by Michael

Playing Musical Chairs…

… but with components instead of people and equipment racks instead of chairs…. and the music starts instead of stops when it is all over…

In this case we swapped the Audio Note CDT-3 transport and DAC 4.1x Balanced DAC (with the Lamm L2 preamplifier) withn the Audio Aero Prestige CD / SACD / Premaplifier.

The Coltrane system with the Audio Aero Prestige as source
The Marten Design Coltrane system with the Audio Aero Prestige CD / SACD player as source. Lamm ML2.1 amplifiers on HRS Isolation Bases.

A lot of empty shelves on that HRS MXR rack…. THAT situation can’t last for long 🙂

The Coltrane system with the Audio Aero Prestige as source

I can’t help thinking of the Audio Aero as young and energetic and full of enthusiasm – at least in comparision with the Audio Note digital. HRS MXR equipment rack. Swapping back and forth between the El-rod and Shunyata power cords.

The Audio Note system with the Audio Note as source and Lamm preamp as source
The Audio Note system with the Audio Note as source and Lamm L2 preamp as source. Lamm ML1.1 amplifier on Acoustic Dreams amplifier stands. Acoustic Dreams equipment rack.

The Audio Note system with the Audio Note as source and Lamm preamp as source

The $20K (plus the $14K Lamm L2 preamp) Audio Note is more refined, and well-balanced in comparsion with the $13K Audio Aero…

Kind of the opposite of the speakers… Where the Coltrane is more refined and well-balanced in comparison with the very musical and very energetic Audio Note speakers.

We try to both strive for a balanced system as well as take advantage of each components strengths… which is a lot easier said than done…. 🙂

in High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo / Showroom 3 / Showroom 4 0 comments
 by Michael

System #3: Marten Coltrane, Lamm ML2.1, Jorma Prime, HRS MXR

The System: Marten Coltrane speakers, Lamm ML2.1 amplifiers, Jorma Prime speaker cable, HRS MXR equipment rack. Also Lamm L2 preamplifier, Audio Note CDT-Two and DAC 4.1x Balanced. Nordost and Shunyata cabling.

We mentioned how amazing this was sounding in our review of the Jorma ‘Prime’ interconnects.

What does does amazing mean?

Here is what amazing means:

The Coltrane speakers are so freakin revealing… The Jorma Prime cables are slightly more forward than their No. 1 and even the Valhalla, and this new effect was already taking hold. Now, with HRS’s MXR rack [we set it up yesterday, much more on this later :-)] in place of the Acoustic Dreams, the system sound is even more ‘present’.

We kind of take it for a given that the Coltrane speakers are a little laid back – given the highest quality, completely neutral components up front. But maybe not…

Witb these two new, admittedly over the top, additions to the system… the sound is much more of a engulfing, in the room type of experience.

Our good Canadian friend, Dave H., [you there Dave? Missed you in Monteal] used to talk about how he wanted the sound to come to him, to not have to focus on listening to what was being played, to have the sound ‘take control’ [my words] as it were.

The system was already subtley sinister in the way it would sneak up on a person and make one stop mid sentence, whether one wanted to or not, as the music Took Control.

But now, …

It is hard to move, much more hard to get up.

It is like ‘if I miss this next note, my life will have been worthless and empty’… ‘I must hear this next note!’

I think this house is going to be much more quiet now… because if we start playing any music, we aren’t going to get ANYTHING done.

[Though I am much more disclipined than Neli, and this system is on the same floor as her office. She, she is doomed. So if you can’t get her on the tele as easily as you could before today, you’ll know exactly why!]

And the new Audio Note CDT-Three transport just arrived. We are doomed! 🙂 🙂 🙂

in Audio Note / High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo / HRS / Jorma Design / Lamm / Marten Design / Nordost / Popular / Reviews / Showroom 3 / Sounding Off 3 comments