Transients and a speaker’s sense of dynamic impact
A speaker that has good transient response reacts rapidly to sudden changes in signals without smearing or blurring. If you hear an audiophile listening to a vigorous drum solo or a particularly dynamic symphonic selection at higher listening level they may be assessing the transient response of the speaker. The most challenging aspect of quickness for a speaker is the bass and that is where most speakers show their Achilles heel.
Some speakers certainly are quicker sounding than others. There is an attempt by some manufacturers to use an array of smaller Bass drivers as opposed to a larger Bass driver or two, but it is an alternative with its own drawbacks. Speakers that rely upon the cabinet to contribute tonality and impact, such as certain Tannoy models, Audio Note, Vandersteen’s lower models and others do not strike my ears as particularly exemplary in transients. The overhang from the cabinet contribution causes the low end to linger longer and makes it seem more blurred. Designs that I assess as better when it comes to transients are Vivid, YG Acoustics, Magico, Legacy Audio and Vapor Audio, the last two of which I have reviewed here. Panel speakers such as electrostatics and certain horn speakers are perennial favorites in terms of the genre of speakers most capable in transients.
Cleanness and quick transients go hand in hand, so it is no wonder the speakers that sound the most precise seem to have the quality of being fast. The degree to which the amplifier contributes to the speaker’s “speed” I believe is not appreciated enough. I suspect that this is due to most amplifiers being grouped in terms of performance; they all seem capable and a few seem moderately superior. However, the Ion distances itself greatly from these others when it comes to cleanness of transients. The Ion is only a 100Wpc amp, but unlike many larger, more powerful amps the Ion can make the lowest notes of Bass Addiction’s “For Whom the Bass Tolls,” which are solidly in subwoofer territory, resonate and clearly be heard versus simply dropping off to near inaudibility, as is the case with most others I have reviewed. This was one of the most astounding moments of reviewing in twelve years. I still cannot get over how this 100Wpc Ion moves those 15” Legacy Whisper woofers with such power and precision! The transients are beautiful, and the rapidity with which bass lines are recreated is captivating!
The Legacy Audio Whisper (see my review of the Whisper DSW Clarity Edition) was designed with an emphasis on focusing of the wave launch to minimize room interaction. Even though it sports four 15” woofers per side it has not historically been a dominant low-end performer. That all changed with the Comet and Ion. I get as much LF output from the Whisper driven by the Comet and Ion as I have by use of the twin Legacy EXTREME HD Subwoofers! The Ion makes the Whisper sound like it has four integral powered subs. The deep LF of “For Whom the Bass Tolls” is as powerful, but additionally cleaner, than previous installations with the subs!
A well-loved quirky tune, “Flight of the Cosmic Hippo,” may produce a full note with other amps, but the Ion produces the note’s initial pluck, the acoustic envelope of its vibration, and the vast extension of it into the cavernous background. Ultra low bass often seems to be flat, colorless, but the Comet and Ion show there is character in such notes. Most systems simply cannot reproduce that character of the LF, so audiophiles expect it to be more one-dimensional as tonal notes. The Comet and Ion vivify the low frequencies to make them as gratifying as the rest of the frequency spectrum. I have always thought the sentiment that the Midrange is the most important to be a skewed perspective, especially as those who hold to that viewpoint are often willing to dump the deep frequencies in pursuit of midrange performance. One listening experience with the Comet and Ion would shows how mistaken is that notion.
Intimacy as a characteristic of extreme precision and power
Another speaker system I used with the Comet and Ion was the PureAudioProject Treo15 Voxativ. Many years ago I copied the trend of Asian listeners and tried high power solid state amplification with the Tannoy Glenair speaker. Seeing as how the Exogal stack powered the Whisper so capably, I knew the pairing of it with the Treo15 Voxativ could be special. I kept the front end the same, using the Salk StreamPlayer III as my source. Since I moved up the Treo15 Voxativ speakers closer to my listening position I was able to reach to them with the TEO Audio Liquid Standard Speaker Cables. In one of my typical methods to improve sound quality I doubled the runs to the speakers, not bi-wiring, but doubling the single leads by use of one set of spade terminated cables and another with banana terminations, placing them parallel, or atop, each other. Instantly the speaker gave me the best performance to date, with both a sense of intimacy and power.
