Thanks for your patience. That's a very nice integrated headphone amp ya' have there! I have many words to say about the Signature AMP series but I will offer you a "Cliff notes" version, that highlights just a few of the attributes of that PC.
It didn't take but about 2 seconds after first plugging it in and powering up, to hear that this was not a typical power cord swap. I was surprised at just how much of the sonic soundscaping had changed immediately upon hitting play. The tonal characteristics, I immediately fell in love with….along with the silence of the black background. A great sense of calm, even when the music is playing. It doesn't matter whether it's a soft or heavy passage either. It's clearly heard (or rather not heard). I have tied up a lot of money over the years on various brands and levels of power cords but I have not ever heard a PC make THIS big of a change. This is the first time that I have ever considered a power cord as an "actual component" within my system.
In all my journey, I have never been truly impressed with a PC. Yeah, I may prefer one over another for certain locations but I have never had one stand so far out from the crowd that it became an actual component within the system. Getting the speakers to disappear became a breeze. Of all of the audiophile boxes that need to be checked, this one delivered.
There is absolutely no boom at the bottom but with complete visceral impact, palpability and authority with texture and a differentiation of subtleties that you just have to hear. Extremely musical! That tone is simply to die for and I cannot state that enough. Especially when it comes to horns and vocals. I would say that this is their best attribute. That wonderful tone.
Now, when it comes to the Takshaka's? As great as the Signature AMP series were/are....these Takshaka's are simply on another level of playback capability. They are really top notch PC's that excel on pretty much anything and everything even the most demanding audiophile would want to listen for. The Takshaka's were not just another flavor of music or a lateral swap. It was quite the change, especially in the sheer weight of voices and instruments. They kept all of the attributes of the Signature but took the sound to a whole other level. Both in what you hear...and what you don't.
I'll invite you to read a post Steve Williams made, when he auditioned the Takshaka PC in his own system. I'll echo his sonic observations, even though I haven't done a direct comparison between these and the Masterbuilt Ultra's that he uses.
https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/a-diamond-in-the-rough-snake-river-audio.40102/post-1023415
Honestly, you can't really go wrong with either because they both make such a wonderful change to what your ears are presented with. Both offer that 3-D wraparound, "suck you into the music" reality and both have that killer tone and low noise floor/calm background that Snake River Audio is so well known for.
Once again, for the record. I have zero affiliation with Snake River Audio. I am just a very happy customer who really enjoys listening to Jonny's offerings on a daily basis. I am actually listening, as I type this out. I simply could not be happier with what I am hearing. To me, it's like listening to a slice of heaven here on Earth.
Tom
