Search results

  1. number95

    Breaking news from DCS….

    +1 Somehow I stayed away from upsampler for years after invested in Transport, Dac and clock whether it was due more time I spent with vinyl or skepticism on streaming, redbook cd etc I am not sure. Once I decided to bring an upsampler and compared it to redbook playback via transport, just that...
  2. number95

    Stage 3 Concept Power Cords

    It has been a while since I replaced the Kraken between mains and Shunyata Triton with the Leviathan which was a jaw dropping experience. After two Leviathans feeding Constellation Hercules II monos at the system, this has been the 3rd and will be certainly the last Leviathan. The performance...
  3. number95

    Zyx top of the line models - which is which?

    Marty, I would definitely give it a try if I were you :-)
  4. number95

    Zyx top of the line models - which is which?

    For universe cartridges you need to talk to Mehran from Sorasounds and/or check their web site. My understanding is that Uni Optimum is the newest and presumably the best Universe cartridge of its line. It has two versions, one is 1 ohm and extremely low output and the other is 4 ohm and its...
  5. number95

    Zyx top of the line models - which is which?

    Universe line is specifically made for US market as far as I know.
  6. number95

    Constellation Audio - I am dissapointed

    Sorry to hear that.. I had Perseus for a while before Orion. Perseus was better to my ears than my beloved ARC Ref 10 phono. Now Orion.. It sounds like a combination of best virtues of Ref 10 phono and Perseus all together. Certainly a statement product. I was not sure how it would compare to...
  7. number95

    DCS Vivaldi

    Thanks John. Time will tell :-))
  8. number95

    DCS Vivaldi

    Many thanks Micro!
  9. number95

    DCS Vivaldi

    Ok, the big day has come. Finally Altair II was added to the chain. From the first second (not even a moment) there was no going back to direct DCS connection to Hercules IIs. Out of the box, it has already been a major upgrade. With all due respect to DCS and Vivaldi ‘s direct connection...
  10. number95

    DCS Vivaldi

    Thanks Pol. I used to mention completely taking out the preamp from the setup, connecting Vivaldi via single set of IC to the power amps. In your case since DCS is still connected to preamp with another pair of ICs and then there is another set of ICs from preamp to power amps. Last but not the...
  11. number95

    DCS Vivaldi

    I agree that impedance matching might have an impact. Ref10 has an output of 600 ohms vs Altair II’s 100 ohms, Hercules have 20k ohms balanced inputs. By the way, I sent Magnum Opus IC between pre n powers to Transparent factory for recalibration to 100ohm. Previously it was tuned to 600ohms...
  12. number95

    DCS Vivaldi

    Have you completely bypassed your preamp and directly connected DAC to power amps? One more interconnector as well as preamp’s circuit path (even if unity gain selected) over power amps should be considered.
  13. number95

    DCS Vivaldi

    I have not yet tried Altair II yet, hope to get a well burned in unit to try soon. I have been using Arc Ref 10 to compare as it has been my beloved preamp since years. I still think it is a great preamp and in this case maybe it does not go well with Constellation Hercules, no idea.
  14. number95

    DCS Vivaldi

    Direct Connection to Power Amps As some of you may remember, a while ago I wrote to the forum regarding direct connection from Vivaldi DAC to power amps hence bypassing the preamp. It has been weeks after weeks and I can’t believe that I am still going on that route. Whether I was going...
  15. number95

    DCS Vivaldi

    I know what you mean! It will only get better if my memory is not wrong ;-))
  16. number95

    Sovtek 6550WE

    I believe Sovtek WE is the current production 6550 which ARC uses in their 6550 based models. 6550c Svetlana is out of production, the tubes left at market stocks are said to be vary in terms of quality. 2 years ago I specifically looked to get 6550c to roll for my Ref 610Ts, the performance was...
  17. number95

    DCS Vivaldi

    Some of you following this thread might remember I used to ask about usage of dither function at Vivaldi clock. I had inconsistent results when I tried dither each time so concluded dither off would be safer. Months after the clock arrived, accidentally I left dither on for both clocking groups...
  18. number95

