A truly exemplary system

[spiritofmusic]

Hi y'all, having my Sunday AM second cup of tea, collecting my thoughts for this review.
I always like to leave a few words on systems that I've visited that go above and beyond in terms of very special musical enjoyment and immersion, which also present next to no negatives, or archetypes that identify themselves as hifi.
Ie those systems that totally disappear in the room.
And my visit yesterday was to one of those, arguably the best yet at disappearing. Some of this impression also from comparison to other great systems I've heard.
Starting with the rundown
GP Monaco 3.0 tt with custom LPSU
Supatrac Nighthawk, Opus 1
Wadax Studio Player
CH Precision suite
Stenheim Ultime Ref 2
all Crystal cabling

 

[spiritofmusic]

I wasn't particularly expecting anything overly musical and emotional, I've been let down by more than one uber type system, where musical communication is sacrificed at the altar of forensic retrieval, leading edge and dryness.
And I genuinely assumed this would be the case here.
Boy, was I proved wrong as one track after another was presented 100% musically, an amazing organic sound of natural detail resolution, fully fleshed out tone.
If there was one archetype to particularly describe, that would be a fantastic low end reproduction, genuinely extended but super articulate, I would have put any money on these big Stenheims over-energising the room, but this wasn't the case at all. On every track, this bass was a really secure foundation to the musical magic higher up.
My affable host played a selection of his fave LPs, incl Ramble On from an amazing pressing of LZ2, Dance Macabre, some Crosby Stills Nash, and a handful of jazz/big band cuts.
On all of these, the presentations were nothing less than stellar, detail and tone in perfect harmony.
Nothing jumped out to spoil the illusion.
His system joins the very few I've heard that also were 100% musical and naturally resolved.
We also played a few of my cuts, from Brand X to Little Feat to my desert Island album, Stomu Yamashta/Go, all at a level I'm unused to, plus an early Police album, which had no right to sound as good as it did.

 

[spiritofmusic]

My conclusions? I have a few
Firstly, it's *really* hard to get a resolved, musical and seamless sound.
*Really* hard.
I've visited over two dozen top systems, one or two have been awful or average, the majority are very good where they're good but are let down in the final analysis by some lack of linearity or archetypes drawing attention to themselves.
This system now joins the pantheon lol of systems I can count in the fingers of one hand that are naturally resolved, crazily musical, and a totally immersive experience leaving you thinking deeply about it the next day.
Other than the purely out of body experience of amazing horns that more often than not still somewhat draw attention to themselves in the final analysis (Audiophile Bill's bespoke creations the exception here), this system now takes pole position as the system I'd want to take home and replicate as my day to day listening existence.
And this is despite loving so much of what great horns do, I would say the system I heard yesterday would provide the more consistent listening experience on a long term basis.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Some final thoughts on my host's system.
This is the second time I've heard a GP Monaco TT.
And I just love it, this time partnered with the Supatrac Nighthawk and Opus 1.
Despite loving the Vyger I've heard twice, this is the tt I'd strive to own.
The sound was so sure-footed, yet so musical despite the criticisms of direct drive. The owner comments on the arm being superior to other very special alternatives he could own.
The Wadax Studio was pretty impressive, but I can't deny it, I cannot get excited about digital. Once the magic of vinyl is soaring, it's hard to choose to listen to digital for long.
But what I heard was impressive in its own right, both a remastered 70s Brand X and Beethoven off Qobuz Direct. I'm always quite sensitive to CD v steaming, but the Qobuz track really did not draw attention to itself, and digital overall was exemplary via the Wadax.
Leaving last but not least, the discussion on the CH Precision amps and Stenheim Ultime Ref 2.
This was the phono, line stage and monoblocks bi-wiring these impressive D'Appolito style spkrs.
The owner has tried or owned many of the usual high end brands of amps and spkrs, but commented re settling on these for the overall balance of natural archetype-free sound, resolved and musical, and a good fit to his room.
Purely from my experience yesterday, I'd say he's made a fantastic choice.
Final couple of thoughts.
Stirling Trayle has been to help the owner optimize things, and the owner is absolutely gaga over the results, if what I heard yesterday was not being achieved by the same gear in the same room un-Trayle'd, then I'm super impressed.
The aesthetics of this gear is really very special, I absolutely love the stealth-like look of the Monaco/Supatrac, and the Stenheims literally exude a very streamlined unfussiness, as do the CH Precision blocks.
The Wadax is quite cool too.
--
Finally, can I thank my host and his wife for an amazing day, true food for thought re my own particular journey, what's possible in this hobby when you get it all right, and a really enjoyable experience. And for changing my perhaps biased and jaded opinions on the high end.
This system proves what a carefully curated and optimised mix of high end components can bring to the party.

 

[J007B]

Beautiful system, great write-up. Thank you.....

