Reflex C early and confused observations

Yes, there is certainly something subtle and smooth about the Reflex C -- there's an extra level of detail coming in which I expect will have exceptional clarity once it has burnt in. Even with Jesus and Mary Chain's "Psychocandy" you could clearly hear that the wall of distortion on most songs was being generated through some very clever guitar playing. I have never heard that before and it's one of my favourite albums of the 80s.

For want of a better term, I'd say the Reflex C has 'musicality' in abundance and gives my modded Rega Planar more of the feel of a Dual 1209, while still retaining the technical precision that the modded Rega has over the Dual (mostly due to the Michell Tecnoarm, I think).

But I haven't lived with it long enough to be able to describe what it does very well. It really is early days.

One thing I can say though is that it starts off sounding pretty much like the Fanfare, but isn't quite doing what the Fanfare does, then after 24 hours it sounds like the Fanfare and doing what it does in a bigger way. Now after 3-4 days of playing its not really sounding like the Fanfare very much at all, but an entirely different beast. One thing that is unlike the Fanfare is that during the burn in period the Reflex C has only occasionally bouts where the veil descends and it all sound a little unarticulated or slightly muddy. The Fanfare spent several days sounding like the speakers had a veil on them.

Yet to try my Reflex C on the Dual 1209 -- might do that this evening. I run both into a "valve upgraded" Chinese valve amp, which is brilliant for the price. But I am also about to try out a new solid state amp designed in Australia, just to give Mr Slee's wonderful equipment something different to work with. I have a Trends Audio T-amp stashed away but I always found that worked better with the CD. It always made vinyl sound sterile, even though it has lots of clarity.   

cheers

Geoff       

Well, I just thought I'd come back and drop another couple of lines in about the Reflex C. After listening to this guy there is no temptation to return to MM. There is not even a lot of temptation to go for a mega expensive sounding cartridge.

It works brilliantly with solid state and valve amps. Although I believe that the vocals are just that extra bit better with the valve amp. You notice it when you put the valve amp back on -- aah, the vocals -- but you don't actually miss it while playing the Reflex C through solid state.

I've been running it through full range speakers: Fostex 126es in a TQW cabinet and Fostex 167ks in a folded horn cabinet. I also pulled out my classic Paradigm Phantoms and they sounded exceptional compared to what they used to sound like, but in their case very warm in the mid range, without any gain in the higher end, but a slightly (ever so slightly more active; you need to listen hard to pick it) more active bass compared the the full range speakers. The clarity in the mid-range of the phantoms has really picked up with the Reflex C in place, but it remains the biggest weakness in the Phantoms.

With both full range speakers I am getting total clarity across the ranges they are capable of (and those ranges are big) -- Add in a super-tweeter and you increase the sound stage and the frequency range and it's like you have hit the pot of gold at the end of the stereo rainbow.

The turntable I have been using is an old Rega Planar but I replaced the motor with Rega's standard P3 upgrade, put in an Isokinetik metal sub-platter and their isolation feet, and added a Michell tecnoarm.

None of this was cheap but neither was it amazingly expensive either. Adding the Reflex C just pulled the whole thing together in a major and brilliant way. So much so that I find it difficult to listen to CD anymore. Now I am like one of my daughters who after hearing the Fanfare play vinyl told me that I couldn't play CDs anymore because CDs made her ears hurt, and records sounded so good. At the age of 50, my ears are not as good as my daughter's are at age 13, but since we've had the Reflex C in the house I understand exactly what she meant.

One more thing is that I had several records that did not work very well on the Fanfare. Sade's "Promise" was flat on the Fanfare. Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" was flat as well. Both old records so I thought nothing off it. Played them on the Reflex C and they are as clear and dynamic and as wonderful as anything. And did I mention Reggae, both the Fanfare and the Reflex C do Reggae brilliantly. It's Reggae as it was meant to be heard. The Brits always do Reggae so well.

Now the biggest problem with this is that Graham, as exceptional as he is, has driven my CD collection into oblivion. And while I totally understand he has done this for very good reasons -- vinyl with the right equipment is exceptional -- I do wonder if he will ever be able to do that amazing Graham Slee DAC that we have been dying to hear.

I realise that is a big ask, maybe impossible. But even with the Fanfare I was thinking, wow, if I could plug something like this into my CD player wouldn't it sound amazing. Since the Reflex C has been in my house, that thought has gone through my head many times. Quite simply, why can't someone do for CD what Graham Slee has done for vinyl? Maybe, as I said before, because it's possible.

Graham, I thank you for ever dollar I have spent on your equipment. Compared to the results, the cost has been so reasonable, but thank god for the exchange rate change that enable me to buy the Reflex C.

I think you have got MC nailed. Is there anybody saying you haven't these days? I can give people a list of the cartridges I've been playing if anybody's interested but I suspect that's irrelevant and the Reflex C will do anything that comes its way.

Hi, TG, if you read this have you seen the guy on Australian ebay offering to build SET valve for around AUD$500-$600? I checked him out and he seems genuine. Is this the same guy you mentioned several months back?

cheers

Geoff

   




       

TG, yes, it is Eric McChanson. You playing with a DAC? Oh, come on now. I believed that hell would freeze over, before I believe you are playing with a DAC. Full range speaker, valve amp guy who wants to do SET and loves Slee. Must be a great DAC

I think I'll go with what Eric is doing unless you've heard bad things about him. I Googled him and he gets very good reviews.

Hi TG

Eric will actually do a 300B circuit on his amps for not extra cost, but you need to supply the 300B valves on that option. A quick check on the internet shows that prices vary enormously but I reckon just for two 300Bs you'd be up for AUD$250.

The Svetlanas 300Bs have excellent reviews especially on soundstaging. But my Svetlana 6L6Gcs also do wonderful soundstaging. I think all Svetlanas do and that's how they have made a name. They are beautiful valves.

So I am not sure which option I will go for.

It is true that CD sounds good in isolation. I mean it is good and there are some great CD recordings. And I have spent quite a bit of money upgrading the TT and phono end, all with results that have knocked me stupid; the results being way beyond the money I spent. I'd be reluctant to spend extra money on the CD side, simply because of its inherent limitations, and more especially the fact that so many new CDs are so badly compressed that music loses its dynamics, and just sounds loud and noisy.

Maybe I should have PM'd you on this one, but I think it's good to have these discussions where others can pick up the info.