MY TRIP TO THE HEAVISIDE LAYER

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MY TRIP TO THE HEAVISIDE LAYER

Postby mandym » Wed Mar 17, 2010 6:02 pm

PROLOGUE
I just met the gentleman. We talked Audio, my tonearms and my desire to test a top-rated cartridge on it to see how far it can go. We got along fine and I quickly sensed that underneath his quiet an unassuming manner hides a wealth of Audio lore and know-how. I thought I'd like to invite him to San Pablo and he graciously accepted.

THE SURPRISE

He came to share lunch with me and brought along two boxes. A large one with a delicious cake in it and a small wooden box with Japanese characters on the cover. I casually took the small box not realizing that it contained Koetsu's jewel, the Coralstone!!! He had remembered my wish and volunteered to lend THE cartridge to me for a few months! Alas, after just over a month, I reluctantly had to go back to my Denon 103. But I am getting ahead of myself...

LIFT OFF
I thought the trip would be on gossamer wings, but not so! After my friend and I got done with the obligatory setup ritual, I was immediately struck by how wonderfully different is the Koetsu sound. Improvements galore! Soundstage, imagery, resolution, etc. Not huge improvements, but taken together takes the listening experience several notches up. My friend just sat quietly listening to some passages he requested from the US production of CATS (excellent test record, I learned).
After the session, he hinted I might want to do some tweaking of the VTA, VTF, etc. After he left, I did not heed his suggestion right away since I was wallowing in wonderful sounds and I thought it could not get much better. How wrong I was!

THE SONGS OF THE SIRENS
Big improvements are possible and therein lies the cause of the difficulty. I learned that achieving the best performance requires strong discipline and a singularity of purpose to reach the goal. There are so many sirens luring one to come and stay. There is the lure of imaging, the lure of soundstage, of dynamic excitement, each tempting enough to waylay the unwary traveler.
The Koetsu seems to be so responsive down to the microscale world that even after a month of daily tweaking, I continue to discover new pleasures. Many settings will make the Koetsu sing, a very few can make it magical. On one or two occasions, it has taken me to the Heaviside layer where the line between illusion and reality blurs. I remember in one session a member of the chorus of CATS stuck her head into my listening room!
I often felt that I was in the verge of breaking through...the total suspension of disbelief. My mind knows it will not happen but my heart insists that the Coralstone will take me there! Thus, I am compelled to do a lifetime of tweaking if necessary. But that was not to be!

HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM!!
Yesterday just before dawn on my way to the CR, I startled a stray cat prowling about in my living room. I made a panicked dash and knocked my tonearm to the floor! I immediately picked it up and what I saw drained the blood from my head! The Koetsu's delicate and precious stylus was ruined, bent at a grotesque angle! What am I going to do? I know I'll have to make good on it but I do not know where on earth I can get the money!!
Then I woke up terribly scared and in full sweat. I hurriedly went to the living room to convince myself that it was all a nightmare. Yes it was. The tonearm and the Koetsu were in their place happily perched on the armrest!

BACK DOWN TO EARTH
I decided that I cannot take a risk on the Koetsu, no matter how small, no matter how much I have grown to love it! I am just so happy and thankful to my friend for letting me share the greatness of the Koetsu! The experience also taught me volumes about Audio reproduction but more importantly about human relationships, of kindness and trust. I will always remember the Koetsu with fondness. Until then,

....Here's hoping we'll meet now and then,
It was great fun,
But it was just one of those things!
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Re: MY TRIP TO THE HEAVISIDE LAYER

Postby JackD201 » Wed Mar 17, 2010 6:08 pm

HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM!!
Yesterday just before dawn on my way to the CR, I startled a stray cat prowling about in my living room. I made a panicked dash and knocked my tonearm to the floor! I immediately picked it up and what I saw drained the blood from my head! The Koetsu's delicate and precious stylus was ruined, bent at a grotesque angle! What am I going to do? I know I'll have to make good on it but I do not know where on earth I can get the money!!
Then I woke up terribly scared and in full sweat. I hurriedly went to the living room to convince myself that it was all a nightmare. Yes it was. The tonearm and the Koetsu were in their place happily perched on the armrest!


