Ultimate II PS with Bybee

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circinus

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Ultimate II PS with Bybee
« on: 26 Jun 2007, 12:57 pm »
After several months of listening to an unmodified SB3 and ELPAC PS I am ready to make the jump and upgrade to the Enthusiast analog w/ Gold Bybee mod. To get the best bang for the buck I have also decided to replace the basic ELPAC with the Ultimate II. However, I am looking for feedback on the Ultimate II with and without the Bybee purifier.

Basically I am trying to justify the 400.00 bump from the base Ultimate to the Ultimate w/Bybee purifier. There has been plenty of feedback regarding the benefits of the Gold Bybees in the SB3 but none that I could find with the Ultimate II. I appreciate any feedback.

woodsyi

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Re: Ultimate II PS with Bybee
« Reply #1 on: 26 Jun 2007, 02:31 pm »
Some have claimed that Bybees actually work the best in power application than in series at line level.  I don't have any in my UPS II but I plug it into a Bolder powerbar that has Bybees.   

aeo12

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Re: Ultimate II PS with Bybee
« Reply #2 on: 21 Nov 2007, 02:53 pm »
I purchased an Ultimate PS with Bybee shortly after your original post, and now that it's had some time to break in, I can offer some comments.  I was running an SB3 with Bolder digital mods and an Elpac PS modded by Bolder that I had purchased used.  I opted for the digital only mods because I had added a TACT 2.2 Mini room correction system after experimenting a bit with the Inguz  plug-in using some really low-end measurement tools and concluding that I could really benefit from some room correction.  Since it will be years before I could ever rip all my CDs for use on SB, I wanted a room correction approach that would benefit both SB and my Meridian 508 CDP.

With the modded Elpac PS, the SB3 performance was close to the Meridian, but a little muddier sounding.  Some details that I'd hear on the Meridian were missing on the SB3, and the Meridian bass was noticeably tighter.  I noticed no difference in the soundstage.

When I first plugged in the Ultimate II PS, I immediately understood what the term 'black background" meant.  With such a quiet background, instruments and voices were much clearer and more detailed.  Now after a few months of break-in, I can say that the SB3 is more detailed than the Meridian CDP and the bass much tighter.  I don't notice a difference in the width of the soundstage, but with the SB3, I get a greater sense of depth of the soundstage on many recordings.  It seems as though the blacker background makes it clearer where each of the performers are placed on the stage, from front to back as well as from left to right.  So now more that ever I'm anxious to get at least all my A-list CDs ripped for use with SB.

I haven't heard the Ultimate II without Bybees, so I can't help with a "with and without" comparison, but I can tell you that I'll get my money's worth of enjoyment from the Ultimate II PS with Bybees.  :D

Wayne1

Re: Ultimate II PS with Bybee
« Reply #3 on: 21 Nov 2007, 03:41 pm »
Thank you for your comments.

Things have changed in the power supply area, lately.

If you already have an Ultimate PS, I would say the biggest upgrade you can make is to get the Aspen Audio "Nirvana" regulator installed.

For a limited time I will be installing these for $500.00. This WILL make a bigger difference to the sound then adding the Bybee Purifiers.

Don't get me wrong, the Bybee Purifiers do some wonderful things. If it was a choice between either the Bybee Purifiers OR the Aspen Audio Nirvana, I highly suggest the regulator.

I have yet to hear what the Nirvana regulators do with the Ultimate MK IV with Bybee Purifiers. I have a couple of those coming in next week for the upgrades. I will try to post some of my impressions, but my system is scattered through out the country on demo. Hopefully I can get enough of it back to evaluate the difference between the MK II with Nirvana and the MK IV with Nirvana.

mr_bill

Re: Ultimate II PS with Bybee
« Reply #4 on: 21 Nov 2007, 04:04 pm »
aeo,
In both cases were you only using the SB3 and the Meridian as transports into the Tact or were you ever using the analog outputs in comparison?
Thanks,
bill

aeo12

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Re: Ultimate II PS with Bybee
« Reply #5 on: 21 Nov 2007, 06:31 pm »
I only used the SB3 and Meridian as transports into the Tact.  My SB3 only has the digital mods, not the analog.

ipy

Re: Ultimate II PS with Bybee
« Reply #6 on: 23 Dec 2007, 03:19 am »
......I have yet to hear what the Nirvana regulators do with the Ultimate MK IV with Bybee Purifiers. I have a couple of those coming in next week for the upgrades. I will try to post some of my impressions, but my system is scattered through out the country on demo. Hopefully I can get enough of it back to evaluate the difference between the MK II with Nirvana and the MK IV with Nirvana.
Wayne,
Have you got an impression yet?  I have a MKII with Bybee Purifiers & was thinking of an upgrade to a MKIV, Bybees intact.  Apologise if this was mentioned somewhere else or in another thread
Thanks,

Wayne1

Re: Ultimate II PS with Bybee
« Reply #7 on: 23 Dec 2007, 04:14 pm »
The MK IV is a very good upgrade and it does make a difference to the sound.

With the units I have modded so far, I feel that the MK II with Nirvana sounds "better" than a MKIV with Bybees and no Nirvana. I have heard a MKII with Bybees and Nirvana and it sounds fantastic.

The Nirvana upgrade will make a bigger change in the sound than the MKIV upgrade will. If you have a MKIV, the Nirvana upgrade will take you to a wonderful place.

Zybar has a MKIV with Bybees and really seems to like it. My first demo of what the Nirvana upgrade could do was at a get together at TweekGeeks. I compared an Ultimate MKIV with Bybees to an Ultimate MKII without Bybees and the Nirvana. All who heard it preferred the MKII with Nirvana.

That is the direction I do suggest for you. Keep the PS at the MKII level with Bybees and have me install the Nirvana regulator.

zybar

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Re: Ultimate II PS with Bybee
« Reply #8 on: 23 Dec 2007, 07:29 pm »
The MK IV is a very good upgrade and it does make a difference to the sound.

With the units I have modded so far, I feel that the MK II with Nirvana sounds "better" than a MKIV with Bybees and no Nirvana. I have heard a MKII with Bybees and Nirvana and it sounds fantastic.

The Nirvana upgrade will make a bigger change in the sound than the MKIV upgrade will. If you have a MKIV, the Nirvana upgrade will take you to a wonderful place.

Zybar has a MKIV with Bybees and really seems to like it. My first demo of what the Nirvana upgrade could do was at a get together at TweekGeeks. I compared an Ultimate MKIV with Bybees to an Ultimate MKII without Bybees and the Nirvana. All who heard it preferred the MKII with Nirvana.

That is the direction I do suggest for you. Keep the PS at the MKII level with Bybees and have me install the Nirvana regulator.

Go for the Nirvana...you will not regret making that choice. 

It is an exceptional upgrade and IMHO will produce a bigger improvement than going from Mk II to Mk IV status.

While I am just going from memory, I am pretty darn confident in my recommendation.  It isn't that the MK IV isn't good (it is), it's that the Nirvana is outstanding!

George

ipy

Re: Ultimate II PS with Bybee
« Reply #9 on: 24 Dec 2007, 06:52 pm »
Thanks George & Wayne.  Just need to work out when I can send the unit back for the mods  :thumb: