Thanks for the pointers on the diffusors. Depth of the soundfield clearly deepens after the correct position is used. It also cleans up the contour of the lower mid bass in my setup.
Marvel - I find your comments a bit confusing. The ease is determined by the control capability of the amplifier. If the control is not there or not up to speed, things tend to throw at you. But this does not mean "ease". It only means control is inadequate. But this inadequacy may sound "ease" depending on a vector of parameters.
To save words on argument, please just play a single instrument such as Violin or Cello. Then ask someone who knows music (please don't ask audiophile because they have no clue. They always mix up power means control and dynamic. Power is important but only represents one of the many determining factors.) There is a lot of control on the violin. You don't need heavy bass content to test the meaning of control. It is my opinion that single end design always have inadequate control.
Raymond, I find it difficult to express myself fluently in English at this level of comparison. The fact is the lyrical details depicted by Takumi driving Cessaro is unprecedented in my system. Whilst 805Mk2 is a very good match with Cessaro, Takumi has a bit more control especially on the mid bass thus providing a very clear and transparent contour on the minute contrast and embience on the mid bass to bass compartment leading to a higher transparency across the entire frequency range. Of course, if Takumi is paired with Tidal speaker, my 'guess' would be Impact may have an upper hand...PT, Jeff and yourself should be able to share more on the experience of using Takumi on Sunray.
That's all you have to say on this amplifier? I expect there is a lot more especially the new version is substantially better than the original version. I am sending mine back to upgrade.
Sorry for the late in responding your post. In fact, I want to wait for a few more weeks so that I can understand more about Takumi and given that I have both Preos and EMT JPA-66 as preamps exhibiting different character, I wanted to try both preamps on Takumi before drawing more concrete findings on what I think this power amp is like.
Swapping preamps in my systems pairing with Takumi allows me to understand more about the character of it as I did similar comparisons on Wavac 805 and Impact stereo.
The new version of Takumi in my system exhibits a much more steady and matured control on the midbass dynamics leading to a more transparent depiction of all the minute twist and contrast in the midbass. This is to compare with the older version of Takumi which I heard 3 times in PT's system. Unlike the SS amp that I heard and used in the past, Takumi's interpretation of musicality and coherence is more lively with much more lyrical details, very much like a 'clean and quiet' tube amp but with a more authorative control to stop and to start when the performers of the orignal recording demand it. To certain extent, the transient is much more intact without some false harmonics created due to the lack of the control of the drivers, likewise, the leading edge is clear and sharp without any slugginess in caller the drivers into action.
It is undoubtedly the best 'hybrid' sound of a SS and a tube amp that I have heard of. I have heard how the older version of Takumi sounds like in DSo's place pairing with PRT1, I am sure readers of this forum have read the analysis posted by PT after the comparison. With the new version of Takumi, I think it is time for another round of listening but this time, I would prefer Takumi to join up with either Tron Syren BL or Preos.
The integration of Takumi with my Cessaro speaker system surpassed my expectation base on my listening experience in HK. The expected improvement in details, power and control added up with uninterrupted flow of music. My old amps though served me well but Takumi just tell me how much I missed.
What shocked me most is the real potential of my active sub system. I dont know how best to describe but I guess Azzuri would understand what I meant as we spent some time in listening to the new setup after he helped me out in positioning the amps. I said to PT that excitment brought to me by Takumi just on par with my first encounter with his Sunray.
Salute to Robert Koda, and thanks to JLam and PT for bring us exotic gears in the spiritof Maestro - Takumi
Comments
Marvel - I find your comments a bit confusing. The ease is determined by the control capability of the amplifier. If the control is not there or not up to speed, things tend to throw at you. But this does not mean "ease". It only means control is inadequate. But this inadequacy may sound "ease" depending on a vector of parameters.
To save words on argument, please just play a single instrument such as Violin or Cello. Then ask someone who knows music (please don't ask audiophile because they have no clue. They always mix up power means control and dynamic. Power is important but only represents one of the many determining factors.) There is a lot of control on the violin. You don't need heavy bass content to test the meaning of control. It is my opinion that single end design always have inadequate control.
Marvel
That's all you have to say on this amplifier? I expect there is a lot more especially the new version is substantially better than the original version. I am sending mine back to upgrade.
Are you using FMR with the Takumi?
Sorry for the late in responding your post. In fact, I want to wait for a few more weeks so that I can understand more about Takumi and given that I have both Preos and EMT JPA-66 as preamps exhibiting different character, I wanted to try both preamps on Takumi before drawing more concrete findings on what I think this power amp is like.
Swapping preamps in my systems pairing with Takumi allows me to understand more about the character of it as I did similar comparisons on Wavac 805 and Impact stereo.
The new version of Takumi in my system exhibits a much more steady and matured control on the midbass dynamics leading to a more transparent depiction of all the minute twist and contrast in the midbass. This is to compare with the older version of Takumi which I heard 3 times in PT's system. Unlike the SS amp that I heard and used in the past, Takumi's interpretation of musicality and coherence is more lively with much more lyrical details, very much like a 'clean and quiet' tube amp but with a more authorative control to stop and to start when the performers of the orignal recording demand it. To certain extent, the transient is much more intact without some false harmonics created due to the lack of the control of the drivers, likewise, the leading edge is clear and sharp without any slugginess in caller the drivers into action.
It is undoubtedly the best 'hybrid' sound of a SS and a tube amp that I have heard of. I have heard how the older version of Takumi sounds like in DSo's place pairing with PRT1, I am sure readers of this forum have read the analysis posted by PT after the comparison. With the new version of Takumi, I think it is time for another round of listening but this time, I would prefer Takumi to join up with either Tron Syren BL or Preos.
Marvel
What shocked me most is the real potential of my active sub system. I dont know how best to describe but I guess Azzuri would understand what I meant as we spent some time in listening to the new setup after he helped me out in positioning the amps. I said to PT that excitment brought to me by Takumi just on par with my first encounter with his Sunray.
Salute to Robert Koda, and thanks to JLam and PT for bring us exotic gears in the spiritof Maestro - Takumi
Bigpiece
陣容好夠! 個架似乎弱一些. 巨匠有料到! 聽聞你地個version比起PT那部改進了許多.