Alexx V arrive in NJ

[spiritofmusic]

So Marty, does the Gryphon bring those girls to you, or takes you to the girls?

 

[Elliot G.]

Hi Elliot,

Without a doubt. Until you've seen and heard a setup master extraordinaire do his magic in your room with your own eyes and ears, you won't believe the before and after effect. It's well worth the investment and in my humble opinion, a highly recommended part of comparing any major equipment changes in your system.

Now you should be ready for a trip to Florida

 

[V-Squared]

Wonderful post #597, Marty! Very well articulated. I have the same monoblocks, and over the years, have explored other options, but keep solidly footed with the Mephistos. There's just something very special and captivating about them, as you so eloquently stated.

They indeed run very hot - in the winter, the "are" my source for keeping the house warm, and as you state, even at that - the occasional A/C is not uncommon. In the summer, yeah - A/C is a must-have. But certainly worth it. I really like what you did, installing them in a separate room - I hope to do the same in a future listening room.

Congrats. I hope they bring you years of joy, as mine have done for me.

Regards,

V2

 

[marty]

So Marty, does the Gryphon bring those girls to you, or takes you to the girls?

Mark, I would have gladly paid more for the amps if either were true!!

 

[LL21]

Wonderful post #597, Marty! Very well articulated. I have the same monoblocks, and over the years, have explored other options, but keep solidly footed with the Mephistos. There's just something very special and captivating about them, as you so eloquently stated.

They indeed run very hot - in the winter, the "are" my source for keeping the house warm, and as you state, even at that - the occasional A/C is not uncommon. In the summer, yeah - A/C is a must-have. But certainly worth it. I really like what you did, installing them in a separate room - I hope to do the same in a future listening room.

Congrats. I hope they bring you years of joy, as mine have done for me.

Regards,

V2

Gents, as a Gryphon owner for 11 years culminating in the Mephisto stereo (and now the Robert Koda K160 monos...also pure Class A, 230 Watts into 4 ohms)...let me make a suggestion.

Check out the Noctua 12cm super-silent ultra-low noise (8db) fans.

NF-S12A ULN

The NF-S12A marks the third generation of Noctua’s signature S12 series quiet case fans, which have received more than 250 awards and recommendations from the international press. Featuring a further refined blade design with Anti-Stall Knobs that works in tandem with the new AAO (Advanced...

noctua.at

They are so quiet you dont know whether they are on or off unless you are looking at them spin...and with a thermometer setup to turn them on/off at whatever temp you wish to set them at...four of them (2 per mono) can keep the Robert Kodas operating as much as 10 degrees Centigrade cooler...so if you are operating at 50C-52C normally, then you are now talking 40C-42C.

Not only does it make it much better in-room...but even if you are setting them up in a separate room like you, Marty...running at a cooler operating temperature is going to keep the amps running much longer over time.

 

[PeterA]

cute video

But for talent and style, try this one by PMJ
(Haley Reinhart rocks)

Marty, I started a whole thread about this video about a year ago. I love it, er admire it, er respect it. Bass, no treble. This one video makes me wish I could stream and have a large screen between my speakers, with lights out.

 

[marty]

Marty, I started a whole thread about this video about a year ago. I love it, er admire it, er respect it. Bass, no treble. This one video makes me wish I could stream and have a large screen between my speakers, with lights out.

Peter, forgive me for not noticing. Please send the link. They're a hoot!

 

[Steve Williams]

Gents, as a Gryphon owner for 11 years culminating in the Mephisto stereo (and now the Robert Koda K160 monos...also pure Class A, 230 Watts into 4 ohms)...let me make a suggestion.

Check out the Noctua 12cm super-silent ultra-low noise (8db) fans.

NF-S12A ULN

The NF-S12A marks the third generation of Noctua’s signature S12 series quiet case fans, which have received more than 250 awards and recommendations from the international press. Featuring a further refined blade design with Anti-Stall Knobs that works in tandem with the new AAO (Advanced...

noctua.at

They are so quiet you dont know whether they are on or off unless you are looking at them spin...and with a thermometer setup to turn them on/off at whatever temp you wish to set them at...four of them (2 per mono) can keep the Robert Kodas operating as much as 10 degrees Centigrade cooler...so if you are operating at 50C-52C normally, then you are now talking 40C-42C.

Not only does it make it much better in-room...but even if you are setting them up in a separate room like you, Marty...running at a cooler operating temperature is going to keep the amps running much longer over time.

I had to put a dedicated HVAC in my sound room to cope with the heat

 

[marty]

Gents, as a Gryphon owner for 11 years culminating in the Mephisto stereo (and now the Robert Koda K160 monos...also pure Class A, 230 Watts into 4 ohms)...let me make a suggestion.

Check out the Noctua 12cm super-silent ultra-low noise (8db) fans.

NF-S12A ULN

The NF-S12A marks the third generation of Noctua’s signature S12 series quiet case fans, which have received more than 250 awards and recommendations from the international press. Featuring a further refined blade design with Anti-Stall Knobs that works in tandem with the new AAO (Advanced...

noctua.at

They are so quiet you dont know whether they are on or off unless you are looking at them spin...and with a thermometer setup to turn them on/off at whatever temp you wish to set them at...four of them (2 per mono) can keep the Robert Kodas operating as much as 10 degrees Centigrade cooler...so if you are operating at 50C-52C normally, then you are now talking 40C-42C.

