First impressions: BC109/501 DAC/Pre.

BlueKnight

Stepping-out of a Porsche 911 into a 930 is not what I would call a life changing experience. Visually, it's essentially the same car. That is, until you step on the accelerator .

That my friends, in a nut shell, is the best explanation I can provide by comparing my new BC109/501 combo to the former SB Series based unit.

Like the Porsches, both are solidly crafted with a performance target in mind and priced accordingly.

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I chose the aforementioned recording for my first ‘auditory sampling’ since it is the best piano performance in my collection of Classical music.

Even with only fifty hours of burn-in at the shop, it was clear that I had something really special. I was a [mesmerized] one man audience as Daniel Barenboim was playing right there in front of me. Every details true to life. Not a hint of shrillness or bloat across the seven octaves of his Steinway keyboard.

So far so good.

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One more pint. ( There would be a few more …)

Then I turned my attention to Katie Melua ( http://www.katiemelua.com/index.html ) for rest of the evening because of her eclectic style and great voice. She’s like a Norah Jones, Madeleine Peyroux and Lisa Ekdahl moulded into one [beautiful] entity. She is one of my favourite chanteuse.

In her earlier recordings (ca.2003) she still had a bit of a ‘girlish voice’ that could be at times mildly irritating but this time around, this edginess had disappeared like someone had gently rubbed a very fine grit sandpaper over her vocal cords.

During the listening session, two things became immediately apparent. The treble was more polished and the bass tighter and more extended. How much of this stellar performance can be attributed to the 109 or 501 circuitry, I can’t honestly tell you since they are fused at the proverbial hip. One thing is sure though, this new combo is quite a step-up from the SB Series it replaces.

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I finally went to bed after midnight after listening to Katie Melua’s entire discography. I was a tired happy camper. And I was out of Guinness.

♪♫ Today:, I’ll rock the house. Stay tuned. ♪♫

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Mike

nikki · Advanced Member Joined: 20 Jan 2007 Posts: 197

Congratulations, bet it sounds great. And wait till it gets a chance to break in!

I'm with you on Katie, she's a cutie!

stew · Advanced Member Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 100

Congratulations, and thx for the review! Looking forward to more as it breaks in further.

Any photos to share of the new beast in your rig?
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BlueKnight · Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 7:25 am Post subject:

Here you go Stew. You might find the pic a tad boring since the exterior look is the same as before. All the magic is inside.

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Mike

BlueKnight · Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 8:32 am Post subject:

Yesterday afternoon, I continued my listening session with a variety of piano and guitar samplers from Narada and Windham Hill. No Rock & Roll as previously mentioned.

I wish I had the gift of the pen in order to put down in writing the experience. At times, I was so focused on the performance that I allowed a Guinness to get warm. I guess that says it all.

I concluded the evening with Irish Folk songbird, Cara Dillon. ( http://www.caradillon.co.uk/ ) and a wee jigger of Tullamore Dew.

With the future addition of the KQ to the amp later this spring, my wife will need a pry bar to get me off my chair. I can’t fathom how much more the performance can improve.

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Mike

admin · Advanced Member Joined: 06 Feb 2003 Posts: 468

OHMYGOD!!! TRIFFIDS!!

Tiptoe quietly from the room and get the flamethrower.

BlueKnight · Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 5:04 pm Post subject:

davei · Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 5:59 pm Post subject:

Mike

I am glad you are enjoying your new toy! Just imagine what you have to look forward to after a 100 hours or so.......

dave

BlueKnight · Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 6:45 pm Post subject:

stew · Advanced Member Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 100

Hi BlueKnight,

You are one lucky b*stard with that new gear! Thanks for posting the photo... not boring to me, on the contrary exciting because I share your excitement. Seems like you are a bit ahead of me on the upgrade path. Namely, my next step is to revisit the preamp - stay with tube, or go BC109 direction? Of course, whichever path I go then there are myriad other choices to make as well - ie, how custom do I wanna go? Smile

It may sound odd, but I am psyched for us both on your pending KQ upgrade, since it may also help inform my later choice when I get around to further upgrading my BC22 amps some day. Or, do I go with BC200 series? Choices choices Smile

Enjoy!

-Stew
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BlueKnight · Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 7:38 am Post subject:

This new mod should keep me quiet for a little while until I get the word from Gil But in the Spring for the KQ update on the ampie.
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Mike

BlueKnight · Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 7:30 pm Post subject:

After 250 hours on the odometer and 60 hours of actual play time the unit is settling in nicely. Depending on the recording some of the improvements are more subtle than others.

Despite the upgrade, you still can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Case in point is the 2007, 20 bit re-release of Lady in Satin by Billie Holiday on Sony BMG ( Originally a Columbia Jazz LP). You might as well take a dentist drill to your mouth while someone kicks you in the nuts. Such a good performance wasted…Billie would not be amused.
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But on the other hand, totally defying a known genre, are the two releases from María Nieves Rebolledo Vila also known as Bebe.

My best description of her style would be gypsy-punk. She is totally original and a breath of fresh air in this world of sound-alike and even if you don’t understand Spanish, you’ll find your toes moving to the beat. She’s also a Latin multi Grammy winner.

She’s different and not for everyone but I definitely recommend her.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bebe_(entertainer)

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A new arrival this week is the new posthumous release of Eva Cassidy’s ‘ Simply Eva’. A collection of previously unreleased guitar solos of some of her favourite songs. This one will probably become my favourite one after ‘Live at Blues Alley’. Eva died of Melanoma in 1996. She was 33.

http://evacassidy.org/eva/
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Mike

stew · Advanced Member Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 100

Check out my blog posting where I rave over Bebe's latest album Y. I love her.

Right now I am listening to Niyaz "Nine Heavens". Totally different than Bebe but equally amazing.

In fact six degrees records is a gold mine of world music many may not know about.
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stew · Advanced Member Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 100

Six Degrees Records: www.sixdegreesrecords.com

My great friend Manny founded the record company ONE rpm which also has a tremendous selection of world music: www.onerpm.com

Check them out!
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BlueKnight · Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 7:48 pm Post subject:

Thanks Stew, I've bookmarked the sites. Looks like we share a lot of the same music taste.
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Mike