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  #51  
Old 02-02-2018, 03:14 AM
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I got it. Thanks Stephen.
Bob recommended to me a Sky 30 for the Vermillion.
I am confident it will sound absolutely fantastic. Bob knows his transformers! iMHO, the best value/performance for money on the market. And I am about 2-3 generations behind the latest and greatest. No complaints here; like I say, end game. No more money on audio equipment; with all due modesty, my system sounds superb.

My last upgrade were some Shunyata Venom speaker cables; which as you might expect, were absolutely terrific; what value for money Shunyata provides.

I am done...done, done, done with stereo gear.

The focus now is all on the music, which is as it should be.
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Lumin P1 streamer/DAC/preamp, Constellation Inspiration integrated TT: Michell Gyro SE MkII, SME V, Koetsu Urushi Vermilion, EAR324. Harbeth 30.2s, REL R-305, Shunyata Alpha V2 ICs, Alpha V2 SPs, Sigma XC, Sigma NRv2, Omega QR-s & Alpha NRv2 PCs, segmented Altaira SG stack w/ Alpha & Omega CGCs, Everest 8000 PD. Remote Server Room: Uptone EtherREGEN, AfterDark Master Clock & LPS, Alita, Battle Angel, (Akasa NUC Roon Core), iFi DC Purifiers (for SMPS used for Alita & router), Shunyata Gemini combo power distributor & Altaira-type CG GP-NR hub, Venom & Alpha CGCs, Shunyata NRv14 power cords for digital components.
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  #52  
Old 02-02-2018, 03:22 AM
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Originally Posted by Puma Cat View Post
I am confident it will sound absolutely fantastic. Bob knows his transformers! iMHO, the best value/performance for money on the market. And I am about 2-3 generations behind the latest and greatest. No complaints here; like I say, end game. No more money on audio equipment; with all due modesty, my system sounds superb.



My last upgrade were some Shunyata Venom speaker cables; which as you might expect, were absolutely terrific; what value for money Shunyata provides.



I am done...done, done, done with stereo gear.



The focus now is all on the music, which is as it should be.


Hi Stephen,

It is cool to feel this "end of the road" in audio gear and be focused only on enjoying the sound you have been looking for years.
You were right with the Vermillion. It is very precisely the kind of sound that I was craving for.
My Sky 30 should be here in 6 days.
I read Art Dudley's review and was impressed by the fact that it sounded larger than the mighty A23 Hommage. In my system the Hommage was great but I was getting to much gain with the MM stage of the Giscours. I appreciate Bob's products versatility and how he can recommend the right SUT for your cart and phono stage.
Again thanks a lot for your expertise and advices. They are truly awesome to my ears !
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  #53  
Old 02-02-2018, 03:48 AM
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Originally Posted by Jerome W View Post
Hi Stephen,

It is cool to feel this "end of the road" in audio gear and be focused only on enjoying the sound you have been looking for years.
You were right with the Vermillion. It is very precisely the kind of sound that I was craving for.
My Sky 30 should be here in 6 days.
I read Art Dudley's review and was impressed by the fact that it sounded larger than the mighty A23 Hommage. In my system the Hommage was great but I was getting to much gain with the MM stage of the Giscours. I appreciate Bob's products versatility and how he can recommend the right SUT for your cart and phono stage.
Again thanks a lot for your expertise and advices. They are truly awesome to my ears !
Jerôme,
I heard the original blue Cinemag 1100-series of transformers when they debuted in Bob's SUTs back in 2013, if memory serves. They were an impressive step up ove the "red ones", particularly in "verisimilitude" and transparency over the "red" transformers that are used in mine. So my expection is the Sky 30 will be fantastic, and you are going to be VERY happy with this SUT and even more so with the Vermilion.

As I said before, I am very happy that you are so pleased with the Vermilion, it is really quite a special Koetsu and intensely musical without being syrupy or sweet.
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Lumin P1 streamer/DAC/preamp, Constellation Inspiration integrated TT: Michell Gyro SE MkII, SME V, Koetsu Urushi Vermilion, EAR324. Harbeth 30.2s, REL R-305, Shunyata Alpha V2 ICs, Alpha V2 SPs, Sigma XC, Sigma NRv2, Omega QR-s & Alpha NRv2 PCs, segmented Altaira SG stack w/ Alpha & Omega CGCs, Everest 8000 PD. Remote Server Room: Uptone EtherREGEN, AfterDark Master Clock & LPS, Alita, Battle Angel, (Akasa NUC Roon Core), iFi DC Purifiers (for SMPS used for Alita & router), Shunyata Gemini combo power distributor & Altaira-type CG GP-NR hub, Venom & Alpha CGCs, Shunyata NRv14 power cords for digital components.
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  #54  
Old 02-02-2018, 06:51 AM
AudioGremlin AudioGremlin is offline
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Originally Posted by Puma Cat View Post
Honestly, its not worth the hassle, cost, or the bother to geek out over. These are first world problems, and one those "pick your battles" situations.

