Steve Toy
28-06-2010, 17:20
Dimitri took me to a hi-fi shop (The audiophile Workshop) owned by friends of his.
http://www.hifi-atelier-audiophile.com/blog/?page_id=194
This place certainly deserves a mention not least for their approach to system building - source-first, use of top-notch ancilliaries and home-grown valve amplification into a pair of Tannoy Prestige speakers.
I've now learnt that there is only one thing better than 15-inch Tannoys....
12 inch Tannoys :D
Apparently they had some 15-inch models in, I don't know which ones mind and rejected them. When I heard these 12 inch babies I could appreciate why.... They seemed much more agile, tactile and capable of more insight and subtlety than their bigger brothers whilst still being big enough to do the requisite scale and deliver deep bass.
The system:
DcS Puccini/Word Clock
Home-grown Audiophile Technologie pre into 25W push-pull integrated used as a power amp
Tannoy Prestige loudspeakers
Siltech speaker cables
Home grown interconnects and mains block/leads fitted with Furutech plugs. :)
The system was amazingly detailed and coherent delivering the musical presentation that me likes!
It was interesting that in direct comparison the home grown integrated used as a power amp wiped the floor with a rather capable nevertheless Air Tight ATM 300 a single-ended 7 Watt 300B affair. The 25W push-pull amp not only did (deeper) bass but it actually sounded sweeter in the mid too.
They are a viable alternative to Anthony's amps and are zero negative feedback designs too which probably explains the sweetness. They do lose out a little to Anthony's Copper amps in terms of bass drive though but only slightly so.
Anyway, many thanks to Alain Bavoux for letting me listen to his top-notch system knowing I wasn't going to be buying anything.
http://www.hifi-atelier-audiophile.com/blog/?page_id=194
This place certainly deserves a mention not least for their approach to system building - source-first, use of top-notch ancilliaries and home-grown valve amplification into a pair of Tannoy Prestige speakers.
I've now learnt that there is only one thing better than 15-inch Tannoys....
12 inch Tannoys :D
Apparently they had some 15-inch models in, I don't know which ones mind and rejected them. When I heard these 12 inch babies I could appreciate why.... They seemed much more agile, tactile and capable of more insight and subtlety than their bigger brothers whilst still being big enough to do the requisite scale and deliver deep bass.
The system:
DcS Puccini/Word Clock
Home-grown Audiophile Technologie pre into 25W push-pull integrated used as a power amp
Tannoy Prestige loudspeakers
Siltech speaker cables
Home grown interconnects and mains block/leads fitted with Furutech plugs. :)
The system was amazingly detailed and coherent delivering the musical presentation that me likes!
It was interesting that in direct comparison the home grown integrated used as a power amp wiped the floor with a rather capable nevertheless Air Tight ATM 300 a single-ended 7 Watt 300B affair. The 25W push-pull amp not only did (deeper) bass but it actually sounded sweeter in the mid too.
They are a viable alternative to Anthony's amps and are zero negative feedback designs too which probably explains the sweetness. They do lose out a little to Anthony's Copper amps in terms of bass drive though but only slightly so.
Anyway, many thanks to Alain Bavoux for letting me listen to his top-notch system knowing I wasn't going to be buying anything.