I swapped the two Reds for Blacks in the Vac Avatar Integrated, and added two Blacks in a Benchmark DAC. Since I had already sent back the Reds, and added two more fuses, any A/B claims I make are not really Apple/Apple. Frank, Charles, and others have done an excellent job of conveying their experience, and I’m not sure I can add much.
Day 1: After four hour burn.
The very first impression was that the sound was fatter and more centered than the Reds. That is, on the Reds, I heard more content in the mid to lower treble range compared to stock, but occasionally some of the clarity had a hint that some lower frequencies had been pared back so that there was less congestion and competition for the mid to lower treble. With the Blacks, there’s a sense that everything is there in fuller proportions. I had commented that the Reds made sources seem more naked, and the Blacks seem to restore some clothing. I wondered if I’d miss that quality of the Reds.
I agree with p59teitel that the bass is very tuneful on the Blacks, and seems more open and relaxed, as if you get a fuller palette of distinct notes in that range, and one extra note at the bottom. There is also a “black’ness” when bass notes are not present in the recording.
But there were some oddities. I had commented that the Reds seemed to move the percussive range of the Enya sound forward, which moved the voice back. To burn in the Blacks, I was using a shuffled playlist of six CD’s, and I swear that when an Enya track came on, it seemed much louder than the other tracks. Really odd, and I have no explanation, except her voice had moved forward and then some. Yeah, I know, “Enya?”
When I first played Graceland, I though it sounded a little odd, as if Ladysmith Black Mambazo had lost of little of their grunt and resonance.
And true to OregonPapa’s prediction, I listened for about ninety minutes, then watched the news.
Day 2:
After a night of burn, Graceland sounded much better, and the first clue of the Black’s strength appeared: On “Boy in a Bubble,” I didn’t just hear the beat and tap my foot; I inhabited the drummer’s body and played those drums with sway and delight. There’s also a subtle sense that the others playing instruments are individuals standing as discrete contributors, concentrating on getting it right.
Ripple (American Beauty, Dead) never sounded so intimate or as nuanced.
The Kiko album (Los Lobos) is a thing to behold with new separation, power, and great rhythmic structure. The band is heard as both cohesive unit and individual virtuosity.
I like the album “Diamond Mountain Sessions” by Sharon Shannon, which is Irish acoustic, spanning guest artists. The track “Galway Girl” has Steve Earle in the room in full twang. Sometimes, Sharon’s instruments melodically squeak, and it’s obvious that the Blacks are revealing more of the higher registers and rapidly sliding notes, riding on top a solid, fuller foundation by the band.
At this point, I’d say there was more “Wow” coming from stock fuses to Reds, and the Blacks add a sense of completeness and increased energy flow.
Day 3 – Just buy the Blacks.
On my modest system, everything is better. I would have described my speakers as slightly mellow, but now I hear chimes and bells shimmering in authenticity. The highs are extended. The bass is extended. The sound stage went from five feet tall to six, and there seems about a foot of added depth on good recordings. Instrument separation changes your experience of well-known tracks. On jazz piano, you hear the piano, and not just piano notes.
I’ll end by sharing that I played side 2 of Abbey Road louder than I ever had to let the Black changes wash over me. “Here Comes the Sun” had been a tidy, polite piece, but now it has power, depth and separation that transforms it. Throughout the entire side, McCartney’s bass and Ringo’s drums are separate instruments, clearly rendered, that you can’t help but follow and appreciate the musicianship.
I half expect the members of this thread to be contacted by scientists, psychiatrists, or perhaps the old UFO Hunters team. What shouldn’t make any/much difference is praised by all observers as real and amazing. Tip o’ hat to OregonPapa – the prophet.
