Hi Sflazor, you will find some of my preliminary findings toward the top of this thread. . . . however I am still evaluating and do not have a definitive answer yet.
Still doing some listening and will keep everyone updated. For one thing, both Capri and PC1 in my system should be now completely burned in with well over 500 hrs on each. I removed the PC1 yesterday and fed the Capri directly through my Anaconda Helix Alpha. System remained turned off for about 10 mins. After restarting system was initially hashy, and took at least 2 hrs to restabilize. By the end of the evening it seemed to me that without PC1 on Capri imaging was larger, macro and micro dynamics was increased and so was harmonic density. . . I thought I heard more rozin noise from cello bow on strings. Capri with PC1 is likely sweeter, but is possibly less extended and bass may be little fuzzier by comparison. There are some indication that without PC1 some overly bright recording may sound. . . well, rather bright. Note that I started using PC1 on Capri when both were almost completely new out of the factory. . . . a possible explanation for my recent findings at odds with older impressions? It is also worth pointing out that JRDG is not necessarily recommending PC1 for Capri. . . PC1 was designed for high current applications and Capri draws only 6W. . . . what I have been doing is a very personal experiment indeed.
I will now play capri in this configuration for a while, then try the Ref 3 again and will post updated impressions. Guido
Still doing some listening and will keep everyone updated. For one thing, both Capri and PC1 in my system should be now completely burned in with well over 500 hrs on each. I removed the PC1 yesterday and fed the Capri directly through my Anaconda Helix Alpha. System remained turned off for about 10 mins. After restarting system was initially hashy, and took at least 2 hrs to restabilize. By the end of the evening it seemed to me that without PC1 on Capri imaging was larger, macro and micro dynamics was increased and so was harmonic density. . . I thought I heard more rozin noise from cello bow on strings. Capri with PC1 is likely sweeter, but is possibly less extended and bass may be little fuzzier by comparison. There are some indication that without PC1 some overly bright recording may sound. . . well, rather bright. Note that I started using PC1 on Capri when both were almost completely new out of the factory. . . . a possible explanation for my recent findings at odds with older impressions? It is also worth pointing out that JRDG is not necessarily recommending PC1 for Capri. . . PC1 was designed for high current applications and Capri draws only 6W. . . . what I have been doing is a very personal experiment indeed.
I will now play capri in this configuration for a while, then try the Ref 3 again and will post updated impressions. Guido