Grand_Soir
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very nice
Chops' Current System Pics ....
- Thread starter chops
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chops
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- #443
Just for the heck of it, I decided to connect a CAT6 up to the CXN V2 a few minutes ago. I have to admit, this is the first time ever that I have heard an immediate sonic improvement switching over from WiFi to cable.
A bit more solid, a bit more defined, a bit better layering. It even seems to be blacker in quiet passages and between tracks.
Color me impressed!
A bit more solid, a bit more defined, a bit better layering. It even seems to be blacker in quiet passages and between tracks.
Color me impressed!
mep
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- Dec 4, 2013
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These two statements are in conflict. If analog sounds "more real" than digital, then you can't say "digital sounds better."
chops
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- #445
Once yet again, you're wrong. No, they are not in conflict with each other.
Analog (to me in my system) sounds more real because of the way it presents itself, being a bit more rounded and soulful and hate to say it, more organic.
Digital (again, to me in my system) sounds better because by nature, it is cleaner, blacker and more dynamic.
In no way do either of those statements conflict with each other. So stop trying to stir up trouble and get an argument going. I'm not in the mood.
On top of that, I do NOT want useless nonsense breaking out in MY system thread. If you want to debate that sort of subject, then start a thread of your own somewhere else. Keep it out of MY thread.
chops
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- #449
Sitting here listening to The Beatles -Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band via Qobuz through the Auralic Altair G1, controlled with the Lightning DS app.
Just as a reference, I have listened to this exact album through the Raspberry Pi4/Schiit Bifrost 2 Multibit/Roon, then through the Cambridge Audio CXN V2 with the StreamMagic app, and now with the Altair G1/LDS app. Nothing else in the system changed.
Listening to "She's Leaving Home"... Multiple times I might add!
1) Pi4/Bifrost/Roon - I recall this track sounding a bit flat between the speakers and Paul's singing being a bit recessed behind the TV, but just as a voice.
2) CXN/SM app - Wider and deeper soundstage with Paul still behind the TV, but just as a voice.
3) Altair G1/LDS app - Even wider and deeper soundstage, cleaner, smoother, more natural sound, and Paul LITERALLY SOUNDS like he's sitting on the coffee table IN the room in front of the TV! I mean LITERALLY in the room!
I'm pretty sure I just had a surreal experience. Damn, I'm gonna listen to it a few more times when the album is over!
chops
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- #451
So I was just playing this album Saturday afternoon. It's not the best recording of this piece, but it's not bad either. (BTW, I played this piece back when I was in orchestra, 1st chair bass, and loved it).
Anyway, so I was playing this piece this past Saturday afternoon through my Quad Artera Pre preamp, and was really cranking it by the 4th track.
Track 4: Maestoso - Allegro
Bass from the pipe organ rumbling at full tutti, orchestra at full tilt, brass, winds and percussions blasting, and I was happy and the system was sounding pretty darn good! I had a big ol' smile on my chops!
Well... I just did it again today, literally moments ago, only this time with the Pass XP-20 in the chain. This is the first time I really opened up the taps on the XP-20, all the way up to "68" on the volume!
Let me tell you, it was a totally different experience! A whole lot more visceral, a lot more tactile, a sense of a much larger venue, more air and space and dimension between the instruments. There's more texture and inner detail throughout. Stage width and depth are greater.
And this is with the XP-20 being on for roughly 30 hours straight so far. Anther 20 to 30 hours might improve things a little more. Who knows. It was packed up for around 3 to 4 weeks, so it may have some "waking up" to do again.
Not to sidetrack because this post is about the improvements the Pass XP-20 brings to my system, but I have to say again how impressed I am with this old Emotiva XPA-2 Gen 2 amp of mine as well. This is three different times now that I have hear this amp scale up with the upgrades I have made upstream.
There's a lot better amps out there, I know. But for what it is and what it's capable of doing is pretty darn amazing. This is a good thing. This will allow me to be happy to hold onto this amp for a while longer and save up at my leisure for an amp or amps that will truly take the system up a few more notches.
More to come, I'm sure. :grin:
Randy Myers
Active member
Picked up a new (to me) piece of kit this morning!... Pass Labs XP-20 with upgraded Revelation Audio Labs 'Passage' CryoSilver Dual Conduit Reference umbilical cord.
Very nice!
chops
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- #453
Here's some updated pics of my system. Within the past month, I have upgraded my Hisense 65" LED TV to a Samsung 75" QN85B Neo QLED TV, upgraded the Cambridge Audio CXN V2 to an Auralic Altair G1, and lastly just last weekend, upgraded the Quad Artera preamp to a Pass Labs XP-20.
All three are vast improvements over the units they replaced, most importantly the Auralic and Pass. Wow!
All three are vast improvements over the units they replaced, most importantly the Auralic and Pass. Wow!
AJ Soundfield
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Nice, looking good. -2 points for no cats in pictures though.
chops
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- #457
A spicy pair of custom Odyssey Audio Stratos monoblocks for the Maggies!
Even Sir Bentley already approves of them!
And yes, I'm running them through a heavy duty extension cable my father made many many years ago. Stupid ground issues in this room/house (not 60Hz hum, but an annoying buzz). This is just going to put the dedicated 20amp runs to this room to the top of the priority list for this coming fall.
AJ, this time you can't give me negative points for no kitties in the pics. LOL
Even Sir Bentley already approves of them!
And yes, I'm running them through a heavy duty extension cable my father made many many years ago. Stupid ground issues in this room/house (not 60Hz hum, but an annoying buzz). This is just going to put the dedicated 20amp runs to this room to the top of the priority list for this coming fall.
AJ, this time you can't give me negative points for no kitties in the pics. LOL
chops
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- #458
It amazes me how these amps alone make the Maggies and subwoofers sound larger and stronger. These amps also seem to make the integration between the Maggies and subs that much better as well. Should be even better once I get some dedicated 20amp lines in this room.
Shadowfax
Active member
I can't believe you gave up a stack of Schiit for Pass and Odyssey 
I am not surprised these amps sound good with Maggies. High Current and somehow created with Bass in mind. I like that the internal wiring was done with Groneburg Cabling in my Stratos+. I bought a set of the GB ICs at the same time as the amp but used them to tame a bright system.
I am not surprised these amps sound good with Maggies. High Current and somehow created with Bass in mind. I like that the internal wiring was done with Groneburg Cabling in my Stratos+. I bought a set of the GB ICs at the same time as the amp but used them to tame a bright system.
chops
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- #460
I can't believe you gave up a stack of Schiit for Pass and Odyssey
I am not surprised these amps sound good with Maggies. High Current and somehow created with Bass in mind. I like that the internal wiring was done with Groneburg Cabling in my Stratos+. I bought a set of the GB ICs at the same time as the amp but used them to tame a bright system.
Yeah, I had a lot of Schiit back in the day. LOL Speaking of that, I had my Khartago Kismet when the very first Schiit Bifrost came out, which I also had at the time.
These amps have certainly "beefed up" the bass and upper bass of the Maggies for sure, which is most likely why they now seem to integrate better with the subs, which I still have crossed over at 37 Hz (the Maggies are playing fullrange). And with that heavy duty damping factor of these amps, the bass the Maggies are putting out now is more detailed and articulate with a healthy bit of punch.
These Stratos amps also have the Groneburg Quattro Reference/TS Premium cabling throughout, as well as many Symphonic Line caps everywhere, tweaked "SE" boards, and a few more goodies including the really nice WBT Topline RCA's and binding posts out back.
