WafflesID
Head-Fier
As stated earlier in a review on this thread, my only experience driving the TC has been with the TT2's SE and XLR outs and the TToby's speaker taps. I started out with the SE and I thought it sounded great. Turned up to my normal listening levels (80~85dB peak) and even louder (probably 90~95dB which is uncomfortably loud for me) and didn't think at all that something was missing. Then I tried the TT2's XLR outs at my normal listening level and immediately noticed a bigger soundstage and a firmer and punchier bass. It was a very noticeable improvement and I was feeling extremely satisfied. My initial review was only with the SE output.
The next day, while I was still very much enjoying the TT2's XLR outs, I decided to finally try the TToby's speaker taps after the encouragement to do so from @Spawn300Z. I thought, "Okay, okay. I guess I might as well since I ordered the speaker taps adapter to try that out." Honestly, I wasn't expecting there to be that much of an improvement over the TT2's XLR outs. The XLR outs measured plenty hot - definitely a good deal more than enough to drive the TC. So I thought that I'd try it and then go back to the TT2's XLRs. Also, I was also somewhat worried about the risks involved and frying the TC's drivers as well as damaging my ears if this wasn't handled cautiously. So I really thought that I'd try it to say I've tried it and move on.
After hooking the TC up to the TToby's speaker taps, I nervously turned up the volume from zero very slowly to my normal listening level. As I did so, I could not believe what was happening. The soundstage just seemed to keep expanding in every single direction but especially in depth and height. The imaging and the placement of the instruments also improved at the same rate - getting bigger in sound but also more defined in their respective positions. The improvement of the bass frequencies was startling. It seemed to occupy a bigger portion of the soundstage than before but it stayed locked firmly in its position and did not at all interfere with other instruments and frequencies. As my wife noted, it was as if the singer and the all the band members got put in their places in a three-dimensional space. And I wasn't even close to having the volume at my normal listening level. I was already hearing this huge improvement at around 75dB.
When I reached 80~85dB, it was like lights out (the TT2's gain setting at high and the volume ball color at red, around -40 to -45). There was simply no comparison to what I had been hearing compared to the TT2's SE and XLR outs. It is pretty much exactly as Wolfgang described in his musicalhead.de review/article about testing the TC and the Susvara with the Riviera AIC-10's speaker taps. It was just at another level. I would not need to play at louder volume. If the TT2's volume ball is displaying light ruby red, I'm fine. If the recording's output level is low as typically found on older recordings, I may go up to around -35 to compensate but, for me, 75~80dB is my sweet spot. For me, it's the perfect level to hear all the details without having too much sound pressure on my ears.
Another thing I've noticed is the speed and clarity of the bass and low-mids. The notes in this frequency range have more weight and body than before but punched faster and harder. At the same, because everything sounds so much bigger, I can discern all the textures of the instruments better than ever before. I was really able to notice this with music that has extremely fast passages. I'm a big fan of technically advanced and virtuosic music - Franz Liszt's terrifyingly virtuosic piano music, the liquid legato of fusion guitar legend Allan Holdsworth, the over-the-top rock guitar shred of Guthrie Govan, the sheets-of-sound sax playing of John Coltrane, and whatever else that has mind-boggling technique and speed. Last night, I was also checking out a death metal band called Necrophagist with some extreme drumming. The kick drums were pummeling faster than a machine gun spitting out bullets but I was able to hear each beat with amazing clarity and punch. I've never experienced that before.
I can now hear each note and drum beat in the super fast passages of this type of technical virtuosic music with such clarity and definition that it almost feels as if time has slowed down for me to enjoy and savor them instead of passing by in a blur. I really understand now how the extra reserves of power (quality power, of course) benefit the overall sound quality. As a guitar player, I used to wonder why bass players felt they needed to use 600~1,000+ watt amps. Guitar amps can get deafening loud at 50 watts. Eventually, I learned that bass frequencies simply need more power - a lot more - to get pushed out with speed, cohesion, clarity and punch. It wasn't about getting or being louder than everyone else in the band.
I can honestly say that I'm hearing all this and more by driving the TC with the TToby. I still plan to get a dedicated powerful tube headphone amp late this year or early next year but I definitely plan to keep the TToby around if only to drive the TC as a different flavor. One thing I noticed about the WA33 that I find very attractive is that it can also be used as a preamp with balanced out to connect to a power amp to drive speakers and, of course, the TC. Now that's something to dream about over the remainder of the year.
Did you ever end up getting a HP amp for the TC? I have a TC coming in a few weeks. Trying to decide what to do for amp. I have the Topping A90 until I decide on which direction to go. I'm leaning towards FS+PM or TToby. This almost has me leaning more towards TToby right now.
and upgrade your source.
