Tidal La Assoluta system

[Audiocrack]

Faster than I had anticipated the Aardvark ultra isolator was just delivered. Here are the first two pictures:

 

[Audiocrack]

 

[Audiocrack]

Typically Eduardo burns in his isolators for approximately 50 hours. At my request he doubled that so my ultra was played in Argentina for about 100 hours. According to Eduardo his devices can more or less be considered fully ‘burned’ in after around 150 hours.

 

[Audiocrack]

Look forward to hearing how that goes. Not sure about the tech at all. In our case the Waversa EXT Ref Plus goes in between the Zanden Transport and the Zanden DAC (it has RJ45, or usb or other connections depending on what you want in your configuration)...and it feels like the Zanden has moved forward several generations in reproduction (very modern in its resolution, resolve, air)...while remaining absolutely true to its original voicing that it has always had.

I can imagine that you are experiencing similar qualities which are very very important but also subtle in that it is not like simply upgrading an amp or changing a cable...it is more akin to the kinds of improvements (at least in our case) that we got from using Tripoint and Entreq.

Hello Lloyd, interesting observations, thanks for that. I agree with you as regards your remark about very important qualities, although subtle in a way with the isolators you and I are using. However, in my LA system as regards top notch Tripoint Audio grounding with Miguel’s best ‘grounding’ devices and his state of the art grounding cables my sonic experiences are different: in my LA set up the impact of this grounding is profound and as a consequence I consider - as I mentioned earlier on this forum - grounding one of the key elements (together with in particular power, acoustics and isolation) for audio/music enthusiasts in order to achieve a ‘humanistic’ sound (or if you wish: an non mechanical sound) in which the distortion, created by our various audio devices, is (totally) cancelled.

 

[Audiocrack]

As you might have noticed a lot is happening here lately. Although I am far from done yet with burning in I did made some serious progress the last couple of weeks: the Tripoint Audio Emperor NG and the two separate silver filters - the latter two are going to be connected to the La Assoluta loudspeakers (with their dedicated grounding binding posts) -, the mains of all my Tripoint Audio silver grounding cables as well as all their shields have been burned in by now. I will start today with ‘cooking’ the first Tripoint Audio Elite NG mk ii (will take about 5 days), then the second Elite NG mk ii needs to be burned in as well as the very special power cable that Miguel built for me (this pc will be connected to one of the ‘grounding’ stations). And of course my Taralabs Grandmaster ic’s and loudspeaker cables as well as all my ‘regular’ pc’s are going to be hooked up to the Audiodharma cable cooker.

Currently I am inserting one by one the burned in silver grounding cables in the LA system. I am doing this step by step: so after inserting a new (burned in) grounding cable I listen for at least a day before I insert another one. In this way I am able to fully grasp what the added grounding cable is actually doing in the LA system, sonically speaking.

 

[Audiocrack]

But we must not forget that I also installed the Wadax reference PSU - to be combined with the Wadax reference server - and two Wadax Akasa dc cables nearly a week ago. Both Akasa dc cables are connected to the two PSU’s of the Wadax reference dac and the head unit of the Wadax reference dac.

Although I believe the three aforementioned components need more playing time in order to fully stabilize, I have by now (six days after their installment) a pretty good idea what these components add to the LA system.

First of all the reviews of Roy Gregory and Robert Harley of the Wadax reference PSU and Wadax Akasa cables give a very good picture. I know a lot of our WBF members are very critical as regards audio reviewers. And I fully understand that reviewers have to make a living, inter alia by commercializing their magazines and/or websites. So readers of audio reviews have to be careful indeed when interpreting the various audio reviews. That said, I recognize a lot of what both reviewers have written with respect to these Wadax components. Furthermore, careful reading of both reviews shows that the reviewers see not completely eye to eye as regards every (sonic) aspect of the reference PSU and Akasa dc cables.

In order to be able to judge the performance of only the Wadax Akasa dc cables I listened a fair amount of time to (sa)cd’s (played with my Zanden 2000p cd-transport). In addition I want to make clear that I can only judge the performance of the reference PSU in combination with both Akasa dc-cables in the LA system because I installed all three components simultaneously (otherwise the breaking in would take even more time).

I am going to share my (first) listening experiences with the Wadax reference PSU and the two Wadax Akasa dc cables tomorrow with you. This afternoon and this evening I would like to do some additional listening.

