TTVJ Millett Portable Hybrid = Awesome

[Head_case]

The past two months, I use the TTVJ Milletts Hybrid for mostly classical music.

Bear in mind though, classical music for me = string quartets and chamber music. I use Sennheiser HD25 (Mk IIs) and Ultrasone Pro 900s and Grado 125s. The TTVJ opens up the soundstage of all 3. I'm finding that it is not such a desirable feature for the Ultrasone Pro 900s, which are already very expansive (Surround sound logic) in terms of soundstaging. The TTVJ + Ultrasone combination make me feel like chamber music has multipled into an orchestra. If you like orchestral music, then this will be a good thing; better instrument separation. You can hear the detail in arching and bowing between first and second violins particularly in players who are not tonally sealed.

With the Senns, the TTVJ opens up the HD25 (Mk IIs) a lot! The HD25s don't need amp'g, but o anyone who complains that the HD25's lack soundstage or are "too dark", they would be very impressed at what the TTVJ does to them. Unfortunately I'm finding the Grados too painful and bright compared to the closed back headphones at the moment. There are times I like Grados, but not when I'm travelling. These are the last headphones on earth I'd want to go with me. I'd get pummelled for annoying my fellow passengers whilst stranded.

Not so much 'mid-range' as opposed to bringing out the warmth of a recording. I listen to some very lean violin string quartets (the Taneyev Quartet, 1970's-80's recordings). On the TTVJ, these are just superbly resonant and warm. The sound quality from my headphones with the TTVJ is superior to the detail I can pull from my hi-fi!~!

The quibbles now: slight hiss, which I'm noticing is definitely there. The battery life however is phenomenal. I got stuck under volcanic ash skies this week and trapped waiting for a 12 hour ferry. The TTVJ battery life is going into its second week without a recharge. Just incredible.

 

[LevA]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Head_case /img/forum/go_quote.gif The past two months, I use the TTVJ Milletts Hybrid for mostly classical music. Bear in mind though, classical music for me = string quartets and chamber music. I use Sennheiser HD25 (Mk IIs) and Ultrasone Pro 900s and Grado 125s. The TTVJ opens up the soundstage of all 3. I'm finding that it is not such a desirable feature for the Ultrasone Pro 900s, which are already very expansive (Surround sound logic) in terms of soundstaging. The TTVJ + Ultrasone combination make me feel like chamber music has multipled into an orchestra. If you like orchestral music, then this will be a good thing; better instrument separation. You can hear the detail in arching and bowing between first and second violins particularly in players who are not tonally sealed. With the Senns, the TTVJ opens up the HD25 (Mk IIs) a lot! The HD25s don't need amp'g, but o anyone who complains that the HD25's lack soundstage or are "too dark", they would be very impressed at what the TTVJ does to them. Unfortunately I'm finding the Grados too painful and bright compared to the closed back headphones at the moment. There are times I like Grados, but not when I'm travelling. These are the last headphones on earth I'd want to go with me. I'd get pummelled for annoying my fellow passengers whilst stranded. Not so much 'mid-range' as opposed to bringing out the warmth of a recording. I listen to some very lean violin string quartets (the Taneyev Quartet, 1970's-80's recordings). On the TTVJ, these are just superbly resonant and warm. The sound quality from my headphones with the TTVJ is superior to the detail I can pull from my hi-fi!~! The quibbles now: slight hiss, which I'm noticing is definitely there. The battery life however is phenomenal. I got stuck under volcanic ash skies this week and trapped waiting for a 12 hour ferry. The TTVJ battery life is going into its second week without a recharge. Just incredible.

Thanks Head_case!!
I really like string quartets as well (beethoven- Takacs, mozart - Alban berg Quartet etc). also Vivaldi, Bach, Handel etc (Baroque). I also especially enjoy cello (Bach, Haydn, Elgar).
However, i also do like large orchestra symphonies (Brahms, Mahler, Dvorak, Mozart, Beethoven, Bruckner etc). how are symphonies with TTVJ?

 

[Head_case]

The Takacs are one of the interesting Hungarian Quartets to come out this side of the century. I like the younger Keller Quartet too, as well as the older Végh Quartet (both interpret Bartok). I have the Alban Berg too (Beethoven), although the Viennese quartets like the Wihan Quartet are there too. Mostly though, I like the Russian Quartets - the Taneyev; the Borodin; the St Petersburg Quartet, as well as Eastern European ensembles (the Vlach Quartet; Talich Quartet; Smetana Quartet).

