Great meeting Angus, Gary, and Fred in the Westminster, LampiZator and Von Schweikert room today. Folks attending AXPONA should be sure to stop by room 1506.
Re-imagining "Class A" Amplification
- Thread starter gleeds
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Is my pleasure to be at your place and talk to you. Really a lovely system you have here and great synergy with the Lampizator with the Vienna Acoustics. P.S. Great BBQ ribs too!
Hi all, I came back from the show under the weather, however it was a terrific three days and well worth it.
Angus came in from HK and we had a blast working together and discussing Westminster's plans for the future. I wanted to give a shout out to our room partners, Damon and Leif of VSA, Fred and Rob of Lampizator NA, and Andrew from Small Green Computer.
We had one of the smaller rooms so opted to use Von Schweikert's Endeavor SE Reference instead of the roughly 3.5 x more expensive VSA Ultra 55's and we could not have been happier! The pairing with Westminster electronics was truly special. These roughly $27k speakers can bring it in a way I have not heard before anywhere close to their modest price. For those members looking for an end-game speakers on a relative budget these are a must listen.
The Lampizator Horizon remains our absolute favorite DAC bar none. On the evening of day one Fred made a rectifier change and the system went to another level! Images locked in, bass too and the tone became more saturated without any loss of detail. Spooky good really!
Last but not least, Andrew brought his i9 Optical Transporter server and Sonore Signature Rendu. The combination of the two with 8TB of storage on board is roughly $9k. Naturally, the Westminster Ultra USB cable tying the system together did not hurt! I urge anyone who is looking for a complete server solution under $20k to put Andrew's dynamic duo on your short list.
I'm off to Munich then we will be at "The Show" in Irvine in early June. Westminster will be featured in two rooms there and one of them is going to be a pairing with a very unexpected and interesting loudspeaker. I hope to see some of you there or roaming the large halls of the MOC.
Angus came in from HK and we had a blast working together and discussing Westminster's plans for the future. I wanted to give a shout out to our room partners, Damon and Leif of VSA, Fred and Rob of Lampizator NA, and Andrew from Small Green Computer.
We had one of the smaller rooms so opted to use Von Schweikert's Endeavor SE Reference instead of the roughly 3.5 x more expensive VSA Ultra 55's and we could not have been happier! The pairing with Westminster electronics was truly special. These roughly $27k speakers can bring it in a way I have not heard before anywhere close to their modest price. For those members looking for an end-game speakers on a relative budget these are a must listen.
The Lampizator Horizon remains our absolute favorite DAC bar none. On the evening of day one Fred made a rectifier change and the system went to another level! Images locked in, bass too and the tone became more saturated without any loss of detail. Spooky good really!
Last but not least, Andrew brought his i9 Optical Transporter server and Sonore Signature Rendu. The combination of the two with 8TB of storage on board is roughly $9k. Naturally, the Westminster Ultra USB cable tying the system together did not hurt! I urge anyone who is looking for a complete server solution under $20k to put Andrew's dynamic duo on your short list.
I'm off to Munich then we will be at "The Show" in Irvine in early June. Westminster will be featured in two rooms there and one of them is going to be a pairing with a very unexpected and interesting loudspeaker. I hope to see some of you there or roaming the large halls of the MOC.
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I need to take a moment here to express my deep felt thanks to the team that put this room together and specifically to Gary for orchestrating it as well as placing his trust in us to assist in this exposition of his excellent Westminster Labs electronics and cables.
Clearly I'm biased regarding the Endeavor Special Edition loudspeakers but I must say that Leif and I were blown away by the performance of this system not even taking into account that room challenges and less than 24 hours of setup time. In my not so humble opinion, this was perhaps the best showing of the ESE to date in a dedicated system of any of the shows I've attended, period.
The system was impressive on the first show day but as Gary said, once Fred swapped out the rectifier, the entire system transformed from an overachieving high-end stereo into a fully realized, "organic" recreation of the recorded event. The entire system disappeared in that small room while delivering the sonic actualization of giant, open amphitheaters or intimate jazz clubs depending on the recording. For me, it was spooky good and could not be possible if any component failed to meet the demand of its companions.
I will add that having the CMS LS 0.8 at the show went a LONG way to delivering what the ESE are actually capable of. Including helping us level out the speakers on an exceptional uneven floor
I look forward to participating again with any of these manufacturers in he future. Outstanding.
Clearly I'm biased regarding the Endeavor Special Edition loudspeakers but I must say that Leif and I were blown away by the performance of this system not even taking into account that room challenges and less than 24 hours of setup time. In my not so humble opinion, this was perhaps the best showing of the ESE to date in a dedicated system of any of the shows I've attended, period.
The system was impressive on the first show day but as Gary said, once Fred swapped out the rectifier, the entire system transformed from an overachieving high-end stereo into a fully realized, "organic" recreation of the recorded event. The entire system disappeared in that small room while delivering the sonic actualization of giant, open amphitheaters or intimate jazz clubs depending on the recording. For me, it was spooky good and could not be possible if any component failed to meet the demand of its companions.
I will add that having the CMS LS 0.8 at the show went a LONG way to delivering what the ESE are actually capable of. Including helping us level out the speakers on an exceptional uneven floor
I look forward to participating again with any of these manufacturers in he future. Outstanding.
Gary,
Fabulous report. It helps that I personally experienced much of what you described, and I totally agree with all of your comments, but want to say that for those who were not there to experience for themselves, the incremental gains are much bigger than you can possibly imagine!
