best preamp ever - cost is no object

Ryan,
Here is just a few of the things which are different about my current system than the one that you heard four years ago:

1. To begin with the Transport has been changed to a Forsell Air Reference Mk.IV air-bearing transport.
2. The whole digital chain is moved to 2x DSD = 1bit at 5.6MHz before it gets converted to analog via the best DSD/DXD converter in the world.
3. The biggest change in my system has been the incorporation of high-end studio gear, both in the digital and the analog chains, which let me have complete control of all parameters associated with audiophile benchmarks (soundstage width, depth and height control, tonal balance spectral content, upward compression of low level details and on and on and......)
4. In the winter months I use my NRG Control A-401M monoblocks these massive amps are 400 Watts of pure class A power and have the control and authority to make your knees buckle.

There are way too many changes to list here and frankly is kind of dump to list the specific as you have to take the system and its sound as a whole.

By the way, my analog sources have changed to reference Transrotor and Micro-Seiki turntables. The phonostages have changed to Audion Premier Quattro custom three-chassis design and a rare six-tube David Manley MC Balance design for Simon Yorke. All these analog sources get converted to 2X DSD (1bit/5.6Mhz).

The whole system takes into account room correction and acoustic treatment has been added to the room since you last were here.

Like I said I could go on and on. The list of new equipment is endless as well as I have tried a great number of amplifiers, preamps, sources and speakers in my reference system.

By the way, as far as being an authority on audio circuits, audio circuits are relatively SIMPLE compare to the state-machines that I have been designing in ALTERA FPGA's lately so I can assure you that there is nothing; I repeat NOTHING that you can teach me in the way of audio circuit design and topologies. While Audio circuit design is not my business, I can assure you that I'm more than capable, as I have shown whenever I have modified and ventured into audio circuit designs and modifications. Like I said, you're up against a bull and I would watch your steps when you challenge my knowledge of audio and electronics in general.

How about me coming over and listening to your system first? Is that fair enough? I want to hear what you bring to the table as a reviewer and to see what your reference is.

By the way, one of the new speakers in my stable is the Wilson Audio WITT Series II do you know why Wilson Audio discontinued them? Because they couldn't sell the WATT/PUPPY 6 once prospective buyers listen to how the WITT Series II gave them the slam and dynamics but also the "warmth" that the cold, analytical and sterile Watt/Puppy 6 did not. A VERY smart business move on Wilsons part if you asked me but it's a shame as the WITT Series TWO were the starts of their line-up at the time. Perhaps you may want to even compare my WITTS Series II to your Watt/Puppy 6 to validate this yourself; there you go I just gave you another reason to make the 25 minute drive.

I’ve held my tongue but I can’t do it any longer. I haven’t seen such conceited, condescending, pompous posturing around here in quite a while. Frankly, it is very tiresome. Carlos, how do you fit that giant ego through a standard doorway? I would suspect you are actually that other pompous ass, Romy the Cat, except you can actually construct a sentence.

All bow down to the “bull!!!”

If audio design is so simple to geniuses such as you, why don't we have perfect sound from all high end equipment? Reminds me of Julian Hirsch proclaiming perfect sound from amplifiers because they had .00001 % THD. Yes, it is easy to design such circuits but they sound like crap.

Herman, the genius comes from the use of innovative circuit topologies but it is true that in general audio circuits are simple in general terms compare to complex circuits designs used in control circuits, automations, instrumentation and data acquisition circuits. Those are facts that any competent engineer will tell you.

No, not all circuits sound the same and I agree that great measurements don't always translate to great sound; you are changing the scope of this discussion and are making inferences and allegations that I have not made. So please re-read the post and make notes of my statements before you make these grave assumptions.

As far as ego, I'm dealing with facts. How many audiophiles here have offered their systems to be judged by a "reviewer" like I have here; it is quiet obvious that I'm pretty confident in what I have been able to achieve and where my system and knowledge stands right? Why should I hide the facts?

I have nothing more to say so I will give it a rest and just wait for Ryan to either come over or invite me over to listen to his reference. Then we can start the discussion again with more facts and not assumptions.

Carlos269, having serviced out a few Cellos in the past I was amazed at the poor parts quality. Yes, they are junk, nicely packaged and nicely built. With a price tag to throw you off.

FWIW using a variety of NOS tubes to tailor sound is not merely tone controls- if that were the case we'd have solved the issue years ago :) NOS tubes also sound different because they have different distortion characteristics. Some of those distortion characters are easily heard- just as they are in solid state devices (that are supposed to be low distortion). NOS tube are not used because they sound 'brighter' or 'darker' alone, it is also because they may sound smoother or more detailed. When you can show a "tone control" circuit that can increase detail and smoothness and noise floor *without* changing tonality you will have a marketplace, trust me.

You might compare the use of NOS tubes to fine wines and their differences. The analogy is weak but the complexities of a good wine do have something in common with the finer traits of a good tube.

In these brief few paragraphs I have not really given proper due to what the tube rolling thing is all about- and in my own system/designs I avoid using them at all, as I am interested in improving the design without the variable of the tubes, so I always use the same tube types (once having sorted which ones appear to sound right). So while I acknowledge that tube rolling can make quite a difference, at the same time the technologies that the tubes are operating in make, in my mind, a bigger difference.

It may not be that in their expression that anyone posting here has satisfied your 'scientific process', but my experience has been that most audiophiles that are at all serious are surprisingly scientific- I don't think any of them are doing it by trial and error! If you could modify the character of a tube on the fly, this would be a lot easier. But you can't so you may want to change tubes if you want to get the last drop of performance.

Carlos, I don't think the circuit topology must be innovative. It must be well implemented. As you say, the circuits are simple. While this may be true on one level, they are extremely complex on another. Otherwise one could simply copy a circuit and end up with the same sound. The complexity is the huge number of variables you face when you actually start to build. Given a simple schematic of a single tube amplifier it could be built an infinite number of ways when you factor in type of capacitor, resistors and other passive components, physical layout, grounding schemes, cabinet material and construction, wiring, etc.

There are thousands of different amps out there that have very similar circuits but all sound very different if you take the time to listen.

I have had my system evaluated by a reviewer, a high end dealer, and a high end manufacturer too and they were all suitably impressed, not that it means much of anything. Just another opinion in my book.

And yes, as far as ego goes you are dealing with facts. The fact is you have a huge ego. What impresses me is when people like Ralph put forth well reasoned ideas to support their positions, not when people like you tell me I should pay attention and tremble in your wake because you are "the bull."