Just posted two new pictures of the Tidal La Assoluta system to give you all an idea about what is exactly going on here in the Netherlands 
Tidal La Assoluta system
- Thread starter Audiocrack
- Start date
Thank you! Really amazing. Every square inch and centimeter carefully placed, isolated. Did you ever consider putting all of the equipment to the LEFT handside of your room opposite the fireplace...and giving you clear space in between the speakers other than perhaps the amps? Just curious. I imagine you might end up with compromises in sound if you did given length of cables, etc, etc.
You nailed it Lloyd: in case I would have placed (part of) my audio equipment on the left side of my room the length of my (mostly single ended) cables should have much longer than they currently are. Because I am not using audio racks all my equipment in between the La Assoluta loudspeakers stay relatively low to the floor with a minimum of interaction with my LA’s. And of course the current audio set up provides me with the opportunity to use a part of the conservatory behind the listening room for placing some audio components. Because of (i) the enormous weight of all the copper platforms I am currently using, (ii) the weight of the Wadax reference PSU, the two PSU’s of the Wadax reference dac and the Tripoint Emperor mk ii ‘grounding’ station and (iii) the wooden floor in the listening room of my 120 years old house it is furthermore reassuring to know that a lot of weight (more than 400 kg) is resting on a different (tile) floor (in the conservatory).
That all makes sense. In our case, we shifted everything to the left of the room. So nothing in between the speakers, and when the movie screen comes down, it is entirely clear (2 channel plus sub, no other speakers or surround). So all the equipment itself is close to each other, but the speaker cables run long (nearly 30'). In this case, Transparent Audio made the cables with this in mind in the calibration of the network box. Overall, I am demanding but not at the level you and Mike L are where every micro-element has been meticulously finetuned.
When do you think your system will be 'stable' again?
Last edited:
Undoubtedly you have achieved something quite special with your audio set up, Lloyd. Although I have never heard them in real life I am quite sure that I will be (very) seriously impressed by (in particular) your state of the art Koda poweramps.
In an ideal world I would have placed the (head units of the) Wadax Reference dac and Wadax Reference server farther away from my (pre)amps but there is not enough space to do so (in a good way). At least I managed to place the (in total) three Wadax PSU’s of these two components on their copper slabs in the conservatory and by doing so a little over one meter away from my (pre)amps.
I hope that after the burning in of all the Tripoint Audio ‘grounding‘ stations and Tripoint Audio grounding cables - and by doing so removing these cables from as well as inserting them in the LA system, that is moving all these grounding cables around quite a bit - in about 1-2 weeks the LA system will be more or less stable again.
But please keep the following in mind: good as the Wadax Reference rig is - and it is very impressive sounding on its own -, the Wadax Reference server, Reference PSU as well as the two PSU’s of the Reference dac benefit greatly from (top notch) grounding. In my LA system the Tripoint Audio grounding brings a level of senerity, openness, expressivenes, added density and beautiful tonality that these Wadax components cannot achieve on their own. And just to be sure about this: this is not a ‘strange’ conclusion. Off course Javier and his design team added for a reason dedicated grounding binding posts to all (the three) PSU’s and the Reference server (and as I have mentioned before on the WBF: Miguel and Javier met and worked together on various audio shows of Audio Exotics in Hong Kong). The reason why I am saying all this? I have heard several times - albeit over the phone - what Miguel’s top of the line Statement grounding cables are capable of. These Statement cables are in all aspects ‘extreme’: extremely difficult - and as a consequence very time consuming - to built, they need enormous amounts of purified silver wire and they are by far the best as well as most beautiful sounding grounding cables I have heard in my life. I know for sure that adding three of the Tripoint Audio Statement grounding cables (these cables will be connected to the Wadax Reference server, Wadax Reference dac as well as my Kondo G-1000 linestage) will have a huge impact for the better on the LA system. So I guess what I am saying is the following: ‘the best’ is yet to come
Last edited:
Pure DSD256 Large Orchestra Recording Eudora Records - Positive Feedback
Pure DSD256 Large Orchestra Recording from Eudora Records
positive-feedback.com
Here is a link to a review in Positive-Feedback of one of the very few pure dsd large orchestral recordings available. It is a recording made by by Eudora. So in this case no editing in dxd. The reviewer goes bonkers and believes it to be the best large orchestral recording he has ever experienced . Although in my view the review is somewhat over the top the recording - in particular the music of Manuel de Falla - does sound beautiful. Interestingly the review contains a. a link to a free dsd 256 sample, b. a link to a free dxd sample (so you can compare the two formats) and c. a code for getting a 30% reduction on downloading the full album from Native dsd website. Btw, the latter is limited in time: so for those members who might be interested in this recording, do not wait to long.
