Re-imagining "Class A" Amplification

[gleeds]

Cyrus is digital streaming only.

Thanks, Russ! I am pleased to report Cyrus purchased the Quest with V2 updates and is enjoying it in his system. As always, thanks for sharing your experience and the supportive comments.

 

[m2team00]

Sorry if this was covered previously, but what are the V2 updates for the Quest?

 

[gleeds]

No worries whatsoever. There is an improved volume control circuit. I agree with Angus that it has an effect one cannot unhear All units in the field have been updated at the factory, and new products ship with the revision included.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Please enjoy this interview with audiophile Cyrus in Spokane, Washington, who replaced his CH Precision L10 and M10 with six WestminsterLab Rei amplifiers and Quest pre-amp and WestminsterLab cables. The tri-amplification is accomplished with a CS Port ACN400 active cross-over.

I also interview Angus Leung, founder and designer at WestminsterLab, who tells us his thoughts on the set-up and the installation process.

Please "Like" this video, and subscribe to the WBF YouTube Channel!

 

[lscangus]

After speaking with Cyrus at length before he received his REI's about his system design, I became totally excited as a Westminster REI, Quest and phono section customer. I use modified VSA Ultra 9's with LS 1.5 footers screwed into a new plinth and replaced a very well respected and much more expensive core electronics and knew in 10 minutes that the Westminster Rei's was the way for me to go, even though the equipment needs signal passing through them even if warm, for them to sound their best. What Cyrus does not know is how much more potential the Westminster REI's have if he switched to the Quest Preamp, and even more if he is using the phono stage, which I feed with another of Gary's products an ARS Machinae TT with a My Sonic Labs Signature Platinum cartridge that for reasons I cannot fully explain is the best sounding TT I have EVER heard, even though I am a definite straight tracker fan and have owned at least 7 straight tracking TT's. As good as my digital arm is, my analogue arm is on another level. I am so excited that my Quest is going back to Westminster for its new MK 2 upgrade and that I am adding the new external power supply, which should raise my system sound to a whole new level.

In 65 years of upgrading my sound with numerous systems, this has been truly an amazing improvement and for the first time costs less than what it replaced.

Bravo

Hello Russ, and for your kind words!

Please enjoy this interview with audiophile Cyrus in Spokane, Washington, who replaced his CH Precision L10 and M10 with six WestminsterLab Rei amplifiers and Quest pre-amp and WestminsterLab cables. The tri-amplification is accomplished with a CS Port ACN400 active cross-over.

I also interview Angus Leung, founder and designer at WestminsterLab, who tells us his thoughts on the set-up and the installation process.

Please "Like" this video, and subscribe to the WBF YouTube Channel!

Thank you Ron for pulling the strings in this project and putting the video together.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Thank you Ron for pulling the strings in this project and putting the video together.

My pleasure, Angus!

 

[mxk116]

After speaking with Cyrus at length before he received his REI's about his system design, I became totally excited as a Westminster REI, Quest and phono section customer. I use modified VSA Ultra 9's with LS 1.5 footers screwed into a new plinth and replaced a very well respected and much more expensive core electronics and knew in 10 minutes that the Westminster Rei's was the way for me to go, even though the equipment needs signal passing through them even if warm, for them to sound their best. What Cyrus does not know is how much more potential the Westminster REI's have if he switched to the Quest Preamp, and even more if he is using the phono stage, which I feed with another of Gary's products an ARS Machinae TT with a My Sonic Labs Signature Platinum cartridge that for reasons I cannot fully explain is the best sounding TT I have EVER heard, even though I am a definite straight tracker fan and have owned at least 7 straight tracking TT's. As good as my digital arm is, my analogue arm is on another level. I am so excited that my Quest is going back to Westminster for its new MK 2 upgrade and that I am adding the new external power supply, which should raise my system sound to a whole new level.

In 65 years of upgrading my sound with numerous systems, this has been truly an amazing improvement and for the first time costs less than what it replaced.

Bravo

Russ, are you referring to the WestminsterLab Monologue phonoamp when you mention the “new external power supply?”

 

[gleeds]

Russ, are you referring to the WestminsterLab Monologue phonoamp when you mention the “new external power supply?”

 

[gleeds]

Mkx. I'm jumping in. Yes, Russ is upgrading to the Monologue stand-alone power supply. He's adding his current MC/MM module from his Quest to complete the upgrade. As good as the Quest internal card is, the dedicated power supply brings things to another level.