Oooh!! You're a cello fan too?! I like cello music - Thideen's Bach cello suites were on my playlist rotation last week. Mostly however, I prefer 20th century solo cello: Mikotaj Patosz; Yo Yo Ma; Georg Mertens. I'm always on the prowl for more solo cello music

These are just superb - huge warmth and resonance from the cello's shades and timbres. You can feel your guts reverberate with pleasure during the deep sexy hollow bowing of the cello. It's just such a sublime instrument when playback on a TTVJ is possible.

As for symphonies - ahem. I haven't listened to any symphonies at all this year. That is probably why I've been in good spirits

Actually - I don't like symphonic music. It makes me cringe or crack up with boredom. I did stick on Dvorak's New World cello concerto the other day (that's symphonic enough?!) I just don't like the music, however it was a very full presence. Yo Yo Ma plays the cello with ardour and vigour; he is no lithe touch on the musical palette of the concerto. Instrumental separation in a symphony is too challenging for me: I find the flurry of too many strings, somewhat soporific. A string quartet however, is a dialogue. This is the best balance between numbers and dialogue, without being too homogenous and tonally sealed, with no individual voice left in the strings.

You won't regret the TTVJ Milletts with chamber/solo classical music. Maybe find someone who listens to larger scale music to inform you. I could actually stick on Myaskovsky's VIth; XXIInd, XVIIth symphonies, or Grechaninov or Szymanowski's symphony No.s III/IV. But I errr...don't enjoy this kind of large scale music. It's really wasted on me

 

[LevA]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Head_case /img/forum/go_quote.gif You won't regret the TTVJ Milletts with chamber/solo classical music. Maybe find someone who listens to larger scale music to inform you. I could actually stick on Myaskovsky's VIth; XXIInd, XVIIth symphonies, or Grechaninov or Szymanowski's symphony No.s III/IV. But I errr...don't enjoy this kind of large scale music. It's really wasted on me

thats fair enough! You have been more than helpful with your comments and your input has been greatly appreciated. I'm actually warming up to the TTVJ idea

as for the symphonies, how does Haydn treat you? I'm guessing his symphonies are OK with you, as they are light and lively. and not to mention his cello concertos with Rostropovich! It probably is THE desert island CD for me and my most played album.
btw, are you using imod or just ipod when pairing your TTVJ? there was a link in head-fi about TTVJ review on (tone?) magazine. the reviewer said that when hooked up to his nano, there was no difference from the sound from hp out except for amplification but when he used the imod the TTVJ's strength revealed. I've noticed a lot of owners who commented on TTVJ in older post have matched it up with their imod (I guess imod was THE toy- and still is- at the time of TTVJ release).

 

[Head_case]

I really like my TTVJ Milletts' Portable; it's not the smallest; nor the cheapest, but it is sonically superior to most everything else I've seen or tested that is humanly affordable. I found some Raytheon tubes (for spares) after my TTVJ inner box tubes pop and yet, I still want another one..! I'm really curious to see what the new Pico Slim will offer over and above the TTVJ too, but for the sonic gains, it's a superb amp!

Quote:

as for the symphonies, how does Haydn treat you? I'm guessing his symphonies are OK with you, as they are light and lively. and not to mention his cello concertos with Rostropovich! It probably is THE desert island CD for me and my most played album.

Errr..nooooooooohhhhh! Light and lively = vulgar (i.e from the Latin, 'vulgar, vulgaris', nominative/genitive) which means 'popular' to the point of being populus. That kind of classical music isn't really my thing. I prefer the late 19th century/early 20th century repertoire. Rostropovich is in there. I love his 'Russian Years' CDs. I have a lot of Rostropovich's works - his Myaskovsky Cello Concerto is one of the best interpretations I've heard (of all the 6 I have heard). As is the Khatchaturian and Kabalevsky works. Pierre Founier is a great cellist too, but he tends to do more of the baroque/Boccherini and Vivaldi stuff). I love James Dillon and Iannis Xennakis' solo cello works. Starker's as well as the Kodaly/Tcherpnin solo cello works are just sublime. The way the cello yaws in agitation in the first opening bars, just really breaks me open. That's what music should do; it shouldn't be light-weight summer strawberry ditties with cream. Unfortunately, the masses prefer that kind of classical music so they determine the market

Quote:

btw, are you using imod or just ipod when pairing your TTVJ?

I iz bakwerd. Wot is an 'imod'? I have an ipod. It is really poor quality sound compared to my Sharp MT888H minidisc player or my Sony RZ-NH1 Hi-Mini-Disc player. Both have superior digital amps built in, than the cheaper iPod. You could sort out the iPod problem by getting a combined DAC/portable amp, but then it gets really expensive. I like the mini-disc format, because of its style and function - mostly, because of its sound quality. Nothing else rips at 1411kbps. Nothing else sounds like it.

