The Ayon CD-35 establishes a new benchmark in SE-Triode vacuum-tube CD/SACD-Player performance by combining a fully balanced PCM-DSD DAC. The CD-35 is also prepared for computer playback and general DSD professional audio use.
Top loading player with very solid construction and build.
McIntosh C22
A cool 1960s retro design, the C22 Vacuum Tube Preamplifier has been updated to modern standards to deliver a performance on par with any other McIntosh preamplifier. Electromagnetic input switching provides reliable, noiseless and distortion-free operation. Low distortion levels of all types are less than 0.08%, allowing music to be presented with total transparency and accuracy.
Aurender Aurender A100
A100 is, at its foundation, a streamer with support for both TIDAL and Qobuz subscription-based high-resolution streaming services and internet radio. The A100’s MQA Full-Encoder DAC provides optimal performance for streaming 10,000+ MQA albums on TIDAL.
Pure Audio Project Trio15 Coaxal
Trio15 design is an open baffle design.
The Coax10 driver features a high-end 10′′ mid-woofer with a light-paper cone and a 1/4′′ Horn tweeter with a Polymer dome (similar to our Horn1), but differently from typical configurations, both are mounted on the same axis, aka Coaxial design.
McIntosh MC275 MkVI
Power Output per Channel75W @ 4, 8 or 16 Ohms
Number of Channels2
Total Harmonic Distortion0.5% maximum harmonic distortion at any power level from 250 milliwatts to rated power, 20Hz to 20,000Hz (≤ 0.25% harmonic distortion at 1kHz)
S/N below rated output105dB
Dynamic Headroom1.2dB
Damping Factor>22
Rated Power Band20Hz to 20kHz
Frequency Response+0, -0.5dB from 20Hz to 20,000Hz +0, -3.0dB from 10Hz to 100,000Hz
Moved twice in 20 months. My system has been boxed up for awhile.
Renovating house and had to put all my HiFi components in closet as we used as my home office. That’s about over now and I can return room back my listening space.
Migrated to Florida from East Coast. I won't have my system unpacked and setup fully until winter. Considering Dr. Feckert Woodpecker and RevoxB77. On the drawing board and in production this winter-- Japanese Credenza for HiFi components. In addition, likely reducing size of power conditioner to smaller size and with smaller power cords. Components likely spread out and not stacked.
After 6 months of evaluation really like the combination of Berlin R MKII horns and Ayon CD-35. Since my EMM labs CD/SACD was giving me problems it was not possible to AB comparison. The Ascendo F is fine loudspeaker and great for classical but I decided to part ways and go in a different direction.
I like the presentation of percussion, drums and cymbals on Berlin R --depth-- and so alive and with more detail and long cymbal decay. Checkout Yellowjackets --The Spin. Bass, piano and sax sound beautiful as well. Vocals have tremendous depth and clarity. Checkout Simply Red ---Picture Book; a or Sade--Diamond Life.
Just updated couple of components. EMM Labs CD player was retired along with the Ascendo F System. Replaced with Ayon Audio CD-35 and Viking Acoustics Berlin R MKII.
You are correct sir. Still a chance I'll keep the Ascendos but I'm looking at smaller footprint with all the changes I made to the space...
All these great components and basically no furniture to really enjoy the listening experience. My wife said "using a milk crate was better" than using a left over chair from the basement. All this expense equipment and no furniture! True! So the last 4 months, I've slowly redesigned the overall experience (with my wifes help) with new furniture, lighting, rugs, paint and big art. I'm also redesigning my desk to more mid century modern look (woodworking is another hobby).
I'm being open to auditions...nothing has made me excited. The Ascendos continue to remind me why I purchased them. After so not exciting auditions of other loudspeakers hopefully I can audition the following:
Harbeth Super HL5 Raidho C Focal 1008 Be DeVore Orangutan
Migrating from Ascendo F to different speaker - which is unknown at this time. Right now I just taking my time to listening to different speakers of all type.
The System M's are much larger than the Type Fs. The Type Fs where paired with two McIntosh MC275s (tube) run in mono. Switched to SS MC452 for number of reasons but mainly I needed to reduce my component footprint.
BTW well done on the the Garrard TT and new plinth. Need to circle back with you on that for more details.
