Well - I'm back to tubes after 4+ years of solid state gear & again my amps & pre are from the same company (different manufacturer).
This time is OTL bliss as my new speakers are 8 ohm & the amps are but 60 wpc.
I must thank Jonathan (Perfect Note Audio) & Vince (Voce Audio) for their assistance & guideance in this endevour.
The amps put out enough power to drive the speakers with sound that is unbelieveable - YOU ARE THERE or is it THEY ARE HERE?
In either case I am now where I want to be - I am in a state of sate.
I could not be more satisfied with the Tube II pre & the synergy of the amps & speakers in a single system.
The sound of this system is incredible & if you like/love acoustic (stringed instruments) you will not find a more satisfiying sound anywhere on this planet.
Bass is strong, fast & on time without the one note boom.
Treble is up there with the best that I have ever heard.
Piano - Notes just hang as if suspended in air - Pure magic.
The human voice is (to me) the most important element of any system & this is the one factor that makes me believe that I have made all the right choices in this system.
Cymbals sizzle, snare drums & rimshots are sharp, clear, & have that snap, tom toms sound like tom toms & the bass drums are both fast & on time as is the upright bass used in most jazz recordings.
Horns sound absoutely perfect (depending on the recording).
The human voice is spectactular & makes me feel that Ella, Eric, Alehandro or Patrica are in my room with me.
I did buy & receive the amps, pre & speakers in the same week - so please don't ask me how the amps, pre or speakers sounded with my previous gear.
In a nutshell - That's my story & I'm sticking to it.
At this point - I have not yet up my vinly rig as I do have a phono stage (Einstein Turntables Choice 4 chasis balanced phono stage) is on my short list.
400 lbs. (ea.) of sweetness & thunder. A truely amazing speaker.
Einstein The Tube II
Quite possibly the absolute very best tube pre I have ever had in any system. Unbeliveable bandwith & harmonics + plenty of flexability & a tube rollers dream.
Einstein The Final Cut Mk. 60
60 wpc of OTL Bliss - Truely unbeliveable & uncolored sound with mucho punch & finesse + a to die for midrange.
Paladin very impressive system. I had to ask, how do your Voce speakers compare to the Sonus Faber Stradivari speakers and Wilson Watt Puppy 6 speakers you had?
Hifi is a pretty individual thing. And of course like the best wine etc, everyone has a slightly different opinion of what sounds the best. Enjoy. I too love 2 channel hifi. It's very fun to change your system and play. You might try hires files and a dac instead of a cd player. It made a tremendous difference in my system.
If you don't want comments, don't share your system with the world.
I think members just want to share their experiences and start a discussion around your system / changes. There are no best and of course, ultimately it's your $$$ and your decisions.
Rush - You have to be the nicest man I have never met! You are more than welcome here anytime & I MEAN ANYTIME!!! You seem to realize what some of the others have missed & that the "sound" is the most important ingredient in any system. I have now (this year) been dabbling in high end audio for 50 years & know exactly how to get the most "sound" out of any system. Some people think that one of my older systems were some of the best & to a certain point I do agree - VAC Ren. Sig. Mk. II pre & Ren. Sig. Mk. III 140 monos were surpurb, but right now 2 pair of matched octet WE 300B's would cost me well & I mean well over 5 figure$! My last NIB set of (16) WE 300B's cost me only $5,800 & were offset by me selling the original (used) 300B's that came with the amps for $800 = $5K net. Then when I moved & went to solid state amps & pre to run 24/7 - I was critisized for moving down in the audio world. Some people comment on my 600 lb. granite coffee table - Do you guys really think that it will vibrate or distort or block the sound? Now I'm back to tubes (OTL) & a pair of 8 ohm speakers. I did a ton of research & spoke with both the speaker manufacturer & my Einstein dealer & had them talk to one another before making the final decision. I normally do not comment/respond or retort to other threads on "MY" system, but the truth be told - I am a little more than tired of some wannabees who don't have a pot to piss in post their unfounded opinions about where "I" am or where "I" am taking "MY" system. My father once told me: "If you do need advice, find someone who is wiser than you". If I really want advice - I will ask for it & like I said earlier - I have been in this hobby for 50 years & I think that I have enough trusted resorces on hand. I hope that no one takes offense to this, but I really do prefer to make my own mistakes & go on from there. Mistakes, I've made a few, but then again too few to mention (Another Story/Song). Conclusion: I am very satisfied with this system & the sound it reproduces & that's all that really matters. PS: You can agree with my sentiments or not - Just PLEASE don't do it here. Thanks to all!
Triple, quadruple WOW. And WOW on top of that WOW. Hey, since I bought some of your old stuff, can I come over and listen?!?! Jealous is not the word, since you have to be at least in a similar league to be jealous. You are a blessed man and I am really glad you are finally happy with the sound you are getting. Knowing you I am sure that system has magic in it. If I ever get up in your neck of the woods you can bet your doorbell will ring, and there I will be with albums in hand!!
Keep posting as you continue down your magical path. I remain,
Paladin, Congratulations!from VAC to Halcro and now OTL.Quite the variety. It` seems you`ve found the sound you`ve been searching for. Hope you enjoy it for many years to come.
C1ferrari, I believe only one because if you look at the other thread with solid state which was for convenience so he could run his system 24/7 you will see similar pics of the room as the first pic in this thread showing the two tables and partial couch.