Does it sound like an oxymoron, the juxtaposition of intimacy and power? When hearing the Comet and Ion it becomes clear that superior control of the power allows for a sense of a much closer, proximate event in listening. One does not have to crank the level up because the power of the vocal or instrument is here just as in live performances. So also is the speed. I enjoy the freshness of Seal’s vocal renditions of “Killer”, “Crazy” and “Prayer for the Dying”. The Comet and Ion make it seem as if I am in the studio with Seal, the epitome of the effect I was attempting to create when I built my room. The Ion is so transparent with such instantaneous response that it is possible to hear Seal’s techniques with his breath, mouth and throat as he sings various passages.
At the start of “North Dakota” by Lyle Lovett in the left channel there are tiny taps in rapid succession. They do not shimmer as cymbal strikes, but are more like drumstick taps on the drum rim, just above the noise floor. Since there is no noise floor to speak of with the Ion, these taps are just above inaudibility. The Ion pulls these out from a perfectly black (silent) background that is blurred by other amps’ higher noise floor. The Ion allows me to hear artists humming along with their playing, vocalizations in the deep background of jazz ensemble pieces, and other minutia that lie far afield of resolution by traditional amps at the same price point. I strongly recommend those who have discovered the PureAudioProject speaker to pursue the Comet and Ion for a scintillating performance. The smoothness of the Comet’s DAC recreating the digital signal to mimic a purely analogue wave form and the speed of the Ion with the Voxativ drivers is reminiscent of the times I have heard the Lotus Granada Loudspeaker at audiophile shows. Consider that the Granada is approximately $70K and the electronics used with it at shows tens of thousands of dollars more than the Comet and Ion. Is it absurd to compare these systems, though not directly? Not when the Ion’s new technology is in play.
Deafening silence
Many of the systems I use even at well over $50K have some electronic haze or noise associated with them. The speakers often have a gentle hiss or buzz emanating from them even when receiving no signal. The Ion is perfectly silent operationally and through speakers when it should be. It makes no spurious sound ever and only a soft click when switching ON or OFF. When running, there is no indication the Ion is operating except the sole LED on its face. Put the volume up higher, queue up a track and the performance will explode onto your senses. I commented previously about Seal’s “Killer,” and “Prayer for the Dying”. When I have the Kingsound King III speakers running I am still taken aback by the force of the entrance of his voice, though I know it is coming. The silence preceding it is so thorough, so impenetrable that when his first note is sung it has a similar impact as sitting in a darkened room and seeing a bright image flash onto a screen.
Speaking of force, the King III reacted superbly to the Ion. I had used the Comet previously in several systems with the King III, but the Ion again was a “game changer” for that speaker. Jeff was curious as to the capability of the Ion at 100Wpc to drive this large electrostatic speaker. I found no lack in its capacity to convincingly make the King III sound replete with power. In fact, as with the other speakers, the King III set a new standard for performance. Imagine hearing an ESL that is known to have fast transients paired with a super-fast amp; that is the magic of the King III with the Ion. As with the Whisper, the King III had generous Bass, ultra-clean and full-bodied. The Ion was distinguishing itself as capable of making me fall in love again with speakers I had come to be familiar.
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How did you hook it up with the Whispers processor? I have the Aeris and I am not sure how it integers with the Xilcia 4080 processor.
Did you forget Devialet on purpose? I presume so, the best way to present something that is not radically new as radically new is to ignore what was really new…
Is Devialet digital or a hybrid of A and D?
Steve,
God’s Joy to you,
I’m sorry if it wasn’t clear; my set of Whisper speakers is custom and has both passive operation and active operation modes. If your set of Aeris speakers are only actively run, then it would be problematic to use the Ion. Please see my review of the Legacy Whisper DSW Clarity Edition for further details on my speakers.
