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  1. #151
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Quote Originally Posted by kiwi_1282001 View Post
    Music for the NEXT room - Update 9



    This update is a continuation of my thoughts and experiments in creating a good listening environment within the confines of a small listening room measuring approximately 17ft x 11ft. Starting with the shell of a room that started life as a ground floor garage this update together with others that will follow will chart key conflicts, decisions and progress towards what I hope will be a new and rewarding approach to small room acoustics.

    This particular update will discuss interesting observations I’ve made about the critical importance of treating early reflections.


    GOOD VIBRATIONS - - BAD REFLECTIONS

    According to many text books on acoustics, not to mention a vast body of knowledge recounted elsewhere and in forums worldwide – reflections are bad and should be dealt with; usually via the use of absorbers. As the story goes, sound waves reflect from walls, floors, and ceilings, reaching our ears milliseconds after the direct sounds from the speakers and smearing those sounds. Further, echoes reverberate back and forth between parallel reflective surfaces, adding more smear and colouring the sound with spurious brightness or resonating bass hangovers. Moreover, reflections from side walls are heard as false stereo direction cues, impairing the accuracy with which a system reproduces instrumental locations.

    While there is little debate about how damaging reflections can potentially be, there is significant debate about what to do about it.

    Those that have followed the progression of my earlier audio room will recall that after evaluating bare wall (no treatment), absorbers and diffusors at the first sidewall reflection points – I far preferred the use of diffusors.

    The recent arrival of wing diffusor panels from Svanå Miljö Teknik (SMT) of Sweden once again provide me with an opportunity to observe the impact of diffusors at the first sidewall reflection points.



    TO WILLOW OR NOT TO WILLOW

    The manufacturers of my loudspeakers, Raidho Acoustics (Denmark) are often seen at exhibitions and tradeshows making use of dried bunches of willow at first sidewall reflection points. These should be seen for what they are – scatterers. Trying some myself I noted their use was a marked improvement over the bare wall alternative. In truth, the Raidho tweeters have about three times the surface area of most conventional dome tweeters and this reinforces the need for some form of early reflection treatment.




    Photo 1: Locating the first sidewall reflection point using light & mirror & use of willow ‘diffusion’



    But can we better the willow?

    I have been fascinated for some time with the work of Svanå Miljö Teknik of Sweden. A friend of mine in Singapore, who is something of a lay expert in acoustics, first introduced me to their work about 18 months ago by bringing a couple of replica wing panels to my audio room for demonstration. Replacing my existing sidewall diffusors with the wing panels was a revelation. Just ten seconds into a reference audio track I looked my friend in the eye and told him I needed these panels.

    What spurred this call? Simple, I was hearing more from the recording than I’ve ever heard.

    So, enquiring minds ask why, to which the reply went:
    “Diffusion sustains sound in the room longer and at a more even decay pattern and with lower amplitude. SMT’s acoustic treatment concept differs from many traditional approaches. Traditionally LEDE theorists believe that early reflections in the 5-30 millisecond time range should be reduced in order to receive more direct sound from speaker, and that the diffusion sound field after 30 millisecond is good for maintain liveness of the room. However, SMT theory is that reflection within 5-30 milliseconds should remain and reflection after 30 millisecond should attenuated, because room reflection between 5-50 millisecond are actually helping the slower brain to make sense of what our ear hear, while room reflection after 50 millisecond our brain will treat it as echo (Haas effect) causing listener confusion via reduced intelligibility and clarity.”




    Photo 2: White coloured SMT wing diffusors in place at 1st sidewall reflection point



    THE RESULTS & NEXT STEPS

    I could not be happier with the impact of SMT wing diffusors at the 1st sidewall reflection point. Continued listening has confirmed within the context of my room and compared with absorption / no treatment at all and rudimentary scattering devices, the resolution, in particular resolved micro detail and ambient information, is far superior and this seems to benefit all recordings – but particularly poor CD recordings which often lack air and spatial depth and tend to decode as a thinly dimensioned central homogenized cluster or worse audibly appear tethered to the loudspeakers.

    What is so clearly audibly different ought to be measurable and indeed it was. Chart 1 below plots two z-weighted frequency response traces for the room. The green trace is bare wall; the yellow trace with two SMT diffusors sited at first sidewall reflection points. While specified with a working range of 350Hz to 16KHz as evidenced below I measured improvements below and above these limits.




    Chart 1: Measuring the FR difference, bare wall vs. wing diffusor via XTZ Pro II analyser. Vast improvement while room still quite reflective.



    As I have a number of SMT panels I plan to place others at various other locations in the room to observe their impact.

    Kiwi,

    Once again, thanks for sharing your journey with me/us, and I for one once again admire your eye for detail. As it all begins and end with the AC outlets and said room. And it goes without saying - but you've once again assembled a wonderful looking kit.

    Here's wishing you and yours Seasons Greetings, and an even more productive New Year.


    _o scar

  2. #152
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Ralph,

    Thanks for the update....

    Looks like the SMT diffusers are a great find.. What are the the dimensions ?? Any more detailed pics ?

    What's next in acoustic testing ? More diffusion, bass and absorption possibilities ?

    Impact of moving equipment from side wall to front?

    Last, is the amp search on hold until the room is dialed in ?

    Thanks for your continuing input

    All the best,

    Tom SE MI

  3. #153
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Ralph,

    After looking at your latest room pictures I changed my sidewall diffusion setup.

    I removed the horizontally mounted GIK Monster bass traps that served as the base for my SRL diffusers.

    With the SRL diffusers now as the base [ 4' x4'] I stacked 2 Vicoustic D2 multifusors [2 x 4] above. While the Vicoustic D2's are not the ideal match, the improvement is significant

    Clarity and presence are greatly improved... Thanks again for the continued inspiration

    Back to Sun Kil Moon..Admiral Fell Promises

    All the best,

    Tom SE MI

  4. #154
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Quote Originally Posted by Kt77 View Post
    Kiwi,

    Once again, thanks for sharing your journey with me/us, and I for one once again admire your eye for detail. As it all begins and end with the AC outlets and said room. And it goes without saying - but you've once again assembled a wonderful looking kit.

    Here's wishing you and yours Seasons Greetings, and an even more productive New Year.

    Thanks for the kind words Oscar. The journey continues and while I’m actually quite happy with my current systems performance there is always the urge to explore possible improvements.

    Likewise wishing you and other readers compliments of the season.



    Quote Originally Posted by hoosiertom View Post
    Ralph,

    After looking at your latest room pictures I changed my sidewall diffusion setup.

    I removed the horizontally mounted GIK Monster bass traps that served as the base for my SRL diffusers.

    With the SRL diffusers now as the base [ 4' x4'] I stacked 2 Vicoustic D2 multifusors [2 x 4] above. While the Vicoustic D2's are not the ideal match, the improvement is significant

    Clarity and presence are greatly improved... Thanks again for the continued inspiration

    Back to Sun Kil Moon..Admiral Fell Promises

    All the best,

    Tom SE MI

    Hey Tom,

    Now isn’t that interesting? I’m so pleased to read of you witnessing significant audible improvements by employing sidewall diffusion. The vast majority of audiophiles either have no treatment at all or some form of absorption located here – so welcome to the irreverent minority.

    I’ve used Vicoustic (Portugal) DC2 multifusors at the 1st side wall reflection point and they work fine. Better still (IMHO), but more pricey, was the SMT Acoustics (Sweden) Golden Horn, which is bettered again by the SMT Acoustics paper S-Wing.

    You may find a more optimal location in your listening room for the GIK Acoustics (USA) Monster bass trap. I had a number of those in my earlier room and found them quite effective at improving decay times (reducing bass overhang).

    I will post more details shortly on the SMT wing diffusor.

  5. #155
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Hey Tom,

    Now isn’t that interesting? I’m so pleased to read of you witnessing significant audible improvements by employing sidewall diffusion. The vast majority of audiophiles either have no treatment at all or some form of absorption located here – so welcome to the irreverent minority.

    I’ve used Vicoustic (Portugal) DC2 multifusors at the 1st side wall reflection point and they work fine. Better still (IMHO), but more pricey, was the SMT Acoustics (Sweden) Golden Horn, which is bettered again by the SMT Acoustics paper S-Wing.