As you might remember I am nearly at the so-called ‘level four’ with my Wadax reference digital gear: after initially buying the Wadax reference dac, Wadax reference server and the Wadax Akasa optical link for connecting these two components I recently added (i) the Wadax reference PSU to the Wadax reference server and (ii) two Akasa dc cables. The two Akasa dc cables are being used for connecting the two PSU’s of the reference dac to the main unit of this dac. So right now I am only ‘missing’ one Wadax Akasa dc cable in order to be able to connect the reference PSU to the Wadax reference server.
However, since last Thursday I have raised the level of my Wadax reference gear in such a profound way that I am totally sure about the following: I am clearly beyond this so-called ‘level four’ level, even without a third Akasa dc cable. I know exactly what the two Akasa dc cables have been doing for the better in my LA system: these Akasa dc cables are clearly superior to Wadax’s standard dc cables, no doubt about it. I refer interested members to the reviews of (inter alia) the Akasa dc cables by Roy Gregory and Robert Harley. So I am very happy indeed with my two Akasa dc cables and I am pretty sure what to expect when I will bring a third Akasa dc cable into the equation. But the positive sonic effects of the (single) cable I added last Thursday are even more profound. Please stay tuned because that cable still needs some (additional) time in order to fully setlle and mature. But I will add some pictures of this new cable later today.
However, since last Thursday I have raised the level of my Wadax reference gear in such a profound way that I am totally sure about the following: I am clearly beyond this so-called ‘level four’ level, even without a third Akasa dc cable. I know exactly what the two Akasa dc cables have been doing for the better in my LA system: these Akasa dc cables are clearly superior to Wadax’s standard dc cables, no doubt about it. I refer interested members to the reviews of (inter alia) the Akasa dc cables by Roy Gregory and Robert Harley. So I am very happy indeed with my two Akasa dc cables and I am pretty sure what to expect when I will bring a third Akasa dc cable into the equation. But the positive sonic effects of the (single) cable I added last Thursday are even more profound. Please stay tuned because that cable still needs some (additional) time in order to fully setlle and mature. But I will add some pictures of this new cable later today.
The Emperor statement grounding cable from Tripoint audio has been in my system for little over a week now. It is on one side connected to the Wadax reference server and on the other side with two cables (main and drain cable) to the Emperor NG ‘grounding’ station. Possibly it is difficult to see on the pictures but the three spades of this grounding cable are larger than usual in the industry. This was needed in order to accommodate the large conductors and the many silver strands. In this cable more strands than ever before are being used from pure, chemically treated - as well as hand polished - silver. Of course a lot of shield were employed as well.
It takes Miguel nearly three weeks to built this cable (which is btw only 22 inches long, so this gives an idea how difficult it is to produce this top of the line Tripoint grounding cable). In comparison to all his other grounding cables Miguel changed the geometry. And the sonic results are spectacular (in a good way).
With my Wadax reference gear I am nearly at ‘level four’: I am not (yet) using the Akasa dc cable between my Wadax reference server and Wadax reference PSU. If this Akasa dc cable is doing the same between the two mentioned units as the two Akasa dc cables are doing between the WADAx reference dac and its two PSU’s there are still significant musical gains to be realized. However, with this new Emperor statement grounding cable from Tripoint audio I am already at a sonic level I have never experienced before in my audio life. The transparency of the whole LA system was already damn, damn good but has now been raised to a level that is really out of this world. In addition for example the density, command, speed, soundstaging, low end presentation and dynamics are - after adding this new grounding cable - incredibly. All these elements combined provides a lack of mechanicalness that is mesmerizing.
