An evening with XVX/Gryphon/DCS/Air force 1

[Ron Resnick]

What a beautiful set up, Jim! Congratulations!

You are using Mephistos on the Subsonics?

The Transparent network boxes get their own HRS platforms?

 

[JiminGa]

Not my set up. My friends. Yes Mephisto monos on the subs. Each Magnum Opus gets its own HRS platform

 

[sbo6]

Thank you Ron. When I joined the WBF I clashed with folks because I did not know who they were. Many discussions like this one are between professionals who look at gear analytically. They have never owned an XVX and tweaked it and listened to it for many hundreds of hours with every kind of CD and download imaginable. Also live performances like the Highwaymen Live and have never heard Willie Nelson singing "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain". I have many DVD's that are simply thrilling beyond belief on an XVX. I'm a well informed layperson who loves the high end. The XVX has a midrange that to me is simply beyond compare. It's perfect in height, size of vocals, clarity, resolution, delicacy, and refinement. It is beauty personified. I wouldn't know about a Lyra or Trio and could care even less. I will say this, I don't think you can judge the quality of a speaker like the XVX until you have taken a chance on it, bought it, and worked with it to get the absolute best out of it. This can take months to years. Finally, I drive it using a tube/tube/tube (MCD12000/C-12000/MCD3500) gear. IMO the MC3500 is the finest tube power amplifier on earth. The way is handles my XVX is incredible. So after 5 years of very hard work I have achieved a perfect sound to my ears. I knew the 3500 was something special when I first heard it but I didn't know how special. The initial tubes were bad and I had it on the 4-ohm tap. It blew tubes right and left. However, McIntosh remanufactured the El509's. I have almost 1,000 hours on them running off the 2-ohm tap now and have quit worrying about blowing a tube. At 350 + watts the amps don't even get warm. The remanufactured tubes sound much better too. I have to say there's a light year between listening to gear for 12-24 hours at a dealer and listening to it in your room for hundreds to thousands of hours. The final judgement is: "Do you look forward to listening to your speaker day after day, month after month, year after year?" Or do you find yourself wanting something different because there's that little burr under your saddle that only becomes apparent after many days of tweaking and listening that you can't get rid of. I want it all and I know what "all" is and I finally after 60 plus years in the high end have it.

I have 100 of the new green EL509's in a closet.

I'm glad you are very happy, however much if not all of what you state applies to all speakers and systems. This is why it's tough to judge any component or speaker at a show.

Also, McIntosh makes some good gear, but for the caliber of speaker you have, you might want to consider the plethora of high - end tubes amps that rank above Macs. You just may be praising their attributes and synergy with your system and speakers more than you know. Then, of course, there are many SS amps that sound tube - like with better bass, more power and higher resolution. One thing that's clear in this hobby in my many years is - there's always something better, the challenge is finding it and budget. ;-) Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

 

[Charles S]

I achieve excellent results with my XVX in this location. The last pic is my dealer's showroom. As you can see there is tremendous variation in the location of the XVX. However, I strongly suspect that JiminGa is correct concerning his statements regarding the best, if possible XVX location. Ideally, IMO, the XVX is designed for a SS amp exactly like the Gryphon and all that marvelous ancillary Gear. However, it's a testimony to the versatility of the speaker that it can sound really good in MF's room, my room, or my dealer's room. It's a very musical loudspeaker that wants to please its owner. That's the kind of speaker I want. However, I must say that I haven't heard the XVX at my dealers and I would wonder if a better location, moving them out in the room considerably wouldn't be better. As I have said, I absolutely love my sound. It's really amazing what my 3500's can do but they are no match for the Gryphons. However, my Thor and MC2.1KW located on an X-material plinth/ horizontal lie is something to behold. Note the 2K watts in the second to last pic. My bass is truly incredible both in quality and quantity. A Thor has 6 dB higher sensitivity and significantly more output than a Subsonic because of its 15" woofers. It was never designed for stereo but meant to replace the XS. I have it located exactly as Dave Wilson intended it to be, and my bass blend is perfect. My bass is bone crushing.

My estimate is that I have about 900K in my system and at least 150K in power. I'm obsessed with proper power. As a consequence I use nothing but Wel Signature and Dragon balanced IC's and speaker cables that cost a small fortune. And Dragon power cords and Niagara 5000 and 7000 conditioners with 4 dedicated 20 amp lines. Also a Transguard Tg60 between me and the light pole that has a superb filter. if your power is not right, forget it. I love the AQ solid silver. It improves my clarity and resolution an order of magnitude. I basically agree with JiminGA but the XVX can be made to sound superb in rooms of many different sizes and configurations, just not as good as the installation shown here. I wouldn't trade what I have for any other gear in my room but my room is the limiting factor. What you see here is the absolute ultimate. It's amazing that both Vitus and Gryphon are Danish. I can't see much difference in their gear both of which are Class A and of incredible build quality. They are the best, nothing else comes close, IMO. But of the two, are their distinguishable qualities? Does anyone know?

