Pilium Audio in action-

[sonrock]

Thank you both, I'm very much looking forward to this, even after 3 more months and yes I'm still here in Leeds.

Our extension is going to be finished soon so it's really exciting to have a proper room after so many years dreaming about that.

You're welcome to come and have a listen when everything is done, must be next year though .

I love the Koda K10 and don't want to let it go, but for safety and optimal performance, I decided to get the Olympus. Fingers crossed that it won't disappoint me as the K10 is literally my ultimate preamp regardless of price, too musical and silky.

 

[LL21]

Thank you both, I'm very much looking forward to this, even after 3 more months and yes I'm still here in Leeds.

Our extension is going to be finished soon so it's really exciting to have a proper room after so many years dreaming about that.

You're welcome to come and have a listen when everything is done, must be next year though .

I love the Koda K10 and don't want to let it go, but for safety and optimal performance, I decided to get the Olympus. Fingers crossed that it won't disappoint me as the K10 is literally my ultimate preamp regardless of price, too musical and silky.

Congrats! That sounds like it should an absolutely awesome combination. Look forward to reading all about it!

 

[sonrock]

Thanks Lloyds, I'll try to do a proper writing when I have the system settled here. I'm not even sure by that time I'll still have the Q5s or something else haha, as things could happen real quick. I have a shortlist for the speakers that I want to buy, just keeping my fingers crossed that a right deal will appear in the horizon at the right time .

This is a serious investment into hifi after years since I bought the Koda K10, as I didn't think that I would ever have to change anything with the system which produces beautiful music, no more hifi but just music. But Munich 22 really moved me, especially when I walked into the Magico, Stenheim and Sigma Acoustic rooms.

 

[LL21]

Sonrock,

It is actually very very interesting. We have one thing in common here I suppose. I owned CJ preamp consecutively for over 20 years...from the CJ PV14L to the ACT 2 to the GAT 1 to the GAT 2...and I genuinely never thought I would step away from CJ. Now with their new ART 88, I could easily imagine happily moving up to the ART 88.

...but while considering the next overall major move, Robert Koda came on the scene...and I elected (it sounds like in similar fashion to yourself) to go all in with a single designer for both preamp and amp.

The result has been sensational and has performed at a level the CJ GAT 2/Gryphon Mephisto could not match. Hopefully, your experience will be at least as good.

 

[sonrock]

Thanks, I do believe that the Pilium combo will make me happy as I truly consider them my ultimate amps for many years to come despite having an opportunity to listen before purchase. But the Achilles and Alexander combo did an amazing job with the A5s then that's enough for me to pull the trigger.

Actually, this is the very first time I decided to get the same brand matching for pre-pow, as all of the previous combinations from different brands gave me incredible results, especially with tubes pre prior to the K10. We'll find out in Jan 23

 

[LL21]

Thanks, I do believe that the Pilium combo will make me happy as I truly consider them my ultimate amps for many years to come despite having an opportunity to listen before purchase. But the Achilles and Alexander combo did an amazing job with the A5s then that's enough for me to pull the trigger.

Actually, this is the very first time I decided to get the same brand matching for pre-pow, as all of the previous combinations from different brands gave me incredible results, especially with tubes pre prior to the K10. We'll find out in Jan 23

Funny...not far off here! Other than the first separates, CJ pre/amp, bought in 2000, I have been CJ/Gryphon all the way through 2021. Then along came Robert Koda K15EX/K160, and here we are.

 

[Hyperion]

Finally, after years of using my beautiful Karan KAM2000, I placed an order for the very first pair of the new flagship monoblocks and preamp from Pilium. Actually, I was about to purchase the Hercules and Alexander then stopped immediately after knowing that they started to make Zeus and Olympus.

I thought the new monoblocks would be called Zeus too but it turned out that I was wrong, they are called Atlas - just found out earlier today from Konstantinos. And instead of having SN1 and SN2, I'll have my unique serial numbers with my children names ^^, and my wife name will be used for the Olympus pre, can't be better than that.

I thought I would receive them by the end of this month and posting the pictures/review here as a surprise for everyone as I placed an order by late July, but it won't happen until January next year, pretty painful and annoying for the extra 3 months wait. Konstantinos told me the reason for this timeline so will be patient then.

Now I'm looking for a new pair of speakers that I'll use them with the new Pilium combo for many years in the future, be happy to keep my Q5s until the right time comes as they're still excellent to me in every meaningful way. The Atlas and Olympus, hopefully, will unveil new things that I have not discovered with my beloved Q5 speakers yet and give me a whole new world with whatever comes after.

Fantastic - congratulations from Sweden . You're certainly in for a real treat.

You should consider Stenheim or Rockport speakers further down the line with Pilium.

/ Marcus, www.perfect-sense.se

 

[sonrock]

Thanks Marcus, Stenheim is clearly in my shortlist. I know it's not right to judge a system at a show like Munich, but the Rockport/CH room was really disappointing this year.

