Pursuing the Ultimate Music Experiences

Audio Federation High-Fidelity Audio Blog
 by Michael

Quick Tour III


This system – the Audio Note Ongaku 211-based integrated amplifier into $7K AN/E HE speakers, driven by a little $3.5K Audio Note CD2.1x Mark II Player [Valhalla speaker cable and AN interconnects] – is obviously somewhat unbalanced – the amplifier costing a wee bit more than the rest of the system put together.

But it sounds VERY engaging. The amp is just tossing note around like they were wisps of air [:-)], it so completely dominates the sound.

Is this approx. $100K system better than a more balanced one with, say, $30K AN speakers and a $30K Conquest-like amp and $20K digital transport and DAC and $20K preamp?

Probably not.

But it is really fun to listen to – especially if you are familiar enough with listening around, and to, individual components in the system. You can HEAR all the flaws, and unsuspected strengths, in the weaker components.

For example, the upper-mids and highs of the little 1-box CD player are really quite good – but the lower mids are a little laid back, and complex passages do not have quite the separation, in comparison to $10 and $20K digital. Pretty good trade-offs, I think.

And, often, perhaps it is the lack of sophistication, the lack of complexity, to the overall sound that makes it really surprisingly straight-forwardly exuberant sometimes – when it all just comes together.

You know, they say happiness is the removal of pain. Like the scratching of an itch. So, perhaps for ultimate musical enjoyment, there has to be some pain, something not quite EXCELLENT, mixed in with the excellent sound, for us to feel that ultimate Audiophile High? [if so, boy do we all need therapy or what? ;-)]

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

Quick Tour


The inside of one of the Audio Note Kegon Balance 300B amplifiers. The Kegon Balance is essentially a 300B Gaku-on. The Gaku-on is Audio Note’s best amplifier which is based on the 211 tube.

The sound?

Very dynamic and controlled. The signature reticence of the speaker’s ceramic drivers is no longer audible. It is hard to over-state this aspect of these amps. A lot of the time is just spent thinking ‘I didn’t know amps could DO that’.

In comparison, solid-state amps just smack the notes out with a sledge-hammer – they [currently seem to] have no ability to control the shape of the notes as it they are supposed to be – if they are to sound like music [or even just musical] that is.

And in comparison, most tube amps just sound anemic, where they, overall, can generated notes shaped more naturally, more real, than solid-state, but lack that SMACK that most musicians often apply to their piano or guitar or drum.

Just the right amount of harmonics. Which is to say more than the Lamm ML2.1 6C33C tube-based amplifier, and less than your other 300B-based amplifiers [that we have heard]. Presumably all of our readers know how bad too little harmonics affects the enjoyability of music. And for too much harmonics, too much harmonics and the primary tone washes out the lesser tones – and it is the lessor tones that make a person hear deep into the richness and playfulness and… I don’t know – that thing that happens when you go into a toy store and bang on some chimes – or into a Tibetan store [we have a dozen here in Boulder] and bang on the gongs or use the Bhuddist bowls – or to a piano store and bang on the keys of their best piano — JUST to listen to the sound and the undertones [and the lovely decades-long decay].

Anyway – more on this system after RMAF.

in Audio Note / High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo / Showroom 1 0 comments
 by Michael

Lamm ML3 at RMAF 2008

With our smaller room hosting the king of 300B amps, the Audio Note Kegon Balanced amplifiers – our larger room will be host to the king of GM70 amps – the Lamm ML3 Signature amplifiers [and for those of you who were looking forward to the KB’s on the Supremes – please visit us here in Boulder – anytime, day or night].

With help from Lamm Industries, we will spoil the visitors to our room [and ourselves!] once more this year with the ML3’s on the Marten Coltrane Supremes loudspeakers.

We are not all that familiar with the Lamm ML3 – though for the couple of hours that we heard them on the Wilson MAXX II at CES we were very, very impressed – and this will give us all here in Denver a chance to get a good dose of what they can do. As a reference point, we have had the ML3’s baby brother, the Lamm ML2.1, on the Supremes for most of this year – and most people really love THAT sound. This will be much, much better.

The Supremes present a very high-resolution, very easy, 94-95dB efficient load for the amps because the bass towers, handling everything below 100Hz, are driven by some beefy 2000 watt/channel solid-state amps. This should let us hear exactly what the amps can do in a optimal situation [without having to worry about a speaker’s bass impedance curve shenanigans and listening around bass integration issues] – and likewise hear what the speakers can do driven by amps with a very sophisticated sound [the complexity of each note’s harmonics and micro dynamics being nothing short of remarkable] a sound with what we think of as an innate sense of Russianesque drama and romance.

So… we are psyched! Neli is jumping up and down [and keeps counting HRS isolation bases to see whether we really do have enough to handle the FIVE boxes up front [when one includes the Marten cross-over box], and Mike is [along with talking in the 3rd person for some reason] trying to figure out the cable compliment to use, what TT to bring, etc. We STILL need to try the ODIN speaker cable on the Supremes – but I think we might as well wait for the ML3 to get here at our shop first – because I think the amp->ODIN->Jorma Design PRIME-inside-the-speakers might make the sound very dependent on the amp. What powercords go where …. yadayadayada.