    You may find a more optimal location in your listening room for the GIK Acoustics (USA) Monster bass trap. I had a number of those in my earlier room and found them quite effective at improving decay times (reducing bass overhang).

    I will post more details shortly on the SMT wing diffusor.[/QUOTE]

    Ralph,

    Thanks to your thread I've learned a lot about getting the room setup sorted rather than replacing equipment.

    You're talking to the choir when you mention diffusion

    The front wall: 1 4' x 8' prime 37 SRL diffuser w/ GIK Mega Bass Trap w/ Tri-Trap stacked on top

    Side walls.... as mentioned before Monster Bass Traps used as bases for difussion in my room found counter productive to best sound.

    Rear wall: 4 GIK Monster Bass Traps and 6 Vicoustic D2

    Guilty as charged to the diffusion rap

    In a 11 x16 room no less....

    Thanks,

    Tom SE MI

  6. #156
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Greetings Tom,

    Wow! From your above description it is clearly evident we are on the same page as far as small room acoustics is concerned.

    Would you mind sending me a couple of photos of your room; either via AS messaging or via e-mail to kiwi_1282001@yahoo.com?

    In reply to your earlier question; having my equipment rack between the two loudspeakers is not optimal and I don't recommend it. It does help that the speakers are well in front of the rack but even so the rack in its current location compromises sound-stage and the boxes / equipment lights are distracting.

    Cheers
    Ralph

  7. #157
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Hey Ralph,

    Any progress / updates on your room / system ?

    All the best,

    Tom SE Michigan It snowed this AM... Now melted

  8. #158
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Hey Tom, thanks for the interest and sorry for delay in reply.

    I've been consumed by a new business venture and an unfortunate result of that has been no meaningful progress with the system or room. On a brighter note it must be said a period without change is not a bad thing - it allows you peace and a straight road to simply sit back and enjoy the music you have time to play, without the burden of intellectual assessment on what the next change may be.



    Photo 1: The straight road to my vacation home

  9. #159
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    PM Sent

  10. #160

    Re: Music from a farther room

    PM Sent about Diffusers!

  11. #161
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Welcome to the forum Lonely Raven, thank you for joining.
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  12. #162

    Re: Music from a farther room

    Thanks Joe!

    I love room treatments, and I've been designing my own for years. I love this thread...I've been going down similar learning path as Kiwi.

    Since Kiwi is busy, I'll just ask here:

    I've been trying to find these micro diffuser blocks for a few years now. Anyone know where I can order some in the US, or will ship to the US? I have some projects for myself and friends that I'd love to use these on! Thanks in Advance.

    OK, I can't post images yet - I need 10 posts. But if you look at Post 12 on Page 2 of this thread, the black and white cube diffusers. I need a whole bunch of them for some projects. Anyone have a source?

    Thanks!

    ~Eric~
    Attached Images Attached Images

  13. #163
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Hello Eric and welcome to AS.

    All I know is that the diffusor blocks were contract manufactured in Asia. I have no relationship with or contact details for the manufacturer. I will make some inquiries at the local audiophile association to see if anyone knows more and PM you if they do.

    The blocks are very effective.


    Borresen Acoustics Loudspeakers, Borresen Model 01 Compact monitor loudspeakers with Ansuz Darkz T2s Supreme resonance control, Audio Video Manufaktur GmbH (AVM) Inspiration amplifier & streamer, Innuos Zen MKII music server, Ansuz Acoustics cables & accessories. Please visit my system thread hosted on Audioshark for more details. Disclosure: The author is materially connected to Ansuz, Aavik & Borresen Acoustics via friendship with an owner.

  14. #164

    Re: Music from a farther room

    Awesome! Any info you can find would be greatly appreciated! What you did in your room, is pretty much what I'm looking to do - plus I have some other design ideas to use with them. I just can't find anything like them in the US, and everyone I talked to about making some for me...they wanted minimum orders of 10,000 units or something silly. Just not feasible for me at this time. I could "wallpaper" my house with that many!

  15. #165
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    A NEW HIGH END INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER


    High end integrated amplifiers are making a comeback in the audio marketplace. In the last few months Gryphon Audio, Hegel Music Systems, Pass Labs, Luxman and darTZeel to name a few, have all announced new high end integrated products to their respective channels. The question for many is what underpins the rational for this strategy and investment?

    Perhaps the answer is provided for us by the marketing pontiffs who bellow out that they are simply responding to customer need for a cost and space conscious product option which offers both user friendliness and outstanding performance? Remove the marketing veneer and perhaps the real reason is that traditional amplifier companies want (need?) to address a broader spectrum of customers and can do so cost effectively by sticking separate parts they largely already have into a single box and ‘hey presto’ – trumpets please – a single, but not necessarily cheap, box for the common man! This hypothesis has some appeal when you lift the lid of some these integrated amplifiers and find that the design teams of such companies are choosing to leverage or slightly tweak existing technologies and topologies rather than opting to completely re-invent the wheel – an observation which leads some to believe that integrateds will forever remain the poor cousins to separates.

    Looking at the proposition from another angle we might observe that the ‘come back’ of high end integrated amplifiers; assuming you believe they went away in the first place, has been hampered by a general lack of acceptance by many audiophiles who have become so accustomed to large pre and power amps equating to ‘good sound’ that their thinking can’t stretch to considering integrateds as possible high end players. Further, the more two or three piece amps audiophiles acquire, the less motivated they are in undermining the aftermarket value of their possessions by creating a break in the acquisition pattern.

    But times are changing, even if some die hard audiophile opinions are not and the rise in success of integrated ‘wunderpieces’ (Devialet et. al.) provides some evidence of a market yearning for single box solutions. The once embedded and widely shared tribal code that pre-supposed that lots of boxes are needed to create ‘good sound’ is resequencing and progressively revealing the prospect of a new profile.

    Within the above context steps – from out of the shadows – the true intent of this update. In the next two months my system will be privileged to host two of the arguably finest integrated amplifiers created. One of them will replace my Gryphon Diablo and become my new reference for what is possible from a single box flagship. Stay tuned!

  16. #166

    Re: Music from a farther room

    As high-end integrates are one of my focus areas, I'm most interested in your upcoming experiences and conclusions. I'm also here to give you my view in relation to your choices if interested.
    PERFECT SENSE
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  17. #167
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Great post! I think you are right in that Devialet helped shed a spotlight once again on just what we can do with a great integrated. I heard the Jeff Rowland $40,000 "Super Integrated" at the show and it was absolutely superb. The design, the look, the features, and also the power (1500 watts per channel) was absolutely mind blowing.

    At first I thought "$40,000 is a hell of a lot of money". But when I factored in the cost of separates, interconnects and power cords of some of the top gear like Soulution, Vitus, etc., hmmm, it may not be all that crazy. Of course you can find much less expensive integrated amps, but this new piece from Jeff is in the realm of some of the best amp/preamp/DAC combos around. It had a glorious liquid sound.

    But I've also heard several other integrated amps in the $5k-$20k range that were also superb. The new Pass INT-60 and the VAC 160i SE come to mind.

    If the sonics of integrated amps today can keep pace with the best separates and give up very little, then there will be a growing market.

    Now, a module approach, completely interchangeable, as it relates to integrated amps (see Vinnie Rossi Lio) is one to watch in the future.
    My Systems: http://www.audioshark.org/showthread...481#post158481

    "We can hear everything we measure, but we can't measure everything we hear. Let your ears be your guide."

    Dealer for: Aqua Hi-Fi, Aurender, AudioQuest Cables & Power Products, Berkeley Audio, Block Audio (distributor), Boulder Amplifiers, Bowers & Wilkins (B&W), Bryston, Clarisys Audio Loudspeakers (distributor), Classe’ Audio, Degritter Record Cleaning Machines, Esoteric, Finite Elemente, FirstWatt, Focal Loudspeakers and Headphones, GigaFoil, Harbeth Loudspeakers, Hegel, HiFi Man, Innuos, ISO Acoustics, Keces Power Supplies, Kharma Loudspeakers and Electronics, Kuzma Turntables, Lumin, Luxman, Magico Loudspeakers, MBL Speakers & Electronics, MSB Technologies, MySonicLabs Phono Cartridges, Nordost Cables, Ortofon, Pass Labs, Quadraspire, Rega Turntables and Electronics, Shunyata Research, STAX, Stein Music Products, Stillpoints, Soulution, VAC, Vicoustics, Viva Audio, VPI Industries, WireWorld Cables.

