Click title to read one, or click date to read all below it.
03-10-05
Such a lonely person, just one chair? suggest investing mon ... Talshapiro
03-10-05
Talshapiro, may i suggest that you read a thread before con ... areynolds@
03-12-05: Mikelavigne
thanks areynolds for the help.....i guess my pictures do invite a few to wonder about my listening habits.
Tal, i have answered your question many times on many different forums.....Audiogon, Audioasylum, Pink Fish, and AVS.....most multiple times.
to be honest; i manage a company with 140 employees and basically am in meetings or interacting 60 hours a week....so when i go home i need a little peace. my nightly sessions are typically singular.....other than audio friends calling me and my web participation as i listen. most weekends i have audio/music friends over and up to 10 will join me in the room at a time.
the wife and my son are frequent listening companions.....although they know when i need my space. when alone i do remove other chairs (i'm a neat-nick....what can i say).
Mikelavigne (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)
03-16-05
Hi mike i think a lot people here are waiting to hear from y ... blueguitar111@
03-23-05
Mike i haven't looked at your system in a while...it now loo ... Ben_campbell
03-23-05: Mikelavigne
Blueguitar; i'm still waiting too.....
are we there yet?????????
i'm told a few more weeks.
Thanks Ben. it is really about the music.
to justify the room project i had to agree to a revenue neutral budget for a few years with the wife.....which has serverely impacted my former habit of adding lots of new music weekly. one of my real pleasures was that constant discovery of new music.....which i dearly miss. i do have a good deal of music already.....about 5000 lps and 3500 cds and sacds......but more than ever i KNOW it is about the music.
Mikelavigne (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)
04-02-05
Hi, mike : i am sure that, as myself, there are a lot of us ... Josey
04-03-05
Wow mike. i've never seen this thread or system. very nice ... Sean
04-03-05: Mikelavigne
Sean, thanks.
i asked my room designer to design the best room that he knew how to design......and left the Exquisite's out of that consideration. my feelings were that the room is the one ultimate limitation that is, by far, the most difficult to overcome......and i wanted a room that would allow me to explore the highest performance gear i could find. we discussed the scale of the room and felt the trade-offs with a large room were better than those with a medium sized room. also, it is great to have a sense of space.
after 18 months of effort to build a room.......it is child's play to switch speakers. this switch is revenue neutral so no pain there.
we will see whether the VR9's are speaker enough (i think they are) and if i will miss aspects of the Kharma (at least a possibility).....you have hit exactly on the question of the moment.
Joesy; thanks for some support on the 'chair' thing.....and i still need to hear those 'Strads'.
Mikelavigne (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)
04-03-05
. mike, . do let us know when you get to listen a pair of st ... Cello
04-06-05
Hi mike,have you ever have experience with verity audio's sa ... blueguitar111@
04-06-05: Mikelavigne
Blueguitar; i have listened to the Verity Parsifal a few times, and the Lohengrin once about three years ago. the Lohengrin was not my cup of tea as i recall.....but to be fair it has been so long i don't recall much about it. .
i do like the Parsifal......although it was a little polite for my tastes compared to the Kharmas.....a very listenable speaker that is kind to digital.
i have not heard the Sarastro that i know of....i may have run across it at CES but not specifically remember it.
sorry i can't be more help.
Mikelavigne (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)
04-07-05
Awesome set up. particularly keen on the wood behind the spe ... Scotty333
04-07-05: Mikelavigne
Scotty, thanks for the kind comments.....and best wishes on your future room.....i agree completely on the significance of the room (see the thread title).
i do like VAC amps......they are among the better tube amplifiers. but i prefer the Tenor and DarTZeel to any of the VAC amps i have heard. i'm sure once i get the VR9's in room there will be a parade of contenders to plug in to see how they do......
