Tidal La Assoluta system

[LL21]

Wou

Although these pictures - of a four box Tidal La Assoluta system - are more than a year old, they are maybe still interesting:

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Would be great to see the subtowers in your room someday parked slightly behind and to the outside, while the mains come in slightly...

 

[Audiocrack]

Wou

Would be great to see the subtowers in your room someday parked slightly behind and to the outside, while the mains come in slightly...

You know Lloyd, adding two La Assoluta woofer towers to my LA set up is rather complicated for various reasons:
- my room is 4.5m wide. That is very - and possibly too - narrow for four large towers.
- two additional woofer towers imply that an external xover is needed. The Tidal xover is not available in a single ended mode, while my Kondo G-1000 has only one semi-balanced input which I need for my Wadax reference digital gear. So a solution is needed for this.
- the floor of my house - dating from 1902 - is made out of wood resting on wooden beams. The LA main towers are already 500 kg each, while the two separate LA woofer towers will undoubtedly be very heavy as well (I do not know their exact weight). In combination with all the full copper - and very heavy - slabs I am employing for my various audio components this will result in an enormous weight. Not sure if that is really feasible.
- Jorn - of Tidal audio - was rather sceptical about placing two additional LA woofer towers in my current listening room.

So maybe I need another house with a wider listening room …

 

[gleeds]

Amir,

Every loudspeaker benefits from adding subwoofers. While many assume subs are meant only to enhance smaller speakers with additional low frequencies, the truth is they are one of the best tools for managing room acoustics issues like standing waves and deep nulls.

This is why a well-integrated subwoofer often results in noticeably improved sound quality.

 

[Audiocrack]

Besides all this, of course finances have to be taken into account: adding two separate LA woofer towers, an external Tidal xover, extra cabling and additional (Tidal?) amps for driving the LA woofer towers will require an substantial amount of money. Furthermore, - inter alia with the help of the Tripoint Audio top notch grounding - I have been able to create a wide and very deep soundstage while the low end I have achieved with my Kondo Gakuoh mk ii amps and the two LA main towers is a big (and pleasant) surprise to everyone who has visited me so far.

 

[Audiocrack]

And lastly: if such a substantional amount of money would indeed be available, alternatives need to be considered as well. I list a few of them:
- adding another Tripoint Audio Emperor NG ‘Grounding’ station. Although I cannot prove it - because I have not heard all other grounding boxes -, there is no doubt in my mind that the Tripoint Audio Emperor NG is - by a wide margin - the best ‘grounding’ unit on planet earth.
- adding a few Siltech mastercrown cables (although I keep saying that the mastercrown pricing is imo absurd).
- adding a Wadax reference sacd-transport with its dedicated Wadax reference PSU and Wadax Akasa cable.
- adding a new Tripoint Audio product. I am not allowed to write about it (yet) so I cannot disclose anything at this moment, but I have heard over the phone what this new device is doing in Miguel’s audio set up. Hopefully I will soon be able to insert a prototype of this new Tripoint product in my LA system.

 

[Audiocrack]

Tubes matter greatly … the Kondo preamps and Kondo poweramps I have been using for over 20 years now, significantly benefit from top notch valves. Some of these high quality nos tubes are becoming rarer and rarer, are therefore more and more difficult to find and are becoming more and more expensive by the day. One of these highly sought after tubes I employ for my Kondo poweramps is the gz34 metal base rectifier.

Yesterday I was extremely lucky to find six (yes really: six!) gz34 metal base tubes. Two of them - a few pictures are attached - are completely new and can thus indeed be called nos valves. Two others were very sparely used and measure like new, while the last two gz34 metal base tubes measure very strongly.

I am always on the look out for these gz34 metal base rectifiers because (i) - unlike some audiophiles claim - in my Tidal LA system high quality rectifiers - in combination with my Audio Note Japan / Kondo poweramps - make a significant sonic difference for the better, (ii) my Kagura amps need (in total) 8 of them and (iii) my Gakuoh II amps need (in total) 4 of them.

 

[DasguteOhr]

Tubes matter greatly … the Kondo preamps and Kondo poweramps I have been using for over 20 years now, significantly benefit from top notch valves. Some of these high quality nos tubes are becoming rarer and rarer, are therefore more and more difficult to find and are becoming more and more expensive by the day. One of these highly sought after tubes I employ for my Kondo poweramps is the gz34 metal base rectifier.

Yesterday I was extremely lucky to find six (yes really: six!) gz34 metal base tubes. Two of them - a few pictures are attached - are completely new and can thus indeed be called nos valves. Two others were very sparely used and measure like new, while the last two gz34 metal base tubes measure very strongly.

