[blubliss]

I had an opportunity yesterday to experience something quite amazing. I met with the VRS people at a local high-end audio reviewers house to listen to a source which may change the high-end digital world.

First, I will say that my experience with high-end CDPs is non-existent, so I had to rely on the reviewers and builders opinions here. You may say that this negates anything I say, so read no further.

All I can say is that the music I heard sounded very real. It was the most engaging listening experience I have had. It made my beloved CDs sound like a different recording. It made poorly recorded CDs stand out like a sore thumb. Instrument separation was superb.

I did a very simple test with my PC as transport, foobar, through my HR desktop and pitted this against the VRS as the source. The differences were staggering, as they should have been.

I have sworn not to dicuss the new technology used in this system, but I heard the old VRS compared to the new one and the changes were dramatic.

This is a computer-based system which may do combat with the big boys when it comes out. Prices are commensurate with high-end CDPs, so this is not for the small wallet. The new technology is very expensive.

I'm going for another listening session in the near future, probably with a respected head-fier/amp builder, so more to come.

Is there anyone in the Los Angeles area with an Esoteric, Meitner, dCS, etc. who would like to attend. This would be interesting to me. NO promises, since I would need to get approval from the hosts.

 

[Jon L]

It's good to hear Vincent and company have not been stagnant in their development over at VRS.

VRSII still is a one-box solution with analogue outputs, correct? How exactly was this being compared with your Headroom Desktop DAC/headamp, just through headphones or into some other preamp/amp/speaker setup?

How was the computer connected to HR DAC?

 

[909]

sounds interesting....

I would like to attend the next listening session. I would bring my source--the Reimyo CDP-777.

 

[shaizada]

909, I hope you go, as this would be one experience I would love to read about.

 

[blubliss]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon L /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's good to hear Vincent and company have not been stagnant in their development over at VRS. VRSII still is a one-box solution with analogue outputs, correct? How exactly was this being compared with your Headroom Desktop DAC/headamp, just through headphones or into some other preamp/amp/speaker setup? How was the computer connected to HR DAC?

VRS II is a two box unit. Yes, it is still analog out from the unit, as far as I know.

The VRS was the source for both my HR DAC/Amp and a preamp/amp/speaker system. Most of the listening was done through the speakers. I put the VRS against my PC as transport into the HR and there was no comparison. Pc fed HR DAC through USB and the VRS bypassed dac and went to HR amp.

The speaker setup was quite exotic with power conditioning, and other amenities. I will get the names of the amps/speakers and post.

 

[blubliss]

We are having a meet in Los Angeles tomorrow and Mikhail from Singlepower is flying in to hear this source. He's bringing a balanced Maestro and some R10s. I will have my new R10s, an L3000 and some senns. Mikhail is also bringing a SS amp and some small tube amp, which may be new.

Anyone out there with golden ears and who has experience with high-end gear want to come; give me a pm with your phone number and we'll talk. Space is limited.

 

[boomana]

I will be following this thread with interest. Enjoy your meet!

 

[Jon L]

The mini-meet should be about over by now. Gratuitous bump for upcoming pics and impressions

 

[blubliss]

Ok, we are back from a very long day. It was really a great time. Now I understand why people always comment on how nice it is to meet other audiophiles at the meets. This was definitely the highlight for me.

We had two listening sessions, one at a cable company and another at a guy's house (Jay) who is an audio reviewer for the Robb Report. David (909) came with his Reimyo and Moth Audio amp.

All I can say is that i am still very impressed with the VRS Revelation II and its ability to reproduce the most natural, real sound I have heard. When Mikhail put in his balanced Maestro as a pre-amp, things got even better, more weight, smoother texture, and great flexibility with the tubes. And this is all through the speakers. With headphones (balanced R10s) from the Maestro, everyone was very impressed. These guys were not used to this kind of expansive, natural sound from a headphone.

Anyway, here are some pics:

Cable Company

Forsell (sp?) CD transport

Secret VRS

Forsell DAC

2nd System for the Radio

Jay's Place

Very Exotic - Josh something

909

R10 Heaven

That's it for now.

 

[909]

Andy thanks for the invite. I had a great time listening to Jay’s rig and hanging with some cool audio-heads. Without question, the VRS II is a phenomenal player. It’s probably the best digital source I’ve heard. As I told Vincent, IMO, this type of technology is the future.

I don’t like doing off the cuff immediate impressions. Also I like to keep everything the same as possible to isolate compared components to rule out external differences and also ensure each source is sounding it's very best (which can require some system differences). We didn’t get the opportunity to do that. The VRS II had been powered on pretty much all day and connected to an expensive Furutech power conditioner during our speaker listening session. The Reimyo got power from an extension cord using the Harmonix X-DC Studio Master power cord and didn’t get more than a five or ten minutes warm-up and didn’t get the same clean power. I know this seems like splitting hairs, but when you get in this league such little differences and even tweaks are usually easily audible.