 

[mxk116]

Mkx. I'm jumping in. Yes, Russ is upgrading to the Monologue stand-alone power supply. He's adding his current MC/MM module from his Quest to complete the upgrade. As good as the Quest internal card is, the dedicated power supply brings things to another level.

Thanks for confirming Gary.

 

[gleeds]

In all the excitement, I neglected to post our suite at Axpona. We featured dual-mono Quest pre-amplifiers
(a first) and four Rei monoblocks in vertical bi-amp mode. The WestminsterLab electronics powered the wonderful Von Schweikert VR-55 Special Edition loudspeakers. Our friends from Lampizator NA provided among the first available US production units of the Posidean DAC, which was outstanding, especially after a few additional days of break-in. Andrew from Small Green Computer provided his i-5 Roon server and the latest Sonore Signature Rendu SE Deluxe. Supporting it all, my partner and industrial designer, John Heins, brought the first ever Folgenhaus bespoke equipment rack built for a Chicago area WestminsterLab and Lampizator client (see inset photo of the installation).

I want to extend special thanks to Angus for coming in from Hong Kong and to all our WBF friends and supporters who stopped by the suite to listen to music and say hello.

 

[Damon Von Schweikert]

What a great show! The turnout was exciting and working with this team and this system is great to be a part of. Fred, Rob, Lukasz, Angus, John, Andrew and of course Gary help make all the handwork and late-night setups fun and enjoyable. It's almost not like work

And I'm very pleased with the synergy of these components, especially all the new electronics we were fortunate to feature in this room. I think the sound we achieved; especially by mid-day Saturday, was really quite special. And even more so when you take in the fact that is was show conditions.

This system definitely deserves a permanent instillation in my opinion, more people need to hear it firsthand.

 

[tony22]

What a great show! The turnout was exciting and working with this team and this system is great to be a part of. Fred, Rob, Lukasz, Angus, John, Andrew and of course Gary help make all the handwork and late-night setups fun and enjoyable. It's almost not like work

And I'm very pleased with the synergy of these components, especially all the new electronics we were fortunate to feature in this room. I think the sound we achieved; especially by mid-day Saturday, was really quite special. And even more so when you take in the fact that is was show conditions.

This system definitely deserves a permanent instillation in my opinion, more people need to hear it firsthand.

Agreed, Damon. There’s something special going on with VSA speakers and this fine combination of equipment.

 

[gleeds]

ANGUS and WESTMINSTER TAKE GERMANY!
​

Below is our good friend and colleague Krey Baumgarti, Chief Curator of Westminster's German distributor. Bridged Rei's are featured along with a Soulnote/Wilson Benesch system. In bridged mode, the Rei's produce 400/800 Class A watts per/channel at 8 ohms and 4 ohms, respectively. Few know that the Rei circuit was originally designed and optimized for bridged operation. Our first public showing of bridged Rei's will be at THE SHOW in Irvine from June 7 to 9.

I'm off to Munich on Monday and hope to post a few things from there. I'll mostly hang out in the VAC/VonSchweikert suite, helping my good friend Damon VonSchweikert. Please stop by and say hello.

 

[mxk116]

There's Angus, the road dog. Don't wear out your passport!

 

[gleeds]

Munich was amazing, everyone. I am in Italy now with my family and suffering from the food. Some highlights of HE 2024

- Zellaton Reference speakers with YS Audio of Japan's extremely expensive electronics

- Seeing and hearing the new MSB, Wadax, and Rockna digital products (first time hearing Rockna gear and very impressed with the flow and timing of their sound in an all-tube horn system)

-Spending time helping Damon Von Schweikert and Kevin Hayes in their suite. Damon featured the 27k ESE Reference speakers with VAC's new 220 monoblocks. On Sunday, the ESEs sounded out of this world with their friend Marcial, spinning CDs of the most divine non-audiophile music I have ever experienced. No doubt, the ESE is the best value in high-end audio loudspeakers.

- Spending time in the Trafomatic/Tune Audio/Rockna room with Sasa and then dinner with their Dutch distributor at—get this—Al Pachino's Italian in Munich was terrific!

-Seeing Ralf and Alexandra from Ars Machinae, who had a day to spin vinyl on their incomparable M1 turntable in the Zeiler Audio sound booth.