Mikelavigne (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)
04-10-05
Hello mike do you ever think to bi amp the kharma? you have ... blueguitar111@
04-10-05: Mikelavigne
hi Blueguitar; good question.....and one i have considered a few times. my prevuios room was small so i never went any further than thinking. i have been in a state of transition in the new room.
i do not have experience with bi-amping Kharmas. i know that bi-amping can improve things, although sometimes only marginally. in my particular case, there would have been a few trade-offs and budgetary issues.
another set of Tenor Hybrids, $35,000.
another set of Valhalla interconnects, $3250.
another set of Transparent Opus speaker cable, $29,000.
those are all at list price; obviously you could buy substitues (particularly as far as the Opus) or buy used.
my Placette is not set up with two XLR outputs, so i would have needed a splitter (not the most refined approach).
my feelings were that it would not likely result in enough benefit to justify.
OTOH i expect to eventually bi-amp the VR9's. part of the reason is the location of the speaker terminals on the speakers. the tweeter/mid speaker terminal is about 30 inches off the ground......and the Opus is very heavy......so i will need long jumpers. my plan initially is to use jumpers to the Opus. but this arraingement may compromise the Opus's performance so i may go to bi-wiring initially and bi-amping eventually with different speaker cables.
both Hooper and MES are currently using the DarTZeel vertically biamped on the VR9's and love what it does. i heard this setup at CES and it did sound great (but to be fair i didn't directly compare a single DarTZeel).
would the DarTZeel biamped work equally well on the Kharma?
maybe.
would the Opus speaker cable with a single amp work better?
maybe.
Mikelavigne (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)
04-11-05
Hi mike thanks for the reply, do you feel you need more powe ... blueguitar111@
04-16-05: Mikelavigne
hi Blueguitar;
no, i'm not able to make it to NYC.....i was just in Florida on business this week and it's just too far for me at this time.
i do think that many would feel the ML2.1 can fully develope the Kharma performance. until/unless i am able to actually live with the ML2.1 i would be hesitant to comment too much. it would come down to taste, sonic priorities, and room size.
based on my limited exposure to the ML2 and ML2.1 and other Lamm amps i have spent more time with.....i prefer the more lively and energised presentation (my personal viewpoint) of the Tenor and DarTZeel. i have not had any Lamm amps in my room to live with for extended periods of time but have listened to them many many times on very familiar gear.
that said; i believe the Kharma/Lamm combination is one of the very best sounding i have heard.....just not my personal favorite.
i hope you are able to find your personal 'right' amp......please let me/us know what you find.
Mikelavigne (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)
04-16-05: Mikelavigne
Blueguitar; sorry, i didn't respond to your first question.
as i sit here listening to the Kharmas and a single DarTZeel i get absolutely no sense of lack of dynamics, or of any distress or hardness at peaks.....even in my big room. my previous smaller room did give me a certain dynamic immediacy that i don't quite get now; but that is a matter of how any system sounds in a small space and partially just a 'feeling'.
that is not to say that more power (with the Tenor 300 watt Hybrids or 2 DarTZeels) wouldn't have any benefits......just that there is no sense of anything missing (other than the bottom octave....but that is a speaker/room issue).
once the VR9's arrive and i experience what they can do in this room i will have a whole different context......which may bring me to feel differently about what i am currently hearing.
IMHO a single DarTZeel is more than enough for these 90db, 4 ohm Kharmas.
Mikelavigne (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)
04-16-05
Mike guy can fit another balanced output into your placette ... Mejames
04-16-05: Mikelavigne
Mejames, a few years back i had spoken to Guy about changing the rca outputs on the RVC to XLR.....and at the time he said there wasn't room. thanks for the update on his thinking.
if i were to bi-amp with Tenors there would be no problem. but with the DarTZeel there is a problem. i will attempt to explain it.
the latest version of the DarTZeel (version B) has a switch to switch DC compensation in and out. it sounds better to me with this switched out (no negative feedback). the way that the Placette implements it's balanced volume control has an impedence miss-match with the DarTZeel when the DarTzeel is not running negative feedback. basically, i get a slight buzz after a few minutes from some unstable impedence (this is beyond the limit of my technical ability to explain).
if i use a single ended cable then there is not a problem.
my apologizes for not having a deeper understanding of why this happens.....but it does happen.
therefore if i decide to bi-amp with the DarTZeel i'll either need to go single ended version of the RVC or use something other than the Placette (new DarTZeel preamp is a definite possibility).
as i move closer to my Holy Grail things seem to get curiouser and curiouser.
