Voltron Posted October 30, 2008 Author Report Posted October 30, 2008 I really like the Gallos and think that they are a bargain for what they can do. They are not at their best in my current setup because the McCormack is really too much for them to handle properly. My HT amp is also a McCormack and it is at 125 watts per channel, which seems to suit the Gallos better. This is all exacerbated by the fact that the SDS-XLR is too hot for big amp such that with the preferred 2c51 outputs it is loud at the first step on the volume. It makes the sound more holographic and engaging than the EMM Labs (DCC2 dac/preamp) but the range on the volume control leaves too much to be desired. Using 6sn7 outputs makes it a lot better on the gain/volume side but isn't *as* good as the 2c51s. If I had a better amp match, that might work out and if JP buys a McCormack DNA-1 that he is thinking of buying I might try to get that over here for a try out. In any event, I am planning on hearing some gear, hearing some speakers, and then seeing which way this takes me. I am in no rush other than the fixation factor.
Icarium Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 The Shindo stuff looks really intriguing if I had the cash that'd definitely be something I'd check out. Could you talk a little bit more about the White Unicorn thing? That sounds interesting.
Voltron Posted October 30, 2008 Author Report Posted October 30, 2008 JP will have to talk about the White Unicorn, aka Nick Doshi Alaap Mk.II Purist Tube Preamplifier with phono stage (MM and MC input). Here are a couple pics, though I do not know what wood is on the one in SF (which might already be taken):
Icarium Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 Crazy. I've been vaguely craving the Parasound JC-2 that's about as fancy as I'll probably get
jp11801 Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 (edited) I have never heard the Doshi pre amp but many of the analog folks over at audiogon speak exceedingly high about it and in particular the phono pre section. They take a bit of a wait to get and you pretty much have to buy them blind when buying new so the chance to hear one local was really intriguing. Edited October 31, 2008 by n_maher at OP's request
Voltron Posted October 30, 2008 Author Report Posted October 30, 2008 I have never heard the Doshi pre amp but many of the analog folks over at audiogon speak exceedingly high about it and in particular the phono pre section. A lot of people are exceedingly high . . .
luvdunhill Posted October 31, 2008 Report Posted October 31, 2008 I have never heard the Doshi pre amp but many of the analog folks over at audiogon speak exceedingly high about it and in particular the phono pre section. They take a bit of a wait to get and you pretty much have to buy them blind when buying new so the chance to hear one local was really intriguing. cough Doug Deacon cough
Voltron Posted October 31, 2008 Author Report Posted October 31, 2008 So, JP and I are going to listen to the Ayre combo today. The dealer has had them on for two or three days solid to get them nice and warmed up. We are going to use the Nagra CD player and will also compare the Ayre KX-R to the Nagra PL-L tube preamp. I wanted to hear the VTL 7.5 tube pre but they don't have a demo available right now. The speakers are going to Wilson Sophias, although if I get serious about this I will bring my Gallos over there just to see how it would sound on something I am familiar with and might keep for the time being. God help me if I really do get serious about this, although I overpaid taxes this year and just got a big check from the State of California . . .
Dreadhead Posted October 31, 2008 Report Posted October 31, 2008 LOTs and LOTs of fun because that stuff is lots and lots of money
jp11801 Posted November 1, 2008 Report Posted November 1, 2008 cough Doug Deacon cough certainly he is a big fan of the Doshi pre and I stumbled on to the Doshi pre from a ZYX thread I was reading by Doug however there seems to be a decent sized core of people that have heard the Doshi pre and think it plays well in the Shindo range and above. Al and I checked out the Ayre gear yesterday and damn the ayre pre/power combo mated with the Wilson Watt puppies was really special. Probably the deepest bass with definition that I have heard from a system. The mids could have used more life but that proved to be more a factor of the Wilsons more so than the Ayre. Probably the cleanest most defined image I have heard. Later in the demo we swapped in the nagra pre amp and it was not a good match as the bass lost most of its definition and did not go as low. On the up side the mids were really nice and the guitar sounds were more correct sounding to me with the nagra. I would not want to live with the nagra (not that I'll ever have the $$$ for it) after hearing the ayre's ability to play both low and high with amazing definition without ever getting bloated in the bass or harsh in the highs. After some time we wondered what the ayre sound sound like on a speaker with a bit more body. The guy who did our demo was really accommodating and brought in some Sonus Faber speakers (I think they may have been the cremona m's but Al can verify this). This was more my cup o' tea as they had more body and warmth than the Wilson's just not the bass slam and they were not nearly was wide open sounding. In short the aryre gear seemed to perform equally well with both speakers. Just a quick word about the retailer Music Lovers in San Francisco, they were top notch and really went out of their way to accommodate. Yes I know this was a high $$ system we were listening to but I left with the impression they treat all their customers well. If you live in the Bay Area they are a great resource and had some nice used gear in house as well.