 

[Chop]

Great write up and so much to see the emphasis on musicailty. Thanks

 

[bonzo75]

This is the same system I have referred to many times in the CH Stenheim Sterling set up references. It is indeed very good

 

[dcc]

I finally get to see the system that Stirling has set up right after mine. He only hinted me that he was heading to the UK to set up a another pair of Ultime Two. Thanks for the great write up.

 

[spiritofmusic]

The owner only has positive words for Stirling, effectively he converted the sound from very good to next level.
As I've said, I've had the occasional transcendental experience at visits...Audiophile Bill's horns, Vyger TT on horns, Z Axis Paul's amazing modded Martin Logans on Concert Fidelity amps, Montesquieu Tom's modded 124 idler on exquisite vintage Tannoys.
And so many potentially excellent yet ultimately flawed sounds (a couple of modded Apogees, Cessaro Liszts in the wrong room etc).
And some *really* misfiring ones (no names, to save the blushes of the guilty parties).
But none have come close to this totally consistent, beyond excellent, and even sound.

 

[Kbh57]

That is a beautiful system and a great description. Thanks.

 

[PeterA]

This is the same system I have referred to many times in the CH Stenheim Sterling set up references. It is indeed very good

Any videos Bonzo?

 

[PeterA]

Great write up Marc. I really like these threads that focus on visits to other hobbyists’ listening rooms. You do a good job, both describing the gear itself and the listening experience. Thank you for sharing this with the rest of us.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Peter, this one really deserves it.
So many systems tick so many boxes, but vanishingly few tick every box.
This system is one of these.
I also realize I have to untick some boxes when it comes to my own system.
Good thing I use pencil and not ink filling in these checklists, lol.
It also strongly reinforced, to my mind anyhow, that vinyl is like a drug, what it does well especially when fully revealed by a next level system, and critically system optimised for a given room, is hard to even verbalize or describe.
It's a deep emotional response, working on a core neurological or hormonal level.
I'd say it's like genuinely falling in love with that *real* person and that "wow!" factor as opposed to the digital experience of looking at very pretty girls on a dating website, lol.
I mean, that's enjoyable as well, and you might be, ahem, stirred into action. But you're one step removed from the real magic.
Yes, even with top top digital...IMHO, YMMV yada yada yada.
But I'll freely admit, we spent minimal time with the Wadax, so compelling was the Monaco 3.0/LPS/Supatrac/Opus, maybe a whole sesh just listening to the Wadax would convince me further.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Great write up and so much to see the emphasis on musicailty. Thanks

I call this "juice". There was more juice in this sound than a warehouse full of Tropicana cartons, lol.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Or since we're talking "natural" as well, a whole grove of orange trees.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Great write up Marc. I really like these threads that focus on visits to other hobbyists’ listening rooms. You do a good job, both describing the gear itself and the listening experience. Thank you for sharing this with the rest of us.

You and me both, Peter.
I'm always mindful that so few members here discuss their own system narratives, or those of friends, those that they visit.
I guess that leaves more space for all the industry figures to take up the slack.

 

[PeterA]

You and me both, Peter.
I'm always mindful that so few members here discuss their own system narratives, or those of friends, those that they visit.
I guess that leaves more space for all the industry figures to take up the slack.

Wow, Marc. I think you just hit the nail on the head right there in that post. This is exactly when I see has happened to WBF in 15 years.

I remember when your own system thread was quite active. When we share the results of what we are doing ourselves with our own systems or with others, what we have experienced visiting someone else, we share knowledge and experience with other like-minded hobbyists. That is when I think forums like this one really shine.

 

[heihei]

I too have had the pleasure / honour of hearing this system and agree with a lot of what Marc has said. It's a system / room that shouldn't work, but absolutely does. I've always enjoyed Stenheims but have had very mixed feelings about 1-series CH, but with the 10-series and the Monaco, everything comes together with such a natural ease and flow to the music it is beguiling. It is also a system that reset my expectations of what you can achieve with vinyl reproduction (and I heard it before the Nighthawk was installed).

 

[spiritofmusic]

Peter, I think my system thread has maybe gone on too long, too much navel gazing, too many uses of the word "epiphany", lol.
I would love to hear what fellow travellers are up to, but the industry discourse is where WBF is at.
Obviously, that is where the money is as well.
Of course, we've also lost unique voices like Tang and Audiophile Bill, and the odd spiky industry figure as well who is a square peg in the round hole of today's WBF (I think you know him quite well, Peter?).

 

[spiritofmusic]

I too have had the pleasure / honour of hearing this system and agree with a lot of what Marc has said. It's a system / room that shouldn't work, but absolutely does. I've always enjoyed Stenheims but have had very mixed feelings about 1-series CH, but with the 10-series and the Monaco, everything comes together with such a natural ease and flow to the music it is beguiling. It is also a system that reset my expectations of what you can achieve with vinyl reproduction (and I heard it before the Nighthawk was installed).

Spot on. Flow, juice, a real feeling of unimpeded music in the room.
And I also agree...how can spkrs that size work in that room?
But work they do, and then some...