Feedback Page #2 - Response Audio

Thank you very much for allowing me to visit your shop for several hours recently, where I was able to spend time listening closely your new Musica Bella SP/AV-1 speakers. Also, thanks for allowing me to play some good vinyl that I know well, and for being such an excellent and friendly host. I was able to spend almost 3 extremely enjoyable hours soaking up the Bella’s sounds. Unlike most speaker evaluations, it was great having the designer and builder present, because you were able to provide detailed information about the construction and materials used for the speakers.

It was also good to be able to hear the Bella speakers through two different amplifiers: a 25W push-pull 300B amplifier, and a 40W 805-tubed SET amplifier. Vinyl included Jacintha’s Bossa Nova (45 RPM), Best of Lambert Hendricks and Ross, Eva Cassidy, Dave Matthews, Rikki Lee Jones “Volcano”, Duke Ellington “Blues in Orbit”, etc.

To get right to the point, the Bella speakers were wonderful. They have an expansive, very natural, harmonious sound, and at the same time, they present great musical detail (but without being etched or aggressive). I think that the external cross-overs (with a low cross-over point), and the two-way sealed-box construction contribute to the highly musical performance of the speakers (no port boominess).

The treble performance is accurate, exhibiting great musical detail, but without being grating or harsh (or annoyingly revealing). One of the Bella’s particular strengths was the ability to reproduce piano clearly and realistically (usually challenging even for the best of speakers), with the ringing clarity of high notes and the power of lower notes.

The bass/woofer performance differed between the two amplifiers. I though that the 300B-tubed amp presented a sweet, balanced sound. Due to the sealed enclosure, bass seemed slightly recessed. However, the 300B tube is not known for its low frequency performance – rather it is known for a beautiful midrange, which is what the speakers conveyed. When I switched to the 805-tubed SET amp, which is known for stronger bass output than the 300B, the bass/midbass performance kicked up a notch and the sound jumped into a harmonic balance that I rarely hear. Bass was punchy, controlled, and strong but fully integrated.

The speakers really get out the way of the music and sound clear, musical, detailed, and naturally accurate. I keep coming back to the word “natural”. The sounds just flowed from the speaker, without edginess or effort. One other aspect that was really nice was the high efficiency of the Bella speaker. Both the 25-watt and 40-watt amps drove these speakers to quite loud room-filling levels (and your listening space is quite large!). Also, this sensitivity allowed for highly nuanced dynamic detail.

One other aspect of my listening session is worthy of mention: the tweeter “waveguide” technology definitely contributes to a wide and even dispersion of sound throughout your large listening space. You jokingly mentioned that this reduced the need for the listener, especially with listening company present, to jockey for the “sweet spot”. That made me believe that perhaps there was not a strong sweet spot, but I was wrong. In the right spot the focus and soundstage improved dramatically. So these speakers allow dual function -- they present highly musical sound for groups of listeners, while also excelling in a focused listening session. For me, your speakers set a new standard for musicality (especially at this price point). I hope to hear the SP-2's in the near future!

Well, I hooked up the Jolida this evening, expecting a closed-in, tight, treble sound, and WOW - WAS I WRONG. I WAS AMAZED AT THE SOUND THAT CAME OUT OF MY SPEAKERS. I was caught totally off guard. Surprised in the extreme. I hope you are getting my drift. I am also sure this reaction occurs every time you do this, so I hope I am not boring you.

I connected the new power cord, hooked up my Sound Dynamics speakers (300ti) and put on Jacintha (Girl from Bossa Nova 45 rpm), Crosby Stills & Nash (1st on Classic), and the RCA Shaded Dog Classic Record Iberia vinyl recordings as initial tests.

The sound is fantastic, even before burn in, right out of your box. The bells and triangles rang out so clearly I thought they were in the room, percussion was crisp with the right body, the bass was strong, clear and well controlled, and the midrange was sweet and enveloping, yet absolutely clean. The music came out of a very black background. I am still shaking my head in disbelief. I can't imagine that the Jolida is going to sound better over time. I feel like I went out and bought a mega-buck Audio Research or Conrad-Johnson unit, but I suspect the Jolida with your mods sounds better.

