Lukasz Has Done It Again
- Thread starter Steve Williams
- Start date
I feel like you completely misinterpret our design, and you draw wrong conclusions from you misinterpretation, but who am I to know.
I wish I could but I have been asked by the manufacturer not to divulge only because this was a beta version and there was still uncertainty as to whether it will come to market
I thought the cable was excellent. It had a beautiful mid and upper range as well as impressive bottom end. If there was a shortcoming the KBL IMO had a slightly better bottom end . Overall this cable was quite impressive
Let me state from my perspective what many others have written about the Aphrodite launch at Steve and Cathy’s house this past week end. Like most have said,. this 4 day weekend was incredible, but then visiting Steve and Cathy is always incredible. They are such generous and amazing hosts, and good friends, which in my case has spanned the past 35 years. This long time friendship, which has included some extended traveling to Mexico and BC, plus serving as my regular audio nurse for me gives me a lot of history for comparison, with a number of shared experiences, not to mention building a special friendships .that I value very much.
This friendship led to Steve asking/nudging me to come to his house for the Aphrodite launch because of my love and lifelong interest in audio and music. He knew I needed to get out of my house and do something fun. To help me particpate he also offered me the chance to stay at his house along with Lukasz, and Fred Ainsley who have also become friends over the years as I owned a Horizon, and then upgraded to a 360. It was clear that because of Steve’s generosity he was becoming both a closer friend and audio mentor, always willing to share his audio insights and connections, while trying to help me regain my footing that I Iost from my stroke and my multi-year recovery and my lifelong love of audio and music.
Steve has been such a good friend that he truly was continually propping me up when I simply wanted to crawl into a crack because I was overwhelmed. Fortunately, he used our historic friendship and common love of music and audio vitality that was once at my core, but nowhere to be found recently. He clearly realized that I needed to get out of my house and regain the some of my old self. He also correctly realized tis launch party was the ideal tool for my current situation.
As Steve was planning this launch, for me there was a new twist that threatened to derail me showing up, because I needed a cane and recovering from severe sepsis triggered by radiation for prostate cancer, that triggered a major stroke that had me in a coma for two months and 5 months in assisted living. I was really essentially a different person, but one who was changing almost daily as I healed. Throughout this Steve and I were in regular contact as we dealt with our respective medical issues and challenges. As I have recovered during the past several years, I have been a bit of a hermit with essentially no travel and less active listening, although I have continued to grow my system and use it as a respite when I needed to take a break. He was always a cheer leader to me, regularly calling me to make sure I kept on chugging and keeping me involved in my life long quest for the ultimate system I started building when I was 5 at a SF audio show and I met Saul Marantz who was demonstrating his original fabled line of electronics and his straight tracking TT in SF. Marantz was talking to my father as I listened, and then, he stopped mid sentence to insure my father noticed my trance as I first felt “love”. He stopped the conversation to point out my fascination with the system. That feeling has never gone away and was seriously rekindled this past weekend at Steve’s Aphrodite launch. To make sure it was a truly special occasion, he designed a food fair at special reataurants for the four of us.
While my interest in audio has been life long, life’s recent challenges have tried to disrupt my passion, Steve has always been a renewing force to keep my interest and to stimulate my sometime waining moods during the past 5 years.His continual efforts kept me going. His constant nudging clearly promoted my healing and our friendship. There is no doubt that Steve’s efforts were critical to my healing and regaining a lot of the persona I lost from my medical problems.
The first time I visited Steve and Cathy in So Cal, Steve said I have some people in Riverside I want to introduce you to and we made a voyage to Von Schweikert Audio. I was so smitten that I quickly bought a pair of Ultra 9’s and then had them modified with new plinths and removing of their skirts so they could accommodate the biggest CMS footers. These modifications made quite a huge overall improvement in the sound. In the process, thanks to Steve, I added another new friend, Damon Von Schweikert, who I now consider one of my very close friends.Throughout this long friendship with Steve and Cathy, he has been so generous in sharing his knowledge and connections, which have influenced me in many ways
Despite being a hermit, I have still been in regular contact with Steve who has always been eager to share his stereo experiences with me. I have owned a Horizon and now a Horizon 380, and anlso awaiting an Aphrodite in the next several weeks. Steve was also the inspiration for me to get Schnerzinger boxes to the point that we both have the same compliment of devices.These little antenna laden boxes do something that produces a global change in sound, that is readily noticeable when turned off. It is funny but the Schnerzinger addition has really helped my sound, but yet it is easy to miss if you are not informed and have a wonderful high resolution system.
