What preamp have I not tried?

[MylesBAstor]

See the photos in post #143, I am sitting in front of the couch these days.

At one point I had foam on top of the coffee table (when it wasn't so cluttered with accessories ) but removing it for a test makes sense. I know that when I stand versus sit there is a big difference in tonality (more bass near the floor).

I will try this and the other experiment you suggest (standing on chair listening into beam area) and report back in the next few days.

It's an awkward time right now for these types of test though; the Transparent cables are breaking in and even the Pass XP-10 (normally ultra smooth) sounds harsh.

Hmmmm....I never found the Transparent harsh when new. The terms dark, closed in, undynamic come more to mind.

 

[Imperial]

If you're asking about my Berkeley Alpha, probably about 8 months or so... why do you ask?

Oh, I just wanted to know long that had been the source, in your quest for the pre-amp.

All attempts that one makes eventually end up costing money. Narrowing in as one goes along the amount of attempts left to choose.
What Bruce B (Puget sound) says about having an interior decorator/ acoustic dude for a visit is likely the best advice of this whole thread...
And the Doshi Jhor suggestion, of course. But sorting out the room first, yeah, that would be a good start.
It all depends of course on what you want to do yourself. We all like a "sound" sometimes we just can't convey to others what we "like" or that it is better.
Different tastes and all that.

Yes, wait for the cables and all that to settle down. Drink a good beer. The hunt is as much fun as making the kill, that much is true indeed!

Imperial.

 

[PeterA]

Once I settled on my speakers, I hired Jim Smith to voice my system to the room. Best audio expense/experience I've ever made/had. Now it is much easier to hear and appreciate changes in upstream equipment. The listener/speaker/room interface is at least as important as the equipment, IMO.

 

[KeithR]

I picked up the ART monos this morning but unfortunately I don't have a very good SE cable (all my cables are XLR; I was using an adapter to go out of the GAT up until now).

I just turned the system on 10 minutes ago and won't really listen for another half hour but what the first thing I noticed is that there is a lot less gain in these amps compared to my Lamms. I had to crank the volume on the GAT to mid 50's just to get to 85db.

Quality of cable should mean squat at this level of electronics.

 

[KeithR]

His passion for tubes is exactly why I suggested Spectral. I can't think of any other SS amps out there that can portray the detail, transparency and accuracy where the end result sounds "real"...which is what I always think guys dig about tubes. There is an organic tone, a realness about the outcome. They get there in very different ways but the end result is eerily similar. I cringe when I read stuff out there about Spectral/MIT because 99% of it is so inaccurate, especially when it comes to their current offerings. I've told Madfloyd to round up all of you guys and drive in to Columbus. I welcome some input on my rig too!

Strongly disagree that Spectral and tubes sound anything remotely alike and is about "organic tone." Spectral is all about speed.

 

[KeithR]

MadFloyd- if you love the Doshis that you've heard 3x, seems like that is your bogey. Not sure why you are going through all the brain damage elsewhere.

 

[MadFloyd]

MadFloyd- if you love the Doshis that you've heard 3x, seems like that is your bogey. Not sure why you are going through all the brain damage elsewhere.

What I took away from the Doshis is that tube amps are worth considering. However without being able to audition in my own home, I will not buy new and I still haven't heard whether I can audition the Doshi amps yet. My wife pesters me about them every day. I only tried the CJ stuff because a) the preamp is supposed to be the best that money can buy and b) sitting around trying nothing is painful (life being short and all...)

 

[mep]

MadFloyd-Have you tried contacting Wilson and asking what amps they recommend for your speakers? Might be worth a phone call.

 

[Bill Hart]

MadFloyd-Have you tried contacting Wilson and asking what amps they recommend for your speakers? Might be worth a phone call.

Mep, clean out your mailbox, i can't send you anything, you're 'full'.

 

[Bill Hart]

Floyd needs an audio break. After all that trying out, he's gotta be fried, especially since he hasn't gotten to a happy place.
Go out and hear a band! Is Johnny A playing near you?

 

[LL21]

What I took away from the Doshis is that tube amps are worth considering. However without being able to audition in my own home, I will not buy new and I still haven't heard whether I can audition the Doshi amps yet. My wife pesters me about them every day. I only tried the CJ stuff because a) the preamp is supposed to be the best that money can buy and b) sitting around trying nothing is painful (life being short and all...)

Well...i am happy to say [I think] the CJ GAT is the best preamp that i have heard which money can buy...! As for amps...i have never heard any of the big CJ monos...but i am very, very happy with Class A SS brute (Gryphon Colosseum). I suppose Vitus would be the closest that might be available where you are?

