This is the result of 4 months of upgrades from my old system. Highs are detailed and refined, but no digital edge or glare. Bass is there when the music demands it - and can go shockingly deep when it does. Mids are smooth and lifelike. Music is natural, accurate, and enjoyable. Speaker placement is of course not optimal, but I won't have this small space forever. Quatro subwoofers have been adjusted for room and placement to eliminate any response humps, which helps reduce placement sensitivity. I have routed the digital output from DVR into the digital inputs on Cary 306/200 - this has vastly improved the sound of cable television. Please let me know what you think!
Updated: Have made the transition to balanced, swapping out the single-ended Vandersteen high pass filters for Balanced and upgrading both interconnects to Cardas Golden Reference. I can not overstate what a difference this has made in my setup - these cables are phenomenal in my system transforming the bass and soundstage.
Linnie, thanks for the note. I must say that few things are optimal. But, the wine helps to make the speakers disappear, and the music makes the wine more delicious!
Have changed interconnects from the Jaguars to the Acoustic Zen Matrix IIs. Very significant improvement in detail and soundstage. I will be keeping these for a while.
I am using an Ayre V-5Xe to push my speakers (150 watts X 2) and moved from the Vandersteen 2Ce Sigs. The improvements are amazing. I am very happy with my Quatros
Hello Kmiller5, I was pretty sure originally that I was going to go with the Calypso and a tube power amp - probably the quicksilver V4s. I decided that with the way I use my system and my setup that tubes just weren't practical. So, I decided on the Calypso largely due to having heard it with tube power amps with the Quatros and all the great reviews it has gotten. The Calypso adds some of the tube 'flesh' to the sound without being overly bloomy like some tubes are. For the power amp, I originally had a Acurus A250 (which is for sale currently), then I tried a Belles A150 Hot Rod. I did not like the Belles in this setup at all. It was really veiled, dark even. I went back to the Acurus until I found this ARC power amp, which is really nice. It has the highs and detail that I like, but with a more liquid midrange and even more bass authority and way bigger soundstage. Amazing that this amp is rated at 100wpc - sounds much more powerful. I bought both the pre and power amp on Audiogon, so I did not go through the long process of auditioning power/pre amp combos in a store. What are you going to drive your Quatros with? What speakers are you moving from? You are going to love the Quatros - I know I do.
Nice system. I actually have some Vandersteen Quatros on the way. What other amps and preamps did you audition besides the Audio Research and Aesthetix and what did you think of them?