Now I am coming to the end of my audio journey I am both pleased and sad. I am pleased because I derive so much listening pleasure and getting the crowning piece of my system after 65 years, and I have worked hard to make it what it is, not to mention have it called one of the best audio systems ever by my friend and manufacturer of my speakers.
The Aphrodite will be an amazing addition and in many ways the crowning jewel, but I may be adding another piece that is not yet out and am able to get one of the first units when it is released, a Lampizator streamer to replace my former Extreme, which threw a lot of curves at me and I downgraded, but with the Aphrodite, I need a streamer that is commensurate and then I will truly be done with my life long audio quest.
I want to end this post with some comments regarding Steve’s system. It is probably the best system I have ever heard, although mine is not far behind, but Steve has much more money than me and it shows in his system. Whereas the MSRP of mine is just under a million, I am sure that Steve’s is in excess of 2, possibly 3 million! I love his Zelaton Reference Ultra speakers, Damon thinks I need the VSA Ultra 7’s and 2 Shockwaves to power my much greater volume than Steve’s room. I now use 4 Westminster REI’s bridged and produces about 700+ watts per channel. We have the same Schnerzinger components thanks to Steve’s influence, and many have said before, one they are in, you cannot live without them. Steve and have essentially the same cabling, MasterBuilt Ultra, but will need new cables for the Aphrodite to connect to the new Lampi server. I would love to get the Taiko Olympus/I/O with all of the switches that Steve has, but that is way out of my budget.
Steve has always been an avid Lamm fan, but there was always a characteristic to the Lamm equipment that I was not fond of, BUT with the Aphrodite and the Zelatons, I do not hear it at all.
Best of all, Steve is one of my closest friends and has been an incredible supporter as I work to recover from my very serious medical problems. Simply put I could not have gone to this launch party if it was not for Steve. And, BTW it was one of the best experiences I have for a number of years.
I will write more when my Aphrodite comes in several weeks and when my Lampi server arrives at the end of the year. Thank you Steve, Cathy, Lukasz and Fred for all of your help and assistance. I could not have done it without you.
This friendship led to Steve asking/nudging me to come to his house for the Aphrodite launch because of my love and lifelong interest in audio and music. He knew I needed to get out of my house and do something fun. To help me particpate he also offered me the chance to stay at his house along with Lukasz, and Fred Ainsley who have also become friends over the years as I owned a Horizon, and then upgraded to a 360. It was clear that because of Steve’s generosity he was becoming both a closer friend and audio mentor, always willing to share his audio insights and connections, while trying to help me regain my footing that I Iost from my stroke and my multi-year recovery and my lifelong love of audio and music.
Steve has been such a good friend that he truly was continually propping me up when I simply wanted to crawl into a crack because I was overwhelmed. Fortunately, he used our historic friendship and common love of music and audio vitality that was once at my core, but nowhere to be found recently. He clearly realized that I needed to get out of my house and regain the some of my old self. He also correctly realized tis launch party was the ideal tool for my current situation.
As Steve was planning this launch, for me there was a new twist that threatened to derail me showing up, because I needed a cane and recovering from severe sepsis triggered by radiation for prostate cancer, that triggered a major stroke that had me in a coma for two months and 5 months in assisted living. I was really essentially a different person, but one who was changing almost daily as I healed. Throughout this Steve and I were in regular contact as we dealt with our respective medical issues and challenges. As I have recovered during the past several years, I have been a bit of a hermit with essentially no travel and less active listening, although I have continued to grow my system and use it as a respite when I needed to take a break. He was always a cheer leader to me, regularly calling me to make sure I kept on chugging and keeping me involved in my life long quest for the ultimate system I started building when I was 5 at a SF audio show and I met Saul Marantz who was demonstrating his original fabled line of electronics and his straight tracking TT in SF. Marantz was talking to my father as I listened, and then, he stopped mid sentence to insure my father noticed my trance as I first felt “love”. He stopped the conversation to point out my fascination with the system. That feeling has never gone away and was seriously rekindled this past weekend at Steve’s Aphrodite launch. To make sure it was a truly special occasion, he designed a food fair at special reataurants for the four of us.
