I use the Rachael (SE34I.6) with my Forte 1s (upgraded with Crites crossover and titanium diaphragm on the tweeter horn) and it is more than adequate. With a typical recording I can easily exceed 90 db at the listening position (9'). So more than loud enough for me. I listen to classic rock, classical, jazz. On occasion though a recording can be quite low. When that happens I just run it thru my Schiit Freya+ with the tube stage engaged which boosts the signal from the source by 12 db (more than doubling perceived volume to ear). But those cases have been extremely rare and mainly with some classical recordings. I have yet even begin to clip the Rachael with the Forte 1s. Previously I had the Omega SAMs setup in my main room (13'x30'). They sounded good but those little 6.5" drivers began to sound a bit shouty in that large room with volume high. The Forte 1's comfortably fill the room without breaking a sweat, plus sound so very nice!

I just put my hard earned money down on a subscription to Tidal.
Gotta start somewhere.
So far it sounds pretty dog gone good.

Yep, I get it. My last conversation with Steve he said, “once you hear better sound you can’t un-hear it.” But likewise once an annoyance gets under my skin I also can’t un-hear it.

New stuff is always fun, anyway. Part of the adventure.

MM,

In general I agree with you.
Six months ago I would have poo pooed the whole thought of a streamer, like why should I spend good money on something that my already purchased laptop could handily do.
Then it happened, a little stutter during playback, just a hiccup, a sneeze, a blink, just every so often, maybe every 10-15 minutes.
At first I thought that it was a software issue, but experimentation with different players lead me to the conclusion that I had some sort of issue with the USB output on my laptop.
At first it didn't bother me too badly, then the incessant stumble in my music started wearing on me.

The funny thing is that other than the intermittent miss in my music, the computer works perfectly.  So in my case it made sense to order up the streamer.

After a few hours of listening to some different internet radio stations, I'm starting to enjoy the Wiim.  It is quiet, no fans kicking on and it has opened up some streaming music that I haven't even considered before.

And one other plus is that I have untethered my laptop so I'm not stuck at my desktop computer in order to communicate to the world now!

"The Columbia & RCA Victor Live Recordings of Louis Armstrong & The All-Stars" Mosaic Records 9 cd set.

Continuing to move backwards in this set so to speak (last three, then middle three and now the first three discs).

Disc 1--the amazing birth of the All-Stars live, the Town Hall Concert.

Tyrone Washington "Roots" Perception/Octave Japan cd

Grateful Dead "Dave's Picks Vol. 14" disc 3. This is the final US concert before they shipped off for that Eupropean tour in 1972.

Nice! A good LP pickup is a good shot in the arm.

The cold is back, at least for the morning. I'm starting off with Eliane Elias "A Love Story." I've grown to lkie all the different phases of Eliane's work.

Eliane Elias "A Love Story" Concord Jazz cd

I understand. If I weren't "retired" I would tire of all the tinkering and analyzing as well. And thank goodness I am only fooling with one system really these days.

JHC , I didnt return the 845. It wasnt an option as they only offered me a 5% refund and a apology for it slipping past qc. I could go on and on about Psvane but dont want to waist energy here in this thread. It's sitting in box while I cool off.

I just needed a small break Lon from all of the tinkering. Ill get some listening time in soon. I have unplugged all my gear as thunder storms and lightning have hit my area and I never trust the fuses in my power strips and my amps are plugged straight in to the wall so I always play it safe.

DGJR should be back in action soon with or without the Summit 845.

I’ve never been known for my popular ideas, Donnie, but if you did all that and got the same SQ you already have with the laptop I’d send the WIIM back and stick with the laptop. You can always stream tidal or Qobuz from your laptop if you want to dip your toes in those waters for more music options.

I recently went through a digital streaming rabbit hole and ended up with the Cambridge MX10 linked to Tidal. There is an almost infinite number of DACs and almost as many streamers. And then streaming services. It seems like most of the services are relatively similar in terms of quality, Qobuz being slightly ahead but Tidal and even Spotify are close, especially for new or remixed albums. Qobuz, however, is really lacking in terms of the music I like.

