Wow Lloyd, I’m impressed that you would dig to find this. The best excuse I can muster for not providing any updates comes from a line a read recently in another magazine where one of their writers said that “his system is almost right. Almost”! That’s sort of where I’m at the moment having changed a few things that makes me inclined to say I haven’t fully wrapped my arms around them yet. But I’ll try and comply with some musings nonetheless.
Starting with some smaller incidentals, I’ve spent a good deal of time studying variants of electrical AC outlets and power cords, some of which I reported previously. But due to several recent system changes, I revisited some AC power cords. Initially I thought the Furutech DPS4 w all copper F11 connectors was excellent but after a month, the sound started to grate on me. It may be that their contacts required frequent cleaning as some have suggested, so I’m still playing around with their terminations in various metals. For the time being, I’m shocked to learn that the best AC cables I’ve come across on my line level gear are from the Great Karmeli. While David’s knowledge of things audio is certainly impressive, he may have pulled off one of his greatest feats by discovering the Ching Cheng power cords which cost, well, let’s just say you’ll probably spend more at McDonald’s. Seriously. According to David, this find was no accident as he has explored countless cords (as have many of us) before finding this one. But finding one that is unassailably uncolored and harmonically natural as this was really pulling a rabbit out of his ass. I’m sure there’s a story there if he wishes to tell it. For now, they are my defacto standard simply because they are so musically correct. One caveat is that I’m not sure they are good for amps that move a lot of current. I know they work well on David’s beloved Lamm ML3’s, but for monster monoblocs, I would probably look elsewhere. However, for my phono stage, preamp, transport and DAC, they’re pretty damn sweet. It’s not they are as good as cables that are more than 100x their cost…they’re better! Then again, I haven’t tried everything out there but honestly, I have bigger fish to fry so let’s move on.
Perhaps the biggest change in the system recently is the acquisition of new power amps. The Spectral 400 DMA are out. My intent was to replace them with the new DMA 500s but much to my surprise and disappointment, Goodwin’s refused to sell them to me unless I bought the commensurate DMC 30SV preamp. Don’t even get me started. My anger knows no bounds here but their policy, as poor as I think it is, was firm. Although I have great respect for Spectral, and in particular for their amps, I am just not enamored with an all Spectral battery tandem of preamp and amp. Too much solid state for me. I was just not willing to give up the VTL 7.5 III preamp to move to a combo that didn’t move me. So, with an open field in front of me, I sorted through the myriad options and budget constraints to see what might be possible. To be honest, my first choice would have been a used pair of CH M1’s. I’ve heard them on several occasions and still remember how impressed I was upon hearing them at Gianluigi’s system in Italy last year. But the odds of finding a used pair are lower than having both parties agree on an immigration bill, so, best to fuggetaboutit and move on.
I ended buying a pair of Soulution 511 monoblocs
https://soulution-audio.com/series5/soulution-511-stereo-amplifier/
I was unfamiliar with these until recently and like most audiophiles, was far more familiar with the their uber amps, the 701 monoblocs. The 511 is actually a newer amp design (about a year old) and hasn’t received much press, but in its Monobloc configuration puts out the same power as their big brother. (I think more than a megawatt per channel for my Wilson Alexandrias is adequate). These are the amps that Soulution was using at the Munich show this year.. The key is that they use the same power supply as the 701 and according to their web site are… “just a razor-thin fraction behind our reference designs of Series 7, this was the design goal we have set for the 511 stereo amplifier.” For a lot less than the 701s and fortunate to have acquired a pristine pair used, that works for me.
Although I think the Soulutions are astonishingly good, I really should take a moment to say that one of the biggest take ways for me is not how good they are, but how damn good the Spectral 400s are by comparison. The Spectral 400s do not do everything the Soulution 511’s do, but honestly, the 400’s do a few things the 511’s don’t do in return. The best assessment of the 511 can be gleaned from reading Valin’s review of the 701’s in TAS last year. There are plenty of reasons he called it the best solid state amp he has ever heard and now I understand why. But it was interesting that in comparing it to the CH M1’s he specifically mentioned that the Soulutions do not reproduce the sound stage with the precision of the M1’s. I found that remark very relevant in the context that I feel the same way about the Soulution 511 with respect to the Spectral 400s. The 400s do space and the sound stage as well as anything I’ve ever heard. No, with the 511’s you can’t tell if that fart you heard on a live recording is from the 4th violinist in the 1st violin section, or the 1st violin in the second violin section like you can with the 400’s. But what the Soulutions offer in return is exceptional tone color and instrument timbre, and musicality that is exceptional. Remember that the 701 as well as the subsequent 511s are a dramatic departure from the sound of the original 700s which were considered somewhat analytical by many. Not so at all in the 701/511, which use a new power supply in lieu of the traditional transformer based supply of the 700s. Although many of us have found Jon Valin’s reviews questionable in several instances, there is one thing I can’t deny which is that he is a gifted audio writer. He expresses himself and what he hears very well. So when he uses a term whereby he calls the Soulution amps “Sui generis” when it comes to bass performance, you can take that to the bank. I have yet to hear any amp that does bass like the Soulution 511 (I haven’t heard the 701). The often-used and abused term “has to be hard to be believed” comes to mind in this case. I’ve only had the amps about a month or so and am continuing to learn their strengths. But enjoying the music while doing so is pretty damn easy. They are superb instruments. Mated with the wonderful VTL 7.5 III, they make an enticing and highly musical pairing.