Hey that wasn't funny!!!!! I broke out in a cold sweat while reading it!!!!!

Thank goodness it was just a dream :sweat: :sweat: :sweat: :)
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Re: MY TRIP TO THE HEAVISIDE LAYER

Postby jadis » Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:00 pm

JackD201 wrote:HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM!!
Yesterday just before dawn on my way to the CR, I startled a stray cat prowling about in my living room. I made a panicked dash and knocked my tonearm to the floor! I immediately picked it up and what I saw drained the blood from my head! The Koetsu's delicate and precious stylus was ruined, bent at a grotesque angle! What am I going to do? I know I'll have to make good on it but I do not know where on earth I can get the money!!
Then I woke up terribly scared and in full sweat. I hurriedly went to the living room to convince myself that it was all a nightmare. Yes it was. The tonearm and the Koetsu were in their place happily perched on the armrest!


Hey that wasn't funny!!!!! I broke out in a cold sweat while reading it!!!!!

Thank goodness it was just a dream :sweat: :sweat: :sweat: :)


Houston we HAVE A PROBLEM????? :o :o

OH GOODNESS IT WAS A DREAM. Cold sweat indeed, but for me, I thought I was feeling my stomach turn acidic again until I read that it was a nightmare....Whew....

I'll go back to Mang Mandy's Coralstone experience in a little mo, after I settle down a bit... :lol:
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Re: MY TRIP TO THE HEAVISIDE LAYER

Postby mandym » Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:31 pm

Guys, I swear it is no joke!
I was so worried about damaging the Koetsu that the possibility was always on my mind. It was only a matter of time before I dreamt about it. I had earlier thought about ending my affair with the Koetsu but I was having so much fun! The nightmare settled the question.
Sort of having a mistress and dreaming that your wife found out, 'di ba?
Jadis, maybe I might write about details, questions, speculations regarding my experience, but don't hold your breath :) :) :) .
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Re: MY TRIP TO THE HEAVISIDE LAYER

Postby JackD201 » Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:49 pm

Years after college I'd have dreams that it was final exams and I hadn't studied yet :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: MY TRIP TO THE HEAVISIDE LAYER

Postby jadis » Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:47 pm

mandym wrote:LIFT OFF
I thought the trip would be on gossamer wings, but not so! After my friend and I got done with the obligatory setup ritual, I was immediately struck by how wonderfully different is the Koetsu sound. Improvements galore! Soundstage, imagery, resolution, etc. Not huge improvements, but taken together takes the listening experience several notches up.


My thoughts exactly, Mang Mandy. After listening to various models of Koetsu, ranging from wood to stone bodies, from samarium/cobalt to neo dymium to platinum magnets, the one similar trait is that, though they may not be the best performers in soundstage, imaging, resolution, and most reviewers' testing parameters, 'TAKEN TOGETHER', the sum is greater than its parts, so to speak. My initial impression has always been that of a 'sonic feeling' of rightness, soundness, or simply put, musicality that it renders. Then after the dust has settled, the minute characterization of the hi-fi terms come in. And that is not to say there is a lack of such characters, or traits in it. As you mentioned, "The Koetsu seems to be so responsive down to the microscale world that even after a month of daily tweaking, I continue to discover new pleasures. Many settings will make the Koetsu sing, a very few can make it magical."

I'm glad that you enjoyed the Coralstone experience, Mang Mandy. I was fortunate enough to hear it too, albeit briefly, and just like you said, it was a feeling of being in between illusion and reality. Most of all, it is a thing of beauty. :)
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Re: MY TRIP TO THE HEAVISIDE LAYER

Postby jadis » Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:53 pm

mandym wrote:Guys, I swear it is no joke!
I was so worried about damaging the Koetsu that the possibility was always on my mind. It was only a matter of time before I dreamt about it. I had earlier thought about ending my affair with the Koetsu but I was having so much fun! The nightmare settled the question.
Sort of having a mistress and dreaming that your wife found out, 'di ba?
Jadis, maybe I might write about details, questions, speculations regarding my experience, but don't hold your breath :) :) :) .