-Angus and I visited Florian at HiFi Deluxe and discussed the future of active amplification and active crossovers. The Minuet's with CAT mono is a small squarish room was kicking butt on some of Florian Techno. For those with small space, these speakers are tough to beat!

-Spending time with my friend Sam Wisnewski of Destination Audio, Lukaz Fikuz, and their friend Seb! The Destination Audio/Lampizator system, consisting of DA Nika horns, DA GM-70, and the incomparable Posidean DAC at HiFi Deluxe, was my choice for the best sound in Munich for something like $140k!

- Spending time with the AEquo boys, Ivo and Paul, and getting up on completion of their new speaker enclosure technology and the dedicated factory they will build them in! Now, three years in the making, I believe these cutting-edge loudspeakers will be worth the wait.

Angus and I will be at HE 2024 next year to show our latest with their next-generation speakers, the Ensium, which, unfortunately, were not quite ready for Munich. Following the show, Angus visited his Polish distributor. He had fun comparing WestminsterLab to a Gryphon Diablo 333 on Magico, the S3 MkII, for a customer buying a set and deciding on electronics. I'm not sure what's with those diffusers, though, but to each his own!

I am visiting Giuseppe Maietta, a speaker maker, in Lecce, Italy, tomorrow. He has created a modern take on the classic JBL 8330 studio monitors, which looks fantastic and is so cool. I am trying to visit him in Lecce, which is only an hour from our digs in Ostuni. More to follow.

There is nothing quite like Munich, so I urge all my friends on WBF to make it a point to visit when the opportunity presents itself.

 

[Pokey77]

Munich was amazing, everyone. I am in Italy now with my family and suffering from the food. Some highlights of HE 2024

- Zellaton Reference speakers with YS Audio of Japan's extremely expensive electronics

- Seeing and hearing the new MSB, Wadax, and Rockna digital products (first time hearing Rockna gear and very impressed with the flow and timing of their sound in an all-tube horn system)

-Spending time helping Damon Von Schweikert and Kevin Hayes in their suite. Damon featured the 27k ESE Reference speakers with VAC's new 220 monoblocks. On Sunday, the ESEs sounded out of this world with their friend Marcial, spinning CDs of the most divine non-audiophile music I have ever experienced. No doubt, the ESE is the best value in high-end audio loudspeakers.

- Spending time in the Trafomatic/Tune Audio/Rockna room with Sasa and then dinner with their Dutch distributor at—get this—Al Pachino's Italian in Munich was terrific!

-Seeing Ralf and Alexandra from Ars Machinae, who had a day to spin vinyl on their incomparable M1 turntable in the Zeiler Audio sound booth.

-Angus and I visited Florian at HiFi Deluxe and discussed the future of active amplification and active crossovers. The Minuet's with CAT mono is a small squarish room was kicking butt on some of Florian Techno. For those with small space, these speakers are tough to beat!

-Spending time with my friend Sam Wisnewski of Destination Audio, Lukaz Fikuz, and their friend Seb! The Destination Audio/Lampizator system, consisting of DA Nika horns, DA GM-70, and the incomparable Posidean DAC at HiFi Deluxe, was my choice for the best sound in Munich for something like $140k!

- Spending time with the AEquo boys, Ivo and Paul, and getting up on completion of their new speaker enclosure technology and the dedicated factory they will build them in! Now, three years in the making, I believe these cutting-edge loudspeakers will be worth the wait.

Angus and I will be at HE 2024 next year to show our latest with their next-generation speakers, the Ensium, which, unfortunately, were not quite ready for Munich. Following the show, Angus visited his Polish distributor. He had fun comparing WestminsterLab to a Gryphon Diablo 333 on Magico, the S3 MkII, for a customer buying a set and deciding on electronics. I'm not sure what's with those diffusers, though, but to each his own!

I am visiting Giuseppe Maietta, a speaker maker, in Lecce, Italy, tomorrow. He has created a modern take on the classic JBL 8330 studio monitors, which looks fantastic and is so cool. I am trying to visit him in Lecce, which is only an hour from our digs in Ostuni. More to follow.

There is nothing quite like Munich, so I urge all my friends on WBF to make it a point to visit when the opportunity presents itself.

Gary,
Looks like you are having a great time! Enjoy every minute my friend.