[oneinthepipe]

My new Insight 440, Insight SL pre-amp with phono and remote (thanks, folks, for the advice about the remote), and Insight DAC were shipped on Friday, and I expect to receive the equipment by the end of next week. 

The Insight amp and pre-amp will replace my Omega 50 (SC-50) integrated amp. 

The speakers are Spendor S3/5; they are rather inefficient and don't have much power handling capacity, but they're in a small room, and I won't blow them apart with the Insight 440.    The sources are an AR-EB101 turntable and a JoLida JD100 CDP.

I don't intend to conduct any A-B comparisons, except with the DAC, because there isn't much to compare, but I also have a Super 70i that I will use with the Insight pre-amp.
 

[Wayner]

Goody! Let us hear a review from you after you've digested some tunes for awhile. I believe there is a nice increase in dynamic speed. You'll find out.

Wayner

[martyo]

AND based on my experience with AVA/UPS you won't have to wait until the end of the week. I'm in the Chicago suburbs and ALL my gear has arrived in 1 day. With Minn. being near the middle of the country I'd think 3 days will get it almost anywhere.

Happy listening! 

[WGH]

The Insight DAC is very, very nice.
Mine arrived this week.

Yes, keep us updated after you have a chance to listen for a while.

[gjs_cds]

I believe there is a nice increase in dynamic speed.

Hey Wayner--I'm struggling with this.  Yes--I think you're right.  I've gotten that clear perception as well.

But can someone explain to me how this is possible?  Electricity moves at the speed of light.  So how can something sound "faster"?  It's not like the electrons are breaking the immutable laws of physics...

This is the kind of thing that bothers me.  Maybe I'm too dang empirical for my own good--even though my experience is exactly 100% what you describe.  I just try not to acknowledge it to myself, because I can't explain it to myself...

[DeadFish]

I believe there is a nice increase in dynamic speed.

Hey Wayner--I'm struggling with this.  Yes--I think you're right.  I've gotten that clear perception as well.

But can someone explain to me how this is possible?  Electricity moves at the speed of light.  So how can something sound "faster"?  It's not like the electrons are breaking the immutable laws of physics...

Slap me if I'm wrong, but maybe this will work for you:
You admit that electricity at the speed o' light takes *some* time to get somewhere, like through any circuit.
Think of 'faster' as 'not-as-slow'. 
Or, maybe the music is 'leaning forward.'

Hope this helps, or maybe I'm fooling myself.

Regards,
DeadFish

[Wayner]

Yea, as deadfish was getting at, a circuit has all kinds of components in it. Their interaction can affect time travel. Capacitors are often called time machines, that is why cross-over networks are tricky because the timing of signal to the woofer or tweeter will become seperated (by time) by too complex of a circuit. Hense is the effect known as phase-shift.

Wayner

[gjs_cds]

Yea, as deadfish was getting at, a circuit has all kinds of components in it. Their interaction can affect time travel. Capacitors are often called time machines, that is why cross-over networks are tricky because the timing of signal to the woofer or tweeter will become seperated (by time) by too complex of a circuit. Hense is the effect known as phase-shift.

I had thought of this as my only possible explanation--and it does seem plausible.  But I then thought--'wait a minute...relative phase is pretty easy to measure and quantify.  And if relative phase on amplifier output was a source degradation, wouldn't amp companies with big advertising budgets make an issue of this?  Buy this amp, because all other amps have crummy relative phase shifts...'

I'm just wondering if this is entering into the psychoacoustic.  What we're appreciating is the fine tuning of a circuit, such that it's relative phase shift is optimized with how humans perceive sound.

[gjs_cds]

Yea, as deadfish was getting at, a circuit has all kinds of components in it. Their interaction can affect time travel. Capacitors are often called time machines, that is why cross-over networks are tricky because the timing of signal to the woofer or tweeter will become seperated (by time) by too complex of a circuit. Hense is the effect known as phase-shift.

I had thought of this as my only possible explanation--and it does seem plausible.  But I then thought--'wait a minute...relative phase is pretty easy to measure and quantify.  And if relative phase on amplifier output was a source degradation, wouldn't amp companies with big advertising budgets make an issue of this?  Buy this amp, because all other amps have crummy relative phase shifts...'

I'm just wondering if this is entering into the psychoacoustic.  What we're appreciating is the fine tuning of a circuit, such that it's relative phase shift is optimized with how humans perceive sound.  (Or maybe a little of both...)

[Wayner]

The speaker example I gave was to illustrate how capacitors and induction coils can affect the signal. A speaker usually has at least 2 drivers in it, a woofer and a tweeter. At the inputs of the speaker cabinet, the circuit usually goes into a parallel configuration, one circuit heads off to the tweeter, the other to the woofer. With a complex cross-over network for the tweeter, the relative signal phase (timing) can become out of step with the woofer, because the woofer's cross-over was less complex. The result of this poorly designed cross-over network would result having the tweeter and woofer respond to their respective portions of the signal out of step. Careful speaker designers do diligence to make sure that such a negative thing doesn't happen. This is another example of how circuit board components affect the "speed of electricity".

Wayner

[oneinthepipe]

My Insight equipment has arrived! (and a day early!)  When I arrived at work this morning, the UPS driver was parked down the street.    In order to save him an extra trip, I volunteered to take my packages a few hours early, since he usually delivers in the late afternoon.  He delivered the equipment directly into the trunk of my car. 

