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.

The Cogent True-to-life Loudspeaker

While at Stereophile’s Home Entertainment Show 2006 in Los Angeles we visited the home of one of the principals of Cogent True-to-Life. Cogent is working on modernizing the field-coil compression driver that was used in loudspeakers ‘back in the day’.

To hear what these drivers sound like they put them in custom loudspeakers such as the white horn loudspeakers we heard at CES 2006 and earlier this month during our visit.

Close up of Cogent True-to-Life high-frequency horn
Close up of Cogent True-to-Life high-frequency horn

We very much liked what we heard both at CES and during our recent audition – though we feel that both systems were comprimised and wonder what these modest horns with their state of the art drivers would sound like hooked up to comensurable equipment.

Perhaps the Mixibitors will come to the rescue…

But until then here are some pictures and some listening impressions:

The Audio Federation Cogent True-to-Life Horn Loudspeaker Report

Enjoy!

A Fond Farewell to the Audio Note M10 preamplifier

It was only on loan – we thought we could keep it for awhile, but some lucky person decided to buy it and this morning I wake up to them sitting on the table, all cleaned up and shiney.

We only got a chance to hear them a short while – but I am ex-ex-experienc-ing with-draw-all symp-symp-symp-….

Audio Note M10 preamplifier
Audio Note M10 preamplifier

One of the Audio Note M10 preamplifier's Galahad power supply
One of the Audio Note M10 preamplifier’s Galahad power supply

Audio Note M10 preamplifier
Audio Note M10 preamplifier front panel

More later when we recover….