but don't assume a dedicated transformer for your property is any panacea. or neighborhood clean power.Not everyone has the option available. Still safe to say this might be one of the few true endgame audio purchases. Also one of the instances where commercial solutions fully overrule audio products that possibly echo the final expenditure.
Peter A is right this has little further relevance to Ron following years of reconstruction.
www.whatsbestforum.com
I had that exact same feeling.
So Ian what is your opinion, on paper your system should be in the same range, does Ron's setup and room size give him the edge ?
That bothersome 4-6khz is a known issue with BG planars. Even with notch filter there is a hint of it that gives BG drivers more “edge” to the sound compared to other planars (infinity, Apogee, Audiostaic, Acoustat and Stax) I have owned. It does serve to emphasize details a bit, which many will like , but to some it can annoy.Recently I had the pleasure to again visit Ron, this time together with my friend Ian (Madfloyd), and to listen to his system. We played tape, vinyl and digital, with tape being the highlight for me.
The system has made great progress. The lack of body in the low midrange that i noted in my review (post #2,153),
Ron’s New System
Yes; you have been asking me to explain my term, and I have been doing my best to do so. No; I don't believe I ever defined "sonic center of gravity" as "a frequency range between 100-1000Hz." I actually mean that this is the range where you want your system’s “Sonic center of gravity“.
when I visited in June last year is successfully addressed to a large degree. The exchange of the VTL amplifiers for 80 W/ch Jadis amplifiers worked wonders. You could hear it on many things, with a reference point being the low-brass opening of Scheherazade (Reiner/CSO, tape from UltraAnalogue Productions). A CD that I brought of Mahler 3 (LA Phil/Mehta) sounded powerful and revealed that there was no discernible dynamic compression, even at measured 100 dBC peaks (Reed factory calibrated SPL meter). Brad (morricab) had been right with his suggestion of power demands; the 80 W/ch output of the Jadis amps is entirely sufficient to drive the ribbons with great ease. The large bass towers of course are self-powered.
Tape had the most relaxed sound with the highest tonal density, and overall was the best of the three sources. The presentation did not lack high drama when asked for (e.g., Pictures of an Exhibition), but the drama was presented in the most effortless, relaxed manner even at rather loud playback levels, quite reminiscent of unamplified live music. The resolution was stunning. Orchestral voices were separated and revealed with utmost clarity and ease, and micro-detail was presented in a natural manner without any etching. Compared to the VTL amps, with the much more “grounded” sounding Jadis amps there is no lack of detail resolution and of airiness at all.Thus, there are no drawbacks in any way, just progress in the right direction. As at my earlier visit, the bass towers continued to impress with their incredible presentation of finely nuanced bass texture. Overall, the transparency and resolution were the best I have heard from any system, and made this system the best I have heard thus far.
Some piano reproduction was a highlight. When we came in, Ron treated us with Nojima plays Ravel (Reference Recordings) on vinyl, and we were marveling at the utmost purity of tone, also in the high register. On the tape of Roberta Flack’s version of “Bridge over Troubled Water” the piano, mostly playing in middle and lower middle register, sounded incredibly real with lifelike harmonic richness. Ian and I turned to each other in disbelief how good that sounded. On that track the vinyl version interestingly presented a greater warmth of voice, but the piano did not sound quite as real. Here we tried both cartridge/tonearm combinations, the ZYX on the Graham and the Grado on the 5T linear tracker. Ron had been unhappy with having requested the switch from the ZYX on the linear tracker and the Grado on the Graham (done by J.R.), but the vinyl in general still sounded good, and better than Ron had expected. Ian and I both enjoyed it. The vinyl also sounded much more relaxed than the direct drive Denon that I had heard last time and which I had found the most nervous sounding of the three sources (tape, vinyl, digital).
The system scales really well. The switch of the ribbons from the inside of the bass towers to the outside some time ago was a great move. On orchestral music and some pop the soundstage was very wide and big, yet on string quartet the soundstage was appropriately much smaller in width and depth. Also solo instruments were presented with great intimacy. The projection of height also has improved tremendously with the move of the ribbons from the inside to the outside of the bass towers. The last time I did not find image height anything special, and in its limited height it reminded me of my monitors that I had at the time. Yet now image height was great on orchestral music, and often the entire presentation on that kind of music was such that it seemed you were looking up onto a stage, which was awesome – now I understand why Ron prefers tall speakers. On the other hand, on small scale music image height was much smaller, as it was appropriate.
CD playback via the Lampi Baltic DAC was a mixed bag, yet also provided some highlights. As I mentioned, Mahler 3 sounded powerful, really good. Also John McLaughlin Trio Live (1988), with John on acoustic guitar, sounded excellent, with full-bodied tone.
