((((The gear used was an Audible Illusion’s Modulus 3A preamp, an Ayre amplifier)))
Audiodozen Thanks for your well-intended observations above.
I know you are fond of this new nice speaker and I am sure it is fine design
that I would love to also hear.
There is something that you should know that’s very important and would have happened to your nice speaker or any well-designed speaker as well back then with that pairing.
We carried all three of the components and made the same mistakes as Curtis
Here is a case of you shot the wrong messenger and I’m sure not intentionally as I would also agree with what you heard as spot on.
Here’s Why.......
First, the Ayre is a nice amp at the time of introduction it had a 10 K input impedance its a balanced bridge zero feedback design and was at its best with its own brand balanced pre amp which
Curtis or I didn’t have until later when it came out.
Enter the Balanced K1
The K1 together balanced with Ayres own amp were superb together and it drove that ayre amp to perfection we heard things we never heard before in recordings with that pairing with Vandys
The Audible Illusions tube preamp was not balanced but RCA output it had a 1200 ohm output impedance.
When you place AI / Ayre together these 2 mismatched components together with any well-designed speaker its a major mismatch.
I agreed with you 100 percent and know what you heard as it was a bleak pairing but it’s not the speaker’s fault as the speaker was only the messenger.
The AI preamp cant drive the10 k load.hence the extremes get rolled off soggy bass no dynamics elevator mids you get the picture etc.
Later Ayre because of this happening to many others changed the input impedance spec of its amps to 100 K and now higher. This gave a much friendlier interface with matching other preamp owners equipment.
Back then the Belles amps were 100 k and worked Fine with AI preamps
I even remember hooking up Soundstage reviewer Doug Blackburn that purchassed Vandy 2s / 3A sigs with Belles and AI and later went to an all Belles pairing and loved it gave Vandersteen Reviewers choice.
Cheers JohnnyR
PS.
Nowadays
Vandys play Beethoven with the Belles like the Vienna Philharmonic.WOM
You may need to come to Jersey to hear it.
Audiodozen Thanks for your well-intended observations above.
I know you are fond of this new nice speaker and I am sure it is fine design
that I would love to also hear.
There is something that you should know that’s very important and would have happened to your nice speaker or any well-designed speaker as well back then with that pairing.
We carried all three of the components and made the same mistakes as Curtis
Here is a case of you shot the wrong messenger and I’m sure not intentionally as I would also agree with what you heard as spot on.
Here’s Why.......
First, the Ayre is a nice amp at the time of introduction it had a 10 K input impedance its a balanced bridge zero feedback design and was at its best with its own brand balanced pre amp which
Curtis or I didn’t have until later when it came out.
Enter the Balanced K1
The K1 together balanced with Ayres own amp were superb together and it drove that ayre amp to perfection we heard things we never heard before in recordings with that pairing with Vandys
The Audible Illusions tube preamp was not balanced but RCA output it had a 1200 ohm output impedance.
When you place AI / Ayre together these 2 mismatched components together with any well-designed speaker its a major mismatch.
I agreed with you 100 percent and know what you heard as it was a bleak pairing but it’s not the speaker’s fault as the speaker was only the messenger.
The AI preamp cant drive the10 k load.hence the extremes get rolled off soggy bass no dynamics elevator mids you get the picture etc.
Later Ayre because of this happening to many others changed the input impedance spec of its amps to 100 K and now higher. This gave a much friendlier interface with matching other preamp owners equipment.
Back then the Belles amps were 100 k and worked Fine with AI preamps
I even remember hooking up Soundstage reviewer Doug Blackburn that purchassed Vandy 2s / 3A sigs with Belles and AI and later went to an all Belles pairing and loved it gave Vandersteen Reviewers choice.
Cheers JohnnyR
PS.
Nowadays
Vandys play Beethoven with the Belles like the Vienna Philharmonic.WOM
You may need to come to Jersey to hear it.