 

[LL21]

Hi

Hello Lloyd, interesting observations, thanks for that. I agree with you as regards your remark about very important qualities, although subtle in a way with the isolators you and I are using. However, in my LA system as regards top notch Tripoint Audio grounding with Miguel’s best ‘grounding’ devices and his state of the art grounding cables my sonic experiences are different: in my LA set up the impact of this grounding is profound and as a consequence I consider - as I mentioned earlier on this forum - grounding one of the key elements (together with in particular power, acoustics and isolation) for audio/music enthusiasts in order to achieve a ‘humanistic’ sound (or if you wish: an non mechanical sound) in which the distortion, created by our various audio devices, is (totally) cancelled.

Hi Audiocrack,

Thanks for that. I agree that if I had to 'lose' grounding or the Waversa, I would lose the Waversa (with much much regret!). However, if people were to ask me to express the actual improvements that the Waversa brings, I would say that in comparison with new speakers, new amps, new cables, new isolation...the Waversa's quality and kind of changes is most similar in character to that of good grounding...just not to the extreme level that good (and much more expensive) grounding can do.

The question is: do you find the same in your system, or are the qualities/character of improvements actually different between your Aardvark and your grounding system?

 

[Audiocrack]

Hi

Hi Audiocrack,

Thanks for that. I agree that if I had to 'lose' grounding or the Waversa, I would lose the Waversa (with much much regret!). However, if people were to ask me to express the actual improvements that the Waversa brings, I would say that in comparison with new speakers, new amps, new cables, new isolation...the Waversa's quality and kind of changes is most similar in character to that of good grounding...just not to the extreme level that good (and much more expensive) grounding can do.

The question is: do you find the same in your system, or are the qualities/character of improvements actually different between your Aardvark and your grounding system?

Hi Lloyd, your comparison - grounding versus digital isolators - is intriguing. On the one hand we are comparing apples and oranges, in particular pricewise (you also explicitly mentioned that grounding is much more expensive). To put the aspect of costs into some perspective: the rrp of Tripoint Audio’s latest top of the line ‘grounding’ station, the Emperor NG, is higher than the rrp of my Kondo G-1000 linestage as well as the rrp of the Kondo Gakuoh amps (albeit not as high as the rrp of my Kondo Kagura amps). The rrp of the ‘regular’ Aardvark isolator as well as the ultra Aardvark isolator are only a minuscule fraction of the rrp’s I referred to in the previous sentence. However, the ‘regular’ Aardvark isolator is a ‘bold‘ device that I cherish because in my LA set up it blocks very effectively ‘digital noise’ and as such it fulfils a very important task (BTW, I am currently burning in the Aardvark ultra isolator so I do not know yet how good that device is and how it compares to the ‘regular’ Aardvark isolator. Furthermore, after fully burning in the Aardvark ultra isolator I need to do some experiments: right now this device is connected to the Wadax reference server on one side and the Tidal Audio ethernet cable on the other side, while the latter is connected to my switch. According to Eduardo this set up is most of the time the most effective in battling ‘digital noise’. However, not in all audio systems: sometimes greater sonic benefits can be achieved by connecting the isolator directly to the switch in stead of the server while connecting a high quality ethernet cable to the server).

Last Thursday I connected my best Tripoint Audio grounding cable to the Wadax reference server and the Emperor NG (both the main (grounding) cable and its shield were connected to separate binding posts on/filters of the Emperor NG). The difference for the better was breathtaking, in particular with regard to those sonic parameters I consider the most difficult to achieve/the most important in audio playback: tonality, purity, fluidity, serinity and unmechanicalness. Yesterday I connected a (fully silver) Tripoint Thor SE grounding cable to the right Tidal La Assoluta loudspeaker - the main cable of this Thor SE is connected to a separate Tripoint Audio silver filter while its shield is connected to a separate binding post of one of my Tripoint Audio Elite NG mk ii ‘grounding’ stations - and (nearly) the same positive effect was there again, but now ‘doubled up’ - and as a consequence in total even more impressive - because both the server and one La Assoluta loudspeaker were profiting. Today I hooked up another (fully silver) Tripoint Thor SE to the left Tidal La Assoluta loudspeaker (the main cable of this Thor SE is again connected to a separate Tripoint Audio silver filter while its shield is connected to a separate binding post of my Tripoint Emperor NG ‘grounding’ station) and the overall positive effect as regards (in particular) the aforementioned parameters was mind blowing. The best I have ever heard my LA system by a very wide margin! What I am actually trying to say is the following: in my LA system the grounding with Tripoint Audio components is absolute key to achieve the ‘humanistic’/pure sound that resembles - to a certain degree - unamplified music being performed in a concert hall.

