[WEEZ]

Dave, so I understand that you will be in Denver this October. That's great . Will you be showing the "b" version; or the "c" version?

Inquiring minds would like to know aa.....

thanks,

WEEZ

[David Ellis]

Both speakers will be present.

The other very significant part of the setup will be Hugh's most recent Life Force amplifiers.  These amps are profoundly good.

Dave

[WEEZ]

Thanks for the info Looking forward to hearing the speakers with Hugh's amps...and meeting you in person.

WEEZ

[AKSA]

David,

I look forward hugely to this collaboration, and can tell you that the Mark II Lifeforce 100W will be there, right after the upcoming review with Tonepublications.

I also would like to bring along a new high tech power supply for the SqueezeBox.  This is revolutionary technology, protected by encapsulation, and it utterly transforms the presentation, bringing all digital music to life.  I would expect with your speakers the results will be scintillating - it's very like vinyl.

With your CD player, a very good one, we can AB, and demo to anyone who cares to listen!!

I've bought the ticket to LAX, so I'm halfway there......

Cheers,

Hugh

[fajimr]

I've bought the ticket to LAX, so I'm halfway there......

Hugh

ever read 'fear and loathing in las vegas'?  might give you some alternate ideas for getting to denver... 
of course the two of you will be there at a particular time when I will be on the 'other' side of the continent 

jim

[AKSA]

Jim,

Nice to see you here - Dave, please indulge us, old mates having a drink........

Fear and Loathing??  Oddly enough, I began to read it again recently, it's by my bed right now along with 'The Algebraist'!!  Bits remind me of Jack Kerouac, Richard Brautigan, JP Dunleavy, and William Burroughs.  I even have a copy of 'Hells Angels', Hunter's seminal text from the sixties.  I'm particularly fond of 'Terry the Tramp'.

Thompson is a modern day stream of consciousness writer, just incredible - a kind of maniacal Kerouac!  A very sad end, like Spectre, obsessed with firearms.

I'm very sorry you won't be there, Jim.  I sincerely want to meet you.  Still, you could cross the pond on a sabbatical, you know.... 

Cheers,

Hugh

[JohnR]

I've bought the ticket to LAX, so I'm halfway there......

A good deal more than halfway... it's a long flight!

[fajimr]

guess I was right on target hugh   

Actually if you had the time I think you'd enjoy the drive (once you got out of LA that is...)  wide open roads, desert feel taking you into the mountains, including some great side trips in Southern Utah/Grand Canyon, I could even tell you how to get to a nice hot springs that is owned by a graphic artist that worked for the grateful dead (story told by him goes that the bus broke down on the way to a gig and he fell in love with the place and bought it)...  Its only 12 hours or so...

and tis a pity that our paths won't cross this time... maybe in oz though, its still on my list of destinations

jim

[natemil]

All,

I really enjoyed the opportunity to meet Dave, Hugh and Marty at the show.  It was quite a treat for me, especially when Hugh and Marty gets going.

I've listened to my of 1801Bs for 4+ years now and am quite familiar with the sound quality that the 1801's capable.  However, I've not listened to the 1801 Floor version.  In my set-up, I tried various SS and tube amps.  My experience is probably typical with others that different amps will bring out out different strengths (and weaknesses). 

I may say that Hugh's Soraya amp was very capable of working the whole spectrum in making the speakers go deep as well as produce the accuracy and clarity that's known to the 1801s.  The most notable was the bass level brought out that's definitely not attainable with a lesser amp.  At times, others have peak around looking for the non-existant subs.

All-in-all, I had a very enjoyable experience with the exception of not being able to listen or A-B the 1801Cs.  Dave did explained that the cabinets was not quite ready. Oh well, I'll look for future opportunities.

Happy Listening,

Doug

[avahifi]

I just wanted to say thank you for using our Ultra DAC in your room for the RMAF.

Combined with Hugh Dean's outstanding Aspen amplifier and your very astonishing 1801 speakers, the room was one of very few that had the "magic" sound I insist upon but rarely hear.