Personally, streaming is about convenience and so I am willing to give up a little in terms of file quality (real or imagined) for interface usability and ease of use. As long as you have a lossless connection and the rest of your system is solid, I don't think sweating the minor differences is worth it (for me at least).

Decware DNA2 Speakers, manufactured by Decware in March 2025. Includes 8” drivers modified by Decware with their custom phase plugs and ribbon tweeters for high frequencies. Rear horn design enhances the low frequencies. These sound excellent with a 2 watt SET amp. Audition/pickup by appointment. New price is $3995 with multi year wait list. $2700 including shipping to CONUS.

You can listen to them on you toob
You can see them on us audio mart

Well I got the Wiim dropped off at my doorstep and hooked it up, and my first impression was the feeling of being kinda disappointed.

The setup of the streamer wasn't too bad other than it started setting up twice on top of itself for some reason, most likely self inflicted.  
Have I mentioned that I truly dislike using my phone as a remote control. Why is it that our TV's keep getting larger and our phone screens keep getting smaller, I don't want a magnifying glass to find music, rant over!

I originally connected the Wiim to my Denafrips DAC with a Wyred 4 Sound "Digital" cable and started streaming from Pandora. Well that sucked hind teat, flat and lifeless. I mean just dead music (no not The Grateful Dead) absolutely no life to it.
OK I thought, Pandora sucks for streaming quality, I knew that already, time to up my game.

So the next thing was to hook up one of my external USB drives to the Wiim.  Well it took a little while for the Wiim to chew through a TB of information on the drive to give me a index of what was on it. Well 2100 albums and 22,790 tracks later I was able to play it.
A considerable improvement was heard, but still not close to what I had from my laptop. So then a new plan was needed.

I had read that the Wiim would work across a connected network, so after a few minutes using AI I was able to connect my computer to the Wiim wirelessly. In fact it was stupid easy to do once I read the instructions that AI gave me. The Wiim's included instructions were somewhere between weak and sucking donkey balls, and much closer to the Jackass end of the spectrum.

So after I did the DLNA connection thing the sound quality took another step in the right way, a fairly big step at that, but still not there.

I only had one more thing to try that the instructions had absolutely no information about, using a USB connection between the streamer and the DAC.  So yet again I went to AI to ask for some sort of information after seeing that there was nothing in the menu about USB output at all.
Well it turns out that the USB output only works once it sees a DAC hooked up to it and then it allows you to connect up to the streamer, weird.

Well once I got that all hashed out the sound quality has finally matched what I was getting from my laptop.
So basically what I have gained so far is untethering my laptop from my DAC.

My next step will be trying out different streaming services to see what one I like. I have a feeling that it will be qobuz but I need to look at what they actually have to offer in Texas songwriter music.
Onward and upward!

I went to an Estate Sale today, and landed 8 LP’s for $20 dollars. The covers were in decent shape, but all of the vinyl were in very good condition.

Walter Gieseking's 1950s recordings of Debussy have been considered (more or less) definitive since they were released. In the last 70+ years there have been other, great recordings of the piano music I rate second to Beethoven, but none better.



On CD from the Complete Warner box

The sound on the latest remastering is lightyears ahead of my early digital transfer.

Thanks for the info on Britaudio.  I e never heard of the company, but I’m definitely going to check them out.  Lon had told me that when he upgraded his stock cartridge to the Rega Exact 2 cartridge, it was a great upgrade and had highly recommended it.  I knew about the ground on the left channel…so I had actually purchased their phono cable, since the P2 didn’t come with it.  I was originally running the Rega phono stage, but the ZP3 is so much more transparent and detailed.  

I listen to radio all the time, occasionally over the airwaves in the car but mostly streaming both in the car and at home since I live in a radio signal dead zone. KMHD in Portland is my go to; 24/7 jazz and I'm a sustaining member. Weeknights I'll tune into the jazz shows on KLCC in Eugene, and weekends there are some great shows on KRVM in Eugene. I also listen to some of the stations on SOMA Radio, which is streaming only and curated but not DJ'd.

Since moving back to Oregon in 2023, for the first time I don't have a tuner in my system, due to being in the radio desert. I'm keeping my Yamaha T-85 and selling or donating the others. I've tried to sell them before with no luck; the market just isn't there any more.