Mikelavigne (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)
04-16-05
Mike, thanks for sharing your experience with us. it really ... blueguitar111@
04-17-05
. mike, . do you make it down to florida fairly often on bus ... Cello
04-17-05: Mikelavigne
Blueguitar; you're most welcome.
Larry; this past year i was in Orlando in September for a Convention and last week i was in Ponta Verda for a dealer meeting (last spring i also was in Key Largo).....there are no South Florida trips planned over the next few years that i know of (the meetings are rotated around the country every year).
my business trips are typically day and night affairs (meetings during the day and long dinners at night---which i hate---i'm always the first to leave). if i do travel to South Florida i'll let you know. a visit to a kindred spirit would certainly make the drudgery of the travel much more inviting.
i use to enjoy business trips but not any more......no music, no chair, no peace, gain weight, jet lag, get behind. as i get older i seem to appreciate the little things in life more.
Mikelavigne (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)
04-18-05
. mike, . if you are ever going to make it down to miami for ... Cello
04-19-05
For 60k list, this must be as painful a wait for you as for ... Thom_y
05-02-05
Hi mike i finally did listen to both vr9 and midi exquisite ... blueguitar111@
05-03-05: Mikelavigne
Thom and Blue;
i am told that the VR9's will ship at the end of this week (friday). which means they will likely ship at the end of next week (everything they have told me has taken twice as long).
i do slightly prefer the Midi Exquisite's to my previous Exquisite 1D's. i listened to both the Midi Exquiste and VR9 at CES and the resolution issue was too close to call for me at that time.....you may be right. the diamond tweeter on the Midi is more prominent than the three tweeters on the VR9 and can indicate more detail.....although i think that the ribbon tweeter on the VR9 is just more natural sounding but reveals equal detail but possibly in a more coherent way.
unless i can actually compare both of these speakers side by side this issue cannot be settled. the fact that the VR9 was in such a small room in NYC would very likely cause at least some bass bloat and obscure mid-range detail compared to the Midi Exqusite that has much less bass energy to cause that same effect. in my room that won't be an issue.
i certainly don't take your comments personally.....especially from two different speakers at a show in different rooms with different amplifiers......and subjective opinions are just that. i appreciate your feedback and that you went to the trouble to share your viewpoint. i hope it works out that i CAN compare them side by side.
the only way to get the answer is side by side listening in the same room with the same amps. i am still open to the possibility that a head to head between these speakers might result in my preferring the Midi......ya gotta listen.
i agree the DarTZeel sounds better to my ears than the Lamm M1.2.
Mikelavigne (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)
05-06-05: Mikelavigne
i am told that the VR9's are fully assembled, packed into their shipping crates, and will ship tomorrow. they should arrive later next week.
so by next Friday night, May 13th, the VR9's should be making music in my room.
Mikelavigne (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)
05-06-05
Mike congratulations, waiting for review of your vr9. oh, si ... blueguitar111@
05-07-05: Mikelavigne
O.K. the damn things have actually shipped.....and i should have them next Thursday. i have been curious exactly how the VR9's would look in Piano Black. my opinion was that the silver color made them look quite industrial looking.....and i was hopeing that the Black would be less 'rough' looking. i just got pictures of my actual pair at the Von Schweikert factory and i am quite happy with their look. below is a link to the pictures.....the grills do look very nice also (although i'll listen with them off).
my actual pair of Piano Black VR9's being burned in yesterday
i am told they have gone with an all-black cone for the rear-firing subwoofer that looks more integrated and finished.....although the picture does not show that.
