khrys: unfortunately, i was unable to get my hands on a high end TA IC with mm2 to audition (such as TA ref+mm2, ref XL +mm2) . my review is based upon comparing the new mm2 technology on an ultra IC in an a/b/c/d of ic's with orig mm tech of ultra, ref, and ref xl (which you have) . i hope it will be enlightening nonetheless. that said, in about 2 weeks i should be able to review thouroughly TA ref mm2 against the ref XL (orig mm) and possibly the TA refMM (orig tech) if i dare borrow one from my wonderful dealer.
why, you may ask, do i need to wait about 2 weeks to audition the ref mm2? because that is about the time my ref cables will be back from TA with the mm2. did i just let the cat out of the bag? the mm2 tech pushed most all aspects of the ultra's sound presentation above the ref level. the mm2 tech moved the ultra into the sound presentaiton of the ref XL, where it has never been. (btw, IMO the ref+mm orig was never in the sound world of the ref XL+mm orig in terms of nuance, timbral detail, micro dynamics, transient clarity etc. in most respects, the ref has been the big brother of the ultra, not the little brother of the ref xl.) with the mm2 tech, in most aspects, the ultra mm2 sounds as if is the ref XL's (orig mm) little brother, so to speak. now dont jump on me. there are a few aspects of the ultra mm2 that did not leap upward to the next level... stay tuned for the details.
during my audition, i have attempted to evaluate several aspects of sound presentation (across a diverse range of classical music ) whose sole purpose ultimately is to reveal the performers' most personal communication of their musical experience while bringing a score to life.... interpretation. of course, audiogoners want concrete details, so i specifically noted comparisons of the physical aspects of sound presentation (transient speed, decay, timbral nuance, mirco dynamics) which musicians discuss in terms of articulation, release, tone color, intensity, dynamic modulations.. all at the service of phrasing etc. . LOL
IF ref+mm(orig) and refXL+mm(orig) enjoy a similar or nearly similar metamorphosis with the MM2 tech in most aspecs for which we listen as a complete musical experience, ,well, that will be most outstanding! this is something i cannot comment upon at this time as i have no ref XL+mm2 to audition. i would conject (always dangerous) that the higher up you go in terms of cable quality, the less substantial the improvements may be realized. cheers, marc