Thinking about your modification, I suddenly realized the tremendous value of the service you provide: that is, a person can purchase a Jolida (or ASL) base amplifier from you at an affordable price point, and get a very good sounding tube amplifier, and then, after a some period of time of listening to the original unit, a person can upgrade the unit to provide phenomenal sound quality, thereby completely satisfying, in an affordable way, the natural urge to refine the sound of one's system. One can improve the system in steps, and not lose any of the past investment. This service is an incredible value, and one that the audiophile magazines never even hint at. As an equipment owner, I don't need to get hung up in selling my equipment on the used market (with all the potential risk and time required), the down time for upgrade is minimal, and the results are just astounding.

I'll bet you were laughing to yourself when I suggested that I was not expecting too much from the upgrade this early in the burn in. Now I am laughing at what I must have looked like with my jaw dropping down to the floor. You have demonstrated, in a very real way, the advantages of your approach - buy quality affordable equipment, and then upgrade to perfect sound through (affordable) reference modifications.

It is an absolute crime that the audiophile magazines do not adequately cover this aspect of the market. Granted, Response Audio probably does not have the same level of staff and annual revenue as Krell or ARC, but the unbelievable quality of sound you provide with your modifications are equally on par with any of the stratospherically priced equipment that is reviewed each month. Each of these magazines should have a special issue on reference modification services, with reviews of upgraded equipment, to expose more audiophiles to this valuable element of the market.

Thank you for all your hard work, and especially, for the incredibly musical results.

I purchased a modified Antique Sound Labs AQ1003DT about 6 weeks ago. This is the first tube amp I've bought, but not the first I've lsitened to---a friend has the Zen amp driving Tannoys, and that made me acquire a tube-driven CD player (the Ah! Tjoeb) and started me thinking about getting a tube amplifier to replace my old Amber 70. I have Snell C speakers, which are roughly 90db efficient, but have a pretty hungry crossover and big 10-inch woofers. Bill Baker spent a good deal of time on the phone and online with emails, and felt that the ASL 1003 would be a good sonic match with my gear.
The amp has been "burned in" now for the requisite 400 hours, and the sound is -----well, it's very hard to describe the sound of this amp, as it really seems to be an audio chameleon; whatever is on the Cd is expressed out of deep silence, and with a wonderfully emotional presentation. The deep organ pedal fundamental on the Telarc version of Brahm's Deutsches Requiem (Shaw, Atlanta SO) movement 3 is so clean and so rich it is almost scary, it shakes my walls but does not sound out of balance, and one can pick out individuals in the chorus, as well as separate the various instruments. The amp possesses wonderful resolution, but is not edgy or dry. The first time I heard Arleen Auger sing the "Dulcissime" from Orff's "Carmina Burana" (Mutti, Speraphim) tears came to my eyes, it was the first time I've had the emotional content of the music come through my Snells and into the living room. The treble was so clear and pure and unstrained!! What a terrific job Mr. Baker
has done with this amp! ASL is not generally considered "high end" but I've not heard better sound from Levinson, Krell or Cary. I find it very hard to write about the sound of this amp----when I put on a CD, the music takes over, and the amp becomes just presents the performance. THat's the way it should be----the components should just be a window to the music.

Terry Roth in Puget Sound

I took a chance on the Daedalus loudspeakers without hearing them first but the gamble paid off in spades. These speakers are what I've been searching for for many years. I've had many expensive speakers over the years which were great in there own right, but Daedalus speakers are just so musical and accurate. these are definitely keepers for a very long time. Thanks again

Dave Cecere
Niagra Falls, NY

Bill,

The Canes are going well. I tightened a couple of pin holders in the socket and, presto, everything is good. I left them on continuously for 2 weeks to facilitate "burn in". Everything checks out and bias is holding steady. The sound just keeps getting better. I don't' know if the amps are getting better, the Bybees on the drivers are burning in or the additional caps on the crossover are breaking in, but I had to turn the pot down to balance the ribbons with the woofers on my speakers. It isn't just the dynamics-- clarity, harmonic balance, impact, decay, you name it, are all getting better. All parts seem to be congealing into a beautiful organic playback system that disappears and lets in the art. I don't get bogged down on individual notes. Rather, I hear the themes and emotions of the music that transports you into a different place. I know Big B uses SoA amps on these but I can't imagine anything sounding better on the ribbons than these 120 watts of triode Cane magic.