Legacy is offering an upgrade to the Aeris in the new Wavelet processor, and I suggest you look into it as a nice boost to performance.
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
Rui,
God’s Peace to you,
I often compare products which seem similar to determine how they fare. There are many factors which go into the final decision on which products to review and write about, and I am not interested in discussing them here. I do not care much for the politics of the industry, so suspicion that I would purposely avoid a competitive product is off-base.
Unless you know information about the technology which Exogal is using but has not released I conclude you assume that Exogal and Devialet are technologically doing the same “radically new” thing. Both in my examination of the operations of the Devialet and Exogal, and in communication with Exogal specifically on that question, I understand they are not similar.
My opinion that Exogal has created a new breed of sound/component remains unchanged. I am not interested in further discussion or debate on this topic.
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
Note to the Audiophile Community,
I have learned from Exogal that the occurrence of the “IONOVT” message in the display of the Comet can also be shown when the amplifier has a current demand by a speaker greater than the current the Ion can provide. The test which produced the shutdown was ironically on the track “Galaxies” by Owl City, which has an enormous amount of LF. I had to play it at about 97-100 on the digital readout of the Comet to trip the safety shutdown; that would be right at 90dB. That was with the Sound Lab U-4iA speakers under review.
In other words, when using less efficient speakers with more difficult loads the Ion may not push them to unlimited listening levels, as I discuss in the article. However, importantly, the issue causing shutdown is not overheating, but simply the amp not being able to drive the speaker pushing heavy LF at higher listening levels,, well beyond where most people listen. I am pleased to know that there is no overheating happening, and that the protection circuitry in the rare case the amp is overdriven works superbly.
This strengthens my impressions of the Ion, and I strongly recommend it for such speakers at more conservative listening levels. Frankly, it drives such speakers well beyond the limits I anticipated.
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
So the only way to use this digital amp is to hook up a DAC and power supply from the same company using a proprietary interface?
Yeah, that seems reasonable, cost effective and generally great for the end consumer.
Thank you for your review of the Ion – Comet from Exogal. I just placed an order based on your word! Can you share some speakers / speaker brands (in addition to those you discuss in your review) that you feel would pair well with the Ion? I have already noted ones which rely on box reinforcement as not being as good of a match.
– David.
I recently found a review on the Shure se215 on this site http://in-ear-headphones.com/most-durable-earbuds-2016 and I decided to buy it for me. My question is, if I purchase a DAC would the sound quality improve considerably?
Jeff,
God’s Joy to you,
If I read your post correctly you are being sarcastic, as you state, “So the only way…Yeah”; if I misread, my apologies. If you look at only the digital amp function, then your skepticism is warranted. However, your analysis is simplistic. The value and power in the combo is that it contains all the system needs, source, preamp and amp. There are plenty of companies which offer full systems with source, preamp and amp, yet cost many multiples more and theoretically have maximum synergy when used together . I do not see much justification in dismissal of Exogal simply because they choose to package the functions differently than more traditional manufacturers. Frankly, it is a gift to audiophiles that they allowed the Comet to be used independently of the Ion. That they offer the stunning performance of the upgraded DAC/PowerDAC combination along with superlative amplification for such a low price is remarkable.
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
David,
The Joy of God to you,
If you got the impression that the Comet/Ion combo would not sound good with box speakers from my article I apologize. I would think they should sound terrific with them. I don’t particularly pursue speakers with the boxy resonances, but if they were favorable to me I would not hesitate to put the Comet/Ion with them.
Aside from perhaps those speakers with very low impedance, which would take ridiculous amounts of power to drive, I suggest it’s a wide open world. As a jumping off point scan my past 12 years of speaker reviews. I would be very happy to retrace my path and use the Comet/Ion with any of them. This is the most universally applicable component review when it comes to speaker matching I have ever written. So, essentially, name the brand of speaker and it would likely sound great.