Because the bass performance of the 511s is truly exceptional, one might think it is easier to combine the Alexandrias with the JL Gotham subwoofers. In fact, paradoxically, its actually harder. I run the Wilsons full range, and the bottom end is certainly improved with the 511’s. So much so, that if they would only go down another 5 cycles or so, I would do away with the Gothams. But getting that last ounce of deep bass from the Gothams is not just hard, it’s essentially impossible without sacrificing something in return. I cross the Gothams over at 31 Hz using a 24 dB/octave slope. To make long story short I think it just may be unrealistic to think that one can combine a ported speaker with an acoustic suspension subwoofer and have the results be entirely coherent. Believe me, I’ve tried. Perhaps it’s my room or perhaps I just haven’t figured it out yet. Perhaps that the 511s are so good at the bottom that what the Wilsons output now is more precise and so I’m more sensitive to errors I’ve previously accepted sonically. But it’s a project that takes up way too much time and frankly is damn frustrating. I always have to remember “perfection is the enemy of good”!
Lastly, I should mention that I’ve incorporated some of the renown Masterbuilt cables into my system. My first foray was replacing my MIT 90.2 speaker wires with the Ultra speaker cables. That improvement was highly significant and beneficial (this was with my Spectral 400’s originally, now with the 511’s). There is no question they are truly superb. I then added an Ultra interconnect between the VTL preamp and the Spectral amps (now 511s of course) and also felt the improvement over my MIT MA-X 60 rev 2 was substantial. And no Dorothy, my Spectral amps did not blow up. (It’s hard to think they could since my tube preamp does not put out much above 100KHz which is far away from the megahertz frequencies that the Spectral pre-amp emits, hence the need for networked, filtered interconnects. But that’s another story I will not dwell on here.)
I’m currently exploring Ultra interconnects in lieu of my MIT SHDs for source components and can’t comment fully as break-in is not complete. But that’s the update for now. So is my system “almost right”? Well, if you believe that, I have good deal on the Brooklyn Bridge for you if you are interested.
Starting with some smaller incidentals, I’ve spent a good deal of time studying variants of electrical AC outlets and power cords, some of which I reported previously. But due to several recent system changes, I revisited some AC power cords. Initially I thought the Furutech DPS4 w all copper F11 connectors was excellent but after a month, the sound started to grate on me. It may be that their contacts required frequent cleaning as some have suggested, so I’m still playing around with their terminations in various metals. For the time being, I’m shocked to learn that the best AC cables I’ve come across on my line level gear are from the Great Karmeli. While David’s knowledge of things audio is certainly impressive, he may have pulled off one of his greatest feats by discovering the Ching Cheng power cords which cost, well, let’s just say you’ll probably spend more at McDonald’s. Seriously. According to David, this find was no accident as he has explored countless cords (as have many of us) before finding this one. But finding one that is unassailably uncolored and harmonically natural as this was really pulling a rabbit out of his ass. I’m sure there’s a story there if he wishes to tell it. For now, they are my defacto standard simply because they are so musically correct. One caveat is that I’m not sure they are good for amps that move a lot of current. I know they work well on David’s beloved Lamm ML3’s, but for monster monoblocs, I would probably look elsewhere. However, for my phono stage, preamp, transport and DAC, they’re pretty damn sweet. It’s not they are as good as cables that are more than 100x their cost…they’re better! Then again, I haven’t tried everything out there but honestly, I have bigger fish to fry so let’s move on.
Perhaps the biggest change in the system recently is the acquisition of new power amps. The Spectral 400 DMA are out. My intent was to replace them with the new DMA 500s but much to my surprise and disappointment, Goodwin’s refused to sell them to me unless I bought the commensurate DMC 30SV preamp. Don’t even get me started. My anger knows no bounds here but their policy, as poor as I think it is, was firm. Although I have great respect for Spectral, and in particular for their amps, I am just not enamored with an all Spectral battery tandem of preamp and amp. Too much solid state for me. I was just not willing to give up the VTL 7.5 III preamp to move to a combo that didn’t move me. So, with an open field in front of me, I sorted through the myriad options and budget constraints to see what might be possible. To be honest, my first choice would have been a used pair of CH M1’s. I’ve heard them on several occasions and still remember how impressed I was upon hearing them at Gianluigi’s system in Italy last year. But the odds of finding a used pair are lower than having both parties agree on an immigration bill, so, best to fuggetaboutit and move on.