System Update. Installed Synergistic Research XOT. Outstanding improvement in resolution and holographic presentation. What surprised me? Voice recordings are scary clear and percussion details not heard before.
XOT installed at midrange speaker terminal.
Will experiment with other positions once baseline established with current position.
Discovered that the AC wall outlets where really cheap and brittle because of age-30 years. The plugs were not holding in of my power cords so I switched all of them out with SR-Z1s.
What the SR-Z1 did:
1) Allowed for more secure connection high-copper content brass connectors 2) Securely holds heavy power cords from Synergistic Research 3) Increase current flow but that is hard to measure just from hearing
The HFTs Level Two setup improved my soundstage, separation and resolution. My resolution was pretty good before but I noticed on voice and instruments the decay is much more sustaining. Quite passages in songs and single notes have tons of depth. I played a couple of songs with flute and you can clearly hear the musician take a breath or two during performance. One thing that really stands out in my system is percussion and piano.
FEQ however, was neutral in my system. A/B FEQ several days and I could not tell any sonic difference. My placement was not centered as instructions required but I moved FEQ to several different locations.
Gladly move up to Level Three HTFs. Waiting on the XOT - Crossover Transducer.
System Edited: Added Synergistic Research Level 2 HFT (High Frequency Transducer) and FEQ (Frequency Equalizer) room treatments. Observation...Soundstage has more depth and layering of instruments and voice; lower frequency has extension; mids and highs have higher level clarity. One more day of HFT listening and then I'm plugging in the FEQ.
The Ascendo F happened by accident. I thought I was close to buying Focal Scala or Raidho C1.1 but at the last minute I could not pass on the Ascendo F. The Fs have micro details and killer dynamics. The Raidhos are great but the sound stage was more like my Dail Helcon but with limited bass. The Focal Scala I could easily live with but with lower price.
Listened to the Ascendo Ms at a friends house with VAC monos. Huge sound stage and very detail.
How's the system sounding? System sounds great. Still refining my sound and trying different cables. So far no break through or a ha moments in my cable testing.
Anything new coming? Nothing. Just trying new things to see what sticks. So far nothing.
Any thoughts on your system? Will focus on small things first and see where it leads me. One thing that has been an issue is my room gets really hot because of the tubes and the heat does not help since the room is on the second floor. Get's a bit toasty but that will be great for winter. May look for SS amp for spring and summer use and use tubes for winter.
Dean_man thanks for the complement. Currently making adjustments to the setup and looking for new equipment rack. I should be posting new pictures soon with my new Nikon D800 camera.
Gadmanrds I will keep that in mind. I've been looking at MC452 as a change up to tubes for the summer. The listening room can get a bit warm during the summer.
If I cannot tell a difference in sonic character, then usually I don't buy the product. But better could have a slight advantage or significant advantage.
Tommy. Element Tungsten revealed exceptional high frequency and holographic soundstaging. The soundstaging presented more depth and instrument placement which is exactly what you need for smaller rooms.
Experiment with Element Tungsten first on PS Audio Powerplant and then Accustic Arts Power 1 MK2 to determine which has more impact.
Definitely improved the overall sound of my system. Midrange and highs really improved significantly with resolution and details. Heard more details from the instruments being played. The power cords Elements used during testing:
PreAmp - Copper Element w/Gray Bullet Amps - Tungsten Element w/ Black Bullet PowerCell 6 SE - Tungsten Element w/Gray Bullet Source -Copper Element w/Gray Bullet
I changed cords on my source and preamp and thought the highs sounded a bit harsh so what I have listed sounded the best in my system.
Most of the music I tested focused on instrumental and some vocals from Sting and Steve Winwood. A couple of David Sanbord CDs sounded really good. The Alto Sax and percussion really jumped out with incredible depth and soundstage. That was really surprising. Depending on the recording Piano, Vibes & Marimba, Drums & Timbales all had better weight and resolution.
Last track that I played was on The Police Synchronicity CD..."Tea in the Sahara." Drums and bass were very dynamic. No REL B2 just the Helicon 300s.
Steve Winwood "About Time" vocals and organ are just on cue the entire CD. Lot's of air and separation of drums and congas along with sax. Another CD The Caribbean Jazz Project "The Gathering" is fast and complex. You can hear much more details and authority with percussion and piano.
