[vcoheda]

^^ sweet. i should have my aural thrills audio silver power cord next week. i'll post my impressions - if there are any. sometimes i hear things and sometimes i don't

i'm also on the hunt for a pair of used nordost heimdall XLRs. i'm very happy with my silver resolutions but i have always wanted a nordost and some reviewers have said the heimdalls are 80 percent if not more of the valhallas. that's pretty good.

not too easy to come by though. so we'll see.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Audio Addict /img/forum/go_quote.gif That would be me. The platform is cheaper so I would try it first. I did try 4 vs. 3 of the carbon graphite and three worked just as well. Given the stability of my stand already, the difference with and without the tuneblocks is difficult to hear. However, I just received my balanced RAL cable this week so I will see if balanced makes a difference.

cardas blocks under my G08 - nothing. blocks under the apache power supply worked wonders. but i didn't have great isolation to begin with. must be excited about the RAL cable. balanced is so great. and that is suppose to be a very good cable. i like my zu, but am very curious about other cables. keep us updated.

 

[vcoheda]

just got my Aural Thrills Audio Silver Power Cord with Cryo'd Wattgate ends (see link below).

the cord is very narrow and stiff but also quite malleable, so you can shape it at will to connect from your component to the outlet. stiff and rigid cables are hard to use. but this is not rigid, so is very easy to use. the ad said that power amps would see the biggest improvement due to the cord's ability to move a lot of current. i am using the power cord with my Apache power supply. the first power cord i used with my Apache was a very thick after market one. i found the sound to be too full and boomy, probably at the expense of some detail and resolution. i then changed to a much narrower quality stock power cord. this was an improvement and is the cord i have been using for some time.

before i plugged in the silver power cord, i listened to portions of a CD that i am very familiar with (Feist - The Reminder) using the stock power cord. then i made the switch, changing nothing else. i noticed a few things right away. the music is louder (same volume as when using the stock cord), the presentation is more forward, and there is definitely a certain brightness to everything. the cord still has to be burned in, so i expect the sound to even out over time. but i think this cord will give me the clarity and speed that i was looking for. i have never had a cable not improve in the first 50-100 hours of use, so it can only get better. in my system, i think this silver power cord from Aural Thrills is going to work well.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA:IT&ih=004

 

[Podster]

THX vcoheda, all this thread has done is make me want to sell my Solo and get my K-701's balanced out:-0

I talked for a while with Ray last week and he could not help but tell me about the Apache and the differences in it and the B-52. I'm putting a new system together now to go on my Klipsch LaScalla's.

I was originally going to go with a BAT VK-D5 into a Benchmark DAC feeding a BAT VK-60 but I've been fighting that route ever since my conversation with Ray.

Evil poster you are LOL

 

[vcoheda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Podster /img/forum/go_quote.gif I talked for a while with Ray last week and he could not help but tell me about the Apache and the differences in it and the B-52.

besides the obvious tube versus solid state, what did Ray say. very curious, if you remember some.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Podster /img/forum/go_quote.gif all this thread has done is make me want to sell my Solo and get my K-701's balanced out:-0

i have no sympathy for you. you knew full well that your wallet was not safe here.

but seriously, i am a full convert of balanced. every headphone i have tried has seen a noticeable improvement. a good balanced system is by no means cheap, but if you use dynamic headphones and it is within your budget, it is the only way to go, in my opinion.

 

[Podster]

He only spoke of a few refinements in the Apache which I did not really register when he told me because my hearts with his B-52 so/and if I go with Ray's pre it's going to be the B-52 because my Klipsch system is to be all tube with exception to the Benchmark

My main rig (see profile) is balanced as far as my current BAT gear so I know running my K-701's balanced will be spot on.

I do remeber him saying outside the obvious tube topology that the Apache delivered 85% of the B-52's sound, don't know if that helps you any and I'm not sure if the B-52 shunts all other inputs to ground when one is activated or not. Gonna make me do a little research I see:-0 My biggest love of the B-52 is in Ray's design on his grounding plane/grid

 

[vcoheda]

Apache, 85% of the B52.

that sounds like a good number to me.

yeah, if my budget was a bit larger, i believe i would have purchased a B52 instead. although now that i have the Apache, i really do like its small size and the hassle-free use/operation of solid state. i think for my current setup, the Apache in the end was the better choice.

 

[Podster]

Indeed for you and how you feel now I too say it was the better choice for you

I will say the only tube gears I've ever had problems with were vintage pieces, all my newer tube purchases are still running as new and my VK-3i and VK-P5 are now both going on 6 years trouble free

Ray's quality and build are worth the price of admission and sound quality is just the icing on the cake IMHO.