I ended buying a pair of Soulution 511 monoblocs
https://soulution-audio.com/series5/soulution-511-stereo-amplifier/
I was unfamiliar with these until recently and like most audiophiles, was far more familiar with the their uber amps, the 701 monoblocs. The 511 is actually a newer amp design (about a year old) and hasn’t received much press, but in its Monobloc configuration puts out the same power as their big brother. (I think more than a megawatt per channel for my Wilson Alexandrias is adequate). These are the amps that Soulution was using at the Munich show this year.. The key is that they use the same power supply as the 701 and according to their web site are… “just a razor-thin fraction behind our reference designs of Series 7, this was the design goal we have set for the 511 stereo amplifier.” For a lot less than the 701s and fortunate to have acquired a pristine pair used, that works for me.
Although I think the Soulutions are astonishingly good, I really should take a moment to say that one of the biggest take ways for me is not how good they are, but how damn good the Spectral 400s are by comparison. The Spectral 400s do not do everything the Soulution 511’s do, but honestly, the 400’s do a few things the 511’s don’t do in return. The best assessment of the 511 can be gleaned from reading Valin’s review of the 701’s in TAS last year. There are plenty of reasons he called it the best solid state amp he has ever heard and now I understand why. But it was interesting that in comparing it to the CH M1’s he specifically mentioned that the Soulutions do not reproduce the sound stage with the precision of the M1’s. I found that remark very relevant in the context that I feel the same way about the Soulution 511 with respect to the Spectral 400s. The 400s do space and the sound stage as well as anything I’ve ever heard. No, with the 511’s you can’t tell if that fart you heard on a live recording is from the 4th violinist in the 1st violin section, or the 1st violin in the second violin section like you can with the 400’s. But what the Soulutions offer in return is exceptional tone color and instrument timbre, and musicality that is exceptional. Remember that the 701 as well as the subsequent 511s are a dramatic departure from the sound of the original 700s which were considered somewhat analytical by many. Not so at all in the 701/511, which use a new power supply in lieu of the traditional transformer based supply of the 700s. Although many of us have found Jon Valin’s reviews questionable in several instances, there is one thing I can’t deny which is that he is a gifted audio writer. He expresses himself and what he hears very well. So when he uses a term whereby he calls the Soulution amps “Sui generis” when it comes to bass performance, you can take that to the bank. I have yet to hear any amp that does bass like the Soulution 511 (I haven’t heard the 701). The often-used and abused term “has to be hard to be believed” comes to mind in this case. I’ve only had the amps about a month or so and am continuing to learn their strengths. But enjoying the music while doing so is pretty damn easy. They are superb instruments. Mated with the wonderful VTL 7.5 III, they make an enticing and highly musical pairing.
Because the bass performance of the 511s is truly exceptional, one might think it is easier to combine the Alexandrias with the JL Gotham subwoofers. In fact, paradoxically, its actually harder. I run the Wilsons full range, and the bottom end is certainly improved with the 511’s. So much so, that if they would only go down another 5 cycles or so, I would do away with the Gothams. But getting that last ounce of deep bass from the Gothams is not just hard, it’s essentially impossible without sacrificing something in return. I cross the Gothams over at 31 Hz using a 24 dB/octave slope. To make long story short I think it just may be unrealistic to think that one can combine a ported speaker with an acoustic suspension subwoofer and have the results be entirely coherent. Believe me, I’ve tried. Perhaps it’s my room or perhaps I just haven’t figured it out yet. Perhaps that the 511s are so good at the bottom that what the Wilsons output now is more precise and so I’m more sensitive to errors I’ve previously accepted sonically. But it’s a project that takes up way too much time and frankly is damn frustrating. I always have to remember “perfection is the enemy of good”!
Lastly, I should mention that I’ve incorporated some of the renown Masterbuilt cables into my system. My first foray was replacing my MIT 90.2 speaker wires with the Ultra speaker cables. That improvement was highly significant and beneficial (this was with my Spectral 400’s originally, now with the 511’s). There is no question they are truly superb. I then added an Ultra interconnect between the VTL preamp and the Spectral amps (now 511s of course) and also felt the improvement over my MIT MA-X 60 rev 2 was substantial. And no Dorothy, my Spectral amps did not blow up. (It’s hard to think they could since my tube preamp does not put out much above 100KHz which is far away from the megahertz frequencies that the Spectral pre-amp emits, hence the need for networked, filtered interconnects. But that’s another story I will not dwell on here.)
I’m currently exploring Ultra interconnects in lieu of my MIT SHDs for source components and can’t comment fully as break-in is not complete. But that’s the update for now. So is my system “almost right”? Well, if you believe that, I have good deal on the Brooklyn Bridge for you if you are interested.