After some speaker listening we listened to headphones. Mikhail’s gold plated XLR only had a balanced headphone output, but we inputted the source single ended (RCAs) so it wasn't balanced. Also each source had different interconnects and Jay’s rig had some serious high-end interconnects and power cords in the mega buck realm (each

). We listened to the HD650s and R10s, but primarily the R10s. This time the Reimyo and VRS II were both plugged into the Furutech power condition. And the Reimyo had been off and on so it wasn’t dead cold, but still not sufficiently warm. That being said, the VRS II had a bit more realism and brought the music closer. Though, I can’t say at this point the differences were substantial to my ear I would definitely need more time to make those types of claims, but this is the norm for me when I hear new gear anyway.

We did another speaker listening session with Mikhail's XLR serving duty as the preamp, which sounded better than the SS--overall very impressive sound quality with the right tubes. It always amazes me how sensitive and reactive SP amps are to tube rolling. When Mikhail rolled tubes a few times the differences were blatantly obvious and apparent. And Mikhail knows his tubes' sound signature so well it’s sort of scary. He's like some mad tube scientist.

If given the opportunity to listen to the VRS II again and compare it against my Reimyo I would like to keep most things the same to rule out any real or perceived advantage and disadvantage such as ensuring both units are at there optimum operating temp and allow tinkering such as differnt power cords and interconnects to dial in each source so it sounds its very best. One thing I would have liked to keep the same is the volume since it needed adjustment and we should have used a db level because the VRS is noticeably louder than the Reimyo. IMO, we also listened too loud, but that's usually the case at every listening event I've attended. I would like to hear how the VRS II plays Redbook CDs using the VRS transport and A/B it. Also, I would like to compare a burned CD copy of a commercial Redbook against the same CD stored on the VRS hard drive since Vincent said a burned CD copy sounds better than the original. And in a way that's sort of what the VRS is doing--ripping and burning it to it's hard drive.

I never used the VRS II, but ripping CDs seemed relatively quick and simple. Yet one needs to manually input all the info about the CD down to each track title except time (of course), which isn’t as convenient as ripping MP3 and the info is just provided online. Also it’s a bit unusual to use a remote control keyboard with a built-in mouse to select music off the 15 inch LCD. I guess one could use a wireless notebook as a remote or have to either run the LCD screen by the listening seat or get up and walk to the screen on top of the player to pick the track as it had been set-up today (using a large flat panel display might work too). As I told Andy, I would prefer a thin touch screen remote that operated like the Apple iPod interface and also displayed the CD/Album artwork.

The VRS is on the bleeding edge of technology and demonstrates how a properly implemented computer based source can rival and even better what many reviews have considered one of the best digital sources they’ve heard.

Now if only the VRS II wasn’t so pricey (like 4X what I paid for the Reimyo) I might consider getting one. Andy you are one lucky man.

 

[Nattydraddy]

40 or 50.000 Dollar for a Computer Playback System? The development and engeneering cost must habe been exeptional. With this price the revolution will take part very slowly. That´s the sad thing.

But nice to hear, what progressions are still happening in the Hifi-World!

 

[Jon L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nattydraddy /img/forum/go_quote.gif 40 or 50.000 Dollar for a Computer Playback System? The development and engeneering cost must habe been exeptional. With this price the revolution will take part very slowly. That´s the sad thing. But nice to hear, what progressions are still happening in the Hifi-World!

I don't believe 909 paid anything close to retail for his Reimyo, so VRSII is probably not THAT expensive

We 'could' use a bit more description of sound differences between VRSII and Reimyo, though. So far, all I see is one sentence!

"That being said, the VRS II had a bit more realism and brought the music closer."

I've only listened to the VRS I and Reimyo CDP in different systems, but I would expect Reimyo to have a more "airy," liquid, fluid sound signature while VRS *should* have very bold, dynamic, dense, detailed, more forward/involving type of sound...

 

[asebastian0]

Oh Oh Oh! Is there more info/pics on the amp by "Josh something"? That has to be up there with my favorite looking amps along with the Amber Waves 304tl. I walked across my house with my jaw literally dropped after these pics. Thanks for the impressions guys!

 

[blubliss]

That amp was by Josh Stippich and it is called Electron Luv. There is some info and another link here: http://www.6moons.com/industryfeatur...c032/vsac.html

This article also talks about the VRS a bit. That was the VRS I.

 

[Icarium]

Hrmm ;p Interesting. While Mikhail was out there you get a solid ETA on your SDS-XLR? I am getting more and more impressed with my SDS ;p I'm sure you will love yours.