Tidal La Assoluta system

[Audiocrack]

After inserting the Aardvark isolator last Thursday approximately 70 hours have passed. And even though this isolator is not yet fully burned in - according to Eduardo it needs at least an additional 100 hours after the 50-60 hours of playing in at his place - it is already quite clear what it is doing: removing distortion/noise. This results in my LA set up in more transparency and openness, better dynamics and a deeper soundstage.

However, initially one aspect was not to my liking: the tonality was ‘sharper’ (or ‘fresher’ if you will) than I had experienced before. When I inserted the Aardvark isolator I was not grounding my Kondo g-1000 preamp and my Kondo Gakuoh poweramps. Why not? Because I currently do not have three extra top notch Tripoint Audio cables available. As mentioned earlier Miguel is at the moment working on my Emperor NG ‘grounding’ unit and six new Tripoint Audio cables, three of which are the very special - and only made on special request due to the material cost and intense labor time involved - Emperor NG grounding cables.

It occurred to me that the possible (or even likely?) explanation for this ‘sharpness’ or ‘freshness’ is the following: the Aardvark isolator lowers the noisefloor in such a way that the inherent distortion/noise produced by my Kondo (pre)amps is being laid bare more clearly than in the past. In order to test this hypothesis I disconnected three Tripoint silver signature grounding cables (Tripoint’s entry grounding cables) from their three copper platforms and connected them to my Kondo (pre)amps. This remedied to a significant extent the ‘sharpness’ of ‘freshness’ issue.

I am sure that once I have inserted the six new Tripoint Audio grounding cables (but that will take a while because Miguel will finish and ship the Emperor NG ‘grounding’ unit first to me) the afore mentioned ‘issue’ will be solved completely. But hopefully additional playing with the Aardvark isolator will in the meantime help as well.

 

[LL21]

And thus the hunt never ends...enjoy!

 

[Audiocrack]

 

[Audiocrack]

Last week another batch of 19 pure, oxygen free and meticulous sanded copper slabs have arrived. I have started with mass loading my Wadax reference dac as you can seen in the picture I just posted. Of course the second copper slab I have just added has a double function: a. mass loading the dac and at the same time b. doubling the mass as platform for the Zanden cd-transport. I am amazed how much of a difference for the better ‘just’ one additional copper slab brings to the (audio) table.

Btw, under the (first) two copper platforms I am using four Hifistay’s Absolute Point footers.

 

[Audiocrack]

And finally (for today): to give you an idea about the weight of these copper platforms: each of the two copper pieces underneath the Zanden cd-transport weighs a little over 80 pounds, so the total mass of (only) those two pieces is around 165 pounds.

 

[Golum]

Last week another batch of 19 pure, oxygen free and meticulous sanded copper slabs have arrived. I have started with mass loading my Wadax reference dac as you can seen in the picture I just posted. Of course the second copper slab I have just added has a double function: a. mass loading the dac and at the same time b. doubling the mass as platform for the Zanden cd-transport. I am amazed how much of a difference for the better ‘just’ one additional copper slab brings to the (audio) table.

Btw, under the (first) two copper platforms I am using four Hifistay’s Absolute Point footers.

Rudolf I guess the entire weight of this stack is significant. How are the footers handling it/performing?

 

[Audiocrack]

Rudolf I guess the entire weight of this stack is significant. How are the footers handling it/performing?

Hello Goran, yes, the entire weight of this stack is indeed significant: the two platforms underneath the Wadax reference dac weigh together 50 kg while the dac itself is 45 kg. So if you add the 165 pounds of the two copper slabs on top and the Zanden cd-transport the total weight of this stack is substantial. Before I inserted the second top copper slab and the fourth Hifistay Absolute Point footer (before I used only three of the latter) I had to disconnect and take out the server in order to level everything again; with a more than 100 years old wooden floor resting on wooden beams and with four footers that (I mean the leveling) is really a challenge. After we finally succeeded (it was absolutely a two man’s ‘job’) and hooking up all cables again I could clearly hear that all footers (including inter alia the four RevOpods under the Wadax reference dac), server and cables - and maybe the copper platforms themselves as well ? - needed to settle (again). In the first 24 hours or so I could very clearly experience changes in the sound reproduction: at first the tonality was beautiful but also somewhat ‘euphonic’ and the pin point precision was somewhat lacking. The latter returned gradually while the tonality become ‘cooler’ or ‘fresher’. Still have the idea that subtle changes are happening.