Keep me posted on your Bella SET blocks and how they do with different speakers. In particular, I am curious if these little amps would mate well with the new hemp/leather Omegas.

P.S. Dan's linestage may also be contributing to the improvement!

I can't believe how happy I am with the amplifiers and CD player I recently purchased from you. I have paired the Signature SE3205A and the Custom level 1 Jolida JD100 CD player with my old Klipsch Forte II's and right from the beginning they sounded great.. and are getting better all the time. I also hooked the Ming-Da MC-3R preamplifier (with your Reference upgrades) to a vintage power amplifier and hooked them up to the Klipschs using the Jolida CD player. The combo sounds so warm, but with good definition and kick to it. My greatest surprise, however, was when I hooked the Ming Da up to my existing solid state system ( a couple of 200 watt amplifiers driving some big speakers. .with powered subwoofers) I was shocked to find that the combination worked so well... the pre amp added a whole new dimension to the system...

My wife thinks I was crazy to drive to Endicott NY to visit you and your store. I couldn't be happier that I did. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting you and talking through my options. It was a pleasure to do business with you and I would recommend your work to anyone who is looking for custom work done on tube amplifiers etc.. It isn't that often that you run into honest, knowledgeable people anymore. I'll be back for some mono blocks one of these days. All the best...

Bob Olsen
Ridgefield Ct

Was a very happy man and very pleased when I took delivery of my amp this afternoon and it was in perfect working order.. Have played it for a few hours and am already extremely impressed with it's performance despite only 50 hrs of burn-in which you have done and using only my Pioneer DVD player as the source (sent my CDP in for full mods yesterday - V-caps & all). Without going through the whole vocabulary of sonic performance, I can honestly say its what I've been looking for _ superb ! When all the rough edges are eliminated after full burn-in, I confidently anticipate sonic bliss.

May I express a huge thank-you for your infinite patience and advice and the superb job you've done for me _ It is much appreciated. I have been most impressed with the wonderful and professional manner with which you deal with your customers, unlike some so-called experts who are condescending & arrogant that I have encountered recently . As an audiophile it has been a pleasure and a learning experience. I will not hesitate to recommend you to other audiophiles. I will certainly provide you with feedback as I go along.

Australia

September 2005 follow up

Hi Bill,

Have passed the 450 hrs burn-in mark and am very, very pleased with the results _ it's playing beautifully in every respect especially after I had all my cables (including power cords) rejuvenated by "cooking" them for 24hrs with my AudioKharma Cable Cooker .I do this every few months.

The top-end is rich and clean, the mids sound luscious while the bass is "solid" and true without being "boomy". The soundstage is magnificent despite limitations in the acoustics of the room. Diana Krall, Eva Cassidy, Maria Callas and Beethoven never sounded better ! It's brought new life to my collection of "reference" recordings like the Klemperer Beethoven symphonies.

As previously mentioned, I made sure that the other components in the system did justice to the amp by having them all upgraded _ I believe that a system is as good as it's weakest link. It has been a worthwhile journey and I'm glad that I chose your Reference Jolida over a Krell ! I have since silenced my friends who thought I was mad to buy a China-made amp costing as much as a Krell _ they were stunned by the sound. The 2 designers of Duntech and Orpheus speakers ( both belonging to the same company) reacted similarly _They plan to take on board the mods I did to my speakers.

Thanks again Bill for your patience, sound advice and your dedication to fine workmanship _ it has been a pleasure dealing with you. If you have any serious enquiries about your products from any genuine audiophile from Australia, I would be more than happy to endorse your reputation as a most trustworthy person and the quality of your products. I also plan to post a message on one of the online audio sites like Audiogon when I find the time _ am busy getting my tax documents ready for my accountant to file my tax return.

I have been on the lookout for a new digital front end for the last year or so. I heard a number of units in stores, at friends, and at shows. I enlisted help via suggestions of members here and on some other boards. My budget was $4000 max, if I could get the kind of digital enjoyment I was after.