The room treatments are on hold. I've got a couple of other things to finish- nothing major. I should order them and get it over with... but I'm making notes so I can get this right. For example, the right corner has an outlet and may not fit bass corner trap may have to go with tri-panel bass trap instead.
The room is shaping up. Spouse is shopping for rugs and new chairs. Nice to have space and them some.
Finished my second day of testing PowerCell 6 and various power cords:
MC275 Element Tungsten MC500 Element Copper Emm Labs Element Copper
Mostly listened to instrumental jazz: Pat Metheny, Dave Grusin, and Yellowjackets and just touch of Steely Dan. Still getting use to my new room which is much larger than previous rooms.
What Stood Out: Extension of the highs and low frequency. Depending on instrument and recording the piano and guitar definitely where extended and not by a small margin. HIGHER much higher details especially on cymbals and percussion. Low level bass was also clearer on several tracks. That was a big surprise because I could hear more subtle bass notes in several songs I was very familiar with.
Soundstage: More holographic space with more separation of instruments. Soundstage has more depth not width.
Low Noise Floor: The bottom line is the PowerCell and power cords seems to clean up noise so the details come through.
Tuesday through Friday will focus on vocals and switching out grey and silver bullets.
All of the testing done without the use of REL B2 subwoofer.
Looking into new design that is more like a floating platform than a rack for my components. I remember reading about the root diffusors. I was thinking of doing something a bit different using smaller pegs.
Great news! New house means new dedicated music room.
The room is finished and my system...well still in boxes. Long story.
FADE IN
WIDE SHOT OF BACK YARD. SHOW PINE TREE IN POOL AND ACROSS THE DECKING ONTO THE BACK OF HOUSE.
After finishing the electrical work, mother natural decided that I needed a pool ornament of the 100 feet pine tree kind. The tree damaged the pool obviously, decking and screened in porch. Needless to say, I was in no mood to focus on my room for about a month. It could have been worse but wait there is more to the story.
Spouse previous company recruited her for new position in New Jersey starting in April. Wow...we just moved to Florida and bought the house last October. My motivation kind of changed for good after that because I knew we were moving in 3 months. So, I put everything on hold, room treatments, possible new speakers and component configuration. But the room looks great. Meanwhile the damaged was being repaired and things were looking up a bit. Yeah!
Did I mentioned how much rain Florida received during the spring. Another tree fell on the house (on the opposite side) causing less damage then the first. Actually, I was okay but shaking my head that I want out of the house. And fast. Since the crew was working on the other side of the house the new damages was repaired in two or three days.
FADE TO BLACK
FADE IN
EXT. SHOT OF NEWARK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND BEAUTY SHOTS OF NORTH NEW JERSEY
Packed my suite case, new 15 inch Retina MacBook Pro (256 solid state drive, 2.6 GHz, 16 RAM), new B&W C5 earphones and flew to New Jersey. The C5's are great earphones with unique loop design to adjust to your ear. Sound is very clear in midrange and highs. With the new computer comes new thinking...considering dumping my suitcase and using a Tuma backpack when traveling for short trips.
Exhausted and confused! Arrived in North New Jersey mid September. Strange. Looking at houses for the next 3 months while the house sells back in Florida.
So the pictures of the "The Office" or "The Office" part II are on hold until I find a new domain. Early in my post I mentioned I may have to configure my system with less components. That may be still true after looking at some of the houses in North New Jersey. Will see.
I'm in the process of re-evaluting a couple of components. I'm in the mood of less components or minimal components. However, I keep seeing Audiophiles with floor standing loudspeakers in small rooms.
Milpai thanks for comments and the update on your system.
Have been a fan of Quads which should benefit from adding GIK monster panels and tri-traps. From my contact with GIK designers the primary concern is overlapping modal problems due to length and width of the room-12 x12-being the same. Looking to add an area rug to help with high and mid frequencies. Diffusors will be added later. I have to be careful not to kill the room with too many panels on the sides as my previous illustrations suggested.
Listening room - most of the painting finished this weekend. The walls look brand new after several hours of sanding and patching some major holes. Small room but a ton prep work was required. A couple of minor things to finish like doors and touch-up in a couple of places and I'm done. Speaker position may have to change - the rear wall really has limited spacing for seating after taping things out on the floor.
Looking forward to your comments once you install various panels.