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  18. #168
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Ralph, I'm sure you're going to be considering the new Raidho integrated in your tests. Lars and I were discussing it in detail this past weekend at RMAF. It's definitely a great looking and sounding piece.
    My Systems: http://www.audioshark.org/showthread...481#post158481

    "We can hear everything we measure, but we can't measure everything we hear. Let your ears be your guide."

    Dealer for: Aqua Hi-Fi, Aurender, AudioQuest Cables & Power Products, Berkeley Audio, Block Audio (distributor), Boulder Amplifiers, Bowers & Wilkins (B&W), Bryston, Clarisys Audio Loudspeakers (distributor), Classe’ Audio, Degritter Record Cleaning Machines, Esoteric, Finite Elemente, FirstWatt, Focal Loudspeakers and Headphones, GigaFoil, Harbeth Loudspeakers, Hegel, HiFi Man, Innuos, ISO Acoustics, Keces Power Supplies, Kharma Loudspeakers and Electronics, Kuzma Turntables, Lumin, Luxman, Magico Loudspeakers, MBL Speakers & Electronics, MSB Technologies, MySonicLabs Phono Cartridges, Nordost Cables, Ortofon, Pass Labs, Quadraspire, Rega Turntables and Electronics, Shunyata Research, STAX, Stein Music Products, Stillpoints, Soulution, VAC, Vicoustics, Viva Audio, VPI Industries, WireWorld Cables.

    https://suncoastaudio.com/
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  19. #169
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Quote Originally Posted by Hyperion View Post
    As high-end integrates are one of my focus areas, I'm most interested in your upcoming experiences and conclusions. I'm also here to give you my view in relation to your choices if interested.
    Thank you. I recall our earlier conversations on Gryphon, Vitus, Jeff Rowland and other integrated products, and I’m really excited about what is going to slot into my system soon!





    Quote Originally Posted by Mike View Post
    Great post! I think you are right in that Devialet helped shed a spotlight once again on just what we can do with a great integrated. I heard the Jeff Rowland $40,000 "Super Integrated" at the show and it was absolutely superb. The design, the look, the features, and also the power (1500 watts per channel) was absolutely mind blowing. […]

    Thanks Mike. I strongly feel the gap is closing and in some cases completely non-existent between integrated and separate performance levels. I further agree with you that if integrated amps can keep pace with the best separates or at least give up very little to the same – then this will further accelerate demand and consequent segment growth.

    Traditionally integrated audio components have not offered the flexibility, connectivity or the performance levels of separates – but jamming all things into a single box is less of a compromise today than its ever been and the ease of system matching which an integrated more readily affords may tip the balance in its favour.

    My feeling Mike, and I may be wrong, is that integrated amplifiers are pushing the performance envelope further and faster than their separate cousins.


    I have also seen your earlier comments and recommendation of the VAC160i SE and I’m going to see if an audition of that product is also possible. Thanks for that.




    Quote Originally Posted by Mike View Post
    Ralph, I'm sure you're going to be considering the new Raidho integrated in your tests. Lars and I were discussing it in detail this past weekend at RMAF. It's definitely a great looking and sounding piece.

    I’m not considering the Aavik Integrated as the product has no local representation and I’m therefore unable to audition it.
    Borresen Acoustics Loudspeakers, Borresen Model 01 Compact monitor loudspeakers with Ansuz Darkz T2s Supreme resonance control, Audio Video Manufaktur GmbH (AVM) Inspiration amplifier & streamer, Innuos Zen MKII music server, Ansuz Acoustics cables & accessories. Please visit my system thread hosted on Audioshark for more details. Disclosure: The author is materially connected to Ansuz, Aavik & Borresen Acoustics via friendship with an owner.

  20. #170
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Ralph, what is the voltage in Singapore?
    Le Roy

    Austin, Tx : Soulution 520 preamp, 501 mono blocks, 541 SACD/560 DAC w/ Network Streaming, Raidho D3.1, Lumin U1, Uptone Audio Modded Mac Mini w/ MMK fanless kit & JS-2 LPS, Regen, Ansuz DTC loom (complete), Oppo 105D, QNAP TS-451+

    Chicagoland : Soulution 725 preamp, 711 stereo amp, 541 SACD/560 DAC w/ Network Streaming, Raidho D5.1, Naim UnitiServe 2TB, Aurender W-20 Ansuz DTC later generation wire, Teac X1000 R2R, QNAP TS-451+

    Foundation:
    Raidho Rack system, Ansuz DTC Mainz8, Ansuz (2) Supreme Mainz D8 Distribution, 20 amp dedicated outlets via subpanel

  21. #171
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Hi Le Roy. 230 VAC, 50Hz.
    Borresen Acoustics Loudspeakers, Borresen Model 01 Compact monitor loudspeakers with Ansuz Darkz T2s Supreme resonance control, Audio Video Manufaktur GmbH (AVM) Inspiration amplifier & streamer, Innuos Zen MKII music server, Ansuz Acoustics cables & accessories. Please visit my system thread hosted on Audioshark for more details. Disclosure: The author is materially connected to Ansuz, Aavik & Borresen Acoustics via friendship with an owner.

  22. #172
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Thanks Ralph, I will be watching this thread to see how this little experiment goes.
    Mark


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  23. #173
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Quote Originally Posted by MDP View Post
    Thanks Ralph, I will be watching this thread to see how this little experiment goes.
    Thanks Mark. The first integrated to be auditioned arrives tomorrow.
    Borresen Acoustics Loudspeakers, Borresen Model 01 Compact monitor loudspeakers with Ansuz Darkz T2s Supreme resonance control, Audio Video Manufaktur GmbH (AVM) Inspiration amplifier & streamer, Innuos Zen MKII music server, Ansuz Acoustics cables & accessories. Please visit my system thread hosted on Audioshark for more details. Disclosure: The author is materially connected to Ansuz, Aavik & Borresen Acoustics via friendship with an owner.

  24. #174
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Quote Originally Posted by kiwi_1282001 View Post
    Thanks Mark. The first integrated to be auditioned arrives tomorrow.
    Ralph, are you going to keep us in suspense? Or are you going to give us the roster of candidates for your new integrated?

    Le Roy

    Austin, Tx : Soulution 520 preamp, 501 mono blocks, 541 SACD/560 DAC w/ Network Streaming, Raidho D3.1, Lumin U1, Uptone Audio Modded Mac Mini w/ MMK fanless kit & JS-2 LPS, Regen, Ansuz DTC loom (complete), Oppo 105D, QNAP TS-451+

    Chicagoland : Soulution 725 preamp, 711 stereo amp, 541 SACD/560 DAC w/ Network Streaming, Raidho D5.1, Naim UnitiServe 2TB, Aurender W-20 Ansuz DTC later generation wire, Teac X1000 R2R, QNAP TS-451+

    Foundation:
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  25. #175
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    A NEW HIGH END INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER



    The search to replace my Gryphon Diablo integrated amplifier starts – quite deliberately – in seemingly the most unlikely of quarters, a relatively low powered Pentode EL34 integrated amplifier in the form of the Kondo Overture.




    Photo 1: The box containing the Kondo Audio Note Overture PM-2




    This is the latest spec’d model with new output transformers and improved power supply. Rated at 30 watts per channel it would seem inadequate to drive my Raidho D2 loudspeakers but recent experience with another valve integrated amplifier, a 30 watt class A unit had demonstrated that good results were possible with lower power amplifiers. Unlike many of its peers the Raidho loudspeakers do not dip much below 6 ohm and are therefore present a comfortable 8+ ohm load across much of the audio band. However, the Raidho’s are not the most efficient of speakers and therefore amplifiers that can swing plenty of volts can be needed where desired listening levels are high and/or listening spaces are large.