At the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, I heard lots of systems in less than ideal situations. One of the best setups there was by SP Technologies and Jam'n Audio/ Response Audio. The SP speakers I own, the Timpieces were in a system using an expensive Goldmund CD player as a front end. Very nice sound! After the show, I contacted Joe Jurzec from Jam'n Audio outside Chicago. I asked for his ideas on new CD front end. He gave me several and one he thought might at least tide me over and give me more enjoyment until I found the Holy Grail of CD front ends was a new mod developed by Bill Baker at Response Audio, his east coast partner. Since these guys were involved with 2 of the best sounding speakers and systems at the show (the SP technologies and Daedalus), I figured they know what they are doing.

I decided to try the new mod that Bill had developed and ordered up a new Signature Jolida JD-100A. The version I ordered has some damping done to the case and Chris Ven Haus' designed V-Caps in the output stage of the Jolida. Bill installs two brand new Oil Impregnated V-Caps in the output stage and two smaller Teflon V-Caps in the second stage. He also includes Joe's Jam'n Audio power cord to the mix as well as swapping out the stock tubes for Svetlanas. I have a lot of respect for Joe and Bill and Chris so I was excited to get this new machine. If it was not better than what I had at least I could use it in my office system, I thought.

The unit arrived several weeks ago and I began breaking it in. For grins I decided to listen in to the progress with my Grado SR-125 phones with the front panel mounted headphone jack and volume control. Nicely detailed sound and more real sounding than my CD player through my Grado headphone amp. I found out later that the headphone circuit does not benefit from the Cap mods as they are not in that signal path. A good beginning!

The break in period, I was warned, would be at least 100 hours and my initial reaction to the sound was that the mids were nice and less dry, and bass full but a bit flabby and highs tizzy. No worries, I have learned to be patient. I just went through a 400 hour breakin on my speaker cables (VH star quad) and it changed a lot from the first few hours.

Breakin did take about 100 hours. Let's start at the top. Details in the high end are very good and a cymbal sounds like a cymbal, yea! I have heard lots of cd players that get it wrong. The transient response, wave front and decay were all better than my player and many I have heard. Highs appeared with good believability and less air than some machines. But more real to me. Moving down to the mids, there is a slight edge or glare in the upper mids on some recordings that are not the best recordings. This is hugely dependent on the power cable used. With the stock cord it is annoying but not real bad, remember the recording is the culprit here. Don't expect the modded Jolida to smooth everything out.

Using the Jam'n Audio cord (a Belden design) at less than $100 smoothes things out significantly. Not only that, it takes a bass that is clearly too fat and tames it with good definition. This minor quibble about the mids is just that, as the midrange on this machine is clearly the best I have heard. Background is black as can be with no noise artifacts that I can tell. In fact this is one area that makes a high end system. From power cord or outlet upgrades to these fantastic caps. Getting a black space background as black and quiet as can be is key to a fairly convincing reproduction of a real musical event. And notes are focused in the soundstage better than many players I have heard. They just emerge, jump, etc. from distinct locations within the soundstage wall. And do so with more real body or palpability.

Male and female vocals are outstanding and much more real than I have experienced, yes more 3 dimensional. I can almost see how the best reference systems might give a clue to a head turn being noticed, but I have not experienced that quite yet. Bonnie Raitt and Joni Mitchell on the Chieftans album tears of stone" sound more real to me than on any other player I have auditioned. And Johnny Adams singing on "One Foot in the Blues CD is so dynamic! A very good recording! Goldfrapp's Cd "Felt Mountain" is a workhorse for letting a system define what the producer is doing to create some of the sounds. It has very good depth and space ques and it sounds so much better on this player especially the location of sounds within the field and there placement relative to front and back. The soundstage is not wider or particularly taller than some others I have heard, but the realness of the notes and the impact of dynamics are pure joy. These caps are doing amazing things to the music with this player. It simply is a more real experience to me.

On down to the low end. Bass is freaking awesome with this machine. I thought my former machine has great low end. In fact it was noted for it. This player has tone detail, dynamics, and balls in the low end. In fact, percussion tone and attack are fantastic. My friend says he has not heard a system that does drums and percussion this well. I agree. No wonder! Chris VH is a drummer. I used Mickey Hart's CD a lot when evaluating components. When things get complex, this modded Jolida does not get flustered, instruments stay where they are with no irritation or compression.

