This brought the single greatest improvement in my system.
AppleTV 160GB internal
Hard Drive based music server dishing up Apple Lossless files. Controlled with my iPhone
Pass Labs Aleph P
With remote.
Pass Labs Aleph 3
My first love. Hearing this was like eating premium vanilla ice cream after having been raised on the store brand. I didn't know it could be so good. This component has been in my system longer than any other.
System edited: I added an AppleTV with 160GB internal drive and connected it to the pre-amp with some old MIT cables. I tucked the unit behind a piece of furniture and I can't even see it. I loaded it full of apple lossless files and I'm controlling it with my iPhone over wi-fi (works anywhere in the apartment). This has changed the way I listen to music. I wish I had done this years ago!
Thanks for the compliments. Thiel and Pass are a classic combination. Tremendous transparency, excellent timber, great cohesion. The soundstage never comes forward from the plane of the speakers but expands in height, width, and especially depth beyond the boundaries of the room. When you sit in the sweet spot, it's very much a "you are there" experience.
The 90dB efficiency and 4 Ohm load of the CS1.6 make the Aleph 3 a pretty good match, although I could easily see myself being happier with the 100 watt Aleph 2 monoblocks. For now, the limited power and bandwidth help keep me in check; I have a lot of shared walls in my small apartment and want to be a good neighbor.
I also have a set of ultrathin interconnects. Generally I think the wire has a nice clear, open sound. I think the soudstage is a little flat, and the bass is a little lean compared to the transparent musicwave super cables that they replaced, but for going from a $1400 cable to a $60 cable, the trade off is slight. I love how the cable retains it's shape or can be made to take any shape. I also like the delicate, tweaky look as opposed to a big hose laid across the floor.
