Moving up the stream

[newworld]

Let it glow

I visited one of the dealers to check out some streaming products, when I walked into a room that was dim but pleasantly glowing with...tubes!!!

Quicksilver Audio Mid Monos - Quicksilver Audio...I've been dying to test some of their products. Along with Rogue, they make affordable tube gear as well as cater to the higher end. If you go really high, you might as well take Cary and Audio Research into consideration, so they would have to be knockouts in the budget realm. And they were...amazing. Hooked up to some Thiel speakers, they were so generous and present. It's just a completely different experience to solid states. Unbelievable for jazz lovers, for vocals, and intimate music. Less effective with orchestral or demanding music. They just can't cope with the huge dynamic swings and focus as needed. Probably not at this price.

A couple of things, however. I can honestly say that this is not an accurate rendition of the recordings I played. The singer's voice came from about 6 ft above the speakers and reverberation was greatly exaggerated. This was larger than life, whereas many solid states, I feel, usually give you a smaller scale of real things. Simaudio is a good example of that. Also, the heat was unbearable. I didn't think it would actually be an issue, but the listening room became uncomfortably warm. This would need to be addressed somehow.

It's not like I had never heard tube amps before. But coming back to them after auditioning so many speakers and amplifiers, my priority has changed. It was just as enjoyable from before, but once again, I'm reminded of the question. Does it suit my needs?

 

[audiodon]

Whether your needs are addressed depends on whether you've decided what your needs are and can carry them to the showroom. Then you'll know you're right if you have a comparable experience after you carry the gear home (hopefully for an audition).

 

[newworld]

Whether your needs are addressed depends on whether you've decided what your needs are and can carry them to the showroom. Then you'll know you're right if you have a comparable experience after you carry the gear home (hopefully for an audition).

Absolutely. But it's SO MUCH FUN to be distracted...

 

[newworld]

Chance Encounter

When I went to check out some streaming products, I unexpectedly ran into some tubes. In the same room, there was a small unassuming box ready to be played at any time. I asked to move over the source and listen purely out of curiosity.

Musical Fidelity M3i - It was hooked up to some Totem speakers at the time. Same music. Immediately I was drawn to one thing. Open midrange! Where have I heard this before? Simaudio? No. Naim? No. Any solid state that I do not care to remember? No. I NEED to hear this with my speakers. Take home audition? YES!

I come home and hastily open the box. Still not the most impressive looking. I carefully plug in the Audioquest speaker cables on loan. I start playing some familiar music. I only have a couple of hours to do this. I have to work tonight.

SYNERGY!!! Soundstaging is spectacular. Singers are physically present. Instruments sound like themselves. How is this possible? It's as if the amplifier is not there. I'm trying to come up with something technical to say about this. I can't. The sound is alive. Everything disappears and only the music remains. That midrange! So intoxicating. I've only heard this kind of sound once before, and that's where it all started.

76 watts of power was plenty, but when I pushed it to the point I will probably never reach in a normal listening, everything became glassy. I can live with this. Also, the treble was slightly subdued, per the characteristic of the cables I used. This will need to be addressed.

 

[davidro]

Dude what I told you about the MF eh?

 

[newworld]

Dude what I told you about the MF eh?

Next time, you need to push products a little harder. [emoji1]

Seriously, there was nothing to indicate that it would be an amazing match for the D2's. It's certainly not the most talked about product. It totally flew under the radar.

 

[slippers-on]

You cant go to wrong with the MF.....and yes, they have nice mids. On that particular model the highs aren't that far reaching but the AQ cable which has a rep for being warmish could be limiting a bit. How was the bottom end? Some of my best buds in audio can't seem to like MF...but I've always loved their sound. The XRAY you see in my sig has a nice sound that's very much synergistic with tubes. I've had it in a Conrad Johnson rig as well as my own tubed rig and it was as if it was made for tubes. It has the right mix of detail and sweetness...its musical indeed.

David really enjoys his as well. IF I go digital stream in my main system, the XRAY will be moved to the bed room tube amp to make more magic...but yeah, if you look hard enough you can find some negative about the M3i as with all gear, but still that's a nice 76 watt amp. Don't know if that model has the dual mono design like its big brother the M6i but still...its a lot of sound that flew under the radar. At one point cats where going for the Rega Brio on said reputation from others, rather than going out and listening to gear and the M3i was sorta left behind....but the M3i was more expensive until it went on sell....but I'm glad you've discovered her...shes a fine amp.