    DCS Vivaldi

    Thanks for the sincere advice. Even if I have a seperate microphone suitable to use with iphone and given my humble observation that there is 3-4db difference in measurements, I have been lazy enough to measure spl with iphone only. Also I used the similar method to measure spl when Ref10 was...
  19. number95

    DCS Vivaldi

    That would be nice. The pity is I need 9 meter IC between amps and source due to location of amps/speakers vs rest of system :-)
  20. number95

    DCS Vivaldi

    That is a good question. My view is, although midbass strength was slightly more pronounced when Ref10 was in charge, the general bass texture and definition were definitely more neutral and deeper bass was more audible when Ref10 was off. As if there was more hump with Ref10 and a feeling as if...
  21. number95

    DCS Vivaldi

    Hi John, Please report after your Magnum Opus Ic arrives, how it goes :-)
  22. number95

    DCS Vivaldi

    Hercules might have 26db gain if I am not wrong
  23. number95

    DCS Vivaldi

    Even with Ref 10 being used, I preferred 6v thru DAC. As a single source unit, I also keep using 6v. With just DAC used as volume controller w/p a preamp, I realized that I was increasing the volume more than I used to, not because the sound level was low, but it was a pure, grainless, natural...
  24. number95

    DCS Vivaldi

    I got a reply from Transparent Cable that my Magnum Opus interconnector should be definitely recalibrated for DCS Vivaldi's very low output (3 ohms) compared to the current calibration for Ref 10 which has a high output of 600 ohms. They also say hi output cable will be better off when used with...
  25. number95

    DCS Vivaldi

    I exactly get what you meant by dryness and the emotional impact or say musical connectivity between the listener and the music itself. I did not try Altair II (I only heard a setup which is similar to mine with main exception that the owner switched from ARC Ref10 to Altair II and he was...
  26. number95

    DCS Vivaldi

    I never tried special feets or dampers under Vivaldis. That said I found that using them stacked degrades overall sonic performance, so each Vivaldi piece sits over its dedicated shelf at my setup. I use SRA Scuttle3 rack systems for source equipments.
  27. number95

    DCS Vivaldi

    Thanks for the sincere feedback. Interestingly, in terms of glare/noise, I am quite sure without my preamp involved there was less noise/grain, perhaps tubes at the chain has been contributing somehow, who knows. I succeeded to push the volume w/o preamp much higher than normally the levels I...
  28. number95

    DCS Vivaldi

    I know that has been discussed previously at least by some forum members here, even I used to provide my feedback on that. Interestingly perhaps it is due to audio chain and changes etc, experiences might change. Last weekend I tried to test volume control of Vivaldi DAC without the preamp...
  29. number95

    Stage 3 Concept Power Cords

    Well, a 20k usd power cord (Ansuz DTC) should certainly bring more audible benefits than a Kraken. A more relevant question is, whether the improvements (in which areas) would justify the price tag.. Another relevant question is whether that one can kill the beast (Leviathan)? Who knows? Let us...
  30. number95

    Stage 3 Concept Power Cords

    Hello Ian, You may try one for the main a/c thru your line conditioner if you have. Or try it with the amps. Leviathan is certainly better than Kraken but in practical terms, it is heavier, bulkier than even a Kraken. It is indeed a 2.5x Kraken in a single jacket. If you have a tall rack for...

About us

  • What’s Best Forum is THE forum for high end audio, product reviews, advice and sharing experiences on the best of everything else. This is THE place where audiophiles and audio companies discuss vintage, contemporary and new audio products, music servers, music streamers, computer audio, digital-to-analog converters, turntables, phono stages, cartridges, reel-to-reel tape machines, speakers, headphones and tube and solid-state amplification. Founded in 2010 What’s Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. From beginners to life-long hobbyists to industry professionals, we enjoy learning about new things and meeting new people, and participating in spirited debates.

Quick Navigation

Home Forums Contact us

User Menu

Login
Steve Williams
Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator
Ron Resnick
Site Co-Owner | Administrator
Julian (The Fixer)
Website Build | Marketing Managersing
Top Bottom