Mikelavigne (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)
05-07-05
I like the black, much nicer than the silver ones at stereop ... Albertporter
05-08-05
I'm honestly curious as to what you do, and how i can achiev ... atlien1@
05-09-05: Mikelavigne
atlien, i am a working guy.....i manage (not own) a medium size retail company (car dealership). i work 55+ hours/6 days a week. i have been with the same company for 24 years.
one reason i am an audiophile is that it works well with my job; i can listen at night or whenever.....i don't need big blocks of time.....and it also offers great stress relief.
it has taken 10 years of purchasing to put together my gear....most of my upgrading has been 'revenue neutral' for the last 5 years or so. the room project was budgeted into my recent home purchase (but THAT budget was well blown).
many audiophiles have more financial resources than myself but have decided not to devote as much ($$$'s) to the hobby. don't confuse an expensive system with financial stability.....they are two different things.
my wife has been amazingly understanding.....i just tell her that my investment in the hobby only means i'll be working a few more years (than i would otherwise have to) before i can retire (at a similar lifestyle). those kind of decisions are very personal and many would not agree with my choice.
when i proposed the new room project i promised my wife i would be revenue neutral for a few years......so far i have kept my word for 2 years.
i once asked Andy Payor (of Rockport) about his typical customer for his Sirius III tt......surprisingly he told me it was guys like me.....not filthy rich....but working guys that really wanted to have the best and were enthusiasts that actually used them daily.
it takes passion to make that sort of commitment.
Mikelavigne (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)
05-09-05
Mike, just based on a short listen at the nyc show, i give t ... Gregadd
05-11-05
Hi mike will you get your vr9 tomorrow? im sure it's long wa ... blueguitar111@
05-12-05: Mikelavigne
Albert, thanks. yes, i do expect that the VR9'will be at home in my room.
Greg, thanks for the feedback from the NY show.
Blue, yes...the (my) VR9's are on a truck in Seattle and will be delivered sometime today.
some slightly bad news; i had to pack up the Midi Exquisites last night and they are awaiting pick-up today for delivery to a buyer. it would have been preferrable to have them both at the same time but listened to the Midi's last night and i'll listen to the (not broken in at all) VR9's tonite in the same room. i trust my aurial memeory at least that much for comparitive purposes.
hard for me to complain much.....i've had a pair of $75k SOTA loaners for 4 months...my dealer has been more than fair with me.
a head to head shootout with both after breakin of the VR9's would have been fun though.......
Mikelavigne (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)
05-12-05
Well, i trust your "aurial memeory". another words ... blueguitar111@
05-12-05: Mikelavigne
soooo.....i went home at lunch and met the delivery truck....assisted getting the '500 pound' crates into my room.
it took about an hour to disassemble the crates....install the integral ramp system.....roll the speakers out onto my floor, remove the protective packaging.....and see that they actually fit rather nicely into the aesthetic of my room.
alas...duty calls...back to the salt mines.....at least knowing that the beasties are there ready and waiting for later....all unpacked and looking mean as hell.
Mikelavigne (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)
05-12-05
Hey congrats mike, they finally made it!! i know the vr9s w ... Dlwask
05-13-05: Mikelavigne
very preliminary first impression....
WOW!......followed by.....holy shit!
i know.....it's all the placebo effect.
i will stay away from any snap judgements or 'pronoucements' for now.....if i can just get this 'shit-eat'n grin' off my face i can get to bed.
Mikelavigne (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)
05-13-05
Congrats on the latest acquisition, mike. i'm certain the vr ... Scagneti
05-13-05
Congrats mike! and i think wow! and holy shit are a great f ... Ericeash
05-17-05: Mikelavigne
VR9SE update; as of 4 days and about 150 hours (they burned them in about 60 hours at the factory before shipping).