I have both Qobuz and Tidal. I keep Tidal because I run into on a regular basis tracks that are not available on Qobuz. Vast majority of my music taste is way off of the main stream so Tidal fills in the gap.

If the catalogue was the same I would go with Qobuz for absolute fidelity. That said, that is me being super nit picky. I would be happy with either for SQ at the end of the day.

Tidal has some cool functionality that Qobuz doesn't have, different ways to cast or stream to devices. I almost never use it so it's a wash for me.

Tidal and Qobuz offer a 30 day trial so try both.

I don’t have any issues with Qobuz; I have been a subscriber for at least 4-5 years now and they have improved tremendously during this time. I would say my tastes are pretty broad and to date there are only two albums that I want that they don’t have - both extremely obscure.

When people post music on this forum I generally give it a play and I can’t recall a time that a recommendation wasn’t available on Qobuz. To say that Qobuz is slanted towards jazz or classical I think just reflects that both categories have huge discography’s and not that Qobuz favors any particular style of music.

Jimi Hendrix "Valley of Jams" Third Man Records 3 LP set, LP 1

Barney Wilen with the Mal Waldron Trio "French Story: Movie Themes from France" Timeless cd

Hey Jordan, I meant to ask earlier in the thread about your Stradi 45 tubes. They are on my radar, and I’m wondering how you compare them to other tubes that you have tried. Let me know when you get a minute.

Thanks,
Randy

P.S. I just emailed Jesse at Pine Tree Audio about a 67+ preamp like yours. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Agree Qobuz leans heavily toward classical and jazz. It is high quality but if that isn't your thing you're better off elsewhere.

FWIW I replaced my laptop with an old, cheap Intel NUC running Volumio. Old/slow processers generate less EM noise than new/fast ones and you don't need much processing power for a dedicated music system.

https://volumio.com/get-started/

I thought the laptop sounded great, but this setup is clearly better. FLAC rips of CDs sound as good and likely better than the original CDs played on my fancy transport. I have my files on an external SSD drive and the NUC is only networked enough so I can control it with my phone. But it is compatible with most/all major streaming services. This setup takes some computer skills, but not a lot. Looking forward to your experience in any case.

"Blue Spirits: 85 Years of Blue Note Records Selected by Don Was" Blue Note Japan 2 UHQCD set, disc 1

CAJames,
I'm interested in how sound quality will suffer, or possibly, with any luck, stay the same.

Right now I'm going down the rabbit hole of picking a streaming service, Tidal or qobuz.
I was leaning towards qobuz until I queried about the depth of music they have available in my slightly skewed musical taste and it supposedly isn't as deep as I would prefer. It leans heavily into Jazz and Classical, not exactly my cup of tea. Not that it is a bad cup of tea for others, just as I abhor the taste of alcohol or coffee, I have no problems for others to enjoy it.

I've also discovered that I can stream from my collection on my current computers over wi-fi to the Wiim lossless. I see that as a great backup plan.

So now the big question is did I waste $279 just so that I can unhook my laptop from my DAC??

I did just get a email from Amazon that the Wiim is out for delivery, so soon I will figure out if the money was truly wasted.

I love the sound of lovely Una Mae Carlisle's voice and her phrasing. I wish someone would look deep inside the Columbia vaults. . . I bet there is more to discover there.

Una Mae Carlisle "1944 - 1950" Chronogical Classics cd

One of the (too few) albums that Duke Ellington was able to produce for Reprise Records before Sinatra sold the label, this one featuring one of his favorite people, Swedish singer Alice Babs.

"Serenade to Sweden" Real Gone cd

A lot of people feel like streaming over wifi, while very convenient, is a noticeable reduction in sound quality vs. directly connected. I'm interested in what you find.

Once I got the JR. all seasoned in and have it "garbed" with power, isolation and a great tube. . . as the anchor for the power in the SEWE300B it is really showing what tubes can do. I've ended up with a tube complement I did. not have last year with the differences being a pair of Mullard 85A2 voltage regulation tubes in the rear voltage regulation tube positions, and a pair now of GE "Smokies" 6DJ8 (black glass tubes). The latter have replaced the 7308s that were irreplacable before, and have really given me a fantastic sound.