 

[dmk005]

I ended up switching to the B-52 when all was said and done. I enjoyed the Apache immensely but really wanted the luscious organic sound only tubes can create. Once I learned of an opportunity to pick up a B-52, I realized I would never be fully happy if I did not go for it.

I have enjoyed the last several weeks listening to both so much, I would say the B-52 is as much art as it is engineering. The Apache is a bit more engineering over art but they are both GREAT in their own category of SS and Tube. From a sound perspective, I would say what came first to my mind is the "air" in my music. With the B-52, the air is velvet-like in texture and is slightly suspended within the velvety canvas, almost palatable. The Apache "air canvas" has impressive blackness to it where each note is threaded together without interpretation of the surrounding canvas. I am not a talented writer and also am relatively new to a focused dedication to 2 channel music but these differences stand out to me FWIW.

I am interested in a nice power cable and take great interest in your choice. Keep us posted.

 

[vcoheda]

B52.

nice. how close in your opinion is the Apache to the B52. or are they really just too different to even say. that old tube versus solid state conundrum (is there even a difference?*). i've heard the B52 a few times, but it has been too long for me to remember anything useful - other than the fact that i liked it immensely.

put another way, even though you like the Apache, after spending time with the B52, is or would it be hard to go back to the Apache. i mean is the B52 just on another level or are they closer than that.

[size=xx-small]* interesting little experiment b/t tube & solid state amps: http://www.cordellaudio.com/rmaf/workshop2.shtml[/size]

 

[dmk005]

Levels, smevels.

I would say they are both the most prestine branches of two different trees. I definitely heard a significant difference between the Apache and the B-52 relative to tube vs. SS. The differences are not subtle but are also not definitive.

The differences also shift based on music genres for me. I teared up (yes, real men do cry) the first time I heard Diana Krall with the B-52. Other Jazz vocalists like Dakota Stanton, Anita Baker and Nancy Wilson demanded exceptional highs and mids and the B-52 was my clear favorite. The headstage on the B-52 is EXPANSIVE.

On the other hand, rock (Porcupine Tree, Led Zep, Rush, Air) evoked an equal response with both amps--excellent and transparent. The B-52 is an emotional amplifier, so much that I should grab my heart rate monitor off my elliptical machine and see how the music comes alive and is reflected by heart rate! If I were to push any real kudos towards the Apache, it would be in it's shear attack. Dream Theater and Liquid Tension are ready-made Apache shine-artists due to their perpetual attack laden tracks. The Apache is nimble, quick and very thorough. The B-52, in comparison sounded more "live" to me. I think this goes back to the velvet canvas where the B-52 presents a more organic warmth context to the tracks. This may not be for everyone as there is a slight recessed attack as a result for rock. Now, interestingly, I do not hear the same effect with classical music. To me, the B-52 presents classical recordings with precision and grace. It is very forgiving but is very revealing to the tone of the recordings. I really love listening, more than ever.

My experiences are also on minimally broken-in units. As my B-52 breaks in, I notice the bass extending further into the depths, with more precision and control.

Now...I am also breaking in my only set of balanced cans with these comparisons...APS balanced Denon AH-D2000s. These cans could very well be playing a significant role. My Apache has been gone for a few weeks and the Denon break-in has revealed much anticipated rewards. I only wish my HD650's had not arrived with a severed headband. I cannot afford E-9s yet but plan to go that route eventually...

I need more cans to get a more full rounded appreciation for the B-52 and also plan to roll some bronze plate RCA's after a couple of months. I hope any of this helps you understand how I compare these two AWESOME amplifiers by RSA. Oh, and wait until you see pics of my B-52 in it's new matching equipment stand. I now want a new desk to match the exquisite style of this beast and it's nest.

 

[vcoheda]

those are great impressions of the two amps. thanks. and i would love to see some pics of your setup when you get them.

enjoy.

 

[yuchengxx]

Very nice L3000

Anyone here can tell me, for driving MDR-R10. Will B-52 and Apache make a lot of differences???

 

[vcoheda]

i know of at least one member that has a B52 and R10 (Quint). you could pm him. not sure he has heard the apache though. and of course Ray Samuels has an R10, so you could always ask him. i'm sure he has used them with both amps.

 

[ctemkin]

Audio Addict,

So how are the National Semiconductor chips?

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vcoheda /img/forum/go_quote.gif i know of at least one member that has a B52 and R10 (Quint). you could pm him. not sure he has heard the apache though. and of course Ray Samuels has an R10, so you could always ask him. i'm sure he has used them with both amps.

Crazy.. Thats worth 10,000..