CJ: New 40th Anniversary ART Amps

[tonytsui]

I loved the Metronome Calypso with the Reference with the thick silent base plus the C2A tube DAC - still keep them. Not exactly neutral, but extremely natural and musical. I found the C8 more detailed, with better definition and better bass but also more restrained and did not move to it. Unfortunately I still did not had the opportunity of borrowing the new Kalista DAC. Does any one in your community own the combo?

For some unknown reasons this combo is not used by our community nor is it mentioned in other local forums.

 

[LL21]

I loved the Metronome Calypso with the Reference with the thick silent base plus the C2A tube DAC - still keep them. Not exactly neutral, but extremely natural and musical. I found the C8 more detailed, with better definition and better bass but also more restrained and did not move to it. Unfortunately I still did not had the opportunity of borrowing the new Kalista DAC. Does any one in your community own the combo?

For some unknown reasons this combo is not used by our community nor is it mentioned in other local forums.

I have heard the Metronome Kalista Ref + C2A DAC...mesmerizing. Absolutely mesmerizingly good. I personally found the Transport to make at least as great a contribution towards that...or perhaps a more 'uniquely important' contribution...there are more than a few good DACs I have heard...but very few if ANY transports that does what the Kalista Ref (and that amazingly silent base) does for the silver disc.

When I was thinking about moving from Oppo transport with my Zanden to Zanden transport...i really thought long and hard about the Kalista Ref Transport (a fellow Zanden DAC owner did do this, of the 12 Zanden 4-box owners I know and have contacted over the years)...but in the end, i think it was quite a good thing to stick with the same designer for both, and the Zanden Transport is indeed excellent. Nevertheless, the time spent with the Metronome Kalista Ref was truly a learning experience about the art of the possible.

I have lost track of Metronome...i suppose this Dream DAC is the latest?

 

[LL21]

I heard the top Gryphon mono blocks in Ipoh Malaysia driving the Wilson XLFs - very fast and dynamic but the listening was too short for me to say I liked its tonal quality. Here in Hong Kong at the showroom of Gryphon's dealer I heard the Gryphon (forgot the model) driving the Magico M6. However this time, the bass was a bit slow and I asked for a piano recording which confirmed my thinking. Dealer then replaced the Gryphon with a Constellation amp and the bass went much faster. Hope you don't mind me saying so.

Although SS amps differ, I have noticed one phenomenon of SS users usually playing very loud but don't realize the sound gets uptight and actually tonal quality changed for the worse. Yes ears differ and perhaps mine are geared towards tubes, but the ART300 don't change when pushed and you still enjoy all the sweetness of strings, phenomenal soundstage, human voices with every change in tone and dynamics, without a slight change in tonal quality.

My guess is you may get slightly better bass with SS on your X1 (but not far better than the ART300), but boy you'll lose quite a bit on the midrange and highs.

Was it this system you heard?
https://www.monoandstereo.com/2016/11/mighty-upgrade.html#more

 

[tonytsui]

Yes but I think the speakers have changed by now

 

[LL21]

Yes but I think the speakers have changed by now

Yes, I think these were on Audiogon a few months ago along with the matching yellow Thor's Hammer? What speakers is he using now?

 

[tonytsui]

BTW owner is a very nice gentleman who always treated us to excellent food every time we visited

 

[tonytsui]

The big 4 piece Gryphon speakers

 

[LL21]

The big 4 piece Gryphon speakers

Wow...just saw this...https://www.monoandstereo.com/2018/07/the-gryphon-heaven.html#more

 

[tonytsui]

Wow...just saw this...https://www.monoandstereo.com/2018/07/the-gryphon-heaven.html#more

View attachment 42805

Some more info for you if you’re considering the synergy between a CJ power amp with Wilson speakers. When the Art amps were introduced 8-9 years ago we tested a Gat1 and Art amps on the Maxx2 (or 3?) and we never heard the Maxx sounded so good. Currently a friend uses the Gat2 and Art300 driving the Alexx with good results and no problems on the bass.

 

[LL21]

Some more info for you if you’re considering the synergy between a CJ power amp with Wilson speakers. When the Art amps were introduced 8-9 years ago we tested a Gat1 and Art amps on the Maxx2 (or 3?) and we never heard the Maxx sounded so good. Currently a friend uses the Gat2 and Art300 driving the Alexx with good results and no problems on the bass.

Great stuff! Thanks for that...very interesting and helpful!