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  1. viola

    Tidal Intra Stereo Amp

    Very nice. I have been thinking about replacing my Lumin X1 with a nicer streamer / dac, and the Contros is definitely a consideration. I currently have a new Tidal Prisma that feeds two Westminster Lab Rei monoblocks driving Tidal Audio Contriva G2 speakers. I have owned or auditioned some...
  2. viola

    Re-imagining "Class A" Amplification

    Wow! Wow! Wow! This installation has got to be about as close to perfect as can be achieved. The room looks perfect for a large planar speaker like the Clarysis Auditorium (or similar Alsyvox or Diptyque models), with plenty of space behind the speakers. I was very impressed years ago with...
  3. viola

    Re-imagining "Class A" Amplification

    I have just finished reading Robert Harley's review of the Westminster Lab Rei monoblocks in the May/June 2024 edition of The Absolute Sound. His review describes exactly what I have experienced from these extraordinary amplifiers during my 21 months of ownership, and his summary is spot on...
  4. viola

    Re-imagining "Class A" Amplification

  5. Tidal Audio Presencio Preamplifier

    Tidal Audio Presencio Preamplifier

    Tidal Audio’s tour de force top-of-the-line 3-unit 120v version Presencio preamplifier ($77,600), complete with the optional silver umbilical cords ($5,000) connecting the Power Deck to each of the Line Deck and Phono Deck. Still in the unopened original packaging after having returned from...
  6. viola

    Re-imagining "Class A" Amplification

    Angus (and Seatrope for your earlier response), Thanks so much for your feedback. I thought that 18v would be too high (and the 10mA current too low and insufficient for me to step down the voltage to 12vdc), so I will use a higher quality wall wart such as the Jameco unit in my earlier post...
  7. viola

    Re-imagining "Class A" Amplification

    Angus, The trigger output from my preamp is 18vdc @ 10mA. I assume this is insufficient to trigger the Rei (correct me if I am wrong), so I plan to use a solid-state relay to trigger a separate 12vdc power source into the Rei such as the Jameco 12vdc @ 0.5mA wall wart that would be split...
  8. viola

    Re-imagining "Class A" Amplification

    Angus, Many thanks for your very prompt response. I will work on this when I have some time over the next few weeks. @seatrope, Thank you also for your very detailed description of what you did. My task will be a bit easier as I am just wiring 12V trigger outputs on my preamp to the inputs on...
  9. viola

    Re-imagining "Class A" Amplification

    Angus, is it the Neutrik NSC3F (female) or NSC3M (male) connector that is used on the load end of the 12V remote trigger cable coming from the preamp and that plugs into the REI? Thanks for your guidance.
  10. viola

    Lumin X1 After Market Umbilical cord

    Yes, all of the umbilicals require breaking in before reaching optimal performance. However, I noticed a meaningful improvement over the stock umbilical immediately after inserting the AS umbilical. After continuous play for about 4-5 hours, you'll get a much better picture of what it's really...
  11. viola

    Lumin X1 After Market Umbilical cord

    Ozzy, I have a Lumin X1 and have used both the Audio Sensibility and the Westminster Lab umbilical cords. My system is a high resolution system using the Tidal Audio Presencio preamplifier into the Westminster Lab Rei monoblocks driving Tidal Audio Contriva G2 speakers. Power is fed by a...
  12. viola

    Re-imagining "Class A" Amplification

    I would beg to differ on the assertion that the cable issue is a distraction. A system cannot sound better than what flows from its weakest link. If that link is cables, then some components may sound better with lower quality cables even though they would not sound as good with higher quality...
  13. viola

    Re-imagining "Class A" Amplification

    Agreed, but their striking appearance is far exceeded by their extraordinary performance. That's a WIN - WIN result.
  14. viola

    Re-imagining "Class A" Amplification

    As one of the earlier purchasers of the REIs in the US, it is interesting to see that my reaction to the excellence of these mono blocks is not an aberration. When people like Steve Williams, Fred Crane, Fred Ainsley and now Damon von Schweikert uniformly state that these mono blocks are...
  15. viola

    Shelf or individual component....?

    One rack that might suit your needs is the Fern & Roby rack. They make both a 48" wide and a 60" wide rack. They also make custom racks. I stopped by their factory in Richmond, VA, last summer as I was very interested in one of their 48" racks. I thought these were extremely well made, and...
  16. viola

    Re-imagining "Class A" Amplification

    The GT Audio speakers powered by the Westminster Labs Rei and Quest electronics and the Lampizator Horizon was indeed one of the best, if not the very best, rooms at CAF 2022. Lots of people walked out of that room just stunned at the detail, speed, decay, imaging and overall realism.
  17. viola

    Re-imagining "Class A" Amplification

    I completely agree with Mobiusman's observations on the Rei mono blocks. I now have 200+ hours on the pair that I purchased after having had the opportunity to listen to the demos that Gary Leeds graciously made available in June. These amps have a stunning sound, just stunning -- and to my...
  18. viola

    Re-imagining "Class A" Amplification

    Audire, No surprise to me. I, too, was skeptical, but Steve's impressions had a big impact on me to try a demo pair, and the demos were outstanding in every way: warmth of tubes with beautiful midrange, firm grip on tight and deep bass, effortless highs, spookily real leading and trailing...
  19. viola

    Re-imagining "Class A" Amplification

    I am also happy to report that I have ordered a pair of the REI mono blocks after comparing them to my existing tube amplifier and my tube and solid-state preamplifiers, as described below. Many thanks to Gary for allowing me to demo the REIs and putting up with my many questions. I have always...
  20. viola

    What are members recommendations on current turntables in the $15K to $22K price range?

    Stephan, what is the mat you are using on your Raven AC-1? I have the same turntable and am curious about which mat you think works best compared to the stock mat. Regards, Al
  21. viola

    Pivoting Linear-Tracking Tonearms

    Thank you, Mark, for your explanation and observations. Does the lack of any (apparent) anti-skating on the Thales arms adversely affect their performance? I say "apparent" because the Thales literature is absolutely silent on anti-skating, but that does not preclude that there may be some...
  22. viola

    Pivoting Linear-Tracking Tonearms

    I notice that some of these pivoted linear-tracking arms, like the Reed 5A and 5T, have anti-skating adjustments whereas others, like the Thales Simplicity II and the Statement, do not. Can anyone offer any insight as to the role of anti-skating on any of the pivoted linear-tracking arms? I...

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