    Photo 2: Peeking into the audio room – the Kondo sits on a Stillpoints equipment stand




    This 2nd generation Kondo Overture integrated amplifier (the first version appeared in 2011) is a push pull design based on the pentode EL34 with the gain stage using dual 6072’s and 12BH7 tubes. Surprisingly, given the amplifiers $40,000 price tag modest Svetlana and EH tubes are employed – still this is entry level Kondo with the next step up the ladder being the Ongaku at around US$120,000.

    While not particularly large or heavy the Kondo Overture stands at over 200mm high and when combined with my usual third party feet is too high to fit my rack shelves so for the purpose of the audition we mounted it on a Stillpoints component stand. This arrangement also facilitated speedier cable changes so comparison could be made with reference system.




    Photo 3: The Kondo Overture connected to the rest of the system.



    For the purpose of the audition the Kondo was connected to my Esoteric K-03 CDP and Raidho Acoustics D2 loudspeakers via reference cables from Nordost (USA) and Ansuz Acoustics (Denmark). Six reference audio tracks (CD & SACD) were used for the evaluation.


    So, what did I think of the Kondo Overture? Find out in my next update, which will be out as soon as I can get my thoughts down on paper and carefully considered.
    Borresen Acoustics Loudspeakers, Borresen Model 01 Compact monitor loudspeakers with Ansuz Darkz T2s Supreme resonance control, Audio Video Manufaktur GmbH (AVM) Inspiration amplifier & streamer, Innuos Zen MKII music server, Ansuz Acoustics cables & accessories. Please visit my system thread hosted on Audioshark for more details. Disclosure: The author is materially connected to Ansuz, Aavik & Borresen Acoustics via friendship with an owner.

  26. #176
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Quote Originally Posted by Mike View Post
    Ralph, I'm sure you're going to be considering the new Raidho integrated in your tests. Lars and I were discussing it in detail this past weekend at RMAF. It's definitely a great looking and sounding piece.
    I second this opinion. I've heard the unity piece several times now and it is really amazing. You have to hear it to believe it but suffice to say it does not disappoint...


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  27. #177
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Ralph, thanks for posting pics along with your well expressed views. What led you in the direction of the Kondo? I'll anxiously await your next update!

    I see you only have a modest amount of acoustical treatment in your new listening room. Is there any treatment behind your listening position?
    Le Roy

    Austin, Tx : Soulution 520 preamp, 501 mono blocks, 541 SACD/560 DAC w/ Network Streaming, Raidho D3.1, Lumin U1, Uptone Audio Modded Mac Mini w/ MMK fanless kit & JS-2 LPS, Regen, Ansuz DTC loom (complete), Oppo 105D, QNAP TS-451+

    Chicagoland : Soulution 725 preamp, 711 stereo amp, 541 SACD/560 DAC w/ Network Streaming, Raidho D5.1, Naim UnitiServe 2TB, Aurender W-20 Ansuz DTC later generation wire, Teac X1000 R2R, QNAP TS-451+

    Foundation:
    Raidho Rack system, Ansuz DTC Mainz8, Ansuz (2) Supreme Mainz D8 Distribution, 20 amp dedicated outlets via subpanel

  28. #178
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Quote Originally Posted by Odyssey View Post
    Ralph, thanks for posting pics along with your well expressed views. What led you in the direction of the Kondo? I'll anxiously await your next update! […]


    Greetings Le Roy, it was curiosity that led to the Kondo audition. We constantly read that Raidho speakers need powerful neutral amplifiers which can deliver loads of current and boast large damping factors – but I was interested to observe what results can be achieved with something that is entirely different but of exceptional quality. I was encouraged by an earlier audition of a Doge integrated amplifier (photo below) which demonstrated at reasonable listening levels tubes and Raidho can dance together albeit with a rounded and less impactful bass.





    Photo 1: Doge Prima Donna integrated amplifier, KT88 or KT120 valves




    Photo 2: Class selector, Class A 30 watts, Class AB1 55 watts, Class AB2 80 watts (rms) per channel




    What drives me on the HiFi journey is not high fidelity per se but emotional engagement to the musical reproduction and what the music continues to message to me long after the stereo system is turned off. There is something special about the seemingly fuller bodied sound valves can provide and the audition of the Kondo Overture was an opportunity to once again re-evaluate this in a setting where large solid state amplifiers were also at hand for direct comparison.


    My next update is not far off. I know I’m slow with posts – but I don’t like to impulsively post thoughts on products. Whatever I finally say will be detailed and very carefully considered.




    Quote Originally Posted by Odyssey View Post
    […]
    I see you only have a modest amount of acoustical treatment in your new listening room. Is there any treatment behind your listening position?


    The room is an on-going experiment for me which I’ve unfortunately not had the time to report. Behind the listening chair is a window and it is fitted with acoustic curtains which provide a modest amount of higher frequency absorption.

    I have dedicated audio rooms in two separate houses. One audio room is heavily treated and the other (as seen in photos above) is only lightly treated. The comparison between the two – a topic of immense personal interest to me – will be the topic of a future update.
    Borresen Acoustics Loudspeakers, Borresen Model 01 Compact monitor loudspeakers with Ansuz Darkz T2s Supreme resonance control, Audio Video Manufaktur GmbH (AVM) Inspiration amplifier & streamer, Innuos Zen MKII music server, Ansuz Acoustics cables & accessories. Please visit my system thread hosted on Audioshark for more details. Disclosure: The author is materially connected to Ansuz, Aavik & Borresen Acoustics via friendship with an owner.

  29. #179
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Quote Originally Posted by Mike View Post
    Ralph, I'm sure you're going to be considering the new Raidho integrated in your tests. Lars and I were discussing it in detail this past weekend at RMAF. It's definitely a great looking and sounding piece.
    Mike I didn't make it to the RMAF but are you talking about a newer integrated than the U300?
    George

    Aavik U300 - Borresen 03 with optional Supreme D-TC feet - Naim unitiserve 2tb - Ansuz DTC digital cable with power box - Ansuz Mainz8 D-TC with 1 Ansuz Supreme D-TC and 1 Ceramic V2 power cords - Ansuz Ceramic V2 speaker cables - Ansus X Ethernet - pARTicular Novus full suspension rack.

  30. #180
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    A NEW HIGH END INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER



    Well, on then with the audition of the Kondo (Audio Note) Overture Integrated amplifier.


    The six tracks used for the evaluation / comparisons were:


    I’m On Fire, Edward Val, STS Digital, used for spatial and ambient evaluation


    Morning Bird, Sade, Sony, used for black backdrop, piano & cello & sensory response to this


    Summertime, Angelique Kidjo, Wrasse Records, used for resolution and female vocal realism


    The Power of Goodbye, Madonna, Warner, used for complex layered soundscape, vocal discrimination and low bass evaluation


    The Look of Love, ABC, Mercury, bad recording reference – how does the product respond noisy, grainy, 80’s synth pop?


    Scheherazade Op.35, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Living Stereo, large scale orchestral and dynamics evaluation.






    Photo 1: The Kondo Overture amplifier. Latest version can be identified by the push button start




    THE SOUND


    First impressions so often set the table for the entire meal and loading Edward Val’s take of Springsteen’s I’m on Fire, the first thing to strike you about the Kondo’s sound’ is its composed, relaxed quality, reminiscent of utterly unforced delivery. Unflustered and unhurried the reproduction takes the listener on a journey that metaphorically starts with a deep breath and continues in a natural and uncontrived fashion from start to finish of the track. The music is gloriously fluid, melodic and ethereal and yet does not sacrifice resolution with spatial cues, ambient and low level detail, ( in particular final tail reverberation) all present and accounted for and on par with the best I’ve heard. Furthermore, the vocal specificity, that is the shape, density, definition and lateral positioning of the vocal image was outstanding, considerably better than my reference integrated amplifier, the Gryphon Diablo.


    The Kondo’s sense of musical flow continued in the emotionally charged and almost somniferous groove of Morning Bird by Sade. The opening piano key strokes come across wonderfully weighted, harmonic and airy as does the delicate metallic shimmer of the percussion. My senses – my litmus test of quality reproduction – immediately respond to the mournfulness of the cello and the seeming desolation and silent pain of the piano. The long rests between piano strikes create tension, intensity and a feeling of sparseness – precisely the backdrop the composer intended in order to build and sustain an atmosphere complimentary to the lyrics. While the Kondo did not paint the blackest of backgrounds in which to appreciate this track [other integrated amplifiers like the Jeff Rowland S2 are better at that], it did invite me as the listener deep into the music and held me there enthralled. Moreover, the Kondo’s resolution continued to impress with the definition of the percussion – a shivering tambourine – being particularly impressive, floating free from the kick drum with change noticeable in each shake.





