“Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of fuel. Sentimental people call it inspiration, but what they really mean is fuel. I have always needed fuel. I am a serious consumer. On some nights I still believe that a car with the gas needle on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio”
Hunter S Thompson
Location: Coventry, England UK
Posts: 534
I'm Simon.
I'm using an Acoustic Dimensions attenuator also and have it on my passive pre custom built by Jez Arkless (it has his buffer built in too, which can be switched in/out of the circuit).
I'm still amazed at the clarity gained compared to my previous pre's. Some may find it too transparent and not warm enough (especially if using in an all Solid State system) but it works for me as I listen to a lot of complex prog/metal and I love hearing all the layers in the mix coming through with such clarity and separation. Guitars just sound so f'king powerful and crunchy.
If I listen to albums which are mastered dynamically it can be scary when a drum hit just hits hard and loud and jumps out at me (think of a floor tom/snare flam).
I listen near field and every time I sit down to listen I just get the feeling I'm sitting in the mastering room listening.
Location: London
Posts: 313
I'm David.
At the time, I had a XiangSheng DAC01 here which can be used as a preamp. When I hooked it up 'for a laugh' in place of the Slagle, It turned out i wasnt laughing.
The XSDAC01 brought Vim And Vigour to the performance. Yes, it was as flat as a pancake in terms of soundstage but once I heard what I was missing, I had to do something.
Alan suggested fitting a buffer to the Slagle and I looked into it. Trouble was I didn't have the available funds and would need to sell the Slagle to fund anything I wanted to do.
It was a huge gamble, such was the quality of the Slagle but it's not one I was left regretting.
The Khozmo controlled DCB1 is quite frankly speaking, superior in my opinion.
I do also think that the Acoustic Dimensions SA could be special but I am not going to spend to find out.
Or am I? I'll have to see about that.
Location: Greece
Posts: 249
I'm Panos.
Simon, nothing other than near field listening works for me either. I have the speakers close to me and the sound jumps from the far back in the middle.
System1: Lenco L75 with custom plinth, SLAT, sph bearing, SG4 external power supply + Alfred Bokrand AB-309 tonearm + Denon DL103R (aluminum body) + Well Tempered 12" tonearm clone + Denon DL103R (wooden body), ASR Mini Basis Exclusive HV, Marantz CD6005, LAB12 DAC1 SE+, Hattor BIG passive + active pre, Lab12 Suono power amp, Falcon LS3/5a Gold Badge, LAB12 Gordian, Belden 8428, Black Cat Red Level Triode, LAB12 Knack MkII
System 2: Roksan Xerxes original (HiFi Inspire plinth) with Maxon ReMax motor + Audiomods Series6 + Ortofon Cadenza Black microridge retipped, ASR Mini Basis Exclusive, Marantz CD6003, Croft Micro25R + Series7R monoblocks (110W/ea), Harbeth SHL5 Plus 40th Anniv.
System 3: Marantz CD6003, Croft SuperMicroII ('R' spec by Croft, Tesla E83CC in phono)+ Series7, Snell Type EII (with bypass caps, new internal wiring, WBT nextgen 0703Cu), Mark Grant HDX1, Atlas Hyper 3.0