Natural Sound

[dcathro]

Here is a video demonstrating the American Sound AS 2000 platter free spinning. I hand rotated the platter to about 40 RPM and waited for it to slow to 33.33 RPM and then started to record. The video shows the platter speed slowing and then eventually stopping.

This is the result of a very high mass platter on a very unique baring designed and executed to an exceptional standard. The result is superb speed control and silence.

Feel free to skip to the end. The video is long but one can see the effect of the changing light as the sun sets outside.

What impressed me the most was that you had the patience to stand there and record it for 30 minutes!

 

[Lagonda]

What impressed me the most was that you had the patience to stand there and record it for 30 minutes!

Yes Peter, that is 30 minutes without music !

 

[Ron Resnick]

That's a very impressive demonstration, Peter, of the AS-2000's amazing design and build quality!

 

[PeterA]

 

[PeterA]

 

[Fishfood]

Well? How's the Aleph sound?

 

[PeterA]

Well? How's the Aleph sound?

Like the title says. It isthe first of six Pass amplifiers and the only one I kept. It has been in storage for 15 years but after three days of being on it’s starting to come into its own. I had never realized the potential of this wonderful little amplifier.

Headbanging and wild playing Black Sabbath, and delicate with nuance playing Bach cello and Schnittke. It lacks ultimate resolution and dynamics but is very natural sounding.

 

[Fishfood]

Like the title says. It isthe first of six Pass amplifiers and the only one I kept. It has been in storage for 15 years but after three days of being on it’s starting to come into its own. I had never realized the potential of this wonderful little amplifier.

Headbanging and wild playing Black Sabbath, and delicate with nuance playing Bach cello and Schnittke. It lacks ultimate resolution and dynamics but is very natural sounding.

I had a few Alephs as well and had the same results. Sometimes the aesthetic wins though. The whole Aleph line of amps and preamps are lovely.

 

[PeterA]

I had a few Alephs as well and had the same results. Sometimes the aesthetic wins though. The whole Aleph line of amps and preamps are lovely.

This 3 was my first, then I had the 5 and the 2 monos before moving to the XA.

 

[Kingsrule]

I had Aleph 2's and they were awesome. Big regret selling them....

 

[cal3713]

This 3 was my first, then I had the 5 and the 2 monos before moving to the XA.

View attachment 105981

What a lovely amp. I'd love to hear one.

 

[Lagonda]

View attachment 105980

Are the Lamms on service vacation ?

 

[PeterA]

Are the Lamms on service vacation ?

No, just playing and learning during audio season.

 

[Lagonda]

No, just playing and learning during audio season.

Cool ! Always good re-evaluating sound and equipment !

 

[SlapEcho]

If you desire ultimate resolution and are a bit daring I recommend updating the input coupling and feedback capacitors on the Aleph. I love the simplicity behind the 2 stage circuit, but the use of electrolytic caps on the input and biasing completely held this series back. A completely different beast after the upgrade. Still has that Aleph sweetness and body but with resolution and lots of PRAT.

 

[BruceD]

I had Aleph 2's and they were awesome. Big regret selling them....

Same here--those superb little sweeties drove my SoundLabs oh so well--surprising the doubters

Agree Classic Amps--Kudos for the reminisce Peter --bought a joyous tear to my eye!

BruceD

 

[awsmone]

View attachment 105980

Lol well I did the opposite a friend dropped off his 845 set amps for me to try for a week ! Still have my ml2 s which need a service

 

[morricab]

Here is a video demonstrating the American Sound AS 2000 platter free spinning. I hand rotated the platter to about 40 RPM and waited for it to slow to 33.33 RPM and then started to record. The video shows the platter speed slowing and then eventually stopping.

This is the result of a very high mass platter on a very unique baring designed and executed to an exceptional standard. The result is superb speed control and silence.

Feel free to skip to the end. The video is long but one can see the effect of the changing light as the sun sets outside.

Horning SATI TT (also a high mass, non-suspended design) has a different view on this:

"Bearings design like air, magnetic and Teflon bearings was every time beaten by the old GROUNDED ball bearing design.

The Sati with massive GROUNDED bearing design went deeper in the bas, had much more body and all decays been easier to hear. All the Exotic bearings design just sounded THINNER, lighter and brighter.

The high- end industry has been seduced by the friction of the bearing itself instead of the bearings influence of the turntables overall sound. If you measure the Sati with a Statoscope has it more noise than air, magnetic or Teflon bearing, but it is a completely stupid measurement because why make a bearing which in the end has lower sound quality."

 

[PeterA]

Thank you Brad. That is interesting. Here is an impressive description. I would like to hear this table one day, With what they describe as an ungrounded bearing design, I wonder why then the mass, shape, and dimensions of the AS2000 base makes such an audible difference. These designs make for an interesting comparison. This sonic impression of the Sati is very much how I would describe what I am hearing from my table, though I have not compared it to many turntable so can not make such a declaration. Do you have a video of this table playing music?

“The reward was total control for every aspect od the sound spectrum. The first you will hear is that goes down further in the bas than any other turntable. Next you will hear ultimate dynamic and body to the sound, next comes its noticeably clear rendering of Decaying in the music. To hear the Sati will be an exploring of new details in the music but it will never loose its grip on the wholeness of the music it is presented.”

Audiophile Bill’s table:

 

[bonzo75]

Horning SATI TT (also a high mass, non-suspended design) has a different view on this:

"Bearings design like air, magnetic and Teflon bearings was every time beaten by the old GROUNDED ball bearing design.

The Sati with massive GROUNDED bearing design went deeper in the bas, had much more body and all decays been easier to hear. All the Exotic bearings design just sounded THINNER, lighter and brighter.

The high- end industry has been seduced by the friction of the bearing itself instead of the bearings influence of the turntables overall sound. If you measure the Sati with a Statoscope has it more noise than air, magnetic or Teflon bearing, but it is a completely stupid measurement because why make a bearing which in the end has lower sound quality."

Bill has owned both Vyger and Horning Sati, there is no comparison the Vyger was far superior. I won't generalize on the air bearings as the Bergmann is quite the opposite of Vyger so there are other elements to the sound