The system sounds bloody fantastic as it is...
Guess we'll agree to disagree [emoji5] After following a discussion on Steve Hoffman specifically about the SUT to pre cable I requested a sale-or-return on a 0.5m and 1.0m pair. I 'picked my battle' on the 0.5m, to my ears (no DBT) the shorter cable was significantly better in all respects. The concensus was on Hoffman that this particular cable application L, C & R must be very low as any small changes in measurement are critical and causes disproportionate effects.
I'm glad for you that you're happy but sadly my OCD geeky side wants to milk out the last ounce of performance as the cost imo demands it.
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  #55  
Old 02-02-2018, 10:46 AM
mulveling mulveling is offline
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I agree; I'd compared 0.5m length of Audioquest Niagara to 1.0m AQ Sky and 1.0m AQ Fire on my Koetsu/1131 SUT. Here, the sonic differences between the Sky and Fire were wildly exaggerated from what they are when used as normal interconnects. The Fire was too forward and aggressive; the Sky too warm/wooly and sloppy in bass. Both of those 1.0 m cables are superior to the Niagara in normal circumstances. I'd expected to use the Fire on the SUT, but had to move it elsewhere and stick with the Niagara.

Later I got a custom 0.5m WEL Signature LP, and it killed all of the above cables.

Congrats on the Sky 30! It will sound amazing, but give it 20 hours of burn-in before it "wakes up". I preferred the 1131 to my brand new Sky 40 until the latter got several hours on it.
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  #56  
Old 02-02-2018, 01:42 PM
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Didn't know that Koetsu made Carts . . . I have an EZ Go myself - great cart - gets around the golf course 8 times between battery charges.





But I do have a KOETSU stereo CARTRIDGE . . . A Rosewood Signature Platinum . . . that i bought eleven (11) years ago and still going strong.



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I have a record player and a cd player and some other stuff that sounds pretty good.


MAIN SYSTEM: . . . Audio Physic Caldera III Loudspeakers, Spectral DMC 30SL Preamp, Spectral DMA 250 Amp, Spectral/MIT interconnects and speaker cable, Basis Debut V Vacuum turntable, Walker Precision Speed Controller, Graham tonearm, [B]Koetsu Rosewood or Grado Statement 1 Cartridges, PASS - X-ono Phono Stage, Esoteric K03 CD/SACD Player, Lexicon RT-20 Universal Player, Exact Power EP-15A & SP-15A power regeneration and conditioning devices. Symposium Acoustics Svelte pads & RollerBlock Jr's under speakers. ASC Tube Traps, Arcici Suspense Rack System, OPPO and Cambridge Streaming Devices.


DOWNSTAIRS SYSTEM: . . . Sonus Faber Guarneri Memento Speakers, JL Audio F112 Sub, McIntosh MA7000 Integrated Amp, McIntosh MVP871 Universal Disc Player, OPPO BDP-105 Blu-Ray Player, VPI Scoutmaster with periphery ring clamp, VPI SDS Motor Drive, Koetsu Pro IV, or Clearaudio Discovery Cartridges, Mark Levinson No. 25s phono stage, Wadia 170i Transport with a Meridian Bitstream 203 DAC, VPI HW-17 Pro Record Cleaning Machine, Five Richard Gray RGPC 400 devices scattered around the two systems, Arcici Suspense Rack System, Discovery Essence and Essential Cables, 14,000 ± LPs .
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  #57  
Old 02-02-2018, 03:40 PM
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Originally Posted by AudioNut View Post
Didn't know that Koetsu made Carts . . . I have an EZ Go myself - great cart - gets around the golf course 8 times between battery charges.














But I do have a KOETSU stereo CARTRIDGE . . . A Rosewood Signature Platinum . . . that i bought eleven (11) years ago and still going strong.










Good one Julian !
I will edit the title. Thanks.
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  #58  
Old 02-05-2018, 05:22 PM
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Hello folks,

Just a little thought to tell you that this Urushi Vermillion is massaging my heart and soul like never before. I am simply rediscovering HiFi like a 7 year old kid.
U N B E L I E V A B L E !
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  #59  
Old 02-05-2018, 06:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Jerome W View Post
Hello folks,

Just a little thought to tell you that this Urushi Vermillion is massaging my heart and soul like never before. I am simply rediscovering HiFi like a 7 year old kid.
U N B E L I E V A B L E !
Jerome, very happy for you that you are enjoying it so much.
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  #60  
Old 02-06-2018, 12:43 AM
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Jerome, very happy for you that you are enjoying it so much.


Thanks Serge !
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