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
Hi, Douglas,
I have a few comments.
1) Specifications
You’re in a better position, as you’ve heard the ExoGal system, but I have a few salient points from the specifications sheet:
DYNAMIC RANGE: >105dB
THD: 0.03% THD @ 1W @ all frequencies into 4 ohms
http://i0.wp.com/www.msbtechnology.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Select-90db-Graph-900×690.jpg
While a dynamic range of 105 dB isn’t amazing, it is fine for 16-bit content. Compare to – 173 dB of MSB Select DAC II.
http://www.msbtechnology.com/dacs/select-features/
A PowerDAC is hardly a new concept.
1) Here’s the original audiophile one (that I know of), circa 2002:
Wadia PowerDAC ($80,000.00 USD, 117,000.00 EUR)
390 Controller / 790 towers
http://www.pureaudio.net/digital/wadia.shtml
http://hifi-advice.com/Wadia-Database-Digital-Amp.html
I haven’t heard it, but it was hardly a technical (or business) failure. Selling for $40,000.00 USD .
2) Wadia’s present line-up, a PowerDAC:
Wadia Inution 01 Power Dac (also $8,000.00 USD)
http://www.wadia.com/en-us/products/intuition-01
http://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/739-wadia-digital-intuition-01-integrated-amplifier-dac
A present product (and lower-end competitor to Devialet D-Premiere / Expert), it’s been out for 2-3 years. Admittedly, it’s integrated, with one box.
It’s 190 watts at 8 ohms, and 350 watts at 4 ohms.
3) Wadia 151 PowerDAC Mini ($1,300.00 USD)
Includes Wadia Digimaster!
http://www.hifiplus.com/articles/first-listen-wadia-151-powerdac-mini/
http://www.wadia.com/ContentsFiles%5CWadia_151_Tone_Audio_31.pdf.pdf
I agree with others that the Devialet should of been a comparision.
The Devialet Expert 130 Pro ($9,995.00 CDN)
http://en.devialet.com/expertpro/#models-pro/expert-range-2/130-pro/
THD+N : 0,0005% (130W / 6Ω)
THD : 0,00025% (10W / 6Ω)
Signal-to-Noise ratio: 130dB
Sorry for all the links posted to your great website. I just wanted to back-up my notes.
Thanks for your great reviews!
FROM THE EXOGAL CEO:
Measurement comparisons are interesting but real world user experiences is what is important to us. We believe that our product allows our customer to be swallowed up in the music. If you’re a guy who plays music to listen to his gear, you’re probably not our customer.
Also, to clear up some misconceptions in the comments:
The original Wadia PowerDAC was never a commercially viable product. Yes it was announced, yes a few were sold, but they weren’t reliable and never worked right and were quickly taken off the market.
The Intuition is not a power DAC, it’s an integrated DAC and Amp with a manufacturer’s data sheet reference design Delta Sigma DAC and a standard Class D amp from PowerSoft.
And the guy who invented the hallowed Digimaster design now works for us and has gone light years beyond anything Digimaster ever did in a completely different way. Digimaster is a bicycle. EXOGAL DAC technology is a Tesla.
And what, the review is invalid because Mr. Schroeder didn’t compare us to Devialet? Please.
You should go listen to the Comet / Ion Combo. If you like it, buy it. If you don’t, no hard feelings.
Hey Douglas, Thanks for a great review. I presently own the Comet with separate power supply. I absolutely love it. You’re article sold me on the Ion, but I think I’ll wait on the monos. Would be nice if they have a Analog to Digital converter with XLR inputs so I could listen to my SACD’s. I have a large collection I use often. Or, it would be nice if Exogal would introduce a Transport for the Exonet system. Not opposed to replacing the old Esoteric player. Thanks again for the informative review.
Chad O.
