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After getting Wilson Audio Sophia since December 2011, I have been thinking it’s about time to get the amplication gear upgraded. One fast step – I bought the Modwright KWA-100SE as temporary patch up since my Air Tight 300SE is not going to get the job done. Modwrignt KWA-100SE does not sound bad at all, it does sound very organic as a matter of fact. Yes, I could have gotten the KWA-160 for more power but I knew this is not going to be for long terms, plus my wallet was kind of strained after Sophia 3, need to compromise a bit.
After one year or so, I finalize my target into the following :
Spectral DMC-30SS + DMA-260
Rowland Corus + Rowland M625
VTL TL-6.5 + VTL MB185
This short list is a combination of my preference and most importantly my budget.
If budget is of no object, I would have gone for the LAMM gear.
Before going any further, I would like to state what my personal preference on my audio system. I love classical music and all kinds of opera including Cantonese Opera and Bejing Opera. Having the luxury to be able to attend live concert and opera performance on a regular basis at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fischer Hall and Met Opera House, I wish to get an open sound without any polished or artificially enhanced quality and at the same time I can be engaged with the sound reproduced. Let your heart flows with the sound or music will be my key. I keep reminding my self the concert hall does have a sonic signature and I do realize the fact that I love the sound from Carnegie Hall than Avery Fischer Hall for concert. MET Opera House’s sonic effect is what I like or so get used to since I only have opera house experience in MET and La Scala which my memory had been kind of vague since I only have chance going to La Scala for 5 times so far.
Rowland + Sophia 3 had been ruled out after several auditions. Nothing wrong with that, it’s just a personal choice. If I have to make comment on this, I would say the sound is way too polite, the back ground is dead silent to the extend I found inhuman.
VTL gears sounds very energetic , open and with a lot of speed and headroom with Sophia 3, it does match very well with Wilson Audio’s speaker. Sound stage, tonal balance, are first class in my opinion. Stability is the deal breaker as I mentioned to my friends lately, I guess the circuit topology especially on the pre-amp is far too complicated; I remember Bea Lam told me building TL7.5 is a painstaking process and the time devoted by her husband on the topology is beyond words. I do agree but at the same time I would say simple is the best.
Speed is another key factor and that’s why I kind of leaning to Spectral gears and it’s still my reference. Having a chance talking to both Keith Johnson and Richard Fryer face to face on several occasions before make me feel this is the brand deserves my respect. Spectral + Wilson Audio is heavenly matched pair. Dave Wilson said it once, sound from Spectral gears is very linear, very accurate and I just cannot agree more. As a matter of fact, most of the Spectral gear’s owners I know of in New York area are professional musician ! What’s that supposed to tell.
If you still have patience with me, since I wrote so much already, you might think Spectral is my final decision, why bother for such a long prelude ? If I am the kind of guy will settle for one audio system for lifetime without thinking about adding a gear to the existing system to spice up the experience and if I have no objection with MIT cabling..... My problem is you cannot play mix and match without switching out both pre-amp and amp together. Yes, I believe in pre-amp and amp in the same brand but once a while I just wonder if I can borrow an pre-amp or just a power amp to see what will happen. But I was told by Richard Fryer, you may change power amp to go with their pre-amp, you just cannot use pre-amp of another brand to go with their power amp. Plus one major issue – MIT cables. I cannot afford the Oracle series, but their lower grade products, I am sorry but I have to say it, does not live up to the fame.
Try to be open minded as always, I then explored other options – Ayre. It just don’t sync well with Sophia 3 as VTL and Spectral.
Surprisingly, in late January, I visited my friend’s home and listened to his brand new Alexia, the speakers were still on wheels, but the performance was an eye opener. In a room of about 18ft. x 16ft., the density of musical signal was world class. Tonal balance, speed and sound stage made me feel like I was listening to a first class solid state gears with a very subtle hint of tube warmth. May be I should not use the word “warmth” but the sound was not cold at all and the sound stage is a bit forward and wide but very inviting. This was the second times I listened to Alexia, first time was at the dealer last June with Spectral gears, it was sensational as what I can expect as the whole thing was set up and tuned by Peter Mcgrath. But at my friend’s home, since the speakers are new and still on the wheels, I did not expect too much. With such a good performance under such circumstances, I should give credit to his amplification gears. This arouse my interest in Audio Research gears; my friend uses Ref 5 SE + Ref 250 with all Crystal Dreamline interconnect + speaker cable.
Since I had to make a business trip to Asia right after Chinese New Year. I told myself I must make time to visit Audio Research’s dealer in HK. First visit was out of luck as they did not have the Ref 5 SE ready. Instead I did an hour and half audition to the blend new Ref 10 + Ref 250. The Ref 10 had just been unpacked from the box as I was there when they were being unpacked. Sound was good and I tried to memorize the sound and make an appointment for Ref 5 SE + Ref 150 a week later. During the 2nd audition, I brought over my HD tracks in a USB3.0 thumb drive – played the notorious Beethoven Symphony No 5 by Carlos Kleiber in 24/88 format and then the 2L Hayden Concerto in 24/192 format plus some other tracks provided by Jackie of Sonus Faber. After about 1.5 hours, he had my credit card for both the Ref 5 SE + Ref 150. This is a very valid statement and I don’t bother telling you how good the sound was. Besides, I am saving room for my audition experience once they are set up in my room.
Bad news as my shipment of Audio Research Ref 5 SE and Ref 150 is being held at U.S. Custom for examination, my planning to sharing with you guys the excitement of unboxing my dream gears have to be extended for a few days. What I can share with you at this point are the Links which should go well with the Audio Research + Sophia. Enclosed here are pictures of what I got which I believe and hope can come close to Crystal cabling as Dreamline is really out of touch and Odin could be something to push to be work harder.
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發表於 2013-3-17 22:12:09
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發表於 2013-3-17 23:44:03
