AudioCircle
Industry Circles => Tortuga Audio => Topic started by: jtwrace on 15 Jan 2015, 07:35 pm
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The turtle has landed!
All good!
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=112725)
Turned on and passing signal
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=112726)
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That's a nice looking piece of gear. Congrats!
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OH, here's an update. :o
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OH, here's an update. :o
That's it?? Need to hear more. I have a LDR3.v2 on preorder, and the suspense is killing me.
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That's it?? Need to hear more. I have a LDR3.v2 on preorder, and the suspense is killing me.
Patience grasshopper. I just got it. The pics were literally from UPS to my counter. I've been listening non stop since. Uh, here's another update - Keep your preorder. ;)
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I love mine, but not the remote. The balance adjusting is awkward. You have to mute it first and then make the adjustment. Sonics? Awesome.
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First off, I want to thank Morten of Tortuga Audio for putting on a tour. It does cost time and money so I'm thankful that he would be willing for us wankers to audition his LDR unit with no attachment. So, Morten, thank you!
I'm pretty sure most know that I have a Fully Balanced Bent Audio TAP-X autoformer based unit which drives some NCore NC1200 based amps (1.5m cables between them). I've been extremely happy with this setup and honestly think that it's really the way to go if someone wants absolute neutrality and quietness. It really is that good not only objectively (http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=115115.msg1202524#msg1202524) but subjectively to most.
I heard the Volti system at RMAF 2014 and really fell in love with it. It just sounded awesome. There is no way to "hear" one component at a show like that IMO so really you're listening to the room and speakers in my view. After having the Tortuga in my system I think I know one characteristic of that system though. Yes, the Tortuga LDR.
The Tortuga has detail, speed and all the lovely things that I'm used to. In my subjective opinion it's slightly more forward but actually laid back. It's a hard thing for me to describe. Think gentle. Odd, I know, but that's what I hear FWIW. Having said that, it's not necessarily a bad thing but of course comparing to something you own and have heard for hours on end it stands out. Some might find that inserting this piece of gear might be a way to "tame" their system if it's a bit hot. I don't think that's the case as it just sounds good. Really good. In fact, while listening I totally forgot what the heck I was doing until I looked down and thought for a second what the hell are those blue lights?! Oh yeah, the turtle is playing. Duh!
So, the question that many will ask or think about is simply, do I buy one? Well, obviously nobody but you can decide that and I urge you to listen for yourself as Tortuga does have a generous 30 day policy. For me, replacing my Bent probably doesn't make sense as I really like it and these two units are actually way more alike then they are different. They are slightly different as noted though and it's enough to make me wonder if I would prefer it all the time rather than the few cuts that I actually did prefer it as it took the "edge" off. Yes, sounds silly, I know. Gosh I suck at this subjective stuff. :) If you need something and do not want to DIY then buy it. Yes, it's that good and that simple IMO. If you can DIY there are other options but this would be the less expensive option I believe. There is no doubt that the finished unit is expensive ($2900 after 1/5/15). I can honestly say though even at $2900 this unit will easily blow away stuff that is 3x the cost. Actually, come to think of it, I'm not sure what else one could want no matter the cost unless you want fancy aluminum cases and bragging rights.
In closing, there really isn't anything else for me to say. The Tortuga is great. It really is and I have no problem recommending it even more than before after it living in my system for a day. The only two improvements I can say that would be nice. The remote and the lack of "0" volume when turned down to "0". The Apple remote is a low cost option. Great. I pressed the wrong button and jacked up the settings but luckily Morten actually picks up the phone and he had me back up and running in < 5 min. Maybe he can work a deal with John Chapman for his aluminum remote. If not, I have no doubt that Morten could design his own for someone who was willing to pay the up-charge. Perhaps the OE guys would like this. Just a thought.
At some point, I will need to DIY one because Morten is very smart and I like to support guys that put their heart into something. Morten, you have a real winner here!
Thanks again,
jtwrace
**DISCLAIMER**
This is my subjective opinion. I wish I had more time and approval to get some objective data on this unit as I find that very important but for the sake of this tour, you got my opinion. :D
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Someone frame this and make it a sticky as we have subjective comments out of Jason!! :o
Great write up for what looks like a solid product.