I know the feeling. And it has happened to me too, re fears of something and then dreaming about it. Though in my case, it was not about the Koetsu, and not about a mistress either. :lol: :lol:
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Re: MY TRIP TO THE HEAVISIDE LAYER

Postby Jon Agner » Wed Mar 17, 2010 9:30 pm

Mandy,

At least yours is just a dream ;) me..... I don't know if I'll ever get over my nightmare :o :(

Kidding aside, it was a similar experience when I started out with the koetsu and the kamagong tonearm.... tweaking is endless, but at the end realizing that we are tuning the tonearm itself to bring out the musicality of the cartridge :)

I do hope you expand your write up more :)
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Re: MY TRIP TO THE HEAVISIDE LAYER

Postby pigdog » Thu Mar 18, 2010 9:59 am

going back to the subject at hand, may i ask what was the arm you were using? it always fascinates me to read about Mandy's experiments and specially the tonearms, whether arms were built from scratch, or modded.
speaking of which, i had cats in my space but kept them away from the audio rack. it was not so much a problem as my cats tended to be lazy and spent most of the time snoozing ;)
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Re: MY TRIP TO THE HEAVISIDE LAYER

Postby mandym » Thu Mar 18, 2010 1:06 pm

pigdog wrote:going back to the subject at hand, may i ask what was the arm you were using? it always fascinates me to read about Mandy's experiments and specially the tonearms, whether arms were built from scratch, or modded.
speaking of which, i had cats in my space but kept them away from the audio rack. it was not so much a problem as my cats tended to be lazy and spent most of the time snoozing ;)


Shucks, you just had to ask didn't you?
I had meant to surprise you with it! The tonearm is the one you have requested me to make. Made of the Indonesian Blackwood. It is finished and when you come over you might want to bring your Koetsu with so we can ride it to the Heaviside layer :) :) :) .
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Re: MY TRIP TO THE HEAVISIDE LAYER

Postby pigdog » Thu Mar 18, 2010 5:08 pm

woot!!!!!!! cant wait to see it!
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Re: MY TRIP TO THE HEAVISIDE LAYER

Postby audiostar » Thu Mar 18, 2010 6:43 pm

mandym wrote:Guys, I swear it is no joke!
I was so worried about damaging the Koetsu that the possibility was always on my mind. It was only a matter of time before I dreamt about it. I had earlier thought about ending my affair with the Koetsu but I was having so much fun! The nightmare settled the question.
Sort of having a mistress and dreaming that your wife found out, 'di ba?
Jadis, maybe I might write about details, questions, speculations regarding my experience, but don't hold your breath :) :) :) .


Don't worry, sabi nga nung trainer ni Clottey, you gott'a take some risks :lol: It's always like that with a mistress, the risks make the relationship hotter :devil:
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Re: MY TRIP TO THE HEAVISIDE LAYER

Postby jadis » Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:04 pm

audiostar wrote:
mandym wrote:Guys, I swear it is no joke!
I was so worried about damaging the Koetsu that the possibility was always on my mind. It was only a matter of time before I dreamt about it. I had earlier thought about ending my affair with the Koetsu but I was having so much fun! The nightmare settled the question.
Sort of having a mistress and dreaming that your wife found out, 'di ba?
Jadis, maybe I might write about details, questions, speculations regarding my experience, but don't hold your breath :) :) :) .