That said I like the performance of the Hifistay Absolute Point footers so much that I ordered last week with John another four of them.In combination with their copper caps these four footers are going to be used for the copper slabs under the Wadax reference server. I am planning to mass load the Wadax reference server as well but I cannot do this at the moment: the RevOpods that I am currently using under the copper platforms for the Wadax reference server cannot handle the (additional) weight of mass loading: the total weight of the Wadax reference server stack (including mass loading) will exceed 145 kg. John informed me however a few days ago that the four Hifistay Absolute Point footers will be shipped to me somewhere next week.

 

[Audiocrack]

Btw Goran, I realize that the four Hifistay Absolute Point footers have to handle a lot of weight and that John recommends that the total weight will not exceed 60-70% of the maximum of 60 kg per footer. I am somewhat over this 60-70% range but clearly below 240 kg (4 x 60 kg per Absolute Point footer).

 

[LL21]

View attachment 117850

Fantastic! We use 255kg of weights on top of proper damping plates across the system...most of it on top of the Sub, selectively and carefully placed along the various horizontal levels on the back of each XLF and on top of the grounding boxes. It is great how well it works in just lowering noise and shimmer.

Our Zanden transport is on top of the SRA which was designed for it, which then sits on top of an HRS M3X which then sits on top of 4" inches of 21-layer birch ply (the equipment rack itself) which then sits on top of 2" thick slab of slat onto the floor. Each level makes an improvement!

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Rudolph,

do you think the Wadax chassis can handle all that weight on top of it long term? did you check with Javier?

my guess is that it's not any problem, as the chassis is very stout. but there may be some sort of design approach to the chassis construction where this might compromise it. an overdamped chassis can lower noise but also reduce the liveliness.

i do applaud your relentlessness. no stone unturned.

 

[Audiocrack]

Rudolph,

do you think the Wadax chassis can handle all that weight on top of it long term? did you check with Javier?

my guess is that it's not any problem, as the chassis is very stout. but there may be some sort of design approach to the chassis construction where this might compromise it. an overdamped chassis can lower noise but also reduce the liveliness.

i do applaud your relentlessness. no stone unturned.

Hello Mike, thanks for this. The Wadax reference dac and server are both built like a tank with thick aluminum walls and thick aluminum top/bottom plates. So I reckoned that mass loading them will not cause any problem. But (indeed) I can check with Javier just to be 100% sure.

 

[Audiocrack]

I talked today with Javier. He confirmed that the built quality of the Wadax reference server and dac is such that both components can cope with a lot of weight. So mass loading these two units with (in my case) copper slabs is no problem at all. I started with mass loading the Wadax reference dac and - as mentioned before - the sonic benefits are very obvious and substantial.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

I talked today with Javier. He confirmed that the built quality of the Wadax reference server and dac is such that both components can cope with a lot of weight. So mass loading these two units with (in my case) copper slabs is no problem at all. I started with mass loading the Wadax reference dac and - as mentioned before - the sonic benefits are very obvious and substantial.

cool deal. will have to think about it. my rack situation (regarding shelf clearance) with all my tt's probably makes it not realisitic.

 

[Audiocrack]

cool deal. will have to think about it. my rack situation (regarding shelf clearance) with all my tt's probably makes it not realisitic.

I fully understand although it is a pity: for example the additional calmness/serinity, transparency, density, command and dynamics as a consequence of mass loading the Wadax reference dac are quite addictive. That said, the Wadax Reference server and dac are by themselves ofcourse already a mighty fine combination. The interview with Javier - that was shared with us some posts ago in the Wadax thread - demonstrates in a very interesting way why we both appreciate this combo so much.

 

[Audiocrack]

It is nearing its completion: Tripoint’s new and top of the line ‘grounding’ unit.

 

[Audiocrack]

 

[Audiocrack]

Just posted a second picture of this copper piece in order to provide you all with an idea about the quality of the workmanship.

 

[Audiocrack]

Miguel has finished the first Emperor NG ‘grounding’ station. Here is the first picture of this new unit: with the three - newly developed - brass cones this new audio piece weighs a whopping 229 pounds! The Emperor NG will start its journey to the Netherlands today and it is undoubtedly going to be nightmare to get this heavy piece into my house (and place it safely into the LA system)

 

[Audiocrack]

Although the dimensions may (from the picture) appear to be the same as Tripoint’s former top of the line ‘grounding’ station - the Elite NG - they are actually not (the same). The four new filters in the Emperor NG are 25% larger than the filters in the Elite NG and as a consequence the height of former unit clearly surpasses the height of the latter piece.

 

[Audiocrack]

Here is another picture from the assembly station while the Emperor NG is being tested: