[Ulisse60]

Good morning
I will have to return the Skogrand RCA cables, unfortunately, but in the meantime, having had an excellent sound result, I tried some power cables as an alternative to the standard one, which among other things works very well. . .
By connecting Litz power cables of various types, materials and geometries to the integrated circuit, I find that you gain something compared to the Lavardin cable, but you lose on other parameters.
Tried a Shunyata Python Helix Alpha, valid but with less focus of the sound, a WG Prestige M, interesting but without large increases enough to be worth the replacement, from what I read online it seems that Lavardin likes solid core copper cables or cables in any case not too rich in litz texture which tends to slow down and weigh down the sound a little, always trying to understand if in addition to its own we could do better with alternatives, also taking into account the level of the Lavardin purchased used, I wouldn't connect a power cable to it with a value that is too demanding, just to maintain the correct proportions. . .
It remains essential to maintain the correct connection polarity of the power cable, following the phase marked behind the appliance, near the IEC socket, since by inverting the polarity you can clearly hear a clear loss of sound quality !
Tuninc continues . . . !! 
Greetings , Dario

[Ulisse60]

Good morning everyone
today I verified that my Daedalus Ulysses are 10 years old, and it seems to me that with age they are only improving in how they deliver music, they are compelling, coherent, immersive in the sounds of the musical program, whatever it is . . .
Given my age, I was born in 1960, they will accompany me until I have the ability to appreciate music, its beauty and ability to help me seek the best, to soothe the difficulties and obstacles of modern living, to project myself into a world of coherent, exciting sounds, certainly the best speaker in 35 years of passion, since the first ProAc Studio 125s of the 90s!
Thank you for the emotions you give me every time I turn on the audio system !!
good music everyone
Dario

[mresseguie]

Dario,

As an owner of Apollo speakers, I can't agree more with your assessment. These are keepers. I see we share birth years as well.    Let's hope we have a couple more decades to enjoy these beauties! 

[Daedalus Audio]

Good morning everyone
today I verified that my Daedalus Ulysses are 10 years old, and it seems to me that with age they are only improving in how they deliver music, they are compelling, coherent, immersive in the sounds of the musical program, whatever it is . . .
Given my age, I was born in 1960, they will accompany me until I have the ability to appreciate music, its beauty and ability to help me seek the best, to soothe the difficulties and obstacles of modern living, to project myself into a world of coherent, exciting sounds, certainly the best speaker in 35 years of passion, since the first ProAc Studio 125s of the 90s!
Thank you for the emotions you give me every time I turn on the audio system !!
good music everyone
Dario

Thank you Dario. It's words like yours that have kept me going with Daedalus all these years.
Be well,
Lou

[Ulisse60]

Hi mresseguie
we are passionate about a hobby that is increasingly for the elderly, and this makes me think that in 20 years, hoping to still feel good, Hi Fi will be a restricted passion for a few, but we will still have the Daedalus and our music collections and the desire to thrill ourselves with quality listening to music. . .
regards, Dario

Dario,

As an owner of Apollo speakers, I can't agree more with your assessment. These are keepers. I see we share birth years as well.    Let's hope we have a couple more decades to enjoy these beauties! 

[Ulisse60]

Thanks to you Lou,
in 35 years of audio passion I have had a significant quantity of speakers at home, dozens of sources, cables of many brands, amplifications of all types, but today, and it is incredible, I find the new Lavardin - Daedalus combination truly impressive in terms of overall quality , and by this I mean the pleasure of hearing music with a truly engaging and exciting immersion.
it's not a live listen, it can never be, but it excites me and makes me move my feet and snap my fingers and it's a sign of great realism, of a verisimilitude to live music that is truly remarkable!!!
I don't forget the source, the legendary Esoteric which always, always manages to play a role of great global quality in proposing a complete and correct sound.
If it happens to you, Lou, try listening to a Lavardin with your speakers, in my ears, a stratospheric result at a truly honest and accessible price, especially when used.
Thanks again for having created such communicative and easy-to-drive speakers, the more quality they receive, the greater the listening pleasure, with all musical genres, and it's not something so easy to achieve!
regards, Dario

Thank you Dario. It's words like yours that have kept me going with Daedalus all these years.
Be well,
Lou

[Ulisse60]

I don't want to advertise unnecessarily, but if anyone in the US or in Canada is interested, this is an incredible music machine with Daedalus speakers, identical to mine! good music everyone

https://reverb.com/item/82029602-lavardin-is-reference-integrated-amplifier?utm_source=aw&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hifishark.com&sv1=affiliate&sv_campaign_id=536903&awc=67144_1719151897_5845b6fae4d9a23dc29426d00ae6cec6