Jlindi325 the B2 I bought for my HT system several years ago. Unfortuately, when you move you win and lose some. In this case, the new house has no basement for a HT (didn't watch that many movies anyway) and lacks large space for woodworking-my other hobby. With that said, I do have two options for listening room-one small room (12x12) and multi purpose room measuring 14x15. The later is the long term goal.
Good point on the Speakon Connector and twisted cable. I will give this serious thought. Not sure why I did not think of that before. I terminated power cables for most of my large woodworking machines.
Room is coming along. Painting will be completed this weekend.
The MC275 is such a classic component. It's been around for 50 years with pretty much the same look and feel. I do prefer classic and timeless components and manufacturers that don't change the styling too much every year.
New room is on hold for a bit. Should start back remodeling this week.
Monster traps with 7.5" depth can be installed on back wall. Acoustic plan edited with changes.
Both chair and speakers can be moved out from the back wall and front wall. I'm checking with another audiophile with small room to verify why his listening chair was moved closer to the wall.
Update: Based on feedback from GIK Acoustics designers I tweaked the Room Acoustic Plan. Added a pair of QRD diffusors that mirror each other on the sides. Previous version provided too many panels on the side. In the rear, bass traps were suggested helping with overlapping modal problems due to length and width of room being the same.
This is a new listening room in a much older house. I may have time to work on the room this weekend. Most of my system are still in boxes from the recent move.
I have not tried vertical bi-amping with my current system.
Update: Posted first draft of new room dimension and proposed acoustic treatment plan. New listening room still has a ways to go for electrical, flooring repair, base/crown molding and painting.
Focused on that right now. My new listening room 12 x12 x 8 currently being prepped for paint, electrical and lighting. Just taking me a lot longer than expected.
I've been corresponding with Kiwi and researching different room treatments. Read your comments on his thread which was very helpful. Diffusors or Absorption panels? So here's what I'm thinking so far...
FRONT WALL (has Window) GIK TRI-Trap in corners and later add diffusors for refinement if needed.
BACK WALL GIK Tri-Trap in corners which is NOT idea placement. Both of the corners have doors-- entry door and closet door. Between the doors I have approximately 4 feet. GIK Monster Bass Trap likely will be placed in that spot.
SIDE WALLS Looking at adding DIY diffusors at first reflection point and then acoustic panels. Still researching wood interior or other material.
FLOOR Oak hardwoods #2 mixed red and white oak. Will be adding rug to help with acoustics.
CEILING Look to add ceiling diffusors as the last phase of room treatments.
Vertical bi-amping. I think early on in the process I was thinking that way. Maybe because I was looking at SS power amps for bass woofer and tube for midrange/highs. But it's an added expense with subtle improvements.
Paul-- PS Audio PPP seems like a great component. Likely will invest into PurePower 2000 regenerator based on research and feedback from other audiophiles with tube gear. Internet has mixed views on both products. Both products have similar features like backup battery and various power protection and conditioning technologies. If you do some research you can find a couple of articles that have pros and cons. If not I can send you the links in an email.
Have your electrician check the AC lines for RFI and EMI noise. My electrician at my old house checked the old lines and the new lines for noise. One line had a noise issue--that's why you check.
Update: Removed 5 bookcases from new listening room. On a previous thread mentioned how old houses have outlets that suck. Upon removing one book case I found outlet that had exposed wiring and nailed to the stud and another outlet glued to the bookcase. Yep you heard me-- glued.
Looks like "uncle Buck" installed the outlets and bookcases.
The MC275s anchor the HELICON 300s bass/midrange to sing.
I've heard the larger Dails MegaLine and was very impressed with the wall of sound. In fact the pair I was listening to was being tested out before being shipped to the new owner. Both solid state and tub amps were being tested with the MegaLine.
The Dali's are awesome with the MC275s providing plenty of punch for mids/lows and refined details. The soundstage is deep NOT wide with the ribbon tweeter combo. The bass is surprisingly good from a oversized monitor. However, I will be adding a REL 3 subwoofer to extend the lows to 20Hz.
My last house for some reason had very clean power when tested for line noise. Used Richard Grey in Home Theater system 10%. Prefer Synergistic Research for power conditioner if that is your direction. Several of my audiophile friends recommended this brand. However, my preferences for tube power amp or preamp would be power regeneration for continuous operation during listening experiences. PurePower makes several models for power regeneration.