I'm still using SUN branded Holland made 12AU7s in the input and in the ZROCK3. Does anyone have any experience with Tungsol black glass 12AU7 tubes?

Nat King Cole "The Billy May Sessions" 2 cd set on Capitol, disc 2.



I have a broken in pair of GE "Smokies" 6DJ8 as driver tubes in the SEWE300B and the tonal balance is excellent with nice dynamics. The Holland and France 7308s have serious competition at last, they are staying in place for now. Really enjoying the sound!

@Dominick I have the P3 RS which has the RB330 tonearm and Nd5 MM cart.  Rega utilizes the left channel cable for its ground and that created the hum issue I was experiencing with the ZP3.  Steve’s phono stage is incredibly sensitive and if the turntable is not well grounded hum is the result.

A forum member introduced me to Britaudio which specializes in upgrades for Rega turntables.  They offer Cardas tonearm cabling which includes a separate ground wire.  While you can buy the cabling and do it yourself, I opted to send my tonearm in and had them do it for me.  I’ve been known to goon up a cup of coffee (just ask my wife) so I let the pros do it.

While I still get a small amount of hum, it’s no where near what it used to be and is only noticeable at max gain now.

Another warm morning. Slept well. My two closest "snow bird" neighbors are now back from the South, but it's still eerily quiet early mornings with the wind in the trees the predominant sound, a soothing familiar sound. It will soon be eleven years I've been out here in this sylvan world.

Spinning OUTOF./INTO "Motion I" Blue Note cd. This is an ensemble of current masters that delivers!

For whatever reason, I went and ordered a Wiim Ultra streamer today. A big sale on Amazon knocked $50 off of it.

The laptop that I use as a source has been doing strange Windows stuff as of late, so I figured it was time to move into this decade and do what all of the cool kids are doing.

The plan is to output it to my DAC and go from there.

I might get Qobuz, a year is only $180, I spend that much on music every couple of months, so it might be cheaper???

I also see that I can connect my computer from JRiver through wifi and stream all of what I have already bought through the years.

This cheap Chi-Fi stuff is going to change my ways.

Super exciting Brahms Second by Antal Dorati. And the 60+ year old Mercury recording sounds better than many one tenth it's age.



16/44 FLAC download

The Walter Norris Quartet "Sunburst" Concord cd

Bass – Larry Grenadier
Drums – Mike Hyman
Piano – Walter Norris
Tenor Saxophone – Joe Henderson

Recorded at Coast Records,San Francisco, August 13 & 14,1991

Thank you for that report Steve. It is interesting that the adjusted differences are likely to only be heard at high volumes. I rarely if ever really listen at high volumes so I would likely not be tempted by the "Original" and just bask in my satisfaction with the "Junior!"

Quote:


That is nice to hear that in such plain language. I'm sure you know there are different tribes out there with different ideas about rectifiers. One tribe says rectifiers can't matter because they never see the audio signal, which is ridiculous prima facie. Another says the only thing that matters is the voltage drop, and that sounds kinda sorta reasonable, except it is totally at odds with virtually everyone's actual listening experience. Rectifiers matter a lot, and external rectifiers are the next (final?) frontier. My (non-Decware) external rectifier has made a massive improvement to my listening experience, and plenty of other people have a similar experience with the DGR. Whether or not the full-up DGR becomes a thing I think it is great that you're making a product like this.

UPDATE 4/09/26

Someone posted a picture of the inside of the DynaGrid JR. in the reviews section championing it's simplicity which is kind of great timing because I have recently been working on the original DynaGrid this month again with that same theme in mind.  

I have been using it since the beginning in all of its iterations, and sadly haven't found any pictures of the inside because I wanted to show the contrast between its complexity and the JR.  Unlike the JR, the original was very complex.  It had two independent power supplies, a variable regulator for adjusting the grid voltage relative to the plate and cathode, stiffening capacitors, a ground lift relay for safety, partial bypass circuit for eliminating the voltage drop altogether if you want, the bias supply is complex, additional switches and a pot.  Inside the unit are additional voltage displays that can not be seen from outside.

I has been changed so many times I've lost count, which is why there is yet to be any pictures.  

