I have moved to a fully computer based set up as a source. No transport and none of those shiny disks any more.
The system has an open, huge soundstage, with very clean, tight bass that dives deep into two figure Hz.
The sound is very powerful and dynamic. Extremely detailed, but still warm, musical and believable and easy to listen to. With the right recording a reach out and touch holographic image and soundstage is possible.
I have been through quite a lot of equipment. I am and was a huge Audio Research fan for years, and I used their tube monos/preamps with great happiness.
I have pretty much always had planar speakers until recently. So I needed powerful amps to drive Magnepan2.6R/3.6R and Apogee Diva/Duetta sig etc.
I have moved to high sensitivity speakers in the form of the Avantgarde Trios now. This has enabled a move to very low powered SET amplifiers which has been great fun.
I have been searching for equipment that keeps the music free of colour and true to the recording. I believe you choose your source for its sound. The rest of the equipment should let the source do its magic as much as possible and get out of the way of the music.
This unit is modified with Mundorf silver/gold in oil caps, Mundorf tube cap, and Duelund VSF Cu caps. I use Emission Labs mesh plates 45 power tubes. A very refined and beautifully natural sounding amp. Very transparent.
DCS Scarlatti clock
Finest player in the world
Avantgarde Trio
19 ohm 109db/watt with 225 subs
DCS Scarlatti
State of the art number crunching.
PS audio Premier Power Plant
Power regenerator.
Analysis plus Golden oval XLR
Beautiful cable. Amazing detail and still warm and life like
Audio Magic Stealth XXX oyaide
Specially made with Oyaide XXX sockets and furutech input. Much more detailed than the Hydra it replaced
Apogee Duetta signature2 Heavily modified
These have the latest Graz ribbons both tweeter/mid and bass panels. I have external cross overs with mundorf silver/gold in oil caps and Alphacore foil inductors. Caddock resistors and all solid core silver wired. All suspended and vibration free. These apogees take much more power and go way louder and have much better dynamics than the original. Not only that but much improved sound quality. Simply stunning! I have had many planars magnepan etc but these really are the best in every way now. Long live Apogee and Thank goodness for Grazs search for perfection!
Virtual dynamics Revelation 2
This must be one of the only cables I have heard that when compared to cables that seem to "do nothing" or just pass signal untouched this cable does lots but in a good way! A staggering solid detailed sound, but a nightmare to plug in due to its size, weight and stiffness.
Virtual dynamics Master LE
Very nicely focused cable with very low noise floor. The best bass I have heard and startling dynamic speed
Oyaide SWO XXX/SWO GX
Its own spur and conditioned with various filters along the way before reaching the Stealth
Acoustic Revive RR-77
Sends out a very low frequency into the room which disrupts RFI EMI and makes you feel relaxed! Very odd but works well Seems to focus the mid range
Sonic studio Amarra
Bolt on for itunes
Auralex Lenrd Bass traps
I have 8 of these traps placed subtly in the corners of the listening room. They have done a very good job in a room that had quite tight bass anyway.
Weiss Medea plus
Latest super DAC. Volume control on Firewire input. Variable output voltage to match amps. stunning DAC
How about the smaller Avantgardes (Ones, Unos)? Are they nearly as good? Maybe those could fit?
Apogees and horns are two ends the spectrum in terms of ease of load and efficiency, no? THEy are both detailed I believe. I believe it is the dynamics and microdynamics that have caught your ear. I would not compare my Ohms to the Avantgardes, but dynamics at higher volumes is what lured me to the Ohms from Maggies.
Also, I've heard that Avantgardes are not a good solution if you listen mostly at lower volumes. Maggies are and I suspect Apogees as well.
I wonder what other horn designs out there that might approach what the trios do in a smaller package? Maybe a topic for a new thread.
It is true. They are soooo big that if you had them at home in a smallish room, people would think you were insane.
Also they do excite the room quite a lot. Room correction helps here, but you need to be a fair seating distance from them.
I have not heard the Klipschorns in a while, but my memory of them was that they were ok but suffered from some of the usual colorations of horns.
The beauty of the Avantgarde Trio is they do not sound like horns other than the huge sound and dynamic freedom. The rest is as good as some of the finest speakers without effort.
I am very tempted to have a pair. A good friend of mine feels the same way and we have been trying to find an excuse to just buy them! But I think it may be just the audiophile illness playing with our minds again.
Watch this space... if you see a picture of them in my room you know the illness won!
"Most folks do not have the requisite space for the mighty Avantarges. They are simply not convenient to say the least. "
That is a fact. Even dealers that carry a wide array of high end stuff do not carry them for this reason. They are too big and obtrusive for most.
If not for the size issue, I might well own a pair of good full range horns by now. They may be the only design out there that might pry me away from my Ohms.
