Introducing My System
- Thread starter Thundersnow
- Start date
North of 22k..I was a bit broad there with the price range, but I can’t find the price anywhere anymore
New arrivals! Tara coming in a few days! CEC TL2N Double Belt CD transport. I feel so fancy putting a clamp on a CD!
Jokes aside, have it connected to the Horizon with the Siltech Classic Legend AES/EBU cable. I am playing it for the last hour or so. Will summarize my impressions in the coming days. Off the bat, you can just hear this qualitative leap from the streaming services — it’s like going from an off the shelf coffee bean to an artisan bean when making espresso. Sure, you get both extractions right — one just simply tastes better
Jokes aside, have it connected to the Horizon with the Siltech Classic Legend AES/EBU cable. I am playing it for the last hour or so. Will summarize my impressions in the coming days. Off the bat, you can just hear this qualitative leap from the streaming services — it’s like going from an off the shelf coffee bean to an artisan bean when making espresso. Sure, you get both extractions right — one just simply tastes better
Direct for CD or from server is best vs streaming ..
Streaming is for dreaming ....
Streaming is for dreaming ....
Anyway, I have to once again reflect on these Apogee Duetta speakers.
I bought these for 6,000 euros give or take. If there is some hi fi purgatory out there and I am this fallen sinner which has spent many a coin on idiotic purchases over the decades. For which there is no sane or rational rhyme reason or account, these Duettas are tilting the divine balance of scales in my favor by being the most incredible value for money and just a source of pure musical enjoyment.
With this purchase, I’ll end up looking like I wasn’t fumbling my way through the bamboo jungle of random impulse hi fi buys!
Thus far and to a lesser extent the same can be said about the Lara preamp. What a fantastic piece of gear.
I bought these for 6,000 euros give or take. If there is some hi fi purgatory out there and I am this fallen sinner which has spent many a coin on idiotic purchases over the decades. For which there is no sane or rational rhyme reason or account, these Duettas are tilting the divine balance of scales in my favor by being the most incredible value for money and just a source of pure musical enjoyment.
With this purchase, I’ll end up looking like I wasn’t fumbling my way through the bamboo jungle of random impulse hi fi buys!
Thus far and to a lesser extent the same can be said about the Lara preamp. What a fantastic piece of gear.
I love your Lara pre-amplifier in white! We recently received our first unit for the US, and regardless of its affordable price, it delivers. I am sure it plays very nicely with your NAT amplifiers! Enjoy.
I, too, am enjoying the Lara very much! I was considering bringing in a conrad-johnson ART 88 (thanks to Vassil) for a direct comparison to the Lara and to the Hegel P30A and to my VTL TL-7.5 Series III. I came very close to buying a mint condition demo Jadis JPS2 (thanks to John Woo of Bluebird).
I didn't go forward with the ART 88 or the JPS2. Comparing directly the VTL with the Lara and the Hegel I have been very happy with the Lara. I think the VTL is a fantastic pre-amp. But with both Gryphon Pendragon ribbons and with Clarisys ribbons the slightly greater upper bass to lower midrange "weight" of the Lara is pleasing to my ears.
I have been enjoying the Lara so much that it took the wind out of my sail to try the Art 88 or the JPS2, and to give up a remote, and to give up a remote as well as balanced connection flexibility, respectively. The Lara is a keeper for me!
I will be very curious about your thoughts on the Tara 30A versus the Lara.
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Good day Thundersnow, good day to all forum members,
Am a newcomer, although I must admit I already spent many hours, reading all the good information on this specific forum.
Am based in Belgium.
Am ready for an upgrade on one of my system consisting mainly on Stereo Gryphon Mephisto amplification and Tannoy Westminster GR speakers.
My listening room is of a good size 9x7x3,5 opening in the back through a hall to the rest of a wide open space.
Am a big fan of the Marten speakers. Had a Coltrane 3 on trial, and listened to the Mingus Orchestra in two different demos.
Also had a chance to listen to the Alsyvox Botticelli.
Despite the passion shared by several contributors on this forum for planar dipole loudspeakers I have never yet crossed that bridge, although I have owned a pair of Martin Logan SL3, and still have in a second system ( Atmasphere OTL) a pair of Martin Logan Aerius.
I read all the details on your journey to find your Holy Grail of the best possible system. Seems to me you have been struggling with bass handling with the Mingus Orchestra vs Coltrane 3.
There has been a while you did not post anymore on this forum.
May I ask you where you stand at this stage? Am rather interested to hear whether you possibly would move back from Apogee Duettas or alike to the Mingus Orchestra you " tucked away at my ( your) storage"?