    Photo 2: The Kondo presents a pleasingly simple user interface



    Turning now to dynamics, Madonna’s The Power of Goodbye is a challenge for any audio system to reproduce. The Orbit inspired masterpiece invokes a massive layered soundscape with complex texture and minutiae detail even whilst the underlying beat propels the tracks momentum with solid energy. Spectral analysis shows enormous energy in the sub 32Hz and the 63-160Hz parts of the audio spectrum requiring amplifiers to make heavy continuous demands on the output stage and the power supply in order for the speaker woofers to draw sufficient current to cleanly reproduce the music. The Kondo’s discrimination, that is, its ability to cleanly separate instruments was outstanding. Madonna’s voice floated effortlessly above the complex cacophony of electronica to impart deep and poetic lyrics of separation pain. Less impressive was the Kondo’s reproduction of low bass which lacked the immediacy and impact of the Gryphon. Whilst still pleasingly musical the Kondo’s low bass lacked heft and concussive force – possibly indicating a less than optimal pairing with the Raidho speakers, but what the Kondo gives up in an ultimate sense of grip and control it arguably gains in a sense of harmonic freedom and flow leading, I feel, to a high level of listener involvement and emotional engagement.


    Finally, the other tracks used for evaluation were also revealing. ABC’s Look of love demonstrated that the Kondo does not wall paper cracks the same way some valve amplifiers seem to and the Kondo lacked nothing in its reproduction of the demanding Scheherazade – which came across as life like in terms of snap, aliveness and room filling scale.



    CONCLUSION


    To my ears the Kondo represents a balance of virtues – not so warm as to sound woolly and not so transparent as to sound stark or clinical. The Kondo may lean towards traditionalist ‘valve sound’ but it doesn’t venture so far as to morph into some sugar coated euphonious hifi treatment – in the vain of some all valve softies. Rather, the Kondo offers an analogue like sensibility sans the pops and rumble and proffers an uncanny and delightfully musically pleasing way with midrange (notably vocal and piano) reproduction which will be as irresistible as it is unfatiguing to some listeners. The Kondo’s resolution, that is its ability to resolve the subtlest, most delicate parts of the original sound – which are usually the first things lost by lessor components – was off the charts good. Only tracks with a prestigious amount of underlying low bass did the Kondo feel under damped, however, what the Kondo lacked in an ultimate sense of low bass grip and control it arguably gained in a sense of harmonic freedom and flow and the forest is more important than the trees.


    When sophistication and musically sympathetic reproduction is called for, perhaps the only five letters you will ever need to own are KONDO and throughout the audition it took considerable will power to stop my mind switching from listening to the music to musing whether I should simply write out the cheque to buy this amplifier immediately. Yes, it is that good. The prospect that the Kondo could possibly be further improved with more expensive tubes and greater run in time further fuels that temptation; but for now I must resist because next week sees the arrival of an entirely different integrated amplifier – one that is already being described by some as the end game of all integrateds….
    Borresen Acoustics Loudspeakers, Borresen Model 01 Compact monitor loudspeakers with Ansuz Darkz T2s Supreme resonance control, Audio Video Manufaktur GmbH (AVM) Inspiration amplifier & streamer, Innuos Zen MKII music server, Ansuz Acoustics cables & accessories. Please visit my system thread hosted on Audioshark for more details. Disclosure: The author is materially connected to Ansuz, Aavik & Borresen Acoustics via friendship with an owner.

  31. #181
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Ralph, that was a great write up! Thanks, I can't wait for next week.
    Mark


    Kharma DB9 Signature
    Pass Labs XP32......incoming
    Pass Labs X350.8
    Esoteric N-05XD
    VPI Avenger with Magnetic Drive
    Manley Chinook Phono Pre
    Ortofon Cadenza Black cartridge
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  32. #182
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    +1!
    _______________

    Mike

    Amplification: MBL 6010D, MBL 9008A Monos
    Analog: Kuzma R, Kuzma 4Point (11”), MSL Ultra Eminent EX
    Phono Pre: Pass XP-27
    Digital: Esoteric N01XD Esoteric K05
    Speakers: MBL 101E MKII
    Subwoofers: REL Carbon Specials
    Conditioner: Shunyata Triton 3
    Power Cables: Shunyata Sigma 1 & 2, Alpha 2, Delta and Venom
    ICs and SCs: Wireworld Platinum 8
    Rack: Artesania Exoteryc

  33. #183
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Quote Originally Posted by MDP View Post
    Ralph, that was a great write up! Thanks, I can't wait for next week.

    Thanks very much Mark.

    Next week has arrived and look whats turned up - something you are familiar with.




    Borresen Acoustics Loudspeakers, Borresen Model 01 Compact monitor loudspeakers with Ansuz Darkz T2s Supreme resonance control, Audio Video Manufaktur GmbH (AVM) Inspiration amplifier & streamer, Innuos Zen MKII music server, Ansuz Acoustics cables & accessories. Please visit my system thread hosted on Audioshark for more details. Disclosure: The author is materially connected to Ansuz, Aavik & Borresen Acoustics via friendship with an owner.

  34. #184
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Ralph, I am familiar with it. I thought it was a great piece. I look forward to your thoughts on it.
    Mark


    Kharma DB9 Signature
    Pass Labs XP32......incoming
    Pass Labs X350.8
    Esoteric N-05XD
    VPI Avenger with Magnetic Drive
    Manley Chinook Phono Pre
    Ortofon Cadenza Black cartridge
    Kharma Elegance speaker cables
    Kharma Elegance interconnects
    REL Subs

  35. #185
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    A NEW HIGH END INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER


    This update is a continuation of my thoughts and experiences in finding an integrated amplifier to replace my Gryphon Diablo. The Gryphon which has served me well for more than five years is no longer in production and in any case had seen reduced use in recent times.


    In the last treaties I had provided my thoughts on one possible replacement; the Kondo Overture II integrated amplifier – a product I found to be most impressive.


    My attention now turns to the amplifier you see photographed below, the Musical Fidelity NuVista 800. Released in late 2014 after the company had managed to track down highly sought-after nuvistor tubes and bases, it is said to be able to pump out 300 watts per channel and is configured in a dual mono design with separate 1.5 kV transformers per channel versus a total 2kVA rating for the Diablo.




    Photo 1: The front panel of the NuVista 800 - a visually pleasing clean shaven look




    THE SOUND


    It must be said from the outset, that I have not traditionally been a fan of Musical Fidelity’s (“MF”) sound. While I've not heard every integrated that MF has turned out and thus there could be exceptions to my following comments – of those that I have auditioned, two shortcomings were notable. The first was poor soundstage depth. I like cavernous soundstages, ones which you can clearly delineate orchestral seating (i.e. violins in front, wind instruments behind them & percussion behind them) in addition to localisation of the different symphony sections for example violin, viola, cello and double bass. The lack of soundstage depth exhibited by MF products led decided to a very two dimensional representation of the original recording space and the placement of the performers within it. The second issue centred on the treble which was altogether too bright. While all live sound has brightness; a problem occurs when this is excessive. Since many CD recordings are already steely, bright amplification quickly leads to stridence which is undesirable and quickly fatiguing.


    Mercifully, the NuVista is different and Edward Val’s rendition of Springsteen’s I’m on Fire surprised not only with the naturalness of voice – but with the startling richness of its presentation. To those that are pondering just how much valve character one really gets from a quartet of NuVista triode small signal valves – the first vocal answers! Relative to the Gryphon the NuVista has more chest and meat on its bones and while the vocal specificity was not up to Kondo standard it was still adequate and nicely supplemented with excellent retrieval of ambient detail.


