TAS Alexia review (December 2013 issue)

[microstrip]

I would have loved to hear how the XA160.5's worked with them - or rather how he thought they sounded. I keep pestering PeterA to bring over his pair to try with mine, but he makes excuses like they're heavy or something <shrug> .

Would love to hear Boulder too. I have no doubt that each amp will sound very different with these speakers.

I am listening to an old pair of Mark Levinson ML436 (400w at 8ohm, 800 at 4W) with the Alexia. Although they do not have the holography or the touch me characteristics of the Audio Research REF150, the bass control and depth is impressive.

 

[PeterA]

I remain deeply skeptical re: Transparent cables.

PS: I am getting a pair of Reference phono cables to try this weekend.

You certainly did not express that skepticism when you heard the complete suite of Transparent Audio REF XL in my system. Perhaps that listening session influenced your decision to try their Reference phono cable.

 

[jazdoc]

You certainly did not express that skepticism when you heard the complete suite of Transparent Audio REF XL in my system. Perhaps that listening session influenced your decision to try their Reference phono cable.

Peter brings up a great point. IMO cables should be viewed as a system and most systems are best served running the same brand end-to-end. In this scenario, the last cable in tends to have the biggest effect.

 

[microstrip]

Peter brings up a great point. IMO cables should be viewed as a system and most systems are best served running the same brand end-to-end. In this scenario, the last cable in tends to have the biggest effect.

Transparent Audio has a rule if you should change your cables progressively : first the source cables, then the speaker ones and after that the preamplfier - amplifier cables.

 

[PeterA]

While not approaching the scale of the XLF, it certainly has the tonal and other characteristics of its larger sibling.

That's interesting and not my experience. I've heard the Alexia in three settings with Doshi and D'Agostina amps and TA cables. I also heard the XLF at the excellent Transparent Audio demo/research room. I actually did not think there was much resemblance between the two speakers based on those auditions.

 

[Bruce B]

That's interesting and not my experience. I've heard the Alexia in three settings with Doshi and D'Agostina amps and TA cables. I also heard the XLF at the excellent Transparent Audio demo/research room. I actually did not think there was much resemblance between the two speakers based on those auditions.

I spent 2 days with Dave in his living room and other than scale, I feel the Alexia's hit every mark and even felt the bass on the Alexia was tighter/punchier.

 

[PeterA]

Well I've heard many amps on this speaker and just do not feel tubes allow it to reach its full potential.... even the big Siegfrieds. The best amps I've heard with them are the Momentums, Pass and Boulder. The Siegfrieds work on the much more amp friendly Alexandria's

And don't forget the new Doshi monos that drove the Alexias that people raved about at RMAF this year with your music. Everything I read said that that was one great room

 

[Bruce B]

And don't forget the new Doshi monos that drove the Alexias that people raved about at RMAF this year with your music. Everything I read said that that was one great room

It was quite amazing. I think the weak link in that chain was the room. I bet that system would have been stellar in a great room! The sound was a lot better than the one last year with the MAXX3

 

[MadFloyd]

I spent 2 days with Dave in his living room and other than scale, I feel the Alexia's hit every mark and even felt the bass on the Alexia was tighter/punchier.

What amplification was Dave using - VTL?

 

[PeterA]

I would have loved to hear how the XA160.5's worked with them - or rather how he thought they sounded. I keep pestering PeterA to bring over his pair to try with mine, but he makes excuses like they're heavy or something <shrug> .

Would love to hear Boulder too. I have no doubt that each amp will sound very different with these speakers.

Mad, the weight is just one of my many excuses. Your refusal to offer an evening filled with your superb collection of Scotch is another. If you remember, I did lug those amps solo to your place when you had the Sashas and the Pass XP30 to compare to the Ayre monos. I recall thinking that your Sashas never sounded better than when they were driven by that XP30 and my XA160.5s.

(I'll bring my amps back if you end up auditioning that other sealed pair of speakers )

 

[Bruce B]

What amplification was Dave using - VTL?

The VTL the first day and the Momentum's the next day.

 

[Bruce B]

(I'll bring my amps back if you end up auditioning that other sealed pair of speakers )

Hey Mad.... I really liked the S5's

 

[ack]

You certainly did not express that skepticism when you heard the complete suite of Transparent Audio REF XL in my system. Perhaps that listening session influenced your decision to try their Reference phono cable.

I actually never had respect for Transparent, this is just due diligence. Last Transparent I had was something called the MusicWave - a horrible cable, and back then I thought I was getting MIT quality for much less.

 

[jfrech]

I actually never had respect for Transparent, this is just due diligence. Last Transparent I had was something called the MusicWave - a horrible cable, and back then I thought I was getting MIT quality for much less.

Music wave is WAY down their line up...I am sure it's a nice cable at its price point...reference and up is more special...just conveys what's there rather seamlessly. On reference phono...make sure you have the right impedance match...otherwise you're not hearing it to it's potential.

Also for the others...not sure I saw this posted yet, Wilson also internally wires with Transparent...

 

[DaveyF]

Ack, have to agree with you, as I have never been very impressed with Transparent cables....particularly when compared to the upper echelon Nordost; which IMHO is a far superior sounding cable.

 

[asiufy]

Ack, have to agree with you, as I have never been very impressed with Transparent cables....particularly when compared to the upper echelon Nordost; which IMHO is a far superior sounding cable.

I have the opposite opinion of both brands. For highly transparent systems, Nordost is simply too much.
And Transparent has the best (for its price) power cable for amps that I've tried, the Reference MM2. You can get them used for under $1k, and they're fantastic. They'll provide the opposite effect of Nordost, beefing up the mid-low frequencies, while Nordost weakens them.


alexandre

 

[rockitman]

I have the opposite opinion of both brands. For highly transparent systems, Nordost is simply too much.

Have you tried Odin ? It's not too much in my system. Best cable I have ever heard. One of the most balanced, neutral and resolving cable money can buy.

 

[microstrip]

Have you tried Odin ? It's not too much in my system. Best cable I have ever heard. One of the most balanced, neutral and resolving cable money can buy.

I have to agree with you on this one!

 

[DaveyF]

I have the opposite opinion of both brands. For highly transparent systems, Nordost is simply too much.



alexandre

That makes little sense. How can a cable like Nordost be too much in a transparent system. Unless you are saying that Transparent cables aren't that transparent after all, LOL.

 

[MylesBAstor]

That makes little sense. How can a cable like Nordost be too much in a transparent system. Unless you are saying that Transparent cables aren't that transparent after all, LOL.

Because a transparent system shows a products warts vs a system that compensates for colorations?