Super V's and the Joules Divorcing - kid involved

MichaelHiFi · « **on:** 15 Jul 2013, 10:36 pm »

The marriage between the Super V's and the Joules is about to come to an end.

The Joules are posted. No I didn't find a "better" amp. The Joules are simply special. I can't say if this was simply a magic combination but it was never our intention to keep them giving a 3 year olds presence.

They are no one trick pony. They sing, they soul, they blues, they country, they Shiny Toy Guns/Porcupine tree, and they goosebump endlessly. I know they'll come up again on AG, but for now, it's simply not practical with Jr and all that goes on. My buddies are sad to see them go too, maybe a few in disbelief. This is one piece of equipment that's hard to part with!

Right now they play with some rediculously expensive interconnects (borrowed but I may have to steal them because these are game changers - seriously) through a DSP antimode with a NAD M51 DAC straight to the Joules. The V's never sounded better. Wholly @rap!

SoCalWJS · « **Reply #1 on:** 15 Jul 2013, 10:41 pm »

Didn't think you'd ever change your Amps!!

What are you going to go with now? (and which interconnects did you borrow?

)

nickd · « **Reply #2 on:** 15 Jul 2013, 11:27 pm »

You might try a Berning tube amp (ZH 230). They run cool, sound amazing and are fully contained to protect little fingers. Might suprise you how good they are.

I wanted to try the NAD C 390DD when I had my V'S but didn't get around to it. It has an adjustable high pass for the P Audio driver. I used the NAD M2 for a few weeks and I have to say, it had the best bass I ever heard in my room. Spooky quiet background too. I hear the 390 is even better (newer DSP design).

*Scotty* · « **Reply #3 on:** 15 Jul 2013, 11:30 pm »

How hard would it be to get some custom made cages for the amplifiers.
Scotty

PDR · « **Reply #4 on:** 15 Jul 2013, 11:55 pm »

Thats crappy.....sorry to hear you have to part ways.
I always enjoyed reading about how much you liked them.

I'm Glad my youngest is 16 now.
I had to chain her up for a few years.....

shawbros3 · « **Reply #5 on:** 16 Jul 2013, 01:02 am »

Quote from: MichaelHiFi on 15 Jul 2013, 10:36 pm

The marriage between the Super V's and the Joules is about to come to an end.

The Joules are posted. No I didn't find a "better" amp. The Joules are simply special...

I still remember the first time I heard this system and it left a very deep impression in my mind. I attempted several times to do battle with the "Frankensteins", but always left battered and bruised. All the 45's, 845's, 300b's, 6C33C, 211's, F2A's just couldn't hang with the "presence" and "musical envelope" that the Joules dished out. No matter what else was hooked up in the rig, the sonic essence of that combination was always left intact, really amazing. One of the best amps I have ever heard regardless of price. Just unfortunate they are very dangerous for small kids and sensitive to grounding issues or else I would own a pair for sure.

Don't worry man, I know you will be reunited and maybe by then there will be an even better tube amp out there. I'll still come over to hang out even though your system is Joule-less

Junior will not be happy with this move, believe me, the Joules made that guy cut the rug like no other!

Hang in there man....

Cheeseboy · « **Reply #6 on:** 16 Jul 2013, 04:30 am »

I had no idea. Have you tried counseling or talking to the family clergyman? I was there when you introduced Super V's to Joules. At first I thought they were not going to connect well. I thought one of them was going to get burned. Morgan did a great job of keeping the conversation going until their eyes met each other and they began to sing.

I thought they were so happy together. But as they say when you go through an exit you are entering somewhere else.

Keep us posted. It's just a dirty shame.

Danny Richie · « **Reply #7 on:** 16 Jul 2013, 07:26 pm »

Just give Gary Dodd a call. He can build you a set of tube amps with the tubes inside or something. Should sound better than Joules even. I have a set of the 30 watt mono's that are battery powered. They work great with the Super-V's and are dead quiet. They aren't expensive either.

SoCalWJS · « **Reply #8 on:** 16 Jul 2013, 07:32 pm »

Quote from: Cheeseboy on 16 Jul 2013, 04:30 am

I had no idea. Have you tried counseling or talking to the family clergyman? I was there when you introduced Super V's to Joules. At first I thought they were not going to connect well. I thought one of them was going to get burned. Morgan did a great job of keeping the conversation going until their eyes met each other and they began to sing.

