Thanks Jazz. I have tried a few power conditioners, notably the Synergistic Research Powercells and EquiTech balanced power offerings. Frankly, most "fixed" some ailments but added colorations that ultimately became distractions. The RSA Dmitri manages to complement the HiDiamond traits, allowing me to, as you say "focus on the music". Although, even the Dmitri only truly came alive with a HiDiamond P4 feeding it!
I must say, for the first time in a while, I am not searching for changes. Oh, there's the inevitable trials of fuses and sundry tweaks (always need to feed the monster), but my components are set for now.
First of all, great system! I could well imagine to go back to planars someday (had some Maggies in the past).
>>Gear will come and go, but I would not be without these. Stillpoints Ultra SS is hard to beat but in the realm of power cables, research speeds up the product cycles and I have, like many, rode the wave of Cardas, SR, NordOst before settling on HiDiamond, for now. HD product lines let you focus on the music.
Re power conditioning, have you tried other passive filtering like Audience (any teflon version)?
System edited: Just added Stillpoints Ultra SS's under the Maggie/Mye Stands. Now have Stillpoints under all components, and boy have these footers refined the sound. I must list Stillpoints and HiDiamond Cables as my most consistent "components" in that they let everything else sing. Gear will come and go, but I would not be without these.
System edited: Added a Running Springs Audio Dmitri power conditioner to the front end. Refinement and PRAT! Seems to complement the full bodied HiDiamond sound (much more so than the SR Powercell, which sounded best in my previous SR-loomed setup).
Ozzy, the Bryston combo is a joy. Matched with the attributes of the HiDiamond cables the music from my system has so much nuance and emotion. It did take a little special "care and feeding" to get the Brystons singing. The HD cables, of course, plus after-market fuses (using AMR Gold -sweet!), Stillpoint SS mini's, and about 300 hours of break-in have made the Brystons a worthy front end for my system. And although the quest never really ends, I'm happy for now to stop and smell the roses.
Tympani, I l also own a complete loom of HiDiamond cables. The P4's are the best! I am just about ready to purchase the Bryston combo you have, any special thoughts on these items? [email protected]
Tnanks 16hzlover. Are you an organist, or just a deep bass aficionado? I thrive on subterranean palpable bass, which I have been able to finally achieve with my current set-up. I knew the big Maggies were capable, but it wasn't till I switched to the HiDiamond (especially their P4 power cords) and the Stillpoint vibration control gizmos that I heard what depths the system could reach. Jazz organ now has new meaning.
System edited: I have completed the transition from Synergistic Research to HiDiamond. Though I still feel SR is a superb product, the inevitable upgrade path had become daunting. HiDiamond makes a uniquely transparent cable, and for the first time I feel I am hearing the music without "editorial". Truly a revelation!
Thanks for viewing, Devilboy. My appreciation for SR remains strong - they are special cables that have as their hallmark a wonderful sense of space. But when I added my newest components (the Bryston combo) I was tempted to try the HiDiamonds based on all the buzz. To summarize, I think the HD's give up a bit of space for a more "fleshy" presentation. Have not tried the newer SR Elements series. For now, I am living with both and thoroughly enjoying the sound. Both are well executed designs that let the emotion come through with ease.
VERY nice system. I see you have a mix of Synergistic and HiDiamond cables. I just purchased SR for speaker cables and interconnects. When I read about Synergistic cables, HiDiamonds are mentioned a lot, and vice versa. May I ask you impressions on both and why you prefer one between components versus the other?
System edited: Added a Cary SLP-05 preamp. As much as I loved my Herron, I wanted an all-balanced system especially as a major room re-arrangement required 6-meter interconnects between the preamp and amps. Synergistic Research converted my Apex and Precision Ref IC's to balanced. Now, with my true-balanced signal chain from Marantz SA-7 to amps the results are spectacular. Impact, refinement, in-the-room realism, all around fun!
Thanks Davt. In my setup, the Herron works very well with the Classe amps. And as you've noted with your Belles, the real secret is in the tubes. I have a set of RCA/Siemens A-frames that I love. I switch between those and Amperex 7308 PQ's. I wish I could find a tube with the qualities of both. The response of the Herron to nuances of various vintage NOS tubes is rewarding but sometimes frustrating. Its neutrality and transparency allow all the subtleties in the tubes (and other "tweaks") to be immediately apparent. The inclusion of not only an absolute phase switch but also an AC polarity switch says alot about this neutrality.
I found you system looking into the Herron pre-amp. I also use a Classe amp, the stereo CA-2200. You seem pretty happy with the combination of the Herron with the Classe. I thing that it is a combination I need to review more closely. Nice set up.
Thanks for visiting my site. My last speakers will be the MG 20.1. The 20's are also super speakers.
I have owned maggies since 1978. I started with the MG2. then the mg3, mg3a. I just love the openness of the maggies. The absence of box colorations is addictive.
