very cool! I do somehow remember that from some photos i think i saw you posted a while ago.
Boulder amp from hell...
- Thread starter amirm
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very cool! I do somehow remember that from some photos i think i saw you posted a while ago.
I've been extremely fortunate to have a 2060 amp and 2010 preamp on loan since the latter part of November. Both pieces are extraordinary both in sound quality and build quality. In my system the 2010 made the largest difference (over the VTL 7.5) and the 2060 was mostly just "different" in comparison to the ML53s. Together they form a "system" that is much greater than the sum of its parts.
I've got them for a couple more weeks and in that time I'm madly working to assemble the cash required to buy a set of my own.
Great stuff indeed , the 2060 is a class A design iirc , the 1060 a AB, happy to hear at least someone likes the ML 53 which i havent heard myself
The 20 series is indeed also quite a bit more $$$$
What does the 2010 bring to the table as compared to the VTL for example which is considered one of the best pres???
One consideration of mine is a 1012 pre.
Ive heard this combination 1012 /2060 on kharma exquisites 1 time , it sounded very clear but had a bit of a silky sheen over the sound , it could also have been the digital or the speaker i couldnt tell off course
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-6ynbSih-k
The 20 series is indeed also quite a bit more $$$$
What does the 2010 bring to the table as compared to the VTL for example which is considered one of the best pres???
One consideration of mine is a 1012 pre.
Ive heard this combination 1012 /2060 on kharma exquisites 1 time , it sounded very clear but had a bit of a silky sheen over the sound , it could also have been the digital or the speaker i couldnt tell off course
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-6ynbSih-k
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The 2060 is indeed a class A design, but with a sliding bias system which keeps the heat output under control. At idle the preamp actually runs warmer than the amplifier! Overall it's retrieving an incredible amount of detail (the 53s were better here, though) and has an ever-so-slightly sweet sound to it. I've been quite satisfied with the 53s, but as I alluded to in prior posts they can be a bit dry at times. They aren't harsh or glaring, but can be a bit sterile with certain recordings. The 2060 seems to be a very good balance between the VTL tube amps I was running (wonderful sound, but were running out of gas) and the 53s.
I'm having a hard time deciding here as in order to pickup a 2060 I'll need to sell the 53s (which has become difficult in light of Fremer's review) and kick in some cash.
I received the preamps (also have the 1008 phono pre) about 4 days in advance of the amp had an opportunity to swap out one component at a time. At first my eval was to last about 10 days, but the audio gods were smiling on me and the components ended up not being needed until CES.
This all started out as I was shopping for a new preamp. As much as I loved the VTL I was getting a little bit sick of tubes (noise) and after having it for almost 5 years I was curious to see what else was out there. I looked at everything I could find and all that was coming up that checked all of the appropriate boxes was the new Levinson 52, the Rowland Chorus, and the Boulder.
Although I haven't eliminated the Levinson or Rowland the only one that I could evaluate in my system was the Boulder... so I jumped at the chance. Who wouldn't jump at the chance to play with a $46,000 preamp for a while?
Compared to the VTL in my system the Boulder is much quieter, has better dynamics, similar soundstage width, better depth, and absolutely no grain or other artifacts. It just sounds more "real." As it turns out the VTL was slightly microphonic in my room regardless of the tubes I had loaded. I think that this was primarily due to the placement of my rack and the fact that the audio chassis was on the bottom shelf and close to a corner. When I turned up the volume I was getting some midrange glare which I had always assumed was an artifact of my room, but in reality it was the preamp singing along.
With the 53s and the 2010 the system produced amazing detail, but sometimes to an extreme. It was never fatiguing for me (listened for two days straight and only stopped to eat and sleep) and made familiar recordings sound new. The thing I noticed most (both in positive and negative) was the reproduction of brass. On the Sheffield Harry James LP the brass had me on the edge of my seat due to its realism. It was an absolute blast to listen to, but it was almost too much of a good thing.
Interesting , definetively on my try list a boulder pre .
Tubes versus SS ,always difficult , i have both at the moment .
whenever a boulder 1008 pops up on the market i ll probably jump on it, is it possible to play with a 47 kohms card load with the 1008, and do all the boulder qualities also qualify for the phonopre ???
greetz HJ
Tubes versus SS ,always difficult , i have both at the moment .
whenever a boulder 1008 pops up on the market i ll probably jump on it, is it possible to play with a 47 kohms card load with the 1008, and do all the boulder qualities also qualify for the phonopre ???
greetz HJ
47K is no problem and in fact is the default load. Adding resistors lowers the value.
Most of the Boulder qualities continue with the 1008. It's very quiet, has excellent dynamics, and excellent bass response. Overall, it seems to be a bit warmer than what I had expected and the bass can be a bit too much of a good thing at times. To me it's a toss-up between the VTL TP-6.5 and the 1008. They are different, but each one has some trade-offs over the other and there really is no clear winner. I'll probably go with the 1008 if I'm able to get enough out of the 6.5 as the lower noise floor of the 1008 is very appealing.
