by rtsyrtsy » Tue Jun 10, 2008 6:54 pm
Brief Intro
I enjoy music, I enjoy gear that plays good music. My music collection is pretty broad though in between exploring new genres, I always cycle through vocals (but not opera yet), small jazz and classical ensembles, big band jazz, etc.
However, I am not a technical person so don't ask me about impedance curves, room modes, etc.
I listen in the living room (no acoustic treatment, just rough Audio Physic set-up method) on loudspeakers, in the bedroom on full-sized headphones and in between the living room and bedroom on portable headphones.
Speaker-amp combos that I liked are:
Sonus Faber & Conrad Johnson
I started with a Concertino (Pre-Home) and heard it play good music with tube-sounding S/S: Nakamichi, Audio Analogue Puccini, and my fave S/S Pass Aleph. It played well with a Rene Rivo'ed Dynaco ST-70 but I later learned that I'm a 6550 dude, not quite EL34 when I switched to a Sonus Faber Signum.
Then I chanced upon a Premier 11a on the 'Gon and again, my hard earned savings were gone.
I didn't discover this fab combo. The sound of Hyperion's old Electa Amator 2 and Premier 11a (with Kondo cables) is to my ears still a reference. Bogart also threw in his Signum in Hyperion's place and that made me hunt for a Signum (thanks to Edwin in SG).
Joe3rp's Labia horn loudspeakers with Ambel's 300B amps
I won't say much, many of you heard this at the last hi-fi show.
LS3/5a & Dynaco ST70 (heard at VD's old doghouse)
Disclosure: I'm not a big fan of either gear by themselves but when used together, there is a sense of rightness--no bass, no top end sparkle, but imaging and the crucial midband melts all worries away.
B&W & Classe
Borrowed Classe (thanks Rico) and brother in law's ancient B&W = I never thought I could have fun with not so simple crossover networks.
Living Voice & Kondo
Thanks to JR at Soundscape Singapore, I now know why my LV's will never live up to its full potential--because I can never afford a Kegon!
Sennheiser & Musical Fidelity X-Cans w/ X-PSU
While I much prefer the 6550-powered Opera Cyber headphone amp, it was the X-Cans that opened my ears to what music is like without room anomalies.
O, kayo naman!