I still use my TTVJ with my iPod, but I am increasingly unhappy with my iPod. I was okay with it for the first 3 years, until I started to listen more to the sound differences, and realised that my mini-disc, antiquated as it might seem, offered a better overall package. I wouldn't be surprised if the reviewer found that amplifying a poor source (like a nano) with a high quality tube amplifer (like a TTVJ) without a DAC, just ended up sounding very poor. The logic is there...

Interestingly, I dug out my Sony professional cassette walkman. The sound quality from that beast is just superb! Something to do with the way they used to build the internal amplifiers: they seem to have taken more care or diligence in making the built in amps worthy of the machines they were used in. That's not the case today sadly. I'd definitely recommend a better source than an iPod to get the best out of the TTVJ Milletts Portable. Maybe one of the later FLAC players? Who knows.... The Hi-MD (Hi-Minidisc) format, is still available. This is my choice

 

[LevA]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Head_case /img/forum/go_quote.gif I really like my TTVJ Milletts' Portable; it's not the smallest; nor the cheapest, but it is sonically superior to most everything else I've seen or tested that is humanly affordable. I found some Raytheon tubes (for spares) after my TTVJ inner box tubes pop and yet, I still want another one..! I'm really curious to see what the new Pico Slim will offer over and above the TTVJ too, but for the sonic gains, it's a superb amp! Errr..nooooooooohhhhh! Light and lively = vulgar (i.e from the Latin, 'vulgar, vulgaris', nominative/genitive) which means 'popular' to the point of being populus. That kind of classical music isn't really my thing. I prefer the late 19th century/early 20th century repertoire. Rostropovich is in there. I love his 'Russian Years' CDs. I have a lot of Rostropovich's works - his Myaskovsky Cello Concerto is one of the best interpretations I've heard (of all the 6 I have heard). As is the Khatchaturian and Kabalevsky works. Pierre Founier is a great cellist too, but he tends to do more of the baroque/Boccherini and Vivaldi stuff). I love James Dillon and Iannis Xennakis' solo cello works. Starker's as well as the Kodaly/Tcherpnin solo cello works are just sublime. The way the cello yaws in agitation in the first opening bars, just really breaks me open. That's what music should do; it shouldn't be light-weight summer strawberry ditties with cream. Unfortunately, the masses prefer that kind of classical music so they determine the market I iz bakwerd. Wot is an 'imod'? I have an ipod. It is really poor quality sound compared to my Sharp MT888H minidisc player or my Sony RZ-NH1 Hi-Mini-Disc player. Both have superior digital amps built in, than the cheaper iPod. You could sort out the iPod problem by getting a combined DAC/portable amp, but then it gets really expensive. I like the mini-disc format, because of its style and function - mostly, because of its sound quality. Nothing else rips at 1411kbps. Nothing else sounds like it. I still use my TTVJ with my iPod, but I am increasingly unhappy with my iPod. I was okay with it for the first 3 years, until I started to listen more to the sound differences, and realised that my mini-disc, antiquated as it might seem, offered a better overall package. I wouldn't be surprised if the reviewer found that amplifying a poor source (like a nano) with a high quality tube amplifer (like a TTVJ) without a DAC, just ended up sounding very poor. The logic is there... Interestingly, I dug out my Sony professional cassette walkman. The sound quality from that beast is just superb! Something to do with the way they used to build the internal amplifiers: they seem to have taken more care or diligence in making the built in amps worthy of the machines they were used in. That's not the case today sadly. I'd definitely recommend a better source than an iPod to get the best out of the TTVJ Milletts Portable. Maybe one of the later FLAC players? Who knows.... The Hi-MD (Hi-Minidisc) format, is still available. This is my choice

you are way deeper into classical than i am! I've been into it for just over a year now and slowly building my library. so far so good. though I do enjoy symphonies a lot, and do like Haydn's all symphony set with fischer..
As for cello DuPre, Tortelier and Rostropovich are so far who I have heard. and of course Yo-yo Ma.

As for the ipod, yeah unfortunately i am stuck with it as well. my music is all apple lossless and there is no way I am willing to go through the CD conversion again..plus, no other DAP has big enough memory when decoding in lossless...
I used to love my Minidisc player and still bang my head against the walls for letting it go. the sound was great, but the sonicstage software was a PITA!. had the MZ-n10

as long as there is improvemet with the ipod classic + TTVJ i should be fine. as for computer listening I might get a UDAC or something. atm have the ibasso D10 DAC/AMP but if I do go for the TTVJ and like it I will probably not hold on to the D10. probably sell it and try to get a bigger AT woody with the money.
And once I move back in japan next year, i will slowly build up my home set with some nice japanese toys (Yammy?, Luxman? depends on the budget at the time of course..