[Ulisse60]

Welcome back everyone
taking advantage of a friend's holidays, I stole his Stealth dream 20/20 power supply from him for the second time, and put it on the Lavardin, while a Walhalla 2 is now on my Esoteric K 01x.
I found a Nordost Tyr 2 RCA signal used, inserted between the CD and the integrated, excellent synergy with the speakers cable Tyr.
What can I say ?? The result is even more realistic, a complete sound, of great depth and impact, a rich, solid sound, great cleanliness and at the same time detail and micro-information, the breath of great music, even if in a small room, but we will also remedy This !!
The little Lavardin continues to represent a great miracle of complete, engaging sound, it benefits from improvements in connections, but does not lose its strong personality and very realistic and compelling sound!
Happy Sunday to you

[Ulisse60]

Welcome back everyone
after the summer holidays and a resumption of routine activities, I find myself at an important turning point, namely the comparison between my official Emmlabs pre and Gryhon essence power amp combo, and the small Lavardin reference IS integrated amplifier.
The dilemma, if we can call it that, is, should I keep both, using the Lavardin in the summer, given the characteristics of the Gryphon in class A, or should I give up the pre-power combo and promote the integrated to the main amplifier, given its excellent tonal and dynamic performances and excellent interfacing with my Esoteric K01x on the one hand and above all with my speakers on the other?
In order to put the Lavardin at ease, I got some good quality rca cables, in order to guarantee the best possible comparison, remembering that the Emm Gryphon combo is connected with Kimber KS 1136 XLR cables.
In the photo below you can see the series of rca cables that I got, some mine, others borrowed from friends, in the photo from left to right you can see:
Kimber KS 1030, Skogrand Tchaiwkosky first series, Purista Audio Design Aqueous 20° Anniversary, Acoustic Zen Absolute copper, White Gold Prestige M, Nordost Tyr 2, Vyda Vyger Orion Silver.
Among these 7 contenders I will have to find the best rca cable to use between Esoteric and Lavardin!!

[mresseguie]

That's quite a delicious selection of cables you have there. I'll look forward to reading your comments on their different qualities and which one finally rules the lot. "One to rule them all."

 

[Ulisse60]

That's quite a delicious selection of cables you have there. I'll look forward to reading your comments on their different qualities and which one finally rules the lot. "One to rule them all."

 

Hi

thanks for your request !!!


It will be my care and pleasure to make a report of the listening tests that I will carry out, specifying that my impressions, inevitably, are linked to my way of listening and perceiving music, to the environmental context and to the audio system present in it, and that for now experiences of many comparisons and listenings, are decidedly personal, also for how I "feel" the sounds and the musical reproduction!!
Good music everyone and stay tuned 

Dario

[Ulisse60]

Hi everyone

I started listening with the RCA signal cables that I presented in the posts of a few days ago, and I have already had some general indications on the cables that will continue the comparison and those that have already left the evaluation.

Among the interesting signal cables are the Kimber 1030, which in my set up turned out to be very good, like its XLR 1136 cousins ​​that I have from Esoteric, Emmlabs and Gryphon.
Mature sound, complete, well set up, without apparent defects or important negative aspects, cable that passes to the next comparison.
Like the Kimber, the Skogrand, Nordost and Vyda will also be compared again, while I have excluded the Purist Aqueous, the Prestige M in WHite Gold and the Acoustic Zen Absolute copper.

Acoustic Zen Absolute copper:
Excellent cable considering its range and the fact that it is a product from many years ago, it expressed a coherent sound, refined enough, tonally well set, but it has a lower part of the musical presentation that is a little too accentuated, which in my opinion context tends to cover the details a bit and does not allow you to raise the volume as it over-excites the environment, which is small and therefore perhaps determines my opinion. However, it is a healthy cable and capable of giving a lot of satisfaction in the right context.

Purist Audio Aqueous:
The worst cable of the comparison set, in my context, for an unbalanced, confused sound and with a decidedly intrusive mid-low part, one can sense that it is a project from almost 20 years ago, with limitations especially when comparing it with the other 6 cables of the test set. I expected a better result but in my system environment and for my ears and preferences it was not competitive.

The Prestige M White Gold:
It was also rejected, not because it was invalid, it performed well without great peaks in quality but also with few shortcomings, let's say a good generalist cable, but compared to the 4 remaining ones it is certainly a step below, presenting a less detailed and dynamic sound, although tonally healthy.

