OK Guys, I'm back. Tired like hell, but I made it, and without a speeding ticket, ha.
MaxCast, :
Actually, Alex and I already shot about 100 new pictures, with more to do, and in early May I have a layout meeting with the web guy. Who knows, maybe wonders really happen. Problem with everything Odyssey is that I just have the need of doing everything myself. If there would be 60 hours in the day, I would spend 50 of them trying to be a one-man band. Aaaargh., but I have great people around me, like Alex.
Anyway, the show was very good, and this was the very first time that I was able to actually listen to the Candela in its final form and within a system that I am intimately familiar with for hours on end: Just plain awesome. I can easily stake my years of reputation on saying that you will be hard pressed finding a comparable tube preamp at this cost.
The inevidable comparison to teh Tempest ? Well, the Tempest is very, very hard to beat for the cost, figuring that it is a $ 3700. Symphonic Line preamp, especially in its Extreme version. Very simple to me though: tubes or solid state, take your pick. Whatever turns you on. I honestly like them both equally. With the Candela you'll have to go external phono stage, the Tempest has it included. Both units can have second outs and an AVBypass and Remote control. And the killer is that both units are somewhat similar, striving for absolute harmonic correctness and precision and liquid and seemless musicality. And both units succeed wildly beyond their price points, period. Are they the best there are ? Of course not, duh, but for the money, I feel very, very good at giving a second choice in a different direction.
Also, it is important to point out that that even though they sound similar, there can be huge differences in some systems, depending of course on:? Synergy, you got it. The thing that I am preaching for anearly 20 years, and of course, is always the bitch slave of ones own personal taste as well. Then there is also the psychological effect of wanting to have tubes. Sure, some system might benefit from it for the owner, but there still is that general 1980's notion of a tube romance, of softening, etc. This is hardly the reality of the pure musical experience. It might be to one's taste, but it still is wrong, especially the oh so beautiful distortion of 2nd and 5th harmonics. Nice to listen to, and I love it as well. Problem is, that after an hour or so I always notice the lack of grip, Mocksy, precision, speed, control, you name it. Just exactly the opposite of the fatigue of digital gear to my ears. Again, if somebody likes this flavor, more power to them, and they found their sonic Nirvana. Got to envy them, but that's not me. I've been to too many (hundreds and hundreds) different concerts, and have listened to too many (thousands) systems to be satisfied with anything less than what I perceive to be an illusion of the real thing. Yes, I know that the musical memory loss within 10 seconds is a real ain in the ass, but one has to go with a gut feeling. When it seems to be right, then go for it. After all, that's why we have the variety, why we have the intellectual vs. the emotional side of taste in musical systems. And man, the Candela to me seems very right.
One other thing that I want to stretch here is that a former notion of the output being too high is incorrect. Actually, I have to agree that the vast majority of systems today with the tendency of more open and airy and modern living spaces do benefit from tubes in the system. Again, to me, complete tube systems are very seductive, but they can be overly so as described earlier. Digital amps, man oh man, can they ever benefit from a tubed preamp. Mostly though the majority of systems out there are still solid state based, which can be either a good thing or a beast to deal with. This 2 sided monster has Alex and me prompted to produce the Candela. Of course it will fit with tubes, and really, is a perfect solution for digital amps, but first and foremost we have designed it to be a perfect match with solid state amplifiers. So far, every single match with ss amps, starting of course with our own, has been absolutely fantastic in the synergy department, and I really believe that we are on to something here.
Now, speaking from my own experience and taste, when matching designs, please don't go with a ss pre and a tubed amp. In every single case that I can think of a tube pre and ss amp combines the strengths of the 2 different designs much, much better./ So, I want to have the perfect solution for anybody with a ss or digital amp, and I really believe that within reason we have nailed it !!!!
Lastly, a word about the performance of the Candela itself. Like I said before, there is a romantic but misguided notion about tube preamps. Well, forget romanticism. The Candela is definitely a new breed of tubes. Very, very fast and controlled, up to 100,000 Hz, which results in speed and energy, and very precise, yet airy, full, and three dimensional. I love it.
Hope that this answers some of your (and unspoken) questions and thoughts,
Klaus
