Our visit to Ivan at Cape Cod.

[bart]

Finally found the time to post about my impressions of our lovely visit to this wonderful area and the real purpose of our passage through Massachusetts: Ivan, his family, his systems, his knowledge.

First, let me tell you about my feelings about the States in general.
It was my first visit to this country.
I know quite a bit of Europe, South-America, India, Africa, but never been in gringo-land!

Well... I love your country my dear friends!!

The hospitality, friendliness, helpfulness we encountered almost everywhere is just fantastic.
From the policeman in the streets of New York, the lady behind the counter in a store, the waiter in a bar, the man in a shop, the driver of a bus,... Just about every person we met was kind to us, and it didn't seem to cost so much effort in doing so.

There is also a kind of optimism that is severely lacking on the old continent.
The idea: things are doable, let's make something out of our life, let's undertake things.

So we started in New York, did some touristy stuff, and then drove to Cape Cod, where we arrived just in time to see the impressive fireworks for July 4.

Sunday was a day of sightseeing, and relaxing on the beach.

And Monday was THE day!

Photographs from Iphone and Fujifilm camera.
It was pretty dark in Ivan's dungeon, and we traveled light, so without a tripod.

Impression of the best room:

[bart]

We started in the main room, with the fantastic Aidas and TADs, so often described already here.



This picture is already outdated, because the Silenzio isn't there yet.



Ivan explained everything in detail.
We spent quite some time in this room.

[Masterlu]

Bart... Great Photos!

[bart]

Listening impressions.
As you see, not much light to disturb the auditory sense.



I had already heard the Aidas, on the Naim Statement system, in Europe much more expensive than the Burmester system that Ivan installed.
I don't count the Esoteric stack now.
I then stated then that they were capable of more than I then heard in that show.

Well, they are.
The Berliner amps drive these beauties to unknown heights.
We first listened to some pop music to please the girls, but soon they lost their interest and went with Donna and Shanna to the beach.
You all know that I do love pop and rock, but my first choices are classical and jazz.
It is also on these types of music that I can judge best how a system performs.
Just like my speakers at home, the Sonus Faber Aida has the capability to transduce an instrument in a correct way.
Correct in the sense of accurate, delicate, musical.
An organ sounded like an organ, a piano like a piano. Just like it sounds live.
Not bigger not smaller.
Organic.

[bart]

Originally Posted by Masterlu

Bart... Great Photos!

Thank you Ivan.
As you know, I only post them, Meta took them.

She has an eye for special details.



The Burmester gear is so beautiful.









Meta likes to play at home too, with the reflection in our Burmester gear.
She had a good time here, because you have a lot more of that gorgeous gear!

[bart]

I asked to compare with the Burmester 089, seemingly the little black sheep now in the system.



We listened intensively.



Conclusion: a clear difference.
The Esoteric stack succeds in bringing more detail, nuance, depth.
But, the Burmester defended itself quite well.
For a 16K player (and often 8-9K second hand here in Europe) really not bad.
Again: the synergy between Burmester and Sonus Faber proved to be a real success.

[Masterlu]

089 is $33K here in the States.

[bart]

We didn't play music from the turntable.





What we have read on AA about Ivan's cabling is true.
I can testify.
Standing in front of the stack, you can see... the speaker cables.
That's all.



Well, you see Meta of course.

Ivan is a magician with his Wireworlds.
The WW Wizard!

[bart]

Below the stack, you see the clock and the K-01x, which feeds the Brystons that power the TADs.



My impressions of that system.
I love TAD speakers.
They're surely in my top 10 list of speakers.
But I prefer the Aidas.
Like Emile wrote: the big Sonus Fabers convey just a little bit more the music, especially in acoustic recordings.
It is a matter of taste.
I was really impressed with this system also.
The mighty Brystons are perfectly capable of driving the TADs.
A bargain in high end if you ask me.

[bart]

In the room between the main room and the Stradivari/McIntosh room there is a small room with this beauty:



And lots, really lots of cables.
Incredibly well organized.