Forums - Reflecting on Sarah

Kamran

Seasoned Member

Sarah

Posts: 1103

Re: Reflecting on Sarah
Reply #250 - 08/04/24 at 21:02:50

So the reason I’ve been MIA on this thread is because of two main reasons:

1) Struggling to spend time in the rig. This is due to some healthcare concerns with my parents over the past two months plus the heatwave in NJ is making it exceedingly hot and stuffy in the basement. It’s not atypical for me to do 30 min sessions and bolt.

2) I’ve been busy tweaking and evaluating the following:

AUVA EQ footers from Stack Audio
Teddy Pardo LPS for my first switch in the chain (Netgear) that is connected to my modem
SDFB and super piggy for my Phoenix Net
SmoothLAN Network Filter from Stack Audio

I first tried the AUVA EQ on my DAC and was very happy with the result. Night and day difference from the isoacoustics Zazen Platform it was resting on. I was so enamored with it that I ended up getting footers for my Phoenix Net Switch and Streaming Transport and they too, added further refinement.

After mulling, trying, failing, and then mulling for another year, I ended up getting a Teddy Pardo LPS for my Netgear Switch. That too was a positive. More subtle than the AUVA EQ’s, but still there.

Getting my fourth SDFB and power cord from Mark for the Phoenix Net was yet another enhancement—that was a forgone conclusion based on the SDFB track record to date.

I also decided to checkout the Stack Audio SmoothLAN Filter and got some positive results there as well.

All in all, I’m getting much better bass, much more detail (I don’t know why that surprised me), better soundstage/layering (with a special nod to depth), more dynamics and increased resolution. There is this sense of undeniable sonic mass in the notes, which I can’t get enough of and the vocals are even more intimate, clear, and in the room. A lot of the recordings that I’m intimately familiar with sound new—and that can only be a good thing!

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Kamran

Seasoned Member

Sarah

Posts: 1103

Re: Reflecting on Sarah
Reply #251 - 08/08/24 at 02:58:35

One thing I forgot to mention—-after my second Cryotone 5AR4 v2 arced, I reached out to Don and he is no longer recommending that particular rectifier for Sarah. I am getting a replacement 5U4 next week, which I’m also currently using in place of the 5AR4.

In the meantime, I think undersold how amazing the music sounds with the AUVA EQ’s in my last post. The first set of footers on my DAC added cavernous bass, more drive/slam with grip, the sound signature became just a tad rounder at the edges vs. being precise making it a touch warmer (which I dig), and the soundstage, while certainly a touch bigger, was not necessarily because the scale increased (which has happened before), but I was getting this sense of a hole being plugged. Like there was missing pieces in the notes—that were now suddenly fully realized. I don’t know how else to explain it. And oh, better PRaT was also another positive outcome.

The additional footers added depth and detail, that I thought I had plenty.
However, over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been just awestruck at how much deeper I’m listening in to the recordings with so much more micro detail that I didn’t realize was there.

I’m slowly going to work my way towards getting AUVA EQ’s under all my gear.

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Innuos Pulse Streaming Transport and Phoenix Net Switch-Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE DAC-Ic0n4 Autoformer Passive Pre-Sarah 300B SET Amp-ZBIT-GIK Room Treatment-Caintuck Audio Magnum Baffles—Li Audio Fast 15 Drivers-P.I. Audio MajikBuss & Puritan PSM 156 Conditioners

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will

Seasoned Member

Posts: 3041

Re: Reflecting on Sarah
Reply #252 - 08/08/24 at 15:16:46

Hey Kamran. Sounds like the Auva EQs are doing the right things for you. I find all the more worked out feet help in their own ways, but also adjust the sound differently...especially those with "compliant damping" seeming to be more difficult to work out with a high level of transparency and neutrality. Though perhaps sounding great to a lot of folks, to me some I have tried were a little over damped. As a point of comparison, I wonder what feet you used before these?

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Kamran

Seasoned Member

Sarah

Posts: 1103

Re: Reflecting on Sarah
Reply #253 - 08/08/24 at 16:13:24

Hey Will— Good to hear from you!