 

[mep]

Mep, clean out your mailbox, i can't send you anything, you're 'full'.

Sorry-I cleaned it out.

 

[Imperial]

Floyd needs an audio break. After all that trying out, he's gotta be fried, especially since he hasn't gotten to a happy place.
Go out and hear a band! Is Johnny A playing near you?

Taking a brake from the "task" for a day or a week, relaxing and stuff, that's not a bad idea.
Link to a picture (funny and safe for work) LINK about having fun while roaming the seas.
"Ensing!!! How many times do I have to tell you that we don't let water out of the TUB by opening the torpedo bay!! !!! That only attracts Old Blue!!! Ya'rrrr... "
Heh...

 

[MadFloyd]

MadFloyd-Have you tried contacting Wilson and asking what amps they recommend for your speakers? Might be worth a phone call.

Yep, did that a couple years back after I purchased the Sashas. The amp I own now (Lamm M1.2 Ref) is what they recommended. I have been fairly happy with the amp - it's the preamp that is the real subject of my search, but I am open to changing the amp too - especially if it's to one that has great synergy with the preamp I end up going with.

 

[MadFloyd]

Floyd needs an audio break. After all that trying out, he's gotta be fried, especially since he hasn't gotten to a happy place.
Go out and hear a band! Is Johnny A playing near you?

He's only here once a year I think. But yeah, I'm a little burned out. I will work in my studio recording music for a bit me thinks.

 

[1rsw]

Strongly disagree that Spectral and tubes sound anything remotely alike and is about "organic tone." Spectral is all about speed.

Spectral is not all about speed although they do possess it. Spectral is all about going to obsessive lengths to design devices that reproduce music as accurately as physically possible, hence the word organic. If you are listening to an acoustic instrument, say a violin or bass, via a good Spectral system you would hear that instrument as damn close to what it would sound like live/in the studio as anything. This is what I mean by organic. That means depending on the music, it could sound rich, warm, woody and full of air etc. Organic....a bass sounds like a bass, a nylon string guitar sounds like a nylon string guitar etc....no color, nothing added...natural, as is, real. They certainly have not achieved perfection but there are not too many other devices out there that can reproduce sound as accurately as the newer Spectral. Some may not like it, some do. Of course it comes with a price. Devices like that require exceptional attention to the rest of the package, all must be considered and addressed to achieve optimal performance. So....the next thought is important too...cables...

I also strongly disagree with the comment about cables, I mean just totally disagree. It would be impossible to accurately demo this level of gear without the proper cabling. There is just no way you would be hearing what they can do, not even close. The difference between my system wired with poor cables and what I use currently is night and day. This is not an opinion either, it's a fact. I've had a very large number of cables here so I've heard exactly what happens to my system with different levels of cables. It's black and white stuff.

Sorry if that came off strong, Kieth. I still love you Just an audio thing. I said this in my earlier post, we all have the answers...and they are all different !

 

[JackD201]

As a Lamm distributor, personally I would recommend M2.2s with Amperex, Valvo, or Mullard CV2492s over the M1.2 Ref with stock tubes with Sashas. They'd end up costing exactly the same.

 

[MadFloyd]

As a Lamm distributor, personally I would recommend M2.2s with Amperex, Valvo, or Mullard CV2492s over the M1.2 Ref with stock tubes with Sashas. They'd end up costing exactly the same.

Jack, can you elaborate on why? I use Amperex tubes in my M1.2 Ref and this unit is supposed to be slightly better sounding than the more powerful M2.2 (which costs a bit less, seemingly for that reason).

 

[LL21]

As a Lamm distributor, personally I would recommend M2.2s with Amperex, Valvo, or Mullard CV2492s over the M1.2 Ref with stock tubes with Sashas. They'd end up costing exactly the same.

Jack, can you elaborate on why? I use Amperex tubes in my M1.2 Ref and this unit is supposed to be slightly better sounding than the more powerful M2.2 (which costs a bit less, seemingly for that reason).

+1...would like to learn. I am intrigued by Lamm given its incredible reputation, and its well-documented 'match' with Wilson.

 

[Bill Hart]

FWIW, on the Lamm ML2 (the SET), the 'small tube' is a 12A__. When Vlad retubes, he supplies a Sovtek. My experience with those is that they sound nasty. Generally speaking. The 6dj8 Sovtek is nasty too. So, on my Lamm amp, which is different than Floyd's I stick with all Vlad supplied tubes, except for that one. There i run a fancy tube a NOS ribbed Telefunken. I think that's the general view re the ML2, and wouldn't be surprised that the same holds true on his 'hybrid' amps.