M-83
1000+ Head-Fier
Can you do a mini review of the ember? What tube are you using?
I am not great at audio jargon reviews, I'll try and describe to you best as I can. I'll do this over the weekend.
Right, so...Project Ember...
I've been very busy recently and have had no time for a mini review. Please excuse my lack of ability to convey my experience in technical terms...!
Firstly I would like to say how great the pre-sales support from Garage 1217 was- they excelled themselves totally & I've been left very impressed. They promptly shipped from Arizona to UK and I'm delighted with the purchase.
Ember is gorgeous - well made, a beautiful mix of see-through acrylic screwed top panel with cooling vents that allow full view of circuitry. It looks stunning- you can see everything. I chose red glow light, though you can change the colour yourself. A lowly warm glow is emitted from underneath the tube, which creates a wonderful ambient atmosphere when the lights in the room are low or off.
I'm listening to "Nightshift" by The Commodores, one of my favourite ever songs as I write this -- I have it on repeat - it just sounds so sublime & I don't want the experience to end! Its this song with this audio setup that's powering my enthusiasm and desire to wax lyrical about Ember & Alpha Prime combo.
I am currently using my Surface Pro 3 with Xbox Music as source, a Fiio X5 as USB DAC using line out to Project Ember with standard supplied tube, into Alpha Prime headphones with standard headphone cable.
The sound is neutral, balanced, full. The Ember coupled with X5 DAC brightens up the darker sound of the Primes where my Audio Gd NFB-15 just seemed to accentuate a darker, smoother sound. The NFB-15 was very good, but Ember is definitely (for my ears at least) way better.
There is more power (with jumpers set to max power and resistance set to lowest setting) and I cannot take the Embers volume pot past 11 o'clock without passing my threshold of comfortable listening. 9-10 o'clock is the sweet-spot for extended listening sessions.
The upper frequencies are well defined, clearer than with NFB-15, without becoming harsh. The mids and vocals are beautiful, with real depth to vocals that I just melt to. I can now hear more instrument separation and air, which creates a more open, wider soundstage and I can hear every little subtle nuance of the music & vocals. I'm hearing detail in my music that I've never heard before. The bass is very well defined- not over kill nor muddy etc. Impactful bass with beats and deep rolling baselines which I particularly enjoy. I love percussion in music even more than before- especially with a song like "Nightshift", everything just sounds so musical. A mate of mine said of the NFB-15 that he "could pretty much hear the ones and zero's in the music" but the Ember just isn't like that at all. I prefer the X5 DAC over the Wolfson 8741 by far- Fiio have done a cracking job.
The Ember, Prime & X5 combo can handle any genre of music perfectly, and TV/films also sound great with loads of detail and a really wide soundstage. I particularly like watching F1 race coverage. I will watch the films "Interstellar" and "The Grey" (one of my favourites because of the ending and soundtrack) at some point to further test the setup.
For me, this is end game (apart from some fun, cost-effective, tube rolling). IF I can slowly save up (2-years worth of saving!!) for Mrspeakers Ether then I may purchase a pair to compliment my setup. IMO, my setup is unbeatable for the total cost I've spent. You cant go wrong!
I hope this has helped those considering Ember & Alpha Prime. I fall more in love with my music the more I listen with this setup. I am a little sad that it's time for bed and I will have to wait till tomorrow evening before I can listen to "Nightshift" by The Commodores once more.
"There's gonna be some sweet sounds, coming down, on the Nightshift".