MQ of 2.11

[Shreekant Somany]

Hi Peter,
The 2.11 upgrade is truely fantastic. I haven't heard such true quality of perfection which I'am enjoying now. The question is beyond this what?

[PeterSt]

Haha, thank you for you kind words, Shreekant.

Kind regards !
Peter

[briefremarks]

I've finally had a chance to listen to 2.11 without the USB error glitches. This is a big upgrade in SQ.  Some context.  I want to first list the upgrades that have affected SQ significantly in order of impact.

- Mach III audio PC.  This upgrade remains for me critical.  There is no way to overestimate the impact of the Mach III.  I would recommend this upgrade to everyone.  Music takes on a different dimension with the Mach III.  I do not want to say "live" as simulating the musical event, because I fundamentally feel that playback is in a world by itself and not to be compared with live sound.  But music with Mach III crosses a threshold, where it becomes part of the sounds of everyday life.  The most telling quality is that sometimes it is hard to distinguish whether a sound (clap, bell, etc.) was in the music or something in the house.

- G3, Phisolator.  Peter has used the word "electrifying" to describe this upgrade, and that is probably the right word.  There is an energy to reproduction with the G3 upgrade that borders on uncontrollable, but never quite.  It is the reason I kept trying to fix the USB errors with the Phisolator cable.  The NOS1 does not sound the same without the Phisolator. 

- Lush^2 and Blaxius^2.  The best way to evaluate the impact of these upgrades is to try going back.  I tried going back to the regular Blaxius and Lush, and was quite shocked with the improvement with these upgrades.  The impact of these upgrades, however, is one of degree unlike Mach III and G3, which seem to me more fundamental. I also wonder if the difference would be as great without the Mach III and G3 upgrade first.

- 2.11.  With all of the above 2.11 adds clarity, dynamism, detail and balance.  I think all of the upgrades are preparation for 2.11, and now exploited further by it.

I'm currently using the A: BW&YR, B: BW configuration for Lush^2 which I prefer over the standard configuration that ships: A:BWYR, B: BWR.  I also listen with the Orelo Mk II active speakers.

The music is glorious.  I spent some time fiddling with the placement of the Orelos--it does make a difference!  The one area of further improvement I can see relates to dense orchestral music with massed strings and horns.  Symphonies in particular.

Thank you Peter for the journey.  I hope we have not reached the end

Ramesh

[Robert]

Yes Ramesh I agree the Mach III is something else going from 2D to 3D in sound. A fundamental improvement to behold. Probably the most important upgrade even over a DAC. So you could have a cheap DAC with Mach III but not a cheap PC over an expensive DAC. Bit like Expresso coffee the most important part is actually the grinder not the fancy Expresso machine. My Mach III is only new so some way to go yet.

Robert

[briefremarks]

Moved the Orelos apart a bit, 4 inches.  Increased the toe-in a slight bit.  Good balance between soundstage and image.

And then I played Leonard Cohen's "You want it Darker" album  STUNNING! Chilling.  Immersed in the music, the words, the instruments flowing through.

The SQ is absolutely astonishing.  Astonishingly good.  One clear sign to me is the desire to replay some favorite albums.