Not only does it make it much better in-room...but even if you are setting them up in a separate room like you, Marty...running at a cooler operating temperature is going to keep the amps running much longer over time.

Thanks Lloyd. Will check them out for sure.

 

[cmarin]

Thanks Lloyd. Will check them out for sure

Marty/Lloyd,

Congratulations on the Mephistos.
I also had the pleasure of owning a pair of Mephisto monos for a while. Great amps. And all my listening was on the high bias pure Class A setting. Pure bliss.

Living in Texas, the amp generated heat was an issue in the summer. So even though there was a dedicated A/C for the listening room, ended up installing, as Lloyd did, a pair of lo-noise, smart cooling fans that fit perfectly over the Mephistos (Aircom Infinity T9). They work great. Good suggestion by Lloyd.

 

[LL21]

I had to put a dedicated HVAC in my sound room to cope with the heat

Yes, I remember that. We have A/C. The quartet of fans were recently done at the suggestion of one of the designers of our audio isolation equipment. He put it together, and it has been a fantastic, utterly silent (only 8.6db per fan!)...and reduced the operating temp by 10C which I have to think is a good thing long term.

 

[V-Squared]

Gents, as a Gryphon owner for 11 years culminating in the Mephisto stereo (and now the Robert Koda K160 monos...also pure Class A, 230 Watts into 4 ohms)...let me make a suggestion.

Check out the Noctua 12cm super-silent ultra-low noise (8db) fans.

NF-S12A ULN

The NF-S12A marks the third generation of Noctua’s signature S12 series quiet case fans, which have received more than 250 awards and recommendations from the international press. Featuring a further refined blade design with Anti-Stall Knobs that works in tandem with the new AAO (Advanced...

noctua.at

They are so quiet you dont know whether they are on or off unless you are looking at them spin...and with a thermometer setup to turn them on/off at whatever temp you wish to set them at...four of them (2 per mono) can keep the Robert Kodas operating as much as 10 degrees Centigrade cooler...so if you are operating at 50C-52C normally, then you are now talking 40C-42C.

Not only does it make it much better in-room...but even if you are setting them up in a separate room like you, Marty...running at a cooler operating temperature is going to keep the amps running much longer over time.

Thanks Lloyd. I use those for any device where a fan is necessary, and you're right, they're quiet. The problem is that even with the fans, the heat builds up in the room. I have considered a clear acrylic "hat" - positioned slightly above the amps, collecting the heat, and exhausting it outside (e.g. with a quiet exhaust fan), but haven't done that yet.

 

[K3RMIT]

while I can see some using fans on amps , I can’t see why there needed. any amp needs to get to a thermal state where it sounds best. Be it class a or a/b. In fact if one were to adjust an amps bias ambient temp is crucial in attaining the correct readings. if we use fans it may lead to a less sound since it may not be at operating temp. most amps even slide the bias to keep the amp at a given temp within a range.

 

[V-Squared]

while I can see some using fans on amps , I can’t see why there needed. any amp needs to get to a thermal state where it sounds best. Be it class a or a/b. In fact if one were to adjust an amps bias ambient temp is crucial in attaining the correct readings. if we use fans it may lead to a less sound since it may not be at operating temp. most amps even slide the bias to keep the amp at a given temp within a range.

Exactly. When one fine tunes and matches the bias of such amps, they need to insure they achieve a minimum internal temperature, and that's three different temperature points for the Mephisto monoblocks. Extracting that convected heat from the room is the key (unless it's winter time).

 

[LL21]

Interesting, when I spoke with Robert Koch, he has designed the Robert Kodas to have the hot air extracted by Noctua fans and to operate at approximately 20C above the ambient room temperature...so in theory the equipment temperature slightly 'floats' depending on the temperature of the room...A/C, winter/summer, etc. I did not get the sense that he was fussed about temperature of the unit since it is always 'full on' pure Class A/High Bias at all times (ie, not trying to attain an optimal temperature.)

 

[K3RMIT]

It’s his design think about that. Did you ask him if the fans are thermal controlled by speed ?
if you have an amp that is big class A you can hear the bias change if the load is low Z and playing a good volume over time. . At some point the amp may begin to get biased less to not over heat. You can hear it happen if you pay attention Closely
same if an amp slides out of class a to A/B
there are many factors to consider if you use fans not made for them
you can cheat a smaller amp to stay in class A longer with fans too. but then droop plays it’s hand for any SS conductor the amps alao effects the sound as it generates heat.
We have here some real industry experts not joking
it would be nice for them the add to this.
im far from any expert.

 

[LL21]

Hi...the fans internally are solely there to maintain a certain level of air movement only.

The amp apparently is full blast, full Class A no matter what you do...whether it is volume 1 or volume 30...which means it gets [slightly] cooler as you turn it louder (or so I am told) because the unit at volume 1 is basically expending most of its power as heat as opposed to signal generation? It is not designed to slide bias depending on volume.