The just mentioned audio aspects are so good that I can live happily ever after with them (a very reassuring observation indeed because our audio hobby (at least in the way I approach it) ‘demands’ large investments in time, care, patience and - foremost - money).
In one aspect the LA system can in my view still be bettered somewhat: tonality. In particular with some of my pcm recordings - including a few dxd files - I would love to experience somewhat more beauty of tone in particular the highs. This one Tripoint audio statement cable contributed significantly to the tonality of the LA system. Therefore I have high hopes that adding two more of these state of the art Tripoint audio grounding cables will indeed bring more than enough ‘beauty’ to the LA system. That will take a while however but hopefully the second Emperor statement cable will arrive within approximately four weeks.
The delivery of this second Emperor statement grounding cable might coincide with one last ‘big change’ in my set up. Will elaborate on the latter in more detail once it has been accomplished.
It takes Miguel nearly three weeks to built this cable (which is btw only 22 inches long, so this gives an idea how difficult it is to produce this top of the line Tripoint grounding cable). In comparison to all his other grounding cables Miguel changed the geometry. And the sonic results are spectacular (in a good way).
With my Wadax reference gear I am nearly at ‘level four’: I am not (yet) using the Akasa dc cable between my Wadax reference server and Wadax reference PSU. If this Akasa dc cable is doing the same between the two mentioned units as the two Akasa dc cables are doing between the WADAx reference dac and its two PSU’s there are still significant musical gains to be realized. However, with this new Emperor statement grounding cable from Tripoint audio I am already at a sonic level I have never experienced before in my audio life. The transparency of the whole LA system was already damn, damn good but has now been raised to a level that is really out of this world. In addition for example the density, command, speed, soundstaging, low end presentation and dynamics are - after adding this new grounding cable - incredibly. All these elements combined provides a lack of mechanicalness that is mesmerizing.
The just mentioned audio aspects are so good that I can live happily ever after with them (a very reassuring observation indeed because our audio hobby (at least in the way I approach it) ‘demands’ large investments in time, care, patience and - foremost - money).
In one aspect the LA system can in my view still be bettered somewhat: tonality. In particular with some of my pcm recordings - including a few dxd files - I would love to experience somewhat more beauty of tone in particular the highs. This one Tripoint audio statement cable contributed significantly to the tonality of the LA system. Therefore I have high hopes that adding two more of these state of the art Tripoint audio grounding cables will indeed bring more than enough ‘beauty’ to the LA system. That will take a while however but hopefully the second Emperor statement cable will arrive within approximately four weeks.
The delivery of this second Emperor statement grounding cable might coincide with one last ‘big change’ in my set up. Will elaborate on the latter in more detail once it has been accomplished.
Last edited:
A while back I inserted a second isolator in the LA system to block ‘digital noise’, the Aardvark ultra isolator. This ultra isolator is plugged in my Wadax reference server. After burning it in I did some experiments with this new device: and although it did some good ‘things’ I was not as enthusiastic as when I inserted the first ‘basic’ Aardvark isolator (the latter connects currently my Ethernet cable to the switch). Apparently Eduardo was (also) not completely satisfied with the performance of his Ultra isolator. Last week he called me up and informed me that he had revised his ultra isolator: all original ultra isolators are called back and are being replaced by the revised 1 version. Because Eduardo was (and still is) visiting the Munich high end show I shipped my original ultra isolator to his hotel in Munich and he shipped the ultra Rev.1 version to me from the Frankfurt airport.
Yesterday I received this Rev. 1 version of the Aardvark ultra isolator and listened yesterday as well as today intensively to it. This isolator was burned in by Eduardo for approximately 100 hours. So it needs more playing hours to fully mature but oh boy … this is something different, that is so much better! The Rev. 1 has first of all a smoother, more realistic high frequency response. So the only music parameter I was not completely happy with - the reproduction of the highs - has become clearly better: milder and more lovely, that is more natural.
