Written by: Ultra Reader

Category: Letters

Created: 06 July 2011

To Peter Roth,

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your review of the Ayre QB-9.

I am building a high-end computer-based audio system and would love to know if you still feel the Ayre QB-9 is the USB DAC to beat in its price range? There are so many getting good reviews -- the latest Weiss DAC, the latest Benchmark, Wyred 4 Sound, Naim, Bel Canto, etc. Since the QB-9 is almost two years old now, do you feel it still holds up as the "gold standard"?

The other approach I am considering is the Linn Majik DS, which of course avoids the computer altogether in favor of dedicated processing straight from hard-drive storage.

Have you had a chance to explore this option and, if so, is the QB-9 more musical overall? Appreciate any thoughts you can offer!

Best regards,
Ole Riise

The key revolves around the qualification "in its price range." For a computer audio digital-to-analog converter in the $2-3k range, I continue to strongly recommend the QB-9. In fact, I am listening to Dave Douglas playing through my QB-9 at this very moment. While it certainly can be bettered (e.g., Ayre's own DX-5, the Wavelength Audio Crimson HS, and the dCS Debussy that editor Jeff Fritz loves so much), you have to spend a whole lot more before achieving material performance increases. In any event, the QB-9 is never less than musical, and given that it fully services up to 24/192, it will be great for years and years to come. Whatever you do, I would go with a DAC that has asynchronous delivery (like the dCS, Wavelength and Ayre), as I believe the resulting low jitter is a big deal.

Two less-expensive alternatives you could consider (both of which feature asynchronous delivery), would be the Wavelength Audio Proton ($900) and Grace m903 ($1900). I've spent a lot of time with the Proton and, while not as accomplished as the QB-9, it is surprisingly good for under a grand (although bandwidth limited to 24/96 files). The Grace is more of a full-featured product, offering S/PDIF inputs (in addition to USB), a headphone jack and volume control (for directly driving an amplifier).

Let me know what you ultimately select, and keep reading Ultra Audio. . . . Peter Roth

Written by: Ultra Reader

Category: Letters

Created: 02 July 2011

To Jeff Fritz,

Great review. I have e-mailed you in the past, and as an owner of Tidal's Contriva Diacera SE speakers it was a pleasure to read your review of the Piano Cera speakers. They were the speakers that I heard at the first AXPONA show in Jacksonville, Florida, a year and a half ago that cemented my decision to buy the Contrivas. With my room being much larger the Diacera SEs worked perfectly. I am using SET amps I bought from ChaliceAudio.com. Again, a great review.

Dave

Thanks for the kind words. I very much enjoyed my time with the Tidals. I can't imagine that you're not thrilled every time you fire up your system with those Contriva Diacera SEs -- I know they are quite special. I think Tidal will be a force to contend with in the upper-high-end speaker market from here on out. They are doing some really cool things that are easy to hear in their speakers. . . . Jeff Fritz

Written by: Ultra Reader

Category: Letters

Created: 29 June 2011

To Garrett Hongo,

It's amazing -- time and time again you review the pieces I'm most interested in. After I e-mailed you about wanting to add a Miyajima mono cartridge to my Clearaudio Innovation Wood turntable, I hit on the main link to Ultra Audio and just read your review on the very same Miyajima! I've been researching the Miyajima Premium BE mono for a few weeks -- sounds like a winner. Your review was very helpful. I will stay away from Fantasy reissues, and stick with vintage or other label mono recordings. I keep reading that the Miyajima mono is the best out there and will make me spend less time on stereo recordings. I know you are a big fan of mono -- was wondering what your favorite mono recordings are? By the way, I'm still loving and using my Herron VTPH-2 phono preamp, which I note is still your reference.

Take care, and thanks for reporting on the stuff I'm most interested in! As always, I really appreciate the exact manner in which you write your reviews. Great combination of set-up observations, listening observations, comparisons, the positives and negatives, etc.

Darrin

Glad the review was encouraging to you! As for which mono recordings are my faves, that's a long, long list. You might start with reissues from Cisco, Classic Records, Music Matters, Sundazed, and Speakers Corner. Or you could search the thrifts and retail outlets in your area for vintage mono. There's lots around. . . . Garrett Hongo

Written by: Ultra Reader

Category: Letters

Created: 26 June 2011

Editor,

I enjoyed your recent article on the Coda 15.0 and will be checking it out myself.

I currently own Wilson Audio WATT/Puppy 6es and am thinking of moving up. I’m in a heavily treated (ten 16" Tube Traps, lots of panels and diffusers) but small room (15' x 11' x 8'), which performs very, very well for nearfield listening. The WP6es work very well in this room. I’m thinking about a used set of Rockports . . . likely Merak/Sheritans. Side-firing woofers, and per Andy Payor, are very good for nearfield listening (as are the Wilsons). Or I could go with Wilson WP8s, Sashas, or Sophia 3s.

Question for you: I listen mostly to rock. How did you like the Altairs for rock versus the WP8s? Did the speaker lead you to a listening preference? Any comments you can provide here would be welcome on the companies’ respective "house sounds" and what music they can, and cannot, do as well. Mahalo, Jeff.

