Zero Distortion: Gian & Friends, CH, Montagna, Wilsons, AN IO J, Riviera,

[bonzo75]

This November, I again made a trip to Milan, to understand:

1. Why does a guy (Gian) who has had many AudioNote/Kondo (M7, M10, Gakuon, 2 ongakus, Neiro Silver, Kageki, Baransu, and 2 Sougas, and an entire Audio tekne set up move to CH Precision after comparing it with biamped Sougas?
2. What would happen to the Wilson Alexandria system I heard with top Viva preamps and power amps that has now been replaced by CH?
3. How would the new Torqueo fare against the mighty Vyger? This was to be my 5th system where I would not only get to listen to the Vyger, but also compare it to another TT.
4. The journey also led me to discovering the AN IO Ltd Japan, the Montagna speakers, and the Riviera amps.
5. A SPU shootout between Ortofon SPU A95, A90, A85, Synergy, and Gold reference
6. And finally a visit to the Yamamuras again, best system along with Mike’s and to one of the wisest audiophiles.

http://zero-distortion.org/milan-part-ii/

This will be followed up by Pietro's Yamamura article and is also one in a few featuring Vyger.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Hey Ked, menu details please.

 

[DaveyF]

This November, I again made a trip to Milan, to understand:

1. Why does a guy (Gian) who has had many AudioNote/Kondo (M7, M10, Gakuon, 2 ongakus, Neiro Silver, Kageki, Baransu, and 2 Sougas, and an entire Audio tekne set up move to CH Precision after comparing it with biamped Sougas?
2. What would happen to the Wilson Alexandria system I heard with top Viva preamps and power amps that has now been replaced by CH?
3. How would the new Torqueo fare against the mighty Vyger? This was to be my 5th system where I would not only get to listen to the Vyger, but also compare it to another TT.
4. The journey also led me to discovering the AN IO Ltd Japan, the Montagna speakers, and the Riviera amps.
5. A SPU shootout between Ortofon SPU A95, A90, A85, Synergy, and Gold reference
6. And finally a visit to the Yamamuras again, best system along with Mike’s and to one of the wisest audiophiles.

http://zero-distortion.org/milan-part-ii/

This will be followed up by Pietro's Yamamura article and is also one in a few featuring Vyger.

Hate to say this, but if you quit traveling all over creation and saved the money, you might actually be able to buy a system for yourself, or a better one than you perhaps anticipate...and not have to listen to everybody else’s ! IMHO.

 

[Number9]

What a write up Ked! You keep raising the bar for yourself.

 

[Tango]

There are many Italian hidden gems that are a steal comparing to big brands offering in US. But when they go international, the price becomes Cinderella over night.

Tang

 

[kevinkwann]

Hate to say this

On the contrary, I think you quite enjoyed saying it.

 

[cjfrbw]

Hate to say this, but if you quit traveling all over creation and saved the money, you might actually be able to buy a system for yourself, or a better one than you perhaps anticipate...and not have to listen to everybody else’s ! IMHO.

With all of this rampant, jeweled nervosa allowed to run free and unfettered, why would he want to buy anything for himself? That would require sitting in front of a single system, a dank, impenetrable question mark of 'what if...'.

 

[DaveyF]

With all of this rampant, jeweled nervosa allowed to run free and unfettered, why would he want to buy anything for himself? That would require sitting in front of a single system, a dank, impenetrable question mark of 'what if...'.

LOL..

 

[bonzo75]

Hate to say this, but if you quit traveling all over creation and saved the money, you might actually be able to buy a system for yourself, or a better one than you perhaps anticipate...and not have to listen to everybody else’s ! IMHO.

Then I might end up telling people to sell their speakers for what a friend heard at a hifi show

 

[bonzo75]

With all of this rampant, jeweled nervosa allowed to run free and unfettered, why would he want to buy anything for himself? That would require sitting in front of a single system, a dank, impenetrable question mark of 'what if...'.

Spot on

 

[DaveyF]

Then I might end up telling people to sell their speakers for what a friend heard at a hifi show

Might not be a bad idea, if those very same speakers killed their current ones.
In the meantime, you might just have the opportunity to enjoy a system in your own home, instead of dreaming about one.

 

[bonzo75]

Might not be a bad idea, if those very same speakers killed their current ones.
In the meantime, you might just have the opportunity to enjoy a system in your own home, instead of dreaming about one.

In the meantime, I might just listen to more music live than listen on plastic sounding Maggie's under run with jadis using a colored Linn lp12 and wonder what could have been

 

[DaveyF]

In the meantime, I might just listen to more music live than listen on plastic sounding Maggie's under run with jadis using a colored Linn lp12 and wonder what could have been

Or, you might just continue to keep on dreaming! BTW, you have absolutely no idea as to how much live music I listen to...or for that matter play. Something I suspect you can never do...such a shame.
Maybe one day you might get a chance to actually make your own music, but your thinking will probably have to modify.
Actually maybe better for you to keep on dreaming....