Eric---the Manufacturer recommends a minimum of 30 days/24 hours a day breakin at relatively high volume. even then the subwoofer will require another month or so to breakin.
first, a few things i have learned. the VR9's completely disappear sonically.....no boxy sound, the sound seems completely apart from the enclosures.....even with relatively raw drivers. the VR9's seem to seamlessly integrate.....they are very coherent.....as the woofers breakin i expect the mid-bass integration to even improve.
that immediacy and viceral intimacy i had missed from my previous smaller room is back......the VR9's don't even break a sweat while pressurizing the room and really pulling me into the energy of the music.....yet at low volumes are still quite dynamic and able to do the frequency extremes.
the bass performance is astonishing by any standards. the drivers are still very tight so bass texture is not where it will end up yet.......my Kharmas took 5-6 months to attain their final bass performance in terms of bass microdynamics and texture. every day i hear a little more definition in the bass.
although the Kharma's are a more artisitic design than the VR9's.....in the black color the VR9 is a better speaker in my room as far as scale and mass.....it looks like it belongs. the whole feel of the speaker and it's sound seems to 'fit' right and sound 'correct' in the room.....i am happier than i expected to be with the 'look'. i must also say the that the build quality is about perfect.....the finish is flawless (as it should be for a $60k speaker) and the grills integrate perfectly but in the Piano Black color you don't see all the little 'grill mounting holes'.
are they as good at clarity and detail as the Kharma Midi Exquisites?
incomplete answer at best. if i were to predict my answer.....it would be that i will consider them equal but different when all is said and done in these two areas. it will come down to the different sound of the different drivers......the ceramic mid-range of the Kharma has more of a shimmer and hightened perception of texture and detail.....which i am use to and love.......but......the Aerogel mid-range driver of the VR9 is smoother and more closely resembles the real world. both seem to be equally open and un-veiled.
the Kharma mid-range is percieved by some to have a slight 'brightness' compared to neutral.......the VR9 mids are in contrast less detailed but maybe more neutral.
again, the tweeters are quite different......the Kharma's Diamond Tweeter seemed to have a prominence when i first tried it with the DarTZeel......as the Dart broke in the prominence was considerably reduced.....but there are no other ss amps that are as smooth as the Dart.......the tweeters (all three) on the VR9's are still kinda 'all-over-the-place'......but.....i have had brief views of tweeter heaven.
these views are kinda stabbs at this point based on my listening so far.......i reserve the right to change my mind as these beasts break-in.
at this point the speaker is a little different every time i listen. you have 6 drivers breaking in and lots of adjustments going on.....so far this speaker has a good chance to meet or exceed my highest expectations......but only time will tell.
Mikelavigne (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)
05-17-05: Mikelavigne
additional note; i will try to post some pictures tomorrow night.
Mikelavigne (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)
05-17-05
. mike, . i am happy for the way the vr9's seem to be shapin ... Cello
05-18-05
Everything sounds great so far. really looking forward to t ... Ericeash
05-19-05
Mike, they always show vr9 in bi amp mode. is it one dartze ... blueguitar111@
05-20-05: Mikelavigne
O.K. guys.....here are a few picture links.
VR9SE in black, without grill
pair of VR9SE's with grills
single VR9SE with grills
rear of VR9SE, note the jumpers hanging down to allow the Opus to connect near the floor
i tried to upload pictures into my page above but Audiogon's photo upload wasn't working.
BTW, the speaks are progressing nicely......
Mikelavigne (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)
05-20-05: Mikelavigne
Blueguitar; i say this with all sincerety; i have yet to hear a more dynamically complete system than what i am now hearing. i have heard other systems that are in the same league dynamically but not beyond. the single DarTZeel seems to provide all that is asked of it.....my senses tell me i am at the top of the dynamic food chain.
that said, my brain tells me that two DarTZeels (or maybe 4 Tenor Monos) will go even further in terms of dynamics, signal purity, and sense of ease.
both MES and Hooper report benefits with a pair of DarTZeels......and my room is larger than either of theirs.
is one DarTZeel enough for the VR9?
you bet!
Mikelavigne (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)
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