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Alan
10:00AM edited 10:01AM
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Hi Col, thanks for your comment!
We played a track by PanSonic from Katodivaihe (Cathodephase) called Virta 1. This EP is to all intents and purposes a hifi torture fest, and is interesting if you enjoy electronic music. The bass was literally propulsive, I don't think I experienced anything like this before. Vibration of the wall, sofa, the air between my hands. It's a good thing my neighbor was out! Yet Colin and I could still converse without raising our voices.
Using the amp without its feed forward wiring first, we watched in amazement as the twin aluminium bass drivers performed acrobatics and wondered how the sound wasn't distorting in any appreciable way (I had never seen then move until now). This sound very much the same as the M-100T I had here for a while. Colin smiled the satisfied smirk of a designer who knew he has knocked out out of the park - again.
Adding the feed forward was fascinating. The drivers appeared to barely move in comparison, the twisting at the end of their travel was utterly eliminated. So strange to see a visible manifestation of this feature!
As for the sound, it did that thing you might remember when you first heard a SECA amplifier. That wonderful infusion of subtle detail, superlative speed and convincing warmth, the sound now coupling with and driving the room like you'd not heard before after listening to transistor amps with dampng factors of around a hundred; now a SECA with a DF of thousands could intimately connect you with the music. A performance rather than simply music. Similarly this amplifier can do even better and above a SECA, but at any volume level. This in turn throws the sound image forward and spreads it wider.
We also played 'Love turns forty' by Vienna Teng, which is the other track I think Colin refers to. It's a lovely detailed recording with a double bass. And Lia Ices 'Daphne' for that matter, which also features a string section. Colin is right, the wood body of the cellos and bass was so vivid as to really be striking.
The aspect I'm appreciating most right now is the bass depth and power being present at low volume, the system coupling to my rooms acoustic. The extra control finally sates a desire for scale and presence at any volume, full musical body and texture at low volume with huge imaging. Yet at high volume it appears not to be loud at all (an illusion), but rather bigger. More powerful. More insistent. More - just more. Effortless. Arresting.
This amplifier seems to be so fast, so capable that it doesn't even have to try. The Revels appear to match it's abilities foot for foot, and are just as impressive a piece of engineering. I don't doubt which would ultimately win though, this amp being capable of 64A output into DC! However, I would be Deafened long before that. This is a fascinating exercise in building a system around superb engineering, and the music taking care of itself.
Thank you, Colin. "
http://www.audiochews.com/discussion/2360/playtime-new-idea-on-severe-amp-control#latest