    Wanting to explore vocals further I cued Sade’s Morning Bird. The NuVista faithfully reproduced the sepia-toned sadness of this song better than most other amplifiers I’ve had in my system. Sade’s voice was free from the mechanical restraints of the CD recording and instilled with natural emphasis, inflexion, purity and passion. While Sade’s voice did not breathe in quite the same fashion as it had with the Kondo the piano notes floated in the same fashion, almost as if each note was momentarily suspended in the air until it decayed naturally. Piano bass clef notes and the kick drum demonstrated real heft but it felt contextually right with the weight of each piano note seeming so precise and its placement so clear that the fragile relationship between Sade’s vocals and the instrumental underpinning is beautifully preserved and with it the full emotional weight and sense of pain and loss.


    Turning to more dynamic music, in Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade Op.35, the NuVistas sense of musical flow combined with its innate ability to encompass both the dynamic and rhythmic demands of the signal its feed – resulted in a presentation which truly captivated and enthralled. This recording (SACD) has abundant energy and sweeping scale; scale that when reproduced should fill your room in all three dimensions proffering superb localisation of the symphony sections and vivid insight into the recording and hall. Here NuVista was clearly in its element delivering not only a convincing sense of orchestral weight and effortless tracking of the towering opening tutti but also avoiding the congestion that is frequently observed in lower end integrated amplifiers.


    The Nuvista proved no slouch on complex studio albums either. Taking The Power of Good-Bye and Frozen both Orbit inspired masterpieces from Madonna’s GHV2 (Madonna, Greatest Hits Volume 2, Warner Music Group – 9362480002) as examples, the layered soundscapes are effortlessly reconstructed, sucking the listener into their complex texture and minutiae detail even whilst the underlying beat propels the tracks momentum with solid energy. These tracks did however highlight that while the NuVista exercised a good sense of grip and control over the bass it is not as incisive as the Jeff Rowland S2, Gryphon Diablo or Soulution 530 integrated amplifiers. To use a motoring analogy the NuVista is more American muscle car (with mass and torque) than high revving Italian supercar which is lighter on its feet. The NuVista feels a bit slower and a bit softer than some of its rivals. Wishing to explore this a bit further I cued up Nils Lofgren’s Keith don’t go and now it was clear that the NuVista’s smooth character was sacrificing some sharpness of transients with softness to leading edges of guitar notes robbing this piece of dynamic music of that last ounce of immediacy and attack.




    Photo 2: Care is needed with cabling – I preferred fast cables from Nordost & Ansuz



    Turning finally to my bad recording reference – I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I keyed up ABC’s digitally re-mastered but still bloody awful 1999 album, creatively entitled Classic ABC. This album serves as my bad recording reference; noisy and grainy 1980’s synth-pop at its worst, but it nonetheless sits on the top shelf of my CD rack because hits like Look of Love, Poison Arrow and All of My Heart are all defining musical moments of 80s nostalgia for me. It takes a well sorted amplifier and system to extract the music from the compressed, bright and splashy mayhem and the NuVista rose to the occasion delivering a highly listenable experience by seemingly focusing on the overall substance of the recording rather than the niceties of fine detail and acoustic perspective. In this sense the NuVista seemed so holistically coherent that you simply don’t question what isn’t there – rather you simply revel in what is.




    Photo 3: The massive heat sinks remained no more than warm during the audition



    CONCLUSION


    There are many roads to audio Nirvana. Most roads are long, winding, fold back on themselves in a deceptively Escheresque fashion and ultimately become journeys that are lamentably defined, measured and remembered more by expense then by pleasure. The problem is that most (self-included) start the journey without a clear sense of direction and at best only a vague idea of the final destination.


    The final destination in this authors opinion must be an audio playback system which provides no limits on your musical enjoyment, so that listening sessions will extend, a wider diversity of musical styles will be experimented with (and ultimately embraced) and you find yourself listening to entire albums (often twice) rather than skipping aimlessly through partially played tracks trying with increasingly levels of irritation to find some satisfaction.


    My overriding opinion is that the Musical Fidelity NuVista 800 sonically speaking could make a welcome addition to many a system. It offers a wonderful sense of musical flow combined with an ability to encompass both dynamic and rhythmic demands leading to a fluid and almost sinuous presentation which invites and encourages long listening sessions. Best employed in an otherwise neutral playback system and lashed together with the highest speed cables you can lay your hands on, the NuVista clearly adds a little ginger to the proceedings but in doing so positions the product as an interesting counterpoint to the bland, regimented, transparent, a-musical and mechanical qualities which inflect so many high end integrated amplifier designs. Certainly there are other integrated amplifiers in the market which surpass the Nuvista’s performance in terms of speed, transient attack and resolution – but these are not necessarily more engaging or gratifying to listen to. In a sense the NuVista offers a different view on musical priorities which will or will not appeal depending ones preferences, legacy system and degree of listening acuity. Sonically and in the context of my playback system, the highest praise I could bestow on the NuVista was that it succeeded, despite some epistemological “HiFi” short-comings – in transforming listening from a process of analysis to one of appreciation of artistic expression. Bravo.
    Borresen Acoustics Loudspeakers, Borresen Model 01 Compact monitor loudspeakers with Ansuz Darkz T2s Supreme resonance control, Audio Video Manufaktur GmbH (AVM) Inspiration amplifier & streamer, Innuos Zen MKII music server, Ansuz Acoustics cables & accessories. Please visit my system thread hosted on Audioshark for more details. Disclosure: The author is materially connected to Ansuz, Aavik & Borresen Acoustics via friendship with an owner.

  36. #186
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Quote Originally Posted by kiwi_1282001 View Post
    A NEW HIGH END INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER


    This update is a continuation of my thoughts and experiences in finding an integrated amplifier to replace my Gryphon Diablo. The Gryphon which has served me well for more than five years is no longer in production and in any case had seen reduced use in recent times.


    In the last treaties I had provided my thoughts on one possible replacement; the Kondo Overture II integrated amplifier – a product I found to be most impressive.


    My attention now turns to the amplifier you see photographed below, the Musical Fidelity NuVista 800. Released in late 2014 after the company had managed to track down highly sought-after nuvistor tubes and bases, it is said to be able to pump out 300 watts per channel and is configured in a dual mono design with separate 1.5 kV transformers per channel versus a total 2kVA rating for the Diablo.




    Photo 1: The front panel of the NuVista 800 - a visually pleasing clean shaven look




    THE SOUND


    It must be said from outset, that I have not traditionally been a fan of Musical Fidelity’s (“MF”) sound. While I have not heard every integrated that MF has turned out and thus there could be exceptions to my following comments – of those that I have auditioned, two shortcomings were notable. The first was poor soundstage depth. I like cavernous soundstages, ones which you can clearly delineate orchestral seating (i.e. violins in front, wind instruments behind them & percussion behind them) in addition to localisation of the different symphony sections for example violin, viola, cello and double bass. The lack of soundstage depth exhibited by MF products led decided to a very two dimensional representation of the original recording space and the placement of the performers within it. The second issue centred on the treble which was altogether too bright. While all live sound has brightness; a problem occurs when this is excessive. Since many CD recordings are already steely, bright amplification quickly leads to stridence which is undesirable and quickly fatiguing.


    Mercifully, the NuVista is different and Edward Val’s rendition of Springsteen’s I’m on Fire surprised not only with the naturalness of voice – but with the startling richness of its presentation. To those that are pondering just how much valve character one really gets from a quartet of NuVista triode small signal valves – the first vocal answers! Relative to the Gryphon the NuVista has more chest and meat on its bones and while the vocal specificity was not up to Kondo standard it was still adequate and nicely supplemented with excellent retrieval of ambient detail.


    Wanting to explore vocals further I cued Sade’s Morning Bird. The NuVista faithfully reproduced the sepia-toned sadness of this song better than most other amplifiers I’ve had in my system. Sade’s voice was free from the mechanical restraints of the CD recording and instilled with natural emphasis, inflexion, purity and passion. While Sade’s voice did not breathe in quite the same fashion as it had with the Kondo the piano notes floated in the same fashion, almost as if each note was momentarily suspended in the air until it decayed naturally. Piano bass clef notes and the kick drum demonstrated real heft but it felt contextually right with the weight of each piano note seeming so precise and its placement so clear that the fragile relationship between Sade’s vocals and the instrumental underpinning is beautifully preserved and with it the full emotional weight and sense of pain and loss.