Changes to the power cord are noticeable, as I mentioned earlier. And as good as the Jam'n Audio cord is over the stock cord, going higher up the resolution chain pays dividends. I tried the VH-Audio Flavor 4 on this player and it takes care of most of the slight glare on most not so perfect cds that exhibit this, without screwing with the rest of the tonal spectrum. It also adds more weight and impact to the low end. Where the Jam'n cord leans to a slight leanness and a focus on resolution, the Flavor 4 makes things more organic, open, and slightly smoother without losing definition. Even at close to $300 it is an upgrade I will be making.

Other tweaks to my system over the last few weeks after it has broken in are very audible. Adding Herbies Tenderfeet under the stock feet help with image stability and definition and Herbies Hal-O Jr IC dampers for my interconnects lock in focus. Who would have thought these down right cheap tweaks would have so much impact! I also replaced the spring loaded tube covers with Herbies Hal-Os . I cannot tell if they had an impact by themselves, since I have not done a good test. But the Hal-Os work so well on my other tubes, that they should be a good tweak.

All in all, my search for the holy grail has been sidelined for now. No this is not going in the office system. Is this the Holy Grail? No! We all chase after it but it doesn't exist. Is this the best player on the market, No! But it is a very good value and highly musical and resolving. With everyone and their brother doing mods on Jolidas with clock mods, rca, mods, wire changes, etc., I was a bit skeptical, but Jam'n Joe Jurzec and Bill Baker have something really special here.

I think the V-Cap is a unique and very relevant component to the musically wonderful sound of this player. I am impressed with the work Bill did on the mods, and like the solidness of the Jolida. I have a feeling this could be considered a "giant killer" Yes I said it! It is for me! At under $1400, I would have to be blown away with some stock machine before I would part with the Signature Jolida and I know something like that would cost in excess of $4000.

All of the above has to be taken with a grain of salt. These are my opinions only and yours may differ. When writing about audio all the little things get magnified and one mans big change may not be so with you. I know you can only get so much out of a few paragraphs, you have to listen to decide for yourself. Me sharing my thoughts is to help those who have helped me in the past discover something that may bring joy to their life. To all you folks looking for a moderately priced ticket to musical nirvana, you might want to get a hold of one of these and decide for yourself.

Chris Ven Haus has hit a grand slam with these caps and Bill and Joe are pioneers in bringing an excellent value to audiophiles who just want good tunes without the hype and cost often associated with this lifelong trek.

Reference Dared 845 SET and Original Usher Ultimate X-718s with AuriCap capacitors.

I had found out about Bill Baker at Response Audio through Dan Wright, who had done a complete upgrade and tube mod to my Philips SA 1000. The bottom line is that I sent my Dared to Bill Baker for what he calls the Ultimate modification. In essence, he stripped it of resistors and capacitors and replaced them with Rikens (sp) and V-Caps, broke every solder connection and resoldered with silver solder, rewired that entire amp with custom wire and rerouted it for most quiet, and replaced inputs and speaker terminals with Cardas and WBT. I would have had it months sooner if UPS had not dropped it and broke some of the solder connections (quite a feat as it came triple boxed and encased in foam). I sent it back to Bill to put it back together, and now have it for about a month.

The V-Caps are still breaking in, but I have to say that this is the most musical tube amp I have ever had (including C-J MV75, Bat Vk-60, VTl 85, Mesa Baron, AR VT 100, and Cary 805C's). It images like a bandit, and throws as deep and detailed a soundstage as I could ever want.

I am using it with a pair of Response Audio Ultimate Usher 718's (No this is not a hidden ad for Bill Baker, I just love his work) which together yields a better sound in my music room than my Cary's did powering Reference 3A mm De Capos. Bass is deep enough that I don't long for my old subwoofer, and the highs are sweet, clear, and not rolled off in the least.

All is all, this is the "cheapest" system I have owned in years, yet it yields the most musical satisfaction. I have truly come to believe that decent equipment (Philips SA 1000, Dared 845, Usher 718's) bought at near bargain prices, then carefully modified with parts that OEM can't afford to put in their high end equipment due to the 5 to 1 ratio, yields amazing sound and much, much musical satisfaction.

