by Michael

The Kharmas, the ML2.1 too, the Audio Aero Prestige, the HRS racks and their bases, the Elrod, Shunyata and Jorma Design and the rest, all here on …

Picture of entire system
Picture of entire system with Kharma Mini Exquisite speakers, Lamm ML2.1 amplifiers and Audio Aero Prestige CD/SACD player on HRS M3 isolation bases and MXR equipment rack. Cabled by Nordost Valhalla and either Elrod Statement power cords or Shunyata Anaconda Alpha Helix power cords.

Picture of entire system with one Kharma Mini Exquisite in foreground

Kharma Mini Exquisite from above
Kharma Mini Exquisite from above.

Sonically, this isn’t a blow-us-away system compared to the same system with the Marten Design Coltrane speakers. It is very nice and enjoyable – but not surprisingly so. Maybe our expectations were too high. Is it wrong to be so spoiled? At what point does our addiction get so out of hand that we no longer represent the average guy or gal? Oh, you are saying we passed that point a long, long time ago? Oops.

We still have to work on the positioning – and we are planning on moving the EDGE solid-state amps over on this side of the room – they being so successful on the other side on these Mini Exquisites, and switching back and forth.

Speaking of switching back and forth….

The power cords powering the ML2.1
The power cords powering the ML2.1.

The power cords powering the ML2.1

The power cords powering the ML2.1
The power cords are the Elrod Statement III (the big ones) and the Shunyata Anadonda Helix Alpha (the red ones). The speaker cables are the Nordost Valhalla. This could be abstract art if it wasn’t so functional.

The Shunyata lends the system detail. The Elrod body and bass. If we are being picky we switch them for each song, depending on what we think will sound best. Though waiting for the Lamm amps to restart after switching power cords – waiting through their 90 second power-on cycle – is long enough for husband and wife to get a chance to talk to each other……

MXR equipment rack
TheHRS MXR equipment rack is looking a little empty. And missing the top shelf. That Audio Aero is doing source and premaplification duties – what used to take four shelves now just takes one.

Close up of MXR equipment rack top shelf missing
The top isolation base was out on loan – and now that it is back it is being repurposed elsewhere we are going to move the Brinkmann Balance turntable over on to the MXR equipment rack…. leaving just the Walker Proscenium Gold Signature TT on the RixRax / SoundLab system.

Jorma Prime interconnect burning in on Nordost Vidar burner
Finally, we are anxiously awaiting the conclusion of our Jorma Prime interconnect burning in on the Nordost Vidar burner.

Tick tock tick tock….

in Audio Aero / Elrod / High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo / HRS / Kharma / Lamm / Nordost / Sounding Off 0 comments
 by Michael

HRS MXR Equipment Rack Assembly Photos

Our first Harmonic Resolution System MXR equipment rack, in gloss black, arrived just before the HE 2006 show. So we assembled it, taking lots of photos, played it for a few days (yes, it is just like a component), and then were subsequently inundated with reports to write: From the HE 2006 Show Report, to the VTV 2006 Show Report, to the Cogent True-to-Life horn loudspeaker tour.

So finally, without further delay, we have finally posted to the website (oh, please no! Not more photos! Yes, more photos) the Tour in Gloss Black, the Pictorial Odyssey through the Process of The Assemblage, the Celebratory Victory over the Vibrating Elements of the Sound Dimension, The….

Assembly of the HRS MXR Equipment Rack

Assembled but empty HRS MXR equipment rack

This is an equipment rack whose sonic impact on our system in listening room number two Blew Our Minds. We thought it would sound a little better – and look better by hiding all those cables.

And the feel of this rack is like that of a Mercedes – with tolerances few turntables can match – and a truly Impressive impact on the sound – especially dynamics along with much improved evening out, a cmore correct proportioning of all sorts of sonic properties across the frequecny spectrum, top to bottom.

Kind of a loss for words here – everybody expects that a $50K preamp and a $20K pair of speaker cables are going to sound pretty dran good, right? But a 15K equipment rack?

Yes! Yes, Yes!

The Lamm ML2.1 amplifiers now had SLAM on the Marten Coltrane loudspeakers…….!

…… all because the Lamm L2 preamplifier, the Audio Note CDT-Three transport and the Audio Note DAC 4.1x Balanced were on the MXR rack instead of on the Acoustic Dreams equipment rack – no slouch itself in the vibration control department either, at least compared to the rest of the competition.

Assembled and populated equipment rack

What, with the Jorma Design Prime cables, the Audio Note M10 preamplifier, and this HRS MXR equipment rack – we have heard a lot of stuff in this last month or so that KICK sonic booty –

that dramatically improve the sound of already state-of-the-art systems,

that really go one step beyond what are reasonable expectations for what a pile of resistors and spun metal can do to one’s mind,

that can open doors into new dimensions of visualizations and sounds to which we attach the dramatically understated label ‘music’, ….

i.e. they kick some humongous sonic booty. 🙂

How deep to you want to go today? Red pill or blue? Or gloss black?

Me, I’ll take gloss black.

in High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo / HRS 2 comments
 by Michael

Audio Note CDT Three transport breaking in

It arrived right before we left for the HE 2006 Show and we left it playing while we were there, and for the weeks we have been back.

Audio Note CDT Three transport

Still changing on a day-to-day basis…

Audio Note CDT Three transport

It looks great on the piano black Harmonic Resolutions Systems’ MXR rack with the gloss black Audio Note 4.1x Balanced DAC and matte black Lamm L2 linestage and power supply.
HRS MXR equipment rack with Audio Note CDT Three transport

Soon now we are going to tear apart this very synergistic, or is it synerblisstic, system replacing the front end with the Audio Aero Prestige CD / SACD player.
HRS MXR equipment rack with Audio Note CDT Three transport

Why?

1. In order to be able to put the Brinkmann over on the HRS rack with the Lamm LP2 phono preamplifier

AND

2. to put together a 100%, well 90% because we do not have any Audio Note cables here right now, a 90% complete Audio Note system:

Audio Note CDT Three transport
Audio Note 4.1x Balanced DAC
Audio Note M10 preamplifier
Audio Note Kegon amplifiers
Audio Note SEC Silver Signature loudspeakers

and eventually we will have to find a way to get a turntable into listenng room #3 in order to add:

Audio Note M8 Phono preamplifier
Audio Note AN-S4 step-up transformer

All this to ‘Hear What it Sounds Like’.

Ain’t life fun?

in Audio Note / High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo / HRS / Lamm 2 comments