I am pleased to say that all of that gave me a unit that worked exactly as I wanted, being able to both raise and lower the voltage drop on the fly, and the sound was great.  I only had one glitch, and that was a noise issue with my vinyl rig.  The unit was broadcasting a weak 60 cycle signal through the air (from the tube) and being picked up by the phono cartridge when you get it less than a meter away.  

As for the JR, that was a Eureka moment when I thought of another way to do everything, sans the adjustability, with three wires instead of four.  Not to mention make a bomb proof design that can be used with my vinyl rig in total silence.  Once I had both designs, I did all testing on digital rigs so I could A/B repeatably and that's when I realized that the adjustability is probably over rated.  It would be easily heard and appreciated by some, but for most there would be no sonic difference between the two models, even when the voltage drop is adjusted.  This is because the voltage drop doesn't have much bearing on the sound of the amplifier at normal listening levels.  Voltage drop affects power, which affects distortion at higher volumes so unless you have things cranked loud, it's very difficult to hear what happens in casual setups.

This is why I released the JR, and kept the original on the back burner.  I wan't sure at the time why it was affecting my vinyl rig, I wasn't sure that Father Murphy wasn't jacking with me, so every few weeks I would try again.

Recently I figured out a way to eliminate half of the parts inside the original.  No more capacitors, no relay, and while it has less adjustability, it no longer broadcasts any noise or hum that my phono cartridge can pick up, and is definitely safer as the grid current has been reduced to well below safe levels ensuring a long life for the 854, just like in the JR.

I am still working on it, but as the unit keeps improving it gets more and more simple.  The less parts there are, the more difficult it is to design, so this one is taking some time.  And, again, once I have it completely perfect, I may well just say screw it and never sell one simply because so many people may not hear any change with the adjustable voltage drop.  Doubtful, but it's a possibility.  One thing I do enjoy about being able to increase the voltage drop is that it can compensate for high line voltage and keep your amp's output tubes biased well within the green zone.  Another thing I enjoy about it, is that at lower levels and evening listening sessions, I will increase the voltage drop which reduces the amplifiers power and gain while increasing harmonics so you get a richer sound.

The ideal would be that the original ends up looking like the JR inside, except for the bias supply, and extra pot, the extra transformer would be unseen inside the potted power transformer case.

The original is a low priority design that I'm leaving to spontaneity.  We'll just see what happens as I keep deleting parts and improving it's operation.

Steve

"Happy Birthday Duke! Volume 5" Laserlight cd

Recorded April 29, 1954

Spinning this one again because I was interrupted to run errands . . . . It's so good.

Ms Cohen's playing on tenor and clarinet is excellent.

Duduka Du Fonseca "Samba-Jazz-Jazz Samba"

Robert I hope you enjoy putting the JR. back in and listening. I tried again to do without the JR. by rotating my favorite rectifiers in. . . the JR. with all its trimmings and tunings I've done just is BETTER in the important ways, it's not going to be replaced by a rectifier in the amp.

Kahuna Jack, sorry to hear about the tube—very frustrating. Did you at least give it a test listen before returning?

Rest assured he’s still making amps and sells them via eBay as Bottlehead mentioned.

I can't stay away from Brazilian music for long. This is a really nice cd.

Duduka Du Fonseca "Samba-Jazz-Jazz Samba"

What a blessing a great system is. A warm, still, quiet morning. After absorbing the silence a bit I started off re-listening to "Jazz for Playboys" which was my last listen of yesterday and now I'm on to Nat King Cole "The Billy May Sessions" 2 cd set on Capitol, disc 1.

I haven't listened to big band Nat for a while and it is really a great way to introduce the day.



Nat, Billy May and Johnnie Ray.

Jon, he still make the Inspire brand amps, but only sells them on eBay. His user name is radioman731.

I had heard Dennis Had was retired. Is it still possible to get those 45 tube amps or only on the secondary market?

From what I could discern from placement cues, I could detect what was most likely the first and second violins placed on opposite sides of the binaural dummy head. This creates an antiphonal placement where the communication exchanged between the violins create a melody which jumps between the left and right sides of the listener.

The first violins lead with the primary melody as the second violins produce refined layers which build toward the movements first crescendo. For the three-dimensional aspect to be captured correctly, the violins had to be captured at specific angles and distance in relation to the dummy head. The result of this precise arrangement allows one to detect the physical distance between the violinists as they pursue the fast Allegro passages.

