Mike / Puma,
you both are most familiar with how the Altairas work, so probably easy for you to answer my question.
Grant was so kind to give a workshop at my local Hi-Fi dealer last week. The system was quite simple, yet resolving. So easy to here the difference. Streaming DAC & integrated tube amp were first connected to the Altaira CG. Quite a big difference: Much bigger, airy soundstage. Instruments had more body and decay and there was less noise/hash. Adding a separate Altaria SG and connecting the DAC/Streamer gave I‘d say another 30% of performance over the single Altaira. The benefit for me was more ease and refinement and less „digitalness“. My takeaway was in this system the investment (especially for the first Altaira) would be a no brainer. Also the positives by the Altaria is something that can‘t be achieved by e.g. getting a better amp, pre or DAC. As Mike put it: Any system north of 20-30k could benefit quite substantially from adding one.
Nowwww, my question: Grant said and I think I‘ve read it here between the lines: If you start with one I has to be the CG model. Once you use two, you could have two SGs. So my question is: Why is that?! Why doesn’t a single SG daisychained into an Everest/Denali doesn’t work, but two do?!
The only explanation I would have is that SG can‘t handle amps, pre amps or analog DACs when there is also a streamer/server.
Any thoughts? Grant said a two set combo of CG/SG is not far of two SGs. I just wanted to avoid the trade-in of the CG, when I plan to add a second or maybe third SG down the road anyway, but like to start with only one…