WARNING AND DISCLAIMER: Working with high voltages can cause serious injury or death. You may read the following project description for entertainment only, which is the intended purpose.
The Audio Research Corporation LS22 Line Stage Preamplifier was chosen for this upgrade project because it has a lot of features and a lot of potential. The features that make it attractive are:
These are the first images of Jensen JT-347-AXT MC transformers installed in a Conrad Johnson Premier 15 Series 2 phono preamplifier. These are wired in 1:12 gain, for 21 dB. With the transformers installed, the total gain of the Premier 15 is 75 dB. The CJ was quiet without the Jensens, but now noise is inaudible.
Several years ago, I borrowed an Air Tight ATH-1 moving coil step up transformer and it changed my life. Well, maybe it was not a life-altering experience, but in audio terms, the audition was significant. The Air Tight sounded exceptional, adding a noticeable amount of richness and depth of tone. It also seemed to provide a better load for the moving coil cartridge.
WARNING AND DISCLAIMER: Working with high voltages can cause serious injury or death. You may read the following project description for entertainment only, which is the intended purpose.
What is a full range speaker? Ideally, there will be one driver reproducing the entire audio range (commonly considered to be 20 Hz to 20 kHz). There will be no crossovers needed, no integration issues between two or more separate drivers, and no time alignment, phase or polarity errors.
The first thing one hears from the Teatro is nothing. This cartridge, possibly due to the complex shape of the titanium body, has the quietest backgrounds that this listener has ever not heard.
The VPI Prime is a turntable that looks great, has some very effective technology, and is a well-executed design that simply sounds very good. Very good, indeed.
At this level of performance, it is almost a waste of time to discuss the sound in standard audiophile terms, dissecting the bass, midrange, treble, and soundstage.
I thought about turning the system off and going to bed, but just wanted to hear one more song, and then another. The level of musical satisfaction with the Cary SA-200.2 amplifier is very high.
"Laboratory-grade" means that the component is true to the source. This is a step above "reference-grade", which is simply the current state-of-the-art.
"Possibly the most valuable aspect of live, acoustic music for the evaluating the truthfulness of an audio system is the feeling one often gets of the music's purity, sweetness, dynamics, and transparency. "
Holy alignment-jamming, Batman!
