Accustic Arts

The CD puck provided in the Acustic Art Drive is a bit too small for stabilizing the CD. I now put a Boston Audio CD Stabilizer in between the puck and the CD before playing and the results are astonishing...
a) More silence, hence more details
b) More slam and extension
c) Bigger soundstage and more airy

The description of this CD puck is found here
http://www.boston-audio.com/cd.htm

Some items are boxed till the room is done. The main rack is at a friends home while the amp stand is boxed behind me when I'm on the Internet. My four year old will spread foam peanuts over if I unbox while she's around. The speakers are in the garage and the dac is being modded.
I'd like to order the Ars this year.

Dev,
one more question: How does the Oracle CD 1000 hold up to the AA Drive I MkII? Same performance level, better, worse?
Regards,
Florian Hassel

Hassel,
When I did the comparison it was against the 2000 and not the "AA" SORRY but I can't help you there.

The 1000 is a really nice piece and if you are looking for a transport and the 2000 isn't in the budget then for sure it's a contender.

The "AA" dac, I'm really content and over all impressed especially hooked up with my Oracle, this is going to be a real hard combo to improve on. The weakest link in my system I believe is the pair of VD interconnects from my pre to amps but I have to say the way my system is performing right now is the best I have ever heard it and really really enjoying it!

Just to let everyone know, I received an email last night saying there was something wrong with the Metronome that I was demoing. Tom said when he hooked it back up he was not getting the same sound that he recalls getting so something must be wrong. Tom was one of the six individuals that was over when we were doing the comparison. I just got off the phone and he said that he is going to send it back to the manufacturer, sounds to me $$$$$$$. I believe what happened was he just heard a system that either surpassed or equaled what he is use to hearing. While he was at my place he kept commenting on specific pieces of music saying "I have never heard that before" but it was his own music that he listens too. Just in case he reads this or it gets back to him I will say that he did say he was really impressed and said I have some real magic going on.

One last reminder regarding the 2000, if you are going to get one make sure it is the latest version.

Hotbird, thanks for the heads up on the Boston Audio CD stabilzer. In my past experience, other CD tweeks, such as the De Mat from Holland, always took away something like microdynamics, slam, etc., even if they "smoothed" over the sound or made the CD's sound warmer.

So my question is, have you experienced any sonic downside with this device? I called Boston Audio yesterday and talked to Austin the designer of their tweeks, a great guy, he explained they now make two different versions of the stabilizer which revolves around weight and thickness. Did you get the thinner and lighter weight one or the thicker one that weights more? Austin advised to order the thicker one, which I did. It seems very reasonable priced, $149.00 and you get a 30 day audition period. I'll thank you in advance regarding your feedback regarding any sonic shortcomings, if any , with this device.