It's always like that with a mistress, the risks make the relationship hotter :devil:


val, that's a new one...some food for thought ba yan? :lol:

previously, the best line i heard, when i asked a very good (married) friend if he has had an affair (with a promise of super confidentiality), his answer was: 'no, but i am open to one.' :lol: :lol:
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Re: MY TRIP TO THE HEAVISIDE LAYER

Postby JackD201 » Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:18 pm

audiostar wrote: It's always like that with a mistress, the risks make the relationship hotter :devil:


All this mistress talk made me realize that I don't have one. I have a friggin' harem! :headbang:

Seriously though, no harem is complete without a Koetsu be it wood, stone, or in Mandy's test case, calcium carbonate :) In many ways they are the antithesis of Hi-Fi. To me Koetsu carts have their own take on the music. They don't strive for fidelity but rather strive to present beauty as their creators see it. They may not be technological marvels but what they are are artisan pieces to be cherished and perhaps with ample care even be passed on to the next generation. In absolute terms I have three carts other than the Koetsu that actually punch through the "heaviside layer" more easily especially in the area of portraying time and space, when it comes to hedonistic delights however the Koetsu very easily holds its own through it's prismatic display of color and tactile rendition of texture.
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Re: MY TRIP TO THE HEAVISIDE LAYER

Postby vintage_dog » Thu Mar 18, 2010 10:28 pm

am glad all's well with you mandy!

time to visit your hide-out...
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Re: MY TRIP TO THE HEAVISIDE LAYER

Postby jadis » Fri Mar 19, 2010 9:47 am

To add more 'colors' to this page, I spotted a 'petrified coral' from the net, where the body of the Koetsu Coralstone Platinum traces its roots from. I do get petrified by the price of the KCP myself. :lol: :lol:

Image

Actual unit of the 'key' to the heaviside layer: (Regular cantilever)

Image

And its 'diamond cantilevered' brethren: (The owner must be in the heaviside layer too, he has not called me in a while) :D

Image

More 'colors' of KOETSU CARTRIDGES can be seen HERE
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Re: MY TRIP TO THE HEAVISIDE LAYER

Postby mandym » Fri Mar 19, 2010 4:41 pm

Hi Francis, it will be nice too see you. I am here all by my lonesome with the lake, the mountains and cool breezes... :D!
I miss my Wiredstate friends.

Hi Jack. I have only very limited exposure to top-end cartridges, so I am not able to fully appreciate your description but I can perhaps have a good idea of what you wanted to convey. I can compare my Denon to the Koetsu I used. In terms of performance the Koetsu trounces the Denon but as far as "character(?)", it is like comparing apples to oranges. I think that the Denon is built for speed, the Koetsu for comfort. Maybe a fairer analogy is a Ferrari vs. a Rolls Royce? Hard choice! Now I see why you have a cartridge harem. Fortunately you are not lusting for a harem of top-end cars, or are you :rofl: :rofl: .
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Re: MY TRIP TO THE HEAVISIDE LAYER

Postby vintage_dog » Fri Mar 19, 2010 4:51 pm

mandy, would try to make a trip down south this march...we always enjoy the scenery and food...and while there also visit butch a. and see his vintage watch collection... ;)
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Re: MY TRIP TO THE HEAVISIDE LAYER

Postby Superman » Fri Mar 19, 2010 4:58 pm

How I wish San Pablo is just a few kilometers away :worried: ...We hope to visit you, Sir Mandy! Will ask Val and the gang to schedule an Oplan Field Trip :D
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Re: MY TRIP TO THE HEAVISIDE LAYER

Postby JackD201 » Sat Mar 20, 2010 1:04 pm

mandym wrote: Fortunately you are not lusting for a harem of top-end cars, or are you :rofl: :rofl: .


No sir! One fast car and one practical car is all I think I'll ever want or need. I love spirited driving but I'm not really a motorhead. :) :) :) Audio however, hmmmmmmmm........... :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

The beauty of Koetsus in my experience Tito Mandy, as I have owned a wood body and now own a stone, is that the majority of its their character is in the midrange. The implications are that you don't need a big ol' super system to get what they do best. Other super carts realize a greater portion of their potential when matched up with wide bandwidth systems capable of super highs and lows.

I see what you mean about taking the time to dial them in to get the magic. Personally, I feel I can do better with my Koetsu given a different arm. I'm still waiting for my prospect to become available from its current owner :devil:
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