I am always on the look out for these gz34 metal base rectifiers because (i) - unlike some audiophiles claim - in my Tidal LA system high quality rectifiers - in combination with my Audio Note Japan / Kondo poweramps - make a significant sonic difference for the better, (ii) my Kagura amps need (in total) 8 of them and (iii) my Gakuoh II amps need (in total) 4 of them.

View attachment 142600View attachment 142601View attachment 142602

congrats, tubes for eternity

 

[Audiocrack]

congrats, tubes for eternity

Thanks and yes indeed.

 

[DasguteOhr]

Thanks and yes indeed.

you don't have to worry about it for the next 20 years. Don't turn it off and on several times a day. Let it run saves life and have fun.

 

[Audiocrack]

Here is a link to an interesting combination of hifi components: inter alia Tidal La Assoluta loudspeakers, Wadax reference en Siltech mastercrown cables:

Siltech

September 28th to 30th, 2024, Siltech participated in the Vietnam High-End Show in Hanoi. Hosted by our esteemed partner, Audio Hoàng Hải.

www.siltechcables.com

If everything goes according to plan, I will be able to insert next weekend a few Siltech Triple Crown pc’s in my Tidal LA system. Curious to find out how they compare to my Tidal Audio pc’s.

 

[LL21]

Here is a link to an interesting combination of hifi components: inter alia Tidal La Assoluta loudspeakers, Wadax reference en Siltech mastercrown cables:

Siltech

September 28th to 30th, 2024, Siltech participated in the Vietnam High-End Show in Hanoi. Hosted by our esteemed partner, Audio Hoàng Hải.

www.siltechcables.com

If everything goes according to plan, I will be able to insert next weekend a few Siltech Triple Crown pc’s in my Tidal LA system. Curious to find out how they compare to my Tidal Audio pc’s.

Fantastic! Very excited and have always been a huge fan of the Siltech Triple Crown PCs in our system. As written somewhere in this massive site, I have heard in our system:

- Gryphon VIP Ref PC (own)
- Vertere PC (very very briefly)
- Crystal Dream PC
- Siltech Triple Crown PC
- Z:Axis Audio SL-777 PC (own)
- Sablon Prince PC (own)
- Purist Audio 30th Anniversary, Dominus, Contego PCs (own/owned)
- Transparent Audio Opus Gen 6

Siltech Triple Crown has been my consistent favorite above all. My favorite of the bunch otherwise (on an absolute basis) are the Sablon Prince and the Z:Axis SL-777. And for the price, I note that I could get a whole loom for the cost of one Triple Crown, and they are shockingly and impressively close. I have not heard the new Lanedri Sablon Audios nor the Sablon King. I also know that Z:Axis continues to innovate as well.

Where I find the Triple Crown edges past at the photo finish is that, for example, during the opening tension-filled notes of Beethoven's 9th, you not only hear the physicality of the stroke of the bows over the violin strings, there is something about that tension you can literally hear with greater insight and greater tension than with either of the Sablon or Z:Axis. You find yourself 'understanding' more about the music because of those very very subtle but for those who care, very important details and nuances.

The Sablon also demonstrates more power than the SL-777 (who answers back with closer resolution to the Triple Crown). The Sablon and Triple Crown is also slightly different...equal in measure but the Triple Crown appears to demonstrate more detail and again more 'mastery' over the details of the power generation in the upper and midbass.

 

[Audiocrack]

Fantastic! Very excited and have always been a huge fan of the Siltech Triple Crown PCs in our system. As written somewhere in this massive site, I have heard in our system:

- Gryphon VIP Ref PC (own)
- Vertere PC (very very briefly)
- Crystal Dream PC
- Siltech Triple Crown PC
- Z:Axis Audio SL-777 PC (own)
- Sablon Prince PC (own)
- Purist Audio 30th Anniversary, Dominus, Contego PCs (own/owned)
- Transparent Audio Opus Gen 6

Siltech Triple Crown has been my consistent favorite above all. My favorite of the bunch otherwise (on an absolute basis) are the Sablon Prince and the Z:Axis SL-777. And for the price, I note that I could get a whole loom for the cost of one Triple Crown, and they are shockingly and impressively close. I have not heard the new Lanedri Sablon Audios nor the Sablon King. I also know that Z:Axis continues to innovate as well.