So how much better are these really than say a pair of well anointed Klipschorns?
Most folks do not have the requisite space for the mighty Avantarges. They are simply not convenient to say the least.
With the danger of provoking another shark attack here, I should say that neighbors are sure I have a grand piano in my house. I do have a very big robust upright, but it is not what fools them.
The Scintilla, under the rock hard control of my amps and preamp bring the gossamer light ribbons into startling focus. Sure, the Avantgarde Trio will trump what I have, but not in this room.
Hi Mapman, I have to say I think you could kill your hearing easily with them.
You could even have a go at reproducing the sound of the space shuttle taking off! It is not only the power of the dynamics alone. It is also the freedom of the inner detail which is magical.
It would be interesting in general to catalogue peoples hearing to see why they prefer one speaker or type of sound over another.
Haha! Life is risk mapman I guess. I always think the only difference is if you live in fear of it or not.
They might be considered hazardous to your health in event of accident.
They are surely capable of reproducing the dynamics of a cannon or howitzer or blast and random blasts of noise, as well as those of a symphony orchestra with ease.
It would be interesting to do a study comparing the hearing capacity of owners of large efficient horn designs versus other breeds of speakers.
I guess most great things in life carry some risk....
indeed. I would love to have them in the studio. The worry would be if there was a problem. Like one of the dacs sending 0db of white noise which has happened to me a couple of times. That wakes you up I can assure you.
I suspect the only sound you would hear for the rest of your life would be the sound of a ringing bell and nothing else!
This week I have been lucky enough to spent time with some very fine speaker systems. From the Cabasse Sphere, through various Apogees, B&W 801ds, ATC, Wilson system 8, and ending with the Avantgarde Trio.
It is heard to believe how amazing the Avantgarde Trio horns are. Every time I have heard this speaker I have been drawn to them. I am left wondering why some other speaker manufacturers bother trying. It would be very depressing to put any of the above speakers side by side and A/B them.
Now I am at the point where I can say this is the only speaker (if you have the space) worth owning. I have never heard any speaker than can do what the trio can. No planar or electrostatic or dynamic box. Audiophiles must stop fooling themselves. Low sensitivity speakers are a joke in comparison simple horns.
I am sorry to offend anyone who feels they have great sound and feel there is nothing better than what they own, But hand on heart after many years of upgrading, listening to all sorts of systems, and spending giant sums of money on equipment and cables. That is it. Trios.
Of course set up is everything, as I have heard Avantgardes sound unbalanced and overbearing too in the past. But set up well that is it.
I hate to think what the trio with bass horns would be like. Luckily they wont fit in my room! The Trio seem to do everything. Detail,soundstaging, wide frequency response, staggering dynamics and complete flow and with beguiling emotional connection. Overwhelming.
I dont mean to preach, but if you have a chance to hear them set up well, room corrected with high resolution front end and amps, I doubt you will be the same person who walked in.
I have liked a lot of french equipment in the past. The Cabasse Sphere is the best though. I would even have a pair as sculpture, let alone for their wonderful sound.
Their spacial coherence must be one of the finest there is. They say it is 25khz-20hz and 93db/watt not forgetting the 8,000 watts of power! But they measured down to 14hz in the room with tones!
You wont confuse them for any another speaker that is for sure.
I have never heard the Jadis Eurythmie but it looks very interesting and I seem to remember it is 103db/watt.
I've never seen Cabasse in the US. I see only 1 US dealer in Washington State listed on their web site.
Ashame really in that I would really love to experience the line.
I have had a pair of French made Triangle Titus 202 monitors for about 10 years or so now and still love them.
THE French made Jadis equipment looks luscious as well. Cabasse and Jadis Eurythmie speakers are high on my list of speakers I've never heard but would really like to experience.
Yes. I told you I had the Baltic plus thor (subs) which are expensive but not madly.
They also make a range called the Idea range, and in that range there is a sat plus sub which sounds very good too for around 1 or $2K. It looks like the Baltic but smaller. There is also a more conventional looking floor stander that is as good too.
They have some cheap home theater models that sound really good for that kind of thing. The high sensitivity and there special drivers really make a difference when compared to the competition.
Doesn't Cabasse also have some more affordable (though perhaps somewhat full range-challenged) similar designs out there already starting in the $1000 dollar range or so? I think I read about these in a magazine about a year back. Something like that paired with a more traditional sub-woofer might be a very interesting combination for good sound at reasonable cost as well, even if not quite as sexy as these flagship models.
Hi Mapman, they are really very good as they should be at that level. The reality is that this philosophy will trickle down to more realistic price levels soon.
I find them beautiful works of art let alone their sound. They look great in a cream white!