    Turning to more dynamic music, in Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade Op.35, the NuVistas sense of musical flow combined with its innate ability to encompass both the dynamic and rhythmic demands of the signal its feed – resulted in a presentation which truly captivated and enthralled. This recording (SACD) has abundant energy and sweeping scale; scale that when reproduced should fill your room in all three dimensions proffering superb localisation of the symphony sections and vivid insight into the recording and hall. Here NuVista was clearly in its element delivering not only a convincing sense of orchestral weight and effortless tracking of the towering opening tutti but also avoiding the congestion that is frequently observed in lower end integrated amplifiers.


    The Nuvista proved no slouch on complex studio albums either. Taking The Power of Good-Bye and Frozen both Orbit inspired masterpieces from Madonna’s GHV2 (Madonna, Greatest Hits Volume 2, Warner Music Group – 9362480002) as examples, the layered soundscapes are effortlessly reconstructed, sucking the listener into their complex texture and minutiae detail even whilst the underlying beat propels the tracks momentum with solid energy. These tracks did however highlight that while the NuVista exercised a good sense of grip and control over the bass it is not as incisive as the Jeff Rowland S2, Gryphon Diablo or Soulution 530 integrated amplifiers. To use a motoring analogy the NuVista is more American muscle car (with mass and torque) than high revving Italian supercar which is lighter on its feet. The NuVista feels a bit slower and a bit softer than some of its rivals. Wishing to explore this a bit further I cued up Nils Lofgren’s Keith don’t go and now it was clear that the NuVista’s smooth character was sacrificing some sharpness of transients with softness to leading edges of guitar notes robbing this piece of dynamic music of that last ounce of immediacy and attack.




    Photo 2: Care is needed with cabling – I preferred fast cables from Nordost & Ansuz



    Turning finally to my bad recording reference – I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I keyed up ABC’s digitally re-mastered but still bloody awful 1999 album, creatively entitled Classic ABC. This album serves as my bad recording reference; noisy and grainy 1980’s synth-pop at its worst, but it nonetheless sits on the top shelf of my CD rack because hits like Look of Love, Poison Arrow and All of My Heart are all defining musical moments of 80s nostalgia for me. It takes a well sorted amplifier and system to extract the music from the compressed, bright and splashy mayhem and the NuVista rose to the occasion delivering a highly listenable experience by seemingly focusing on the overall substance of the recording rather than the niceties of fine detail and acoustic perspective. In this sense the NuVista seemed so holistically coherent that you simply don’t question what isn’t there – rather you simply revel in what is.




    Photo 3: The massive heat sinks remained no more than warm during the audition



    CONCLUSION


    There are many roads to audio Nirvana. Most roads are long, winding, fold back on themselves in a deceptively Escheresque fashion and ultimately become journeys that are lamentably defined, measured and remembered more by expense then by pleasure. The problem is that most (self-included) start the journey without a clear sense of direction and at best only a vague idea of the final destination.


    The final destination in this authors opinion must be an audio playback system which provides no limits on your musical enjoyment, so that listening sessions will extend, a wider diversity of musical styles will be experimented with (and ultimately embraced) and you find yourself listening to entire albums (often twice) rather than skipping aimlessly through partially played tracks trying with increasingly levels of irritation to find some satisfaction.


    My overriding opinion is that the Musical Fidelity NuVista 800 sonically speaking could make a welcome addition to many a system. It offers a wonderful sense of musical flow combined with an ability to encompass both dynamic and rhythmic demands leading to a fluid and almost sinuous presentation which invites and encourages long listening sessions. Best employed in an otherwise neutral playback system and lashed together with the highest speed cables you can lay your hands on, the NuVista clearly adds a little ginger to the proceedings but in doing so positions the product as an interesting counterpoint to the bland, regimented, transparent, a-musical and mechanical qualities which inflect so many high end integrated amplifier designs. Certainly there are other integrated amplifiers in the market which surpass the Nuvista’s performance in terms of speed, transient attack and resolution – but these are not necessarily more engaging or gratifying to listen to. In a sense the NuVista offers a different view on musical priorities which will or will not appeal depending ones preferences, legacy system and degree of listening acuity. Sonically and in the context of my playback system, the highest praise I could bestow on the NuVista was that it succeeded, despite some epistemological “HiFi” short-comings – in transforming listening from a process of analysis to one of appreciation of artistic expression. Bravo.
    Nice write up Ralph. Well done. Does this mean the NuVista is your selection or are you continuing to investigate?
    My Systems: http://www.audioshark.org/showthread...481#post158481

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  37. #187
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Excellent review, very professionally done; sincere thanks for sharing your detailed thoughts!

  38. #188
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    It's really interesting that you love the Musical Fidelity synergy with your Raidho speakers. I did too, the best amp I tried with my Raidho D3's was the Musical Fidelity M6 500I integrated.
    I wish that my snobbish biases would not have existed, and I would have kept that system intact. Sometimes we confuse cost VS. quality!
    Mark


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  39. #189
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Quote Originally Posted by Mike View Post
    Nice write up Ralph. Well done. Does this mean the NuVista is your selection or are you continuing to investigate?
    Thanks Mike. The NuVista which was brand new needs some run in time. I’ll make a call after that.



    Quote Originally Posted by audio.bill View Post
    Excellent review, very professionally done; sincere thanks for sharing your detailed thoughts!
    Thank you! All feedback is welcome but it is especially nice and encouraging to read yours.



    Quote Originally Posted by MDP View Post
    It's really interesting that you love the Musical Fidelity synergy with your Raidho speakers. I did too, the best amp I tried with my Raidho D3's was the Musical Fidelity M6 500I integrated.
    I wish that my snobbish biases would not have existed, and I would have kept that system intact. Sometimes we confuse cost VS. quality!
    Hello Mark. Yes, the NuVista drove the Raidhos superbly and importantly it also provided some balance to the Esoteric CDP which can be a bit clinical and cool. Under a different brand the NuVista could be a $30,000 product.
    Borresen Acoustics Loudspeakers, Borresen Model 01 Compact monitor loudspeakers with Ansuz Darkz T2s Supreme resonance control, Audio Video Manufaktur GmbH (AVM) Inspiration amplifier & streamer, Innuos Zen MKII music server, Ansuz Acoustics cables & accessories. Please visit my system thread hosted on Audioshark for more details. Disclosure: The author is materially connected to Ansuz, Aavik & Borresen Acoustics via friendship with an owner.

  40. #190

    Re: Music from a farther room

    Quote Originally Posted by kiwi_1282001 View Post
    Thanks Mike. The NuVista which was brand new needs some run in time. I’ll make a call after that.





    Thank you! All feedback is welcome but it is especially nice and encouraging to read yours.





    Hello Mark. Yes, the NuVista drove the Raidhos superbly and importantly it also provided some balance to Esoteric CDP which can be a bit clinical and cool. Under a different brand the NuVista could be a $30,000 product.

    "Under a different brand the Nu Vista could be a $30,000 product"..........EXACTLY. This integrated is not quite perfect. But I believe it offers stellar performance at its price point. I've heard more minor flaws at twice its price. Build quality is off the charts. When you go to pick it up, you will understand.

  41. #191

    Re: Music from a farther room

    Quote Originally Posted by JDLaudio View Post
    "Under a different brand the Nu Vista could be a $30,000 product"..........EXACTLY. This integrated is not quite perfect. But I believe it offers stellar performance at its price point. I've heard more minor flaws at twice its price. Build quality is off the charts. When you go to pick it up, you will understand.
    Great review. As a very happy NuVista 800 owner, I think your impressions are on the mark.
    Arsh

    System:

    VPI Scoutmaster, Soundsmith Paua, VPI SDS, Transparent Reference MM2 phono, Herron VTPH-2, Herron IC, Musical Fidelity TriVista DAC, MF A3.2 CDP, Transparent Ultra MM and Transparent digital cable, Musical Fidelity NuVista 800, Transparent Reference MM2 SC, Wilson Audio Sasha, Transparent Powerbank 8 and Transparent power cords, Terracones and Terrastone platforms, Atacama Equinox rack.

