For some unfathomable reason beyond me, I am unable to edit or upload pics in my existing(circa 2007)system. Hence, I am adding pics/brief description of the recent changes to my vinyl chain including some new pics of my enlarged and refurbished,dedicated basement listening room.Apart from the vinyl set up, the rest of the system is unchanged from 2006.
In the past 8 yrs I have upgraded/changed my TT four times, gone through 5 cartridges.I am almost embarrased by the naivety of my early enthusiasm for vinyl. This prompted the purchase/cartage of a VPI 16.5 from Chicago to New Delhi. The decapitation of my Transfiguration Orpheus L was a wake up call. The system and sound have evolved in a manner that is consistently pleasing.
Jan 2013
After 7 years the upgraditis flu strikes hard. New speakers, Rockport Aviors, a new pre bought on Agon but yet to arrive, the CJ GAT and drooling over the prospects of large SET monos driving the Aviors.
Baby steps in computer audio with a Macair and Mytek DSD. Initial results...this could be good and I am beginning to understand what all the hype is about despite my initial cynicism.
June 2013
All things vinyl. On that plea decided to do all the vinyl fun things I always wanted to. A restored Garrard 401, a 12" arm, a Ortofon SPU and a Miyajima BE mono cart. This required coordination between Hong Kong(Mint LP),Singapore(source of the 309D,SPU,Miyajima cart and a Ortofon 80 SE SUT),Switzerland(MM card for the Nagra phono stage) and two locations in Delhi for the woodwork and Garrard 401.
Jan 2014
The Final Frontier or Sunnyboy goes bananas or My All Out Assault on Being Done For Now.
The Rockport Aviors arrived in Jan 2013, followed by the CJ GAT in April and after a 11 month wait and several hiccups the Wavac HE 833 V2 mono blocs arrived in Dec 2013.
I guess I am at the pinnacle of a 40 year audio journey. I have achieved all that I could dream of
and much more besides. The best part of the journey are the friends and fellow audiophiles across the globe that I have got to know.
Lloyd Many thanks. I have ordered a spare set of tubes and yes these are expensive. The Wavacs have been regularly exhibited at various audio shows and received positive reviews. Still the minuscule " ownership experience " is disconcerting . Did send a PM to Thuchan who is/was an owner of the more expensive SH model.No response. Cheers
I can tell you why (for me) i did not go for them...hard to hear them. I was tossing a coin between Gryphon and Wavac...speakers have good sensitivity and fairly benign load...but could always use the power. So either would have likely been great. Went with Gryphon due to availability to hear. I heard an old DM100 and that helped me form a picture that was consistent with the people i'd spoken with and all the reviews i'd read. If i'd had such an opportunity with Wavac...i might have gone the other way.
I also was not sure about replacing those big tubes, but that is less of a point...i think if you're into big tubes, you just find a way and "price in" this extra long term obligation to re-tube from time to time and source these rarer tubes.
Hi Jason Finally a Wavac owner !!Would love to connect with you and learn more. Always wonder, if this is such a great amp why are there no owners out there ? As one wag put it, each amp is hand built and they hardly sell, so they have probably forgotten how to make it...!! On current reckoning, delivery early June...fingers crossed Pradeep
Hi Sunnyboy, I read you have the WAVAC HE 833 Ver 1.3 on order, I had a pair of these amplifiers for a few days in my audio system and thought they were wonderful sounding. Beautiful to look upon when set up and glowing in a dark room, give them plenty of ventilation around them as they produce a lot of heat output. A SET amplifier for life. Cheers Jason.
Lapierre Many thanks. The G 1s seem to sound best at 30hz ( the Aviors go down to 28 hz according to Rockport) with the volume setting at 10 or 11. It's a corner placement almost touching the long wall. The Rockports and the RELs are getting along well. Thanks for looking Cheers Pradeep
Hi John Thanks a ton. I know it's a good speaker but best in world ...no way. I don't believe there is such a thing. Maybe most expensive yes, but definitive best in a hobby as subjective as ours is a bit of a non starter. I would certainly agree that at its price point, the Aviors are among the best...but even that's a difficult statement to make coz I have not heard every speaker in the world nor am I likely to. I fully agree that it's is an amazingly good speaker that seems to be getting better. I think you make a valid point about the internal speaker wires needing to break in. I doubt if manufactures would attend to such nitty gritty. If you like the Aviors so much come listen to them in my den -:) Cheers Pradeep
Hi I've been to both the Wilson manufacturing facility and the Rockport facility. They both closely measure and match each speaker/crossover.
Wilson even breaks the drivers in for a period of time before getting installed in each speaker.
Rockport, and Andy Payor himself, measures and adjusts each speaker/crossover personally before he releases for shipment. I suspect Andy has one the most tightly tailored/matched speakers crossovers in the industry.
However, break in is a little different. Like break in in a speaker wire or a capacitor. I also suspect break in in the internal speaker wire is more of a constant than the differences Wilson or Rockprt do to their cross overs in matching the speakers up...
I can honestly say, you have one of THE best speakers in the world...at any price. Congrats again !
