G’day to all, & Greetings from Melbourne, the love of Conrad Johnson & Benz Micro!
It seems like the BM-Glider SM has now reached the 20hr mark and over… and I’m ecstatic to report the tremendous aspects of sound quality and overall improvement on the RP3.
I’ve just had another 4am session and had to force myself to shut down, since the work week actually starts today around 3pm. The three major areas that have now evolved onto a completely higher level of refinement and music reproduction are as follows:
1. The level of detail is unbelievable, one that not only comes forth with great impact and presence but also a sort of limitless in the palpability.
2. The bass is now greater than before and more controlled, especially in the mid-bass to lower bass regions, such that I have now turned down bass levels further on the Martin Logan’s (Ethos) to -6.
3. The most significant of all is that organic tone, it comes through effortlessly and the variations of the full freq spec is just superb!
There are no overhang/over-tones, smudges or any artifices of that sort, just razor-sharp quality from top to bottom, with superb focus, definition and musicality, I simply cannot flaw anything other than the room of course. Hence, listening sessions are much quieter and allow the sound to propel into the room at lower levels. Therefore, it is not required at all to turn up anything to enjoy superb musicality at its finest. On certain tracks I would certainly like to open up and experience that sheer dynamic outburst but I cannot since the room is small and the bass drivers cause air-borne vibrations that are picked up by the cartridge. However, at this level, which I am not used to, is certainly a wonderful activity to experience just once in a while… The CJ Act2 partnered with the Premier 350 comes to mind when this explosiveness happens, that sheer transient control and powerful impact is a delight, yet nothing forced just cruising…
Although I still enjoy listening to digital, and the big McIntosh SACD player for that matter, this fairly simple analog rig (compared to the majority of high-end ones out there…) it simply outclasses the digital by a very far margin. On the other hand, I don’t think it is fair to compare digital vs analog, simply because they are just different mediums (and this has been discussed before numerous times…).
The only point I’m trying to make is that I have a number of duplicate albums on CD/SACD as well. The few most significant ones that I played and enjoyed on digital were: Norah Jones (come away with me), Casandra Wilson (Traveling Miles & New Moon Daughter), George Benson & Earl Klugh (collaboration on Japanese pressing) and Miles Davis (Kind of Blue). I played these at length for quite a while checking every aspect of the music and its recorded sound, and it was great! Then I played these same albums on the RP3, just a completely different level of refinement, tonality and sheer brilliance of recorded music on vinyl, one word or rather two words “my god…” hence no point comparing.
Just about prior to all of this delight, I was venturing towards the new Mac Dac and transport separates, which both combined would have set me about 20 grand! Holding back and thinking about it now, what a waste! Hence, if I had spent 20 grand on a TT rig, now we’re talking… and having said that, I can truly imagine what you folks are experiencing on your top quality TT’s- must be just marvellous!
Although it was nearly 30 years ago, I remember rushing out for a high school basket ball final, which we lost badly… although I managed to score what was required, the other team just smashed us out of the park. My good old pops was setting up a personal home demo for a valued friend who was very interested in the Apogee Diva’s. So although I had to be on court within the hour, I decided to hold off just a few 20 mins for this demo. The level of transparency from the simple analog rig (Dual TT & later on a Linn TT), driven with ARC & Krell Class A monoblocks for the back end and that wonderful CJ ART preamp, was just heavenly. That sound was and is still embed in my head, and he played a LP from a jazz-fusion band called Oregon, wow!
Fast fwd three decades and I heard this group at my good mates place (Mr. Kostas) on his CLX’s! Yesterday, I picked up six second hand LP’s from a refurbish store downtown, out of which two were Oregon, recorded in 1973! Oregon in Concert and Distant Hills. Although not super quiet but no pops or clicks, that sound and music came back to me in an instant! The BM Glider picks up every nuance and micro detail flawlessly, and the CJ amps along with the Martin Logan’s delivers all that you can possibly want from good original recordings.
Good night to all and do sleep tight! To analog and digital lovers, enjoy that music!
