Customer wanted to hear the big CAT Statement mono blocks compared to the little JL5 stereo amp. We played the JL5 all day; its a stereo amp, triode design using 4 x KT120 per channel, puts out 25W Class A or 100W Class AB, retail $13k. Terrific write-up at Stereophile, http://www.stereophile.com/content/day-1-ends-and-day-2-starts The Statements are monoblocks using 16 x KT120 per chassis, 200W triode, Class A, retail $100k @ pair.
Big guys did not disappoint, micro dynamics were put in the spotlight. Tonal color was more dramatic, sound stage became huge & spacious; sucked the listeners in to the musical event.
The tonal color was fantastic, dense & rich; Oliver Nelson's sax on "Hoedown" had all the bite you expect from a brass instrument. 45RPM LP of Oliver Nelson - The Blues and the Abstract Truth played on a Townshend Rock 7 turntable. No room treatment, just careful positioning; cables, cords provided by Magnan's v. reasonably priced cables, though still delivering first class performance.. Next up was Sonny Rollins' "St. Thomas" from "Saxophone Colossus" on SACD; another exciting sax classic piece. I first heard this when Paul Stubblebine from the Tape Project lent us (for CES one year) a Studer A80 with Dan Schmalle's wonderful tube tape head preamp & we played the 1/4" master tape at 15IPS - that was the yardstick that I hold dear as to how amazing this cut can be. I LOVE Max Roach's drum solo, two and a half minutes into the song. You can clearly how tight the drum skin is.. You quickly forget that its a mono recording when the music is this exciting. The Luxman D-08u's performance did not disappoint, none of the bloom that LP playback gives us, but probably closer to what the actual tape sounds like. Nonetheless its terrific music, however you get to play it.
Packed room of music lovers who were willing to delay dinner to indulge in a religious experience. Feet tapping, lots of comments exchanged over the music played at realistic club levels. It had all the vibe of a happening.
Booze (Wine, beer & Georgian brandy) finished & still no one wants to leave; what does this tell you about this experience with an exceptional stereo ?
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