Jeff Rowland's Continumm

Jfz, Nagra VPA's and also Nagra MPA (MPA is sold now that I have acquired the Ayre integrated)

Thanks

Guido, I was so impressed with the Ayre integrated, that I have also ordered the Ayre KX-R...after demoing it in house. I demoed the KX-R in the store against the Ref-3 for 10 minutes. Obviously, I could not arrive to any conclusions in 10 minutes.

However, the KX-R in my system, matched with the Nagra's was a thing of joy. If you get a chance, you should listen to it in your system.

Pinkus, I think I saw one of the new Ayre chassis when I was visiting the Vertec Tool machine shop with Jeff Rowland. Very nice indeed. Hopefully all the Ayre chassis will be upgraded, getting away from that cut and folded metal.

I'd love to see some pictures of your rig with the Synergy 2i, Carpi, Nagra, et al in there. That must have been one fantastic rig. It's neat that your were able to find a budget item that "smacked" not only JRDG, but ARC and Nagra. That's VERY impressive.

How much does that KX-R cost? I couldn't find an actual price for that new preamp.

Dave

Dave,

please lets stop using the word "smacked" :-) I regret using that juvenile term...and you have made your point :-)

I have sold off the Capri, the Synergy 2i. In addition, I have sold off the Nagra MPA (I have kept the Nagra VPA, and have no intention of selling it). The Ayre integrated replaced the Nagra MPA and Audio Research LS-26 pairing. This was in my HT setup...the Ayre was close enough that I thought I would recoup some cash.

I used the extra cash from the sale to finance the KX-R purchase. KX-R costs the same as the Criterion. The KX-R will be paired with the VPA's and SF Cremona in my listening setup, along with the Ayre C5-xe.

Again, I don't think people should read much into my decisions. My ears are my ears, and I profess I am not a very critical listener. For example, I hardly spend any money on cables (speaker or interconnect)...so please feel free to discount all my claims....and claims are all they are.

As for my experience with JRDG components, all I can say is that they are very solidly crafted, and with an external build quality that few can match. As for the sound, while my initial experience was very, very favorable, over time, I grew unhappy with the sound. I found the sound of the Capri to be lean, recessed in the midrange, without the sense of projection that I enjoy from tubed equipment or the Ayre components. In addition, I find the sound to be a bit lean -- my preference is for fully bodied sound. Also, the treble of the Capri was a bit muffled, and not extended to my ears. The Synergy 2i was a totally different matter, and to my ears the Capri was a better performer. With the Synergy 2i, I could not stand the highs on trumpets...it made me very uncomfortable. Other than the highs, the Synergy exhibited the same leanness, and reticence in the midrange that made me unsatisfied in the long run.

I do not typically change equipment very often (at least not for 3 years). Recently, I have been on a quest to get off the merry-go-round, and hence my experimentation with various preamps.

Hi Pinkus, how many hours did you put on the Capri? And how many hours did it take to break in and stabilize. I am of course looking forward to listening to the KX-r at the first opportunity. completely?

PS. To anyone wondering if we are straying out of topic, the pre circuit in the JRDG Continyuum is closely based on the JRDG Capri.

G.