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System Plateau - Ideas?

The last time I plateau’d was
Rega RP6 (Ortofon Black) > Musical Surroundings Nova II > Line Magnetic 518ia > DeVore O/93 

2 changes, more recently:
1. Switched amplification to
DeHavilland Ultraverve III (Dueland Special) > FirstWatt Aleph J
2. Also replaced Ortofon Black with a Hana ML.

Overall very nice, but I feel I’m missing a bit of “edge”.
One direction I’ve been leaning is single driver (researching Omega). Another direction would be rethinking amplification. Has anyone plateau’d here? What did you try?

Of course, everything sounds perfectly fine as is :)

Cheers,
John
dotchaos
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,734 posts
 
Yes the music you are using as a reference:-)
dotchaos OP
7 posts
 
I listen to a little of everything, but these are some familiar references that should pass with flying colours:


  1. "Turn to me" – Lou Reed, New Sensations. An electric guitar, Lou’s voice, and a choir melding on "Turn to me", before Fernando Saunders’ bass threads in the rhythm section. Two separate things here: Correctly portraying and balancing the three elements of the opening passage, then the liquidity and momentum of the bass carrying into the transition. Fernando Saunders’ sinuous lines should underpin the whole record.
  2. "Cepa Andaluza" – Paco de Lucia, Fuente y Caudal. How real do the hand-claps and audience participation feel? Does the system capture Paco’s pinpoint playing?
  3. John Fahey, Requia, Side 1 (only). Unadorned acoustic guitar. Do I feel the guitar resonating and the shifts in sonic character as Fahey moves up and down the frets?
  4. "Peace" – Chico Freeman, Spirit Sensitive. Do I get the full frequency range of this tune, and especially the distinct low-end heft and detail of Cecil McBee’s bass? McBee takes a flight of fancy around mid-way that’s something to hear.
  5. "Blu-a-round" – Sahib Shihab, Jazz Sahib. Does the system lay back enough to let this band build up their groove? Also some wonderful harmonic lines and generally beautifully recorded blowing.
  6. "For Turiya" – Charlie Haden, Closeness Duets. Do I hear the scale of Alice Coltrane’s harp, and are her and Haden’s lines perfectly delineated and complementary to one another?
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,734 posts
 
super well thought out, i have some of this, will listen this eve. i don’t necessarily think you should abandon “ edge”... just yet....
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