SET based system

[flez007]

I am back to tubes, and back to SET - the Solista re-defined for me what an amp can do in recreating the recording event - a very vivid, energetic and musical amplifier.

As for speakers ' also very happy with WLM - not that well known in America yet, a great match for the Solista creating a very credible scenario, layered presentation with full colors around instruments.

Room for improvement in the phono preamp and transport - both the Chord and the Oppo are great units, but an FM acoustics and maybe a Reimyo transport will do.

Also thinking on replacing my beloved DAC for a Berkeley.. not sure

Comments will be kindly appreciated.

 

[DaveyF]

Fernando, what happened to the Sf Extrema's? Are those the Extrema stands in the rear of the pic? What kind of tweets are the WLM's using...they kind of look like a Lineaum.
The WLM's look like a very friendly SET load..based on the drivers that I am looking at. How much more efficient are they than the SF's?

 

[flez007]

You have a good eye Dave!.. Yes - those stands in the back are from my late Extremas (they stayed with me just for a week after I heard the WLMs in my system).

This model is 98dB efficient, very friendly for the Solista who is by itself a very powerfull amp being a SET. I gained more dynamics, detail and scenario recreation compared to the Extremas.

I know you will ask how they compare to the Guarneris, so I anticipate to that saying that both speakers are great for my room dimensions, the Guarneris are more elegant, subtled and had a better string redention than the WLMs, which are more dynamic and holistic.

Regarding your tweeter question, it is the landmark of the product, very few lines are included in the manual and in reviews I read in the past and based my decision to buy them. All I know is that they are paper cones, two of them per speaker, and one if off-centered.

I am very happy with the system now, but knowing me anything can change in the next quarter either in the source or in the speakers front .

 

[Steve Williams]

did you sell your SF speakers Fernando

 

[flez007]

Yes I did Steve - not regreting... Yet

 

[Steve Williams]

wow, no flies on you my friend

 

[flez007]

I was not really in a buying mode when I heard the WLMs Steve, AAMOF I was still positioning the Extremas and trying different options when a friend brought this pair to my room and after carefull listening I decided to not let them go. ... Sounds familiar ???

 

[DaveyF]

Wow, BAD case of Audio Nervosa
Kidding aside, I must say though that the WLM's look very nice. I would suspect that since they are
so efficient that they are a much better match to the Solista. To be frank, I never really
thought that the SF's...either the Extrema or the GH's were a good match to that amp.
Notwithstanding other posters comments on this forum and others, matching a medium to
low efficient speaker to a SET just isn't really the way to go IMHO.
It does not surprise me in the least that you are now enjoying more dynamics and a better
'holistic' since the amp is far more able to drive(working a LOT less hard) the WLM's than the SF's.
BTW, a friend of mine had speakers with a similar driver layout. He added some weight and/or a
Shakti stone on the top of the tweet and we both thought this was a great upgrade, you might want to try that.
Oh, you kept the Extrema stands, your Buyer didn't want them

 

[muralman1]

That is a very handsome system room. Since you have decided to go SET, I thought I should tell you all the highly evolved ones around here have a good record set up, like you do, but also importantly they all use an Audio Note DAC. The newest AN DACs have adopted the newer diodes I have been championing for the last two years. That is a good thing. Also, I have been thrilled with my 47 Lab Flatfish and Dumpty.

 

[flez007]

I am also considering adding some more weight to the speakers Dave - your comment just confirmed me that it could worth a try....

The Extrema's new owner is on vacation, he will send someone to pick them up in January - weight is almost 80 Kgms and we didn't want to do something against our back that time

What kind of weight besides those expensive Shakiti bricks would you consider Dave?

 

[flez007]

That is a very handsome system room. Since you have decided to go SET, I thought I should tell you all the highly evolved ones around here have a good record set up, like you do, but also importantly they all use an Audio Note DAC. The newest AN DACs have adopted the newer diodes I have been championing for the last two years. That is a good thing. Also, I have been thrilled with my 47 Lab Flatfish and Dumpty.

Thanks muralman - The AN is of course in my short list for a possible DAC upgrade, I had as a loan a level 4SE some years back and liked it a lot.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Hey Fernando: Congrats on the acquistion! The Vivas were always wonderful sounding amps on the right speaker system given their limited power. Years ago had the opportunity to hear the Vivas many times at the US importers, then paired with the Viva speakers. Nice combo!

I'd wouldn't be worrying about my DAC with a table like that between the speakers

 

[DaveyF]

Hi Fernando, I would try some sand in a protective bag...my friend used this method also and it worked pretty well. One of the other tweeks we tried were the VPI bricks...which for some reason are a little hard to find today
I really liked the VPI bricks and the Shakti's the best.
One other thing I noticed, is that you let your speaker cables lie on the floor; I have had very nice results with getting them off the floor. I think the various cable lifters on the market are well worth looking into..Several are on special right now on the
various vendors pages.

 

[flez007]

Hey Fernando: Congrats on the acquistion! The Vivas were always wonderful sounding amps on the right speaker system given their limited power. Years ago had the opportunity to hear the Vivas many times at the US importers, then paired with the Viva speakers. Nice combo!

I'd wouldn't be worrying about my DAC with a table like that between the speakers

Thanks Miles, I am very happy with my analog setup, far away from my digital one and still many LPs out there to listen

 

[flez007]

Hi Fernando, I would try some sand in a protective bag...my friend used this method also and it worked pretty well. One of the other tweeks we tried were the VPI bricks...which for some reason are a little hard to find today
I really liked the VPI bricks and the Shakti's the best.
One other thing I noticed, is that you let your speaker cables lie on the floor; I have had very nice results with getting them off the floor. I think the various cable lifters on the market are well worth looking into..Several are on special right now on the
various vendors pages.

I will try both suggeations Dave, thanks for the heads-up!

I will also contact you for a suggestion for my next acoustic guitar, i own a middle range Yamaha and looking to get a better one for me and my son who is also playing pretty well.

 

[garylkoh]

Hi Fernando,

That is a very nice looking system. The FM Acoustics phono stage will definitely be a nice addition.

Another tweak you might like to try would be to swap out those glass shelves in your rack with a 1" thick sheet of acrylic - easily obtained from shelving and exhibition display companies. Don't bother with the expensive hifi versions - just get high molecular weight cast acrylic.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

Wow! Beautiful! Could you post a close-up of the amp?

John

 

[garylkoh]

Very nice pictures on the Viva website here: http://vivaaudio.it/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

They are gorgeous looking (and sounding) amplifiers - just not distributed in the US (I don't think).

 

[flez007]

Wow! Beautiful! Could you post a close-up of the amp?

John

Here you go Sir..

 

[flez007]

Hi Fernando,

That is a very nice looking system. The FM Acoustics phono stage will definitely be a nice addition.

Another tweak you might like to try would be to swap out those glass shelves in your rack with a 1" thick sheet of acrylic - easily obtained from shelving and exhibition display companies. Don't bother with the expensive hifi versions - just get high molecular weight cast acrylic.

Hi Gary - Thanks for your tweak comment, I was also concerned of having glass in the Target rack so I called them - they said that after "extensive" research they found that glass was the best material for their top- of-the-line rack, they went to all this technical explanation on material science to cool me down. At any rate I can try placing plywooth shelves or acrylic (as you stated) and record any sonic differences.