While my interest in audio has been life long, life’s recent challenges have tried to disrupt my passion, Steve has always been a renewing force to keep my interest and to stimulate my sometime waining moods during the past 5 years.His continual efforts kept me going. His constant nudging clearly promoted my healing and our friendship. There is no doubt that Steve’s efforts were critical to my healing and regaining a lot of the persona I lost from my medical problems.
The first time I visited Steve and Cathy in So Cal, Steve said I have some people in Riverside I want to introduce you to and we made a voyage to Von Schweikert Audio. I was so smitten that I quickly bought a pair of Ultra 9’s and then had them modified with new plinths and removing of their skirts so they could accommodate the biggest CMS footers. These modifications made quite a huge overall improvement in the sound. In the process, thanks to Steve, I added another new friend, Damon Von Schweikert, who I now consider one of my very close friends.Throughout this long friendship with Steve and Cathy, he has been so generous in sharing his knowledge and connections, which have influenced me in many ways
Despite being a hermit, I have still been in regular contact with Steve who has always been eager to share his stereo experiences with me. I have owned a Horizon and now a Horizon 380, and anlso awaiting an Aphrodite in the next several weeks. Steve was also the inspiration for me to get Schnerzinger boxes to the point that we both have the same compliment of devices.These little antenna laden boxes do something that produces a global change in sound, that is readily noticeable when turned off. It is funny but the Schnerzinger addition has really helped my sound, but yet it is easy to miss if you are not informed and have a wonderful high resolution system.
Now I am coming to the end of my audio journey I am both pleased and sad. I am pleased because I derive so much listening pleasure and getting the crowning piece of my system after 65 years, and I have worked hard to make it what it is, not to mention have it called one of the best audio systems ever by my friend and manufacturer of my speakers.
The Aphrodite will be an amazing addition and in many ways the crowning jewel, but I may be adding another piece that is not yet out and am able to get one of the first units when it is released, a Lampizator streamer to replace my former Extreme, which threw a lot of curves at me and I downgraded, but with the Aphrodite, I need a streamer that is commensurate and then I will truly be done with my life long audio quest.
I want to end this post with some comments regarding Steve’s system. It is probably the best system I have ever heard, although mine is not far behind, but Steve has much more money than me and it shows in his system. Whereas the MSRP of mine is just under a million, I am sure that Steve’s is in excess of 2, possibly 3 million! I love his Zelaton Reference Ultra speakers, Damon thinks I need the VSA Ultra 7’s and 2 Shockwaves to power my much greater volume than Steve’s room. I now use 4 Westminster REI’s bridged and produces about 700+ watts per channel. We have the same Schnerzinger components thanks to Steve’s influence, and many have said before, one they are in, you cannot live without them. Steve and have essentially the same cabling, MasterBuilt Ultra, but will need new cables for the Aphrodite to connect to the new Lampi server. I would love to get the Taiko Olympus/I/O with all of the switches that Steve has, but that is way out of my budget.
Steve has always been an avid Lamm fan, but there was always a characteristic to the Lamm equipment that I was not fond of, BUT with the Aphrodite and the Zelatons, I do not hear it at all.
Best of all, Steve is one of my closest friends and has been an incredible supporter as I work to recover from my very serious medical problems. Simply put I could not have gone to this launch party if it was not for Steve. And, BTW it was one of the best experiences I have for a number of years.
I will write more when my Aphrodite comes in several weeks and when my Lampi server arrives at the end of the year. Thank you Steve, Cathy, Lukasz and Fred for all of your help and assistance. I could not have done it without you.
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