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Jason, good write up. I do like the blue lights.
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Interesting comments thus far Jason. Does this version have the ability to change the input impedance? Have you tried changing it? What components are you feeding it? My suspicion is that if you can change the input impedance you will refine your experience.
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Interesting comments thus far Jason. Does this version have the ability to change the input impedance? Have you tried changing it? What components are you feeding it? My suspicion is that if you can change the input impedance you will refine your experience.
The tour unit does not have adjustable input impedance. We are just now releasing that for single ended and have yet to work out the kinks for doing that with balanced configurations.
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Thanks for clearing that up Morten.
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Someone frame this and make it a sticky as we have subjective comments out of Jason!! :o
Great write up for what looks like a solid product.
Yes, very solid and it deserves the credit. It's a DIYer's dream due to the cost/performance.
Jason, good write up. I do like the blue lights.
OK, there is much more to it then blue lights. ;)
Interesting comments thus far Jason. Does this version have the ability to change the input impedance? Have you tried changing it? What components are you feeding it? My suspicion is that if you can change the input impedance you will refine your experience.
No, but the bossman says...
The tour unit does not have adjustable input impedance. We are just now releasing that for single ended and have yet to work out the kinks for doing that with balanced configurations.
Also, I did make an edit to my review. There was one thing I totally forgot to mention. The volume when turned to "0". I know this unit has a mute button but it's just one of those retentive things with me. When I go to "0" I want ZERO volume. Perhaps you can program the unit to when it goes to "0" it actually does auto mute. This way it would be dead silent when the volume reads "0". I'm sure most aren't bothered by it though. What can I say...I'm a detail guy. :oops:
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Also, I did make an edit to my review. There was one thing I totally forgot to mention. The volume when turned to "0". I know this unit has a mute button but it's just one of those retentive things with me. When I go to "0" I want ZERO volume. Perhaps you can program the unit to when it goes to "0" it actually does auto mute. This way it would be dead silent when the volume reads "0". I'm sure most aren't bothered by it though. What can I say...I'm a detail guy. :oops:
This comment surprised me because I agree with Jason and by design hitting step zero should not only shut off the inputs but also put the LDRs in a state where nothing should be getting in let alone out. :scratch:
That said, the tour LDRxB has a "work in progress" revision of the firmware that works but may still have some rough edges. Whether it meets the "dead silent" criteria at 0/mute may well be open to interpretation. To my ears I can't effectively hear any music when a single ended unit is at 0/mute. I will look into this with a balanced setup since they are inherently more complex and therefore it's easier to overlook some nuance.
Great review and great feedback!
Cheers, :thumb:
Morten
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We need updates! It's been a week...
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We need updates! It's been a week...
Guess not.
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Does anyone know what happened here? Why did everything just stop after Jason?
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Does anyone know what happened here? Why did everything just stop after Jason?
Cloudbaseracer (#2) is just now shipping the unit off to audiogoober (#3). No public comments from cloudbaseracer as yet. Although to be fair, there's no explicit obligation to post an opinion.
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Does anyone know what happened here? Why did everything just stop after Jason?
What can I say? I'm a hard act to follow. ;) :P :oops: :lol:
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Ok it turns out I was third in line, I was wondering why I got an email saying I was getting a preamp from a non audio company :oops:
First why did I want to audition this unit well I have been bitten by the passive/buffer stage in the past starting with Gary Dodds (God Bless Gary a Great Person) 6h30 tube buffer with volume control it was and is still a great match with the ClassD dual mono amp I built with none other than jtwrace's case (which I still have and lend to friends so they can get a good taste of class d sound).
