Hi all,
This thread is a spin-off of my previous thread, where I described some problems. As the problems are now gone, I deemed it unfair to keep on posting under the same headline. Hence the new tread.
After spending quite considerable time with the Vantages - especially here in the holiday -. I must say that I now have the best sound I have ever heard right here in my own living room! Yes, I have heard more expensive systems elsewhere, but this system is mine, and voiced to my taste.
My front-end is mainly vinyl: A Michell Orbe (wallmounted) with an Ortofon Rondo Bronce in an Audiomods arm. My RIAA is a DIY tube kit with step-up trafos (World Designs WDPHONO3S XL) and NOS tubes. Its as quit as any RIAA I've ever heard provided that it's kept clear of hum-fields. My amplifiers are from Vincent Audio. The tube preamt SA-T1 and the hybrid monoblocks SP-T100. They run in class A up to 20 Watts in 4 Ohm, and I doubt that I ever go beyond that - so no crossover distortion for me.
I am quite sensitive to "hot" or aggressive treble, so digital is not my cup of tea. Besides, I aminly listen to classical, and mint pressings of the great "golden-age" recordings are often available second hand for a song. Apart from classical, I listen to rock and jazz. I prioritize correct timbre over ultimate dynamics.
My impression of the Vantages are that they are truly special! They don't really care what I give them, the just deliver. The integration between the panel and the bass is formidable. On Richter's recording of Dvorak's cello concerto, the rasp of the strings and the fullness of the body are completely integrated. Well done Voitko! The detail and space in the top is beyond any dynamic drivers I've ever heard, and the fact that there is no phase or dispersion discontinuities between the voice and the sibilants of female singers make opera a very special experience. The only dynamic speaker I have ever heard the approaches this is the Dynaudio Consequence at 10 times the price of the Vantages.
Regarding bass slam and dynamics, I have just watched Iron Man, and really missed nothing. But I'm not the most fanatic in this regard, so other listeners may disagree.
But the quality of the bass! I heard a quite fantastic live recording of Stan Getz with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (The Great Dane) on bass. It was amazing! The egality (non-boomines) of bass is on par with the best I've heard, and leaves conventional reflex loaded systems in the dust! I cannot understand why ML never developed the transmission line loading further! It's true that it doesn't go as low as a passive radiator system like the Ethos, but it also has less overhang due to the very small moving mass of the air in the line. And it's not resonant like a conventional port.
Anyway, I am one happy camper now, and going back to box...NoWay!
This thread is a spin-off of my previous thread, where I described some problems. As the problems are now gone, I deemed it unfair to keep on posting under the same headline. Hence the new tread.
After spending quite considerable time with the Vantages - especially here in the holiday -. I must say that I now have the best sound I have ever heard right here in my own living room! Yes, I have heard more expensive systems elsewhere, but this system is mine, and voiced to my taste.
My front-end is mainly vinyl: A Michell Orbe (wallmounted) with an Ortofon Rondo Bronce in an Audiomods arm. My RIAA is a DIY tube kit with step-up trafos (World Designs WDPHONO3S XL) and NOS tubes. Its as quit as any RIAA I've ever heard provided that it's kept clear of hum-fields. My amplifiers are from Vincent Audio. The tube preamt SA-T1 and the hybrid monoblocks SP-T100. They run in class A up to 20 Watts in 4 Ohm, and I doubt that I ever go beyond that - so no crossover distortion for me.
I am quite sensitive to "hot" or aggressive treble, so digital is not my cup of tea. Besides, I aminly listen to classical, and mint pressings of the great "golden-age" recordings are often available second hand for a song. Apart from classical, I listen to rock and jazz. I prioritize correct timbre over ultimate dynamics.
My impression of the Vantages are that they are truly special! They don't really care what I give them, the just deliver. The integration between the panel and the bass is formidable. On Richter's recording of Dvorak's cello concerto, the rasp of the strings and the fullness of the body are completely integrated. Well done Voitko! The detail and space in the top is beyond any dynamic drivers I've ever heard, and the fact that there is no phase or dispersion discontinuities between the voice and the sibilants of female singers make opera a very special experience. The only dynamic speaker I have ever heard the approaches this is the Dynaudio Consequence at 10 times the price of the Vantages.
Regarding bass slam and dynamics, I have just watched Iron Man, and really missed nothing. But I'm not the most fanatic in this regard, so other listeners may disagree.
But the quality of the bass! I heard a quite fantastic live recording of Stan Getz with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (The Great Dane) on bass. It was amazing! The egality (non-boomines) of bass is on par with the best I've heard, and leaves conventional reflex loaded systems in the dust! I cannot understand why ML never developed the transmission line loading further! It's true that it doesn't go as low as a passive radiator system like the Ethos, but it also has less overhang due to the very small moving mass of the air in the line. And it's not resonant like a conventional port.
Anyway, I am one happy camper now, and going back to box...NoWay!