Where I find the Triple Crown edges past at the photo finish is that, for example, during the opening tension-filled notes of Beethoven's 9th, you not only hear the physicality of the stroke of the bows over the violin strings, there is something about that tension you can literally hear with greater insight and greater tension than with either of the Sablon or Z:Axis. You find yourself 'understanding' more about the music because of those very very subtle but for those who care, very important details and nuances.

The Sablon also demonstrates more power than the SL-777 (who answers back with closer resolution to the Triple Crown). The Sablon and Triple Crown is also slightly different...equal in measure but the Triple Crown appears to demonstrate more detail and again more 'mastery' over the details of the power generation in the upper and midbass.

Hopefully after next weekend I will have a good grasp of (i) what the Siltech TC pc’s are capable of and (ii) how they compare sonically to my Tidal Audio pc’s. Hope to be able to install a few of them in my Todal LA system on Saturday and I will have then about 24 hours to evaluate them. And as you know, Lloyd, more will be going on this weekend but for the time being I cannot elaborate on that.

 

[LL21]

Hopefully after next weekend I will have a good grasp of (i) what the Siltech TC pc’s are capable of and (ii) how they compare donically to my Tidal Audio pc’s. Hope to be able to install a few of them in my Todal LA system on Saturday and I will have then about 24 hours to evaluate them. And as you know, Lloyd, more will be going on this weekend but for the time being I cannot elaborate on that.

Very exciting.

 

[Audiocrack]

As mentioned earlier last weekend I had the chance to listen to the Siltech triple crown pc in my LA system. Actually there were two TC pc’s available and I connected them last Saturday to my Wadax reference dac (this dac has two separate PSU’s so I needed both TC pc’s for it). I really liked what I experienced with the TC pc’s on Saturday. However, on Sunday I could listen to a pc of a different brand the retailprice of which is - (even) - somewhat higher than the retailprice of the TC pc. What a pity that there was (only) one pc of this other brand available so I could not make an a/b comparison between the two brands in combination with the reference dac. That other pc was really good as well. But ultimately I was unable to conclude which of the two pc’s was ‘the winner’; hopefully (I am trying to arrange this and it seems indeed possible) in the near future such an a/b test can be realized. Ideally I would compare three pc’s of both brands on both the Wadax reference server and dac. Will keep you posted if this actually can be arranged.

 

[Audiocrack]

I consider the oxygen free pure copper slabs (so no coating is applied) - used as platforms as well as for mass loading purposes - an essential part of my audio system centered around the Tidal La Assoluta loudspeakers. Currently I am using 40 of these copper slabs. I experienced however that going from two copper pieces - being used as platforms - stacked on top of each other to three copper slabs stacked on top of each other yielded profound sonic benefits.

Currently I am employing 40 copper pieces in total, while I have (only) been able to place the Wadax reference server, Wadax reference dac as well as my two powerstrips from Acoustic Revive on three copper slabs.

Furthermore I have experimented with placing a copper platform on top of (each of) my LA loudspeakers. Although each LA loudspeaker weighs (nearly) 500 kg, one copper slab on both LA loudspeakers was again beneficial.

So in order to maximize the sonic effects (that is employing three copper slabs as platforms for more of my audio components as well as being able to place heavier copper pieces on top of my LA’s) I have decided to add to my existing 40 slabs another 18 copper pieces.

This is going to be the first step of the final phase of optimizing my LA system.

 

[LL21]

fascinating to read! I have utilised mass damping, not nearly as customised as your copper plates. But designed by HRS or Artesania who are among the very best at what they do. Plus pure raw weight on top of these well designed damping plates.

Today, we have something like 270kg of damping across the equipment and the Wilson’s and the Velodyne. And each piece has been added, auditioned, removed or relayed…or it remains. And generally when I have discovered an area that excels with this mass damping, i find the total weight of mass damping on the system (plus there is isolation underneath all of our components as well) has gone up dramatically. It did not work in all cases, but where it works, it really works well. And ultimately it all added up some serious weight!!

Look forward to hearing how it goes.

 

[Audiocrack]

fascinating to read! I have utilised mass damping, not nearly as customised as your copper plates. But designed by HRS or Artesania who are among the very best at what they do. Plus pure raw weight on top of these well designed damping plates.

Today, we have something like 270kg of damping across the equipment and the Wilson’s and the Velodyne. And each piece has been added, auditioned, removed or relayed…or it remains. And generally when I have discovered an area that excels with this mass damping, i find the total weight of mass damping on the system (plus there is isolation underneath all of our components as well) has gone up dramatically. It did not work in all cases, but where it works, it really works well. And ultimately it all added up some serious weight!!

Look forward to hearing how it goes.