I live near a radio tower so I have always known that balanced cables/equipment would help quiet the stuff I do not want to hear. So I upgraded my phono stage to the LKV Phono 2-SB fully balanced, then got a Wyred 4 Sound STPSE (still have, might be selling soon), again thinking balanced all the way, but my ClassD amp did not have the balanced inputs never put hem in :oops:
At the same time I have been reading about all the advancements in the class d amp camp, ncore 400, ncore1200, alaview and pascal. Did a lot of research and bought a pair of D Sonic M3-800M amps with balanced inputs (I did not feel like getting out my soldering iron), very nice up grade sound stage, warmer, quitter etc. So I had been listening with the STP and thought I really miss that Dodd buffer with the 6h30 so starting looking at balanced preamps with 6h30 tubes, it seemed like the best ones were AR and BAT, so I bought a AR LS17se balanced pre with 2 cryoed 6h30 tubes Whoa that was what I was looking for, I tell you I think the most important choice is how you control the in/out to your amps. Again balanced is a big advantage with me where I live.
I feel for me the set of tubes in my system is the cats meow! They add that extra sense of depth, height, vocal life and enjoyment.
Now early comparison to this little gem the Tortuga, if anything it reminds me of the STP very accurate, incredible soundstage, probably a little better depth than the 17se, bass is a tad deeper. The vocals are not as tall (or exaggerated, tubes?). You have to realize that this unit is below half the price of my pre. If you have a really nice tube amp this is your pre, granted with the right matching, I wish I heard this when I had my Rogue 100.
Listening to this evening to London Grammar, Portishead, Lamb, Tennis, Daft Punk and some Ella and Coltrane for reference
I will update once I listen to some vinyl, but I know what I hear pretty quickly
Thanks to Morten who I consider an industry leader that is confident enough in his design to send out a expensive piece of equipment for us audio nuts to talk about Honestly! Cheers! :thumb:
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Anymore updates? Cloudbaseracer? I know Morten doesn't require feedback but....
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Why isn't anyone leaving feedback?
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Why isn't anyone leaving feedback?
The last participant ran out of time due to pressing personal matters and so was unable to do a proper audition before passing the unit on. So it goes. Onward to Chicago!
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The last participant ran out of time due to pressing personal matters and so was unable to do a proper audition before passing the unit on. So it goes. Onward to Chicago!
Wow, this post was made five hours in the future! Technology is great, ain't it????
Shakey
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Wow, this post was made five hours in the future! Technology is great, ain't it????
Shakey
What do you mean?
EDIT: If your time is off you can adjust that. Profile > Account Settings > Look and Layout.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=115660)
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Darn, and there I was think'n we were on to some kind of temporal time warp phenomena. Temporal time - from the department of redundancy department. :lol:
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I may be all wet, but isn't Audio Circle run out of Australia, hence the default time is Aussie time? At least that was my impression in the early days.
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I guess the tour has stopped permanently?
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I guess the tour has stopped permanently?
Nope. Slow walked to death, yes. Abandoned, no. Embarrassingly delayed, you bet. It will resume soon.
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Had the Lightspeed and sold it so now will try this guy out. JMsound is selling units for $1195.00?
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Had the Lightspeed and sold it so now will try this guy out. JMsound is selling units for $1195.00?
We only sell direct through our website and not through dealers. The tradeoff is we can offer better gear at lower prices but we give up marketing channels. Our LDR3.V2 model sells for $1195. You can find out more about that model via the link below. The tour unit is our bigger balanced model, the LDRxB.
We have a buy-try-decide 30 day audition policy so you don't have to worry about getting stuck buying something "unheard" should it not work out for you. We rarely get audition returns.
http://www.tortugaaudio.com/products/ldr3-v2-passive-preamp/ (http://www.tortugaaudio.com/products/ldr3-v2-passive-preamp/)
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After an extended hiatus, the LDRxB 2015 tour resumes this week.
I'm going to refrain from offering an explanation for the delay because it's too lame to explain. In the interim nothing has changed in either the hardware or firmware. Onwards!
Cheers,
Morten
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Deleted
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After an extended hiatus, the LDRxB 2015 tour resumes this week.
I'm going to refrain from offering an explanation for the delay because it's too lame to explain. In the interim nothing has changed in either the hardware or firmware. Onwards!
Cheers,
Morten
Is there an opportunity to participate in this tour? How do I sign up?