The lower string instruments were placed relative to the Neuman binaural head in a manner which created spatial depth by the actual distance and critical placement of those instruments. This becomes the foundation in order to solidify the three-dimensional soundstage.

The placement of the double bass is clearly off to the far side of the arc. This is done to prevent low-frequency vibrations from interfering with the sensitivity of the binaural recording head. This makes for a well-balanced recording where the bass notes actually feel as though they are resonating through the wooden floor beneath the players. The cello and double bass are positioned behind the violins in order to maintain a natural layering of sound.


Next, the transition moves forward into (Concerto for Flute and Harp in C Major, K. 299). This specific arrangement was tailored to highlight the communication exchanged between the two soloists playing flute and harp. These performers are known for their precise timing and phrasing between their exchange.

The string section was designed as to not overpower the delicacy of notes from the harp. I perceived the flowing dance of the harp to be crystal clear and highly defined with a natural presence which actually seemed to stand out over the rest of the instruments yet blend perfectly as if the notes were swirling amongst the other instruments in a controlled manner.

The presence of the flute remained focused upon the center-left stage where she actually performed. The natural harmonics of the harp became a major part of why her performance sounded so rich with perfectly blending notes that seemed to float in the air as she progressed through the piece.

The flute and harp actually formed a "V" layout configuration forward of the conductor in order to create a balanced stereo image with headphones. They were placed closer to the binaural recording head then the other players in order to have a stronger presence during the melodic exchange between the two instruments.

The goal was to capture the unique resonance of the harp in its entirety as much as possible. The placement of the harp in correlation to the binaural head actually captured the bloom of the harp strings which reflected off of the stone floor of St Martin in the Fields. The result produced a strong sense of height and presence within the recording.

I perceived the flute to dominate the entire left stage opposite of the harp. It seemed to me that this flute was playing within a open spatial setting where my entire left side of the room became a projection for the notes it presented. The position was controlled in a believable manner according to its actual position on stage. What I heard is an expansion of flute which did not overpower the harp but maintained tight control of its exchange with the harp in perfect harmony.

It was not like just hearing the flute through the left channel speaker. During this performance, there was never one time where the perception of music seemed to come from an audio system. The ambience and dimension of the performance was actually as if I was seated in that audience somewhere near the conductor's position. The best seat in the house.

The performance of the flute floated effortlessly within the left side of my room without restriction in a very mesmerizing fashion.

This recording was superbly performed and mastered for the highest degree of reproduction into a believable sense of realism. A balance of delicate texture and ambience flowed effortlessly between the exchange of these two instruments as they dominated this intricate musical passage with well-disciplined precision.

The recording sounds as if the players are actually in your space, not in a recording. If you have an amplifier with fast enough transient response, you will take notice of the sharp plucks of the harp, maintaining a prolonged afterglow of harmonic structure between each pluck of the strings. You can feel the breath of the flute as each note is produced. It is almost as if these instruments were "alive" and telling a story to the audience.  Very impressive performance to say the least.

The final piece for this performance moves on to playing (Symphony no.29 in A, K. 201).

The symphony was structured in four movements, carefully captured for a huge spatial presentation.

I. Allegro moderato: A soft progression of interplay between the violins using an octave-drop theme. This consists of pronounced layering of the notes between the violins and the lower strings in precise detailed structure.

II. Andante (D major):This creates a peaceful atmosphere within the church acoustical setting that is performed in muted fashion.

III. Menuetto: This piece progresses from a peaceful transition into an aggressive interplay filled with dynamic shifts noted for its erratic rhythm.

IV. Allegro con spirito: The finale returns with the first movement's octave-drop demeanor. This ends within a culmination of horn interplay amongst the high pitch of the violins until a climax of heightened progression finally comes to a close within a perfect relationship.


This performance was selected for a small arrangement of players consisting of two oboes, two horns, plus the string section to ensure maximum focus and presence within the binaural recording. This simpler form of arrangement was the key in which to avoid the degradation of sound which highly complex orders of a massive symphony orchestra would otherwise prevail.






