The system is designed to reproduce realistic timbre, dynamics and detail, as well as a stong sense of presence in a medium sized room. The design goals focus on achieving both a sense of intimacy and scale, and it's doing a great job of supplying both.
Well, since you have mixed emotions, do a little of both laughing and crying for now. Then listen to the system for another week using your favorite recordings. If by then you still feel that the downgrade sounds better, sell the high end stuff that the Enigma bettered and you and your wife can laugh all the way to the bank. Happy Listening.
I have a nice little living room system consisting of a pair of Meadowlark Swallows and an Audio Analogue Enigma all-in-one box. I've been more than happy with it, and thought since I got it that the Enigma punched well above its weight class. I'd always thought I should try the Enigma in my main system to get a better fix on it, but I'd never gotten around to it. The living room is out of commission for a few weeks of redecorating, so I took the opportunity last night.
I took the little shoe-box-sized Enigma downstairs, unhooked the electronics in the Big Rig and connected it in. I fired it up, and thought "Geeze this sounds awfully good!" SWMBO walked in and said "That sounds really, really nice. What did you change?" I told her I was using the Enigma, and she said it made a very good CD player. When I told her I was using it to replace ALL the electronics I normally use, she gave me a kind of sideways, arched-eyebrows look, and said "Well, well, well. How stupid do you feel right now?"
The electronics it replaced were the Audio Note digital boxes and the Tom Evans amplification, along with the KS-1030 ICs and the Stealth Varidig Sextet. Total cost on the order of $50,000 USD. The Enigma is a $1500 box...
After spending half the day today listening to the Enigma with all kinds of music, my impression is that it is in fact better than the megabuck gear it replaced. It's more natural and musical, has noticeably better detail retrieval(!), better localization of instruments, has better weight, sounds more open and has a fuller, richer, more musically engaging tone.
Thanks, Lak. I have to say that at this point it's pretty much what I was aiming for when I started building it four years ago. There were a lot of expensive learning experiences along the way, but it's showing every sign of settling down now.
If you feel you'd like to try some amazing EL84 tubes, find a good quad of NOS Siemens E84L. These are the tougher version of the same EL84. A new set will set you back about $200.00, but it's well worth it. I bought a new set from Tubemonger, a reputable tube dealer. I think you will be pleasantly surprised of the improvements over the Ei. This shouldn't be a subtle difference for the better either.
Boy_lah, I have a couple of sets of Stillpoints. I prefer the Ceraballs in the applications where I've compared them (the preamp and the digital components). It could be that the overall system configuration with concrete floors and the RixRax just works better with them. I never trid the Stillpoints under the TEAD amp, though. When I put in the Ceraballs the improvement was so great that I lost interest in changing anything except CDs. When I put the Linear A back in the system I'll try out the Stillpoints, though - it doesn't take much to swap them in and out.
I'm using Ei Elite Gold EL84s in the Linear A. They seem to be a bit smoother and richer than the standard Ei's that shipped with the amp.
Gliderguider - try some stillpoints under your LA. Did wonders to mine. If the vibe+pulse is like TubeDistinction's Soul-Mate then get ready for your socks to be knocked off with some Symposium platforms. Even basic Sveltes will make an impressive diff. Nice gear by the way. And ps - which EL84's are you using now?
System edited: I just got the AN CDT-3 transport to rplace the two-year-old CDT-2. Frankly, I wasn't excpecting much of an improvement - the CDT-2 already sounded pretty fine to these old ears. The improvement it made, though, was nothing short of amazing. You have to love surprises like that. I've also gone back to the PX-25 amp for the time being. It has its own serious charms, even in the face of a high-res heavy hitter like the Linear A.
Great looking system, and no doubt nice sounding as well!
The Sonata really is a beautiful center piece to your rig. It has an elegant old world feel. What type of wood are the shelves made of? I like the slight antique look to them. The metal frame has a nice organic "tree of life" type design feel.
Thanks for the kind words. The Rixrax stands aren't the last (or even the first) word in flexibility, but the design is outstandingly rigid. Yes, I've tried both the Pursang and the Pursang S speaker cables. The S are quite a bit more transparent and dynamic than the plain Pursang, but they share a tonality that was ultimately not to my taste - a touch too lean for me. With plumper-sounding electronics like the Coincident MP300B they were very nice, but as my electronics got more neutral I had to change away from them.