Chad,
Gods’ Joy to you,
Happy to have you join the Exogal club! I appreciate the feedback. I hope the wait for the Monos is not too long. I suggest you work toward file playback. I wrote up the Salk Audio StreamPlayer III, and it is a wonderful product used with Tidal and ROON. The sound quality is splendid and convenience off the charts. I suspect you could achieve sound quality equivalency to SACD with a good file server/streamer. It’s not a very expensive proposition, certainly less than an Esoteric player.
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
They always say “Never say never” but when it comes to transports, we’d come pretty close to never… But only because we don’t see any way to make them better at a lower price point.
We’ve been asked about A2D’s and Phono Stages but it’s kind of the same answer as with transports.
In all of these things, there may be a way to make them “better” or “cheaper” but unless there’s both we’re probably gonna leave that to someone else…
I’ve been A/B’ing this quite a bit with other combos. I like the DAC a lot, and the more I listen to it, the more I like it. It’s voiced nicely and pairs well with several different amplifiers. But the following combos beat the Comet/Ion combo pretty easily in my experience:
– Comet/Krell 2250e (krell is dead neutral, detailed with insane dynamics – what a thrill ride)
– Comet/Pass Labs xa60.8 (come on….)
-Comet/FirstWatt F7 (come on…)
I think the DAC is a winner and competes up to $12k dacs. I like it better than my Grace m905 and Schiit Yggrisil. It absolutely murders the mushy, boring AMR DP-777SE. Is it better than the EMM Labs Dac2x? No. Just simply, no.
Remember the goal is to reproduce the sound of live music. And if that is the goal, then the top class A and Class A/B amps are still quite a bit ahead in my opinion and I can confirm that this article is over-the-top in it’s gushiness. New toys…gush, gush, gush. Then they’re old toys…
Note: I use AES input with Balanced Output. I’m a USB hater although I admit it’s getting MUCH better. But the USB dac technology seems to have softened and quieted it to death to make it sound nice. Again, to me reproducing live music is what it’s about.
To add, why is it not the best? a little dark sounding and not the last word in accuracy, natural timbre & spacial queues. To be the best the guitar needs to sound exactly like a guitar, and feel like it’s in your listening room, same with cymbals, voices and everything else.
but does the combo “sound” awesome? yes.
Sorry to be annoying…but this is for the sake of accuracy. A/B’ing has continued. Listened the Schiit Yggy for the first couple of times with XLR balanced output and it’s a totally different DAC than when using it Single Ended…I prefer it to the Comet. Cleaner, more open, spacious, and gorgeous. It’s the most extreme difference I’ve heard a component between SE and XLR, it’s strange.
Jason,
God’s Peace to you,
We are essentially in agreement. When you confirm that the Comet competes with up to $12K DACs, that covers the bulk of the market. That it takes a $15+K DAC to best it is an exciting conclusion.
The Comet and First Watt J2 was airier, but lost a lot on macrodynamics, as would be expected from the 25wpc. I haven’t heard the combo, but suspect the F7 would suffer the same anemia compared to the Ion. Recall that I used the Comet/Ion with five speaker systems ranging from higher efficiency dynamic to electrostatic speakers. The First Watt was a non-starter with the Sound Lab U-4iA, while the Comet/Ion blew the doors off the speaker, and that with 100wpc. So, my comments must be taken in the context of a wider range of speakers and the combo excelled with all of them. That is worth popping the champaign cork.
I am disappointed in the connection between the Comet and Ion being so difficult to upgrade as imo it is crucial. There seems to be a paucity of high quality passive HDMI cables. I suspect that the Comet and Ion are operating “with one hand behind the back,” in the wrestling match between it and other combinations due to the economical HDMI link. (This is my opinion, not the opinion of Exogal.) Enhancing that I suspect would substantiate my seeming over-the-top claims and fix the perceived shortcomings you note.
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
So yours is the definitive decision…for yourself. Congratulations. Everyone is a critic, an expert…for their own ears and write about what they think.
