We received our first shipment of the new Silver Resistors 2 weeks ago and the values chosen were for our M6 Phono and DAC 4.1x Balanced output boards. The reasoning was simply to evaluate the potential for the sound to be an improvement over the standard and non magnetic 2 watt tantalums.
The build was very straight forward however we did include NOS Blackgates and Audio Note Silver Foil capacitors. As the wiring is component to component, the expectations of transparency were always there but given the cost of the new components, that level was set pretty high as the existing components on the linestage output boards where far from poor. The images of the build are on the gallery pages.
As for the sound, these things are the real deal. They are worth ever cent and more for the change to the sound that they bring, no warm up, no run in, bent and soldered, voltage applied and signal run.They pass the hair raising test immediately so that's a good start.
First disc was the "Recomposed by Max Richter" his homage for want of a better word to Vivaldi and his composition, "The Four Seasons". Track 11, "Winter", quietly beginning, the artifice of depth is readily evident and as it build in volume and the sound source seems to come closer my immediate thought was Game of Throne's and the winter is coming, starting slowly yet with unyeilding force and then Daniel Hope's blistering attack on his 1742 Guarneri and then first violins, second violins, then cello and then double bass and then something i never heard before and clearly it's the stage that they are playing on, coming alive with the energy from cellos and double basses. It all makes beautiful sense when you hear music like this. And the strangest thing happened... I went over and turned the system up a couple of notches, something I never do. I listen at a pleasing volume that suits the room and don't turn up the volume in order to grasp for dynamic swings as the system was always capable of illustrating the recording well but this was a level of immediacy and exhileration that demanded volume. I laugh about it now writing this realising the amplifier was the Conqueror Silver Signature with the Elrog ER300B tubes putting out a heroic 6.5 watts per channel into the AN-E HE SPe speakers and here am I turning the wick up.
Since that heady night just over a week ago, the system sound has done what silver normally does when new and goes for that roller coaster ride and if it was any different, I would be worried. So far about 40 hours on and today was very good with playing around with tubes, substituting a Brimar 4068 for the RCA12au7 and a rare old TUNGSOL 5687 in for a GE 7044. Obvious change up in sound and now my no.1 combination for the linestage, for special occasions and the once a year HiFi show. This year we will be using this system in October in Melbourne unless the new "Super E" makes it well anticipated debut but given the glacier like changes to models at Audio Note, if it's released before then I will be surprised. All good things come to those who wait.
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