Memorable Solid State experiences

[Ziggy]

At 52 years of age and still loving audio and music to this day, I often reminisce of the exciting and noteworthy moments in the many systems owned and used.

Well guess what.........after having convinced myself for more than a decade that valves are the only method of realistic sound reproduction, I now realise that the above memorable moments were ALL with solid state amplification : JVC, ACCUPHASE, AUDIO RESEARCH and HARMON KARDON.

The past 12 months have been with solid state - nothing overly expensive and lots of DIY, but those revelatory bouts of realism, enjoyment, involvement,realism and soundstage imaging and musicality has reared it's wonderful presence again.

Just goes to show...........never follow what's in vogue or believe the B.S that exists in the audio world and it's deceiving reviews. Use your ears, heart and emotional perception to achieve your audio goals

[lineup]

You are one true good audio lover .. no doubt about it.
And we are many.
Still want to have transistors singing in STEREO.

The day I will power up my first
5 or 7 channel surround system with all Class D cold as ice amplifiers
.. is still far from here.

And I intend to keep it that way until I die.
If there is my chance to do so

[Samuel Jayaraj]

Happened about 12 years ago. There were two friends, who at that time were aged about 65 years and the other some 50+ years, together with me.

Equipment used were as follows:

Speakers : KEF 3 way (with the famous B139 driver)
Amplifier : DIY 60 watt @ 4 ohm transistor design from Elektor
Source : Meridian CD player
Cables : XLO
Preamp : Active Volume Control preamp based on NE5534 which appeared in Electronics World. This was the new equipment being tested. PSU in a separate case and the preamp in a separate case.
Tweeks : PureHenry devices designed by Ben Duncan.
Music : Tamil film song from a movie called ROJA. Composed and directed by A.R.Rehman, this year's Oscar winner.
Time : 2:00 A.M. (IST)

At the end of the listening session, the older of the two friends remarked: "Thank you for the music. The best and the most pleasurable music session till date."



Another time, a couple of months later; almost the same setup as earlier, except for the following changes:

Amplifier : DIY based on Stochino's EW & WW design.
DAC : DPA
Preamp : Can't remember the brand.
Music : Tabla by Zakir Hussain.
Time : 12 midnight.
Audience : The same 50+ year old friend, a young Hindu Swamiji (yes, an audiophile), my brother and I.

At the end of a tabla solo reaching a crescendo and suddenly coming to a halt, all of us were found to have goose-pimples and caught gazing into each other's eyes.



The last one for now; happened last month:

Amplifier : DIY N-channel vertical Mosfet design.
Speakers : Fostex 168ES Sigma in a QWL.
Source : Marantz 63SE CD player.
Preamp : Only passive volume control.
Cables : DIY silver interconnects and silver speaker cables, both in a proprietary geometry.
Audience : An audiophile friend aged about 48 years and I.
Music : Various.

Boy, it was music to die for. Simply fabulous - engaging, detailed and musical.

[Ziggy]

Great guys! Thanks for your comments and experiences........glad I'm not alone.........who needs glowing bottles anyway?

I'll just elaborate on one experience that I have never forgotten:

Late at night :late 1980's I think?

amp : Harmon Kardon Citation stereo power amp (big, black heavy monster, giant caps, heatsinks....you know the stuff)

cd player : Marantz CD 80 with Trichord clock 2 mod, plugged directly in to amp with CD player's volume pot used as system volume.

speakers : 8 inch two way cheap Celef bookshelf monitors

Cables : Monster Cable (of course ), Radio ShacK gold patch cords.

Music : Prokofiev cello sonata : Sony disc, :Yo-yo Ma/ Emanuel Ax.

Listening was done at low light as family was sleeping and volume only moderate.

Wow!..........it was like being there : inky black back ground, cello resonating beautifully in unison with piano. Broad open soundstage.........like no electronics were present..........tubes?.......what tubes??

Unforgettable..............