120lb Turntable....
The Raven AC and DaVinci Grandezza Tonearm arrived. The TT is so heavy and I cant move it safely by myself. Just setup and played for a couple of hours. I know why Philip once commented that I wasted my Zanden Phono. Still waiting for a proper rack and more finetuning.
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Comments
VR
You are right, this monster plays music. Music just flow naturally with much more details.....
Big Piece
Enjoy
PS
That's good stuff you have there.
VR
Have you heard the Grandezza cartridge with the step up transformer? I listened to it today in PT sysgtem. My heart is melted by the tone of Grumiaux's violin. The sound is tender soft but very dynamic. The timing is right.
The Zanden phono is superb but a complete Da Vinci cartridge, arm and the mc stepup transformer produces a magic, hard to describe in words.
The raven ac is really a table that plays music than many acrylic based tt out there.
Philip
One of my vinyl systems almost exactly the same as you, Zanden phono, Raven AC 3 motor, da vinci arm. The only difference I use the dynavector XV1S.
The Grandezza cartridge, I never get chance to listen, but I know the MC transformer is better than Kondo transformer. One of my overseas friends have both. He says Kondo made beautiful emotional sound but it is not an emotional experience. The dv transformer involves him emotionally by giving more real and believable sound.
If you use Zanden phono, there is no MM input, save money on the transformer. The build quality inside and outside is top level stuff.
I really like the dv arm versus 7 other arms I process. It is the only arm in my procession can control high frequnecy energy but not lose refinement and extension. I have yet to listen Schroder Reference SQ, which is produced in extremely limited quality, and a waiting time of 18 months I was told.
Are you a vinyl guy? What is your digital source? The choice of your analog component tells me you value music seriously. Good!
Jeff
The Zanden 1200 phono stage, as commented by Yamada san, represents his heart. I don't have any chance or any motives to compare any phono stage against it. If it serves music right, I see no intention of fueling a competition amongst phono stages. Bigpiece in Shanghai is fascinated by the natural sound of the Raven Ac and the DV arm. I could understand why because I went through that experience as well. In the many months or even years to come, he will probably enjoy it more than now. There are tons of little things to fine tune in a LP system. Even if we put them aside, the Raven, DV and Zanden combo is one hell of a LP system that is hard to let go. There is also no guarantee that money bucks will get you a better system than this one. AE certainly looks forward to the FALCON in Munich Show in 2007 but for now the Raven AC/DV arm combo are endorsed by critics around the world especially from very experienced analog reviewer in European countries.
The DV step-up transformer is a new experience to me. I could not really use it because there is no MM input from the Zanden 1200 phono stage. I have been waiting for the Tron Seven Reference (not enough guts to go straight to the pure Syren phono, save it for Marvel bro) with MM input to try it out. Still, I was to eager. I finally borrow another Japanese preamp from a friend with MM input to try out the MC transformer.
My expectation is not too big because I prefer the idea of simplicity to complexity as I grow older. I have to link another ground wire from the transformer to the phono stage on top of one from the tone arm to the mc transformer to get rid of the hummm noise. In fact, it took me 3 days to sort out the hummmm problems. I was discouraged as the Zanden 1200 phono has been singing so well. I repeat it really sings so well and flawness when playing the Frederick von stade aria.
From the Grandezza cartridge to the tone arm to the MC step up transformer, the whole chain is entirely made by Da Vinci. I used the Kharma engima signature interconnect from the tonearm to the transformer and the Jorma Prime from the transformer to the Phono MM input. The magic of SYNERGY surfaces immediately.
The sound is very organic.. The tenderness of the violin string is revealed with dynamic and strength even at minor bow movement. Most of the time, when the sound or the tone is on the soft side, it is often the case dynamic (both macro and micro) will be compromises. Not the case here. The tenderness of the string makes the sound of the violin very very very real. Elasticity of the string is usually revealed when the violinist played harder. It is quite difficult to feel or listen the elasticity at minor bow movements. The shading of the tone at the upper octave decays with colors. The leading edge is there. The body is there alongside colorful textures. The decaying tails are all there. Ever since it was set up properly, I have been listening to Henry playing Mozart's violin sonata every night, the same recording again and again. I have yet to try other recordings including the von stade.
This date, I hate drawing conclusion hastily. I also dislike saying A is better than B. I only report my listening experiences. But so far my analog life is good. It is not as colorful as the CD from the quantity of gears/cables switching in and out perspective. My LP setup is more constant than the CD setup. Perhaps, the answer is embodied securely in the music that I enjoy every night.
PT
Salute to AE, a stunning experience.
Patrick
Grandezza Catridge + Grandezza Arm + Grandezza MC Step Up transformer is an experience that any music lover should not miss.
The House of DV Sound is simply no sound but pure music in her most organic form.
J.Lam Music Nation
Where is the DV phono? It is not a complete chain without the phono section. I wonder how the DV set up would mate with Syren's phono section.
Jeff
Its a pity that my Vinyl setup has not been completely finetuned since it was first installed 2 weeks ago. A solid wood rack has just arrived need more warm up to lift the TT....
Jeff,
I used to have Orpheus 0 + Zanden Mk IV. After the purchase of Zanden Phono, I switched to Audio Aero Prestige with the "belief" that I can downsize the digital souce Obviously, the belief is wrong and I am selling the prestige. Not decided on the new target yet but likely going back to Orpheus 0 + 1SE.
Big Piece
The zero and 1SE are very good digitial source. Why not the ultimate Zanden combo? Your vinyl source is not easy to beat by most tt out there. The Zanden phono is the best phono out there from music point of view. I put it up against 222 lately, the difference is one play music, the other play sound. Can't say which is better, because different audio people requires different meal. If music is our dishes, the Zanden phono may be the best out there. I got no time to hear the Swiss cow cow but Da Vinci is something special too. The music by DV got a strong scent of european style. I will get the Grandezza cartridge, you should get it too for your tonearm. Speaking of the tonearm, the grandezza is one hell of an arm. I have a total of 7 arms, only the grandezza can delvier opera recording. It control high frequency excellent. I wonder how it compare to the lengendary Schoder Reference arm. I am too impatient to wait for it.
What speakers are you using? You need big speakers to get the best out of your vinyl.
Jeff
Thanks! Don't poison me with the Swiss cow! I wish I have more money.
Patrick
Jeff