I have had the pleasure of auditioning Fred's system through some of its recent developments.
I can confirm that the involvement of the Jorma Prime has had a startling (positive) effect on the system. At first, a few months ago, the Prime was installed on the bass portion only of Fred's setup, with a lesser Jorma on the mids and highs (I am not familiar with the specific name of that cable). At the time I heard this setup, it seemed to me that the bass had been "unleashed". This wasn't really a good thing at the time, because it put the system out of balance, and even with the Triolon mids set at their highest setting, the bass seemed to be at such a level that this unbalance could not be ignored. In this regard, my impression at the time was that the system "half-Primed", was a step in the wrong direction.
Nonetheless, Fred doubtless heard the potential of the bass, and he persevered. I'm really glad he did. Now he has the Prime on the mids and highs as well. Now the whole system has been "unleashed", and in balance with itself. What he has said above regarding better bass, dynamics, and a new degree of low level detail is absolutely right. I have known for a long time that cables can make a significant difference, but this cable really is something special. Which is particularly annoying when one contemplates its price point! I would also add to his comments that his imaging has improved ever so slightly, which has been the one significant development area that I perceive with the Triolons.
I'd like to touch on that a little more, because I don't want to mention this development area without pointing out a special strength that these speakers have. I'll try to explain...
While each of us enjoy each other's music, Fred and I have, naturally, different foci regarding our taste. It has been my experience that Fred likes large orchestras with big crashing dynamics and very complex arrangements. It is for this reason that Fred's speakers of choice are very appropriately the Triolons. With the Triolons, every instrument gets its own space, and it really lives and breathes, unmolested, in that space. This is, of course, critical for the evaluation of complex, dynamic music. However, the price paid for this broad tapestry seems to be an inability to pinpoint in space just exactly where that instrument is in front of you.
I should mention at this point that I'm "image-spoiled". I've been living with big electrostats for a long time now, and I'm used to finger-pointable sound. BUT, that's only half the story when it comes to my preferences...
...because my musical focus is also on smaller bands. I like Classic Rock and Jazz, and am experimenting into some old Country stuff. I went to RMAF this year with Fred, and my preference there was the High Campanile Acapellas, over the Triolons. Now, it wasn't apples to apples at that show, and part of the magic in the Campanile room might have been the FM Acoustics amps vs. the Einsteins, and the rooms themselves were very different, as was the cabling, and even power conditioning, which 2007 taught me is very significant.
But since then I've been thinking a lot about this, and I think it is possible that I preferred the Campaniles because I like smaller bands, with less going on. There seems to me to possibly be a greater integration and image specificity (despite a comparative limit in "sonic scale") with just the single horn and tweeter, as opposed to the two horns and tweeter in the Triolon (I have to say "possibly" because, again, the system differences at RMAF [the only place I've heard Campaniles] were too great for a conclusive comparison). Bass extension and authority certainly is superior in the Triolons, but how much content below 40Hz is there in my classic rock? I am of course aware that in many recordings there is SOME, and I'm committed to getting at it, but whatever content that is down in that region certainly wouldn't have the kind of complexity that one would experience in an orchestra. I think with my tastes I could get away with pairing High Campaniles with 18-40Hz subs and be VERY happy.
So I think it's important in considering the Acapella line what kind of music you listen to most. If you like orchestras, then the Triolons are clearly going to be the champs. It seems extremely unlikely that the Campaniles will be able to handle that sheer quantity of instruments like the Triolons do, because the Triolons truly excel at this, and that's exactly what Fred is after. On the other hand, if you like intimate, 4 piece bands or rock and roll, and you want the performance to image strongly in front of you, the Campaniles might be where you should stop, because they will probably do everything you need. I'm sure this is just a non-technical way of stating what Fred has already mentioned about lower-bass authority and the other qualities of his speakers. Horses for courses.
Fred is right that the JC-1's are doing an outstanding job. It is the unfortunate curse of these and many other great pieces that rarely do they get a chance to demonstrate their best qualities in synergy with other components of the celsitude found in Fred's system. And even then, cable changes can still yield a surprise like this! I think the world of the JC-1's (I use them myself and they were my first piece of "great gear"), and am happy to hear them perform in this way, much closer to their potential than I can reach with my current setup. Naturally it goes without saying that I will be very keen to listen should Fred start experimenting with other amplifiers.
In conclusion, I have never heard Fred's system sound better than it does now, with the Jorma Prime speaker wire installed from top to bottom. To anyone considering fitting their system with the Prime, I personally wouldn't recommend doing it half and half, as the experience could be unsettling. Although expensive and wonderful cable, it does not seem to "play well with others", even in the same Jorma family. When you have it all installed from top to bottom, however, you are going to know about it. The performance is superb. I'm not surprised that this is in the same price category as Nordost's Odin. If I was in the market for Odin speaker cable, I'd definitely audition the Jorma Prime first.
I apologize if this comment is long-winded. It's my first review of Fred's system, and it's long overdue.
ccm
