preamp. And if I switch out the tube in the Schiit Saga, the difference will be minimal, and it will be an excellent and all solid-state system! A bargain to boot!

2017 in Review

2017 in Review

It is hard to believe it's that time of the year again. Here in Asia we are ahead in time and it's 2018 already. So this morning I must finish this article. I rose early, made tea, turned on my Kondo setup and started listening to one of my favorite pianists, Geza Anda, playing the complete Mozart concerti while I wrote.

Happy New Year!
Happiness is to get together with friends and have a good time together. Audio is secondary - BUT, if one can achieve substantial improvements while having a good time, it is even more gratifying. In 2017 the NYC gang did precisely this, several times over, under the leadership of Andy.

Thank You Happiness is also giving thanks. NYC Here I'd like to thank Andy for organizing all these events which provided a modicum of relief for me during a period when I saw mother through considerable strife. I'd also like to thank teetotaler Kevin for serving us expensive Napa wines and driving me to the airport. Also to Ralph and Andy again for cooking those wonderful meals. HK I'd like to thank my friend wss in particular for helping me get rid of some unused goodies languishing in my old home, for hosting happy hour at his small den, and for the free concert tickets. Readers Thank you readers for your words of encouragement - I appreciate them.

Thank you to the Great Composers for giving us music that immeasurably improve our lives! Writing this article I went through Mozart's Piano Concerti 19 to 24. Like our lives, in everyone, there was great beauty, but also undercurrents, foreboding and sadness. Mozart just lay it all out, whereas someone like Beethoven would work hard to overcome. Later, perhaps.

Looking Forward Though I expect our NYC gang to unfurl surprise after surprise, for myself there will be few audio events as my family may see tumultuous changes in 2018. But our struggles pale next to those of the countless uprooted peoples (including the urban homeless, definitely on the increase in NYC) of this unkind world. I spent New Year's Eve alone at home, and all of a sudden the faces of suffering children came to the surface. Unlikely as it may be, with the prospect of nuclear war looming larger than ever, I hope 2018 shall witness more peace and kindness.

Best Sound
There are several excellent setups (mostly horns of course), but two of the most gratifying experiences involved drastically re-positiong the loudspeakers.

Transfigurations Most audio improvements are better termed "transcendence", at most "metamorphosis", but the following experiences are even greater. Foremost must be Ralph's Wilson Grand Slamm (here), which turned from barely listenable to the best Wilson I have heard (I am not a fan but I have heard tons in HK; none came remotely close.) Then came my own pair of Klipsch Heresy (here), which over-performed when given the room and support. These experiences mirror my previous La Scala experience, as quoted in the Heresy article.

Altec Fever Most gratifyingly, through Andy's arrangement, I heard two more excellent Altec's: excellent as Leo's A5 is (here), Kevin's A7 (here) has just as much potential and is undergoing metamorphosis as I write. Of course, there is also Andy's mellower A5  "casual setup" (here), which I predict shall also undergo metamorphosis soon.

Western Electric Fever What can rival Western Electric? Nothing, really. In HK, our friend Humphrey's all-WE system is awe-inspiring. I have not yet written it up, as he is constantly changing and it is a daunting task.

BBC For mere mortals, especially in HK, who don't have the space for large horns, few loudspeakers can rival the sheer brilliance of jules' LS 5/1A (here). For even smaller footprints, I cite myself as I have further fine-tuned my Kondo system, and my final choice of loudspeaker is surprisingly my KEF LS 3/5A (here) - they provide immense pleasure during my very limited free time.

Most Significant Negative Experience
Why? Because negative experiences are as much learning experiences as positive ones. Having owned (and still own) and heard countless CDPs, transports and DAC's, I regard myself as a seasoned student of digital, but I was not prepared for the occasion when a change of transport completely turned a system from ugly duckling to swan (at the bottom of this article.)

Analog Events of Note
Again, the superiority of Reel-to-Reel is unassailable (here). And two vintage phonoamps excelled, as evidenced by the Citation I (here and here) and the even more incredible Brook 7 (here.)

For a much smaller outlay, the diminutive Schiit Mani (here) has surprisingly good color. For those who need more details and precision, the MoFi StudioPhono punched way out of its class (here,) though those with lean systems should avoid it.

Bargains
The Schiit Saga is several things in one (here,) and should be seriously considered by those who are in the market for a passive preamp or buffer.

The Tien Direct-Drive Turntable (here) is not exactly budget, but given its performance and finish, I regard it as a bargain. Personally I'd choose it over the likes of VPI, Rega or Pro-ject at the same price.

CD of the Year As Bach is my favorite composer and his music is inexhaustible, after much thought I decided to nominate this disc (details) that features the mandolin as an unusual member of a trio. The arrangements are deceptively simple and artless, the playing of one piece, the recording superb - a joy from start to finish.