I was pleased to hear that the Ultra DAC did well driving the Aspen amp directly with a passive volume control.  We had not tried that before, had computed that it should work well, but were happy to hear it actually did well in person.

Best regards,

Frank Van Alstine

[David Ellis]

It was quite a treat for me, especially when Hugh and Marty gets going. 

I believe this was the most remarkable part of the show for me.  Those two guys are a riot .  I fully believe their antics are easily on par with Abbott & Costello .  They are very quick socially.

I will comment on several areas this evening, but for now... yes Franks DAC was marginally better than my Anthem CD-1.  And, my Anthem CD-1 has about $800 of upgraded parts under the hood.  It's filled with the very best coupling caps, diodes, and electrolytic capacators.  The only other CD player I have encountered that was close to my CD-1 was a heavily modified Opus 21 costing about $3500.  So, Frank's DAC was indeed very good.

Dave

[TomW16]

I had been listening to Ellis 1801s through Frank's DAC (old Topp DAC model), a passive pre and an AVA 350 amp and I can attest that the "magic" was happening in my living room.  It is a very good combination.

Cheers,
Tom

[brj]

The only other CD player I have encountered that was close to my CD-1 was a heavily modified Opus 21 costing about $3500.

Was the Resolution Opus 21 mod performed by Great Northern Sound, by chance?  I've heard that player extensively in a truly excellent system, and it had the widest soundstage of any source I've ever heard.  (It was just displaced in that same system by a MBL player, whose identifier escapes me, but at a significantly higher price-point.)  I believe that the CD-1 was in use when I visited, but if the GNS Opus 21 is the CD player you are referencing, then Frank's DAC sounds like one to add to the audition list...

As an aside, I enjoyed meeting you Dave, and your room was one of the more enjoyable and better sounding that I visited (unusual room treatments aside! ).  Unfortunately, I must have hit it when the AKSA contingent was out visiting other rooms, so I didn't have the opportunity to meet them, but perhaps they'll be tempted back next year?

By the way, what demo disc were you using when you visited Jim's room to audition the Song Towers?  After a choral work, you switched tracks a few seconds into what I believe was a Bach piece that sounded really good...

Thanks!

-Brian

[David Ellis]

Was the Resolution Opus 21 mod performed by Great Northern Sound, by chance?

Yep, it sure was.  Those folks in Stillwater Minnesota did some excellent work on that CD player .

GNS Opus 21 is the CD player you are referencing, then Frank's DAC sounds like one to add to the audition list...

And, I am fairly sure that Frank offers a 30 day return policy.  Hence, if you don't like it, you can return it in 30 days. 

By the way, what demo disc were you using when you visited Jim's room to audition the Song Towers?  After a choral work, you switched tracks a few seconds into what I believe was a Bach piece that sounded really good...

I have found ALL of the reference recordings material excellent.  They are on par with Chesky IMO.  The specific CD is this one:



http://www.referencerecordings.com/SAMPLE.asp

The room treatments will be more appropriate in the future.  This was our first year and I really didn't know what to expect in the room.  When we turned on the system without room treatments it was awful.  I thought, "oh, no".  It was a disaster.  The mattresses may not have been visually appealing, but they helped dramatically.

Dave

[BrianM]

Oh, might as well chime in, too, that the AVA + 1801 combo is a winner.  Very gratifying to hear from Dave about the DAC's capabilities. 

I take it the 1801Cs weren't there.  I'm looking forward to more feedback on those.

[David Ellis]

I take it the 1801Cs weren't there.  I'm looking forward to more feedback on those.

I just didn't get them finished.  The clear coat was wet the day before the event and I flipped the cabinets to spray the other side.  The wet clear coat stuck to the pedestal    .  This was very frustrating.  I had most of a weekend to finish the speakers, but I just couldn't get them done.   I have continued laying a better coat of clear on the cabinets and will have them done for commentary at the IOWA DIY gathering at the end of the month.  Following this, I will leave them at a local hifi friends house for a thorough review.

Dave