 

[Audiocrack]

I remember that when the Wadax reference PSU and the Akasa dc cables were just released a while back I talked with Javier on the phone about what this PSU and these cables were doing exactly, sonically speaking. He mentioned at the time that they give you the illusion of being actually transported to the venue in which the musicians are performing. After 6 days of listening to the Wadax reference PSU and Wadax Akasa dc cables in my LA system I much better understand what Javier was referring to at the time. Both the PSU and the Akasa cables not only create a much more convincing 3D presentation, that is providing space to the separate musicians within the space casu quo soundstage, but add to this clearly more command, additional density, explosive dynamics and a larger as well as a wider soundstage. The combined effect of all this is that the Wadax reference server / dac / PSU / Akasa cabling combination provides you much more convincingly with the illusion that you are actually listening to ‘real’ musicians performing live for you. The overall effect in combination with the Tripoint Audio ‘grounding’ (see for the importance of the latter my previous WBF post) is so staggering that I am glued to my listening chair: by far the best sound I have ever experienced in my (audio) life.

 

[LL21]

I remember that when the Wadax reference PSU and the Akasa dc cables were just released a while back I talked with Javier on the phone about what this PSU and these cables were doing exactly, sonically speaking. He mentioned at the time that they give you the illusion of being actually transported to the venue in which the musicians are performing. After 6 days of listening to the Wadax reference PSU and Wadax Akasa dc cables in my LA system I much better understand what Javier was referring to at the time. Both the PSU and the Akasa cables not only create a much more convincing 3D presentation, that is providing space to the separate musicians within the space casu quo soundstage, but add to this clearly more command, additional density, explosive dynamics and a larger as well as a wider soundstage. The combined effect of all this is that the Wadax reference server / dac / PSU / Akasa cabling combination provides you much more convincingly with the illusion that you are actually listening to ‘real’ musicians performing live for you. The overall effect in combination with the Tripoint Audio ‘grounding’ (see for the importance of the latter my previous WBF post) is so staggering that I am glued to my listening chair: by far the best sound I have ever experienced in my (audio) life.

Fantastic. Like with most audio, setup is key, and the details matter. Sounds like you are arriving at that point if not already arrived.

Regarding your Wadax...given how much SOTA experience you have...and how your entire system is SOTA...one has to ask, how often do you pick up the digital version of something vs the vinyl? For many people, how well digital compares with great vinyl is always the high watermark...particularly among those who have invested significantly into both. How do you compare your own digital v analog?

 

[Audiocrack]

Fantastic. Like with most audio, setup is key, and the details matter. Sounds like you are arriving at that point if not already arrived.

Regarding your Wadax...given how much SOTA experience you have...and how your entire system is SOTA...one has to ask, how often do you pick up the digital version of something vs the vinyl? For many people, how well digital compares with great vinyl is always the high watermark...particularly among those who have invested significantly into both. How do you compare your own digital v analog?

Hello Lloyd, let me answer as follows. I still listen occasionally to vinyl in hifi systems of other persons and I still like vinyl very much. However I have not listened to vinyl in my own LA system for a couple of years now. There is first of all a practical reason for that. Apart from one (semi) balanced input in my Kondo G-1000 (which I use for digital) my Kondo amps are single ended. This implies I am not able to place my vinyl rigs far away from my preamp because I cannot use use long cables (without losing a lot of quality). Furthermore my Tidal LA loudspeakers are so critical that I experienced the following: using (high quality) audio racks between the LA’s had a negative effect on the overall performance of the LA system. That is the reason why I am not employing any audio rack anymore but only two high quality, oxygen free copper slabs placed on top each other per single audio component (btw these copper platforms sound awesome, much better than any high quality audio rack / table I have listened to). Due to this choice all my audio equipment is positioned (low) on the floor with much less interference with my LA’s. But this deliberate choice has one disadvantage: I need a lot of floor space for all my audio components, even without a high quality turntable: 2 poweramps, Kondo linestage (2 units: PSU and head unit), Wadax server, Wadax dac, Wadax reference PSU (for the server), 2 PSU’s for the Wadax dac and four Tripoint Audio ‘grounding’ stations. That is in total 13 audio components (and I am not even counting my Zanden 2000p cd-transport and its PSU). Due to a lack of space I have placed the Wadax reference PSU for the server, the two Wadax PSU’s for the dac as well as the (very large and heavy) Tripoint emperor mk ii ‘grounding’ station in the conservatory directly behind my listening room.

