Mintzar: A Sound Story.

by mintzar on Done For Now
IMG_0085

Description

The Core Audio Technology system is a revelation in audio reproduction.

The entire system comes in a single box. The Kryptos Music Server portion is outfitted with four discrete Core Audio Kalos power supplies. One for each of the Motherboard, PCI Audio Card, Graphics card, blu-ray and hard drives.

The digital audio I2S signal is taken directly from the PCI card unconverted, unfiltered, and DSP free and input directly into the amplifier. No more D/A, A/D, D/A conversions. The amplifier then converts this signal into a PWM format where it is reclocked, amplified, reclocked again, and then converted to analog at the output of the amplifier.

The amplifier has four discrete power supplies of its own for each stage of the process as well as a dedicated atomic reference clock.

This system has a voltage-controlled attenuator that is outside of the signal path for a distortion and DSP free control of the volume granting the low distortion of passive preamps with the drive of an active tube stage.

The end result is a simplified system with endless possibility. No more amplifier, preamp, or DAC, and thousands of parts removed from the signal path. No more audio cables. No benefit from power cables, power conditioning, or any tweaks. The system gets plugged directly into the wall and the only cables required are speaker cables. I personally use $.50/ft zip cord because they make no difference in this setup.

The resulting sound is the highest resolution, most harmonically correct sound possible in audio reproduction. There is no tube or vinyl system that can hold a candle to the energy or texture that it produces.

The signal is then sent to the Kalon loudspeaker, which has no crossover, no phase distortion, and a cabinet-free frequency response down to 28hz.

While there is no way to truly reproduce live music in your room. This is as incredibly close as you can get.
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Components Toggle details

    • Core Audio Technology Kryptos Blu-ray Media System
    High end media server with 9 dedicated power supplies for each of atomic clock generator, motherboard, PCI card, graphics card, hard drives, i2s stage, amp stage, master clock, and digital output. Fully digital signal path all the way up to the speakers. No filters, conversion, or DSP whatsoever. Remove thousands of parts from the system -- no more DAC, preamp, or separate amplifier.
    • Core Audio Technology Kratos Digital
    Part of the Kryptos Media system. A fully digital amplifier. 4 dedicated power supplies, one for each stage (amplifier, I2S, Master Clock, and digital stages). For a fully digital signal path all the way up to the speakers.
    • Core Audio Technology Kalon Loudspeaker
    The Kalon is a zero baffle full-range point source sporting a glass support structure. It sounds even more elegant than it looks. Pictures soon.

Comments 56

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Owner
Yes, I replaced the noisey stock Raytheons and tried both the 5692 RCA "Red Base" tubes as well as an NOS Russian 6SN7, both of which were huge upgrades over the stock raytheon tubes in terms of lowering the distortion. Marconi 6SN7s are also pretty good and I tried those. I preferred the NOS Russian tubes.

Bare in mind I'm not talking an audible noise like a hiss or a hum. I am talking about the noise floor. I lowered the noise of The Dude considerably, but it is substantially noisier and became ultimately less musical than the system I have now.

Not saying the Dude is bad... it's probably one of THE BEST preamps on the market. It's just not as good as what I'm using now.

The front end I am using is a Pro-DAC and preamp. So I have a bit-perfect signal being sent to my amp. I can set up a similar system for around $6k. (roughly the price of the Dude + a decent DAC)... which is basically what I did. Sold my DAC and The Dude and was able to set up this system for myself. There are lower-end options (around $2500) that also trounce the Dude. It's not even a contest.

I've been telling people for ages that if you remove the noise the music will be there. Tubes or Solid state, it doesn't matter. Remove the noise and more music will be present.

mintzar

Mintzar, Have you tried different tubes in removing the noise? FWIW, I found MW tube rectifiers dead quiet.

knghifi

Owner
The Dude preamp has been replaced first by the TC Studio Konnect 48 and now by the prism sound orpheus.

The Dude was noisy and the higher-performance my system became the more I realized how the dude was holding my system back. Tube rectifiers are not accurate and are very noisy to begin with. And ultimately music comes from removing the noise. The information is there, it's just hidden behind distortion and noise.

mintzar

Owner
System edited: System updated, article updated!

mintzar

What happened to the Dude preamp?

glory

Owner
System edited: Lowering the noise floor is what matters. Music contains a lot of information. Some of that is extraneous. Keeping that information aligned properly is of utmost important. Think of it this way. Glare and brightness are not because your system is overly revealing. It is caused by distortion in some component. Distortion is just one form of noise. Another form is timing noise. Ever wonder why gear that sounds hyper revealing, but uber boring and flat? NOISE. You remove the noise and music will come out. Harmonics line up properly for proper tonality, transients are sharp, but not edgy. So when noise is removed you have proper depth and realism. I've been listening to live music twice a week for months now. I judge my system in two ways. 1. I listen to live music. 2. I have been doing sound design and working with a composer for my film using PRO AUDIO. Comparing live music to pro-audio I am able to maintain better accuracy both to what I can get through ANY system, and what music really sounds like. You don't need to spend a million bucks to hear live music in your room. I'll post shortly about why cables make a difference in one system and not in another...

mintzar

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