Preamp done, Amp done... Source/DAC next. Esoteric??

[GaryG]

I'm trying to narrow down my speaker choices.

Wilson Alexia used vs BW 800 Diamonds vs Sonus Stradivari.

Those are my top 3.

Interesting choices. Something to be said for the beauty of the Sonus Stradivari and it sounds good. I like the 800 Diamonds and enjoy the time I spend with them. However, I strongly recommend the used Alexia, a truly fantastic speaker(IMHO). I believe the going price for used Alexia's is somewhere around $30K. The day you buy the others, they will also be used. Buy the Alexia.

Gary

 

[Gordon Gray]

Joey,

I'd be very hesitant on the SF's.

Every model I've heard, including the one you are contemplating, are really voiced on the warm side of the sonic equation. Wonderful mids. Probably. Bass def, speed, dimensionality, punch, transparent, airy. A very big maybe.

Caveat emptor.

GG

 

[Joey_V]

Friends,

RMAF is very possible, I just have to fit it to my schedule and clear the travel with my wife because then she would be babysitting duty while I'm gone.

As for those amps that were posted, too rich for my blood! Lol.

Regarding Alexia, it is VERY possible I might end up with these monsters. They sound clean and good. The more I spend with diamonds (802) the more I hear some coloration that might be attributable to the Kevlar FST. That said, going up the ranks of the 800 series, you can really appreciate what that Marlan dome head does in cleaning up the midrange and allowing cleaner lines between instruments... Something I'm not sure the Alexia has.

The Strads... Now these are supposed be good. Many people have pm 'd me from audiogon about these speakers with tubes. I am flying to Chicago next week and I will stop by to listen to this at Quintessence audio. Supposedly they have the sonus faber Aida as well. But at over 150,000$, that's not for me.

 

[Joey_V]

Shot at Munich for sure. I didn't like the speakers sonically but maybe somebody did.

I'd buy a DAC and feed it with a PC with an async USB interface, which kind of rules out the Esoteric. The Lampi has a very good USB interface. It is without doubt a great DAC, but hey, the D03 is probably awesome in a different way.

The Lampi does work in an all tube/valve system. But just go with your instincts maybe. It's just a personal learning trip and nobody is right or wrong. Within reason

Esoteric k01 I just found out has async USB inputs. Supposed to be extremely good 1 box solution.

 

[Gordon Gray]

The Strads... Now these are supposed be good. Many people have pm 'd me from audiogon about these speakers with tubes.

Joey,

I've also read many posts that indicate that high powered SS amps is THE ticket with the Strads.

Check out the thread on WBF.

Good luck. They sure are pretty.

GG

 

[User211]

The reason I say it is important is I have had zero issue with async USB interfaces and my laptop source. The reason is the way it works. The DAC simply asks the laptop when it its buffer is running low for exactly the amount of bytes it thinks it needs to top it up. Then the laptop sends it. It just works.

I've had timing issues/sync errors with all other interfaces I've used with laptops i.e. non-async USB and USB->SPDIF converters.

I really like the Tannoy Kingdom Royals wit Thrax amps/MSB. Quite a lot better than the Alexia at the same show a couple of weeks back. One to bear in mind but it is expensive - like the Alexia!

 

[Joey_V]

Gotcha. If I have to change to heavy duty sands amps, I can do that no problem.

Maybe I'll have a pair of tube and SS amps when all is said and done. Or maybe I'm just crazy.

Anyway, we have not mentioned the CLX.

 

[User211]

I like the CLX. I prefer Apogees - no need for subs and a much more dynamic and powerful sound. But you just can't get to hear them easily in fully restored tip top condition. CLX mid range and what there is of the bass is lovely, though. As Roberto says subs are a must.

Some people aren't after powerful and dynamic. But Wilsons can sound very powerful and dynamic with the right amps and volume. They're very good at high volume with the right partnering equipment. Get it wrong and the HF can be piercing. Rowlands seem to work well with them. I've gotta be honest I don't really like them. I respect them for being well made, though. But don't let that put you off.

 

[slowGEEZR]

They're also very good at low level or medium volumes, too. Just like any piece of audio gear, everything matters. If the source material is shrill sounding or anything in the signal path is shrill sounding, so will the music that comes out of Wilson's. If, however good sounding source material, good sounding equipment is in the chain, Wilson's will sound as good as one can imagine. Myself, I was simply amazed at how even the slightest hint of shrillness was defeated by the update to my DAC, via the Wilson's. Having owned my Wilson's for a few years now, I am still in love with them, in fact more than ever, as I now have the right equipment connected so the WP8's can show what they can really do. I invite anyone come to my place and hear for yourself how musical they are. If interested, send me a PM.

I like the CLX. I prefer Apogees - no need for subs and a much more dynamic and powerful sound. But you just can't get to hear them easily in fully restored tip top condition. CLX mid range and what there is of the bass is lovely, though. As Roberto says subs are a must.

Some people aren't after powerful and dynamic. But Wilsons can sound very powerful and dynamic with the right amps and volume. They're very good at high volume with the right partnering equipment. Get it wrong and the HF can be piercing. Rowlands seem to work well with them. I've gotta be honest I don't really like them. I respect them for being well made, though. But don't let that put you off.

 

[User211]

Steve - no offense intended. I can see why people like them. Like any high performance speaker, partnering equipment really is important and will affect the sound quite markedly.

 

[slowGEEZR]

Justin, no offense taken, LOL. I was just offering my own viewpoint and experience. One thing I can say for sure is that we like what we like. Woah, that was deep. Cheers. May be the beer talking. Lagunitas IPA! One of my favorites.

 

[Joey_V]

Steve

When we stop by Austin next time, I'll let you know so I can come by.

