CAPSv4

[tony]

I should add that Tonys Lampi had a lot of the magic of the Big7 and again no big differences there but the Meitner was the poor relation on the night.

That's very sweet of you Pearse but as somebody posted above once the 7 gets in every thing else slips off the table.
L4.5 is fine once you avoid hearing the Big7.

Simon an Steve didn't notice any difference between PC 2/3. Maybe I would struggle in a blind test but the €4k PC is very much on top.
Of course guys if you go battery route and read Nigels tutorials you can undercut that PC by over half using battery power(lifepo4).
PHynes don't come cheap.

Was thinking a bit more about the speakers and wonder would they be that bit warmer with KT88's. Maybe the KT120's just bring the Jadis closer to a great SS amp.

[nige2000]

I should add that Tonys Lampi had a lot of the magic of the Big7 and again no big differences there but the Meitner was the poor relation on the night.

That's very sweet of you Pearse but as somebody posted above once the 7 gets in every thing else slips off the table.
L4.5 is fine once you avoid hearing the Big7.

Simon an Steve didn't notice any difference between PC 2/3. Maybe I would struggle in a blind test but the €4k PC is very much on top.
Of course guys if you go battery route and read Nigels tutorials you can undercut that PC by over half using battery power(lifepo4).
PHynes don't come cheap.

Was thinking a bit more about the speakers and wonder would they be that bit warmer with KT88's. Maybe the KT120's just bring the Jadis closer to a great SS amp.

hardly surprising a level 7 preforms a bit better than a level 4.543454354 :)
it would really need to

[Steve]

It certainly was a very interesting experience - and very grateful to the guys for hauling over an absolute truckload of kit! Also, quite astonishing how time just vanishes, once you really get into the listening..

Can certainly see how purpose-built PC will really let you get the best out of the DAC. The first experience with the Big 7 and the simplest PC1 setup got me wondering if the Wadia could be bettered. Which for me, was the main object of the session.
Once warmed up and connected to Pearse's PC3 setup, all questions were answered... Christy Live At The Point was simply stunning. Absolutely stunning. Natives is a favourite going back quite some time. The Big7 really got you right into the performance. The depth of soundstage, feeling of being there was just incredible!
Went through a few comparisions of different tracks and as Pearse I think mentioned, the difference between PC2 and PC3 wasn't night and day. Both still let the magic of the Lampi through. I might have thought PC3 was just that little bit cleaner - but really would have to listen to more material to give a better judgement.
Also very much enjoyed the Lampi 4.5. It had that same "organic" sonic signature as the Big 7. Very muscial, clean analog type presentation. In comparision to the Meitner, both seem to give a more natural presentation without the hyperfi getting in the way. That's probably a very unfair comment on the Meitner - which had excellent resolution, great dynamics, very precise placing. Just that it didn't transport you to the event in quite the same way that the Lampi's could.

Tony, I used to have KT88's in the JA80's. Went through couple of sets. For me, the KT120's leaves them for dead. Probably would agreed that KT88's were warmer. But in some ways that warmth obscured a little of what the JA80's can really do. With the KT120's, the scale of presentation underpinned by a deeper bass with greater impact was really what I was looking for. The cleaner presentation gave better separation without any of that artificial hardness that, personally, I fine with some ss kit. But of course, that's just me! With the KT88's, I found that you were always thinking "that's a lovely valve-like sound". With the KT120's, the slight over-warmth was gone, replaced by a transparency that has meant I have never heard the amps being bettered yet..