Ryan

In my opinion, there is simply no comparison. The Rockports are some of the most highly engineered speakers in the world and, as such, have no preference when it comes to input material: they will simply play what you put in them. As well, they have deep, full bass that serves rock music just perfectly. The drivers also integrate very quickly off the front baffle making them excellent choices for nearfield listening. The Wilsons, in my opinion, just can't compete with the fidelity to the source that the Rockports accomplish by their very nature.

Written by: Ultra Reader

Category: Letters

Created: 24 June 2011

Editor,

Thanks for your insightful review of the Coda 15.0 power amplifier. As someone who owns several Coda amps and who's heard the 15.0 a number of times, I can attest to the inherent brilliance of their design. The first thing that strikes you about their products is their transparency. They have a window-free quality that few amps at any price can better, but it’s matched by a warmth and fluidity that really bring the music alive. And their bass is among the most tightly controlled I’ve heard. Considering how much they deliver sonically, and how favorably they compare with today’s über amps, their prices are a bargain. The 15.0 is truly a wonderful product, but I’d like to see future reviews of some of the other amps in the line; especially the S12.5, which I also think is reference grade.

Sincerely,
Andy Claps

Thanks for the note. And I agree with your comments! Make sure you check out our Coda Technologies factory tour as well. . . . Jeff Fritz

Written by: Ultra Reader

Category: Letters

Created: 23 June 2011

Editor,

I just ran across your article boasting "The Best System Ever" or something of that nature. Maybe music servers are the future, but what about good old analog? That's not going away anytime soon, if ever.

Why no turntable or phono stage? How about the $90k Continuum Caliburn turntable, Cobra tonearm, and Castellon turntable stand that Michael Fremer says smokes even Rockport's Sirius lll, and the $30k Boulder 2008 phono stage? I'd be willing to bet this setup would have elevated your "ultimate system" to an even higher level. Just sayin'.

Best,
Chris M.
Chicago

I have no argument with what you are saying. The best solid state and high-resolution digital has been my beat for the longest time and, therefore, it is what I tend to gravitate to. Would a turntable improve "The World's Best Audio System" substantially? My guess is that it would certainly provide an alternative source that would be quite compelling to hear. Ultimately, I think the way to get closest to the original recording is to listen to 24/88.2 or higher digital, but I, too, have heard great analog and agree it can be wonderful. . . . Jeff Fritz

Written by: Ultra Reader

Category: Letters

Created: 17 June 2011

Editor,

I enjoy your reviews and have sought out many items you've liked. I'm Interested in your opinion. I currently use a Weiss Minerva DAC fed by an Apple Mac Mini with Amarra.

I'm looking to upgrade my DAC and was thinking of using the Weiss as a pass-through to the Accustic Arts Reference Tube-DAC II SE. This would cover my Red Book library (99% of my library, CDs ripped as WAV files) and I would use the Weiss for the few hi-rez downloads I have.

I would appreciate your thoughts. Is the AA for Red Book a significant step up from the Minerva or should I be looking at something else (Weiss DAC202, Playback Designs PD5)? Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,
Dan

As much as I enjoyed the AA DAC, I also think very highly of the Minerva. Therefore, if it were my system, I'd look to upgrade to a DAC that has the very latest DAC chips and could handle both Red Book and hi-rez better than what you have now. Personally, I would listen to the Playback Designs and Weiss DAC202 as you mention, but my favorite DAC currently is the dCS Debussy, which is stellar with Red Book and can also handle hi-rez up to 24/192 through its asynchronous USB input. . . . Jeff Fritz

Written by: Ultra Reader

Category: Letters

Created: 14 June 2011

To Garrett Hongo,

I'm a fan of your articles and writing style. I also like the format of Ultra Audio -- personal, to the point, and coverage of the type of products I'm interested in. You are one of the few high-end-audio reviewers I track, and your informative, trusted insights have helped guide some of my purchases, including my most recent decision to buy a VAC Phi 300.1a amplifier. I was close to buying the Esoteric A-100, and for long-term flexibility and to support companies headed by folks like Kevin Hayes, I decided on the VAC. I'm also encouraged to read your comments about the Herron VTPH-2. I upgraded from the VTPH-1MC and love my Herron phono preamp. Your comments confirm that the Herron phono preamp is one to keep and hand down to my children just like the VAC, and Keith Herron is another super-capable and talented gentleman in the industry. I especially liked your article on the VAC Renaissance Mk.3 -- puts it on the short list of components I want to acquire. Any experience or point of view on the Herron VTSP-3a linestage? If it's like the phono stage, sounds like a real winner.