Also, what is the bandwidth of your LDRxB and how does it vary with attenuation setting (this is not specified on your website)? Given it's a passive design, I expect the BW is also a function of the load impedance, so to be more precise, what is the BW into 20kΩ load?
Thanks! Joe
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Is there an opportunity to participate in this tour? How do I sign up?
Also, what is the bandwidth of your LDRxB and how does it vary with attenuation setting (this is not specified on your website)? Given it's a passive design, I expect the BW is also a function of the load impedance, so to be more precise, what is the BW into 20kΩ load?
Thanks! Joe
The LDRxB tour is full up currently but if that changes I'll try to remember to let you know.
I'm not sure what you mean by bandwidth in this context. The frequency response of passives are usually flat as it gets. If you mean input impedance then that is something that can be adjusted by the user to optimize performance.
An overview of adjustable impedance can be found on our website here: http://www.tortugaaudio.com/documentation/#document-7 (http://www.tortugaaudio.com/documentation/#document-7)
An overview of how output impedance varies with attenuation can be found here: http://www.tortugaaudio.com/documentation/#document-10 (http://www.tortugaaudio.com/documentation/#document-10)
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The LDRxB tour is full up currently but if that changes I'll try to remember to let you know.
I'm not sure what you mean by bandwidth in this context. The frequency response of passives are usually flat as it gets. If you mean input impedance then that is something that can be adjusted by the user to optimize performance.
I mean bandwidth as in frequency response. I can't find any info on your website as to the technology used in the LDRs but I assume they are semiconductor based (i.e. they are not thin film resistors which would have very high BW) so I'm wondering what is the BW of the system? Also, given the variable (and high) output impedance, the capacitive load of the cables and amplifier input will impact the frequency response of the system when driven by your preamp so not sure how to account for that in a standalone measurement of frequency response of the preamp. In other words, this component now becomes part of a system comprised of the source impedance into the preamp, the interconnects to the amps, and the amplifier complex input impedance - and the volume setting!
I'm thinking the frequency response should be quite good and this is something you should promote as a benefit of this approach but I simply don't have enough information to make an informed judgment.
Please do keep me in mind if a spot opens up on the tour. I know someone using your LDRXB and he raves about it but I would want to hear one in my system to evaluate how it performs in my specific scenario.
Thanks, Joe
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I mean bandwidth as in frequency response. I can't find any info on your website as to the technology used in the LDRs but I assume they are semiconductor based (i.e. they are not thin film resistors which would have very high BW) so I'm wondering what is the BW of the system?
There's no info on frequency response because it's a purely resistive device. Much like a resistor or a pot there's no capacitance or inductance to speak of in the audio band. I believe the photoresistor material is considered a type of thin-film semiconductor.
Also, given the variable (and high) output impedance, the capacitive load of the cables and amplifier input will impact the frequency response of the system when driven by your preamp so not sure how to account for that in a standalone measurement of frequency response of the preamp. In other words, this component now becomes part of a system comprised of the source impedance into the preamp, the interconnects to the amps, and the amplifier complex input impedance - and the volume setting!
This is all true but quite easy to avoid becoming an issue. I've run calculations on this and as long as you use decent quality (i.e. low capacitance) interconnects between the preamp and amp and limit the cable length to say 6-8 feet or less you're not going to experience any roll-off of the high end. I had one reviewer who had 25 foot ICs and I warned him this could be an issue and he went ahead anyway and swore he couldn't discern any problem. I don't recommend doing that but there you are.
I'm thinking the frequency response should be quite good and this is something you should promote as a benefit of this approach but I simply don't have enough information to make an informed judgment.
It doesn't get any better than flat. I think I'm too much of an engineer to promote a resistive attenuator with a flat frequency response. I need to talk to the marketing department. :D
I know someone using your LDRXB and he raves about it but I would want to hear one in my system to evaluate how it performs in my specific scenario.
Sounds like it's time to just go ahead and buy one and get on with evaluating it. You have 30 days to try it at home and find out if you made a mistake at which point you ship it back and get a 100% refund less your cost to ship it back. Not much downside other than your time and a $35 UPS bill.