clarke68 Posted November 10, 2008 Report Posted November 10, 2008 Al and I checked out the Ayre gear yesterday and @#$%! the ayre pre/power combo mated with the Wilson Watt puppies was really special.I've been fasting from Stereophile this year...I just saw the November issue in Borders the other day. I about spat my coffee when I read that the K-XR preamp is "the 8th Wonder of the World"! Well, somebody please congratulate Charles Hansen for me. As far as I know, this is the world's first piece of audio equipment to qualify for "world wonder" status, although I'm a bit foggy on what the other seven are. From your experience last week, would you say this preamp is truly the audio equivalent of the Great Pyramid of Giza?
Voltron Posted November 11, 2008 Author Report Posted November 11, 2008 Well, I don't know about Giza, but the Ayre combo, and preamp especially, is certainly as impressive an achievement as the Lighthouse of Alexandria! I haven't really posted after JP summed up our first listening session because I made an impulsive decision to buy the White Unicorn, aka Nick Doshi's Alaap Purist Phono/Line Preamp. It was brand new, unopened and, I thought initially, sitting right here in SF at a dealer who took it as a trade-in. Turns out that the Doshi was still in Texas, not here, so it was shipped FedEx and arrived last Friday. My joy was great, for about 5 minutes because during the unwrapping it became clear that something was clunking around in the preamp. After calls with the dealer I bought it from in SF, the original dealer in Michigan, and Nick Doshi himself, I opened it up and found that a very heavy tin-filled capacitor had snapped off and a little resistor sliding around for good measure. They were part of the MC phono stage that is mounted sideways on the chassis, and FedEx or somebody must have dropped it pretty good to break it out of the silicone glue holding it and the solder joints. I packed it all back up and shipped it to Doshi who is kindly going to fix, test, and re-ship hopefully with better karma. He is great and is doing a total solid even though I am a second-hand buyer (warranty does transfer but he is still being very cool). The Ayre preamp is so incredible that I miss it even after just an audition. I loved the sound of the Ayre gear, but I was really curious about the Doshi and could get it new for a good discount. If I have to sell I will not lose anything because they rarely come up used. I need to hear the Doshi but in my system, but there is still a chance I may spring for the Ayre amps or even something else. Doshi people are telling me to buy ATC powered speakers because they love that combination. Too many choices... If I love the Doshi phono stage but it doesn't float my boat as a preamp (and assuming I continue my short-sighted, randomly timed spending spree of epic and heretofore unprecedented proportions) then I might even consider getting the Ayre preamp as well and see how they play together. Maybe that is the best (and most expensive) of both worlds, and maybe I only like one or the other. I guess we'll see how this plays out. I also have to factor in that if I upgrade beyond the preamp (the initial idea that led me to this path), then I will need to upgrade the speakers too. In my mind and moreso my heart, are the Wilson Audio offerings, the Harbeth 40.1s, the Magico V3, the ATC, the DeVore Nines or Silverbacks, and others like Thiels that people have recommended. Woosh, that is all mind-boggling expensive and I may just love what the Doshi does with what I have. If it sounds more like the SDS-XLR but with more volume range and finesse and so forth, then that could be the end point [for now ]. More to come when Mr. Doshi resends the White Unicorn, which happens to be black and beautiful by the way. The platform, face plate and top plate are all black Corian-like material. Pics to follow.