  42. #192

    Re: Music from a farther room

    Ralph...excellent review. The fact that you also had an expectation of a flattish (2D) soundstage and a strident top-end based on prior experience with MF products and that the NuVista 800 disabused you of those preconceptions is very encouraging. I started out my journey in the high-end audio hobby with the MF A5 integrated amplifier and CD player and after a year traded them in towards Audio Research gear because of the bright top end and the less than stellar dimensionality of the presentation. It seems that, at least based on your and many other users' experiences here on AS, that the strident top-end is not an issue anymore and if anything, there is a slight softening of transient attacks across the frequency spectrum which is likely an artifact of the Nuvistor tubes used. Thanks again for an entertaining read.
    Cyril
    Speakers/Amp/Preamp: Thiel CS2.4 / ARC Ref 110 / ARC Ref 3
    Sources: Basis 2001/Graham2.2/Nagra BPS/Benz Micro Glider SL, Dynavector 20X2-L, ARC CD7, Oppo BDP-83 SE
    Cables/Power/Other: Nordost Heimdall ICs, SCs / Shunyata Hydra 8, Shunyata Python Helix PC / VPI 16.5, HRS Nimbus isolation system

  43. #193
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Quote Originally Posted by cmalak View Post
    Ralph...excellent review. The fact that you also had an expectation of a flattish (2D) soundstage and a strident top-end based on prior experience with MF products and that the NuVista 800 disabused you of those preconceptions is very encouraging. I started out my journey in the high-end audio hobby with the MF A5 integrated amplifier and CD player and after a year traded them in towards Audio Research gear because of the bright top end and the less than stellar dimensionality of the presentation. It seems that, at least based on your and many other users' experiences here on AS, that the strident top-end is not an issue anymore and if anything, there is a slight softening of transient attacks across the frequency spectrum which is likely an artifact of the Nuvistor tubes used. Thanks again for an entertaining read.

    Hello Cyril. Thank you for your feedback. Indeed, I have not been a Musical Fidelity fan – for the reasons earlier opined – but the NuVista has changed that. The product is not perfect and I’d personally love a bit more immediacy and snap, but overall the amplifier is so musically involving that the need to tick all the “HiFi” boxes seems redundant. I have a music collection that exceeds 1200 compact discs and I am rapidly forming an opinion that the NuVista can play all of them in a fashion that will leave a smile on my face. I raise this point because all too often I feel audiophiles make the mistake of optimising HiFi for sound rather than music.
    Borresen Acoustics Loudspeakers, Borresen Model 01 Compact monitor loudspeakers with Ansuz Darkz T2s Supreme resonance control, Audio Video Manufaktur GmbH (AVM) Inspiration amplifier & streamer, Innuos Zen MKII music server, Ansuz Acoustics cables & accessories. Please visit my system thread hosted on Audioshark for more details. Disclosure: The author is materially connected to Ansuz, Aavik & Borresen Acoustics via friendship with an owner.

  44. #194

    Re: Music from a farther room

    Quote Originally Posted by kiwi_1282001 View Post
    Hello Cyril. Thank you for your feedback. Indeed, I have not been a Musical Fidelity fan – for the reasons earlier opined – but the NuVista has changed that. The product is not perfect and I’d personally love a bit more immediacy and snap, but overall the amplifier is so musically involving that the need to tick all the “HiFi” boxes seems redundant. I have a music collection that exceeds 1200 compact discs and I am rapidly forming an opinion that the NuVista can play all of them in a fashion that will leave a smile on my face. I raise this point because all too often I feel audiophiles make the mistake of optimising HiFi for sound rather than music.
    I agree with you 110%. The goal of this hobby should be to get a listener to commune with his/her music. Any piece of gear that brings you emotional connection with the music is a piece of high-end audio gear (no matter the cost). Taking it one step further if a piece of gear causes you to forget about upgrading this or that and results in a hobbyist spending more money on expanding their music library, experimenting with new artists and new genres of music, than that is a home run/game over destination piece (once again no matter the cost). So if the NuVista 800 serves that purpose for some of us than it's a great piece of gear no matter its hifi attributes. Agree with you completely
    Cyril
    Speakers/Amp/Preamp: Thiel CS2.4 / ARC Ref 110 / ARC Ref 3
    Sources: Basis 2001/Graham2.2/Nagra BPS/Benz Micro Glider SL, Dynavector 20X2-L, ARC CD7, Oppo BDP-83 SE
    Cables/Power/Other: Nordost Heimdall ICs, SCs / Shunyata Hydra 8, Shunyata Python Helix PC / VPI 16.5, HRS Nimbus isolation system

  45. #195

    Re: Music from a farther room

    Quote Originally Posted by cmalak View Post
    I agree with you 110%. The goal of this hobby should be to get a listener to commune with his/her music. Any piece of gear that brings you emotional connection with the music is a piece of high-end audio gear (no matter the cost). Taking it one step further if a piece of gear causes you to forget about upgrading this or that and results in a hobbyist spending more money on expanding their music library, experimenting with new artists and new genres of music, than that is a home run/game over destination piece (once again no matter the cost). So if the NuVista 800 serves that purpose for some of us than it's a great piece of gear no matter its hifi attributes. Agree with you completely
    Absolutely! Well said.

  46. #196
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Ralph - have you tried the new Mark Levinson integrated? It just got a great review in the latest Stereophile.
    My Systems: http://www.audioshark.org/showthread...481#post158481

    "We can hear everything we measure, but we can't measure everything we hear. Let your ears be your guide."

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  47. #197
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Hi Mike, No I have not heard the new Mark Levinson integrated. Have you? If so, what did you think?
    Borresen Acoustics Loudspeakers, Borresen Model 01 Compact monitor loudspeakers with Ansuz Darkz T2s Supreme resonance control, Audio Video Manufaktur GmbH (AVM) Inspiration amplifier & streamer, Innuos Zen MKII music server, Ansuz Acoustics cables & accessories. Please visit my system thread hosted on Audioshark for more details. Disclosure: The author is materially connected to Ansuz, Aavik & Borresen Acoustics via friendship with an owner.

  48. #198
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Quote Originally Posted by kiwi_1282001 View Post
    Hi Mike, No I have not heard the new Mark Levinson integrated. Have you? If so, what did you think?
    Yes I have. I thought it sounded superb - honestly, it sounded like MUCH MUCH more expensive separates.

    Also, I just read a review in stereophile (or was it TAS? Can't remember) and they flipped out over it and want it to be pushed for their recommended component list. I also love the footprint.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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    "We can hear everything we measure, but we can't measure everything we hear. Let your ears be your guide."

    Dealer for: Aqua Hi-Fi, Aurender, AudioQuest Cables & Power Products, Berkeley Audio, Block Audio (distributor), Boulder Amplifiers, Bowers & Wilkins (B&W), Bryston, Clarisys Audio Loudspeakers (distributor), Classe’ Audio, Degritter Record Cleaning Machines, Esoteric, Finite Elemente, FirstWatt, Focal Loudspeakers and Headphones, GigaFoil, Harbeth Loudspeakers, Hegel, HiFi Man, Innuos, ISO Acoustics, Keces Power Supplies, Kharma Loudspeakers and Electronics, Kuzma Turntables, Lumin, Luxman, Magico Loudspeakers, MBL Speakers & Electronics, MSB Technologies, MySonicLabs Phono Cartridges, Nordost Cables, Ortofon, Pass Labs, Quadraspire, Rega Turntables and Electronics, Shunyata Research, STAX, Stein Music Products, Stillpoints, Soulution, VAC, Vicoustics, Viva Audio, VPI Industries, WireWorld Cables.

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  49. #199

    Re: Music from a farther room

    Not to sideline the conversation, but may I ask if any of you are using aftermarket footers with the NuVista 800? Thanks.

  50. #200
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    Re: Music from a farther room

    Quote Originally Posted by Arsh View Post
    Not to sideline the conversation, but may I ask if any of you are using aftermarket footers with the NuVista 800? Thanks.
    The NuVista is currently sitting on a Stillpoints™ (USA) Component Stand, http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue26/stillpoint.htm

    It will remain here while the product is breaking in and then I'll try different aftermarket footers under it. I'm not impressed with either of the manufacturers supplied footers and very confident that third party footers will lift the NuVista's across-the-board performance.

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Music from a farther room

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