I should be getting my AC lines tested in a couple of weeks to determine power condition solutions.
Moved in last MONDAY--dreadful. Nothing fun about moving. At least we finished around 6:00 PM instead of 10:30 PM from the last move.
Choose the smaller room (12 x 11 x 8) for right now because it was easier to work with. The larger room will be used as combination office/overflow room of mixed furniture. That's code for this furniture does not fit in this house.
Six book cases will have to be removed to increase visual space and ensure the walls are accessible. The walls and closet are painted a very dark maroon color. Horrible! Sucks up all the natural light in the room. Looking at Benjamin Moore Aura Paint to solve the problem.
Update: Getting close to moving in to the new house. Adding hardwood floor in family room and refinishing hardwood in another room which will add 7 additional days. Looking at two rooms for my audio components:
ROOM ONE Room size 12 x 12 x 8, hardwood flooring, closet and window. Requires painting, quad electrical receptacle outlets, dedicated lines and removal of bookcases on several walls.
PROS: Smaller room and easier to control room acoustics.
CONS: May have problem adding electrical outlets and dedicated lines. Room is upstairs close to other bedrooms for my late night listening sessions.
ROOM TWO Room size 14 x 15 x 10, hardwood flooring, big windows, wood panelings and closet. Requires refinishing floors, dedicated lines, quad electrical receptacle outlets and possible lighting updates.
PROS: Good overall space. Tall Ceilings. Room is downstairs and away from main living areas.
CONS: Bookcase and wet bar closet makes the room a bit awkward. Exterior door leading to deck. Two very large windows may make room acoustics hard to work with. Quad electrical receptacle outlets may be hard to install.
Appreciate the kind words. I also looked at the 501's but I really wanted tubes! The MC275's sound great with the Dali. I'm really amazed at the sound I can get from such a small speaker. The ribbon tweeter combo help provide the next level of detail similar to the JET tweeter which does it better at 50 Hz.
No I have not listened to the Sapphire editions. Slowly getting the itch to upgrade my speakers. The 600 CE with ribbon tweeter combo has to be considered just as the Ascendo C8.
Both MC275 amps run in Mono (Parallel) Hookup Connection which require the 8 ohm tap for my 4 ohm rated Helicon 300. If I was running in Stereo, then I would simply use the 4 ohm tap.
Yep. Tried it. The sound was pretty average nothing special. Besides that the components were visually crowded on the axis. I did take a lot of time and measurements from the back wall to get the depth perception. Room treatments would help here but I'm been focusing on component rack and researching power cords.
Thinking back during my audition of tube amps and speakers the rooms were twice the size of my office. Maybe that is why I thought they would work in small rooms.
The C220 is a good preamp and one that I could have easily purchased. Aesthetix Saturn Calypso was also on my list. I would have loved to audition C500 and Aesthetix Jupiter Callisto Eclipse and compare. Unfortunately the Callisto Eclipse was not available when auditioning the C500.
Mike system is fine...a bit of refinement and tweaking with PC is what I'm doing and finally designing a component rack. Designing the component rack has become more of a challenge.
Synergistics Research PowerCell and Isotek Titan power conditioners are to be evaluated.
I have a couple of things I'm juggling: new rack system, power cords, and power conditioner along with looking at DACs to go along with my new LaCie Network Space.
No I did not try the Teles. When I started tube shopping a lot of the places did not have enough Teles in stock for two MC275 amps. So I ended up ordering from different places.
How did you determine the following tube selections?
Telefunken 12ax7 position 1, RCA Tall Plate pos 2, GE 1960's 12at7's in 3 and 4, RCA Tall Plate 5, GE 1960's 12at7 6, and 7.
The Black Sable - Mullard ECC83/12AX7 sound great in the C500. These particular Mullard's add another layer of detail, space, and depth to the sound stage with good decay from cymbals, acoustic instruments, and various percussion.
The C500 is another great component that brings synergy to the whole music experience.
Currently auditioning iPhone streaming audio via bluetooth for the car. Not bad so far. Also, using Aux input to listen to the iPod via cheap factory RCA cable.
During my product evaluation of tube amps it was really difficult to surpass the MC275 retro look and feel, build quality, flexibility, and wattage unless you want to spend additional 50%.
