Spectral preamp & Timbre DAC!! Oh My!!

pearsall001
pearsall001 Posts: 5,068
edited October 2006 in 2 Channel Audio
Joe (hearingimpaired) paid me a nice visit last night. We had a blast listening to tunes, swapping out gear, & bullshitin. We listened to my system for a while & Joe was grinning from ear to ear. He could not believe the presence of the AAD 2001 monitors, he was quite taken back & just smiled some more. First we decided to use the Timbre DAC. I hooked it up so we could A/B back & forth between my Consonance CD120 player & the DAC. The difference was not subtle to say the least. The CD120 is an excellent player in itself but the Timbre DAC elevated everything to another level. The DAC transformed my room into a quaint niteclub atmosphere. Very analog & vinyl sounding. I was taken back by it's performance. Now I can't wait till my Ultra DAC from Frank Van Alstine gets here. Joe & I will have a ball comparing the two. Then we hooked up Joe's Spectral preamp. He was a little worried because it hasn't been on in quite some time. Not to worry, it fired right up & sounded superb. All in all it was a very enjoyable evening. Joe is one hell of a nice guy. Till next time!!

Phil
"2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
Post edited by pearsall001 on
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  • Midnite Mick
    Midnite Mick Posts: 1,591
    edited October 2006
    Sounds like a fun evening Phil. I have been wondering where the review on AVA DAC has been, not realizing that you have not gotten it yet. Wish I was there.

    Mike
    Modwright SWL 9.0 SE (6Sons Audio Thunderbird PC with Oyaide 004 terminations)
    Consonance cd120T
    Consonance Cyber 800 tube monoblocks (6Sons Audio Thunderbird PC's with Oyaide 004 terminations)
    Usher CP 6311

    Phillips Pronto TS1000 Universal Remote
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited October 2006
    You mean bits ain't just bits?

    ...sounds like a fun night. Enjoy.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,068
    edited October 2006
    steveinaz wrote:
    You mean bits ain't just bits?

    ...sounds like a fun night. Enjoy.

    Man oh Man!!! Not after what I heard last night. It was two distinct sounds. Both were quite enjoyable but I prefered the smoothness of the Timbre DAC even though I really enjoyed the CD120 all this time before hearing the DAC. Instead of being at a rock concert drinking a beer I was at a snazzy niteclub sipping scotch.
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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  • organ
    organ Posts: 4,969
    edited October 2006
    Cool. Sounds like you guys had a lot of fun.
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited October 2006
    With my Timbre DAC I can now listen to CDs without it sounding like breaking glass or that digital fingernails on the chalk board.

    It was an awesome night. I could't believe those AAD 2001s!!!! Silky smooth, great imaging and depth, the decay of the percusion, and voices on some of the recordings ((namely the "Cat took my ****" by Mapleshade (odd genre but exceptional recording) "Jazz at the Pawnshop, Good Vibes" Proprius and a James Taylor CD I can't remember the name)) just went on forever out of a pitch black backround, those speakers were simply breathtaking and the kicker is. . . they are bookshelfs . On most of the material we listened to last night the AADs simply disappeared and the bass was startling. Georg Riedel's double bass on Good Vibes was as clear and tight (you felt as well as heard it) as I've ever heard it from this recording. You felt, not heard but felt the pingggggg and clunck of Lars Erstrand's hammers on the vibes. The typani shots on the James Taylor's CD were literally startling. I never heard bass so "there" on bookshelf speakers without a sub like I did with these speakers. If I didn't already own the SRS 1.2 TLs I would be seriously considering the AAD 2001s. Plus they are beautifully made. Maybe I can talk my wife into letting me buy them for the living room.

    The Conrad Johnson integreted pre was very very sweet and the Van Alstine amp, I didn't even realize it was in the mix it was so transparent.