Cheers, & big loud woof! RJ
It seems like the BM-Glider SM has now reached the 20hr mark and over… and I’m ecstatic to report the tremendous aspects of sound quality and overall improvement on the RP3.
I’ve just had another 4am session and had to force myself to shut down, since the work week actually starts today around 3pm. The three major areas that have now evolved onto a completely higher level of refinement and music reproduction are as follows:
1. The level of detail is unbelievable, one that not only comes forth with great impact and presence but also a sort of limitless in the palpability.
2. The bass is now greater than before and more controlled, especially in the mid-bass to lower bass regions, such that I have now turned down bass levels further on the Martin Logan’s (Ethos) to -6.
3. The most significant of all is that organic tone, it comes through effortlessly and the variations of the full freq spec is just superb!
There are no overhang/over-tones, smudges or any artifices of that sort, just razor-sharp quality from top to bottom, with superb focus, definition and musicality, I simply cannot flaw anything other than the room of course. Hence, listening sessions are much quieter and allow the sound to propel into the room at lower levels. Therefore, it is not required at all to turn up anything to enjoy superb musicality at its finest. On certain tracks I would certainly like to open up and experience that sheer dynamic outburst but I cannot since the room is small and the bass drivers cause air-borne vibrations that are picked up by the cartridge. However, at this level, which I am not used to, is certainly a wonderful activity to experience just once in a while… The CJ Act2 partnered with the Premier 350 comes to mind when this explosiveness happens, that sheer transient control and powerful impact is a delight, yet nothing forced just cruising…
Although I still enjoy listening to digital, and the big McIntosh SACD player for that matter, this fairly simple analog rig (compared to the majority of high-end ones out there…) it simply outclasses the digital by a very far margin. On the other hand, I don’t think it is fair to compare digital vs analog, simply because they are just different mediums (and this has been discussed before numerous times…).
The only point I’m trying to make is that I have a number of duplicate albums on CD/SACD as well. The few most significant ones that I played and enjoyed on digital were: Norah Jones (come away with me), Casandra Wilson (Traveling Miles & New Moon Daughter), George Benson & Earl Klugh (collaboration on Japanese pressing) and Miles Davis (Kind of Blue). I played these at length for quite a while checking every aspect of the music and its recorded sound, and it was great! Then I played these same albums on the RP3, just a completely different level of refinement, tonality and sheer brilliance of recorded music on vinyl, one word or rather two words “my god…” hence no point comparing.
Just about prior to all of this delight, I was venturing towards the new Mac Dac and transport separates, which both combined would have set me about 20 grand! Holding back and thinking about it now, what a waste! Hence, if I had spent 20 grand on a TT rig, now we’re talking… and having said that, I can truly imagine what you folks are experiencing on your top quality TT’s- must be just marvellous!
Although it was nearly 30 years ago, I remember rushing out for a high school basket ball final, which we lost badly… although I managed to score what was required, the other team just smashed us out of the park. My good old pops was setting up a personal home demo for a valued friend who was very interested in the Apogee Diva’s. So although I had to be on court within the hour, I decided to hold off just a few 20 mins for this demo. The level of transparency from the simple analog rig (Dual TT & later on a Linn TT), driven with ARC & Krell Class A monoblocks for the back end and that wonderful CJ ART preamp, was just heavenly. That sound was and is still embed in my head, and he played a LP from a jazz-fusion band called Oregon, wow!
Fast fwd three decades and I heard this group at my good mates place (Mr. Kostas) on his CLX’s! Yesterday, I picked up six second hand LP’s from a refurbish store downtown, out of which two were Oregon, recorded in 1973! Oregon in Concert and Distant Hills. Although not super quiet but no pops or clicks, that sound and music came back to me in an instant! The BM Glider picks up every nuance and micro detail flawlessly, and the CJ amps along with the Martin Logan’s delivers all that you can possibly want from good original recordings.
Good night to all and do sleep tight! To analog and digital lovers, enjoy that music!
Cheers, & big loud woof! RJ
