Setonaudio, I am a slow typist and at work late tonight, but i will share my experience as soon as time allows. I can say, from my "earpoint" that the unit seems to have solved a fundamental short-coming in sound reproduction and the more listening done the more of value it becomes to me. I will break down what music and what differences were heard. I may sound subdued, but believe me the fire is down below and i will explain what i mean in next thread. Marc |
I have had one in system for a week now and I am very satisfied. I went in extremely skeptical with thoughts that this might just be a gimmick. So far I am amazed at how everything seems so much more live.I had previously thought my system gave one a hair-raising experience, but the hair on my air literally stood up as long as i was playing music, this past weekend. This coming weekend I plan a music marathon and will describe more what differences one hears. Marc |
The music I have played so far has been acoustic, voices, horns, piano, drums ect. in CD, SACD and streamed in from Mac both in stereo and some mono. Etta James, Ray Charles, Van Morrison, Norah Jones, Stevie Wonder and BeeGees.In all cases added phase info adds to marked difference in articulation of voices and instruments. Besides stage width and depth both being increased another benefit was that music seems to come from a sphere from each speaker instead of being flat in nature. The stereo separation is improved no matter the position or room you are in. It just reminds me of all the live music i have been graced with listening thru the years. This weekend i plan some rock and classical music to hear how it is effected. One caveat from my experience was when I moved the qol unit from between my ARC LS-27 preamp and ARC DS-450 amp to before the preamp the air and soundstage collapsed. A Cardas Clear 1/2 meter IC arrived so that i will be trying to see if this was cable related or did i somehow miss connect it. Live music has always made me want to get up and dance and I now realize the phase info must be the ticket to ride and what has been lacking in all stereo systems. I know it is fairly expensive and it goes against my audiophile nature to simplify and here you add a box and a set of cables. But this for me is it!!! After some more time and use i will write again about how cable and position came out. |
Setonaudio, one more weekend only verifies the value of qol unit. Old rock, The Who,Beatles,CCR,Doors,Stones, ect. are all enhanced very markedly. Have not tried classical yet, because once you start playing music you keep playing more of whatever you are listening to due to the great improvement. I am grinning a whole bunch more than I have in years. What has been your experience so far? Marc |
I will be testing position change this weekend. In previous test, within my system,placing qol before the pre there was marked drop in air and soundstage. After talking to Larry Kay and telling him my experience he confirmed he also heard improvement after pre. I am fairly sure that is the prime way to go, but I will try 1 last test now that the new Cardas Clear IC is broken in. Marc |
I have been having some friends over, but the rotation was so heated i could not justify a slowdown in the action so that i could do a cable swap. All comers spoke more than once that it sounded better than live to them. We know this isn't likely, but you get the point i'm sure. Upon taking the qol unit out of the circuit, all the excitement diminished. I will get around to swapping cables soon. Marc PS Setonaudio, what is your feedback? |
Pimconsulting, that is interesting about the panel speakers. I have a back-up pair of maggies I use if a speaker problem occurs with the Shophia IIIs. One of the many benefits the qol unit does is expand the perceived height of the Wilsons. They sound more like the maggies now as far as soundstage. This is one of the many benefits the qol unit does in my system. I have not tried the maggies with the qol, but I had wondered if things might be different with panel speakers. I do disagree about audiophile statement you made and I bet time will prove me right. To me if something sounds more live and real, that is desirable, after all stereo is just an illusion trying to sound more real than mono. And Setonaudio, I agree the qol does make the system a lot less room dependent. I am sure that i love what the qol unit does for believability and when off the thrill is gone. Long live qol, I need it every night. Marc |
Nak8, I do not understand how this technology works after reading all I can. What I do understand is when you hear it you know it is right and sounds much more live and correct. Not all recordings are as improved as much as others, but all benefit and some dramatically. Just read review of the qol unit in the latest TAS by Robert Harley with his super high-end system. He also is in love or lust as much as I am with his unit and it ain't going nowhere. ((smile)) Marc PS It is hard for me to listen to my car stereo much anymore, as I miss all the extra the qol unit brings into play. Long live qol, I need it every night! |
All the negative posts based on theory and not having listened to them are a waste of your time and ours. We as well as you know "buyer beware" and that there have been countless gizmos that play with the signal before the qol and most of those if not all sucked after any long term listening. With this unit the longer I listen the more sure I am of its extreme value for me. Until you try it sour grapes seems small minded from my seat as I know what it can do for listening enjoyment. |
Kclone, I have a fairly big room (16'x34'x9') that is very open to a bigger room so I do not have major room issues as speakers are far from front, side and back walls. But I can say that when the qol is engaged the room seems to be less a factor by far. As far as why i am fired up is it is like you are taking a swipe at my hot lady and i took offense. Once you sample her wares you may be in the same boat. |
Kclone, Nay I was referring to other threads, sorry for confusion. |
I realize after listening to any live music and in particular a 1973 live album in London by Van Morrison on my turntable, why I have have been so emotional about the qol. It brings out a heavy emotional response in me! I want to laugh, scream, jump, cry,fight,love,kiss,make love and so much more. All this fire I accredit to the qol unit. Just start listening to music and forget about burn in and then you will hear what the big deal is. |
Kclone, some integrated amps have a preamp out, if not, choices are after source or through tape in if available. |
Kclone those are all options for placement of qol unit. Just choose the one that works for you best. For me after the pre-amp was better. If you put it before amp you will only have qol working for that one source. after pre-amp all sources have option for qol. |
I finally took some time and listened to the mono set of the Beatles on cd through the qol unit. I set ARC pre-amp to mono and qol to mono. The improvement is just as profound as with stereo. You have to hear it to believe it. |
Mribob, I have the Stein system which, per tweek geek, is better than Art system. I have the Bybee speaker bullets and 2 of the quantum qx-4s by QRT. From my seat the qol by far made biggest improvement. As far as cables there is some improvement nothing big. Was told by Larry Kay cables were not big on list. Lastly the qol seems to take the room very much out of equation. |
Mribob, meant to say i have only listened with balanced ICs, no experience on single-ended. |
Ozzy I totally understand your emotional response. I found myself getting fired-up after any criticism of the qol unit as if someone had trashed my best girl friend, the one that knows all the right moves. And like you feel those who do not like the qol either did not spend enough time with unit or had a faulty one. I listen to music much more and with much more enjoyment than before qol. Long live qol I need it every night. |
You detractors broaden my cheshire grin, especially those that quote reviews by others than themselves. |
Now I am rolling in the floor with laughter. You guys must be miserable! |
Ozzy Have you tried any mono yet? I am surprised more by it than stereo. In my system mono sounds like very good stereo with separation of instruments and air. You can stand in front of one speaker and still hear other speaker output. To me it helps much to enhance engagement to the music. |
Still very much enjoying qol unit. On occasion I have taken it out and listened to music for a day without it. I have stopped that as I am always moved more by the music physically and emotionally with qol in. Also has anyone tried it on mono material? From my perspective it is amazing the improvement made in air and space." Long live qol I need it every night! " |