Thanks .
My possible choices would include zanden 1200 , CAT legend or boulder , and i ll probaly go with boulder in the future because of indeed the noisefloor which is critical in the phonostage .
My CAT ultimate mk 2 is an incredible pre (also very quit ) but not for the phonosection to much noise
My possible choices would include zanden 1200 , CAT legend or boulder , and i ll probaly go with boulder in the future because of indeed the noisefloor which is critical in the phonostage .
My CAT ultimate mk 2 is an incredible pre (also very quit ) but not for the phonosection to much noise
GO! GO! GO!...Good luck. I hate to be vicariously spending your money...but you wont regret it.
Ha! Boulder is one line I'd really like to hear.
I've been using the Boulder 2060 and 1010 in my system for years now. I'm trying to figure out a way to come up with the scratch for a 2010 at some point in the upcoming year. Before I hit RMAF I took a tour of the factory. The attention to detail in every phase of construction is not to be believed and virtually everything is done in house.
Hey Joe...long time no speak! You really should...if only because you clearly have a voracious appetite for equipment and the stamina to keep trialing new stuff...good for you...the hard work will pay off! The Boulder may not be to your liking, particulary with the TADs...i honestly cannot say...but i CAN say if you listen carefully (which you do seem to do!)...you will probably appreciate the unique characteristics of Boulder relative to many of the other SOTA amps you've heard.
Effortless does not begin to explain, and also no etching whatsoever...you may or not love Boulder Class A (which you should if you're going to buy it)...but i personally came away with tremendous respect for it...and nearly got it myself if not for Gryphon.
Hi Lloyd,
I know what you mean. There's a few more pieces I'd like to try.
---- Hello Joe, my very good friend from New York. :b
Just a quick one (OT): What are the most lines you've ever written in a single post?
-- You're a man of 'short phrasing', and it makes you less complicated and easier to appreciate. :b
* BTW, what a funny title for a thread: "Boulder amp from hell..."
___________
Joe, Best Holiday Wishes! :b
* BTW, what a funny title for a thread: "Boulder amp from hell..."
___________
Joe, Best Holiday Wishes! :b
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GO! GO! GO!...Good luck. I hate to be vicariously spending your money...but you wont regret it.
Spend away! After all it's only money... a LOT of money!!
I have to say that I'm quite enamored with the Boulder pieces and if it weren't for the pesky issue of funds I'd already have my order in. "Effortless with no etching whatsoever," is the perfect way to describe what I'm getting. I'm sure I've said something like this before, but should I make it all work out these may be the last front-end components I ever buy (or at least for a very long time).
The truly amazing thing to consider is that the 2060 has been on the market for almost 15 years and the 2010 for at least 10. They currently rank among the best of the best and given how much solid state amplification has progressed in the last 10 years it's interesting to think of how far ahead of the curve they were when they were introduced.
Given the price point I'm playing in with these I couldn't help but consider Gryphon as well. The only thing holding me back is the lack of real distribution in the US which has some serious implications for audition and support. Although I'm sure that I'd always be able to get support there's something comforting about help being readily available in the same time zone.
I hear you on Distribution for gryphon. I would never have complained being able to own 2060, that's for sure! Honestly, choosing the Gryphon was surely as much its availability at the time for a great price as its quality...i was working at the time on a 2060 too...but it was so old i needed to get it looked at in Boulder, and the shipping/potential repair costs were concerning me. I approached someone about their Gryphon unsolicited, and fortunately they said yes, and so i grabbed it. It could easily have gone the other way, and i'd have a 2060. Probably would have needed to 'tune' my system a little differently, but i could have easily lived with it! Good luck!
I know that Jeff Fritz spoke highly of it and at one point used it as a reference, but never published a review.
PFO did a lengthy review of the 2060 and 2010 several years ago and then a couple of years later gave it a Brutus award, but with no associated review.
Stereophile reviewed the 2050s (mono version) in the late '90s
I'm not sure if TAS ever reviewed the 2060 / 2050.
-- Thx AMP. ...I did some searching, and several models have been reviewed (I did read few Boulder amps reviews myself before because I read so many audio mags), but the 2060 I couldn't find.
One thing for shure about Boulder products (amps & all); they are very solidly build (internally, externally), and they are super heavy (weight). ...You need a forklift to position them into place. Some are expensive, and others 'more' expensive.
They are fortresses, radically.
One thing for shure about Boulder products (amps & all); they are very solidly build (internally, externally), and they are super heavy (weight). ...You need a forklift to position them into place. Some are expensive, and others 'more' expensive.
They are fortresses, radically.
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