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  1. #1
    Shostakovich fan Feanor's Avatar
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    Goodbye legacy, hello, digital

    Some of you might recall that I was using an Apt Holman + Phase Linear 400 combo to drive my Magneplanar MMG's.

    A few months ago I replaced the PL with a NAD C270: this made for a smoother, more transparent sound. However I was feeling that more improvement was possible.

    This week I listened the Bel Canto eV02i integrated -- WOW !! I've place my order. Detail, transparency, imaging, spatial reality such as I'd never heard before, are all there. And, BTW, the MMG's can take advantage of all of it.

    By the way, if you're interested in Bel Canto, check out Everest Audio, http://www.everestaudio.com/index.htm, who gave me a great price. They'll ship anywhere in North America.

  2. #2
    Forum Regular hifitommy's Avatar
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    NICE improvement

    i remember when the HAZE linear was well respected and rightly so, 200wpc for cheeeeep. i had one in my system briefly and it was too long. its sort of like living in buffalo, great until you try southern california.

    i dont see any analog source in your list so i will suppose theres no vinyl capability there. here, the availaility of vinyl is virtually unlimited and it would be a waste not to go that way.

    i nearly bought mg1s once but ended up with a pair of LS3/5As instead. i rather wish i had tried the maggies.

    enjoy your new leap into beter sound, youve waited long enough. surely you kept the nad for a second system or backup.
    ...regards...tr

  3. #3
    Suspended topspeed's Avatar
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    Congrats F,

    Welcome to the new world of amplification. This is the new wave of amps and I truly believe they will eventually prove current ss amps obsolete. Bel Canto makes very nice equipment and when mated with your Maggies, it should be a match made in heaven.

  4. #4
    Shostakovich fan Feanor's Avatar
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    My sources

    Quote Originally Posted by hifitommy
    ...
    i dont see any analog source in your list so i will suppose theres no vinyl capability there. here, the availaility of vinyl is virtually unlimited and it would be a waste not to go that way. ...
    My current sources aren't quite in the same league as the Bel Canto.

    For CD and SACD, I'm using a Sony SCD-CE775, (unmodded). Maybe not the greatest, but the Bel Canto was able to suck enough out of it that I could hear a heck of a difference.

    As for vinyl, we kinda been over that ground recently. Anyway, it's worse grundge than the CDP: Presently I have an old "Rat Shack" linear tracking TT, P-mount, with at Grado Prestige Red. My phono preamp will continue to be my old Apt Holman preamp hooked through the Bel Canto of course.

  5. #5
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    This is the new wave of amps and I truly believe they will eventually prove current ss amps obsolete.
    Right...just like solid state amps made tube amps obsolete.

  6. #6
    Forum Regular hifitommy's Avatar
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    movin on up

    Quote Originally Posted by Feanor
    My current sources aren't quite in the same league as the Bel Canto.

    For CD and SACD, I'm using a Sony SCD-CE775, (unmodded). Maybe not the greatest, but the Bel Canto was able to suck enough out of it that I could hear a heck of a difference.

    As for vinyl, we kinda been over that ground recently. Anyway, it's worse grundge than the CDP: Presently I have an old "Rat Shack" linear tracking TT, P-mount, with at Grado Prestige Red. My phono preamp will continue to be my old Apt Holman preamp hooked through the Bel Canto of course.
    i am sure your unmodded sacdp sounds just fine. my sony ns500v does and on rbcd too. the ratshack tt has to go. yeah, its vinyl and has some positives but get thee a decent tt.

    when my friend went to his tubed cal sigma d/a, he was in heaven. when he went to his sota sapphire/mmtKb, he stopped listening to cd almost completely. i had to goad him along each step of the way. ultimately, he paid me no creedence, accepting the credit all along the way. what mattered to me was that he heard the improvements as they came and acted on them. it gave me great pleasure for him to make such progress.

    if you want a big step in performance, get a sota sapphire and whatever appropriate arm you deem right. an ortofon Kontrapunkt b cartridge will seal the issue. you wont be able to stay away from the record stores.
    ...regards...tr

  7. #7
    Shostakovich fan Feanor's Avatar
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    Yup, very likely that's my next upgrade

    Quote Originally Posted by hifitommy
    ... the ratshack tt has to go. yeah, its vinyl and has some positives but get thee a decent tt.
    ...
    Thanks for the Sota suggestion: I might consider the Moonbean. Other obvious possibilities are the Musical Hall MMF-5, Rega P3, and maybe the Thorens TD-190.

    My LP collection is small but in good shape. I'll start to watch for 2nd hand vinyl too. We're moving to a larger city soon, and the selection of used classical is likely to be much larger there.

  8. #8
    Suspended topspeed's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by NickWH
    Right...just like solid state amps made tube amps obsolete.
    Yeah, you're always going to have your pockets of zealots that are terrified of new technology. Hey, more power to 'em as long as they are happy.

    Digital amps are obviously more closely related to ss than tubes. They offer all of the classic strengths of ss amps: slam, speed, bass energy, extension, etc. but without the liabilities of huge dimensions, giant heat sinks, enormous heat (especially class A), power consumption in stand-by, and general inefficiency. To me, they are simply the next evolution of ss amps, much like CD-RW's are to cassettes.

    Interestingly enough, I still like tubes better than anything else, including my own digital amp.

  9. #9
    Forum Regular hifitommy's Avatar
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    sapphire

    Quote Originally Posted by Feanor
    Thanks for the Sota suggestion: I might consider the Moonbean. Other obvious possibilities are the Musical Hall MMF-5, Rega P3, and maybe the Thorens TD-190.

    My LP collection is small but in good shape. I'll start to watch for 2nd hand vinyl too. We're moving to a larger city soon, and the selection of used classical is likely to be much larger there.
    is the material of the jeweled bearing of the sapphire model. its the key, that and the mass and sprung suspension, to superior sound. i would either wait until i had the money for the sapph, or go for a music hall tt in the interim.

    some things are worth waiting for.
    ...regards...tr

  10. #10
    Shostakovich fan Feanor's Avatar
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    Yikes! I'll be waiting a while

    Quote Originally Posted by hifitommy
    is the material of the jeweled bearing of the sapphire model. its the key, that and the mass and sprung suspension, to superior sound. i would either wait until i had the money for the sapph, or go for a music hall tt in the interim.

    some things are worth waiting for.
    At $2K, the Sapphire is not a short term possibility. MMF-5 is a likely, possibly long term, stop gap.

  11. #11
    Shostakovich fan Feanor's Avatar
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    It's not that I'm a "true believer"

    Quote Originally Posted by topspeed
    Congrats F,

    Welcome to the new world of amplification. This is the new wave of amps and I truly believe they will eventually prove current ss amps obsolete. Bel Canto makes very nice equipment and when mated with your Maggies, it should be a match made in heaven.
    In fact, I have a Pannasonic SA-XR25. It's no audiophile product despite the Panny digital reputation, IMO. It's a good, cheap a/v receiver, though.

    My dealer also supplies Krell KAV-401xi, but he assured me that the Bel Canto was better so I didn't auditioned it -- should I have, I wonder? But I did audition another class 'A' product, the Monarchy SMB-70 Pro. In bridged mode, a pair of these sounded really good, but not as good as the Bel Canto eV02i.

    Frankly I would have checked out the Musical Fidelity A3.2cr as well as the PS Audio HCA-2 but dealer carries them around here. Meanwhile I got a great price on the eVo2i comes with a line preamp and remote control.

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