Todd's AG Trio G3 System -- it's about time

[caesar]

I think I can point a few things out here. Some of them I had mentioned before. First, Angie is a dealer with two very high end digital systems -- DCS APEX and WADAX Reference. One obviously need to go in each system. So she chose. Second, I can almost guarentee that Angie listens to the Avantgarde system more becasue that is really where her passion is. If you watched the Thomas & Stereo video just look how lived in that room with the Avantgarde's looks. Angie is a much bigger fan of vinyl than digital. Again, reference the video and see how much time she spends describing different stuff. With the DCS she was like "and this is the DCS APEX". Then when she gets to the Analog rig things slows down and starts describing every little piece and talking about adding tone arms etc. etc. So my point is do you really think she is listening to the DCS in that room?

I listened to that exact system -- DCS + VAC Master + Avantgarde Trios. I did not find anything offensive about the sound. It was nice. I have said before that they had literally just moved the speaker into the room the afternoon before I showed up at 10:00am the next morning. Jerome did not have sufficient time to really get them dialed in. They did sound better thatn I heard at Axpona but still lacking what I think a great speaker delivers. That was certainly not the fault of the speaker nor the DAC nor the preamp or anything else except the time needed to get everything working together.

I don't have any agenda here with regard to which digital rig to get or digital vs. analog etc. We each listend to various offerings and decide to buy what we can afford that makes our music sound better. I can say that putting the Reference Server in my system was a much, much bigger impact than I thought is was going to be. Like most I have changed DACs and other digital components and experienced the better this or that. But nothing could have prepared me for how transformative the server was. It is in some ways bigger than going from a streaming music from a stock laptop to an dedicated audiophile server like the K50. Mike liked it better than the "Extreme". But I guess others may not like it. I don't know. But I would advise don't listen to it in your system unless you are prepared to buy it.

All of the above was before I played with the three little knobs. Those things are huge in terms of musical impact. And I have not even really got to tweak them much. Just gross movements of all three knobs to get a sense of what they do. No other server/streamer that I know of has this kind of technology.

Congrats! I thought you had acquired the DAC, not the server. Are you getting the DAC also?

 

[sbnx]

No dac in my near future.

 

[adyc]

No dac in my near future.

So it is Wadax server to your MSB DAC?

 

[sbnx]

C1.2

 

[sbnx]

For those that like videos. This was on Saturday. Probably wadax server. The music is streamed for sure as she did t release this on cd.

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[sbnx]

 

[Kodak805]

She sounds wonderful. Who is the female vocalist?

 

[sbnx]

If you knew me now is by Christel Alsos. From At time of the night album

Beautiful Life is by Chantel Chamberland. From the Temptation album

 

[sbnx]

Must use headphones.

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[Ron Resnick]

Very nice, Todd!

Who makes the QRD diffusers on your front wall, please?

 

[LL21]

Must use headphones.

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That is A-W-E-S-O-M-E. Inspirationally so! I am particularly glad I managed to hear the AG3 myself so I have a slightly better concept of what your system is doing. That is truly something!

What album is that by the way? This one?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BQVKZ5F8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=32J8RRAR6J57Z&keywords=ghost+rider+make+us+stronger+vini+vici&marketplaceId=A1F83G8C2ARO7P&musicTerritory=GB&qid=1702605219&s=music&sprefix=ghost+rider+make+us+stronger+vini+vici%2Cpopular%2C57&sr=1-1&trackAsin=B0BQVKZ5F8

 

[sbnx]

Very nice, Todd!

Who makes the QRD diffusers on your front wall, please?

Hello Ron. The “diffusers” are from Real Traps. They absorb below a certain fequency. If you look up Real Traps diffuser i am sure it will come up

 

[sbnx]

That is A-W-E-S-O-M-E. Inspirationally so! I am particularly glad I managed to hear the AG3 myself so I have a slightly better concept of what your system is doing. That is truly something!

What album is that by the way? This one?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BQVKZ5F8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=32J8RRAR6J57Z&keywords=ghost+rider+make+us+stronger+vini+vici&marketplaceId=A1F83G8C2ARO7P&musicTerritory=GB&qid=1702605219&s=music&sprefix=ghost+rider+make+us+stronger+vini+vici%2Cpopular%2C57&sr=1-1&trackAsin=B0BQVKZ5F8

Lloyd, yes this was Ghost Rider “make us stronger”

i did not expect anyone to actually ask. I have very diverse musical taste. Sometimes I can spend hours finding a great recording of some orchestral piece. (My latest is Dvorak’s cello concerto). Sometimes classic rock. Sometimes jazz. And sometimes I like the chest pounding EDM.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Hello Ron. The “diffusers” are from Real Traps.

