I heard this afternoon the system of Danny Kaey, a Reviewer for Positive Feedback, which I think displays the fastest rise time in terms of dynamics, and the most instantaneous “jump factor,” I have ever heard (meaning ever). I visited Danny only for a couple of hours but from just a few seconds after the first needle-drop I knew his system was something special -- and I was pretty much dumbfounded for the rest of the listening session.
In this system a suite of all Einstein electronics -- including the Einstein Silver Bullet OTL Mk. IIs (65 wpc into 8 ohms; 50 wpc into 4 ohms) drove Wilson Audio Alexx loudspeakers (91 dB sensitivity).
I stipulate that I can't prove any of this with comparative listening sessions -- this was the first time I heard Einstein electronics and Alexx speakers in a leisurely environment (and the turntable and tonearm and cartrige were new to me, too) -- but I'm pretty sure about a few of things:
1) The Wilson Audio Alexx is without any doubt (on my part) the best speaker the company has ever made (WAMM Chronosonic excluded, which I have never seen or heard).
2) I think there is some jump factor and dynamics and crystalline transparency “magic” in eliminating the output transformers from the power amplifiers. Now I am not sure whether I am more interested in experimenting on the Pendragon ribbon panels with the NAT Audio Magma New SEs or the Einstein Silver Bullet OTL Mk. IIs. (The 89 dB sensitivity of the Pendragon ribbon panel is significantly less sensitive than the 91 dB sensitive Alexx, and that probably disqualifies the Einstein OTLs right there, but I still want to try OTL (even though I am a big believer in the merit of “excess” amplifier power for electrostatic and ribbon drivers).
3) Danny's system sounded breathtaking without:
This system simply was dialed-in perfectly. Danny said he aligns the cartridges himself, a feat of black magic I never will be able to accomplish.
4) I never thought I would say this, and certainly not about Wilson Audio speakers, but the Einstein electronics embued the Alexxes with -- please sit down lest you fall over when you read this -- electrostatic-like transparency of which I did not think any dynamic driver system was capable.
5) I did not hear from the Einstein OTLs the slight tube warmth (which I like) I hear from VTL and NAT Audio mplifiers. When I was talking earlier this year with people who owned Atma-Sphere OTLs there was a consistent refrain: that the Atma-Sphere OTLs, while incredibly transparent and crystalline and clear, have a slightly leaner presentation than conventional tube designs. I think I heard that today with the Einsteins.
6) Part of the “secret sauce” of this system is that the speakers are about 15 feet in front of the front wall. This allowed great depth of sound to develop.
Danny has not one but two Telefunken M15 tape decks. Tape sounded amazing, as always!
Thanks very much to Danny for a fun afternoon and for a great introduction to OTL amplifiers and to the Wilson Alexx!
In this system a suite of all Einstein electronics -- including the Einstein Silver Bullet OTL Mk. IIs (65 wpc into 8 ohms; 50 wpc into 4 ohms) drove Wilson Audio Alexx loudspeakers (91 dB sensitivity).
I stipulate that I can't prove any of this with comparative listening sessions -- this was the first time I heard Einstein electronics and Alexx speakers in a leisurely environment (and the turntable and tonearm and cartrige were new to me, too) -- but I'm pretty sure about a few of things:
1) The Wilson Audio Alexx is without any doubt (on my part) the best speaker the company has ever made (WAMM Chronosonic excluded, which I have never seen or heard).
2) I think there is some jump factor and dynamics and crystalline transparency “magic” in eliminating the output transformers from the power amplifiers. Now I am not sure whether I am more interested in experimenting on the Pendragon ribbon panels with the NAT Audio Magma New SEs or the Einstein Silver Bullet OTL Mk. IIs. (The 89 dB sensitivity of the Pendragon ribbon panel is significantly less sensitive than the 91 dB sensitive Alexx, and that probably disqualifies the Einstein OTLs right there, but I still want to try OTL (even though I am a big believer in the merit of “excess” amplifier power for electrostatic and ribbon drivers).
3) Danny's system sounded breathtaking without:
A) fancy audiophile fuses,
B) any major acoustic treatment (just three diffusors behind the listening chair which is four feet from the rear wall)
C) $10,000 interconnect network boxes,
D) heroically heavy stands,
E) active or pneumatic isolation platforms,
F) special footers,
G) sympathetic resonators,
H) balanced power,
I) isolation transformers,
J) NCF outlets,
K) expensive power cables or connectors
L) power conditioners
M) cable elevators,
N) special stones or weights
O) after-market titanium headshells, etc.
B) any major acoustic treatment (just three diffusors behind the listening chair which is four feet from the rear wall)
C) $10,000 interconnect network boxes,
D) heroically heavy stands,
E) active or pneumatic isolation platforms,
F) special footers,
G) sympathetic resonators,
H) balanced power,
I) isolation transformers,
J) NCF outlets,
K) expensive power cables or connectors
L) power conditioners
M) cable elevators,
N) special stones or weights
O) after-market titanium headshells, etc.
This system simply was dialed-in perfectly. Danny said he aligns the cartridges himself, a feat of black magic I never will be able to accomplish.
4) I never thought I would say this, and certainly not about Wilson Audio speakers, but the Einstein electronics embued the Alexxes with -- please sit down lest you fall over when you read this -- electrostatic-like transparency of which I did not think any dynamic driver system was capable.
5) I did not hear from the Einstein OTLs the slight tube warmth (which I like) I hear from VTL and NAT Audio mplifiers. When I was talking earlier this year with people who owned Atma-Sphere OTLs there was a consistent refrain: that the Atma-Sphere OTLs, while incredibly transparent and crystalline and clear, have a slightly leaner presentation than conventional tube designs. I think I heard that today with the Einsteins.
6) Part of the “secret sauce” of this system is that the speakers are about 15 feet in front of the front wall. This allowed great depth of sound to develop.
Danny has not one but two Telefunken M15 tape decks. Tape sounded amazing, as always!
Thanks very much to Danny for a fun afternoon and for a great introduction to OTL amplifiers and to the Wilson Alexx!