Other tube amps I auditioned included EAR 890, Audio Research VTM 110.
The McIntosh 275s in mono-that is one great sound that pairs well with my Helicon 300s. One of these days I will pair them with B2 Rel but for now I'm very satisfied with my sound. Still refining my sound with cables and room treatments. Currently working on new rack stand and tweaking my system to improve sound.
I listen to a lot of instrumental Jazz (Jesse Cook is playing in the background) usually with percussion instruments. Most of the music I listen to requires a system that is:
1) Fast. Dynamic. 2) Detailed with a bit of air and space with decay 3) Great separation of instruments (think percussion here)
Genelex Gold Lions are great. They provide more power compared to the stock KT88 tubes. Instead of 75 watts you're really getting more like 95 watts. You notice more punch in low mids and more fullness in bottom end of overall sound. Since I run the MC275 in mono I'm estimating 190 watts.
Improve your tone and articulation by changing the 12A type tubes to a more quality tube. If you need more power then change out the KT88s.
Karelfd, "Are the Helicons difficult to drive? " The Dalis are rated at 4 ohms but I think you need a great amp that delivers current to get the best sound. However,
"Would a low wattage tube amp (2x15w) be sufficient, provided I use them in a small room?" I audition the Dalis with CONSONANCE 15W tube mono block amps and was impressed with the sound. It had plenty of bass which was surprising to me after listening to several tube amps with 50 watts of power.
System Edited: Updated Core Design amplifier Inserts with newer design. The inserts are 20% thicker and heavier with additional damping and RF shielding provided by a sheet of butyl, polyethylene, and two ply foil measuring 12″ x 8″ x 60mil.
Kwel!!! The Dali's and MC can handle the Tower of Power in-drag sound. Liquid Soul and DoctorfunK have great horns. Could keep the vocals but love the horns.
Mingo Fishtrap has great sound as well. Check out Poncho Sanchez "Congo Blue" and Steve Winwood "About Time" with great percussion. Different flavor and great recording.
Looking at loud speakers from Cremona M, Miles III and Audio Note SPe/HE Spring 2009. The M's are on sale now but lousy timing for me.
I could have easily gone with the Be. In fact, I thought for sure I was going to buy them because of the Berrylium tweeter. However, at the last minute I auditioned the 300's and really liked the smoother ribbon/tweeter combo. Both speakers have great transparency and able to present layers with micro details. IMO the 300's bass has better extension and dynamic advantages with that oversized cabinet design. Plus the larger amps make the 300's sound even better. Checkout my list:
Conrad Johnson MV60 - sounded okay I could live with it SimAudio i5- Great match and plenty of dynamics Consonance Tube Monos - Awesome and huge sound (game changer) Pathos Logos - smooth buy no dynamics but easy to listen to MC275 - good match controlling the drivers with great sound
In addition, the 300's are bi-wireable and the veneers are excellent with a flawless finish. The Be's finish at that price did not fit the price.
I cannot comment if the amp stand change the sound. Meaning I did not AB amp stands. Both MC275's were placed on the core stands shortly after purchased. So I did NOT use the floor or other amp stands. The amps are very heavy...so I was not about to move them once I got them setup correctly.
When I audition the amps in different show rooms I did not notice a sonic difference with different stands. I was more focused on the speakers auditioning.
Justin what sold me on core design is the presentation, strength, sound board and the premium hardwood.
As a woodworker I could have duplicated the design but the sound board is the key in addition to the spikes with coasters. In addition, the packaging is also higher in class.
Silent running Ohio-Class Audio isoBASE would be my second choice. In black of course to match the MC275.
Bass is fine with a great amplifier. Since I have a short wall setup the Helicons have pretty good flexibility in room placement.
I have been looking at larger full range speakers but it is a significant jump. My long term plan in a couple of years is to move the system to larger dedicated room.
Check the back of the component there is a setting for High and Low.
I also keep getting conflicting opinions with the new German transport. So far it's been more positive but one EMM owner said they did not think it was noticeable improvement. I'm going to continue tweeking before I make an investment of new transport.
I did not post a final review of the Emm Labs CDSA SE Signature Upgrade from The Upgrade Co (TUC). I've been swamped at work and traveling.
Here's a short description of what I discovered...