It should be GREAT fun! We hope all of you can make it.

.

in High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo / Lamm / RMAF 2008 / Show Reports 0 comments
 by Michael

Goodies we are taking to the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest

OK, so our large room will have the EMM Labs DAC2 / TSD1 – unquestionably the best solid-state digital in the world [to most calm, cool, collected people :-)]

And this source will be driving a whole system of ‘best of breed’ components:

The Marten ‘Coltrane Supreme’ loudspeakers.

And, lets see, the Harmonic Resolution MXR equipment rack [the best rack, and good looking to boot] and at least one SXR rack.

All of our Nordost ODIN cable will be there – though we may not be able to deploy the ODIN speaker cable – since we only have one run and we would need two for the Supremes [one for the bass tower and one for the main tower].

Also our Jorma Design PRIME, our 10 meter run of Valhalla, our ELROD, Valhalla, and AcroLink power cords and …

Our Audio Note room will also be world class this year – as opposed to the last two years when we brought one of the least expensive – yet best sounding systems at the show [OK, the bar is pretty low at these shows, so this really isn’t more election year hyperbole – it really was one of the better sounds].

This room this year will have our AN/E SEC Signature speakers in Madrone Burl – Audio Note’s second best speakers and one which, if you ‘get it’ [which really means that you are addicted to the immediacy of high-efficiency speakers but at the same time do not like the problems most horns and HE single-driver speakers have – aka you have the reasonable but not all that common requirement that reproduced music should sound like music] is one of the best speakers as well.

And one of our rooms [see, you are starting to see into our juggling of components between the 2 rooms and here – preparing the most special feast ever for all of our guests – and we keep coming up with more ideas… and we are afraid that some might be decent, in amongst all the many, many crazy ones :-)] will have the best 300B tube-based amplifiers, the Audio Note U.K. Kegon Balanced [see, by separating out amplifiers into which power tube they use, we can have a whole bunch of ‘best amplifiers’ – and it makes sense since each tube has such a different sound]. The other amp will be the 1st or 2nd best amp – with hopefully a different tube… can you guess which one? 🙂

And, uh, that is all we know for now.

in High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo / RMAF 2008 / Show Reports 0 comments
 by Michael

Emm Labs DAC2 and TSD1 at RMAF 2008

I do not know why it is, but around here we seem to have a hard time agreeing on what to take to a show – and especially our ‘home town’ show the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest.

But we do know that we are taking the new Emm Labs DAC2 [a DAC … but you probably guessed that 🙂 But it has no preamp; unlike the DCC2, which does] and TSD1 transport.

Here are some factory photos [we hope to get the pair here and post some more shortly]:


There are some new buttons 🙂 Particularly the one for PC Audio kind of stands out. We will have a laptop at RMAF to demonstrate this capability…


The remote looks more like the DCC2 / CDSD remote than the newer CDSA remote – but I like them both [I just don’t like heavy metal ones that get really cold in the Winter – we think we already have enough c-o-l-d things here in the Rocky Mountains]. There are also a few new buttons there… can’t wait to try them out 🙂

in Emm Labs / High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo / RMAF 2008 / Show Reports 0 comments
 by Michael

Current state of the systems here

It has been foggy and rainy here – I took these yesterday – but today is much the same.


The latest change upstairs is the Audio Note Kegon Balanced 300B-based amplifiers on the Marten Coltrane Supremes. In comparison to the Lamm ML2.1 amplifiers that have been there for about 6 months, the albeit 3X more expensive KB’s are:

1. more dynamic, removing most if not all [that I can hear] of the reticence ceramic drivers have at the peak [most dynamic part] of the notes
2. More bass [we think we have to move the bass towers away from the way – hopefully just an inch or so]
3. More ‘macro’ separation – the instruments are more separated in sound and on the soundstage, micro separation is actually less than with the ML2.1, but this seems more natural [to me] and less artificially ‘etched’
4. More harmonically rich.

So, all in all, the Lamm ML2.1 held up quite well, considering the price differential – but at the same time we were very happy with the improvements we got with the KB’s.


We have been using Nordost ODIN for the crossover-to-amp connection for awhile – although in this case we are using a Cardas single-ended to balanced doohickey that likely degrades the sound – but it will have to do until we get a balanced ODIN interconnect.


We are also using ELROD power cords and Jorma Design PRIME speaker calbe on the main towers and their No.1 [bi-wire… the double run helps improve the bass noticeably] on the bass towers.


Here you can see the fog outside, as well as the KB’s in their enclosures. They look better [I think :-)] with the tops off of the chassis – but we have been picking up radio frequencies lately – and this seemed to help? [We haven’t heard anything for a day or so].


