Without the additional gain provided by the preamp- the system loses dynamics. 80 watts of tube power drives the Avalons louder than I ever wish to play them. It sounds louder-much louder than the 250 watt Pass Labs amp it replaced.

samuelg August 15, 2005 03:25

I have heard of the company but have never seen or heard of the preamp- I have seen the turntable- I remember the armboard looked like an artificial limb

samuelg August 03, 2005 21:52

I have it- it is very tube fussy-but phenomenally neutral and musical

samuelg August 03, 2005 21:51

There is nothing wrong with the EAR, the Wavestream -however-is in a different league. The only comparison would be the 9k Aesthetix IO. The Wavestream is hand built- no circuit boards- all hard wired. Designed and made by Scott Franklin- the "F" in MFA. I paid 4,500 for the prototype-production units could cost upward of 8-9k.

It is absolutely neutral-really shows what the SME can do.

samuelg August 03, 2005 21:50

System edited: The upgraded 6550s have been added to the description.

samuelg October 26, 2004 02:16

I did. On Saturday, Brian came over and gave me a set of the Tungsols. Compared to the JJ's, they have a fuller midrange and a more rounded out bass presentation. I had no idea they were 35 bucks. Brian also convinced me that the Nagra would be a lateral move- given the fact that my ATC-2 has the 1k upgraded volume pot. I just ordered they new face plate that is olive to match the color of the amp. I too will try out the line stage once it is made- probably in the spring.
Ten phono sections are being made and I am number 10 on the list so I will take delivery around Christmas. The other huge upgrade for the ATM-2 is replacing the captive power cord with the Harmonic Tech Magic Power. The Finite Elemente amp stand also makes an incredible difference.

samuelg October 26, 2004 02:13

to the smokester

Let me know when you get it.
What preamp are you using?
I'm thinking of upgrading to either the Nagra, Aesthetix Callisto, or the VAC renaissance sig.

samuelg October 19, 2004 06:14

I listen to all types of music, quite a bit of jazz, and classical and popular music as well. The system has no sonic sugnature and sounds true to whatever the source sounds like. The SME is the best turntable I have ever owned and coupled with the Urushi is the most non-fatiguing sound I have ever heard. The latest addition- the finite elemente stand was rather expensive but it transformed the sound. Everything is quieter, transient peaks are much more dynamic and the bass is significantly improved. It sounds like the improvement that a 15k preamp would make/ It is worth the money and my wife likes the way it looks.

samuelg October 19, 2004 06:11