Appreciate your comments, and outside of those who have posted before, if there are any other STL owners out there, please, please post your comments - it will benefit Albert and everyone else here.
I'm on the other side of the continent and still have not purchased one of Albert's products, but for the last year or year and a half have frequented his site and exchanged many an email back and forth with Albert, but still haven't 'taken the plunge' and given one of his products a try despite the many a happy customer that do exist, though obviously a much smaller bunch than those that crowd around other products.
I've been tempted by many of his products, whether its a phono stage, preamplifier, amplifier, or the thing of Albert's that really, really tempts me is Albert's DAC designs..
I have a feeling that whether you were putting together an budget system or extremely high end system, that you'll find some amazing magic in his work -- at least this is what everyone who has commented in the past has found. Apparently his absolutely cheapest preamplifier, I believe the one you have, people have put up against some rather pricey units and felt that it squashed them...
Only problem with that sort of performance is it makes people wonder about every unit above that one....and then your budget system is no longer at the bottom end of the chain....but then again, maybe your happiness with your system has increased as well as your new budget.
One thing I would appreciate -- whether its a comparison to what you were listening on before, a comment of what speakers you're matching them to, or if you get a chance to do comparisons to anytihng else -- please post anything you can... If this is a 'first system' per se, and you don't think its warranted to post SystemA vs. SystemB, any descriptions simply in how music has changed for you, or how the system is different from what you've heard elsewhere is appreciated.. Based on what I can surmise of your listening tastes from other threads, this provides me additional confidence is giving one of his products a shot...
Also, did you buy the 1.5w amplifier to mate to speakers or headphones? If speakers, I would _love_ to hear your thoughts...
I'm hopefully making a nice little vacation to the Northwest this summer, and it will without a doubt include a visit to Albert to stop in and say Hello, hear some toys, and potentially scrap my luggage limit for clothes to be replaced by some beautiful equipment. :-)
I'm on the other side of the continent and still have not purchased one of Albert's products, but for the last year or year and a half have frequented his site and exchanged many an email back and forth with Albert, but still haven't 'taken the plunge' and given one of his products a try despite the many a happy customer that do exist, though obviously a much smaller bunch than those that crowd around other products.
I've been tempted by many of his products, whether its a phono stage, preamplifier, amplifier, or the thing of Albert's that really, really tempts me is Albert's DAC designs..
I have a feeling that whether you were putting together an budget system or extremely high end system, that you'll find some amazing magic in his work -- at least this is what everyone who has commented in the past has found. Apparently his absolutely cheapest preamplifier, I believe the one you have, people have put up against some rather pricey units and felt that it squashed them...
Only problem with that sort of performance is it makes people wonder about every unit above that one....and then your budget system is no longer at the bottom end of the chain....but then again, maybe your happiness with your system has increased as well as your new budget.
One thing I would appreciate -- whether its a comparison to what you were listening on before, a comment of what speakers you're matching them to, or if you get a chance to do comparisons to anytihng else -- please post anything you can... If this is a 'first system' per se, and you don't think its warranted to post SystemA vs. SystemB, any descriptions simply in how music has changed for you, or how the system is different from what you've heard elsewhere is appreciated.. Based on what I can surmise of your listening tastes from other threads, this provides me additional confidence is giving one of his products a shot...
Also, did you buy the 1.5w amplifier to mate to speakers or headphones? If speakers, I would _love_ to hear your thoughts...
I'm hopefully making a nice little vacation to the Northwest this summer, and it will without a doubt include a visit to Albert to stop in and say Hello, hear some toys, and potentially scrap my luggage limit for clothes to be replaced by some beautiful equipment. :-)