 

[Joey_V]

Stopped by my local dealer in Dallas.... Alexia w/ D'Agostino preamp and stereo.....Audio Research CDP.

Sat down and played my current mix of demo tracks.

And I gotta say..... it's was alright. Just alright.

I honestly don't know what's wrong with me.

 

[timm]

Stopped by my local dealer in Dallas.... Alexia w/ D'Agostino preamp and stereo.....Audio Research CDP.

Sat down and played my current mix of demo tracks.

And I gotta say..... it's was alright. Just alright.

I honestly don't know what's wrong with me.

Hi Joey.

You have a problem. . Nah. I get the same feeling from Wilson's. I had a chance to hear the Alexandria XLFs - I believe they were - somewhere under 200k. And my expectations were, well around 200k worth. Needless to say they were not met. I felt a lack of involvement and when I listened both me and my son felt a lack of mid range warmth. Great high end. Great lows. But the mids seemed sterile and hence didn't make me go 'wow'. So there is something wrong with me too!!

 

[amey01]

Stopped by my local dealer in Dallas.... Alexia w/ D'Agostino preamp and stereo.....Audio Research CDP.

Sat down and played my current mix of demo tracks.

And I gotta say..... it's was alright. Just alright.

I honestly don't know what's wrong with me.

I would have had exactly the same thoughts. Every time I've heard Wilsons, I've thought "okay, but not great".

Gotta say - none of that kit would light my fire. Even as much as I love ARC, none of their digital components has ever made it on to a shortlist of mine (no matter how much I would have loved it to be otherwise)

 

[bonzo]

I had posted these ratings here, where the NAT Audio pre at EUR 7k was rated above the Dan Agostino pre which is at 30k. Having heard the NATs, doesn't surprise me.

http://www.martinloganowners.com/fo...-NAT-Audio-pre&p=166617&viewfull=1#post166617

It's good that you found it just ok, because this thread had me highly troubled over the last week. I had to use a lot of willpower to resist posting "$%^&*" and such things in order to retain a pleasant forum personality. But the Alexia + dCS Vivaldi is a common set up here, one that IMO is not only boring, but lacking in midrange and in which the cabinets of the wilsons make the piano sound horribly constipated, something that I have seen in all rooms. The 802Ds are the only speaker I know which really gobble up music. No matter how simple the music that goes in so much detail is lost when it comes out.

At that budget and box speaker preference, the Vandersteen 7s or one of the new (not old) Verity Audio models will be so much better. And easy to set up, because these two don't boom and just adjust to any room

I had been chatting with Albert Porter about the Dali Megalines, and his Focal JM Labs Grand Utopia have still not got better than them. He is working on it.

Not to mention an Analysis Amphytryon, modded, that retails at 32k which IMO should outdo all.

 

[amey01]

I had posted these ratings here, where the NAT Audio pre at EUR 7k was rated above the Dan Agostino pre which is at 30k. Having heard the NATs, doesn't surprise me.

I've never heard the NAT, but it still doesn't surprise me

The 802Ds are the only speaker I know which really gobble up music. No matter how simple the music that goes in so much detail is lost when it comes out.

Also agree - I'd go further and say that any 8XXD just seems to "gobble music" as you say.

Extremely boring kit. But geez - at least they look a darn sight better than the "rubbish bin" Wilsons!

To each their own, as it is in the wonderful world of hi-fi.

 

[bonzo]

To each their own, as it is in the wonderful world of hi-fi.

I think to each his own is fine where one is considering trade off between say, the bass of wilson and the midrange of a Logan. That's a preference, just like the accuracy of an SS amp vs the warmth of tubes. But there are some facts which don't depend on preference. For example, the CLX's don't go down as deep as the Wilsons. Fact. To me, the fact that B&W just does not give out a lot of music is, well, a fact

 

[Gordon Gray]

I honestly don't know what's wrong with me.

Nothing. You have to emotionally connect to the music.

If you can't get "there" with the Wilson, move on.

 

[Joey_V]

Off to chicago in 4 days for family and my daughter's baptism, will stop by Quintessence Audio to listen to SF Strads.

I had to relisten to the Wilsons to re-align my expectations and get my thoughts together. I think I'll know when I like what I hear. So far, Wilsons have moved a few notches down my list of preference, unfortunately. I like the idea behind it, I've been watching some Dave Wilson videos, I like the man, but I guess perhaps they're not for me. If an upstream as high up as D'Agostino Momentums cant get me to lust after a pair of speakers - there's no way my more meager components will do the same/better.

1. 800 Diamond - will relisten again. My brother has a pair of the 804 Diamonds and I have my Cary 05 loaned out to him, I have listened to it several times, and I think it connects with me more than perhaps the Wilson.
2. SF Strad - to audition, but from everyone has told me, sounds like it could be what I'm looking for.
3. Wilson Sasha 2 - probably better for me than the Alexia simply because to me they sound similar and the price point is better - that said, however, Wilson's just might not be the speaker for me at this time.
4. Magico Mini II - if I can find a good pair for a good price online, I will probably pull the trigger just to audition it in my home, a proper 2 way sounds like it could have the coherence I look for in 'stats. I've been eyeballing a Wilson Benesch Torus infrasonic generator as well as a combo.
5. Martin Logan - still have my heart strings pulled by Logans, no matter what I do or how I try to stray away. Something about the sound is just right.

ML's just sound pretty righteous to me. There are a few things I don't like about it and these are things that I have realized as I experienced more and more equipment and gear over the years. However, for what I like and for what I search for in a pair of speakers - they do a lot of things right. Voices just sound right, there's an envelope of sound that covers you.

That said, that envelope of sound is also my issue - that back wave, to me, just feels like an artificial sound reproduction.... like it was never supposed to be there in the recording in the first place. An anomaly. That's my biggest issue, but the sound itself, I like.