Dear
@bpoletti : """ I have not heard any better phono stage at any price. ""
that " paramount statement is bording stupidity if is not supported by facts .
I’m not saying you are stupid because you did not.
I answered that I heard the VTPH1 and 2 with different cartridges .
Now, I don’t know against how many and which phono phono stages, cartridges, tonearms and overall how those cartridges where surrounded by the other home audio systems and the comparison proccess/tests you followed that can gives a foundation to that " crazy " statement. Could you share and answer that?
By my side I have a self audio comparison whole proccess and deep training on it, either in my reference system and in other audiophiles systems. Btw, additional to those the main audio distributors/retailers in my place were and are my friends and I took hours at their places and in my own system testing their electronics and even speakers.
In no order my audio experiences with tube/SS units/electronics ( as I told you I was using tube technology for several yers. ) are with these electronic manufacturers:
boulder, Vitus, EAR, Lamm, Nagra, Parasound, Ayre, MBL, Music Reference/Berning, Air Tight, Atmasphere, Audio Research, C&J, Aesthetix, BAT, Audio Note, Levinson, Krell, SimsAudio, Pass, Sutherland, Halcro, Dartzeel, Einstein, Rogue, FM Acoustics, Manley, Cary, Classé, CAT , Doshi, Herron, Rowland, Crown, Mckintosh, Wavac, VTL, Chord, Linn, Moscode, Vac, YBA, Burmester, Threshold, Hovland, Denon, Luxman, Accuphase, Gryphon and many other that scape to my memory.
Always surrounded by first rate speakers, tonearms, cartridges or TTs ( from Rockport to VPi. From the Anna or Etna to the humble Shure. From 20K system to over 300K systems. from systems in the parlor to dedicated audio rooms ).
In the regards under dialogue between you and me certainly and for sure I know what I’m talking about even better that any tube manufacturer and with one advantage: I’m not biased to anything but MUSIC, I’m married with MUSIC .
Now, in any home audio system the MUSIC belongs to both frequency extremes mainly to the bass range and as better the system bass range and its " management as better the overall room/system quality level performance. Bass range and its " management " is the more important and critical issue in home room audio system.Period.
Following with that fact the only rigth way to handle the rigth bass range " management " when the system is using passive speakers is that those passive speakers can function as sattelite ones in a speaker system with those passive speakers added with two self powered subwoofers where the high pass filter stays at around 80hz. Obviously both self powered subs connected in true stereo fashion.
With out those subs ( at least two of them. ) any system develops way inferior quality performance against any similar system with the subs. It makes a true paramount differences for the better ( always. ) to use that subs/sattelite speaker system.
Well and I don’t want to repeat what in other threads I did it but only to say that no single tube, any, can handle the overall bass range with the quality level and aplomb that SS devices and that’s why today tubes is and produce a heavy degradation to any audio signal.
Some of you think that because the units you use are hybrid ones using FETs or whatever SS devices at the input high gain stage problem with tubes disppears when the signal coming from those FETs must pass through tubes in that phonolinepreamps and latter on through the amplifier tubes to the speakers and when that FETs audio signal pass through the first single tube the bass range gone to the trash. What’s the deal there? no other than manufacturers following taking your money taking advantage of each one ignorance levels due that all of us were trained ( me too. ) for that corrupted AHEE.
I’m fine with that because that AHEE can’t damages my audio life and MUSIC any more.
Now, problem with audio lovers is that all think that are music lovers too and perhaps are but certainly not on what are listening in their room/audio tube system.
Many of the tube lovers say that if instead of a tube item they change for SS then they just can’t " tolerate " what they are hearing and have to comeback at once with the tube unit.
That is not the way we need to experience the SS alternative. The way is to listen continuously for at least two months all electronics SS in their system and after that change one of those SS items for the tube unit and listen if after taking two months of been exposed to SS electronics and really live the SS experiences and understand it against live MUSIC if they can come back to tube. I’m sure no one can comeback to tubes because they will learn about.
@invictus, problem is that tube people are always willing to say tubes are superior but till today no one is willing to take that SS experiences I posted here and that I posted months and years ago where I’m sure bpolleti reads but never took action about as any one else not even the tube manufacturers.
So how is that all are willing to posts supporting tubes with no facts against it, no first hand today experiences in the more or less " long term/time "?
That’s the same with we analog lovers when some one as me tell us that digital is superior than the LP experience when some of these analog lovers did not listen to digital for many many years now ! ! !
That’s why I say: we don’t want to learn and that’s why we can’t grow up in the home MUSIC experiences. Good for you and fine with me.
Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.