I came by twice in 2 days and every time I was there, the room was too crowded whilst crap music was being played. Despite sitting right in the middle of the speakers, I was not impressed by the performance coming from such a mega system and left quickly after 10-15 minutes max.

I do need to travel to listen to a decent room with Rockport in the future, will ask WBF members to allow me for a visit, same to other brands and products that I want to hear

 

[christoph]

I know it's not right to judge a system at a show like Munich, but the Rockport/CH room was really disappointing this year.

The Rockport/Absolare room didn't sound too bad

 

[sonrock]

I truly can't recall my impression about that room from Munich this year. Most rooms played boring and dull music and the clear themes are classical and some jazz/soul music. Kharma even played some creepy and weird music when I was there @@. Only the Soulution room driving Magico M6 was playing Yello when I entered the room.

 

[DasguteOhr]

I truly can't recall my impression about that room from Munich this year. Most rooms played boring and dull music and the clear themes are classical and some jazz/soul music. Kharma even played some creepy and weird music when I was there @@. Only the Soulution room driving Magico M6 was playing Yello when I entered the room.

you should have checked out luxman & mission 770 is back. I couldn't get out of the chair such a good sound

 

[sonrock]

Absolutely an amazing song and great capture even via the phone, the bass was HD and punchy even coming from such a small pair of speakers. They should have played more beautiful music like this throughout every room to demonstrate systems.

 

[DasguteOhr]

Absolutely an amazing song and great capture even via the phone, the bass was HD and punchy even coming from such a small pair of speakers. They should have played more beautiful music like this throughout every room to demonstrate systems.

I've been looking forward to hearing the new Mission 770 for a long time, they are probably the best in size next to Harbeth in this speaker size. great respect to the presenter very nice similar taste in music i felt very comfortable.
Sorry for offtopic

 

[bonzo75]

Most rooms played boring and dull music and the clear themes are classical and some jazz/soul music. Kharma even played some creepy and weird music when I was there @@. Only the Soulution room driving Magico M6 was playing Yello when I entered the room.

So am I to read this as most rooms were playing boring and dull classical and jazz, Khama weird and creepy, and only Soulution with M6 sounded normal playing Yello?

 

[sonrock]

haha no Ked, that's not what I meant. I listen to classical and jazz, soul etc. no discriminations at all as you can tell I have plenty of CDs for everything. But the ones they selected to play, when I was there either long or short, are not really good and no way for me to find out how their systems actually perform based on my own judgement.

I love Yello and tend to use them and Kraftwerk alongside similar music that was being played in the Wharfedale room as Stephan posted above to see how a system reproduces my favorite songs. It's really tired for me to keep listening to those boring classical and jazzy stuff all the time from one room to another. So please don't get this wrong , we all have different tastes anyway.

I love classical and jazz, but only some specific pieces and songs. Like yourself and most of us here, something is magical to some but a disaster for the others. What I meant is most rooms at Munich made the wrong choice with their music to demonstrate their mega systems, per my own judgment of course.

 

[Bobvin]

If you’re not averse to panels, I hear those Alsyvox speakers are “pretty good”.

And then the big Bayz too, both worth consideration given your musical tastes. Both a departure from a “box” speaker. And both, with Pilium, should keep you smiling long into the future. I’ve had many great nights listening to Yello with both, and my cheeks are sore in the morning from having a big smile all night long.

The Bayz, of course, are particularly cool looking. My sweet wife has expressed she is far more fond of them than she thought she would be. The amazing sound helps!

 

[sonrock]

Thanks for the recommendations Bob, my old friend who is using the M3s really like the Alsyvox, his room is just too small for them. But he's just been through a critical period of his life so not sure if there is a big change on the horizon next year if he wants to move to a bigger house with a bigger room. They are not for me really.

I was in the Bayz rooms in Munich, both locations, and having a chat with the designer. I bought a new album after listening to his system too. The mid and high are fantastic and the bass is really good, but I don't think they're punchy enough for me given the Q5s are a monster in that category.

And very unfortunately, my wife is in a completely opposite position to yours, she doesn't like the look of the Bayz at all. I'd be sleeping in the garden if I dare to bring them here, so for the 2 NOs, it's a No No haha although I'd get a decent deal if going that way.

The Q7mk2 or Ultime Ref 2 or Matt Vector are staying on top at the moment.

 

[Bobvin]

In defense of the Bayz I will say the bass response and punchy-ness are very dependent on setup. They do take some effort to get fully optimized in-room, but once dialed in they don’t lack for visceral impact. It really has to do with getting the rear port oriented to work with the room.

And my wife was like yours until I got them setup. She likes the Alsyvox the best, but she finds the Bayz much more interesting than she imagined.

The world of speakers is pretty vast — you could always spring for some M9s!

Like you, I am eager to hear what Konstantinos has been cooking up in the factory.

 

[Bobvin]

Pilium, Alsyvox, and a beautiful sunny autumn morning.

 

[heihei]

Very interested to hear what you decide re: speakers. Magico and Stenheim are quite different in how they portray the music IMO. Am not familiar with Matt Vector? Can be a challenge getting home demos of these big high-end speakers here in the UK.