 

[Charles S]

These pics provide a good assessment of the distance from the rear wall and corner. As you can see, I'm in the zone of neutrality and in the optimum location for my room. Robert Harley's XVX is significantly further out than mine but significantly less than the above installation. I'm not shoved up against the rear wall or corner at all. I don't suffer from size exaggeration. My imaging is lifelike in size and is wall to wall. I have perfect soundstage height good depth. And of course there is zero slap echo. My room is on the over damped side, which is how I like it. It's wall within wall construction and 2 x 6's, built like a tank by my father-in-law. It's 15.5 feet wide and a full 40 feet long. The super tweeter is set at minus 4 dB and makes an audible and pleasing difference in my treble.

 

[JiminGa]

I achieve excellent results with my XVX in this location. The last pic is my dealer's showroom. As you can see there is tremendous variation in the location of the XVX. However, I strongly suspect that JiminGa is correct concerning his statements regarding the best, if possible XVX location. Ideally, IMO, the XVX is designed for a SS amp exactly like the Gryphon and all that marvelous ancillary Gear. However, it's a testimony to the versatility of the speaker that it can sound really good in MF's room, my room, or my dealer's room. It's a very musical loudspeaker that wants to please its owner. That's the kind of speaker I want. However, I must say that I haven't heard the XVX at my dealers and I would wonder if a better location, moving them out in the room considerably wouldn't be better. As I have said, I absolutely love my sound. It's really amazing what my 3500's can do but they are no match for the Gryphons. However, my Thor and MC2.1KW located on an X-material plinth/ horizontal lie is something to behold. Note the 2K watts in the second to last pic. My bass is truly incredible both in quality and quantity. A Thor has 6 dB higher sensitivity and significantly more output than a Subsonic because of its 15" woofers. It was never designed for stereo but meant to replace the XS. I have it located exactly as Dave Wilson intended it to be, and my bass blend is perfect. My bass is bone crushing.

My estimate is that I have about 900K in my system and at least 150K in power. I'm obsessed with proper power. As a consequence I use nothing but Wel Signature and Dragon balanced IC's and speaker cables that cost a small fortune. And Dragon power cords and Niagara 5000 and 7000 conditioners with 4 dedicated 20 amp lines. Also a Transguard Tg60 between me and the light pole that has a superb filter. if your power is not right, forget it. I love the AQ solid silver. It improves my clarity and resolution an order of magnitude. I basically agree with JiminGA but the XVX can be made to sound superb in rooms of many different sizes and configurations, just not as good as the installation shown here. I wouldn't trade what I have for any other gear in my room but my room is the limiting factor. What you see here is the absolute ultimate. It's amazing that both Vitus and Gryphon are Danish. I can't see much difference in their gear both of which are Class A and of incredible build quality. They are the best, nothing else comes close, IMO. But of the two, are their distinguishable qualities? Does anyone know?. I'm sure your set up sounds good. You would need to experience a large room with plenty of space off the front wall and above the speakers to truly understand what these are capable of. Neither you or your dealer really know what is possible with these given the respective set ups and electronics. It won't change the basic sound of the the XVX but the scale and the realism will grow exponentially. As to subs you certainly can use one Thor as you do. Magico has done similar. However, if you are starting with a blank slate get 2 subsonics in stereo and spend a couple of months getting them right millimeter by millimeter. I'm not criticizing anything you've done. My room is not optimized either. I'm stuck with what Ive got unless I move. My friend actually built this room to optimize the XVX specifically. It took 2 years. I don't know about your wife but that's a no go with mine. You also don't have the width for 2 subsonics so your set up makes sense. My post was really about what is possible with a blank slate and what an enormous difference this makes for XVX or any other speaker really.

 

[JiminGa]

Im certain your set up sounds good. My post is about what happens when you start with a blank slate and there are no restrictions. My friend had the room built specifically for XVXs. It took 2 years. Ive heard XVX and been underwhelmed. This was on a different level. You (and your dealer) would have to experience it to truly understand what's possible. Even after 50 + years at this I was unprepared. A single Thor works as you are using it. Don't think you have the room to optimize 2 subsonics but trust me they are awesome. 99% of us are stuck trying to optimize what we have so I am absolutely not critical of you. The thing about XVX is that (for me) its best attributes are size and scale which are more affected by room size than say tone or transparency. Just my thoughts. No offense.