I am in purgatory over the Monica-2 at present - neither here nor there. When it first arrived two weeks ago, I threw it into my living room system, consisting of an old Technics CDP, Audio Zone Amp-1, VMPS 626r's. It was much better than the Technics analog outs and I was happy.
After about a week, I took it downstairs and ran it through the main system. It replaced a Modwright tubed CDP to a Modwright pre, dual-mono Clari-T, to Druids. It sounded much flatter and less dynamic than the Modwright output stage, which in fairness cost 3x as much. It definitely didn't have much digital etch, but neither does the Modwright.
Feeling a little down, I've been running it several hours every night for the last week with the heaviest techno music I own. Last night I sat down and listened to Patricia Barber's "Live in Paris", which is a phenomenally recorded live album, and was very pleased. It sounded punchy and dynamic and gloriously rich.
Caviats - This was with my homebuilt Fostex speakers, since the Druids have, sadly, gone away. And, I didn't do any A/B comparisons with the Modwright output stage. I will try to do some this weekend and get a better handle on the differences. I might even haul the Technics player down there and really shake it up.
I've been told the unit really needs hours to open up. I've been working on that. And, I've been told to let my ears get used to the different presentation. Maybe what sounds flat today becomes more real and less "fi" with accustomization. I think the Modwright is an incredible machine, which has Bybees, and XO3 clock, and tubed output stage inside. It cost $1,800 and was a value at that. So, maybe the comparison isn't fair.
These comments strike me as useless with all the variables, but they are my observations to date. I will try to do some further listening this weekend and reach some actual conclusions.