Darrin

Thank you for the support! The Herron VTSP-3a and VAC Renaissance Mk.3 are both high-quality preamps and I've just had the VAC in my system and listened to the Herron VTSP-3 (the immediate predecessor to the 3a) in my system. I think the VAC Renaissance Mk.3 is terrific, but you must remember it is a high-gain pre with 22dB of gain. I'm sure the new Herron VTSP-3a is likewise terrific, but it is a moderate-gain preamp with 12dB of gain switchable to 6dB. To me, besides the bells and whistles that give tremendous flexibility to the Herron (switchable H/L gain, switchable absolute polarity, stereo/mono switch, stepped and reproducible volume control, etc.) and that the VAC Renaissance Mk.3 has a phono option (with two sets of inputs), the difference in overall gain is the major thing that distinguishes one from the other. Output impedance is close enough, with the VAC being 300 ohms via RCA jacks and the Herron 100 ohms (RCA only).

To me, the switchable gain of the Herron VTSP-3a isn't as significant as the fact that the preamps have very different gains -- the VTSP-3a 12dB/6dB (switchable) and the Renaissance Mk.3 22dB. Again, the Herron is moderate/low gain and the VAC most definitely high gain. If you've high-sensitivity speakers, I don't think the Renaissance Mk.3 would be appropriate.

It depends on the needs of your system. I've moderately sensitive Von Schweikert VR5 HSE speakers (91dB/6 ohm) and a pair of moderate output tubed mono amps -- the deHavilland KE50A (40W) -- as my reference, and they benefit greatly from the higher gain capability of the VAC Renaissance Mk.3. And with your VAC Phi 300.1a stereo amp, a VAC pre should be optimal. That said, the Herron VTSP-3a is perfect for the Herron M1 monos, of course, and an extremely versatile piece too -- in features and compatibility with other amps. One veteran reviewer I know uses the VTSP-3a with a pair of deHavilland Aries 845-G monoblocks that output only 30W, but he has VMPS RM 30 speakers with a VMPS Large subwoofer.

As far as "sonic signature" is concerned, I can't say, as it's been too long since I've listened to the Herron linestage. Perhaps I'll be lucky enough to review it soon! I've the Herron M1 mono amps and VTPH-2 phono stage, so why not? Good luck. . . . Garrett Hongo

Written by: Ultra Reader

Category: Letters

Created: 05 June 2011

To Garret Hongo,

Thanks for your review on the VAC Renaissance Mk.3. Very nice. You mentioned listening to many preamps but the VAC Renaissance Mk.3 was the winner. I'm wondering, have you listened to any Shindo preamps? I’ve had a VAC Standard LE preamp for a few years now. However, as I had my preamp for some maintenance, I had a friend's Shindo Aurieges on loan. I must say I was quite impressed. Don’t actually know if it’s better than the Standard LE, but at least it seems to fit my system better. The instruments and voices were definitely more real and vibrant. Then again, some seem to think VAC’s better preamps are comparably a lot better than the Standard LE. So I’m wondering about an upgrade path. Any experience with, say, the Shindo Monbrison or Masseto compared to the VAC Renaissance MK.3 preamplifier?

Regards,
Jukka

Yes, I think the VAC Renaissance Mk.3 is an outstanding preamp. Though I've no experience with either the VAC Standard LE or the Shindo Aurieges you mention, I have had a Shindo Monbrison in my system. I found it tonally saturated, dynamic, and vibrant, particularly as a linestage and with jazz, rock, and blues. The VAC Renaissance (as a linestage) might be more resolving, less tonally dense, but also more nimble and nuanced, particularly at the top end (I listen to opera and Renaissance choral music). I thought their phono stages were comparable. But these auditions were over 18 months apart, so you can take these assessments with a grain of salt. . . . Garrett Hongo

Written by: Ultra Reader

Category: Letters

Created: 04 June 2011

Editor,

First off, thank you for all the great reviews. I am currently looking for an amplifier for my Magico Mini II speakers. I'm considering a number of brands based on reviews, including the Simaudio W-8, Gamut D200i, Boulder 1060, Vitus SS-050, and a Gryphon amp.

I've read both your reviews on the Simaudio W-8 and the Boulder 1060, and would appreciate your thought on whether one of these would mate with the Mini IIs better than the other, unless you think there is something else out there that would do an even better job. I am looking for accuracy and musicality.

Thanks for any thoughts you might have. By the way, I'm looking forward to your Q3 review.

Jeff

First off, there are no losers in your group that I can see. The only brand I have no experience with is Gamut, but I can advise you generally on the others.

All of the amplifiers that you have chosen will drive the Mini IIs with no issues. They are all competent and refined, and all built by solid companies. All are high-current designs with massive power supplies. Still, there are some sonic generalizations I've noted about each brand.

In terms of house sounds, take these comments for what they're worth: my experiences in my system over a period of several years. The Simaudio would likely be the warmest of the bunch, with the ability to produce a huge soundstage. The Boulder is dead neutral, certainly not warm like the Sim, and very transparent across the entire audio band. The Vitus is also dead neutral and extremely well controlled, and has far more drive than the power rating suggests. It is also very refined. The Gryphon will have a wonderful warmth and an analog feel, but also be quite transparent -- it has a wonderful combination of attributes that makes it a joy to live with day to day.

Ultimately all of these amplifiers are winners. If you have the ability to audition each of them, I'm quite sure you'll come away loving one of them the most.

I am due to get the Magico Q3s within about two weeks. . . . Jeff Fritz