We are running the Emm Labs CDSA CD player through the Lamm L2 Reference preamplifier. We had out other ODIN interconnect between these two – and it KILLED – but now I think it is back on the back of the Brinkmann Balance turntable – where it also KILLS [though I think as soon as we get our Audio Note PALLAS interconnect back – we will put it on the turntable instead because, although it is not as good when you total up all aspects of the sound as the 4X more expensive ODIN, it is a lot closer to the ODIN – in the turntable spot – than the other cables were to the ODIN on the CDSA -> L2 link].


I am not completely sure that cabling this system with all ODIN [should we be able to afford it – we got that 8 meter run of Valhalla that also needs replacing] would be the best possible sound we could get on this [any] system [although we have lots of evidence that supports this hyposthesis] – but it sure would be nice to try it 🙂 – and to be able to add in other cables when, if and where necessary for any flavoring that might be required.

The cool-looking equipment racks are the (HRS) Harmonic Resolution System’s SXR [left] and MXR [right]. The SXR is very flexible – and sounds 80-90% as good as the MXR – but the MXR just feels like quality – it is such as pleasure to touch it and be around it [and that extra 10% of performance is definitely worth the higher price in over the top systems – focusing on the turntable first].


The Edge Electronics amps on the Audio Note AN/E SEC Signature speakers actually sounds pretty good [and the AN SOGON bi-wire speaker cable helps some too :-)] – but the real achievement for us, here, is that we found a positioning of the speakers -in this octagon room – that actually seems to work. Finally. Still needs tweaking – none of the walls are symmetrical, nor are the beams located directly across from each other – so one speaker still seems more forward than the other … but only on certain frequencies! What a pain.


The front-end is Audio Note: the CDT Three transport and DAC 4.1x Balanced. They are running into the baby AN M1 preamplifier which, when our M9 gets here a-n-y d-a-y n-o-w, I want to snarf for my office system to use instead of the Lexicon DC-1 I am using now [for TV and computer]. I anticipate a vast improvement in musicality. Lexicon – phooey. After my $6500 MC-1 died, and it cost more to repair than to buy a used one – and the fact that it did not work right to start with [DTS], and there is no digital in [hello?] – I am happy that I have learned enough about this industry to know what is good value. It does make me spend a lot of time wondering about and analyzing what motivates people [like me] to buy X instead of Y.

Oh, I digress.

The rack is the Rix Rax Grand Hoodoo. The turntables, the Walker and the Audio Note, are not hooked up for some reason. It is always something that needs doing with 4 systems. And we are always running out of what seems like would be the Purrfect power cords and cables for a given situation. ODIN cables seems especially hard to free up around here 😉


The Marten Coltranes loudspeakers, on consignment, on the Lamm ML2.1 amplifiers driven by the Audio Aero Prestige CD/preamplifier. A nice system – but it needs a little optimization – A HRS platform for the Prestige would work wonders, I think, but all 12 are in use elsewhere. The Kharma Mini Exquisites speakers are taking a breather – but can be easily swapped into either of these two systems in this room.


The small system room. We are going to eventually move this system a little higher in the rainbow of high-end audio. Not that we [especially me] do not like this system – but people come here expecting the stars – and they are not [usually] all that interested in the moon.

in High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo / Showroom 1 / Showroom 2 / Showroom 3 / Showroom 4 0 comments
 by Michael

Marten's 'Coltrane – Black Pearl' loudspeaker

Marten has announced a limited edition ‘Coltrane’ loudspeaker called the ‘Black Pearl’.

What distinguishes this speaker, visually, is that the front panel is gloss black. Internally, though, is where the fun is: it is wired with Jorma Design’s PRIME cables. Enough said?

No? Then you haven’t heard the PRIME cables…:-) BUT there is also upgraded crossover parts, cabinet structure and slightly more tube-friendly bass drivers [which I think are now available on all new Coltranes]. Looks like the speaker is also about 14 lbs heavier than it used to be, now weighing in at 118lbs.

Price: $90K USD [‘Standard’ Coltranes are $60K] … of COURSE we want a pair. But we already have a pair of the walnut Coltranes in on consignment – their current owner is remodeling needs a little extra funds [figures, huh? All of you who have remodeled know exactly what I am talking about, don’t you] – so we aren’t desperate for the Black Pearl… yet.

Here is the essence of the brochure:

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

Wilson Audio's new Thor's Hammer Subwoofer

We snapped a few photos of the new Thor’s Hammer subwoofer before we saw the Alexandrias sitting nearby.

This sub stands about, oh, 5 feet tall? These days I am more a fan of self-powered subs, and Wilson makes a great one of those too, along with Krell, Kharma, et. al. , but still, if you have a an extra solidstate amp sitting around that is not much good at music – they might be just fine at driving one of these.

Great name for a subwoofer, don’t you think? Hmmmmm… lots of subwoofers have great names – Wamm, WHOW, WatchDog [hmm… maybe not so good], Depth Charge , EarthQuake, … – I wonder why it is that they seem so much easier to name than the main speakers? Having a hard time trying to think of ONE good name of a loudspeaker out there….

Thor’s Hammer looks a lot like the old Wilson XS Subwoofer


Seriously front ported.


Nothing in back but a pair of binding posts…


And the insignia.

in CEDIA 2008 / High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo / Show Reports 0 comments