John I hope you are right. I'd love to hear further improvements. A lot of online stuff with measurements before and after than again after a gap of a few years and the differences were zilch. I suspect high end manufacturers such as WA, Rockport etc measure each speaker before it leaves the factory and every component is optimised or else each pair would sound different. Just my 2 bits and hopefully I will be proven wrong.
I don't know about this....I think break in on speakers is a real thing. It was certainly true for my Wilson Maxx 3s. You have wire, capacitors, and then the suspension on the speaker cones....
I bet you'll get changes here....more subtle after the first few weeks...
On further consideration and a bit of online reading I realise that the holy grail of speaker breakin doesn't really exist and I succumbed to the popular myth that all audio components require burn in. It probably doesn't apply to reasonable quality speakers. I guess the changes I have been describing in the Aviors are more to do with my brain getting used to their sonic signature with a subterranean ongoing comparison between the Quads and the Aviors. Notwithstanding all this the Aviors sound divine Happy listening Pradeep
John Many thanks for showing me the light. Recall I had asked you about used WAs and you mentioned the Aviors. Was lucky to demo a pair at Passion Audio in Singapore last October . Really impressed. It's a like a ESL with a full body. What's your take on speaker break in ie minimum hours etc? Cheers Pradeep
Fantastic!! Congrats and i am not surprised...my own limited experience with Rockport was sensational. And i also feel like cone/box technology has advanced so incredibly far in the last 5 years...that electrostatics no longer have the 'inherent' advantage anymore. Cones, drivers and cabinets have all worked to create extremely inert, super heavy box speakers which dont resonate, which deliver pitch perfect speed and transient snap that was impossible to imagine 10-15 years ago when 'stats were clearly considered ahead in this regard on a dollar for dollar basis. (ie, it took a lot of money to get cone to compete on those elements)
where stats have made some ground to catch up to the strengths of cones (but perhaps not as much as cones have in creeping into stat territory) is a cone's incredible solidity, slam and full-on prescence. In sum, add the new speed, snap and transparency of the latest box/cone speakers(like yours) to the existing slam, body...and i can see where you have your pride of ownership!!! Congrats again. Enjoy! and please continue to post as it breaks in.
Hi Lloyd Thanks for looking/asking. I have been somewhat reluctant to post any comments on the Aviors as it is still a work in progress. I reckon I have around 70 hrs on them and in this period the break in is perceptible. The initial harshness has all but gone but I don't have a reference or a yard stick ....I don't know any Avior owners ! I will send a mail to Andy Payor and get his take on break in. I will try and address your query regarding differences with the Quads. To be honest I never thought I would part with them or ever be satisfied with a box speaker. I have had ESLs for close to 8 years, 6 years with the Quads and 18 months with Martin Logans. There is a holographic ,almost ethereal magic about the mid range of a ESL that to my mind no box speaker could match. Major differences detected : 1. The Quads have a wall to wall and floor to ceiling soundstage . It's not as if you are in the 1st or 2nd row but in the middle of the orchestra. The Aviors have a much smaller soundstage barely a few feet above the enclosure . There is ,however ,much greater depth to the soundstage with the Rockports, indeed amazingly so. In comparison the Quads were almost flat. 2. The major limitation of the Quads, according to some "knowledge able pundits "is that they don't play too loud, lack LFE and generally are not suited for Rock etc. IMHO this is a load of bunkum. Yes, the Quads are limiting in respect of dynamic contrasts but at very high SPLs. If you seriously want good bass in a stereo set up, you need to invest in a pair of qualty subs. I have always had a pair of RELs. Notwithstanding the above, the Aviors play much ,much louder and deeper with prodigious bass. Obviously there is no comparison on this score. 3. The single most impressive attribute of the Aviors and it hits you in the face as it were, is transparency . Well recorded sources sound way superior to the Quads in terms of delicacy,air,detail with far greater coherence and mid range body.Resolution is superb.The USP of ESLs is the midrange where 80% of the music resides. The midrange of the Aviors on current reckoning is the best I have encountered and is distinctly superior to the Quads. These are preliminary observations. You need to discount for owner bias/pride but IMHO if you are looking for a speaker in the sub $75k range you owe it yourself to audition the Rockport Aviors. They are that good. Will post pics soon. Thanks again for looking. Cheers Pradeep
System edited Added a pair of REL G1 subs to replace the REL 505s that have been relegated to the HT. Awesome subs, easy to dial in with tuneful, musical bass that takes my system to a new high.
Hi Tarjin Many thanks for your kind words. Am using the long wall and don't really have too many placement options. The room is 23'x13' with a L shaped opening. The great thing about the Quads is that they don't need much breathing distance from the side walls, 6" or so will suffice. It's not the same with the front wall as its a dipole. I have them about 4.5' from the front wall. Unfortunately much as I hate too I am selling the Quads. It's not a performance issue. Can't think of many speakers which come remotely close especially if you can mate them with a decent pair of subs. I have responded separately to your thread regd the subs. If possible try and elevate the Quads. I have a home made sandwich of granite, soft wood and again granite. This does wonders and also makes for easy manoeuvrability while using the supplied spikes. All the best and thanks for looking Pradeep
