´Hi-Fi, Kafka and me

brizonbiovizier said:
Well the Borbely wasnt cheap. With the stepups and case about a grand for what would cost perhaps 5 times as much at a shop. It really is very good ... except for the bass but hopefully the stepup might fix that :S
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I've really not been at all taken with any of the FET-based amps I've heard, they never sound quite right to me.

Rob, you've been busy, looks good.

-- Ian
 
sideshowbob said:
Rob, you've been busy, looks good.

-- Ian
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Thanks Ian, you should see the insides!

I'm really getting into this bodging malarky :)
 
I understand that a recent visitor thought that their comparatively humble system in terms of cost, was better than yours BBV.

It is therefore likely that these budget electronics are, as SSB says, acting as a bottleneck and holding back what is apparently a decent turntable and some very expensive loudspeakers.

I can definately say that the TVC is a bottleneck compared with the Vibe Pulse 2.

It could well be worth you while visiting a good dealership and home trialling some quality electronics.
 
Cost is neither here nor there. Everyone thinks their system is the best SM!

I prefer the tvc to the vibe. I have already trialed the latter with the original pulse.
 
brizonbiovizier said:
I prefer the tvc to the vibe. I have already trialed the latter with the original pulse.
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What was the system and where did you demo? If you thought a TVC was a more accurate/better pre than the Vibe with Pulse (Pulse 2 better still), then you should look at the other components in the system.
 
Where digital electronics are concerned, cost is little indicator of performance IMO. When I heard Nick's system he was using the Behringer 2496 and a DVD transport - about £350 worth of kit and it sounded excellent. Simon's tweaked DEQ was even better.
Ok, the TT was in a different league but then so it should be!

The Borbely phono stage is a kit IIRC and like the WAD stuff it's retail value as an off the shelf built product would be X2 at the very least.
 
Yes, but how good can a FET phono stage really be? I suspect your WAD phono is far more natural sounding. The Borbely is likely to be in the Dino league.

-- Ian
 
I owned the groove for 2 years and have heard the vibe in multiple systems. TEAD kit is very good but it definately adds something to the sound and also takes something else away. I havent heard the latest tweaked versions but I suspect they are an evolution and not a revolution. Perhaps you would be willing to dem them for me in your system SM against the tvc to proove a point? That would certainly give you a great deal of credibility in my eyes.

I should add that I currently have a TEAD MG+ to hand in my system and the BA thrashes it in a direct comparison.

The borbely would likely retail fopr 2-3K and the TVC I guess would be around £1.5k for the retail equivalent - hardly budget. The TVC punches above its cost level due to its simplicity. If I could combine the good points of the WAD unit with the Borbely then my long quest would be over!

There is no money saving approach you little tease! I am already acquainted with spectral.

However if anyone wants to bring along a pre or a phono to teach me the error of my ways I will be most grateful.
 
I thought the WAD had a killer bass but the mid and treble were less natural sounding. On female voice the BA unit was a long way ahead. Rob may disagree of course as his is right - he has created the unit to his taste. The borbely beats the groove and WNA units I owned previously - and also the diablo from what I have heard let alone the dino. BA makes a more expensive unit and I have spoken to owners online who preffered it to the Manley Steelhead and other top phonos at that price point so I dont think I am totally going off on one.

What is wrong with fets ssb?
 
As I said BBV, if you cannot hear the superiority, then I humbly suggest you look elsewhere in your system first, to find out what is causing the lack of transparency.

I'm not really in the habit of inviting your type of person over to my house, but I'm sure a good dealer, with quality kit, would be able to show you the differences. I would suggest firstly taking the TVC to Definitive Audio for an education.
 
brizonbiovizier said:
What is wrong with fets ssb?
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I've just never heard a FET amp sounding exactly right, they always seem to be lacking in that final degree of realism and naturalness, but this may not be apparent through PMCs. I haven't heard the Borbely but nothing about its design suggests especially high performance.

-- Ian
 
Then let me hear this supriority by comparing the BA and TVC against the TEAD kit in your system SM - put your money etc etc. Have you considered that it may be in fact you that cannot hear the superiority due to a short coming in your system? ;) You have no idea what my type of person is Mr Sm - dont be so judgemental on the basis of posting on a hifi forum.

Well the PMCs revealed that the BA sounded more natural in the mid than the groove or the wad. That would seem to indicate there is no problem... The only issue with the BA is the mid bass down. What phono stages would you recommend ssb? I assume you arent willing to demo your phono or pre in my system either? How bothersome!

To be honest the bake off showed the phono was the limit. I prefer to sort that first and then like at the pre if I need to. Fixing it further up the chain and then moving down is best.
 
brizonbiovizier said:
I thought the WAD had a killer bass but the mid and treble were less natural sounding. On female voice the BA unit was a long way ahead. Rob may disagree of course as his is right - he has created the unit to his taste. The borbely beats the groove and WNA units I owned previously - and also the diablo from what I have heard let alone the dino. BA makes a more expensive unit and I have spoken to owners online who preffered it to the Manley Steelhead and other top phonos at that price point so I dont think I am totally going off on one.

What is wrong with fets ssb?
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There were three of us at Nick's recent gathering, the third person being Simon. All thought the WAD did special things in the bass but I was in the minority in preferring it overall. The WAD was a tad more forward and as Nick suggests I've tweeked it to be that way as I use all tube amplification. No doubt there was some system synergy going on (or not). Both Nick's PMCs and my Impulse H2s are on the forward side - the PMC at the top and the H2 in the mid/presence region and therefore will react quite differently to matching amps.
Recent mods ot the WAD address the very areas where Nick thought it lacking so we must revisit the Borbely/WAD thing soon. Nick is` fitting S&B step-ups to the BA to I'll be very interested to hear the results.
 

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