 

[slippers-on]

Next time, you need to push products a little harder. [emoji1]

Seriously, there was nothing to indicate that it would be an amazing match for the D2's. It's certainly not the most talked about product. It totally flew under the radar.

Sure there was/is. Look at how many cats are on Youtube with MF and ProAcs. Must be something to it.

 

[newworld]

You cant go to wrong with the MF.....and yes, they have nice mids. On that particular model the highs aren't that far reaching but the AQ cable which has a rep for being warmish could be limiting a bit. How was the bottom end? Some of my best buds in audio can't seem to like MF...but I've always loved their sound. The XRAY you see in my sig has a nice sound that's very much synergistic with tubes. I've had it in a Conrad Johnson rig as well as my own tubed rig and it was as if it was made for tubes. It has the right mix of detail and sweetness...its musical indeed.

David really enjoys his as well. IF I go digital stream in my main system, the XRAY will be moved to the bed room tube amp to make more magic...but yeah, if you look hard enough you can find some negative about the M3i as with all gear, but still that's a nice 76 watt amp. Don't know if that model has the dual mono design like its big brother the M6i but still...its a lot of sound that flew under the radar. At one point cats where going for the Rega Brio on said reputation from others, rather than going out and listening to gear and the M3i was sorta left behind....but the M3i was more expensive until it went on sell....but I'm glad you've discovered her...shes a fine amp.

Yes, I could tell that the highs are not very extended, but the speaker cables definitely didn't help. I'm gonna go clean and clear with cabling. I didn't mention bass because it didn't draw attention to itself. It is exactly the way I like it. It didnt punch me in the gut or rock the house. It was simply there as it should. It's not tight like many would like it, but natural, the way it should with classical music.

I'm sure it's not for everyone, but for some reason, it comes alive with my speakers to knock my socks off. I just don't understand how this works, because it was so random, out of nowhere. It doesn't seem like there's anything technically advanced or revolutionary. Unbelievable.

 

[davidro]

So are you taking the plunge with the MF?

 

[newworld]

So are you taking the plunge with the MF?

Not yet. I'm going to have fun and keep looking to find another hidden gem like the MF, although it's unlikely.

This thread is becoming unpopular, I can tell. I think I've offended all the Naim and Rega owners.

 

[davidro]

It is quite unlikely you can offend Redgum owners. So feel free to go ahead

 

[TimF]

I have owned Naim gear since the early 80's, and to this day I still do enjoy it very much. But there certainly is no offense at all taken-even if said in jest. I can certainly see/hear why a person wouldn't like it, and the good thing is, there are so many otehr brands and flavors, just as you have found with the MF gear.

Actually I have enjoyed this thread quite a bit even though I have not participated in it, I tend to just like to sit back and see how things go unless I truely have something I think might help, which usually isn't much. I find it hard to really give too many suggestions to anyone, as it all is so personal, comes down to so many things, and sometimes it isn't even about the sound of it!

Okay, off to shove a coat hangar in my ears...oh wait, the Naim already did that! Hah. Enjoy newworld, the biggest thing is that if you can enjoy the journey getting there and love your music, that is what is important, no matter what you play it on. Tim

 

[audiodon]

I've been an Anthony Michaelson (of MF fame) fan ever since I read his description of what bit depth and word length would be necessary for digital sampling rates to work correctly.

Do you think looking into the bigger power unit is in your future or out of your budget?

 

[slippers-on]

Yes, I could tell that the highs are not very extended, but the speaker cables definitely didn't help. I'm gonna go clean and clear with cabling. I didn't mention bass because it didn't draw attention to itself. It is exactly the way I like it. It didnt punch me in the gut or rock the house. It was simply there as it should. It's not tight like many would like it, but natural, the way it should with classical music.

I'm sure it's not for everyone, but for some reason, it comes alive with my speakers to knock my socks off. I just don't understand how this works, because it was so random, out of nowhere. It doesn't seem like there's anything technically advanced or revolutionary. Unbelievable.