They have a delicacy and richness I have only heard from electrostats and planars like the Apogee, with the freedom in dynamics that you have to work hard on in these types of inefficient speaker
I've never heard the Cabasse but love the looks and design approach.
Not so crazy about the price though.
Wide dispersion or omni speakers that approximate a point source typically sound tremendous in regards to sound stage and imaging accuracy and detail, particularly on recordings made with a simple two channel stereo miking scheme.
Add in full range sound with lots of power and meat on the bones and you really have something special.
I had a day with the Cabasse Sphere today. A remarkable looking speaker with equally remarkable sound.
I had their smaller Baltic speaker with twin subs called Thors before. So I had an idea of what they would sound like within reason.
Ok they are very expensive $150,000 or so. They are a point source 4 way quad axial speaker shaped like a giant ball and have a digital xover with room correction. They are the most coherent speaker I think I have heard to date, and I have heard quite a few good ones! The Cabasse are a totally time alined 4 way quad axial driver, all EQed to the room and active with 8x 1000watt monos.
They have detail and dynamics to spare with soundstaging that is so believable and solid with one of the best basses I have heard. I say this because I have heard coherence and detail many times, but never bass in the same way. It has all the texture and weight you could want. The difference is the bass seemed to support and underpin the other frequencies with such (sorry to say the word again) coherence! A full range point source all corrected down to 14 hz.
Some of you out there who have very fine systems will expect detail and musicality, a holographic soundstage with depth and naturalness hovering in front of you as the norm. These are that, but more... well just more! (I wont say coherent again)
Muralman1, Its funny because Graz of Apogee believed that what I needed was a Scintilla too. He makes a Scintilla based design called the synergy. New and improved. I have heard them and spent some time with them. It is very good and is much more sensitive than the original Scintilla. I have mentioned it before in a thread somewhere. It is around 96 or 97 db/watt, much easier to drive and better all round. Looks great too.
I will get around to getting one some day if the credit crunch and oil price doesnt finish us off. But I am just getting my new Divas up to modern standards now. I will see how I get on with them.
I have had many biting my hand off for my beloved Duettas which have done me proud. My pair are remarkable as Esotheric above will testify I am sure. I have had a few speaker designers here, as well as other high end audio manufactures to listen or audition equipment, all have left praising them. Some a little shocked. I have had a lot of help getting them to this level.
When DCS came over to install the Scarlatti the guy said it was the finest sound he had heard. I dont remember if that was before I gave him the money or after though, so maybe that should not count!
To answer your question about the microphones, the Neumanns are large diaphram condenser mics. Some have valve power supplies others solidstate. Each used in different positions around the room for close miking and ambience miking.
The use of ribbon mics is a little more specialist as they have a sound, a very nice one! But for the session we were after a different thing. The results are breath taking. Such depth and air with vivid textures. I will let you know when it comes out.
Chad, why have you not considered the Scintilla? your amp would easily handle it. Perhaps none have come up in your yard? You would be surprised what it's bass panel can do. And that cardioid MRT!!!
Muralman, the Cabasse did live in my room for about 6 months I guess. Longer than most. They did rock well. The dynamics and separation were very good and had a musical warmth.
There was something that I could never get quite right with them though. I think the highs would be helped with a super tweeter. The subs were ok, but when you have heard a planar do bass it is hard to go back.
Mapman I quite liked the eye balls, it was like being watched by a caring nurse.
They did look cool and in the right light had an aura. Very classy as only the French can do. Everyone who came over at the time would admire them. They dont dominate the room like a planar can. A very interesting speaker.
They have a new giant 4 way version now which costs $100,000! I will hear it on monday. If you are interested I will post something about them.
I loved hearing Cabasse as well. In a large room they can put up a seamless soundstage. I was tempted to go that way before I got Henry's amps on my Apogees.
Are those ribbon microphones at Abbey? You are a lucky guy.
Hi Muralman, Lets not get too carried away with my audio stock, but I have worked with some great guys in the industry and am lucky enough to call some my close friends. This mornings hang over is testament to it!
The session yesterday was in studio 1 at Abbey rd studios. We used a selection of beautiful Neumann vintage microphones of which Abbey road have the finest collection.
So many legendary recordings were made on these very mics in that very room. Recording in full surround you hear the full beauty and warmth of that room. Of course the preamps, desk and ADDA converters are all state of the art getting the best out of these audio gems.
Abingdon music make a nice CD player. Good british engineering. The Gallo is a very nice speaker. Not too expensive either if I remember.
A friend of mine is a dealer for them. There is a Cabasse speaker that works a little better IMHO than it due to higher sensitivity. They look like giant eye balls on a stands with twin subs. French triaxial cool. Very crisp sound. I think its called the Baltic 2. They may be a bit more expensive than the Gallos in fairness.