Apart from sounding more relaxed in the highs the Rev. 1 version of the Aardvark ultra isolator sounds more open with more power, more command, more serenity and faster. In addition I experience additional transparency, a deeper soundstage and a better - that is a more articulated - bass response.
So I guess this Rev. 1 version of the Aardvark ultra isolator is blocking ‘digital pollution’ very effectively: as a consequence the music reproduction of my LA system has become clearly less mechanical and more emotional involving.
Although I realize each audio system is different casu quo reacts differently this Rev. 1 version of the Aardvark ultra isolator (even while is has not fully matured yet) is so good that I can recommend it to everyone enthusiastically!
Yesterday I received this Rev. 1 version of the Aardvark ultra isolator and listened yesterday as well as today intensively to it. This isolator was burned in by Eduardo for approximately 100 hours. So it needs more playing hours to fully mature but oh boy … this is something different, that is so much better! The Rev. 1 has first of all a smoother, more realistic high frequency response. So the only music parameter I was not completely happy with - the reproduction of the highs - has become clearly better: milder and more lovely, that is more natural.
Apart from sounding more relaxed in the highs the Rev. 1 version of the Aardvark ultra isolator sounds more open with more power, more command, more serenity and faster. In addition I experience additional transparency, a deeper soundstage and a better - that is a more articulated - bass response.
So I guess this Rev. 1 version of the Aardvark ultra isolator is blocking ‘digital pollution’ very effectively: as a consequence the music reproduction of my LA system has become clearly less mechanical and more emotional involving.
Although I realize each audio system is different casu quo reacts differently this Rev. 1 version of the Aardvark ultra isolator (even while is has not fully matured yet) is so good that I can recommend it to everyone enthusiastically!
The Aardvark ultra isolator Rev. 1 version was inserted in my LA system around 30 hours ago. I am still experiencing progress today: more liquidity, more smoothness, more fluidity, added density, more calmness/serenity as well as more transparency.
All my grounding efforts - in particular my latest Tripoint Emperor statement cable that is placed between the Wadax reference server and the Tripoint Emperor NG ‘grounding’ station - in combination with all the copper platforms and the mass loading with copper slabs are clearly showing their true colors!
All my grounding efforts - in particular my latest Tripoint Emperor statement cable that is placed between the Wadax reference server and the Tripoint Emperor NG ‘grounding’ station - in combination with all the copper platforms and the mass loading with copper slabs are clearly showing their true colors!
Last edited:
Hello Lloyd,
Miguel is currently working on my second Emperor statement cable. That one will be even better than the one I am currently using (which is btw hard to imagine because this first emperor statement grounding cable is already mightily impressive): I shipped back one of my silver signature grounding cables to him so that Miguel can use the silver in that cable for adding more silver strands to the drain cable. Hopefully Miguel will be able to ship this grounding cable at the end of this month to me.
As mentioned earlier I will add a third Emperor statement cable to my system. Have not yet talked with Miguel about the delivery of this third grounding cable. Likely these two grounding cables will be connected to my Kondo G-1000 linestage and Wadax reference dac. But I am not sure about this yet: the (positive) impact of the Emperor statement cable is huge and grounding just one PSU of the Wadax reference dac (this dac employs two separate PSU’s, each with its own grounding binding post) might create an imbalance in the music presentation. That is something I will need to find out.
In addition to these two additional Emperor statement grounding cables I am going to add five special pieces made out of copper (possibly I am going to silverplate these five pieces). These pieces will be placed on top of the copper slabs that are being used for mass loading. In the pictures you can see one of these silver plated pieces on top of the Wadax reference server.
When Miguel will be visiting me - hopefully somewhere in the second half of this year - we are going to experiment with grounding the three diamond drivers in each of my Tidal LA loudspeakers.
And then there will be one big final step which I will elaborate on later.
So I am not done yet …
Last edited:
