Post by Animo on Jul 18, 2009 0:11:09 GMT -5
First a little side track. I have been using my present dentist for about 12 years or so. Aside from him being a very competent dentist, he is also an audiophile and collector. About 2 years ago, I had finally arranged to bring my speakers to his office to let him audition, and he was highly impressed. So last week, when I went in for my regular check up, he asked me if there was anything new on the horizon. I mentioned how I had found and purchased some Emotiva equipment, basically the XPA amps, ERM 6.3, ERD-1s and the ERC-1. I left him that day with the Emotiva web address and said that when I return I could bring the ERC for him to check out.
Fast forward to the second visit. Since my surgery, I am unable to carry too much weight, and the ERC is a bit heavy for me right now. Anyway, I had told Nicholas322 about my dentist and how his office is a small museum so to speak, and Nick offered to drive me and carry the ERC for me.
The test disk was the same disk mentioned in my other review, made by MrBen. The equipment used were as follows.
AMP Dynaco ST-35 with EL84 push/pull tubes and 392 choke, 17 watts per channel
PREAMP Creek OBH 12
Cables one 6 ft pair of my home twisted version of Kimber PBJ. Speaker cables are unknown.
SPEAKERS Rogers 5's 2 way bookshelf
OBSERVATIONS
Nick was highly impressed with what he saw in my dentist's office. In the waiting area is a Radio Craftsmen receiver, Bozak speaker, Electrovoice corner speaker, and an Electrotec portable reel to reel.
The system used for testing is in the first operating room, and the other 2 rooms have the walls filled with all types of different equipment. Empire, Garrard, and Dual turntables, one includes a wooden Grado arm. Several Dynaco and Heathkit amps. Even some Panasonic and Lafayette 8 track machines, just to mention a few items. There is so much more that I can't remember.
Anyway, we hooked up the ERC, and put in the disk. What we had experienced in the past at Nick's house and my house was a bright, forward, in your face presentation. Highly detailed, and precise. A touch of sibilance in female vocals, and some scratchiness in male vocals. However, in my dentist's office, hooked to the Dynaco tube amplifier, the ERC took on a new life of it's own. Gone was the forward presentation, along with the sibilance and scratchiness from male and female vocals. Dianna Krell's "Peel Me a Grape" was exquisite. Her voice was silky smooth, and airy. Tom Waits "Poor Edward" lost it's scratchiness, and sounded well blended instead. Micheal Buble's "Fever" was also smooth as can be. Blue Man Group's "Club Nowhere" brought me back to the Astor Theater where I saw them live a few months ago. It was just that realistic and true to a live performance. Instruments sounded clean and natural. There was no harshness or crispness, as we had heard before on prior auditions. It seems that the ERC becomes somewhat subdued when played through a tube amplifier. Maybe a little bit brought down to Earth. Any signs of fatigue had disappeared. The ERC became very musical. Nick had second thoughts now, as he decided that he was happy keeping his JVC-XL-Z1050 CD player, instead of purchasing an ERC. My dentist is now considering replacing his Sony carousel CD changer, and I have considered the purchase of a tube amp, should I decide I want a dedicated 2 channel system.
Final Conclusion
It appears, at least to a couple of people since this audition, that the ERC + tube amplifier = sonic nirvana!!
Fast forward to the second visit. Since my surgery, I am unable to carry too much weight, and the ERC is a bit heavy for me right now. Anyway, I had told Nicholas322 about my dentist and how his office is a small museum so to speak, and Nick offered to drive me and carry the ERC for me.
The test disk was the same disk mentioned in my other review, made by MrBen. The equipment used were as follows.
AMP Dynaco ST-35 with EL84 push/pull tubes and 392 choke, 17 watts per channel
PREAMP Creek OBH 12
Cables one 6 ft pair of my home twisted version of Kimber PBJ. Speaker cables are unknown.
SPEAKERS Rogers 5's 2 way bookshelf
OBSERVATIONS
Nick was highly impressed with what he saw in my dentist's office. In the waiting area is a Radio Craftsmen receiver, Bozak speaker, Electrovoice corner speaker, and an Electrotec portable reel to reel.
The system used for testing is in the first operating room, and the other 2 rooms have the walls filled with all types of different equipment. Empire, Garrard, and Dual turntables, one includes a wooden Grado arm. Several Dynaco and Heathkit amps. Even some Panasonic and Lafayette 8 track machines, just to mention a few items. There is so much more that I can't remember.
Anyway, we hooked up the ERC, and put in the disk. What we had experienced in the past at Nick's house and my house was a bright, forward, in your face presentation. Highly detailed, and precise. A touch of sibilance in female vocals, and some scratchiness in male vocals. However, in my dentist's office, hooked to the Dynaco tube amplifier, the ERC took on a new life of it's own. Gone was the forward presentation, along with the sibilance and scratchiness from male and female vocals. Dianna Krell's "Peel Me a Grape" was exquisite. Her voice was silky smooth, and airy. Tom Waits "Poor Edward" lost it's scratchiness, and sounded well blended instead. Micheal Buble's "Fever" was also smooth as can be. Blue Man Group's "Club Nowhere" brought me back to the Astor Theater where I saw them live a few months ago. It was just that realistic and true to a live performance. Instruments sounded clean and natural. There was no harshness or crispness, as we had heard before on prior auditions. It seems that the ERC becomes somewhat subdued when played through a tube amplifier. Maybe a little bit brought down to Earth. Any signs of fatigue had disappeared. The ERC became very musical. Nick had second thoughts now, as he decided that he was happy keeping his JVC-XL-Z1050 CD player, instead of purchasing an ERC. My dentist is now considering replacing his Sony carousel CD changer, and I have considered the purchase of a tube amp, should I decide I want a dedicated 2 channel system.
Final Conclusion
It appears, at least to a couple of people since this audition, that the ERC + tube amplifier = sonic nirvana!!