Thank you.

 

[Elliot G.]

Lloyd, yes this was Ghost Rider “make us stronger”

i did not expect anyone to actually ask. I have very diverse musical taste. Sometimes I can spend hours finding a great recording of some orchestral piece. (My latest is Dvorak’s cello concerto). Sometimes classic rock. Sometimes jazz. And sometimes I like the chest pounding EDM.

try Milio-Sterren track YOU and for something totally different and brand new Try Neil Youngs new album Before andf After- Mr. Soul . I also have very broad likes and varied and strange taste in music.

 

[bonzo75]

My latest is Dvorak’s cello concerto

Dvorak cello concerto. First three Hoelscher, last one full Fournier

 

[Carlos269]

Dvorak cello concerto. First three Hoelscher, last one full Fournier

Compare and contrast:

 

[LL21]

Dvorak cello concerto. First three Hoelscher, last one full Fournier

Interesting...I listened to the 3 identical pieces. Was listening in crowded area so off-the-cuff impression. I like 3 (detailed but supple), then 1 (also supple but perhaps not as nuanced by a teeny bit?), then 2. 2 seems a bit 'hard' for some reason? May have been the little phone headphones. thanks for posting.

 

[bonzo75]

Interesting...I listened to the 3 identical pieces. Was listening in crowded area so off-the-cuff impression. I like 3 (detailed but supple), then 1 (also supple but perhaps not as nuanced by a teeny bit?), then 2. 2 seems a bit 'hard' for some reason? May have been the little phone headphones. thanks for posting.

your analysis is right. This was a later recorded version. 1 has a very low cost analog source compared to the other two, and back then was with 4 watts. Now he has a 10 watt amp

 

[caesar]

I think I can point a few things out here. Some of them I had mentioned before. First, Angie is a dealer with two very high end digital systems -- DCS APEX and WADAX Reference. One obviously need to go in each system. So she chose. Second, I can almost guarentee that Angie listens to the Avantgarde system more becasue that is really where her passion is. If you watched the Thomas & Stereo video just look how lived in that room with the Avantgarde's looks. Angie is a much bigger fan of vinyl than digital. Again, reference the video and see how much time she spends describing different stuff. With the DCS she was like "and this is the DCS APEX". Then when she gets to the Analog rig things slows down and starts describing every little piece and talking about adding tone arms etc. etc. So my point is do you really think she is listening to the DCS in that room?

I listened to that exact system -- DCS + VAC Master + Avantgarde Trios. I did not find anything offensive about the sound. It was nice. I have said before that they had literally just moved the speaker into the room the afternoon before I showed up at 10:00am the next morning. Jerome did not have sufficient time to really get them dialed in. They did sound better thatn I heard at Axpona but still lacking what I think a great speaker delivers. That was certainly not the fault of the speaker nor the DAC nor the preamp or anything else except the time needed to get everything working together.

I don't have any agenda here with regard to which digital rig to get or digital vs. analog etc. We each listend to various offerings and decide to buy what we can afford that makes our music sound better. I can say that putting the Reference Server in my system was a much, much bigger impact than I thought is was going to be. Like most I have changed DACs and other digital components and experienced the better this or that. But nothing could have prepared me for how transformative the server was. It is in some ways bigger than going from a streaming music from a stock laptop to an dedicated audiophile server like the K50. Mike liked it better than the "Extreme". But I guess others may not like it. I don't know. But I would advise don't listen to it in your system unless you are prepared to buy it.
...

Hi Sbnx,

I am fascinated by how audiophiles make decisions in this subjective hobby of ours. Yeah, she's got some weird ass, new esoteric turntable with a digital clock... I wonder if they sell more than 10 - 15 of these in NA... yet check out around 6:30 minute mark:

. They make it clear that there is "better synergy"... for her at least...

On another note, the Trio is virtually a new design. And with little information and no measurements out there and a large price tag, being science and engineering minded, how were you convinced that the new Trio is well engineered?