Gone are the audiophile adjectives, along with all barriers to musical reproduction. What remains is beautiful, clean, rich, majestic, energetic, palpable, live, natural music.
Rtn1, currently there is a pair of VAC's for sale at a rediculous low asking price. If they were in silver I would have snapped them up to see what my speakers sound like bi-amped.
I'm truely loven my set-up and using the VAC's got me off the Merry-go-round :)
Great to read you are enjoying, in the end that's what it's all about.
I understand Rtn1. My question was half in jest. A couple of new XS owners are really excited over at WhatsBestForum. I hear Pass is selling a good number of these despite the issues you mention. The sound must be quite something.
Curious about the XS series, but not really yearning at this point. I have concerns about the cost, heat output, increased power needs with a decrease in efficiency. I'm not sure if I need the 150 or 300 with my speakers (400 currently into 4 ohms vs. 300 vs. 600). At that price, I'd need to consider some other amps (i.e. VAC 450, BAT Rex).
I'm still quite content with the XA.5, and I'm not at the point of wanting to put that much money into my system. Perhaps some years down the road...
The piano is Rachmaninov's Preludes by Steven Osborne. The violinist is Maxim Vengerov, from his self-entitled album, although he excels in concertos by Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Dvorak, and Brahms. The Sextet plays Tchaikovsky's Souvenir de Florence, and features violinist Sarah Chang (also amazing in Bruch and Shostakovich concertos).
Rtn1, Any yearning for the new Pass Xs amps? Your XA200.5 must be amazing, but it seems to me that fans like you are perhaps the target for the new super amps. Rockitman just got a pare of the Xs150 to replace his XA100.5. I'm looking forward to his review.
I enjoyed your latest Youtube videos and the music. Thanks.
Here are a couple more clips to demonstrate several points:
This one provides the weight and tonality of solo piano, but I was surprised that the decay was not sufficiently picked-up by the iPhone mic. You get some sense of decay and summation, but it still sounds truncated by the recording compared to what I hear.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcvbTQv0vV0
Here, you get the lush midrange summation of this string sextet. The plucking of the strings are not captured well by the microphone, but you still get some sense of space. When the cello comes in, you can sense the weight of the piece even on the YouTube recording.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6m0-scOGCc
Finally, this violin sonata really provides a sense of the pristine and extended top end which really sparkles with detail and life. Even in this YouTube recording, I do not detect any grain or harshness. The midrange is still there to provide a richness and weight to the violin that compensates for the detail and close miking from this studio recording.
You can actually hear your system's obvious strengths come through on the You-Tube videos!!! Very happy for you. Please enjoy to the fullest.
BTW, I did wind up getting the BAT Rex mono-block amps. Rob, they are incredible! They take what the Rex pre started with texture/timbre of tone to a whole new level! Never heard tone of voice and instruments sound so absolutely perfect. Needless to say I'm blown away!!!
I was checking out the second video. I was impressed with how much of the system's characteristics came through on the youtube video. But I also liked the music being played. So I thought........... I wonder if Shazam, on MY phone, will recognize the music being played on my laptop, that was recorded with another phone.......
Suk, Op.35 Man, I love technology. Now, was it good enough in it's prediction that it was Sir Charles Mackerras & the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra???
Rob, Checked out the two videos you posted. Incredible spacing and openess that pulls you into the performance. Also noticed natural voicing and the large scale piano notes with all the speed. Enjoy! Keep posting more videos in the future.
Hi Zephyr, Those are not the Elrod Diamond PCs, but the NVS Sound Silver 1s. I don't have the Elrod Statement Golds, although I have demoed them in my system, and they are a very nice PC. I have not demoed the Elrod Diamond PC in my system, but have heard the interconnects in someone else's system - very impressive. I do have the old Elrod Statements, which are very good and I don't have enough money for 4 more NVS PCs right now. Someday...
Rtn1: Is that a pic of the Elrod Diamond PC? Have you made a move to that PC in place of one or more of your Statement Golds? If so, how do they sound??????
Just caught that video on WBF of your system running, very impressive! As was indicated in that thread, it is remarkable that a simple recorder mechanism and YouTube can still convey a quite accurate portrait of a system's tonality and overall capabilities. I had no trouble picking up the signature of your setup doing superbly in the space, and since you mentioned it, checked out a couple of other clips of Avalons being driven otherwise. As you say, typical HiFi sound, way short of what can be achieved, and easily discerned even over the YouTube route ...
I had a chance to listen to Rob's system this past Saturday and I have to say that I agree completely with Nathan's assessment. Rob, your system sounds fantastic!
Everything sounded so natural and with the level of dynamics and unrestrained lifelike volume, it was like I was sitting there at the performance. Being able to experience the performers feelings and the way that they played, whether it is subtly or in an outright frenzy is nothing less than amazing!
Thank you Rob, for everything, it was a truly enjoyable day. Chuck
Rtn1: Thank you; those are some of my favorite composers as well for large and small orchestra works. Piano, violin and cello solo works along with various small ensemble works are an important part of the collection here too. I also listen to a lot of pipe organ as I believe it is a wonderful instrument and the recordings are great to listen to. I also listen to many other composers not listed above in your reply such as Liefs, Janacek, and various others.
Hi Zephyr, I listen to orchestral music from the Romantic and Modern era from central Europe (German-Austria-Russian). So, Bartok, Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner, Dvorak, Mahler, Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, etc. I'm also a pianophile, so Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Liszt, Medtner, Scribian, etc. Lately, I've been delving deep into sonantas, trios, quartets, quintets, and sextets from many of the above composers in addition to a few French composers such as Debussey, Poulenc, Saint Saens, etc. After really focusing on orchestral works for many years, I am really like the musicianship, dynamics, and harmonics of smaller pieces as well. Recently, picked-up Schuberts string quartets by Auryn and Beethoven's by Takacs.
For those who are not classically inclined, I think www.classicstoday.com is a great place to start. Look at their 10/10 recommendations, and begin there. So much excellent music, so little time. I've been doing this for some time, and I feel like there is still so much to explore.
You have one hell of a system....I mention of orchestras in some of the above posts. What types of music do you focus on, composers, etc...? What did you find compelling about the NVS PCs?
Rob...I think you would be very amazed at how great these amps are. Possibily the best SET amps anywhere and they can drive most any speaker easily...I actually will be getting them back Thursday after having the input chokes upgraded and a few other things tweaked...they are very expensive but nothing else I have heard even comes close...dave
Calloway, I would need to do that. Right now, I can honestly say that I routinely use all 400 watts into 4 ohms. Not just for brief climaxes, but for long stretches with large and complex orchestral pieces which constitue a majority of my listening. My musical preferences are that of central Europe romantic era, which means German, Austrian, Hungarian, Czech, and Russian.
I would be reluctant to do anything less than 200 watts on an empiric basis, but I realize there are no hard and fast rules and sometimes you just need to approach something with an open mind.
rob..great system....have heard the 'Isis' speakers..very special indeed...if you ever decide to get new amps you should seriously come to virginia and listen to my Chalice Audio 'Grail' SET monoblocks...i think you would really like what you hear..