I'll stop here, the next chapter will see another round of comparison between the 4 remaining RCA cables of which only 2 will compete for the place between the Esoteric CD player and the integrated Lavardin IS ref.
Until next time
Dario

[Ulisse60]

Hello to everyone
After several listening sessions, and days in which I inserted only one of the RCA cables, I made my choices, at least I limited the choice with only 2 signal cables, Skogrand and Kimber, while I put aside the Nordost and the Vyda
I'll start by describing the two excluded:
Nordost Tyr, excellent signal cable regarding the main audio parameters, but in my context it is a little nervous, it offers me a sound that at times is a bit aggressive, not with all the CDs I have listened to, but with some there is a certain aggression and an excess of definition, perhaps exasperating characteristics already present in the Esoteric player and partly also in the Lavardin amplifier which is very open and airy in proposing music.
Vyda Orion silver,very valid  signal cable where silence, cleanliness and coherence are strong points, but it also offers a somewhat dry sound presentation and although it is decidedly open and correct at the top, it seems to me to lose a bit of weight and authority in the low range
Both cables mentioned above are however of excellent quality and I could live with them if I hadn't included the two true champions of musicality, obviously in my context and for my ears!!
The least gratifying part is that between the two remaining RCA cables, I can't find a real winner, when I listen to the Kimber KS 1030 it seems to me there are no defects, but then I put the Skogrand Tchaikovsky back and it seems to me that it is equally complete, there are 2 presentations very close, I forget to concentrate on the songs and listen to music with great pleasure.
Unfortunately I won't be able to get them both so the time will come to decide what to keep and what to return, I'll keep you informed
have a nice weekend
Dario

[Ulisse60]

Hello

Comparison listening between the Kimber KS 1030 and the Skogrand Tchaiwkosky continues. . .
Two splendid examples of what a high level signal connection means, two RCA cables that are not a limit of the audio system, correct, extended, complete, healthy, it is difficult to hear significant differences, perhaps the Kimber a more open, bright wire on the highs, while on the lows they are practically identical in terms of impact, speed and sound proposition.
The voices are very similar, here too a sort of greater cleanliness and fire in the Kimber, but the Skogrand has a remarkable organicity and coherence, in the end, even if for a gluing, I think I will keep the Skogrand, it would be interesting to be able to try the Kimber KS 1036, which should have a more organic and complete presentation than the previous 1030 I have been listening to.
cheers, Dario

[mresseguie]

Dario,

Thanks for keeping us informed of your progress. I can't say that I've heard either the Kimber 1030 or the Skogrand, but I must say the Skogrand is not inexpensive, is it?

Michael

[Ulisse60]

Dario,

Thanks for keeping us informed of your progress. I can't say that I've heard either the Kimber 1030 or the Skogrand, but I must say the Skogrand is not inexpensive, is it?

Michael

Hello Michael 

the issue of audio cables is decidedly complicated and full of aspects that often enter the sphere of personal sensations.
In my experiences, which span around 30 years, a good quality audio system, where a good degree of truthfulness and a valid presentation of the reproduced sound has been achieved, always benefits, in my opinion, from good connection cables. signal, power supply, power.
I believe it is the synergy of everything, which allows you to enjoy a good level of listening satisfaction, I have curated a dedicated line for the Hi Fi room, I have always tried to use the best connections I could evaluate, almost never buying based on reviews or instinct, but listening and testing the connections in my sound system whenever possible. . .
building an audio system that is important and satisfactory for those who assembled it and listens to it, and underestimating the connections, I do not consider it a valid choice, you risk underusing your audio system, making it express far below its potential, forcing it within a limiting perimeter on many audio parameters. I have had cheap cables, Duelund for signal and power, VdH Mainsserver and Mainstream for power, even anonymous cables assembled by friends, all pleasant but never definitive because they were unbalanced, equalizing or limiting in audio extension, timbre, microdynamics and sense of time, this The last one is the most significant in my opinion, to really enjoy the music being played.
I met the Skogrand cables by chance, and I was very impressed by them, for coherence, balance, refinement, speed and dynamics, they are expensive, but like everything that is sold second-hand, they are not economically suicidal, but musically a great completion of the audio system.
Be careful, you can also live with the Kimber, the Nordost, the White gold, the Vyda, and I appreciated them in the comparison tests, but when you insert the cable which works in great synergy with the rest of the system, the difference can be felt , it is then up to us, doing our own calculations and appropriate assessments, to decide where to position ourselves.
I know that there will be many products out there with good value for money, not everything passes and you can try it, but I have seen and listened to very few giant-killers in Hi Fi, perhaps the first really big surprise came from the Lavardin IS Reference, just a few months ago!!!
And it's a huge compliment to an object that appears modest, has little impact and is rewarding from many points of view, but when it plays, well, the perspective changes a lot. . .
The Skogrands are expensive, like the high-end Kimbers, the Stealths, the top Nordosts, but when you insert them, the bad thing is going back and understanding what you lose in the ratings!!
Good music everyone
Dario