 

[Ron Resnick]

WONDERFUL AS ALWAYS, Kedar!

“I agitated over this for days – I was unable to point out exactly what caused the magic here, the AN IO or the Riviera with the Mullard.”

It is so puzzling, interesting and frustrating to try to attribute things we hear among the components in the system. If we hear magic from one of several cartridge/tonearm combinations on the same turntable, how much of the magic is coming from the cartridge and how much of the magic is coming from the tonearm? Only a lot of cartridge swapping and A/B comparisons can provide the answer.

I now understand the reputation of linear tracking tonearms in general for producing airiness and delicate high frequencies and a kind of “aliveness.” I am curious to read more about your future exploration as to whether high mass turntables are required to add weight and body and solidity to the ethereal sonics of linear tracking tonearms.

I also want to understand if there are consistent sonic similarities or differences between the group of traditional linear tracking tonearms (e.g., Vyger, Bergmann Odin, Clearaudio Statement TT-1 and TT-2, Kuzma Airline) and the group of pivoting tonearms which transport the cartridge on a linear journey (e.g., Schroder LT, Reed 5T, KL Audio).

 

[the sound of Tao]

This November, I again made a trip to Milan, to understand:

1. Why does a guy (Gian) who has had many AudioNote/Kondo (M7, M10, Gakuon, 2 ongakus, Neiro Silver, Kageki, Baransu, and 2 Sougas, and an entire Audio tekne set up move to CH Precision after comparing it with biamped Sougas?
2. What would happen to the Wilson Alexandria system I heard with top Viva preamps and power amps that has now been replaced by CH?
3. How would the new Torqueo fare against the mighty Vyger? This was to be my 5th system where I would not only get to listen to the Vyger, but also compare it to another TT.
4. The journey also led me to discovering the AN IO Ltd Japan, the Montagna speakers, and the Riviera amps.
5. A SPU shootout between Ortofon SPU A95, A90, A85, Synergy, and Gold reference
6. And finally a visit to the Yamamuras again, best system along with Mike’s and to one of the wisest audiophiles.

http://zero-distortion.org/milan-part-ii/

This will be followed up by Pietro's Yamamura article and is also one in a few featuring Vyger.

Another great read thanks Ked... hope you got some serious Vongole and Gelati time in as well, though not necessarily in that order.

 

[morricab]

This November, I again made a trip to Milan, to understand:

1. Why does a guy (Gian) who has had many AudioNote/Kondo (M7, M10, Gakuon, 2 ongakus, Neiro Silver, Kageki, Baransu, and 2 Sougas, and an entire Audio tekne set up move to CH Precision after comparing it with biamped Sougas?
2. What would happen to the Wilson Alexandria system I heard with top Viva preamps and power amps that has now been replaced by CH?
3. How would the new Torqueo fare against the mighty Vyger? This was to be my 5th system where I would not only get to listen to the Vyger, but also compare it to another TT.
4. The journey also led me to discovering the AN IO Ltd Japan, the Montagna speakers, and the Riviera amps.
5. A SPU shootout between Ortofon SPU A95, A90, A85, Synergy, and Gold reference
6. And finally a visit to the Yamamuras again, best system along with Mike’s and to one of the wisest audiophiles.

http://zero-distortion.org/milan-part-ii/

This will be followed up by Pietro's Yamamura article and is also one in a few featuring Vyger.

So in the end, you didn’t find an all CH system to quite deliver all the goods, or?

 

[audioquattr]

Nice report again Kedar!
A lot is clear, but i am also not sure about your findings compared to CH.

 

[bonzo75]

My actual understanding of CH to some extent came from the Alexandria system since I heard it before with viva and have heard the speaker with many other amps. When one cannot compare in one system, it helps to listen in another system as I did with both CH and Montagna on this trip. As described, I think it is very fast, clean, like spectral but more linear through the Midbass and did not make the Alexandria sound fat nor thin (once when I compared spectral 400 and VTL S45 on XLF with their respective preamps, one sounded thinner in the Midbass, the other fatter, among other differences).

Gian, Pietro and I when we sit down we listen similarly when the same classical music is played, but Gian is much into non classical also and chases high frequencies at a volume much louder than mine . Also now I have moved very much to the SET horn/devore system style and need a valve in the chain. The great thing is Gian can tell me what cart or amp will suit my type of music and what he will prefer for his, and I find him spot on. Very few are that open.

Please note Gian has been in this spot over 10 years ago where he owned Kondo AN audio tekne and other pre and power amps, which I am just trying to get a listen of. I have still not done a compare of CH which is the basis for most of my reports. It is unfair to any component, imo, to say how it is without comparing in the same system and across system.

 

[gian60]

In last days i listening ARC 750 amp,Viva Aurora,Gakuon,Ongaku,Neiro Silver,Audiotekne,from friends and shop.

I found sound of everything LITTLE dark,slow,heavy on mid bass,roll off and i i never will come back to this amp from my CH

 

[Tango]

I like a lot open high frequencies too.