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.
There's an LC2 on each of the transport and DAC, and one more on the amp. The digital stuff shares one dedicated 20A circuit, the amp is on another one. All three LC2s have Isoclean gold fuses in them (nice tweak, that!).
The speakers were set up using the WASP technique, and are about 60 inches from the front wall to the speaker face. They don't need to be back any further because the subs fill in the low mids/upper bass.
The amp's power tubes are KR, and I also have a backup pair of the new TJ Fullmusic PX25 meshies. The 6922s in the amp are Siemens for the moment, but I have some other tasty NOS coming in the mail.
Email me next time you're coming this way. Oh, and a dram of single malt never goes unappreciated around my house :-)
Paul - very, very nice! Few components, very wisely and discerningly chosen, makes for a streamlined and uncluttered system! Nice that your ACI Titons match your FAB Model 1 wood finish . . . but I think I prefer the look of my black Model 1s though :) What are you running into the Foundation Research LC-2 the CDP and DAC perhaps? How far from the front wall are the FABs as they seem really far into the room . . . Finally, what PX25 tubes are your using - some flavour of NOS-tubes perhaps?
I still would love a listen next time I'm in town - what's your beverage of choice?! Cheers, kevin
In a message above, dated March 24, 2004, I indicated I would be getting a CTC Blowtorch. After suffering through innumerable unexplained delivery delays for over a year, I just cancelled my order. The Audion PX25 with its built-in attenuator is so good I have no regrets.
A recent experience showed again the importance of system synergy. Last weekend I tried my new super-trick Audion amp on a pair of Lamhorn 1.8's. On paper it's a match made in heaven, but in practice the sound lacked detail, dynamics and life. The Lamhorns with the owner's Tenor amp sounded wonderful, as does my amp with my Fab speakers. Yet another reminder of the risks of buying without hearing.
System edited: I've replaced the ELAD preamp and Wavelength Tritons with an Audion Silver Night PX25. The upgrades I got with it are listed in the description. It is one deeelicious amp.
System edited: I just swapped out the Bent Audio Noh for a Morrison ELAD. The ELAD may be somewhat controversial, but in my system it makes crazy-good sound. It has more clarity and resolution than the Bent, along with better-defined imaging and much better bass, while still keeping the music intact. I don't think it adds anything to the sound of the system so much as lets the full potential of the front end flow through to the amps. I'm shocked that this level of sound is available for so little money.
System edited: I added a pair of ACI Titans. They flesh out the upper bass of the Fabs a bit, increrase the "visible" size of large venues, and give the music a nice foundation. They also make it possible to use the Wavelength amps without worrying about any loss of low-frequency dynamics.
Thanks GG, I know what you mean about the Utopias...great treble but somehow lacking in excitement. If I ever get a chance to hear the Fab, I'll take it.
Well, it's sure closer to an electrostatic sound than the TV's were. In absolute terms, no it's not an electrostatic - dynamic speakers will always sound dirtier than ES's. I have heard other speakers that sound "purer" than these, like some of the JMLabs Utoptia range, but they've always lacked the liveliness I was looking for. The Fabs have a balance of purity, liveliness, resolution, dynamics and neutrality that is very beguiling, and IMO make them one of the best all-around speakers I've heard - especially when linked with good SETs.
I heard a pair with a sub at the Montreal show, but the setup and room were suboptimal, so I couldn't really say if it was an improvement. Right now I don't feel lacking for bass, but maybe down the road I'll experiment.
Very interesting: from Total Victories to Fab Model 1s. do you really mean that about the 'electrostatic purity and presence?' this is often said but very rarely (actually, never, in my personal experience) realized with dynamic speakers.
Do you ever feel that you are missing anything in the bottom octave? Some subs might make an interesting addition.
System edited: With the arrival of Fab Audio Model 1's I've pulled my Tritons out of storage. While they didn't drive the Total Victories very well, they are spectacularly good on the Fabs. The Fab/Wavelength combination has the resolution, liquidity and a huge tone that finally lets through everything the front end is doing. The big Elrods work a treat on the Tritons, outdoing the TG SLVR, the Argent Brujo HC and a pair of Foundation Research LC2's. The LC2 on the DAC is a good change, reducing the digital hash flowing back into the wall and taking out a touch of glare I didn't even know was there. The end of the road is getting closer...
