I am afraid to post this....

[DaveyF]

Fernando, welcome back to the world of tubes. I think the EAR amps are some of the better tube amps on the market. BTW, IMO, If you are looking for bass slam, then you should consider getting that from the amp in your sub....a typical tube amp isn't going to give you that and shouldn't really be expected to, unless you have a CAT that is, LOL. Enjoy.
Oh, the next step is to consider a tube preamp. ( which is where I think the most difference lies...although I know many will disagree with me).

 

[Andre Marc]

You nailed down into an interesting subject there Andre, bass tunes coming from the EAR amp are not as powerfull or with the slam of my previous reference, but ...... tone and integration with the rest of the instruments playing is more real! .. go figure ....

Go figure is right! Tonality, integration, and texture to me are higher priorities than slam or power. But that is me!

 

[Andre Marc]

Fernando, welcome back to the world of tubes. I think the EAR amps are some of the better tube amps on the market. BTW, IMO, If you are looking for bass slam, then you should consider getting that from the amp in your sub....a typical tube amp isn't going to give you that and shouldn't really be expected to, unless you have a CAT that is, LOL. Enjoy.
Oh, the next step is to consider a tube preamp. ( which is where I think the most difference lies...although I know many will disagree with me).[/QUOTE

Tube pre is where it is at...heard some superb SS preamps like the Densen, and a few other harmonically rich SS models, but in general a tube pre can make the biggest difference, as you said.

The Lamm entry level pre was one that offered up one of the widest soundstages I have ever heard.

 

[LL21]

I make no claims to having "golden ears", I can only report what I hear!

Transparent makes excellent cables in my humble opinion. Their speaker and interconnect cables are some of the best I have heard. The interconnects work great for high level sources, like from preamp to power amp, but for some reason they do not work as well for me from source to preamp.

Funny - i had a similar experience. I own older TA Ref Cables, and just decided on a whim to audition a Transp Opus between Source and Pre...calibrated by TA. I was impressed at its improvement relative to my 10-yr old TA Ref Cable...but not blown away. I returned it within hours. I then on gut instinct (and after some negotiating of course) upgraded my old TA Ref speaker cables to XLMM2...and that has been a far greater improvement for a fraction of the cost.

I did not try the Opus between Pre and Amp...which is RCA-XLR...there was a slight electric buzz when i used my old TA Ref IC. Fortunately, i accepted an offer by a manufacturer (Sablon Audio) to make me an IC which (for whatever crazy reason) makes the system utterly SILENT even if i crank volume beyond defeaning with no signal running thru...i was told by an engineer when this happens between a tube SE pre and Balanced SS Amp...steal the cable and never give it back! so no TA there in any event.

 

[MylesBAstor]

I bite!

A Bosendorfer is a half octave down instrument in the last 4 keys (??) compared to a Stanway piano, there one needs low register resolution an tone...my bet Myles is that my previous reference would send the right impact and attack of those last keys BUT not the real tone, the EAR will deliver the right tone biut at, say...., 3 dB lower?

Yep a Bosendorfer willl extend to 28 Hz. Quite an animal!

And the difference is that you will hear the differentiation of the individual notes better with tubes than solid state. Same goes for LPs vs CDs. All the notes sound the same to me with digital. YMMV.

 

[flez007]

It looks like this...

 

[Andre Marc]

Funny - i had a similar experience. I own older TA Ref Cables, and just decided on a whim to audition a Transp Opus between Source and Pre...calibrated by TA. I was impressed at its improvement relative to my 10-yr old TA Ref Cable...but not blown away. I returned it within hours. I then on gut instinct (and after some negotiating of course) upgraded my old TA Ref speaker cables to XLMM2...and that has been a far greater improvement for a fraction of the cost.

I did not try the Opus between Pre and Amp...which is RCA-XLR...there was a slight electric buzz when i used my old TA Ref IC. Fortunately, i accepted an offer by a manufacturer (Sablon Audio) to make me an IC which (for whatever crazy reason) makes the system utterly SILENT even if i crank volume beyond defeaning with no signal running thru...i was told by an engineer when this happens between a tube SE pre and Balanced SS Amp...steal the cable and never give it back! so no TA there in any event.

Interesting experience. Yes, I found that going from my previous speaker cables to TA Super MM2 made a huge difference. Also going to MM2 Super ICs between my pre and power
amp was massive.

For some reason, between my CD players and server and pre, I get a darkish, bleached out sound. My theory is that TA is not great for very low level signals.
Just my theory, btw, I have no idea.

Yes, I can see where tube SE/ and Balanced SS may not be so happy together without the right cable. I generally like to stay ALL balanced
through out the system or all single ended. When I have mixed and matched, I also have experienced noise.

One cable brand I really do NOT get is MIT. Those huge boxes, the "articulation poles", and the pricing turn me off.

 

[FrantzM]

Yep a Bosendorfer willl extend to 28 Hz. Quite an animal!

And the difference is that you will hear the differentiation of the individual notes better with tubes than solid state. Same goes for LPs vs CDs. All the notes sound the same to me with digital. YMMV.

Taking a few hours break from several projects going all at once. ..

Of course I disagree... I am sure I would be to confuse you with digital on repeatable basis.. Of course once you see which source is playing, all bets are off but not knowing ..
I have heard recently needle drops that sounded as analog as they get to the extent of confusing more than one unsuspecting die-hard analog-only people ...