I thought they were so happy together. But as they say when you go through an exit you are entering somewhere else.

Keep us posted. It's just a dirty shame.

thunderbrick · « **Reply #9 on:** 17 Jul 2013, 02:03 am »

Quote from: *Scotty* on 15 Jul 2013, 11:30 pm

How hard would it be to get some custom made cages for the amplifiers.
Scotty

Or for the kid?

MichaelHiFi · « **Reply #10 on:** 17 Jul 2013, 05:21 pm »

Ya thought about modding eevn rebuilding the Joules, new chassis CNC, a complete redesign but... given the rep of the designer, if something goes wrong, I'd be screwed. He wouldn't even help me with a simple wiring issue I had when I changed out the stock receptacle with a Furutech. Learned my lesson.

Maybe if I lived on the other side of the country where real service exists (and their are many many colder days

), and I could setup the Joules in a closet, with fans, and a 10KW AC unit, and long interconnects.

I'm calling this a cooling off period. Jr will grow, and Joules come up for sale often - strangely. Too bad too because Jr's understands the variac now (slowly turn the big wheel down to 0) and can safely power down my entire system. Ah the budding audiophile

Might try a Berning 6C33 magic. Tried the WellsAudio not long ago. Not bad for solid state. Really good in fact although it couldn't come close to the Joules in vocals or presence. Got slaughtered there.

I haven't tried a Dodd in my system. They are "pretty" but given my lastest change/discovery, this piece of gear that now graces my living room seems like a game changer and might dictate what amp I'll gravitate towards.

It reallly is amazing how well the Super V's react to various setups. Shawbros3 system is totally analog sounding to me. He works so hard trying different equipment/cables, setups. And he's blessed with ears as good or better than Lena's (my wife). One could spend long evenings listening to his rig. Yet it is a completely different sound with the V's 1/4 mile away in my room. I might imagine completely different again at SoCalWJS's too. I want SoCalWJS speaker setup dammit LS6 and Super V.

My current setup is using a borrowed pair of interconnects, the HiFidelity midrange which completely blow me away - and so does the price - out of the DSPeaker Anti-Mode 2.0 straight to the Joules using a NAD M51 DAC via optical. Yikes.

dragoonxp20 · « **Reply #11 on:** 17 Jul 2013, 05:45 pm »

Can't you just put the amps higher up where the kid can't reach or was that not the issue?

SoCalWJS · « **Reply #12 on:** 17 Jul 2013, 07:17 pm »

Quote from: MichaelHiFi on 17 Jul 2013, 05:21 pm

Ya thought about modding eevn rebuilding the Joules, new chassis CNC, a complete redesign but... given the rep of the designer, if something goes wrong, I'd be screwed. He wouldn't even help me with a simple wiring issue I had when I changed out the stock receptacle with a Furutech. Learned my lesson.

Maybe if I lived on the other side of the country where real service exists (and their are many many colder days ), and I could setup the Joules in a closet, with fans, and a 10KW AC unit, and long interconnects.

I'm calling this a cooling off period. Jr will grow, and Joules come up for sale often - strangely. Too bad too because Jr's understands the variac now (slowly turn the big wheel down to 0) and can safely power down my entire system. Ah the budding audiophile

Might try a Berning 6C33 magic. Tried the WellsAudio not long ago. Not bad for solid state. Really good in fact although it couldn't come close to the Joules in vocals or presence. Got slaughtered there.

I haven't tried a Dodd in my system. They are "pretty" but given my lastest change/discovery, this piece of gear that now graces my living room seems like a game changer and might dictate what amp I'll gravitate towards.

It reallly is amazing how well the Super V's react to various setups. Shawbros3 system is totally analog sounding to me. He works so hard trying different equipment/cables, setups. And he's blessed with ears as good or better than Lena's (my wife). One could spend long evenings listening to his rig. Yet it is a completely different sound with the V's 1/4 mile away in my room. I might imagine completely different again at SoCalWJS's too. I want SoCalWJS speaker setup dammit LS6 and Super V.

My current setup is using a borrowed pair of interconnects, the HiFidelity midrange which completely blow me away - and so does the price - out of the DSPeaker Anti-Mode 2.0 straight to the Joules using a NAD M51 DAC via optical. Yikes.

