Proposed Budget Reference System

James Romeyn · « **on:** 30 Jan 2007, 05:30 am »

The only items I’m authorized to sell below are the VMPS products.

I made it a point to listen long & carefully to my own familiar software on several ultra-high-end systems at CES ’06 & ’07, $150k to $350k+ system values. The goal was formed to assemble a unique system to replicate their performance as closely as possible for about 15 cents on the dollar.

Of every impressive amplifier heard over the last two years at CES, the new SST (Spread Spectrum Technology) Ambrosia preamp was the best when value is considered. Brian Cheney mentioned it was voiced by long-time engineer & Audio Magazine reviewer Bascom King. I visited the SST website (www.Ampzilla2000.com) to read about the Ambrosia preamp, at which time I noticed & reread all the circa ’03 Trinaural Processor notes.

I’m at least as petty as the next guy, meaning I was impressed when reading about the TNP’s array of awards & recognition, including the ’03 CES Best of the High End Award & Stereophile Magazine's Recommended Components listing. I remembered the VMPS dealer in TX raved about the TNP, & the TNP sounded great at CES ’03.

It caught my attention that the website notes were consistent with the TX VMPS dealer’s personal TNP experiments: The best results were had when the center speaker (VMPS RMX) quality exceeded that of the L/R speakers. Set up properly, the TX VMPS dealer proclaimed TNP performance better than any two-channel he had experienced. In any case, results are inferior when the center speaker quality is less than L/R speakers.

I will audition an Ambrosia/TNP system w/ one RM-V60 & two 626jr soon & will report back.

Proposed System (all MSRP; all each unless indicated pair)

1.   One ’03-released SST Trinaural Processor; $1600
2.   One early-’07-released SST Ambrosia stereo preamp; $5900
3.   One early-’07-released VMPS VSS (Very Solid Sub) includes 1000W amp, active XO & parametric EQ; $1650 (delete if pre-existing sub)
4.   One early-’07-released VMPS RM-V60 Music Wing, center speaker, standard OXO eases capacitor upgrades later as overtime allows, optional Auricaps +$225 OR TRT (Tomorrow’s Research Today) Dynamicaps by Peter Moncreif +$600; $4450
5.   Two late-’06-released VMPS 626jr, L/R speakers, suggested extra-cost options: OXO/stands ($450) & latest Megawoofers ($380). The above TNP has a high-pass XO w/ fixed 80 Hz pole; can increase dynamic range & decrease power requirements & midbass room modes for smaller speakers such as these. W/ two options suggested above $1880/pr

Subtotal for above gear $15,480...$13,830 w/ pre-existing sub.

Add for source, capacitor upgrades, cables/interconnects, three high-power amplifier channels & acoustic upgrades for your room. I anticipate this to be as close as you can currently get to popular boutique components for a small fraction of the cost. Think of it like putting a replica of Jake Zemke’s Honda CBR600RR supersport race bike in your garage for only $20k.

If the system works as planned it will be available for audition in Providence UT shortly.

HT integration

The TNP has HT bypass. The RM-X60 is 68" tall. The screen options are:
1. Perforated retractable screen & front projector
2. Portable monitor in front of RM-V60, phantom center speaker
3. Portable monitor in front of RM-V60 w/ smaller center speaker for video only

Housteau · « **Reply #1 on:** 30 Jan 2007, 06:04 pm »

Thats it. Go right ahead and confuse people even more with yet another way to move ahead with the RM V60

. I am still struggling here with the ordinary stereo/mono sub combo choices

.

James Romeyn · « **Reply #2 on:** 30 Jan 2007, 07:08 pm »

I have a weird compulsion to try things a little strange, different, offbeat. I'm also a bargain hunter. Careful auditioning of ultra-high-end systems was fun & educational. I've sampled great systems from many years ago, but it was good hearing the results of recent advancements throughout the audio chain. I'm working on a better late than never CES/THE Show '07 report. Readers who sampled the same expensive systems can later compare notes & see where our ears/tastes match or don't.

It seem appropriate to A-B the above TNP system directly against a more expensive 2-ch RM-V60 system & see which one is preferred. If the TNP is not at least equal, for less money, it's probably not worth the bother. The 2-ch system's advantage is no big center speaker, apparently a prerequisite for proper TNP performance.

The 2-ch system's extra expense acrues from the fact that it requires two capacitor & amp upgrades, whereas the hope is the TNP system will only require one (the center). At this level it's important to remember how much the caps & amp affect overall performance.

It seemed the TNP sysem w/ three RMX was better than stereo RMX. The V60 center definitely beats the X; hopefully the 626jr will sufficiently fill the proper performance role for the L/R effects. Unmistakably the L/R speakers in a TNP system have a minor role vs. the center. (The non-existent open-baffle dual-mid junior wing version of the V60 will also be great for this use. Don't you love the name "Junior Wing"?)

Lately the improvements wrought by a better preamp have become more obvious. IMO people may tend to prefer a preamp-less system because of inferior quality of the preamps auditioned.

The Ambrosia would stand head to toe with the best preamps, even cost-no-object (the latest Krell Evo may be slightly better, but probably only in an all-Evo system from source to amp). That's saying a lot, because the best preamps are in the $20k to $30k range.

Other preamp options, probably with value price-portionate to the $5900 Ambrosia, are:
$4k ModWright early-'07-released SWL 36.5, balanced, tube rectified, absolutely a worthy & better successor to the standout 9.0 SE
$2500 ModWright 9.0 SE
$2k Primare P30, unchanged & needing no change since it arrived several years ago
Circa $650 assembled (less for kit) Mapletree all-tube, simply incredulous performance/price ratio
The circa $4500 Dodd dual-battery preamp must be a contender, but I've not heard it yet. An A-B vs. the Ambrosia would be interesting. But lately my tube fetish wanes, especially w/ the quality of the latest SS. Just thinking about microphonics, the tubes wearing, should I replace them, should I try better tubes, are NOS tubes just clones/ripoffs, paying for tubes, talking about tubes, comparing tubes, etc, etc.

My 2c.