Seems to me , considering the size of our respective listening rooms, and possibly the type of music we are listening to ( I still in some occasions like to listen to symphonic orchestra, rock music, ... meaning I like sometimes to " play it loud" ) might partially explain why I would tend to go toward a Mingus Orchestra or alike type of speaker rather than a dipole to " fill in " the room.
Am curious to hear from you.
Am a newcomer, although I must admit I already spent many hours, reading all the good information on this specific forum.
Am based in Belgium.
Am ready for an upgrade on one of my system consisting mainly on Stereo Gryphon Mephisto amplification and Tannoy Westminster GR speakers.
My listening room is of a good size 9x7x3,5 opening in the back through a hall to the rest of a wide open space.
Am a big fan of the Marten speakers. Had a Coltrane 3 on trial, and listened to the Mingus Orchestra in two different demos.
Also had a chance to listen to the Alsyvox Botticelli.
Despite the passion shared by several contributors on this forum for planar dipole loudspeakers I have never yet crossed that bridge, although I have owned a pair of Martin Logan SL3, and still have in a second system ( Atmasphere OTL) a pair of Martin Logan Aerius.
I read all the details on your journey to find your Holy Grail of the best possible system. Seems to me you have been struggling with bass handling with the Mingus Orchestra vs Coltrane 3.
There has been a while you did not post anymore on this forum.
May I ask you where you stand at this stage? Am rather interested to hear whether you possibly would move back from Apogee Duettas or alike to the Mingus Orchestra you " tucked away at my ( your) storage"?
Seems to me , considering the size of our respective listening rooms, and possibly the type of music we are listening to ( I still in some occasions like to listen to symphonic orchestra, rock music, ... meaning I like sometimes to " play it loud" ) might partially explain why I would tend to go toward a Mingus Orchestra or alike type of speaker rather than a dipole to " fill in " the room.
Am curious to hear from you.
Hey Solies, welcome to the forum and congrats on the great gear!
To get this question out of the way first — I don’t plan to go back to Mingus Orchestra from my Apogee Duettas. For me personally, and not to go into any great detail I prefer the sound and the presentation of Apogee Duettas over my Mingus Orchestra and especially how it plays in my home as opposed to my previous one. I prefer it for both movies and music (which is interesting), but I did also (imo) do a very good job in integrating the Rel No. 31 subwoofer. Without it, the slam of Duettas vs. the Orchestra could not compete.
Now, as for your second question (as I’ve interpreted it) — the main difference between the Coltrane 3 and Mingus Orchestra in my opinion is their respective “behavior in the room.” I just couldn’t get the Mingus Orchestra to get along with my current listening space and I strongly suspect this is due to the passive 10” woofers in the back vs. the downfiring port with the Coltrane 3. For whatever reason, I always had an easier time integrating a downfiring port into the space and it would usually trigger fewer room modes.
The Mingus Orchestra on the other hand was difficult in the new space from the get go. In the old space I had a lengthy hallway to the right side of the left speaker leading into a mirrored second wing of the apartment, while the new listening position is way more symmetrical in that sense and hence retaining way more bass energy. This in turn caused this rather large space to boom way too much with the Mingus Orchestra.
If we disregard this characteristic of the Orchestra, in its own right, Orchestra is definitely a better speaker than the Coltrane 3, although I suspect the new Coltrane Quintet might be better than it (I like the new Quintet choice of drivers).
As for me, I am staying with the Apogee sound/design signature (Clarisys included here as the “successor”) and not looking back. I have to say for me personally, the magic I get out of these speakers is so special it just conceptually cannot be rivaled with classic dynamic speakers. And yes, before making my final decision I did extensive head to head direct testing of Apogee Duettas (refurbished of course) vs. Mingus Orchestra.
Coming tomorrow! My little Tara going through the final stages of testing! I really should update my signature as of tomorrow
Has Saša explained what the meters and the adjustment pots are for, and how the adjustment changes the sound?Look at her defying gravity like a “not so little” daredevil!
Or is it just for standard biasing of the 30A Mission Lab tubes?
I am pretty sure it’s just standard biasing — venturing into the OCD realm imo.
Anyway, I am meeting him for coffee tomorrow so I’m sure I’ll get the full walkthrough of the features. Will let ya know!
Power ON/OFF, Volume Up/Down - finito basta…
Love that inverted set-up. A little fairy told me it improves the sound stage. Give Sasa a hug from me
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
I have the maestro utopias. When I used it with my old McIntosh stereo amplifier, they sounded a bit lifeless to me. About a week ago I upgraded to 1200 W per channel mono blocks. The sound is now amazing which is exactly what I was hoping for. However, the speakers are not broken in yet as they only have about 35 hours on them.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a successful landing and engine ignition:
Hoozah!
Hoozah!
