Mrmb,
We just received the Opus 21. I've been playing it for the last 7 hours. It is near new, so it is not fully burned in yet. I am running it directly into a pair of George Wright 2A3 SET amps, Klipsch La Scala horn speakers, augmented by an ACI Titan sub.
First off, the Opus 21 is an extraordinary player. From top to bottom, it has uncluttered clarity, dynamics, and perfect balance in all frequencies. It has no glare, and has a very natural, analog-like sound. The reviews I've read describe the player accurately. It almost sounds tube-like, though not quite so warm. With the stringed instruments, there is a palpability and tension that really grabs you. The midrange is spacious and airy. The dynamics and instrument separation are also right on.
My wife came home and 'spun' her 5 or 6 reference discs, and concluded exactly what I've written above. "I want the APL for my birthday," she then said. "This player is perfect except for that last bit of emotion that I heard in the APL." I refer to it as a fleshy quality to the music, and it is specifically what we look for in a player. We both agreed that in most systems, the Opus 21 would be stellar, perfect actually. She said that she usually finds herself tearful at the sound of the La Scala's, and the source must pair up accordingly. So there you have it.
"Did you hit the SEND button yet?" she's yelling from the other room, insisting that I order her the APL right this moment. As soon as the APL is ready, we'll be selling a 4-5 week old Opus 21 to some lucky audiophile.
All the best,
Howard