You post a comment about how you thought the other amps you listened to (Krell!) were better than the Ion. Then you hear something else on the source side you say sounds so much better than the Comet. Maybe you should try the speakers next then circle back to the Comet/Ion? EXOGAL does state that USB is the preferred input for the Comet. Your admission of being a “USB hater” seems to preclude that consideration. Was USB ven tried?
You have at least taken the time to listen and compare using your own preferences and biases over those of others who write in proclaiming injustice because the such-and-such DAC was not compared in the review without giving the equipment under review so much as a listen.
As an owner of the Comet Ion combination for several months, I read Douglas review with great interest. As applied to my system (Silver lie Sonata speakers – 93 DB, 8 ohms / Aurender server) I found Douglas’ observations to be spot on. Very fast, dynamic, quiet, natural tones. They replaced considerably more expensive dual mono tube amps and preamp from a highly regarded manufacturer. while I was very happy with the tubes (which were upgraded by the manufacturer over the years to great effect), I prefer the sound, convenience and reduced size of the Exogal / Aurender team. The combination of the efficient Hifiman Edition X v2 headphones and the Comet headphone amp is also highly recommended.
Alan,
God’s Joy to you,
I’m happy to see my descriptions fit your experiences! By this time I have heard the Exogal products with a growing list of complementary equipment, and to date I have not heard a poor system when they are used either individually or together. You have a jump on me in regards to describing their sound with headphones as I only have the Kingsound ESL headphones with tube headphone amp.
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
Hi,
I have a Comet Ion combination with digital input from a Melco and connecting via chord reference cables to Spendor D7 speakers.
The Chord Sarum USB interconnect has been a revelation.
Would a higher quality passive HDMI replacement have the same positive effect?
Any suggestions?
Kind Regards
Peter Dickens
Peter,
Gods’ Joy to you,
I am open to trying more passive HDMI cables for the Comet/Ion combo. I have tried one I borrowed from a friend, the WireWorld Platinum Starlight 7, which was made into a “shorty” cable for the Comet/Ion. It did confer a difference, and a positive one, however not enough to induce me to order one. I found that with the Exogal’s stock HDMI cable and an upgraded Ethernet cable I could achieve a similar effect to the “jumper” HDMI. If I were approaching the system from a cost-no-object perspective I might obtain the Platinum Starlight, but I suspect there may be better cables for the Comet/Ion. Anyone with experience in this matter I would very much like to hear back.
As a humorous anecdotal aside, Jeff Haagenstad and I had a very low cost bet (I do not gamble) of $1 over whether the HDMI would effect the sound of the Comet/Ion. He said effectively no, and I said it would. The outcome was that in my comparison there was a discernible difference, but that it was below the threshold of my Law of Efficacy; i.e. time better spent pursuing other options. Imo, we were both sort of right. The dollar went to a non-profit ministry. 🙂
Now, I am not finished with my exploration of the passive HDMI cables for Comet/Ion. One cable is nowhere near enough attempts to draw a firm conclusion regarding the efficacy of the link. I will attempt to find at least two or three other passive HDMI cables to test with the Comet/Ion.
QUESTION: DOES ANYONE KNOW OF AN AFTERMARKET QUALITY PASSIVE HDMI CABLE (Not shouting, soliciting!) which might be suitable for a short link between the Comet/Ion? Please render assistance with your suggestion; I appreciate it! I did look online and found not much about passive HDMI cables, so any suggestions are much appreciated! Note, we are talking Passive HDMI, not the typical active HDMI, which is the majority of HDMI cables in existence.
So, concluding, the issue is not firmly resolved at this point. However, I have done enough comparisons in regard to Ethernet links to firmly recommend upgrading them. Article on Ethernet cables forthcoming.
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
Hi, you wrote “QUESTION: DOES ANYONE KNOW OF AN AFTERMARKET QUALITY PASSIVE HDMI CABLE (Not shouting, soliciting!) which might be suitable for a short link between the Comet/Ion?”
I would like to know if you have found “better” aftermarket HDMI cables? If so, which cables do you prefer and what is the audible benefit of them? Thank you.