[Ulisse60]

Good morning everyone
I reconnected the Emm labs preamp and the Gryphon power amp 3 days ago, after several months of using the integrated Lavardin.
I can say that they are 2 slightly different ways of presenting sound, but both definitely engaging and very correct.
The Lavardin is brighter, leaner, faster and very engaging, it has an impressive sense of rhythm.
The pre and final pair are denser, warmer, with a richer midrange and a very engaging bass, which perhaps in a small room can represent more of a limitation than a plus.
But, and here we get into personal tastes, I like both ways of offering the musical message, because they are 2 correct, coherent sounds, with different nuances but the fundamentals are present in both amplifications.
I can live with both systems, very different in terms of economic value, use of space, weight and cables in the case of pre and power, more streamlined and immediate with the Lavardin, and this aspect could be reflected on with some considerations, i.e. it is worth Is it worth having a 45 KG final, which can be compared to an 8 KG supplement??
And having a set with just one RCA cable and dedicated Lavardin power supply, versus 2 pairs of XLR cables, two power supplies??
At a given moment I told myself that the Lavardin could be enough for me, but then I listen to Jazz, piano and voices with pre and final, and I must say that there is a big reason for having two separate chassis.
For now I'm keeping the two amplifications, I'm not able to separate myself from the Emm Labs preamp, fantastic, and from the class A power amplifier, with a truly impactful way of delivering music, but if I think back to the Lavardin's ability to make everything very enjoyable , and very engaging, there are pros and cons on both configurations, small but audible, and I conclude by saying that perfection in Hi Fi does not exist, that one is always looking for the best possible result, and today I can say I have two of them excellent level sound, and for now I enjoy them both!! good music everyone
Dario

[Ulisse60]

Arrived today
Listened to it immediately, incredible, if you appreciate Santana's Borboletta this recording is spectacular, realism, cleanliness, dynamics, very high quality. . .

[Ulisse60]

Hello

I have the opportunity to try this high-level passive preamp, MFA Ref V 2.1, in my system for a couple of days, I will give you an account of how it sounds and a possible comparison with my Emmlabs Ref preamp.
Good day

Dario

[Ulisse60]

Good morning
very interesting and educational listen to the pre passive MFA Ref.
First element, it is a great preamp with high-class sound attributes, magnificent voices, transparency, coherence, great tonal correctness, no smudging across the entire sound spectrum.
Like all passive preamps, I had tried a couple of them several years ago, before the Ulysses and with other electronics, they must be inserted correctly in the audio chain, for a matching of absolute integration both with the power amplifier, but above all with the speakers and the source , to be able to work basically in the central area of ​​the volume potentiometer, here with 61 steps.
Second element, it is very revealing and does not forgive unbalances or characterizations of the audio chain, it was inserted in balanced mode with Kimber KS 1136 cables, with the ground inserted on, since for the Ulysses the background noise without the earth inserted was a bit evident .
This made me think that ground loops are not always clear and evident, but they are probably there on the electronics and are however masked by active interventions in the signal path, and in fact my Emmlabs preamp is very silent.
Third aspect, the passive preamp loses a bit of dynamics and sculpting compared to the active one, and it is a price to pay that is compensated by other positive elements.
In this sense, I see him as a pre purist in an absolutely perfect system, where his contribution is absolute transparency, and therefore with acoustic, classical and very well recorded music he makes the difference, with rougher musical genres or less audiophile recordings I fear it becomes a little aggressive or in any case indigestible for some sound parameters.
Interesting experience because I also understood that I was listening to a very high level preamp, Emm Labs PRE, in terms of extension, linearity, neutrality, a preamp not to be let go too easily because it is also very universal in combinations, while the passive preamp needs to be placed more in the right working conditions.
It remains a preamp of absolute quality that does not disappoint in many respects and finding it used at a reasonable price, it competes with preamps on a much different price list!
Greetings

Dario