Of course, in case you have not surmised by now, as I stated, this recording is intended only for playback through high end headphones in order to reveal the three-dimension aspect which was naturally present as the Neuman dummy head received that performance.

If you listen to this performance on a standard set of stereo loudspeakers without any correction in which to eliminate inter-aural crosstalk, the result is a collapsed soundstage offering nothing more special than any other standard recording. There is only two ways that you will hear this recording the way it was produced. One way is with headphones.

The other way is with the C-9 holographic generator which does a spectacular job of making this performance sound incredibly real with the presence it was intended to convey to the listener. I have played it without the C-9. The performance was flat and uninteresting without the corrective function of the C-9 engaged in full aperture mode in the wide setting for maximum disclosure.

This was the reference test to put the C-9 to the ultimate test. The result was immaculate perfection showcasing the fluid lucidity of the music for which one could feel the presence of that historic church setting in a very believable manner. It just doesn't get better than this.

I am reviewing a special audiophile binaural recording created by Mike Valentine on the (Chasing the Dragon) label from the UK.





Mike specializes in absolute recording purity where he strictly prohibits the use of modern digital processing entirely throughout the recording process.


The recording I am discussing today is that of the (Mozart By Candlelight) live binaural performance which took place in the historic St Martin-in-the-Fields church setting in London. What really becomes an interesting fact about this particular performance is that Mozart himself actually performed at this same location back in the 1760's period.

As for the technical parameters of this recording: A Neuman KU100 "dummy-head" was the main focal point here which has microphones embedded in an anatomically correct fashion within the ear canals in order to perfectly receive exact timing delay and frequency patterns which naturally occur when a human perceives it in a natural ear-brain process.


The dummy-head is suspended from a boom which is precisely centered at a slight degree of elevation at the conductor's position. The digital version of this recording was captured using a 24 bit/ 192kHz rate process, directly onto a Nagra digital recorder. This is specific for the digital compact disc version mastered purely for using headphones to reproduce the binaural recording accurately.

There was zero use of a mixing board or EQ in the process. Because of this purity, the phase relationship within the "special" separation between the violins and harp are held constant with mathematical precision.

That degree of atmosphere presents a solid representation of the actual live event, detected exactly the way it was played on stage.

Note: this digital recording is separate from the other recorders which capture everything in pure analog. The Nagra digital recorder is only for creating digital formats.

The analog master tapes were created independently from this process.

There is zero digital processing used in this recording. There is zero usage of digital-to-analog, or analog-to-digital conversions what-so-ever. There is ZERO usage of compression or limiting in this recording process. The absolute FULL clarity and dynamics of the live classical event is captured and preserved. This requires a listener to have a high-quality audio system which can safely handle the massive volume peaks which are on this recording.

Audio is captured via Neumann valve microphones with a specialized binaural head. These signals are sent to a Neve Summing Mixer, then on directly to Studer A820 reel-to-reel recorders running at a speed of 30IPS onto 1/2-inch analog master tapes.

The studio then creates 1/4-inch commercial master tape copies using two Studer A820 machines via high-end ZenSati Seraphim and Nordost cables for optimal signal integrity.

There is one version which is recorded as a high-resolution digital recording (double DSD or 24/192 PCM) used for CD's and downloads. These are recorded onto a separate feed which are NOT used as a source for the creation of vinyl and master tape releases.

The masters were recorded using (RTM) tape stock, both SM900 and LPR90 depending upon the length of the recording. The tapes are backcoated for uniform winding and slippage prevention. The reels are custom manufactured in Germany with precision-machined aluminum hubs using thick flanges. These custom reels are built with five screws per flange (ten total) for maximum rigidity, with dimensional stability safe against warpage which otherwise affects the tape stability.

As for the players of this performance: This performance was by that of the Locrian Ensemble of London. Rimma Sushanskaya was the conductor for this performance.

This is a small chamber group consisting of minimal musicians. This select size maintains a pinpoint precision layout where the C-9 holographic generator can literally recreate each individual position of the players with accurate reality of the live event. If this binaural recording was attempted with a massive 100-piece orchestra, the results would have been too difficult to capture without distortion and misrepresentation by the binaural process.