The digital reproduced solo violin (Rachel Barton Pine playing Bach) and the acoustic guitar of Mabel Milan with an uncanny amount of detail and fine texture as Ian and I had never heard before from these recordings, yet at the same time it was presented in an entirely non-etched manner. However, I felt that all the detail was enhanced by virtue of a relatively disembodied tone on those recordings, which lacked tonal density in comparison to how these recordings can sound. This lack of tonal density was also evident on solo cello (Janos Starker plays Bach cello suites, his last recording of the works in 1990). That recording should have lots of weight and woodenness of tone, but was also presented with rather light texture, and even hollowness of sound in the low register of the instrument. Finally, the voices of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau on Schubert’s Winterreise and of Joni Mitchell showed the problem quite acutely. They sounded greyer, more “bleached”, than they should and with less density of texture than both Ian and I are used to. The dulcimer on Joni Mitchell’s “Blue” sounded a bit like a toy instrument. I am at a loss to explain the inconsistencies in tone of the digital, as the two recordings mentioned above (Mahler 3 and John McLaughlin Trio) did show great tone. Overall, while the Lampi Baltic DAC had undeniable virtues, I am not convinced by it. In my opinion it also doesn’t sound like a tube DAC at all, if you are after such a sound (my own DAC is solid state, but on average I hear much greater tonal density from it).
As for solo vocals, they had the best tonal density on tape. The quartet of soloists (bass-baritone, tenor, alto, soprano) in the choral finale of Beethoven 9 (Karajan/Berlin Phil, 1962) sounded excellent, with naturalness and density of tone that left nothing to be desired.
I do perceive that even with tape the tone on orchestral instruments is still a slight bit lighter and less dense than I would prefer, and this lighter tone may enhance the perception of resolution and transparency. Yet the audible prowess of the system is clear. Even with greater tonal density, resolution and transparency would still be reference setting. This is facilitated by a number of things, not least by the incredible speed of the ribbon drivers and the bass towers, as well as by the rather large room with high ceilings that really allow the music to breathe. The room is neither under- nor overdamped, in my estimation. It is just right.
Ron felt that a peak in the 4kHz to 6 kHz region, apparently showing up to some degree in measurements, was audible to a bothersome extent. I do think I heard what he meant; it was also felt with hardness on some piano (the tape of Soular Energy, for example). It is very well possible that addressing that peak may also help with the perception of tonal density. Ron and others suspect that this peak may be a character of the ribbon panels; I am not quite convinced. It could also be cables, for example (signal cables, power cables), or might be addressed with different support for the amps (footers, stands). This will be sorted out over time.
Thank you, Ron, for letting us hear your system and for the good time! It was delightful.
Stephan you are either full of it, or a very knowledgeable individual !
Recently I had the pleasure to again visit Ron, this time together with my friend Ian (Madfloyd), and to listen to his system. We played tape, vinyl and digital, with tape being the highlight for me.
The system has made great progress. The lack of body in the low midrange that i noted in my review (post #2,153),
Ron’s New System
Yes; you have been asking me to explain my term, and I have been doing my best to do so. No; I don't believe I ever defined "sonic center of gravity" as "a frequency range between 100-1000Hz." I actually mean that this is the range where you want your system’s “Sonic center of gravity“.
when I visited in June last year is successfully addressed to a large degree. The exchange of the VTL amplifiers for 80 W/ch Jadis amplifiers worked wonders. You could hear it on many things, with a reference point being the low-brass opening of Scheherazade (Reiner/CSO, tape from UltraAnalogue Productions). A CD that I brought of Mahler 3 (LA Phil/Mehta) sounded powerful and revealed that there was no discernible dynamic compression, even at measured 100 dBC peaks (Reed factory calibrated SPL meter). Brad (morricab) had been right with his suggestion of power demands; the 80 W/ch output of the Jadis amps is entirely sufficient to drive the ribbons with great ease. The large bass towers of course are self-powered.
Tape had the most relaxed sound with the highest tonal density, and overall was the best of the three sources. The presentation did not lack high drama when asked for (e.g., Pictures of an Exhibition), but the drama was presented in the most effortless, relaxed manner even at rather loud playback levels, quite reminiscent of unamplified live music. The resolution was stunning. Orchestral voices were separated and revealed with utmost clarity and ease, and micro-detail was presented in a natural manner without any etching. Compared to the VTL amps, with the much more “grounded” sounding Jadis amps there is no lack of detail resolution and of airiness at all.Thus, there are no drawbacks in any way, just progress in the right direction. As at my earlier visit, the bass towers continued to impress with their incredible presentation of finely nuanced bass texture. Overall, the transparency and resolution were the best I have heard from any system, and made this system the best I have heard thus far.
Some piano reproduction was a highlight. When we came in, Ron treated us with Nojima plays Ravel (Reference Recordings) on vinyl, and we were marveling at the utmost purity of tone, also in the high register. On the tape of Roberta Flack’s version of “Bridge over Troubled Water” the piano, mostly playing in middle and lower middle register, sounded incredibly real with lifelike harmonic richness. Ian and I turned to each other in disbelief how good that sounded. On that track the vinyl version interestingly presented a greater warmth of voice, but the piano did not sound quite as real. Here we tried both cartridge/tonearm combinations, the ZYX on the Graham and the Grado on the 5T linear tracker. Ron had been unhappy with having requested the switch from the ZYX on the linear tracker and the Grado on the Graham (done by J.R.), but the vinyl in general still sounded good, and better than Ron had expected. Ian and I both enjoyed it. The vinyl also sounded much more relaxed than the direct drive Denon that I had heard last time and which I had found the most nervous sounding of the three sources (tape, vinyl, digital).