Awright - how much teasing are you going to do here? What "gear" are you refering to being a game changer?

As far as having the LS6 and the Super V's at the same time - unfortunately, it's either or. The strength/disadvantage of either one, then the other.

Serenity 7's

Best of both at the same time......

morganc · « **Reply #13 on:** 17 Jul 2013, 07:52 pm »

Michael is referring to the DSP Anti-Mode that he just picked up I do believe that he just replaced his very nice Allnic with......

Sad to see these go Michael. Lucky for you, your neighbor has a Berning amp that you can demo pretty soon

. Let me know when you want to come up and help me set up my system, and maybe hear the Joules with the Anti Mode on my set up

gregfisk · « **Reply #14 on:** 17 Jul 2013, 08:02 pm »

MichaelHiFi,

I'm really shocked at your comment about Jud Barber at Joule. He has been amazing in taking care of me with my MK11 SE preamp. Well over a year past the upgrade warrenty I had some problems with the left channel. He basically built me a brand new amp and sent it back no questions asked. He even replaced all of the tubes which came with the amp years ago and wouldn't let me pay for them. I'm not even the original owner of this amp. Maybe he doesn't like people modifying his amps or something? Sorry to hear you're letting them go, I havn't heard the amps but if they are anything like the preamps they are something special.

Greg

SoCalWJS · « **Reply #15 on:** 17 Jul 2013, 08:44 pm »

Quote from: morganc on 17 Jul 2013, 07:52 pm

Michael is referring to the DSP Anti-Mode that he just picked up I do believe that he just replaced his very nice Allnic with......

Sad to see these go Michael. Lucky for you, your neighbor has a Berning amp that you can demo pretty soon . Let me know when you want to come up and help me set up my system, and maybe hear the Joules with the Anti Mode on my set up

Heard that at the Newport Beach Show in a room with open baffle woofers/subwoofers. It was some of the best bass at the show.

I'd love to give that a shot sometime in my home.

Hugh · « **Reply #16 on:** 17 Jul 2013, 09:12 pm »

Morgan,

You have not set up your system yet?

I'll be up there next month so if you need me, I could give you a hand.

MichaelHiFi · « **Reply #17 on:** 17 Jul 2013, 09:59 pm »

Quote from: morganc on 17 Jul 2013, 07:52 pm

Michael is referring to the DSP Anti-Mode that he just picked up I do believe that he just replaced his very nice Allnic with......

Sad to see these go Michael. Lucky for you, your neighbor has a Berning amp that you can demo pretty soon . Let me know when you want to come up and help me set up my system, and maybe hear the Joules with the Anti Mode on my set up

Really, I can't keep track of all the amps he goes through

Are you ready? I could fly up this weekend, get your new digs singing

I'll bring the Joules and teh Anti-mode but you better not hear those Hifidelity cables. I'm screwed.

MichaelHiFi · « **Reply #18 on:** 17 Jul 2013, 10:18 pm »

Quote from: gregfisk on 17 Jul 2013, 08:02 pm

MichaelHiFi,

I'm really shocked at your comment about Jud Barber at Joule. He has been amazing in taking care of me with my MK11 SE preamp. Well over a year past the upgrade warrenty I had some problems with the left channel. He basically built me a brand new amp and sent it back no questions asked. He even replaced all of the tubes which came with the amp years ago and wouldn't let me pay for them. I'm not even the original owner of this amp. Maybe he doesn't like people modifying his amps or something? Sorry to hear you're letting them go, I havn't heard the amps but if they are anything like the preamps they are something special.

Greg

I was really dissapointed as I'd been treated so well by most in the industry. Shout out to Pass, Nuforce, Cary, Melody (Hi Hugh), and Oppo. I'm happy you had a good experience. I'll bet most have. He's got my respect as a designer. Maybe I caught him at a bad time but I was miserable and desperate for a simple piece of information. I heard he lost his wife so maybe that explain his lack of caring. Changing out power cord receptacles is borderline modding IMO but in the Joules case, the recepatacle was a bitch to change! These's 2 each on each monoblock. I left the second one alone.

His amps have been extremely reliable except for blowing a fuse about once a month.

MichaelHiFi · « **Reply #19 on:** 17 Jul 2013, 10:34 pm »

Who's going to the Audio show in SF in mid August? Hey SoCal, got a room for you