In this recording, every tiny detail is captured and preserved just as it was received by the Neuman dummy-head. The realism of rustling page music and the broad wave of subtle audience nuances are presented with a spatial degree that you feel as if this audience is within the room with you. You hear the reflections returning from the 18th century stone and wood layout of this massive church setting, allowing you to sense the actual size of this historic setting.


The musician positioning for this performance:

The Violins and Viola are placed arced-formation from far-left to center-left. The Flute is center-left (audience perspective), with the harp positioned at center-right. This is followed up by the Cello and double bass located to the far right.

This performance is available to order in three different audiophile grade formats. 180-gram vinyl LP, Binaural CD, and HIGH-RESOLUTION MASTER TAPES.









The performing soloists are Fiona and Jean Kelly for flute and harp.

The Locrian Ensemble of London performed this setting as a chamber orchestra which is an intimate scale perfect for representation of this acoustic environment, that which also duplicates the same scenario for which Mozart himself would have played in his own era inside of this historical church setting, which indeed he actually did.

This entire arrangement was tailored for exact reproduction as it took place in real time in order for us as the listener to believe we are actually within the presence of this live performance, as if we are transported there within our interpretation. This is as close to a "you-are-there-experience" that one will ever hope to hear.

The Neuman binaural head was positioned center stage, several rows back from the stage. Players formed an arc (semi-circle) around the conductor. In order to accurately capture the nuances of human hearing at a live event, the critical distance and geometry in relation to the dummy-head and players was crucial in order to establish a believable three-dimensional soundstage from the recording.

Critical positioning of the players became the focal point for capturing the natural reverberation created by the church architecture consisting of stone and wood. This was purposely done as an alternative to using several individual closed microphones which would not have had the same realistic representation as that of the natural reverb. This focus brings the listener directly into this reverberation where one could close their eyes and believe they are actually part of that atmosphere.

That was the whole idea of this concept, carefully crafted to bring the listener into this recording with the sensation of actually "being" there. This could only be accomplished with the binaural process in order to accurately record the event within a three-dimensional listening experience which is intended for audiophile grade headphones.

In a typical recording session, the standard set-up utilizes the "Decca-Tree" array consisting of three microphones in a triangular fashion. The Neuman binaural head took place of that arrangement in order to capture the atmospheric presence (air) and absolute spatial qualities just as they were present in that live performance. The only exception used was that of strategically placed spot microphones including the Neuman U47 FET in order to capture the presence of solo details when warranted for this recording. The binaural head is the main focal point of this recording with it capturing the main three-dimensional imaging of the entire event.

A note regarding headphones which are optimal for hearing this performance accurately: The producer of this binaural recording (Mike Valentine) states that the absolute best set of headphones which can realistically convey what is on the recording is that of (Sennheiser HD 800 S) which he actually used to monitor this session. These are crucial for reproducing the expansive soundstage with precise imaging which allow for three dimensional cues exactly as the Neuman dummy head recorded the live event.

Before the music begins, the space seems wide and vast with the rustling of pages and subtle noises within the audience which seem wide to the left and right, yet accurately detailed in realistic form as one would expect being in the audience.

This opens with "Allegro" from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik which is arranged in order to emphasize the intimate details for a small chamber group such as this one in a live acoustic space.


In the first movement, this takes place in Sonata-Allegro form. This was carefully transcribed to match the original intentions of how Mozart wanted the string element to convey a simpler form rather than a full symphony arrangement. What takes place next is something that immediately caught my attention and held it there with absolute focus. The formation of what is referred to as the "Mannheim Rocket" immediately culminated as a rapidly ascending arpeggio played in unison by the string section. What this leads into is a theme played in G major which has a driven rhythmic pulse, intensified by eight notes which create a forward motion presence as if a pulsating wave of sound extending into the audience.

This was absolutely incredible to experience as the C-9 in my room executed this same degree of presence around my listening position with a believable presence. What they created by that performance was exactly how I perceived it. It felt like a horseshoe wave of violins rushing up to me in a semi-circle formation around my position. That was something to experience which was nothing short of spectacular!

This recording preserved a dynamic articulation which presents disclosure of every single minute detail, presenting clear definition expressed by each and every tonged note and phrase of the bow.











continued next post................