For the pre burn-in process you need a good (300 plus hours). During the process I got impatient so every 80 hours or so I listened to two tracks of a preffered CD. Around 200 hours is when you really start to hear a difference. And another 100 plus hours reveals more of the music. I stopped short of 400 hours because I got tired of not enjoying the listening experience. My settings on the Emm are high filter on and selection of Invert button (which is subtle) but recommended.
The CDSA SE sound is very natural (vinyl like) in presenting music. The first thing you notice with the upgrade is improved resolution, instrument depth, and hearing more of the music. I really enjoy my music (mostly 70s and 80s Jazz) and working out of my house as Experience Architect (google that).
For my listening experience, I prefer spinning the YellowJackets Time Squared (Monk's Habit, Sea Folk) for drums, bass, and piano with a bit of Sax. For bass and drum heads (that would be me) Kazumi Watanabe Mobo I and II (American Short Hair, Mobo #2). And going back old school in the late 70s Bob James Earl Klugh One on One (Kara,The AfterGlow). All of these disc played extremely well on the CDSA SE. I'm still surprised of how well the player plays my older discs. Really it sounds that good.
The treble is more revealing and with the Helicon 300 ribbon tweeter combo you hear all the little nuances (percussion in the background) and stick and brush implementation on snare drums and cymbals. Bass and guitar strings sound crisper when emphasized during solos. You also easily hear more decay of cymbals and instrument notes hanging in the air. Remember, I have a small room setup and my speakers are 10" from the wall.
The mids I don't think had a huge improvement but just more clarity in my system. I now tend to zero in on bass guitar and piano notes a bit more. Tracy Thorn of EBTG (Worldwide) sounded more fleshed-out with smoother presence and more weight. Bass if the disc was recorded correctly can go fairly deep (even on my Helicon 300 monitors) and provide quite the punch especially on the kick drum.
The sound-stage is presented in front of the speakers and falls toward the back. Since I have a short-wall setup and small listening room I don't have a wide sound-stage nor great 3-D. It's something that I'm working on with a vendor to determine solutions. Perhaps a set of Acoustic System Resonators could do the trick.
There are times during the listening experience that I want more bass (REL B3) but it seems to be based on how the disc was recorded. There are also other times that I think a dedicated midrange woofer may improve my midrange. Maybe a fresh designed floor-standing speaker (Zu Presence, Marten Miles III, Helicon 400Mk2, Cremona M2) would be an great upgrade. So far the price would be very high for a significant change. Helicon 400Mk2 and Zu Presences IMO have the best performance to price ratio followd by Miles III and Cremona M2. Any of those four models I could live with as a significant improvement. However, the upgrade modification to the Emm CDSA SE has challenge the thought of purchasing new loudspeakers for the moment. Besides it's cheaper tweaking your system to get the last amount of detail from components.
Overall, I'm very pleased with the upgrade to the CDSA SE. I believe in synergy within system components and that my friend I have done right. The one sonic charcter from the upgrade that stands out based on the type of music I listen to is the treble. Slightly behind that is the overall resolution which is smoother with greater dynamics.
The next options for the CDSA SE is new power cord (based on testing and measuring results from TUC) and possibly adding the new german transport which is suppose add more slam according to one reviewer.
System Edited: Added two Isoclean Fuses on MC275 power amps. Nice tweak.
Sound: Extended top and bottom octaves on Helicon 300. That is a plus for two-ways since the driver works really hard to presenting mids and low frequency. More details and transparency for instruments. Instruments have more air and spacious in my smallish sound stage.
Listen: At lower listening levels (C500T set on 20) you still hear details and dynamics (Dave Weckl, Master Plan) that make you stay up late enjoying the music.
System Edited: Added four Mullard 12A7XA mini tubes to V2 and V5 slot on MC275 x 2 power amp.
Sound: More lively presentation...depending on the recording with greater focus and imaging. Instruments are more sharply defined notably (piano,drums,percussion,bass). There is a sense of notes hanging in the air during complex passages and quite passages. Low level Bass also increased but not on all recordings.
It's a great system that works together (I'll skip the typical description you've heard hundreds of time already.) One of most surprising accomplishments is relearning music that you thought you knew.
As far as vinyl. I'm kicking myself for selling my beloved LPs (and Peach crates) back in the late 80's. Yeah I'm slowly migrating back to vinyl. Looking for vintage turntables with the wood base.