System edited: I just made a change I never thought I would, dumping the Coincident Total Victories. They went out in favour of the Fab Audio Model 1. These speakers offer a real bouquet of qualities - mini-monitor imaging, electrostatic purity and presence, with full-range dynamics and bass in a tube-friendly, room-friendly but somewhat odd-looking package. As a bonus they just sing with the Murata super tweeters, which is no great surprise, since Fab Audio are their Canadian distributors. The Fabs are the full realization of all the qualities I was looking for in the TVs.
System edited: The Bent Audio NOH has replaced the Canary line stage. The NOH is a great match to the Canary amps, and provides better resolution, transparency and dynamics than Canary's own unit. The Canary monos seem to be natural partners for a passive line stage.
Dear Paul: Sorry to hear about the Muratas. So much for reviews in othe people's systems. Did you ever hear or try the Townshend super tweeters? I keep seeing them written up, and I was wondering how they might have sounded versus the Muratas.
Glad to hear you're so happy with the Canary linestage. Whatever happened with the Blowtorch--still on order?
I put an old Genesis Digital Lens in the system after the TACT, to add bits (the MSB upsamples but doesn't add bits. Not dramatic but more realistic. I've also been playing with isolating some of the bits and pieces of things (line conditioners, etc.) on the floor--biggest surprise was when I found I was overdamping them with Magic Bricks and losing bass. Everything matters. I'll take a look at the RixRack Sonata--sounds like it has high WAF, at least for 13 year old girls!
I'll keep an eye out for your comments to Arthur Salvatore. Take care. Best. Jamie
yup- true enough Paul- I always suspected our TV's needed a bit more juice, however the smaller Victory's I used to have sounded fabulous with a buddy's all-out DIY 211 SET amp @ ~ 11 watts...
No, the Tritons and the TVs were never a happy match. The speakers always needed more drive than the Tritons could provide. They did much better with the Audion pre, but frankly the KR 18 put out sound that was more to my taste.
I heard the Tritons on a pair of Fab 1 speakers, and they sounded gorgeous, so it wasn't the amps, it was the match with the speakers.
Hey Paul- how about the Wavelength Triton's? Did you ever get them to work well with the TV's once you moved the speakers closer to the walls? (i.e. did bass improve?). I might be interested in them, but we gotta talk price- $8k CDN is too rich for my blood!! (as is $7k CDN for the Dehav 845 monos...). Other than that, hope all is well- am lovin' my new Audiologic 24MXL dac- similar to the Audio Note actually- your kinda sound as well...
System edited: I've made two significant changes recently. The RixRax Sonata has replaced the low-priced Plateau rack I was using, and the Canary CA-801 line stage replaced the Audion line stage. I can't say enough good things about either of them. The Sonata is the most breathtakingly beautiful piece of audio furniture I've ever seen. Even my girlfriend's 13 year old daughter stopped dead the first time she saw it and said, "Oh my god that's beautiful. Can I have it?" The Canary is an incredible sounding, though little-known, preamp, that is a perfect complement to the Canary amps.
I've abandoned the Muratas for now. I still have them, and will try them out periodically as the system evolves over the next couple of months.
At the moment they make a difference, but it's not entirely positive. They add a shimmer and glisten to the high end that works its way down into the midrange. The tonal balance gets tilted up a bit, but worse than that, the glisten verges on a glaze that actually robs the music of some texture.
Izzy will doubtless be glad to hear that add-ons like this just muck up the sound of his lovely speakers :-)
Dear Paul: You do get around, don't you? I was just reading the Positive Feedback Online review of the Townshend Super Tweeters, which mentioned the Murata supers. I did a google search on the Muratas and came upon the discussions in Audio Asylum. I note that the Muratas are not listed in your system above. Did you abandon them or supers in general or what? If not, are you going to try the Townshends? Best. Jamie
P.S. I'm still enjoying the Atma-spheres and the Melos 333. I am getting a Genesis Digital Lens to output 20 bit to my TACT; we'll see how that goes.
Well, much of it is going on the block with my local dealer. The KR 18 was sold to a friend, the deHavilland 845s should shortly be going out on loan to the guy who bought your ASLs. Want to buy a really nice Audion preamp? ;-)
