My objective is to duplicate the sound of a good jazz venue as best I can. I'll never match it but getting close is fine. I've had various audio components through the years and tubes particularly DHT tubes/ASSET have gotten me the closest. So this is where I will settle down and appreciate.
Balanced AC power is fantastic !! 1800va balanced isolation transformer/conditioner. All aspects of music reproduction are improved for every single component.
Tripoint Tripoint Troy.
A wonderful grounding box component. When added to my system it increased the sense of natural sound quality and emotional engagement. The Troy has a humanistic and “soulful “ quality to it.
Coincident Speaker Tech Total eclipse 2
This wonderful speaker is transparent,open and involving. It`s large yet completely disappears as the source of sound within the room. Very easy to drive,94db and 14 0hm impedance (Minimum 10 ohm). I replaced the stock Solens capacitor with the Duelund CAST in the crossover.
Coincident Statement linestage
Superb performance. In my opinion , a masterpiece by Israel Blume. As would be expected, a wonderful match with its sibling the Frankenstein MK II.
Coincident Speaker Tech Frankenstein mark 2
A terrific 300b SET amplifier that is the foundation of my system. The EML XLS 300b tubes are a superb match with this amplifier.
Acquiring these 300b SET mono blocks changed the course of my music listening experience. They elevated the emotional engagement, tactility and “breath of life “ realism.
Yamamoto YDA-01
Wonderful music lover's DAC that has a very natural/organic sound quality. Duelund CAST addition(output coupling capacitors) makes it sound even better. It has a very minimalist circuit/design that was implemented well.
Ocellia Silver Reference IC
Very natural and pure sounding with excellent tone and timbre preservation.
Ocellia Silver Reference Speaker Cable
Same qualities/ comments as the IC.
Star Sound Technologies Sistrum Apprentice component platforms..
These Star Sound platforms are mandatory in my system. Effectively managing resonance and vibration leads to a very noticeable sound improvement with every component and especially the speakers. Excellent product.
High Fidelity CT1 Ultimate Digital cable
A highly impressive digital cable that mates beautifully into my system. Contributes to the natural sound presentation.
Pro-Ject Audio Systems CD Box RS2T
This is a superb Redbook CD playback transport. It’s both high resolution and impressively natural.
. I’m using the excellent Fidelizer Nikola II LPS. Splendid pairing.
Lavricables Grand and Master series Power Cables.
Pure silver wire and unshielded power cables. These are used with all of my audio components. They are very open, transparent, high resolution with beautiful natural tone and timbre presentation.
Abbas Esoteric Audio 3.2SE
Built by renown Ukrainian Abbas Zulfugarov. NOS DAC utilizing the classic Phillips TDA 1541 multi bit chip. Two 6080 tubes in the analog stage. 5 various rectifier tubes in the power supplies.
3 separate toroidal transformers (And 2 chokes ) for the power supplies.A very serious and successful upper tier DAC implementation. Using with the Abbas SPDIF and power cable.
Two highly pleasing recordings I've enjoyed today. 1, Carmen McRae "Ballad Essentials" 2, Steve Nelson "Fuller Nelson" vibraphone. Two really good CDs of jazz beauty. Charles,
Hi Bill, What's interesting is that the Apprentice are modest cost products in the Star Sound line up. Their SOTA effort is the Backstage platform and is said to be fantastic. I've never use one or know anyone who has tried them. Knowing how beneficial the Apprentice is I'd imagine that the Backstage is something very special. IMO the Apprentice is a genuine high value purchase due to the considerable sound quality improvement it provides. It moves sound in the direction of naturalness and away from mechanical-electronic hifi character. Charles,
I now have a Star Sound Apprentice stand under my Aesthetix Romulus player. Everything Charles stated regarding the improvement to his Troy is also true in my system now. Big fan of the Star Sound stands and racks and a long time user.
Fellow jazz lovers you need to hear Thelonious Monk "Live At The It Club". Live club recording from around 1963, the band is in prime form and the venue feel is well captured. This recording really gets the drum kit of Ben Riley realistically and you can clearly appreciate his groove /communication with Monk and the oother players, real nice two CD set! Classic and beautiful Monk. Charles,
The weight capacity of the Apprentice SP-SA-103 is 800 lbs. as listed on the website. Please consider the use of the optional Apcd 2 coupling disc as this device serves to protect the surface above or below the point tip and also effectively increases the surface area of the point tip. Tom. Star Sound Technologies.
Miguel, Miguel, I am not sure of the weight capacity either. Obviously, it isn't going to break, but excess weight might affect the points on the brass cones. As Charles suggested, ask Robert. Remember too that if you are looking for maximum sonic effect, the SP-101 is the higher end model (Stage as Charles said is the highest). The SP-101 is supported by 3 precision machined stainless steel towers filled with special micro beads and with large brass cones screwed into their base. Robert did tell me that the less costly platforms were backwards engineered from the SP-101.
