Audionet Heisenberg's
- Thread starter Scott W
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The clarity and sense of ease of the Heisenbergs with the transparent, dynamic and spacious sound of the Vivids is superb.
Inasked this question on the other thred but no reaction.
I hope here will be someone to advice
How about choice between 2 theoretical scenarios:
1. Totaldac DAC ( voulme control) + Totaldac Drivers + Heisenberg monos to Alsyvox Botticelli
2. Totaldac DAC ( max volume) + TotalDAC drivers + Humboldt ( volume control) to Alsyvox Botticelli
I wonder what scenario would work better 1 or 2 ?
I hope here will be someone to advice
How about choice between 2 theoretical scenarios:
1. Totaldac DAC ( voulme control) + Totaldac Drivers + Heisenberg monos to Alsyvox Botticelli
2. Totaldac DAC ( max volume) + TotalDAC drivers + Humboldt ( volume control) to Alsyvox Botticelli
I wonder what scenario would work better 1 or 2 ?
Kris, I can't speak to the performance of the Humboldt as I have not heard it, but the Heisenberg's are simply the best amps I have ever heard.
How do they compare with Mephisto? Most interested in any listening notes...I understand all the caveats.
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Come and hear them for yourself Lloyd - I don't think you're far away!
I had a TotalDAC driver to try for a while and tried the following configurations:
Lampi GG2 -> MFA Silver passive pre -> TotalDAC driver -> Heisenbergs
Lampi GG2 -> TotalDAC driver -> MFA Silver passive pre -> Heisenbergs
Lampi GG2 -> Stern -> Heisenbergs
My Lampi didn't have volume control hence the use of the MFA.
I preferred the Stern setup by a reasonable margin - it sounded more natural and flowing, whereas the TotalDAC driver setup sounded somewhat forced in comparison. Bonzo75 heard the same thing.
I've only heard the Humboldt in Munich so I don't know how close it gets to the Stern / Heisenberg combination. Given the Botticelli are reasonably sensitive the Humboldt may be sufficient to drive them well.
My suggestion would be to do away with the drivers and put the money towards a pre-amp, Stern or otherwise, to partner the Heisenbergs. It's perhaps worth saying that in my view the Heisenbergs are the star of the pairing - I suspect there may be pre-amps out there that outperform the Stern for the same money, or equal it for less.
I'm quite desperate to hear the Botticellis on the end of a pair of Heisenbergs - am hoping a pair will make their way to the UK at some point soon to make it happen!
I moved over from Stern to Soulution 720, which is better in my set up
Hello Kris
in 95% of the case, it's better to have a preamp, even if some DAC have a quite good analog section that have a high-end volume control. I and my customers use preamp. It's a matter of gain to get more dynamics.
KR
Philippe
@heihei . I love your combo of Stern & Heisenbergs but couldn’t afford the Heisenbergs. I got Audia Flight Strumento 8 with Stern instead. I’m really happy with this combo now. Do you think the preamp of Lampi Horizon would be equal to Stern? Thanks.
Hello all
It's quite simple. No system without preamplifier is better than direct digital to power amplifier. I tried many for over 20 years and if some direct links was quite purer, all in all without active preamplifier music lacks one of its fundamental root to convey musical pleasure : dynamics. I tried endlessly if less can be more ! Not without active preamp to my ears.
I discovered recently that the best reproduction is offered by active preamplifier that is incorporated in power amplifier.
I tried separate preamp for 30 years, this was better. I tried integrated preamp like AUDIONET Humboldt, it was more transparent than separates. I tried this in integrated preamp in mono-blocks, and it is so much better that I decided to add a new line of electronics to my product line. It's not better, it's so much better that I couldn't believe that having this absolute playback was possible under 100 K€. It is ! I will have my new brand in December, but today the stereo unit with preamp is so goo that I have no name for other brand that is on par with such resolution, including absolute tones integrity.
This is to say that feeding digital directly to Heisenberg is less good that using Stern preamp with Heisenberg.
I will be the only dealer of this brand (french brand) in France, but also in other European countries and overseas.
I must thank a friend and a speaker manufacturer to tell me to try these marvels
PHPAUDIO will be proud to have a monoblocks pair in December, each unit will have his own mono preamp. No cable in the amplifier, no cable in the preamp, no cable between preamps and mono-block, but unequaled transparency for sure. stay tuned.
Kind regards
Philippe
It's quite simple. No system without preamplifier is better than direct digital to power amplifier. I tried many for over 20 years and if some direct links was quite purer, all in all without active preamplifier music lacks one of its fundamental root to convey musical pleasure : dynamics. I tried endlessly if less can be more ! Not without active preamp to my ears.
I discovered recently that the best reproduction is offered by active preamplifier that is incorporated in power amplifier.
I tried separate preamp for 30 years, this was better. I tried integrated preamp like AUDIONET Humboldt, it was more transparent than separates. I tried this in integrated preamp in mono-blocks, and it is so much better that I decided to add a new line of electronics to my product line. It's not better, it's so much better that I couldn't believe that having this absolute playback was possible under 100 K€. It is ! I will have my new brand in December, but today the stereo unit with preamp is so goo that I have no name for other brand that is on par with such resolution, including absolute tones integrity.
This is to say that feeding digital directly to Heisenberg is less good that using Stern preamp with Heisenberg.
I will be the only dealer of this brand (french brand) in France, but also in other European countries and overseas.
I must thank a friend and a speaker manufacturer to tell me to try these marvels
PHPAUDIO will be proud to have a monoblocks pair in December, each unit will have his own mono preamp. No cable in the amplifier, no cable in the preamp, no cable between preamps and mono-block, but unequaled transparency for sure. stay tuned.
Kind regards
Philippe
Hello
AUDIONET Humboldt and Heisenberg are very sensitive to the power cable choice, especially for highs naturalness.
Also they sound better with very good feet than with the triangular stylished feet from the sub-chassis.
I had Humboldt for 1.5 years.
KR
Philippe
Hi
I tried some passive preamps, more natural in certain cases, but not as dynamic as it's is possible for a "real life" contrasts and slam. Some very good DAC output could be also great, like in PLAYBACK DESIGNS MPS-8 dream DAC player, but at the end I prefer active preamps.
KR
Philippe
What is the rational behind this recommendation ?
to my experience Heisenbergs likes high current capable output stages in Preamplifiers, from my understanding, Aries Cerat has high gain, high voltage approach for sources and preamps?
I agree with you Philippe , but there is other option as well.
If someone is running TotalDac DAC like I do the volume controll bulid there is extremelly good.
I had Kondo 1000 MK II for 3 years and sold it once I discovered there was almost NO difference
with ot without preamp. What a saving !
What I added insted were TotalDAC drivers that are excellent . Those are boxes that DRIVE the amps, meaning they have Active part of a preamp only.
This is excellent combination and I know many others did the same.
From that it looks avoiding passive section of preamp gives significant boost in SQ.
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