I would say there is definitely more transparency with the new footers. I’m hearing ever deeper into the recordings over the past couple of weeks and the difference over the isoacoustics platform that my DAC rested on is anything but subtle. The Innuos gear has really good anti-vibration footers to begin with, matched to the resonant frequency of the chassis, so I didn’t have aftermarket footers for them but after learning that a lot of Stack Audio customers had AUVA EQ’s underneath their Innuos gear convinced me to give it a shot and it was a homerun on both counts.

I would highly recommend you give them a shot. Josh @stack audio is a gem to deal with.

Cheers,

Kamran

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Innuos Pulse Streaming Transport and Phoenix Net Switch-Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE DAC-Ic0n4 Autoformer Passive Pre-Sarah 300B SET Amp-ZBIT-GIK Room Treatment-Caintuck Audio Magnum Baffles—Li Audio Fast 15 Drivers-P.I. Audio MajikBuss & Puritan PSM 156 Conditioners

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Lon Seasoned Member "Love without guts is worthless!" Philip K. Dick Posts: 24742	Re: Reflecting on Sarah Reply #254 - 08/08/24 at 16:34:43 Great to hear about the Stack footers. I read good things about them on another forum. One person replaced VooDoo Cable IsoPods (which I use) with them and said they were a little better. I ordered a set of 4 to try under my PS Audio P15.
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will Seasoned Member Posts: 3041	Re: Reflecting on Sarah Reply #255 - 08/09/24 at 13:27:59 Thanks Kamran, I should just order some and try them, you are right!
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Kamran Seasoned Member Sarah Posts: 1103	Re: Reflecting on Sarah Reply #256 - 10/13/24 at 05:52:38
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Kamran Seasoned Member Sarah Posts: 1103	Re: Reflecting on Sarah Reply #257 - 10/13/24 at 23:45:26
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Geno Seasoned Member Without music, life would be a mistake. Posts: 2152	Re: Reflecting on Sarah Reply #258 - 10/14/24 at 00:24:43 Beautiful photos Kam. An absolute work of art!
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Kamran

Seasoned Member

Sarah

Posts: 1103

Re: Reflecting on Sarah
Reply #259 - 10/15/24 at 00:53:27

Thanks Geno— I wanted to capture how a small light source (my Schitt Mani’s powered on state) illuminated it from behind. I really dig how the second picture captures the contours of the amp and its shadow on the butcher block platform, the overhang of the SE input cable, and the translucency of the wbt connectors of my speaker cable going in to the binding posts—in addition to the beautiful glow of the tubes of-course.

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Kamran Seasoned Member Sarah Posts: 1103	Re: Reflecting on Sarah Reply #260 - 11/08/24 at 21:59:10 My first year anniversary with Sarah!
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Lon Seasoned Member "Love without guts is worthless!" Philip K. Dick Posts: 24742	Re: Reflecting on Sarah Reply #261 - 11/09/24 at 00:28:17 Congrats Kam!
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Tony Seasoned Member "Life without ..music is inconceivable" A.Einsteln Posts: 694	Re: Reflecting on Sarah Reply #262 - 11/09/24 at 00:35:45 Congratulations indeed! I've followed your journey, and that too has been fun. May the next year be even better!
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Kamran Seasoned Member Sarah Posts: 1103	Re: Reflecting on Sarah Reply #263 - 11/09/24 at 00:39:00 Thx Guys! The journey has been amazing and continues to be. The last year, especially, has been pure sonic Bliss!
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Lon Seasoned Member "Love without guts is worthless!" Philip K. Dick Posts: 24742	Re: Reflecting on Sarah Reply #264 - 11/09/24 at 00:45:04 It's an amazing machine, and I think you'll agree it educates you. And though you think by now you have a Master's Degree, if yours is like mine it is pushing you towards a P.H.D.!
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Geno Seasoned Member Without music, life would be a mistake. Posts: 2152	Re: Reflecting on Sarah Reply #265 - 11/10/24 at 01:15:49 Man, does time fly! Seems like just the other day, that you posted you had received it. Congrats, and I hope each passing year with it, is better than the last!
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