I connected the preamp and DAC through my Super70i, since I haven't been able to sneak the 440EX into the house, yet.

The sound is great!  A Super 70i never before sounded this good!  The output of the DAC is much more detailed than the output of my JoLida JD100A, although the JoLida is warmer (or duller, perhaps).  I haven't played any vinyl yet, and I have to wait until later tonight to connect the 440EX, but I'll have a lot to report later.

Needless to say, this is significantly substantially  A WHOLE LOT better than my Omega 50.

And thank you, Frank, for gently suggesting that I get the remote for the preamp.  It is nice.   From now on, Frank, please feel free to just tell me what to purchase.   

I'm listening to Nora Jones through Spendor S3/5.  It's female vocalist nirvana.  I might even need to break out the KEF 101's.

[Wayner]

What do you mean....sneak it into the house (with the 440 amp)? Does the wifey not know about the purchase????? For a certain amount of cash (paid weekly) we can keep our mouths shut, the more money, the tighter the lips. Otherwise if she asks, we spill our guts and I think you are in the dog house (and she gets to listen to the new AVA stuff). 

[oneinthepipe]

Extortion!!!  How much do you want?

My wife is very busy and has a lot of important things to think about, and I didn't want to burden her with the mundanity of a little amplifier purchase. 

Although she listened to the connected equipment and liked the sound, the pieces look similar enough that she might not notice another black box, which found it's way, incidentally, into the house a few minutes ago while she was shopping.     The packing boxes found their way into the basement, too.  When she was leaving, I asked her to stop by You Do It Electronics to pick up an interconnect cable.  I hope that wasn't a give-away. 

I sneak stuff into the house for her, too.  A couple of years ago, I hid a 42" TV from her for weeks before the baseball season started (she's a baseball fanatic).

On a side note, if you guys don't know about sneaking stuff in the house, you probably don't collect firearms.   



 

[Wayner]

Where is our cash payout (hush money). I also like firearms. (a reminder for anyone that thinks they are going to break in to my house, it will not be good). 9MM, 357 and others.

[gjs_cds]

oneinthepipe...  Wayner...  You guys crack me up. 

Have I told you guys the story when I got my Acoustat 2+2's.  She told me to describe them before purchase, and I did.  "Oh, they're about 2 feet wide, 3 inches thick and *mumbles* feet high." 

Sure dear, she said.

I picked them up while she was out of town w/ one of her girlfriends...  When she arrived, she was stunned to see our most recent purchase.  All 8 feet high of them. 

She's done well with my purchases since then.  440HC, Omegastar SL, and a modded out ST-70.  (Should'a held out for the U70, but went w/ a Curcio instead.  I rarely listen to it...)

Oh--and there is but one sidearm, and that is the M1911.

[oneinthepipe]

Oh--and there is but one sidearm, and that is the M1911.

Oh, I have a few of those.  Two Miller Custom Caspians, two Greg Derr Caspians, a Tibbetts Colt, a LaRocca Colt, two Baers, an STI Lawman, and a Wilson CQB Compact.  1911 nirvana.

I also like firearms. 9MM, 357 and others.

My BUG is a 9MM, a Kahr PM9.

[sueata1]

I first heard the Speed Phenom back in the 80's when I hooked up with AVA.....
and switched all my Mid-Fi stuff to separates...  It was an Awesome change but it took me awhile
to say to One of my buds,   ya know for some reason these cds sound Faster,tighter,quicker transients,,etc....
If ya research the Back Issues of Audio Basics I think Frank talks about Q factors & Slew rates which I believe has something to do with this Speed Phenomenon
I don't know It Just Sounds Faster to me!!!!hhmmmm.  Maybe Frank will set us straight.
Happy listening,,,
Mel

[oneinthepipe]

It's fast, alright.  I may need faster speakers!

[Wayner]

My new Onkyo HD tuner sounds pretty fine with the new Insight amp and preamp, too.

Wayner with another day off........tomorrow too!

 aa

[oneinthepipe]

It never stops, I know, and since acquiring the new components, I started thinking about speakers, which is contraindicative to my past practices, where my amplifier decisions were generally based upon my current or anticipated speakers.  I like my Spendor S3/5, but quite frankly, their limits are illuminated with the Insight DAC, preamp, and amp.  Even Norah's voice was a little strained under volume through the Spendor S3/5.  With my Omega 50 and without the DAC, I never noticed any straining.  Without the DAC, there were a lot of things, I believe, that I wasn't noticing (even though I believe that the JoLida JD100A is a fine CDP).

Then, I browsed upon a pair of Totem Mani-2, local to me, listed for 2600.00 on the 'gon.  It's tempting, but they are purported to be a tough load to drive, producing very low impedances at low frequencies.  My Insight 440EX was just delivered, and I am now wondering if I should have purchased the 440EXH. 

On the other hand, there are a lot of other speakers the 440EX will easily drive (it might drive the Mani-2, for all I know) like larger Spendor and Harbeth speakers (I do have a love for the Brit monitors, obviously). 

Nevertheless, if I were to do it again, I would have ordered the EXH.

A very noobie-type situation, I know.