Visit to Marc C.'s (SpiritOfMusic's) House in England

[spiritofmusic]

i think I saw her at lord’s all 5 days she was pretending to enjoy cricket but think she just wanted to be away till amps came back. Thought it looked suspicious as match lasted only three days.

Ked, there are few things Ra loves more than me (so says my ego), but Test cricket is one of them, so it's possible I guess.

 

[spiritofmusic]

The audiophile journey isn’t just about us, it’s also about the people close to us who support our passions and who we slowly torture along the way we’ve all been there lol

Kinda like "sharing the pain"?

 

[spiritofmusic]

Ok, so Marc’s journey is about the forum readers, I get that

Yep one big (un)happy family.

 

[spiritofmusic]

I think I should allow Marc to tarry with you on this one… you guys are way too mercurial for an ageing antipodean lol

Graham, you do just fine for your age. Some of us age like fine wine, some of us like a day-old opened bottle of Coke.

 

[the sound of Tao]

Marc since when have they been putting the coke into bottles

 

[spiritofmusic]

As long as kids have been going manic at birthday parties and trips to McDonalds.

 

[spiritofmusic]

You were quiet for three months. View attachment 97313

Meanwhile I had a listening session with NAT Magma new

Ked, ordinarily I'd love to consider the Magmas. However at half the weight I struggled to get my SE2SE monos up my spiral staircase (courtesy of my back muscles atrophying listening to music constantly for decades), these Magmas are never happening.
--
Did you like them any more than what you felt was a less than stellar experience at The General's?

 

[bonzo75]

Ked, ordinarily I'd love to consider the Magmas. However at half the weight I struggled to get my SE2SE monos up my spiral staircase (courtesy of my back muscles atrophying listening to music constantly for decades), these Magmas are never happening.
--
Did you like them any more than what you felt was a less than stellar experience at The General's?

A good 46, 45, 2a3, 300b, 801 are in a different league to very high Powered tubes for speakers that they can drive. They have simpler circuits are way much more pure and agile and nuanced. So where headroom is required NATs etc come in. They are excellent amps for such purposes no point in comparing them with the flea watts. Their competition is SS amps. While they cannot drive the likes of apogee they can do well with somewhat easier loads.

The Sigma MAAT I heard them with I have heard with Koda K70 and will listen with Lamm hybrids and Kondo, although all in different set ups. I think Nat was excellent and compared with Karan, better, though I was surprised how well Karan did. Toni is still burning in riviera hybrids which he has just received then so let’s see how that goes

 

[spiritofmusic]

I'd have to agree, Ked. Even though I didn't feel there was a massive step up at The General going from the Magmas to the Mayer 46, that may have been more to do with me really not liking the Pnoes he was using or the music we played that day.
Hearing the Mayer 46 monos at his subsequently on the Gran Sferas horns, and on Bill's bespoke horns, even without a direct comparison to the Magmas, I know implicitly the 46 amps are purer and more transparent likely than anything Nat high power tubes could provide.

 

[bonzo75]

I'd have to agree, Ked. Even though I didn't feel there was a massive step up at The General going from the Magmas to the Mayer 46, that may have been more to do with me really not liking the Pnoes he was using or the music we played that day.
Hearing the Mayer 46 monos at his subsequently on the Gran Sferas, and on Bill's bespoke horns, even without a direct comparison to the Magmas I know implicitly the 46 amps are purer and more transparent likely than anything Nat high power tubes could provide.

there was a massive step up there going from Magma to 46. Anyone could hear it you have to be biased not to

 

[spiritofmusic]

Yes, I *soooooo* wanted the Nats to be best. A more relevant criticism is maybe I'm not the best listener, or listen out for certain things. I guess that could be deemed bias too.

 

[spiritofmusic]

An interesting early impression is that my CDP seems to be quite a way behind my TT in terms of full enjoyment/potential.
One of the reasons I've maxxed out with my current vinyl direction has been the strict taskmaster my Eera digital has been.
For the first time in ages, and maybe most comprehensively since I acquired the first digital piece I really could live with (EMM Labs CDSA-SE in 2010), my vinyl playback has now properly progressed beyond, indicated by a much more even, neutral and open playback of classical and jazz.
My Eera Tentation a tad more coloured in comparison.
Caveat...less than 5 hours on amps chock full of new caps and four "cold" 211s.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Congratulations on getting the amps back, Marc! It’s great you have somebody in-country who can fix them!

 

[Ron Resnick]

Ked, ordinarily I'd love to consider the Magmas.

+1

A.J. Conti had the first generation of Magmas and also Magma News on his Verity speakers. He told me that he loved those amplifiers, and that he had no reliability problems with either pair.

My high-power SET amp “fantasy” remains Magma New or Trafomatic Drina or AM 833 Ultima.

 

[infinitely baffled]

I'd have to agree, Ked. Even though I didn't feel there was a massive step up at The General going from the Magmas to the Mayer 46, that may have been more to do with me really not liking the Pnoes he was using or the music we played that day.
Hearing the Mayer 46 monos at his subsequently on the Gran Sferas horns, and on Bill's bespoke horns, even without a direct comparison to the Magmas, I know implicitly the 46 amps are purer and more transparent likely than anything Nat high power tubes could provide.

So the General sacked his Pnoes in favour of Gran Sferas?
Can i ask how they compare?
The Gran Sferas look capable of filling a room, very intriguing, especially if they have the bass extension to handle electronica. Although I'm guessing it would be sacrilege to drive them with a solid state amp..

 

[PeterA]

So the General sacked his Pnoes in favour of Gran Sferas?
Can i ask how they compare?
The Gran Sferas look capable of filling a room, very intriguing, especially if they have the bass extension to handle electronica. Although I'm guessing it would be sacrilege to drive them with a solid state amp..

I also think I read somewhere that the General no longer has his VYGER turntable. I don’t see it in Bill’s signature either.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Gavin, the Sferas were just in for a short trial. No, don't try SS w them. They have an OB woofers option for deep bass.
I totally loved them, imho superior to the Pnoes.

 

[bonzo75]

So the General sacked his Pnoes in favour of Gran Sferas?
Can i ask how they compare?
The Gran Sferas look capable of filling a room, very intriguing, especially if they have the bass extension to handle electronica. Although I'm guessing it would be sacrilege to drive them with a solid state amp..

the Sfera were for audition three or four years ago. They went out quickly. I never heard them, Bill did. The pnoe are still there

 

[spiritofmusic]

Congratulations on getting the amps back, Marc! It’s great you have somebody in-country who can fix them!

Well Ron, this is becoming a real problem, deffo in the UK, maybe everywhere.
I ran thru nearly half a dozen engineers before James became the best, and only option. Engineers are either retired, retiring, have waiting lists of 9-12 months, not confident to work without a schematic, or just plain disinterested.
I can't thank James enough for not only doing a sterling job, but also just agreeing to do the job at all!
Now if James retires....

 

[infinitely baffled]

Gavin, the Sferas were just in for a short trial. No, don't try SS w them. They have an OB woofers option for deep bass.
I totally loved them, imho superior to the Pnoes.

Were you not tempted to acquire a pair for yourself, Marc?