Transparent MM2

hi no money : the easiest solution : - borrow from your dealer both the bal ultra mm2 and the se ultra mm2 (the MF doesnt have a xlr option? many components that do often perform much better in bal mode, but it really depends on how the cdp was designed. this is all beyond my tech knowledge, i always decide by listening) .

i think the commonly accepted rule is that the IC from the source should be the highest quality cable, then the SC, lastly the pre to amp in terms of impact on the quality of the presentation IF you upgrade in phases. sometimes SC may impact more than the source IC, but this all depends on the system as a whole, synergy issues, and of course which components + PCs are the weakest or strongest link in the system.also, many have concluded that well matched component specific PCs have an equal if not greater part to play than ICs. audition widely and intelligently over several days or longer. never go on a 2 day impression. // i think the upgrade of the ultra mm to mm2 is not inexpensive, but still less than the cost of a ref mm1 and the ultra+mm2 excedes the ref mm1 in many important areas. i think it all depends on the capability of your system to benefit from the higher level of presentation.

unfortunately the MF player is not balanced.

I might just start with the IC to ease into it. :)

i have to toss in the proverbial monkey wrench. for future consideration, you may want to consider changing your cdp to, for example, an used ayre c5se. the cost is more than the a single IC upgrade but may net you much more in terms of overall presentation with your present cables. it may be worth waiting for the $ for this type of system upgrade. although there will be a jump of clarity with the mm2, the details of the music will still be limited to what the MF cdp can read and present. the ayre c5se is in another league and will surely offer more of what is recorded on the cd... and with much more musical engagement IMO.

Yea, I have to figure out my budget/priority for upgrading. My dealer caries Ayre so that is a possibilty. The major problem is I do not have a dedictaed listening room. There is a 50" Sony SXRD sitting on a stand so getting a flat panel up on the wall and some curtains to cover it while listening has to be considered as well. I have RPG panels on the back wall right now.

How do you like your Wilsons? The system that my salesman demoed the DFE's on was REF3, REFcd7, REF110 and Wilsons all wired with Transparent Opus..... Talk about DYNAMIC!

i love the w/p8s and happy to learn that with each carefully chosen upgrade, they present more of the "live/tactile" experience with greater nuance, overall transparency, and dynamicism.

when all the componets were set, which is less than a year now, my starter cables were all TA ultra mm1. after about 3 months of acclimating to the new system and run in, i noticed a small crossover issue and a tendency to have an mildly bright top end with some performers who i know to have a somewhat aggresssively lean upper end live (sandor vegh of the vegh quartet, some london and russian symphony orchestras, many soprano divas who choose to sing arias a bit beyond their top end comfort zone.) However, with recent cable upgrade auditions, that has largely disappeared. i still have some PCs to incorporate after the new TA ref mm2 cables arrive and are run in. with the small experience i have gathered from PC auditioning, the tweeter issue, minor now, should disappear. and there are tube rolling possibilities in my vtl preamp to explore. overall, i view speakers less independently, more as part of the whole system to work cohesively. suprisingly, the crossover issue was less pronounced with higher model cables, though i dont understand why.

i have heard the w/p8s with an all arc system too, but not with TA opus, which in the system you describe is really overkill. no doubt the system would be highly dynamic, though a bit sluggish and spread at the bottom. the ref110 is not the strongest choice for w/p8s. better for the superb sophia2's or much more sensitive speakers on the whole. thanks for your dialog. cheers.