The system scales really well. The switch of the ribbons from the inside of the bass towers to the outside some time ago was a great move. On orchestral music and some pop the soundstage was very wide and big, yet on string quartet the soundstage was appropriately much smaller in width and depth. Also solo instruments were presented with great intimacy. The projection of height also has improved tremendously with the move of the ribbons from the inside to the outside of the bass towers. The last time I did not find image height anything special, and in its limited height it reminded me of my monitors that I had at the time. Yet now image height was great on orchestral music, and often the entire presentation on that kind of music was such that it seemed you were looking up onto a stage, which was awesome – now I understand why Ron prefers tall speakers. On the other hand, on small scale music image height was much smaller, as it was appropriate.
CD playback via the Lampi Baltic DAC was a mixed bag, yet also provided some highlights. As I mentioned, Mahler 3 sounded powerful, really good. Also John McLaughlin Trio Live (1988), with John on acoustic guitar, sounded excellent, with full-bodied tone.
The digital reproduced solo violin (Rachel Barton Pine playing Bach) and the acoustic guitar of Mabel Milan with an uncanny amount of detail and fine texture as Ian and I had never heard before from these recordings, yet at the same time it was presented in an entirely non-etched manner. However, I felt that all the detail was enhanced by virtue of a relatively disembodied tone on those recordings, which lacked tonal density in comparison to how these recordings can sound. This lack of tonal density was also evident on solo cello (Janos Starker plays Bach cello suites, his last recording of the works in 1990). That recording should have lots of weight and woodenness of tone, but was also presented with rather light texture, and even hollowness of sound in the low register of the instrument. Finally, the voices of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau on Schubert’s Winterreise and of Joni Mitchell showed the problem quite acutely. They sounded greyer, more “bleached”, than they should and with less density of texture than both Ian and I are used to. The dulcimer on Joni Mitchell’s “Blue” sounded a bit like a toy instrument. I am at a loss to explain the inconsistencies in tone of the digital, as the two recordings mentioned above (Mahler 3 and John McLaughlin Trio) did show great tone. Overall, while the Lampi Baltic DAC had undeniable virtues, I am not convinced by it. In my opinion it also doesn’t sound like a tube DAC at all, if you are after such a sound (my own DAC is solid state, but on average I hear much greater tonal density from it).
As for solo vocals, they had the best tonal density on tape. The quartet of soloists (bass-baritone, tenor, alto, soprano) in the choral finale of Beethoven 9 (Karajan/Berlin Phil, 1962) sounded excellent, with naturalness and density of tone that left nothing to be desired.
I do perceive that even with tape the tone on orchestral instruments is still a slight bit lighter and less dense than I would prefer, and this lighter tone may enhance the perception of resolution and transparency. Yet the audible prowess of the system is clear. Even with greater tonal density, resolution and transparency would still be reference setting. This is facilitated by a number of things, not least by the incredible speed of the ribbon drivers and the bass towers, as well as by the rather large room with high ceilings that really allow the music to breathe. The room is neither under- nor overdamped, in my estimation. It is just right.
Ron felt that a peak in the 4kHz to 6 kHz region, apparently showing up to some degree in measurements, was audible to a bothersome extent. I do think I heard what he meant; it was also felt with hardness on some piano (the tape of Soular Energy, for example). It is very well possible that addressing that peak may also help with the perception of tonal density. Ron and others suspect that this peak may be a character of the ribbon panels; I am not quite convinced. It could also be cables, for example (signal cables, power cables), or might be addressed with different support for the amps (footers, stands). This will be sorted out over time.
Thank you, Ron, for letting us hear your system and for the good time! It was delightful.
Think other canals in the body has lower resonance frequences, just saying - could not help it…Stephan you are either full of it, or a very knowledgeable individual !
..!!Remember Milan, Stephan is German?Stephan you are either full of it, or a very knowledgeable individual !
!There's no question that Ron's room is WAY better than mine. The width of his soundstage allows music to scale when it should and still sound intimate when it should. In my room, I'm limited in this respect and orchestral music soundstage is nowhere close.
Thank you Ian, even Al has admitted Ron's system is much better than his own set up, no small feat, it must truly be excellent !
Was it that you literally never heard the details before or that they were simply "laid bare" in Ron's system and therefore much more obvious?
You should go visit and then you can also tell Ron his system is the best tooThank you Ian, even Al has admitted Ron's system is much better than his own set up, no small feat, it must truly be excellent !
!I have an agreement with the FBI, i don't visit the US and they leave me alone in exchange !You should go visit and then you can also tell Ron his system is the best too
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