Very interesting. 270 kg is a seriount amount of weight. Any idea how much weight you put on your Wilson loudspeakers? I am only able to place copper slabs on (the very) top of my LA’s and because of the LA’s height and weight I was - in all honesty - up front sceptical whether a copper slab of ‘just’ 25 kg per LA would make a sonic difference for the better. It did, however, and I am planning to add more copper slabs and thus more weight on top of my LA’s. Once the 18 additional copper slabs - each with a thickness of 2.5 cm and a total weight of nearly 500 kg (actually it will be around 494 kg) - have arrived (and that will take a while because the copper was only paid for yesterday and will be ordered today, then CNC machining is needed to inter alia create the 18 pieces with the right dimensions, then the meticulous sanding process and lastly all these copper slabs need to be transported from abroad to the Netherlands), I need to do more experiments in order to find the ‘ideal’ placement of all these copper slabs in the LA system. These 18 pieces will be the last copper slabs I am going to add to the LA system.

As mentioned earlier, I am in the final phase of the optimization of my LA system. However, adding these 18 slabs of copper will not be my last step. The experiments last weekend with the two Siltech triple crown pc’s and three other (expensive) pc’s of another high end cable brand showed me that profound sonic benefits can be realized by adding high quality pc’s to the LA set up. If everything goes according to plan, I will be able to listen at the end of this month to three Siltech TC pc’s and compare them to three high quality pc’s of this other brand. Planning to connect these 2 x 3 pc’s to my Wadax reference dac and Wadax reference server.

Thirdly Miguel of Tripoint Audio has developed two completely new products. I am not allowed to write about these new products on WBF (yet), but Miguel will ship these two new products to me within the next two weeks. Their sonic effects in Miguel’s audio system - I have heard those over the phone - are very impressive indeed. If the same sonic effects can be achieved in my LA system, the performance of - for the time being - my digital replay with the Wadax reference dac and reference server in particular and the Tidal LA system in general will be elevated in a profound way. So very interesting ‘audio times’ lie ahead of me.

 

[LL21]

Very interesting. 270 kg is a seriount amount of weight. Any idea how much weight you put on your Wilson loudspeakers? I am only able to place copper slabs on (the very) top of my LA’s and because of the LA’s height and weight I was - in all honesty - up front sceptical whether a copper slab of ‘just’ 25 kg per LA would make a sonic difference for the better. It did, however, and I am planning to add more copper slabs and thus more weight on top of my LA’s. Once the 18 additional copper slabs - each with a thickness of 2.5 cm and a total weight of nearly 500 kg (actually it will be around 494 kg) - have arrived (and that will take a while because the copper was only paid for yesterday and will be ordered today, then CNC machining is needed to inter alia create the 18 pieces with the right dimensions, then the meticulous sanding process and lastly all these copper slabs need to be transported from abroad to the Netherlands), I need to do more experiments in order to find the ‘ideal’ placement of all these copper slabs in the LA system. These 18 pieces will be the last copper slabs I am going to add to the LA system.

As mentioned earlier, I am in the final phase of the optimization of my LA system. However, adding these 18 slabs of copper will not be my last step. The experiments last weekend with the two Siltech triple crown pc’s and three other (expensive) pc’s of another high end cable brand showed me that profound sonic benefits can be realized by adding high quality pc’s to the LA set up. If everything goes according to plan, I will be able to listen at the end of this month to three Siltech TC pc’s and compare them to three high quality pc’s of this other brand. Planning to connect these 2 x 3 pc’s to my Wadax reference dac and Wadax reference server.

Thirdly Miguel of Tripoint Audio has developed two completely new products. I am not allowed to write about these new products on WBF (yet), but Miguel will ship these two new products to me within the next two weeks. Their sonic effects in Miguel’s audio system - I have heard those over the phone - are very impressive indeed. If the same sonic effects can be achieved in my LA system, the performance of - for the time being - my digital replay with the Wadax reference dac and reference server in particular and the Tidal LA system in general will be elevated in a profound way. So very interesting ‘audio times’ lie ahead of me.

Hi Audiocrack,

Just over 35kg per Wilson speaker (71kg total) plus a further 90kg or so on top of the Velodyne.

I think from my reading of your work here, we each have found benefit of placing equipment on top of some kind of isolation platform and then 'sandwiching the equipment' by also placing a certain amount of mass damping on top. In our system, virtually every component is in such a configuration. The digital, amps, speakers, power supplies/conditioners. The only exception is the preamp, and that is simply because of the height of the Robert Koda preamp does not allow a damping plate on top within the shelf on which it sits.