luvdunhill Posted November 11, 2008 Report Posted November 11, 2008 I've been fasting from Stereophile this year...I just saw the November issue in Borders the other day. I about spat my coffee when I read that the K-XR preamp is "the 8th Wonder of the World"! Well, somebody please congratulate Charles Hansen for me. I will between his bouts with his spinal cord injury and his experimental Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT).
clarke68 Posted November 11, 2008 Report Posted November 11, 2008 the Ayre combo, and preamp especially, is certainly as impressive an achievement as the Lighthouse of Alexandria!Well it's really quite a bargain, then! I haven't really posted after JP summed up our first listening session because I made an impulsive decision to buy the White Unicorn, aka Nick Doshi's Alaap Purist Phono/Line Preamp.Ahhh...that explains your new avatar! Bummer about the shipping damage...as the unit must be at least a contender for 8th (9th?) world wonder, you'd think it would have been placed on a silk pillow and hand-carried to you by a team of four Sherpani porters.
Voltron Posted November 11, 2008 Author Report Posted November 11, 2008 number 3 is my sense of humor. CLEARLY, BUT NUMBER 2 IS YOUR ABILITY TO HOLD YOUR LIQUOR. *NOTE, I DO NOT KNOW WHY THIS IS IN ALL CAPS AND I CANNOT SEEM TO CHANGE IT.
Voltron Posted November 11, 2008 Author Report Posted November 11, 2008 I AM HAVING SOME ARDBEG AT THE MOMENT, BUT THERE IS A MAJOR DEFICIT IN MY BAC.
jp11801 Posted November 28, 2008 Report Posted November 28, 2008 For those keeping score at home emm labs + ATC Annys > Nagra cdp + Ayre combo + Wilson Watt pups
Voltron Posted November 28, 2008 Author Report Posted November 28, 2008 I agree with JP's scoring, but those Watt Puppys were really amazing in certain respects such as bass depth and definition as mentioned perviously. That whole system was really nice but the ATC 50s manage to split the difference between the too cold and detailed Puppys and the too warm and bloated Sonus Fabers. I am awaiting the return of the Unicorn today, which is very exciting. I think that its introduction into the system will improve dramatically over the EMM Labs direct to ATCs, plus the Doshi phono stage is said to be extraordinary. Will post more pics and thoughts later. Wish me luck on a safe delivery this time...
Hopstretch Posted November 28, 2008 Report Posted November 28, 2008 Don't you have to be a virgin to successfully handle a unicorn? Perhaps that's the snag here.
Dreadhead Posted November 28, 2008 Report Posted November 28, 2008 I agree with JP's scoring, but those Watt Puppys were really amazing in certain respects such as bass depth and definition as mentioned perviously. That whole system was really nice but the ATC 50s manage to split the difference between the too cold and detailed Puppys and the too warm and bloated Sonus Fabers. I am awaiting the return of the Unicorn today, which is very exciting. I think that its introduction into the system will improve dramatically over the EMM Labs direct to ATCs, plus the Doshi phono stage is said to be extraordinary. Will post more pics and thoughts later. Wish me luck on a safe delivery this time... Al, I wish you and your unicorn all the luck in the world. May you have a long and prosperous relationship
Voltron Posted November 28, 2008 Author Report Posted November 28, 2008 Don't you have to be a virgin to successfully handle a unicorn? Perhaps that's the snag here. Wait, maybe UPS tried to use non-virgins to ship it to me! Dammit, I knew there was a hitch! And thanks for the well-wishes Dreadhead.
n_maher Posted November 28, 2008 Report Posted November 28, 2008 Wellllllll, we're waiting!!! Pics or ban, robot-man.
Voltron Posted November 28, 2008 Author Report Posted November 28, 2008 Don't ban me bro! Two boxes just now arrived and I do not hear large objects rolling around inside them. Stay tuned!
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