Fabulous report. It helps that I personally experienced much of what you described, and I totally agree with all of your comments, but want to say that for those who were not there to experience for themselves, the incremental gains are much bigger than you can possibly imagine!
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Hey folks, latest review by Dirk Sommer, Quite a review with beautiful pictures!
Hifi Statement Quest and Rei Review
"For me, WestminsterLabs Quest and Rei embody contemporary and intelligent high-end in its purest form. Free of all superfluous and bling bling, they convince with clear lines, moderate dimensions and a short signal path with few components - and the very best sound. I don't even know a handful of amplifier combinations with such a spontaneous power delivery, such a good detailing and such a wide room imaging. A dreamlike trio!"
Hifi Statement Quest and Rei Review
"For me, WestminsterLabs Quest and Rei embody contemporary and intelligent high-end in its purest form. Free of all superfluous and bling bling, they convince with clear lines, moderate dimensions and a short signal path with few components - and the very best sound. I don't even know a handful of amplifier combinations with such a spontaneous power delivery, such a good detailing and such a wide room imaging. A dreamlike trio!"
Hi All,
My time in Munich was wonderful. I encourage everyone who is able to make the journey next year. The atmosphere was extremely upbeat and the number and quality of exhibitors was first rate. A highlight of the show for me was breakfast with Angus on the weekend. Angus presented me with my personal DS Audio phono card for use with my Quest pre-amplifier. The card is now in full production and pricing will be available shortly.
For a man who less than two years ago was exploring the medium for the first time, Angus has gone headlong into vinyl development, producing some of the best phone amplifiers available. I once again find myself marveling at how much technology and performance Angus has built on such a compact platform. Such is the way of my friend and colleague, Mr. Leung.
My time in Munich was wonderful. I encourage everyone who is able to make the journey next year. The atmosphere was extremely upbeat and the number and quality of exhibitors was first rate. A highlight of the show for me was breakfast with Angus on the weekend. Angus presented me with my personal DS Audio phono card for use with my Quest pre-amplifier. The card is now in full production and pricing will be available shortly.
For a man who less than two years ago was exploring the medium for the first time, Angus has gone headlong into vinyl development, producing some of the best phone amplifiers available. I once again find myself marveling at how much technology and performance Angus has built on such a compact platform. Such is the way of my friend and colleague, Mr. Leung.
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How is this possibly an image for giving a size context?? How big is the speaker behind them? It could be a small bookshelf model or a massive floor stander. Something that everyone knows should be used, such as,,, a mobile phone, or PC keyboard, or something that people will recognise. This is useless for size context IMO.
I agree with your point regarding context. In an attempt to provide a better reference I attached a couple of photos of the Westminster Rei's when they were in my room. While they don't appear in the same photo together, two (2) Rei's fit on the same Franc Audio amp stand as the Classe Delta Stereo amp they are replacing. I definitely appreciate the small form factor of the Westminster Rei.
Steve Williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Steve Williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
No but read my reviews. I love this amp and preamp. For the money it is a true system changer
Thanks for the suggestion Davetea. You are 100% right. Context always matters. FYI, that is a Google 7 Pro with a beefy protective case so on the larger size for a smartphone. Let me know if this is what you had in mind
Cheers, Gary
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Hi-FiGuy, for your convenience, page #4 of this thread, dated May 22, 2022
www.whatsbestforum.com
Re-imagining "Class A" Amplification
Well it's finally today and after a week of waiting I can honestly say that today was a revelation as I heard a giant slayer. Thanks once again to Gary for shlepping this gear from Newport Beach to my house. The reality is that this is far from a schlep as I could carry both these amps up my...
www.whatsbestforum.com
Good to see you again in Munich! Would love to work with you guys again in future shows!I need to take a moment here to express my deep felt thanks to the team that put this room together and specifically to Gary for orchestrating it as well as placing his trust in us to assist in this exposition of his excellent Westminster Labs electronics and cables.
View attachment 108404
Clearly I'm biased regarding the Endeavor Special Edition loudspeakers but I must say that Leif and I were blown away by the performance of this system not even taking into account that room challenges and less than 24 hours of setup time. In my not so humble opinion, this was perhaps the best showing of the ESE to date in a dedicated system of any of the shows I've attended, period.
The system was impressive on the first show day but as Gary said, once Fred swapped out the rectifier, the entire system transformed from an overachieving high-end stereo into a fully realized, "organic" recreation of the recorded event. The entire system disappeared in that small room while delivering the sonic actualization of giant, open amphitheaters or intimate jazz clubs depending on the recording. For me, it was spooky good and could not be possible if any component failed to meet the demand of its companions.
I will add that having the CMS LS 0.8 at the show went a LONG way to delivering what the ESE are actually capable of. Including helping us level out the speakers on an exceptional uneven floor
I look forward to participating again with any of these manufacturers in he future. Outstanding.
Angus and I are planning on it Damon! The Ultra 7s were a best of show in Munich. Amazing how you and Leif able to get great sound no matter what the room throws at you guys anywhere in the world
That is perfect Gary, thanks for your reply and posting the pics. They look really well made. I'm using an old Class D (or rather Class 'T' as ESLabs call it, as they use a Tripath module to drive the MoSFet output devices), and it sounds good with my Maggie 1.7i's, but a pair of these may soound great. Now all I have to do is get one, or a pair, for a home demoThanks for the suggestion Davetea. You are 100% right. Context always matters. FYI, that is a Google 7 Pro with a beefy protective case so on the larger size for a smartphone. Let me know if this is what you had in mind
Cheers, GaryView attachment 110889View attachment 110890View attachment 110894
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