Good question Miguel, 300 pounds is a load! You may need to consider the Sistrum SP-101 or their premium platform called the Backstage. Robert at Star Sound could sort it out for you. Charles,
Roxy 54, Charles, Andrew you're correct I've waited to long to try the Apprentice. Does anyone know if the Apprentice can handle 300 pounds plus. Want to try my new Emperor Master a Reference Ground Station on it.
Hi Miguel, How interesting your choice of the word density. I'm listening currently and it's very apparent that instrumental tone, body and definitely the harmonics have become noticeably richer and mimic the live full body tone I love.At the same time low level information and nuances are increasingly resolved.Not the proverbial" night and day" but it's clearly a step up. Roxy54 is right, you should try one yourself. Charles,
Himiguel, It appears that you are a skilled designer who probably has a good set of ears as well. Have you considered trying the Apprentice platforms in your own system? I would really be curious as to your opinion. And price wise, it is not much money considering the value of your system.
Hi Charles, Thanks for the report. The addition of the Apprentice platform further reduces mechanical induce distortions. I suppose that stand up bass has greater articulation with more lifelike density. Seems to me that the system has a greater sense of realism from your earlier descriptions. Congrats! Enjoy the Troy/Apprentice combo.
Nope, no smugness at all. Combining the two excellent products should yield the results I heard. Similar to installing Duelund capacitors in your components, you'd expect significant improvement and that's what you get. Charles,
I heard that dizzy sat down on his trumpet while trying to sit into a chair and caused the bend. Dizzy being dizzy probably said why not and began playing.
. C'mon Charles, no fair! How was I supposed to recognize Diz in that poster? He's playing a trumpet without the 45 degree bend in the bell....that's got to throw everyone off. .
I realize that the sucessful Troy -Apprentice pairing did not require a stroke of great skill or thought on my part. Pretty predictable outcome in hindsight.
False humility is not a good disguise for smugness. It broadcasts even via cyberspace....:/
Andrew, I realize that the sucessful Troy -Apprentice pairing did not require a stroke of great skill or thought on my part. Pretty predictable outcome in hindsight. Charles,
Roxy, I too miss Tvads acidic intelligence (in the same way I miss Pubul57 who sadly passed away). You guys are linked at the hip due to your system page.
. Ok...I've been looking at this system for years. I'm a jazz fan, and the photo on the right has stumped me. Left to right I see Bird, Miles...I just can't figure out the the third guy playing the trumpet. Who is he? .
The Star Sound Apprentice should be the default platform base for the Tripoint Troy. I won't repeat all of my prior praise for the Troy and it has been praised plenty in other forums and numerous reviews. To put it succinctly, it is a terrific and unique upgrade for any high quality audio system. As far as I know the Troy has no moving or active parts inside and sits on very heavy well made solid brass feet (well executed give its performance).
Why does placing the heavy Troy atop the Apprentice improve the sound quality and specifically in the direction of even "more" naturalness and sense of pressence? Every excellent attribute is further enhanced with use of the Apprentice.Tonal density, harmonic detail and subtle gradients, vibrant true instrument body, colorand overtone delineation. These are the things I'm really aware of when listening to music and what makes the sound realistic and breathe with life and emotion. This is the strength of what the Troy contributes to my system, the Apprentice elevates this to yet a higher tier and I'm genuinely impressed! How can an item that's 1/30th the retail price of the Troy yield such an improvement from an already superb product? The area of physics and acoustics is fascinating, the engineering of this platform is unquestionably the reason for what I hear with this combination. I can't explain the why and how in any meaningful detail, all I can attest to is the sublime results of the music reproduction. Transparency, very low level resolution and musical nuances are notably improved, overall the flesh and blood presence of musicians and venue awareness are the best I've had in my system.
I took the Apprentice over to Jwm's home yesterday and placed it beneath his LampizatOr Big 5 DAC with quite similar results. He already has wonderful sound using the Audio points brass footers. The Apprence took the music to a higher level and it just flows with organic bliss. Charles,
Hi Needfreestuff, I've been asked that question a few times. For many years I was a dedicated turntable user and loved analog records.It took a while for me to find a CD source that made music not merely hifi.I discovered the Timbre DAC in the mid 1990s and finally had digital that wasn't stomped by my Well Tempered TT. Ikept that DAC 14 years and enjoyed both sources very much.
The Yamamoto DAC came along and just got the soul and emotion of music "right", pure organic involvement. I enjoy it equally to any good TT front end and CDs are so plentiful and cheap compared to the LPs I was buying. I find that jazz music on Redbook CD with my Yamamoto-SET amplifier based system simply "hit the spot" for me.I still like analog records but no longer have a compelling reason to play them anymore.Placing Duelund CAST capacitors in my Yamamoto put it over the top for me. Needfreestuff, thanks for you very kind comments regarding my system Charles,
Charles no criticism here but wondering how someone so articulate and precise at putting his system together has left out vinyl. Did you have a bad experience or just not your cup of tea. Love your system, I am sure it sounds amazing. Enjoy the Music
