Hi Mike- For me, running my CDSA SE single ended into the Dart was nothing short of revelatory. I think the Stealth Indras are contributing, but another CDSA/Dart user got similar results as well using a fairly inexpensive RCA interconnect versus his Jena Labs balanced. He has since ordered an Indra after hearing it in my system. Try one if the opportunity ever presents itelf- I would love to hear your impressions. Make sure it is the latest production version with the titanium RCAs.

Did you ever get the MGE/Topaz installed or have you put it on hold to undergo your multichannel journey?

Keep us posted on the multichannel, I can't wait to read how this develops for you.

Best,
Frank

fsarc May 21, 2007 00:37

JF- Great, informative post.

Mike- I think the 7.5 kVA is still more than enough even with a couple of monster amps. The MM3s are relatively efficient, have built-in 1000W powered woofers, so there is no way you are going to use, or clip, the full output of a 600 watt mono block into the midranges and tweeter. Your ears and the drivers will probably give out first. Once everything is hooked up, you can have your electrican measure the amount of electricity your system is consuming while playing some loud, dynamic music. That will give you an idea of the headroom you have left. I think the usage will be a lot lower than you think. I have my whole system powered off of one 20 amp breaker with no issues. I use a second, smaller 130 VA isolation transformer to keep the digital (EMM) isolated.

At a minimum, the 7.5 kVA iso will require a 240 V 40 amp 10 gauge input feed. You can easily do this with your exisiting wiring to the barn. Given the 70 amp, 220V feed to the barn, you could definitely feed a larger (10 kVA)transformer in the future if you require it.

The only area of potential improvement I can see on the MGE/UPS units is in the "filter" board. This board is connected in parallel to the secondary outputs and it looks like there could be some room for improvement in the quality of the parts on the board.

JF- Care to take a look at the filter board and comment if I send you a close up photo of it?

fsarc April 05, 2007 13:19

Mike- It was nice speaking with you earlier tonight. Saved me a lengthy post. :-]

Just make sure you contact a reputable electrician in your area for the installation. You may want to disucss things (exisiting wire size, location, etc.) with him prior to purchasing the iso.

Frank

fsarc April 05, 2007 01:04

JF- I don't know if it can be used with 50Hz. You would have to contact MGE to be sure. I clicked on their European/Asian products and they don't have any isolation transformers listed.

As far as the noise level goes, mine is actually in the room with me behind a closet utility door. It is undetectable at the listening position. Using my SPL meter, I can't get a reading at the lowest setting (which is 30db) holding the meter about 4-5 feet away.

It is very cheap, but for most there will be the additonal cost of installation.

fsarc April 04, 2007 20:19

Mike, Stereotaipei- Regarding the MGE/Topaz isolation transformer- I think the key is to make sure you install one with a sufficient kVA rating so as to not saturate the transformer core. I have a 5 kVA model which is more than enough for my system. There have been no negative effects with the iso in my system. In fact, since I can do the work myself, I recently switched back to dedicated lines right off the circuit panel. Performance definitely dropped off in my system. Putting the iso back resulted in a lower noise floor, smoother highs, better staging and imaging, and actually better dynamics. I think the perceived increase in dynamics is from the reduction of the noise floor. Macro and micro dynamics are preserved providing a greater feeling of overall dynamics.

As with any with any component, tweak, etc, it may be system dependent so I cannot say everyone will experience the same effects. I have been through a lot of "audiophile" power conditioners (BPT, Shunyata, Sound Application, Running Springs, Audiophile APS) and definitely feel the iso transformer has been the best in actually lowering the noise floor in my system. All the other products make some fancy claims, but never provide any specs regarding what they actually do (BPT and APS do provide some specs/data). The MGE/ Topaz units are spec’d to provide 140 dB of common mode noise reduction and 65 dB of normal mode noise reduction. Given their intended applications, they have to provide verifiable noise reduction (amongst other features) and not rely on fancy metallurgy, mystical compounds, or esoteric wiring.

My 5 kVA Mge/Topaz Power-Supress 100 was $776. A true bargain for what is does. Some of the drawbacks to this approach are having to hire an electrician to do the installation, having the room to support the transformer, and making sure it is sufficiently isolated form the listening room as it will generate a low level hum.

Mike for your application, MGE/Topaz makes a 7.5 kVA model which is more than enough. I honestly feel the 5 kVA iso would also be sufficient. If you are truly set on a 10 kVA transformer, there is another company that makes very high quality isolation transformers- Controlled Power Company- 5-25 kVA. Given the price of these units, I would certainly give it a try before spending the big $$$ on the Equitech cabinet. There really isn’t much to the installation. It took me about 45 minutes to install mine. More info below-

http://www.controlledpwr.com/productDetails.php?id=41
http://www.mgeups.com/products/pdt120/powerc/tpz100/t100data.pdf

fsarc April 04, 2007 13:06

Mike- I have three of the Oyaide combos and indeed they are quite special as you have described. Now you just need to try a really good isolation transformer to really lower the noise floor.

I don't know about you Mike, but I'm finding the MM3s are remarkable in revealing the slightest changes made in my system. There's no hiding from "bad" decisions......

fsarc April 02, 2007 06:01

Looks fantastic Mike! I bet it sounds pretty good too ;-)

fsarc February 26, 2007 00:52

mdoukas- FWIW, I've had my Dart amp for close to two years now and have never blown a fuse. It has been the most "set it and forget it" piece in my system. I leave it powered on all the time and I only know it's there once the "eyes" come alive and I start hearing all that great music. It is dead quiet with no clicks, pops, or other noises. The versatile ground pin configurations allow you to eliminate any hum issues very easily. So long as you adhere to the very simple instructions Mike mentioned above, I can't think of more satisfying and bullet-proof component. I cannot say enough good things about Herve either- a true gem.

Frank

fsarc February 15, 2007 18:34

Looks great Mike! Congratulations. It's only going to get better. I wish I lived closer to get a listen to the 3s in your room.

fsarc January 28, 2007 16:14

Great update Mike! Did you ever try the L-com 50 Ohm cables between the pre and amps? If so, are the Zeel cables a big improvement? Right now I'm using the L-com cables with great results. The preamp is very, very special indeed.
Frank

fsarc March 06, 2006 07:17