)

 

[LevA]

btw, just signed up for the TTVJ Slim loaner program. hope I make in the list! though i am more interested in the Hybrid portable, it would be great to see how they compare. from the few comments out there it seems to be pretty good.

 

[Head_case]

that MZ-N10 looks really great! Did it play Hi-MD as well? You can still get new/mint MD players for sale, but I guess the lack of convenience compared to iPods has spellt the end of the commercial market for them. I don't mind recording real time. For some reason, my Apple Mac skips when recording Lossless format onto the iPod - you can hear the iPod skip in some songs, and then sometimes, the skipping moves between different tracks! It's really off-putting. It's doing that more now - not in the first 3 years. Maybe it's signs of hard-drive failure....

Lol - I must've been 11 when I amassed my first classical music collection, before veering sharply off the beaten track and into the indie-alternative rock field. In my first year of classical music, I guess it was all the popular stuff - Ravel's Bolero; Debussy's Prélude ..l'apres midi d'une faune and La mer...Mussorgsky's Night on Bare Mountain; Holst' the Planets; Grieg's Pier Gynt; Smetana's 'Ma Vlast'. Well I guess my classical taste now is considered too specialised and narrow however that's me as a listener! Think about those composers and artists who go out there and actually make that kind of specialised and narrow classical music for us

DuPré's interpretation of the Dvorak/Elgar cello concerto and Tortelier's work with the Ulster Orchestra are delightful. Truls Mork and Mischa Maisky are comparable (both specialise with Myaskovsky's cello sonatas and cello concertos). If you like Elgar's cello concerto, then the Myaskovskian cello concerto comes highly recommended. To my ears, it is preferable over the rather pompous Elgarian soundscape. Marina Tarasova, one of the brilliant young Russian cellists of her generation collects all the Myaskovsky cello works together in one cd too - superb DDD quality (unlike the Rostropovich of course

) . Cello music and the TTVJ are ideal!

I like using a DAC with my mini-disc player lol. I have a Musical Fidelity X-Dac v2 which I've worked out, does improve mini-disc sound playback quality. I wasn't sure if it worked on mini-disc before.... Sounds like you've got a sound plan ahead of you

 

[LevA]

I will definitely check out Myaskovskian cello concerto. actually recently been stuck with what to get and listen with classical. also will check out the others you mentioned.
yeah i'm still going through the popular stuff for now. hopefully I will be able to experiment with lesser known pieces/recordings and find my style. However, being stuck here in Guam is a bit of a bummer with finding new music. local cd store classical selection is made up of 10 Cds~ best of...and don't even start me on the library.. 2 libraries only on the island (local council and university) and none have any classical CDs..

but the beaches are mighty nice here. actually about to go for a dip soon. tropical weather, sunshine and clear blue water....

about the minidisc player, I don't think mine had hi-md. don't think it was out then (~2002-2003). I didn't know md players had usb or optical out though! thats a nice feauture to have. while in japan I might check out some good source to use with my set up. the problem is I will be moving after a year and already have a lot of stuff that is going to cost me a fortune to ship back (~10 boxes)...so trying to hold out until I move.

 

[LevA]

Head_case,

just placed my order with Todd on TTVJ Hybrid protable

thanks for your help!
I will compare it to my D10 and see how they do large orchestra as well as other genres. Also Todd confirmed I am on the loaner program for the TTVJ Slim so a comparison between the two will be nice, and will post them on head-fi. technically I think the TTVJ slim kicks ass with size, volume control, DAC etc. but hope the old man holds its own when it comes to sound and musicality

cheers

 

[wuwhere]

This thing is definitely pretty good sounding compared to my Pico and modded D10 on my APS recabled ER4P.

 

[LevA]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wuwhere /img/forum/go_quote.gif This thing is definitely pretty good sounding compared to my Pico and modded D10 on my APS recabled ER4P.

glad to hear it wuwhere!
I should be getting the TTVJ in the next few days. I will compare them to my D10. How would you say they compare against the D10?
I've generally read good things about the amp so looking forward to hearing it. the only negative i have read is at headfonia review where it said the bass sounded muddy and uncontrolled..I hope that is not the case...

 

[wuwhere]

I'm only using an IEM so I can't really comment on the muddy bass. And I don't know what HP/IEM they used. Perhaps somebody else can chime in on this. I don't find the bass muddy at all on my ER4P. The biggest difference is that the image is larger, you are closer to the performers compared to the Pico/D10. I prefer this. Also, definitely smoother without loss of details compared to the Pico.

 

[LevA]

thanks wuwhere,

'detailed as pico' sounds very promising...now if only the postal service hurry up and delivery it!

 

[wuwhere]

This thing is making me re-listen to all of my favorites and not so. BTW this thing does not ring, like a phone when I pick it up or put it down.