Robert would certainly be a great addition to WBF. He's TAS's technical expert and his insights and views would definitely be enlightening to all here.
Burmester 911 mk3
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Robert would certainly be a great addition to WBF. He's TAS's technical expert and his insights and views would definitely be enlightening to all here.
We can also make a list of preamps that work excellent with the Burmester 911 MK3, based on personal experience:
1) Concert Fidelity CF-080 LX (custom xlr to rca Cullen Cable) output impdence is between 5.2k ohms and 900 ohms
2) Wadia S7i (xlr to xlr) Maximum Output Voltage:can be adjusted via internal switches from 0.3V to 4.25V to match system sensitivity
Output Impedance:less than 15 ohms
1) Concert Fidelity CF-080 LX (custom xlr to rca Cullen Cable) output impdence is between 5.2k ohms and 900 ohms
2) Wadia S7i (xlr to xlr) Maximum Output Voltage:can be adjusted via internal switches from 0.3V to 4.25V to match system sensitivity
Output Impedance:less than 15 ohms
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1) Concert Fidelity CF-080 LX (output impedance: 900 ohms - 5.2K ohms)
2) Wadia S7i (output impedance: <15 ohms)
3) Audio Research REF5SE (output impedance: 600 ohms balanced, 300 ohms SE) - works great balanced, -Jeff Dorgay
4) McIntosh C2300 (output impedance: 250 ohms)
5) Wavelength Cosecant V3 tube DAC w/ volume control (output impedance: 500 ohm)
6) Weiss Medea/Weiss Medea Plus (output impedance: 0.2 ohm/<100 Ohm)
2) Wadia S7i (output impedance: <15 ohms)
3) Audio Research REF5SE (output impedance: 600 ohms balanced, 300 ohms SE) - works great balanced, -Jeff Dorgay
4) McIntosh C2300 (output impedance: 250 ohms)
5) Wavelength Cosecant V3 tube DAC w/ volume control (output impedance: 500 ohm)
6) Weiss Medea/Weiss Medea Plus (output impedance: 0.2 ohm/<100 Ohm)
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I've been using my Conrad Johnson GAT (output impedance under 100 Ohms) with Steve McCormack's Interocitor One (4:1 version) and loving the combination. It allows me to enjoy that CJ GAT goodness with a lower gain and conversion from RCA to XLR.
Joe, does the Interocitor apply signals of opposite phase on pins #2 and #3 of the XLR output during the RCA to XLR conversion?
I do not think so, Steve mentioned to reverse the speaker cable leads but I find that since the GAT inverts phase, I connect everything normally and it sounds great. My thinking is the GAT inverts phase, then the 911mk3's reverses the phase via the XLR pins being opposite, so I believe I am back to normal. Thoughts?
garylkoh
WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
Thanks Gary,
You are right once again. The Interocitor One is a great piece of gear. I love it!!!! I sincerely appreciate all your contributions here and in the world of Audio. Steve's Interocitor One let's me run my GAT in it's sweet spot allowing me run the volume scale in the 60's+ range of the scale that goes to 100 (I think). My 077 is superb but can be too good on these less than stellar recordings. My GAT plus Interocitor One lets me enjoy everything!
garylkoh
WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
Glad that the Interocitor worked for you. You might not have been a member when this original thread was posted: http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...terocitor-Saved-My-Life&highlight=interocitor
You may even find that the Interocitor between your 077 and the 911 might help if you are running different grounds between the front and back parts of your system. Galvanic isolation of the grounds might reduce ground-loop buzz, and improve transparency in the whole system.
Joe-How can your preamp be "too good." Are you saying the 077 is telling more of the truth than you like to hear and the GAT covers up some of that truth or are you saying something else?
Joe,
I can imagine that the difference is not only the lower gain setting.
What are the aspects of the sound quality where you notice improvements? Any negative consequences?
Jim, are you sure this is right? That is a pretty big variation and the numbers are HUGE. A 5.2K ohm output impedance driving a 2K ohm 911mk3 input impedance? Isn't this breaking some kind of law of physics?
That's what I am saying. To my ears, I find the the CR-1's let everything through, good and bad and to a certain extent bring it a little more forward than maybe I'd like sometimes. Don't get me wrong, these are the best, most open, thrilling speakers I've heard. But Quoting a movie line "I can't handle the truth". I do have to say that other than the Metric Halo LIO-8, I don't own a spectacular source yet (fill in the blank, eg. Playback designs, Meridan, EMM labs, Esoteric, etc.). Because of this, hotly recorded cds can sound painful to me. I am sensitive to too much treble. The GAT to my ears, smooths out the edges while still giving me a very enjoyable listening session. With my LIO-8 on the 077 and 911mk3 monos, it can sound awesome. But again, some badly recorded music comes right through. Great cds are to-die-for superb. So with this setup, I seem to have the best of both worlds. When I want a clear window to beautiful music, the 077/911mk3's play. When I want a little more forgiveness with layering and tube goodness, the GAT/911mk3's play. All good, different flavors. How can I ask for more? Now the search for the killer dac/cd/sacd player continues......
Joe,
I can imagine that the difference is not only the lower gain setting.
What are the aspects of the sound quality where you notice improvements? Any negative consequences?
Yes, I think the lower gain setting helps let my GAT operate in more of a sweet spot (especially with anything Conrad Johnson which, to me, seems too high) but I believe the Interocitor One helps with the impedance issues as well. I even notice a benefit using the Interocitor One between the GAT and CJ 350 amp (based on my experience with them on the CR-1's, I am sure on lesser speakers it would not matter). I am not technical and hope Gary can help to explain what is going on but I am keeping the Interocitor one and can only imagine how good Steve McCormack's statement preamp sounds. Hmmmm.
garylkoh
WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
One big reason for systems (preamps) sounding better at higher gain levels is that the volume control pot (even excellent ones) do not have good linearity and channel tracking at the extreme. The way we look for quality of the volume control pot is for example 3dB at -40dB. This means that the two tracks (left and right) are +/- 3dB from -0dB to -40dB. When you attenuate beyond -40dB (low volume levels), then the two tracks could depart more than +/3 dB. I always prefer to play the volume control at about 12 o'clock because of this.
IMHO, Steve's statement preamp is even more transparent than the 077.... but that's just my opinion.
Gary,
Thank you for the explanation. Anybody want to buy an 077
Seriously, Steve's statement preamp must be spectacular! Thanks Steve!Gary,
The GAT uses a relay switched discrete resistor attenuator - only a single high quality precision resistor in series in an L circuit. The reason must be another for Joe's system. Should we consider that as the transformer reduces the signal voltage and the attenuator is located before the tube gain stage, the preamplifier will be working at higher levels, with a better signal to noise ratio?
I have now seen that the 911mk3 has a gain of 34 dB. This can help the driving output circuits of the preamplifier as it it needs to supply a lower voltage to the amplifier, the needed current being also lower. Most tube circuits can supply an high voltage, but measured distortion increases a lot when they have to supply currents above one miliampere.
Joe,
What you really need now is a top grade turntable. Last Saturday, I went to my dealer's showroom to listen to the Davinci Unison turntable (with the same burmester amps and Q3). The sound was really superb. You should try it and I believe you may not go back to digital sound after that. Right now, I'm targeting Davinci's Gabriel TT.
What you really need now is a top grade turntable. Last Saturday, I went to my dealer's showroom to listen to the Davinci Unison turntable (with the same burmester amps and Q3). The sound was really superb. You should try it and I believe you may not go back to digital sound after that. Right now, I'm targeting Davinci's Gabriel TT.
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