having lost my larger listening room to a relative on an extended stay, I was forces to revamp my listening habits to adapt to the smallish confines of my home office. With roughly a 10'X9' space to work with, a nearfield system would be necessary. I convinced myself that Headphone Listening was going to be my norm, and the monitors would suffice when I wanted to do some work, without serious listening. The whole single ended experience has caused me to completely rethink what musical reproduction is all about. The Audio Note CD2 is one example of older technology besting some of the current digital darlings. The reliable and ever rhythmic LP12 has a super sensuality with the Haddcock unipivot arm and Goldring G1042 cartidge installed. It makes beautiful music through the phono stages (to Tape outs) of the APT HOLMAN Preamp all the way into my AES SE-1 Sig. modified by CARY to integrated amp status. They added a voltage divider circuit (for Headphones)and a high quality passive attenuator. The Headphones now receive their amplification through the amp outputs. I have chosen Sovtek 2A3 output tubes for their musical emotion and holographic presentation. You can use 300Bs if you like, one of the neat things about the SE-1. The Loth X ions are little known monitors that are 94dB efficent and can play on 1 watt to ear splitting levels.I read about them in Listener Magazine. The folded transmission line gives more than acceptable frequency response and maintains the musical aura of this system. With a little over 2,400 invested ( mostly in the Source components), I have a multi purpose system that plays my music with more rhythm, pace, and smoothness than my $7000 Thiel,Plinius,Theta Miles system of 2 years ago. I can also listen any time day or night. Where will this new journey take me?? Who knows.
I continue tobe amazed at the brilliant digital reproduction of this system...welll analogue sounding digital. Someone told me if the Audio Note is going to sound good at all, it will be with a high imput impedance Tube amp...Why doe this contra technology CD player sound so good with the AES-SE1 I cannot tell you, but the thrill is back...I used to be 75-25 Vinyl to CD for serious listening...now its more like 40-60! SET systems used to be either DIY or expensive. The SE-1. Sun Audio 2A3, and even the sonic frontiers 300b Assembage should get you there.
I am just now exploring the world of high efficiency speakers and SET amps, but so far I think this is the way to go. I have owned mega buck systems that were initialy very impressive, but ultimately just left you sitting there. These SET amps get my toes tapping. I don't think it is a paradox, I think simpler is better.
I am just now exploring the world of high efficiency speakers and SET amps, but so far I think this is the way to go. I have owned mega buck systems that were initialy very impressive, but ultimately just left you sitting there. These SET amps get my toes tapping. I don't think it is a paradox, I think simpler is better.
A clever, no innovative, no brilliant approach to dealing with a difficult listening enviornment! And to think I gave my Apt Holman pre and amp to my son many years ago - wonder if he still has them ... . Congratulations!
Well, I guess I either miscommunicated or you misunderstood my posting.I listen to headphones about 50% of the time...no loss of bass here. My listening room is small, I tried my Thiel CS1.5's in the room and couldn't get them to sound right, and they don't have appreciable bass below 45 hz anyway. The Loth's have output to about 55 Hz I would guess.Considering most CDs I listen to haven't much output below 50 hz, I'm noty missing it. Unless you've heard the Apt Holman from the tape outputs (low level signal)as a phono stage to a passive stage of a tube integrated, you can't imagine how good it can sound. Keep in mind this preamp was made to provide a perfect amplification stage for the LP...at a time when LPs were king. I've owned the Musical Surroundings, Musical Fidelity XLP, Black Cube, AR PH1, and PH3. I've lsiten to the Sonic Frontiers SFP1, and the Super it. I've also heard the phono sections of the audible Illusions M3A, Cary SLP74P and AR SP6B. I would say that only the PH3, Cary preamp, and super it were appreciably better.....at about $150 used, the APT Holman is a formitable option IMHO. I purchased all the equipment used, so $2000 is about what I have invested, the proceeds of the $7000 system went to my son's College fund. This system is musically involving, the Plinius,Thiel, Theta, was neutral, but less emotionally involving. Thats the point of the posting...its kind of a Paradox that the less neutral system is to me, the more musical.
I'm confused, Yeast. You now have no low bass and you're listening to records through a 25 year old solid state phono stage and this is better? "System price: $8949 retail" "With a little over 2,000 invested" Do you mean after you sold all your original stuff you only had to spend $2k to get what you have? Or, you bought used over the net and it was $8949 retail but you only paid a little over $2000? Not being mean, just wondering what you meant.