Thats great! Your comments about the bass not drawing attention to itself. In all actuality, it shouldn't draw attention...no part of the sound spectrum should. If the bass does, then later on it will be to boomy, if the highs does, then after a while you would say its to bright. Naw you want musical/natural. The bass should just be, just like the entire sound spectrum with out being sterile. (unless you want sterile/bland)

You also mentioned it came alive with your speakers....but yet you say you can't understand how this works. Nothing technically advanced or revolutionary ...(don't tell that to the engineers at Musical Fidelity)... Well you have just witnessed what myself and Oscar have been harping on for a while now....its called Synergy...some times you can get it by knowing the signature of the components, and some time you get it by trial and error, the later seems to be your case. Some times for some unknown reason....yo stuff starts "clicking" and when that happens you know you're on to something special.

 

[Art K.]

Not yet. I'm going to have fun and keep looking to find another hidden gem like the MF, although it's unlikely.

This thread is becoming unpopular, I can tell. I think I've offended all the Naim and Rega owners.

Not at all offended. I read threads and try to determine which way a persons preferences fall. I love the Rega and Naim sounds and very much dislike Musical Fidelity, Bryston and Simaudio. It's all about preferences. Not any different than food. I love spicy foods and I have friends and colleagues who hate it. No one is right or wrong. It's about how each of us get close to the music. Once I determined that your preferences and mine aren't similar I felt that I had nothing to add. I'm still reading the thread because it is enjoyable to read someone elses journey to their musical destination. Enjoy!:thmbsp:

 

[newworld]

I've been an Anthony Michaelson (of MF fame) fan ever since I read his description of what bit depth and word length would be necessary for digital sampling rates to work correctly.

Do you think looking into the bigger power unit is in your future or out of your budget?

For now it's out of my budget, but it's not impossible in the future. Next one up is M6i and that's twice the money.

 

[slippers-on]

For now it's out of my budget, but it's not impossible in the future. Next one up is M6i and that's twice the money.

But may I add...every bit worth it!

 

[newworld]

Save your money

My encounter with Musical Fidelity left me incredibly upbeat. I couldn't wait to make another discovery and there's still many left to audition at the price point. I thought, let's see how cheap I can get without sacrificing sound quality.

Arcam A19 - Here's another product that had been on my radar for years just like the Naim. I like the design, and the brand has long been associated with the British sound. I was actually taken aback by its sound quality...and not in a good way. It's definitely a notch below what would be labeled as capable, beyond the point of which it comes down to your preference. Everything sounds grey...it's like looking at a digital picture in black and white. If you look close enough, you will even see that it's pixelated. I really can't recommend this to anyone. At least with Naim, it has an appeal to certain genres. At $1000 or under, you can definitely do better than this. Cambridge Audio and NAD both offer cleaner sound and more power. Next, please.

 

[Spektre]

To my heart's content...

There have been some amplifiers that I had never got around to listen to. The award-winning, universally praised types that everyone gets to listen to, like the Rega Brio-R, but I never could. Now I have.

Naim Nait 5i-2 - There were many times, since my ownership of the Harbeth's, that I just wanted to buy the previous iterations of this amplifier blind. Years and years of accolades, fanatical owners, musical, involving, addictive, power supply over power rating, must be on at all times, best with Naca5, PRAT..........you can take all of that and shove it. This has to be one of the most grossly hyped and shrewdly marketed amplifier in existence.

Simply put, it's INACCURATE. Trying and failing is one thing, but this amplifier blatantly looks the other way and becomes obnoxious like an american in a foreign country. Every instrument sounds like an electronic guitar. Dense, dark, and monotonous like drawing an unlit cave in ink. In fact, every recording sounds the same. Thump-thump, wahhh , thump-thump, phssst, thump....

Here are the new definitions for you:
Pace - every articulation is a jab in the face
Rhythm - every decay is abruptly cut
and
Timing - it's a good time to turn that amplifier off before I lose it

This experience has really traumatized me. Salva me...

Couldn't agree more with you about Naim, I really don't like their house sound and your definitions are spot on. I find them relentless in their musical presentation and without much nuance or subtlety, particularly annoying and very inaccurate was the abruptly cut decays you mention. Impressive for about five minutes but with extended listening its truly awful.