Paul, very nice set-up. I am embarking on building my own stand soon and your's has given me some ideas. Very nice. A question for you; going back aways, did you ever try the Pursang S speaker cables, or did you have just the Pursang (no "s")?
Paul - Congrats on finding something that surpassed the PX25 tube and all its glory. Any pictures of the new Tom Evans gear you'd like to share with us?
System edited: I've changed out the Audion PX-25 amp for Tom Evans Audio Design gear - specifically the Vibe/Pulse line stage/PSU combo and the stereo Linear A amp. I'd encourage anyone who is interested to check out Jeff Day's review of the amp on 6moons - as far as I can hear his asessment was 100% accurate, and it's not often I say that about a review. I share his feeling that the Linear A is the best power amp I've ever heard, and not by a small margin either. It has completely eclipsed my PX-25 which cost over twice as much, and which I've only had for 5 months.
That is one beautiful rig sir, you are one privileged man, congratulations! I am very curious about the Audio Note CD setup. If you want to part w/your old TG stuff please give me a shout. I would love to hear a fine system like that sometime. cheers
System edited: I just changed out all the signal wiring to top Kimber Select. I never thought I'd say that a $8000 USD pair of speaker cables was worth the money... Even though all the cables are still settling in, the system has taken a quantum leap in both musical and sonic accessibility. These Kimbers are utterly remarkable.
Thanks for the kind woirds, Chadnliz and Macdadtexas. It's been a blast getting here, and I'm extraordinarily privileged to have been able to play the game.
Ah, now I get it - I didn't make the connection before. Yes, those are definitely "real" racks. Ah well, de gustibus non disputandum and all that. I prefer racks with a more natural, organic look...
Yes, it does seem that Foundation Research rates their max watts as low. I've got some conversion figures at home that will show that an LC-1 at it's peak provide almost the same current draw as a PS Audios biggest 1200.
And an LC-2 at it's peak current draw provides for almost 3 times the max current capacity of the PS Audio 1200. Thats quite a difference. I can say that at least with my gear, I cannot tell that there is any kind of real current limitation pertaining to dynamics or lower bass reproduction.
With regard to my comment about your racking system, I was actually being a little sarcastic. Sorry about that. Im not open for business yet but I displayed some of my prototype racking systems at THE Show last January. (although last week I decided to advertise for sale two of those prototypes on agon. Those prototypes can be seen here:
Yes, mine are all the upgraded versions. I had an older LC-1, and sent it in for the upgrade. It was a whole new beast when it came back.
The power limitations I mention refer to two things - the 6 amp fuse in the LC-1 and also the manufacturer's guidelines. The recommendations for the LC-2 are:
* Transistor Class AB Push-Pull: 240 watts rms total (L + R) * Transistor Class A Push-Pull: 120 watts rms total * Transistor Single Ended: 60 watts rms total * Vacuum Tube Class AB Push-Pull: 140 watts rms total * Vacuum Tube Class A Push-Pull: 70 watts rms total * Vacuum Tube Single Ended: 35 watts rms total.
On the other hand, rating a power cord to the output power of an amp can only be very approximate, due to the varying efficiency and current draw of different circuits. And they do use 15 amp fuses in the LC-2
Yeah, that rack's a killer ain't it? I hate the techno look of most of the Sistrum/Monaco/SolidTech type stuff, so this one was a real find. Rick Cox is a great guy to work with, too.
Paul, do you have the upgraded versions? As good as the old are, the new are 2 to 3 times better.
I'm not aware of any power limitations that you mention. At least not with my 600 wpc@4ohm amp/my 4ohm speakers.
Although I am aware that there's something with the power supplies in the Pass Labs amps that does some funny things. But I've not heard about issues with any other amp.
BTW, When are you going to get a real racking system? :)
I love them! There's a reason they're in there, especially on the digital stuff. The amp was a holdout - I was using a TG Audio SLVR on it until last week, when I picked up some Isoclean fuses for the FR cords. With that the LC-2 jumped out in front of the TG on the amp - smoother, a touch fuller and a bit more natural sounding.
They're all the upgraded versions, and like you I think they're the one of the best bets in power cords out there today, within their power range anyway.
