Solo SRGII v Solo Ultra-Linear

Solo SRGII v Solo Ultra-Linear

This is just my opinion based on 2-3 hours of listening using four serious listening tracks off vinyl, and one reference track to readjust my hearing. First the tracks...

Porcupine Tree: The Incident (2009) "The Seance plus Circle of Manias" (which I will refer to as Seance and Circle), and "Flicker"

Michael Jackson: Thriller (1982) "Thriller"

John Miles: Rebel (1976) "Highfly" (to readjust my ears).

Headphones: AKG K701, ATH A700, My new studio phones as a tonal reference (we'll leave them a mystery for the time being)

Source: AT 95E, Technics SL1210 II, Reflex M (ultra-linear mod), Cusat50 1m.

The 'electronics' have only had just over 200 hours.

First up: K701's with 'Seance' and 'Circle'...

After finding the difference was quite obvious to my aging ears (54) I tried to wrap it up in a sense that is easily understood without waxing lyrically, which I'm no good at...

One is 'ephemeral', the other is 'commercial'

The ephemeral one is the Solo Ultra-Linear, not that 'commercial' is anything bad, I found that 'Seance' was meatier on the SRGII and 'Circle' was addictively "air guitar". But the more listenable for me was the ephemeral ultra-linear although not "air guitar" invoking.

By ephemeral, I mean that the percussive - mainly cymbal sounds on 'Circle' sounded like they were hung on 'sticks' and being considerately hit by sticks, rather than the lifeless things that usually pass for hi-fi. They even hung in the air behind the thrash metal set and sizzle sounded like the sizzle cymbal(s). On 'Flicker' the same sort of thing happened - so I went along to the Porcupine Tree website and eventually found a link to Gavin Harrison's website and saw a picture of what I'd just heard. The only disconcerting thing about the album is that the drum set was the width of the soundstage which is an unfortunate recording technique, that makes the other instruments feel compressed in space (unless you imagine it's two drum sets, each either end of the 'stage').



There were other things I noticed as being ephemeral but I don't have the audiovile 'vocabulary' necessary to describe them.

Moving onto 'Thriller', the main thing I suppose was the improved 'reality' of the effects - the coffin lid at the beginning and end (showing the bass is there even with K701s), the telling age on Vincent Price's voice - I would say the SRGII had the edge on the showmanship which is after all (or was) Michael Jackson for you, but the Ultra-Linear still made it more real for me. Back to the bass - I felt the K701s were showing a little of their bass shyness, and at this point swapped over to the A700s.

They brought out the bass in the quantity I'm more used to, adding weight to old Vincent's voice. Again, the SRGII rendered the showmanship as being what showmanship is... commercial. The Ultra-Linear subtly softened the overall presentation, but this will sound like a contradiction, because it also made it snappier - maybe something to do with the improvement in phase distortion the ultra linear technique results in.

Back to the Incident, the differences were still there using the A700s.

At this point I must mention the track 'Blind House' which I believe features the Korg Wavedrum - all I can really say having heard Korg keyboards live is it sounded like it had the Korg signature and more so on the Ultra-Linear.

Well, it's been a 4 hour stint on top of a usual busy day here at "Slee Towers" and I'm getting a tad knackered so I'm off to enjoy this album a bit more. Lucabeer will be quite surprised at this point as I previously commented that I didn't like this album at all, but it must be something to do with this ultra-linear gizmo...

The above is IMO. It's OK for me to say all this as I can just nip out to the workshop and build myself one (the tax man may disagree though). At 100 GBP more than an SRGII/PSU1 it could be considered a purchase too far, then again, for some it will be seen as worth the financial stretch, but it should be quite affordable as an upgrade to an existing Solo....?

I'd better get the purchase options online then

And finally a comment on the source. I'm sure many will be amused at me partnering a £25 cartridge on a 'DJ' turntable with a Reflex M phono preamp, and having the nerve to do a test like this with it, but if I can get this sense of difference then what are you going to get? (hopefully )

Graham


Edited by Graham Slee - 02 Mar 2010 at 1:48am

Interesting reading! And I am glad that you are enjoying Porcupine Tree... I told you, that album is a grower!

Oh, and after our discussion... guess what? I have paid some more time to "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" (especially to the lyrics and the liner notes)... and I am starting to like it! Definitely a "different" kind of Genesis, but not bad!

Any news on this Graham? Yes I know, no patience by the customers wanting instant gratification!