Steven,
God’s Peace,
Since I wrote that Exogal has made an upgrade connector; I suggest you seek that from Exogal!
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
At the CES in 1998 I showed the Tact Millennium amplifier designed by Lars Risbo in Denmark. It was a power DAC with 134 dB dynamic range. Since then we have been manufacturing fully digital amplifiers – now under Steinway Lyngdorf, and Lyngdorf brands. We control volume level by regulating a DC to DC power supply giving us full digital resolution over a vast power range. The process was patented in 1996.
I have recently became a owner of the ion comet combo. I have owned many systems over the years including both tube and solid-state. This combo ranks right there with the best I have heard and I have heard some pretty expensive gear. I feel the ion/comet combo is the most accurate to source material as I have ever heard. It is very fast exactly as Doug has explained. It has the smoothness and texture on instruments that I hear with the best tube amps, and the neutrality of the better solid-state gear I have heard. It doesn’t have the extra bloom that the tubes have but it has the presence. What it does better than the other solid-state gear I have heard is it has a natural ease to the sound that you hear with live music but is still dynamic at the same time. I have read one of the previous comments about not sounding as much like a real guitar as another amplifier. Remember this is a recording you are listening to. A lot is lost in the transition from live to a recorded medium especially dynamics. I feel the ion is more accurate to what is recorded to the medium. I know what you mean about more live sounding, but it is a trade off. When I go listen to live music unamplified it never sounds aggressive and in you face. The music is very dynamic and full but in a different way than a recording. We all hear a little differently than one another and have different preferences for what we like. Biases I guess. But I still feel that the ion/comet combo competes with the best I have heard.
Kris,
God’s Peace to you,
Nice that you are enjoying the Comet/Ion! It is a lovely combo!
If you wish to optimize it, you can pursue the PLUS Power Supply for the Comet, an aftermarket umbilical fo the PLUS such as offered by Clarity Cable or Wywires, and a quality digital link for the source to the Comet. All of these will elevate the performance additionally. Also, pay careful attention to power cords used with both Comet and Ion. So, you have no less than 4 discrete levels of improvement to explore if you wish, and all are efficacious. I suspect you will enjoy the sound much more if you explore these suggestions.
Also, if you are using a source with the option of volume control, try both alternatives; setting the source’s output at 100% and using the volume control of the Comet, or vice versa. I always try them both to see which I prefer with any collection of gear.
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder
Posting this for historical documentation:
This idea of a better passive HDMI cable has haunted me for years. I believed it when Douglas said vast majority are “active”. So I was afraid to invest in anything. Turns out that’s only partially true. The vast majority of HDMI cable in the real world may be active. But it turns out that the vast majority in HiFi are passive. I’ve recently confirmed that all Nordost and all AudioQuest HDMI cables are passive. I’m sure there are more. But for anyone reading this, you’re obviously still using this fantastic gear and/or somehow curious about it. So if you want to try some better signal cable for the Ion, check out the above brands. (Mabye not the Valhalla. yikes) If there are others you are curious about, contact the company to confirm “passive” status. According to Nordost, High End cable companies only do passive because the active part is bad for signal integrity. Good for really long video runs. But terrible for signal. Hence High End HDMI being mostly (if not all) passive. Cheers and Happy Listening to all my loyal Exogal users!
Craig,
God’s Peace,
This is very good information! I appreciate it! I am still using the Exogal Comet regularly and its quality is proven repeatedly. I will certainly be looking for an upgrade on the HDMI cable because I build systems using the Ion!
The timing of your post is particularly beneficial to you and other Comet owners. Look in my upcoming review for reference to the Comet in conjunction with a network player. I have used the Comet with a lot of gear, but the result was so unexpected, so extraordinary, that I bought the network player if for no other reason than use with the Comet. I haven’t even tried the Ion with it yet, but that will come. I anticipate I will also revisit comparison of passive HDMI cables for the Ion.
Blessings,
Douglas Schroeder