Hi Hipfan,
Why did you sell it? Are you replacing it, with what? Good will to you!

Hipfan,

Sorry the Torii was not up to your needs and system, but really glad you found something that does it!

Impossible to say with room, cable and component variables, but the issue of not being rich/romantic enough...too sterile, comes up fairly regularly on boards relative to V-caps, yet for others, they are awesome. Also I believe in a few cases here on this forum, relative to the Torii with Zu's, more richness was wanted. But then there are the Zu owners who love the match with Decware.

In my room, with my components, cables and speakers, I would guess I spend more energy cleaning things than trying to richen them...I am guessing taste plays a part in this, but the combo of gear in a specific room can balance out in soooo many ways that it can be a little unnerving. Then there are tube sets...I can richen or clean up my sound with such a range in terms of the subtle influences on different areas of the "signature" it is wild....And  just with tube combinations....it is amazing.

Anyway, I am really glad you found the combo that works for you in your room! That is the thing...to have a system that makes the music so beautifully presented that it is medicine!

Interesting and best of luck with your new endeavor.  I've found one of the reasons I'm so happy with my Torii is my ability to "change" the sound with various tubes, sources, interconnects, speaker placement and adding the CSP2+ etc. It is great that we all do things differently because it truly opens up the mind to new ideas (IMO).  I've heard those Zu speakers are unbelievable.  Thank goodness I live in a small place otherwise I think I'd be putting together a 2nd system like some here already have.

JD

If someone wants a more forgiving sound out of the Torii, simply using KT77 or KT88 would probably accomplish that.

Good thoughts I think DPC, though from what you are saying, my guess is that the Torii and the good full range speakers alter this perspective, perhaps considerably. Not that this necessarily reflects on your observations with the Mid Bass Module... Because of your excellent posts in the weight and body thread you started, I am considering the Mid Bass unit you mention, sounding like a sensible potential solution for refining mid bass no matter where we start. But where we all start is apparently quite different, and this is part of what makes this forum so enlightening and stimulating to me.

A huge factor in this is what you and a lot of us have experienced, room is a major influence on our sound balance....sucking stuff out and enhancing stuff, or if we get lucky and/or work hard enough at it, positively revealing and enhancing a beautiful balance of frequencies and reflections.

Interestingly, where I start... with the combo of choices of components and room adjustments....With my MkIII and HR-1s, I can easily do what it sounds like you can do with the addition of your Mid Bass Module...at least in the context of your observations about adjusting low to high balance and how this impacts the overall tonal values of the whole.

Quote:


For me, (also add the bass knob for the Torii MkIII) from within the Torii's amazing innate signature, the combination of the above can have a pretty huge impact on darkening and brightening, including more refined adjustments of low bass, mid bass, midrange, and highs.  I would not call this a limited extent in any way in my system/room. But I have a big tool box between all the Torii adjustments (including its 5 tube sets), the adjustments I have made on my speakers, and also the room, power, and a multitude of other various gadgets that I adjust with...not least of which the Pure Music player through a tweeked Mac Mini...having powerful refinement tools.

I suspect I am lucky with my combination of components, cables, feet, room, and tuning....I ended up in the middle, where I can easily adjust either way in a significant or subtle way depending on how I do it. Also, based on posts I read,  I must have an exceptionally revealing system/room, as ALL things I do to adjust the system are notable, whether a tube change, IC, power cable, or even foot placement under the Torii....so a combination can create a strong shift throughout the frequency spectrum.

This brings up another major issue in figuring these matters out...if any part or lack of synergy between system/room parts truncates the sound spectrum (not least of which room), the whole system reflects this.... And this in turn alters the base "reality" in terms of analysis.

Then there is that thing that we finally look for...that indescribable beauty that is unexplainable...that sense of being swept into the music without many filters on....the joy of the music grabbing us fully in our own houses. What a luxury!

I don't know. I really enjoy how this sort of discussion develops in this so far, quite civilized forum. We learn so much when there are a bunch of us working to help refine the knowledge from the starting points of our incredibly varied system/rooms and our incredibly varied tastes and lives. I really appreciate this.

Hello all, I haven't posted much, but I read these threads and your opinions a lot. I have a fun but tough decision to make, I have just over 3,000 to spend on my system. It basically is coming down to a great deal on the PS Audio PWD MKII and not get anything else, or the Benchmark DAC2 HGC and get a lot of cool extras( maybe the mid bass module, DBC has been recommending), and I wont have to swap the inputs switching from Vinyl to digital on my Tori MKII as the DAC2 has preamp inputs. So the Benchmark would make life easier. I also have a set of AKG 701's that sit unused with my current system. I could also afford new tubes and cables and a program for the computer to handle the digital files. All of that would be very fun. But do you guys think I would be missing out if I pass up the PWD MKII, sound quality wise? It also comes with the bridge installed, and I am just getting in to HI-RES files. Right now I have the Apple Airport Express in to the Musical Fidelity V-DAC into the TORI II, out to my MG 944's through DH labs T14 cables. Any opinions would be welcome. Thanks guys

DBC,

I for one am glad you are posting about your experience and opinions, and I have no doubt many others feel the same. Your posts are quite good and useful to me. I think the opportunity to explore this stuff as a group is pretty cool...who among us has a grasp on the picture except from within the bias from our own systems and experience...each of these being unique in the big picture. From this, when we interact thoughtfully, as individuals and as a group we refine and get smarter! Makes functional Forums pretty valuable!

I hang out here for the same reasons as you...to learn personally. I like it a lot to put ideas out and get responses from different perspectives within the same quest.

Finch,

I have not heard the PWD but Pale Ryder and Lon love theirs, and both have heard and explored a lot. Depending on the deal on the MkII, myself, I personally might be inclined to explore a different DAC, not sure which at this point, and apply the rest of the money to other game changers....but I am using a NOS DAC (and very satisfied), love to roll tubes, cables, and feet, and I love to to refine with various other tools.

Thanks all, Lon yeah I have read about your experience liking the PWD so much, That's why I just don't want to kick myself later for not getting it. It would be fun to get the DAC II and split the rest up great tubes and maybe try out the midbass module like you said DBC. If it wasn't for the great deal on the PWD, I wouldn't even question it. I would have already got the DAC2. Lon do you stream with your PWD or are you hardwired in. The bridge comes with the one I would be getting so that is a big factor too.

Also do you guys use any software fore digital like JRiver or Audirvana?

I think it was 2 years ago over Christmas I went up to Decware to listen to some of Steve's gear. Just happened there was another fellow there with his Oppo BDP-83SE, same model as mine. This was Oppo's first unit with the Special Edition upgraded audio output.

Over 4 hours and I think we played every amp and speaker combination that Steve had. Just the three of us it was very interesting and a lot of fun. Steve is a great host.

I remember driving home late that night thinking the Oppo for the price really held it's own compared to the other front end equipment I listened to a Decware.