Secondly the LA system with all my Tripoint Audio grounding has become so utterly transparent that the inherent distortion of vinyl has become very obvious indeed. Many audiophiles like this and that is totally fine of course. While at the same time digital has become so much better in say the last 10 years or so. I know that for example Roy Gregory still prefers vinyl to the complete Wadax rig I am currently listening to. But in comparison to him I am doing some things differently with my Wadax rig: (i) all my Wadax components benefit greatly from the aforementioned copper slabs as platforms, (ii) my Wadax reference server, reference PSU and reference dac are mass loaded with (again) two high quality, oxygen free copper slabs stacked on each other and (iii) I am employing state of the art Tripoint Audio grounding for all my Wadax components individually. So apart from the ‘digital convenience’ the overall quality of this digital set up is so high that I am not (really) missing my vinyl anymore. I hope this explains my choices.

 

[LL21]

Hello Lloyd, let me answer as follows. I still listen occasionally to vinyl in hifi systems of other persons and I still like vinyl very much. However I have not listened to vinyl in my own LA system for a couple of years now. There is first of all a practical reason for that. Apart from one (semi) balanced input in my Kondo G-1000 (which I use for digital) my Kondo amps are single ended. This implies I am not able to place my vinyl rigs far away from my preamp because I cannot use use long cables (without losing a lot of quality). Furthermore my Tidal LA loudspeakers are so critical that I experienced the following: using (high quality) audio racks between the LA’s had a negative effect on the overall performance of the LA system. That is the reason why I am not employing any audio rack anymore but only two high quality, oxygen free copper slabs placed on top each other per single audio component (btw these copper platforms sound awesome, much better than any high quality audio rack / table I have listened to). Due to this choice all my audio equipment is positioned (low) on the floor with much less interference with my LA’s. But this deliberate choice has one disadvantage: I need a lot of floor space for all my audio components, even without a high quality turntable: 2 poweramps, Kondo linestage (2 units: PSU and head unit), Wadax server, Wadax dac, Wadax reference PSU (for the server), 2 PSU’s for the Wadax dac and four Tripoint Audio ‘grounding’ stations. That is in total 13 audio components (and I am not even counting my Zanden 2000p cd-transport and its PSU). Due to a lack of space I have placed the Wadax reference PSU for the server, the two Wadax PSU’s for the dac as well as the (very large and heavy) Tripoint emperor mk ii ‘grounding’ station in the conservatory directly behind my listening room.

Secondly the LA system with all my Tripoint Audio grounding has become so utterly transparent that the inherent distortion of vinyl has become very obvious indeed. Many audiophiles like this and that is totally fine of course. While at the same time digital has become so much better in say the last 10 years or so. I know that for example Roy Gregory still prefers vinyl to the complete Wadax rig I am currently listening to. But in comparison to him I am doing some things differently with my Wadax rig: (i) all my Wadax components benefit greatly from the aforementioned copper slabs as platforms, (ii) my Wadax reference server, reference PSU and reference dac are mass loaded with (again) two high quality, oxygen free copper slabs stacked on each other and (iii) I am employing state of the art Tripoint Audio grounding for all my Wadax components individually. So apart from the ‘digital convenience’ the overall quality of this digital set up is so high that I am not (really) missing my vinyl anymore. I hope this explains my choices.

WOW. That is great new for those who love their digital and particularly for the future (which is digital in terms of recording, mastering, etc). It means high quality audio via the digital route all the way from the audio recording/mastering chain through to output back through the playback system should comfortable be able to take lead position among the various formats.

I really would like to hear the Wadax set up properly someday. Interestingly, I somehow sense that setting up the Wadax properly (including all of its adjustments) is as important as having the Wadax in the first place. Not that this should surprise me, given how much work I have successfully done in our own system with the Zanden which continues to improve in sound reproduction quality year after year.

 

[Audiocrack]

WOW. That is great new for those who love their digital and particularly for the future (which is digital in terms of recording, mastering, etc). It means high quality audio via the digital route all the way from the audio recording/mastering chain through to output back through the playback system should comfortable be able to take lead position among the various formats.

I really would like to hear the Wadax set up properly someday. Interestingly, I somehow sense that setting up the Wadax properly (including all of its adjustments) is as important as having the Wadax in the first place. Not that this should surprise me, given how much work I have successfully done in our own system with the Zanden which continues to improve in sound reproduction quality year after year.

Hi Lloyd, of course this is just my opinion based on my listening experiences with my LA system. But digital has become imo indeed that good. The WBF members who think cq claim that servers are an inferior medium, have apparently never heard a top server set up well. And yes, I believe - and I experienced this many times in various audio systems - that top notch sound requires inter alia (i) a lot of care as regards choosing /combining various audio components and (ii) a lot of care as regards setting them up properly/ideally. Good to hear that your beloved Zanden combo is still improving.

