After working on my Clarinet and Cornet2 for 7-8 months time, I needed to have time to actually compare these pieces to what is out there on the used market. Stuff that was A rated by the audio rags.
I have had the good fortune in my life to own or retail a variety of midfi and high fidelity products. Also, I have traveled around a bit in the last two years to hear other peoples systems and compare my turntables and electronics. Sometimes in head to head comparisons.
Here is my Cornet2 althought I do have a couple of changes to report:
I have removed one FT-3 bypassing the first 47uf B+ cap nearest the rectifier. It is not necessary.
I have mounted both FT-3 to the board for the incoming signal cap. In the picture it shows only the left side mounted to the board.
The unit now shows just 8 FT-3 Russian Teflons and I have removed the Dynamicaps on the side boards and replaced these with 0.22uf Russian K40Y9 caps for the B+ bypasses. I like this change for how it effects timbre.
Getting back to the reality check, some of the phono sections I have heard include the Pass Xono, the Manley Steelhead, the Wave Light, the Krell, the Lamb, the Plinius, and the Thor. These are recent enough auditions that I feel I can adequately relate the differences between the units.
First I am not trying to impune any particular manufacturer or state that the systems I heard were fully optimized. Audio is a constantly evolving hobby and things we learn and change along the route are what make this a fun way to spend our time and money. I am sure a lot of us would be happy owning any of these brands.
As for the Pass Xono. Expect speed and detail. This thing is superbly fast however I found its overall sound quality to be tight and dry. I like detail but I do not care for an analytical sound. That is how I heard it play - dry and analytical. When a Trombone blats out a note it should not sound like a plastic toy instrument. I need to hear the flesh and blood of the performance. I felt I was listening in black and white.
The Manley Steelhead is one awesome piece for those that need to do everything at the listening seat with remote control capability. While being a shade less analytical than the Pass Xono I still felt that bass lines lacked the grunt and growl I hear at a live performance. It was there but subdued. It also seemed to lack a fully three dimensional soundstage which is not something I would have expected. Last, the highs sounded more like white noise than like actual instrument harmonics.
The Wave Light is a currious piece. I really wanted to hear it side by side against my Clarinet/Cornet2 combination but time prevented me from doing so. I would describe the overall sound to be more like the Hagerman than like the Pass or the Manley. I understand these Wave Lights are hideously expensive.
The Krell phono was in a Krell preamp and the combination was very engaging and very neutral. I liked the sound a great deal with Roland balanced mono amps. However the Krell is a tough piece to match. If you go with a Krell amp, it ends up sounding a bit bright and edgy. If you mix and match the sound is all over the map. The Krell takes a lot of time and effort to get sounding right. When you do, it can hold its own with other superb vintage high end pieces like the CAT.
The Lamb was a real disappointment in my line of thinking. The sound was like you were standing in the hallway leading to the performance hall. I just thought to myself who at Stereophile felt this deserves an A rating? I am shocked. They described the sound as dark and laid back. I describe it as dull and uninvolving.
The Plinius was compact and easy to set up but it sounded two dimensional and lacked the effortless dynamics of my Hagerman pieces. We played back and forth for several hours and every time the C2 was playing, the vocals were clearer, cleaner, and the overall performance had more realism.
The Thor is not a cheap piece. Like the Pass Xono or the Manley these retailed at more than 6000 dollars when new. The Hagerman got lower in the bass registers, had a lot more width and midrange detail, the overall timbre of the instruments was better with the C2. The stand out attribute was the dynamics. The slam and drive were far better with the C2. Interestingly, in spite of having better upper midrange and highs my Cornet2 actually displayed LESS sibilance and was more linear from top to bottom.
The C2 created quite a stir during my trips. No one thought this Hagerman could stand up to a Lamb or Thor. No problem at all actually. The C2 surpassed both by a comfortable margin. The bottom line is that my slightly modified C2 beat out some big names out there.
In summary here is how I would describe my C2. It was as fast as the quickest phonos out there. Listen to a Pass Xono or a Manley if you can. I matched up identically.
In dynamics, space, and slam the C2 had no peers. It was heads above all comers.
In terms of timbral accuracy the C2 was clearly more natural and in fact everyone recognized just how linear this thing sounds from top to bottom. There is no weak area in the sound stage at all.
Bass drum, kick drum, percussion instruments and bass guitar have a natural growl and slam that can knock you out of your seat.
One important point I find extremely important is that no matter how poor the recording, the C2 allows me to enjoy every side of an LP with more satisfaction for the time spent.
Negatives? It took me 7 months to find all the magic I was after.
Positives? I am no longer interested in hearing phono stages or different brands. Now I am into tube rolling and playing music. I am one satisfied customer and Jim Hagerman is both a genius and a gentleman.
Thanks go out to everyone here who lent information and support. I absorbed it all and made my Hagerman into one awesome performer.