Gryphons are the same...if you leave it on High Bias, it is basically full-blast all the time. You can manually set it to Medium or Low Bias at which point the unit then simply has 50 Watts Class A, 100 Watts Class A...vs High Bias which is 175 or 200 watts depending on whether it is Stereo or Mono.

 

[Michael Davitt]

I like the look of the Alexx V's much more than the Alexandria S2's. I would be surprised if they do not continue to improve over the next several hundred hours to exceed the Alexandria's.

Congratulations

Getting Better All the time... Better , Better, Better.

 

[marty]

It's no secret that if you are using a cable modem for your ISP provider, it's usually better to use a linear power supply for these than the wall wart plugs that are ubiquitous. Unfortunately, since my cable provider is Comcast/Xfinity, the cable modem I require, which includes telephony for my land line, must come from a very limited selection. Everyone knows that modems with Intel Puma chip have coding glitches are therefore not recommended by Comcast. The only model available to meet my needs a few years ago was a Netgear C7100V (with a Broadcom chip) but unfortunately it is AC 115V powered and thus has no capability to use a 12V linear supply. My unit broke 2 days ago and I was thrilled to discovery that a Motorola MT7711 came out last year that could be used in lieu of the Netgear unit however the Motorola was 12V DC powered! Fortunately, I had a spare SOtM 12V linear PS laying around so I used it when I installed the modem yesterday. The improvement is astonishing. It's almost ridiculous to think that one's system can be at the mercy of a simple cable modem required by one's ISP, but it's true, at least in my case. Or put another way, you could have knocked me over with a feather when I learned the difference an appropriately powered $189 cable modem can make.

After all these years, it still makes me wonder "how many more damn layers are there that we might yet get through"?
This hobby never gets boring....

 

[Mobiusman]

Marty and I have known each other since 1970 and have stayed close during essentially all of the intervening years. Audio has always been a core bond between us as we each advanced in the very elite end of this hobby. Since Marty has been one of my closest friends for so long I know him quite well, just as he knows me. It has been a standing joke between us that his strong OCD streak in his personality has been a huge asset to his current skill level designing and setting up a system.

Now that he is truly seasoned in this space and has the ability and connections to purchase what he desires and deems important, something really special is likely to develop in Marty's amazing music room. While my system is certainly no slouch, Marty and his knowledge, skill set, the best ear I know for live performances driven by his need for perfection, I would always bet on Marty ultimately sitting at the top of the elite pyramid of audio connoisseurs' systems.

Since September 2, I have not turned my system on, nor been home due to some very extreme medical problems that have eliminated my ability to be mobile, thus not being as in touch with Marty's audio growth as typical. He has recently implimented several major system changes that now produce a sound stage and listening experience that is just staggering. During our relationship Marty and I have been on many audio excursions, some quite interesting and special. Amongst the most interesting and certainly special, was a joint visit that lasted all night to the fabled factory Jon Inverson where he had his alleged force fields.

Many speculate that the force fields nevered actually existed. I can guarantee with 100% confidence that they were very real, and while not perfect, incredible in some key area's, with little if any competition. After hours of listening in the most industrial location imagineable, I came to realize that what was so special about that listening experience, was the believability that generated tremendous involvement. Some of the quality of the sound was Iversons's amazing class A Electron Kinetics amp designed specifically to drive these highly unusual speakers, but the force fields had a super electrostatic precision, without all of the subtle, but degrading imperfections in audio playback. Voices and their relationship to their environment were in a class I never knew existed, and found to be truly mesmerizing. Since then, I have strived to create a system that has some of that sound that Iverson created.

Last night, I heard it again at Marty's house on his newly configured system that I am quite familiar with histortically. Put simply, I have no idea how to top what Marty has put together. First of all his room is amazing to the point that a Radio Shack table radio would sound good in it. Most of his system has been around for a while, although always being tweaked. The new additions are the Wilson Alexx V's and a pair of Gryphon Class A Mephisto monoblocks, plus some tube adjustments in Marty's Golden Gate Lampizator, and serious and multiple physical and A-B adjustments (OCD)

I have always loved truly good class A sound becauase of its believable effortless cohesiveness. Unfortunately, the associated heat has always been a problem for me due to listening room constraints, removing them from my list of feasible audio objectives. Well Marty's system has the amps in their own room which isolates the heat, leaving their amazing sound, which he has brilliantly meshed with the Alexx's and JL Gotham's. For four hours we sat last night listening to an amazing list of digital and vinyl pieces, which all had some degree of this amazing Class A believeability. I am familiar with a large amount of what Marty played since great music remains great and we have been together for a long time. However, as is usually the case, he also had some really interesting new music that he thought I would like.

What a joy to be drolling in anticipation to hear the next sound with this amazing Class A sound that Marty's system produces in huge quantities, effortlessly. It is impossible to resist or ignore. The power of its attraction is so great that you get pulled in as if by a tractor beam. Marty can describe his system way better than me, however I have been around long enough that I know when I am in the presence of something truly special. Marty's system is now a truly special and a tremdous sonic tool.