2. amps-preamps
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VAC Ren II, VAC Phi, or ARC Ref 3?

Finally, the two cold solder joints in one of my Rowland 7M amplifiers have been fixed. Just a simple 2 minutes soldering job at home, thanks to a kind live phone consult by Jeff himself. Now the system is back purring like a kitten.
Great say you, but. . . the problem is that now I have fallen totally prey to Upgraditis Furiosa, the most pernicious and 'wife threatening' form of Audiophilia Nervosa.
I listen mostly to classical--lots of chamber, vocal, Early Music, Baroque, Romantic, some large orchestra, lots of cello and other strings--on a system that I have lovingly put together over the last 20 years: EAD T1000, AT&T glass C-core glass wire, EAD D7000 Mk. 3, AudioQuest Quartz RCA, Audio Research LS2B, Gutwire XLR, Jeff Rowland 7M monoblocks, Cardas Golden Ref PCs on 7M, Cardas Golden Ref speakerwires, MagnePan 3A speakers.
The sound is sweet, lush, with a large if slightly unfocused soundstage, sometimes slightly veiled, somewhat soft at the bottom, can sound glorious in the midrange, good if not spectacular at the top. Much better at small ensembles than at full orchestra, where the sound stage can collapse and full strings and brass often display signs of brittleness and two-dimensionality. But, so much for self-criticism. Now what to do?
I intend to migrate towards a fully balanced system, with redbook and SACD capability and a tube linestage. I will start upgrading at the source and linestage points. The source will be an Esoteric X-01 or an upcoming APL NWO-1. But in this thread I'd like to discuss options for a new linestage. My requirements are an open and detailed, sweet sound, accurate with minimal coloration, with very good but not necessarily overwhelming macro-dynamics, an excellent three-dimensional and accurate soundstage, superior microdynamics and subtle nuance. The linestage must sound great out of the box--after breakin of course: not only after going through many cycles of NOS tubes musical chairs. All of this from a company with a stellar track record and reputation in quality, dependability and pre/post sale support. I listened to the VTL 7.5 and found it to be too soft. The BAT VK51SE sounded too dark. Then I listened at length to the VAC Ren II, which seems to embody all of my requirements. I have not heard the VAC Phi as yet, but it is in the running by inference. Nor I have listened to the ARC Ref 3, although I intend to: Ref 3 is in the running by reputation.
Suggestions? Opinions? It's your turn guys and girls!
guidocorona
jafox
1,456 posts
 
Guidocorona: I can certainly relate to the issue of you wanting reliability but this comes with a lot of product lines these days so I would not worry too much here. You have listed a number of very highly rated models. I have not heard any of them but I have got to believe they are all magnitudes beyond the LS2 in pure musicality.

Rather than focus so much on what is too dark, too soft, etc., focus on the musicality. I am not going to comment on the LS2 as I have bashed this enough here already. But simply put, you have lived a long time with a product that has a very subtractive nature in many ways. Give some of these products more time. Maybe they are too soft or dark only because the LS2 is overly bright and fatiguing relative to many other pieces? It is almost like you need to "recalibrate" your ears and take notice of the multitude of refinements of these other products and not pay so much attention to simply the tonality.

There are layers and layers of harmonic overtones, decays, portrayal of space, etc., etc., that you have simply been missing all these years. The LS5, BAT 31SE and now Callisto have done this like few other products I have heard. I have to believe the 51SE, VAC and VTL have similar qualities.

As I have changed to the BAT and then Aesthetix products, I find it impossible to return to ARC products because for me now, they are simply too fatiguing. There's just too much of a "in your face" presentation with these products. And this is coming from an owner of many ARC products over the course of 15 years. Maybe the Ref3 is a different animal.

One very important note here. When you bring home a product like the ones you mentioned, you MUST also borrow a top-notch XLR cable from this to the amps. This is THE most critical cable in a system with such a line stage. I have found it to either make or break the magical qualities in the music that I have worked so hard to achieve myself.

John
guidocorona OP
4,298 posts
 
Thank you Bsal, I would consider Aesthetix were it not for the fact that you really need to love rolling tubes to bring out its potential. Your comment about the VACs great holographic imaging is bang on in my view. That's exactly my experience.
guidocorona OP
4,298 posts
 
Thank you John, although my mention of VTL 7.5 and BAT VK51SE was cursory, my auditioning was very detailed and based on a set of my own classic CDs--not test disks containing meaningless sonic fireworks, but albums old and new, representative of the music I typically enjoy.
My criteria had all to do with musicality. After all I have been in the world of music for the last 45 years in one form or another: student, singer/performer, composer and musicologist in my college days, audiophile. The VTL was in fact very musical, strings were truly lovely, but it had the tendency of deemphasizing transients, as such, a Steinway piano ended up sounding like a Bluthner with a blanket thrown on top: that's not of my liking. The problem with musicality of the BAT VK51SE is that. . . I could not hear any of it. Transients were well defined, but the sound was cold, dark, it lacked completely the glow and emotion that I associate with what I deem musical. Paradoxically, I found the Boulder 1010 I auditioned during the same session musically more satisfying than the BAT. On the other hand, I am more than willing to give VTL 7.5 and BAT VK51SE another chance, just in case my memory of them were flawed.
jafox
1,456 posts
 
Wow, you have some serious work ahead of you. With the requirement of a truly balanced design and your focus on 3-dimensional qualities, extended and open top end, the field of products is truly small. I would like so much to hear the VAC as I suspect it is about the only thing to give the Callisto a run for the show without going to the next insane (Boulder) price point.

Please don't discount the Aesthetix Callisto because of your concern of the effort needed to get NOS tubes to sound its best. Even with stock Sovtek tubes, it still mightily outperformed the Calypso with premium tubes and the BAT by an equal margin. I followed Albert Porter's postings here on what tubes worked and my experiences when I tried the same were right on with his. His efforts and willingness to share saved me a ton of time and no doubt money as well. In a week's time you could locate all the tubes to replace the stock tubes and then not think about it.

JD (Jadem6 who owns the Calypso) and I both feel that the magic with the Callisto has got to be much to do with it's separate tube power supply. And we were both so focused on this that it took us a awhile to notice how superbly the Callisto renders and controls the bass that is so untypical of a tube preamp. The two chassis implementation can be a hassle, but then the VAC Renaissance is as well. The Calypso and thus the Janus would clearly not meet your needs here.

It will be interesting to hear the reports on your listening sessions and ultimately your feelings on the Ref3 as well.

John
guidocorona OP
4,298 posts
 
John, you are putting evil thoughts in my perverted audiophilic mind! Now I will have to go and listen to the mighty Callisto as well. That's . . . not nice!
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