I am still burning in various cables as well as various other Tripoint Audio components (not only ‘grounding’ stations but also the Tripoint Audio Empress filters) and as a consequence the LA system is not stable / not performing at its best yet. In addition some impressive sounding ‘goodies ‘ - inter alia three Emperor statement cables, Miguel’s top of the line grounding cable (but apart from these cables more ‘exciting audio stuff’ is coming my way) will be added to the LA system the next couple of months. But once everything has settled and you are visiting the Netherlands you are of course most welcome to visit me and judge for yourself!

 

[Audiocrack]

The last five days I have been burning in the first Tripoint Audio Elite NG and I did have not have time to listen in the meanwhile to the LA system. Furthermore I kept playing in the two new Wadax Akasa dc cables as well as the new Wadax reference PSU for the Wadax reference server 24/7. If the factory is right that after their initial burning in for 48 hours the Wadax components need (only) about another week of playing I should be more or less ‘ready’ with these components.

Yesterday evening I was ready with the five days burning in process of the first Elite NG and I listened afterwards to the system for four hours. Again the best I have heard the LA system and that by a wide margin. To single out one sonic aspect: the apparent absence of distortion and as a consequence the ultra transparency was staggering. Due to this transparency the expressiveness of the LA system was so rewarding.

I am still not done yet with my burning in. Yesterday evening I removed the very special powercord that Miguel made for me - and which pc is attached to one of my Elite NG ‘grounding’ stations - and I hooked it up to the cable cooker. Removing this pc from the LA system had a serious effect for the worse as regards the musical performance of the LA system: for example I lost the beautiful serenity and ultimate expressiveness that was so appealing before. After burning in this pc for about seven days I am going to start burning in my second Elite NG and the Empress filters.

 

[Audiocrack]

Here is a link to the website of Aardvark. You can find there links to the three reviews of the Aardvark isolator, including the very recent one of Alan Sircom in Hifi+:

https://www.google.nl/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjTwrq7jaWEAxUx3gIHHVCnD3IQFnoECBYQAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Faardvark.com.ar%2F&usg=AOvVaw2XkfJhiEEqQqGHDCM9JdDc&opi=89978449

 

[Audiocrack]

Three’s A Charm… - Gy8

Getting serious about network hygiene

gy8.eu

 

[Audiocrack]

I am nearing the end of my burning in process of the various Tripoint Audio components. Tomorrow I hope to be able to a. put back Miguel’s special pc in the system and b. stop with ’cooking’ the third (as well as the last) ‘grounding’ station. After this long period of waiting and burning in only the Tripoint Audio Empress filters (hooked up to my Tidal La Assoluta loudspeakers) need to be connected to the Audiodharma cable cooker for a couple of days. I am also thinking about burning in my Tidal pc’s, Taralabs Grandmaster loudspeaker cables and Taralabs Grandmaster ic’s somewhere in the future as well but for now I am completely fed up with this burning in. The new Wadax Reference PSU as well as the two new Wadax Akasa dc cables should be more or less played in as well. So hopefully as from tomorrow we can start with finetuning and enjoying the LA system again.

 

[Audiocrack]

With finetuning the LA system I mean the following:

a. Finding the ideal grounding set up: after all this burning in I need to find the ideal configuration as regards the combination of the various grounding cables, various ’grounding’ filters and various audio components.

b. Inserting three new top of the line Tripoint Audio statement NG grounding cables. Miguel is right now working on these cables.

c. Inserting three additional Tripoint Audio grounding cables.

d. Adding five more special silver plated pieces on top of my various copper slabs which I am using for mass loading. These pieces enhance the positive effects of mass loading in a significant way (at this moment I am using one of such a piece on top of my Wadax Reference server).

e. Separately grounding the three full diamond drivers in each of my Tidal La Assoluta loudspeakers with Miguel’s special silver wire. These three full diamond drivers are connected to a single, heavy frontplate made out of stainless steel. This possibly provides us with an opportunity to raise the purity of the (in total) six full diamond drivers in the LA’s even further.

Most of these steps will take place in the next few months or so, but the last step will undoubtedly take longer because I need to arrange for Miguel to come over from the USA (while he is (as always) extremely busy).

Finally I will change one more thing in the LA system and I will disclose later what this last step is going to be. This step has been already partly paid for and is likely to happen at the end of next April.

 

[Audiocrack]

 

[Audiocrack]