    One last thing that I can't resist talking about is the MARIGO - 3-D STABILIZER MAT SIGNATURE. Phil told me that he bought this tweak for $200. Now I looooooovvvvvveeee tweaks and when I am getting ready to listen to one I usually tell myself that I am not going to hear any difference and most times the improvement if any is just above minimal. I can tell you this, the difference that the Mariago made on the Consonace was dramatic and I heard it immediately. I didn't have to sit and listen for a while it hit me right in the face. What it did was to add much greater depth and 3-D to the image. The best way to describe this is; on the Jazz at the Pawnshop disc you hear and feel as though you are in the audiance sitting amongnst the patrons drinking beer. You can hear the glasses tinkling and the (1976) telephone ringing. Without the MARIGO this sensation was in front of you about 4 feet. With the MARIGO the sensation enveloped you, the phone ringing came from behind you and the glasses tinkling and people murmering . . . you were right in the middle of it. I will be spending $200 on the MARIGO very soon. The link below takes you to it.

    http://www.musicdirect.com/products/detail.asp?sku=AMAR3DSIGNATURE

    I can't wait for the return engagement at Phil's, he and his wife made me feel right at home.

    Edit: I forgot to mention the room treatments. They were invisible to the naked eye, at first glance. After a look or two, for goodness sake he had them all over this huge 32' x 13' room. I would imagine that all that tuning had a lot to do with the transparency of the AADs.
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited October 2006
    steveinaz wrote:
    You mean bits ain't just bits?

    ...sounds like a fun night. Enjoy.

    Steve, bit are bits and they are nasty, nasty sounding little things. IMHO there is nothing like the smooth velvety sound coming from a great vinyl recording on a solid turntable/tonearm/cartridge combo, but I can tell you this, the Timbre DAC makes those nasty bits sound very, very close to a great analog playback system. . . it is definetely a great performer. I had it powered up for a day and a half before I brought it over to Phil's.
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  • Midnite Mick
    Midnite Mick Posts: 1,591
    edited October 2006
    Phil or Hearingimpaired does this mat actually big enough to sit under the legs of the player or does it rest moreso in between the legs?

    Mike

    or does it sit atop the cd in the player
    Modwright SWL 9.0 SE (6Sons Audio Thunderbird PC with Oyaide 004 terminations)
    Consonance cd120T
    Consonance Cyber 800 tube monoblocks (6Sons Audio Thunderbird PC's with Oyaide 004 terminations)
    Usher CP 6311

    Phillips Pronto TS1000 Universal Remote
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  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,068
    edited October 2006
    Midnite Mick wrote:
    Phil or Hearingimpaired does this mat actually big enough to sit under the legs of the player or does it rest moreso in between the legs?

    Mike

    or does it sit atop the cd in the player

    Mike

    It sits on top of the CD. And yes it does work & very well at that. I went out on a limb when the salesguy raved about it. Musicdirect does have a 30 day return policy. I figured what the hell & gave it a shot. Don't ask me any technical munbo jumbo questions because I don't have a clue how this thing does what it does. My ears are my criteria by which I judge how different pieces of gear sound in my system. I knew right away I could hear the improvement in sound. But you always doubt yourself when it comes to tweaks. Am I telling myself I hear a difference because I just dropped $200 bucks? The mind can be your double edged sword sometimes. Any hoo! I knew I heard a difference but I had to confirm it. Enter my wife who by the way is happy the way her clock radio sounds. Ah! the perfect critic. I put her favorite Cilion Dion CD on and tell her to listen. Then I put the disc on (I didn't tell her what I did) she immediately asked me what I just did because it sounds better now. There you go, I got a winner & kept it. Check it out for yourself.

    Cheers,
    Phil
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited October 2006
    Midnite Mick wrote:
    Phil or Hearingimpaired does this mat actually big enough to sit under the legs of the player or does it rest moreso in between the legs?

    Mike

    or does it sit atop the cd in the player

    This thing really works! You place it on top of the CD before you load it.:)
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  • Toka78
    Toka78 Posts: 192
    edited October 2006
    pearsall001 wrote:
    Now I can't wait till my Ultra DAC from Frank Van Alstine gets here.

    Phil


    Verrrrrrry nice pickup there...please post when you get a chance to test it out. AVA is the tops in my book. :cool:
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