 

[flez007]

Fernando, welcome back to the world of tubes. I think the EAR amps are some of the better tube amps on the market. BTW, IMO, If you are looking for bass slam, then you should consider getting that from the amp in your sub....a typical tube amp isn't going to give you that and shouldn't really be expected to, unless you have a CAT that is, LOL. Enjoy.
Oh, the next step is to consider a tube preamp. ( which is where I think the most difference lies...although I know many will disagree with me).

Thanks DaveyF! - I will let this setup settle down for a while and decide my next steps - I am pretty sure that I will need to play again with spkr placement, cables, etc...just to get the most out of it.

An EAR preamp would be the easiest choice, not in a hurry thou.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Interesting experience. Yes, I found that going from my previous speaker cables to TA Super MM2 made a huge difference. Also going to MM2 Super ICs between my pre and power
amp was massive.

For some reason, between my CD players and server and pre, I get a darkish, bleached out sound. My theory is that TA is not great for very low level signals.
Just my theory, btw, I have no idea.

Yes, I can see where tube SE/ and Balanced SS may not be so happy together without the right cable. I generally like to stay ALL balanced
through out the system or all single ended. When I have mixed and matched, I also have experienced noise.

One cable brand I really do NOT get is MIT. Those huge boxes, the "articulation poles", and the pricing turn me off.

MIT is the best cabling I've used in my system. Their Oracle MA-x phono cable is sans pareil.

 

[Andre Marc]

I am sure they are great peformers.

MIT is the best cabling I've used in my system. Their Oracle MA-x phono cable is sans pareil.

I have no doubt they are great cables.

What gets under my skin is their convoluted marketing. Also there are a helluva lot of parts in those boxes.

As Lew Johnson says, EVERY part has a sound.

 

[MylesBAstor]

I have no doubt they are great cables.

What gets under my skin is their convoluted marketing. Also there are a helluva lot of parts in those boxes.

As Lew Johnson Asays, EVERY part has a sound.

And Lew also says that philosophically, he's against the concept and everything that goes into a networked cable and yet it sounds the best to his ears. Not sure at the moment, but cj used Transparent in their reference system for years.

 

[LL21]

And Lew also says that philosophically, he's against the concept and everything that goes into a networked cable and yet it sounds the best to his ears. Not sure at the moment, but cj used Transparent in their reference system for years.

I am pretty sure they still do...at least that is what Transparent told me when their guy was here.

 

[LL21]

Yep a Bosendorfer willl extend to 28 Hz. Quite an animal!

And the difference is that you will hear the differentiation of the individual notes better with tubes than solid state. Same goes for LPs vs CDs. All the notes sound the same to me with digital. YMMV.

That is very, very interesting. Myles - can you recommend a particular CD that uses a Bosendorfer and which plays down in those lower 28hz-40hz registers? I would be very interested to try this on my system and learn.

 

[MylesBAstor]

That is very, very interesting. Myles - can you recommend a particular CD that uses a Bosendorfer and which plays down in those lower 28hz-40hz registers? I would be very interested to try this on my system and learn.

Try the reissued Ivan Moravec piano recordings originally on Connoisseur Society produced by Alan Silver and recorded by David Jones (Waltz for Debby).

 

[Andre Marc]

And Lew also says that philosophically, he's against the concept and everything that goes into a networked cable and yet it sounds the best to his ears. Not sure at the moment, but cj used Transparent in their reference system for years.

I think Transparent and MIT are very different animals. The TA "boxes" simply limit bandwidth, in a very similar way to the Audioquest dba system, but of course, using different methods.

I just watched a 20 minute video on MIT's site, and it was filled with theory and what I like to call
invented problems. Manufacturers like to invent problems, especially in high end audio, so they can create and sell "solutions". There half a dozen branded pseudo scientific terms like Fractional Articulation Technology

I also naturally dislike companies that churn their line non stop. Shunyata does this too. Every year there is an overhaul, with promises of "breakthroughs".

I mean I just had to laugh at their new MIT "Super HD" line.

ALL that being said, I have only heard and seen them at shows, and I am sure they sound great other wise they would not have been paired with insanely expensive speakers and components.

 

[flez007]

? I would be very interested to try this on my system and learn.

Mozart Piano Sonatas - Yuko Hisamito - ALCD 9109

 

[MylesBAstor]

I think Transparent and MIT are very different animals. The TA "boxes" simply limit bandwidth, in a very similar way to the Audioquest dba system, but of course, using different methods.

I just watched a 20 minute video on MIT's site, and it was filled with theory and what I like to call
invented problems. Manufacturers like to invent problems, especially in high end audio, so they can create and sell "solutions". There half a dozen branded pseudo scientific terms like Fractional Articulation Technology

I also naturally dislike companies that churn their line non stop. Shunyata does this too. Every year there is an overhaul, with promises of "breakthroughs".

I mean I just had to laugh at their new MIT "Super HD" line.

ALL that being said, I have only heard and seen them at shows, and I am sure they sound great other wise they would not have been paired with insanely expensive speakers and components.

Well the origin of TA cables was? So don't see how they can be that dissimilar?

 

[mep]

I knew Karen Sumner when she was terminating MIT cables out of her house in Hollis, ME with Mogami RCA connectors soldered by a woman watching soap operas. I bought my first VdH cartridge from Karen (an MC 10) at her house. So yeah, TA owes some credit to MIT IMO. The three principles that started Transparent Audio were Karen, her husband Jack who was a high school principal and Carl Smith who was a lawyer before he decided to earn an honest living.

 

[Andre Marc]

Well the origin of TA cables was? So don't see how they can be that dissimilar?

I know the history. But I don't see many other similarities.