In the end, the Dared 845 was a great buy at near $1,100, to which I added tubes $150, and the Response Audio upgrade at about $1,000, which gives me a solid, very musical amplifier. To say the least, I am a happy camper.

Reference Jolida JD801 / Ultimate "Silver and Oil" Usher X-718
(Initial Impressions)

First impressions are very , very favorable. Jennifer Warnes on "the Hunter" was very seductive. Holey Cole was both playful and sultry, depending on the cut. Copland's "Fanfare" was honest and uplifting, though the big kettle ( ? ) drums at the start don't have the same depth they do with my other system ( which uses two subs, go figure!!!), but the bass off these speakers is really pretty remarkable given their size. Stacey Kent, on Dreamsville sounded like the fresh girl next door we all wish we grew up with.

Overall, I'd have to say you nailed the system with respect to what I was looking for. I can't imagine that things could get much better, honestly. The presentation is pretty much what I was after...natural, balanced, unstressed yet articulate, no excessive sibilance, excellent command of the lower registers which delve deeper than expected in my setup with tightness verses flabbiness.

This setup just invites you to listen, and rewards you when you do. I'll stop gushing for now.... I know it's only after one evenings listening, but I can understand how someone who goes to your showroom could be smitten with this setup. I'm no expert at this, but neither am I a newbie. I've got four other systems at home and have listened to many others. Trust me, I would be very honest if this were not what it is.

For another viewpoint, Janet was completely won over within the first two tracks. She thinks the speakers are gorgeous, as well as the amp. Janet is very perceptive towards clarity and timing. She plays piano and has an excellent sense of timing and timbre. She absolutely abhors bright, over -extended systems and their associated harmonic overtones ( don't we all ??) . She played the ultimate compliment. she just relaxed and enjoyed the music. This does not always happen. Can't say too much more

To who ever may be interested, I am not a professional audio critic by any stretch of the imagination. I am simply a very picky listener on a tight budget who has found a service out there that I feel is well worth a recommendation. I am “married” to a pair of Klipschorn speakers that I have had for years and after buying some Dared 300B tube amps I could finally start to hear why people love Klipschorns.

After owning my 300Bs for a while I started to listen to other tube amps and have auditioned a couple with my speakers. I was frustrated to learn that my speakers could sound even better with the right amp but I didn’t have the budget to make another major upgrade. I did some research and contacted Bill Baker @ Response audio after seeing that he had modified a similar amp to mine. Bill did the upgrade and was very patient and flexible during the whole process.

When I received my amps back I could immediately hear the difference! Bill had advised me that the V-Caps needed time to break in before I would really hear the difference. I couldn’t wait to hear what they would sound like so I ran them for several hours a day to break them in. After around 300 hours of “burn in” time, the great sound that I was hearing had even more depth and better dynamics. I will not attempt to use any articulate verbiage to describe what I heard beyond that my system sounded incredible!!

I had been using some $600 speaker cables and always wondered if I could really hear the difference between them and some 12 GA Monster cable which I had used before. This was a real testament to Bill’s magic. I swapped out my Audioquest cables for the Monster cable and I could actually hear the difference where I couldn’t before the upgrade. I have since upgraded my preamp and my source is next. The upgrade that Bill did to my Chinese made Dared VP-300B monoblocks has changed everything about the way my system sounded, I am still amazed.

An audiophile friend (who hates horn driven speakers and who has never liked Klipsch products) came by one afternoon to hear my system. When he heard by Klipschorns driven by the modified 6 watt SET amps he was very impressed. I didn’t choose to upgrade the amps to impress anyone but it is nice when someone who knows audio gear validate my decision. For the price that others pay for cables Bill has given be a whole new level of performance that I would never have been able to afford otherwise. Thank you Bill!!!

Joel
Denver , CO .

I just wanted to let you know the amp arrived in perfect condition. I have it up and running and it sounds terrific. It's great to be back to tubes after 30+ years. You have been an absolute pleasure to do business with and I have posted your e-mail address on the Ecoustics forum. May Response continue with great success, and may 2 channel stereo live forever. Thank
you Bill!

Custom Reference Modified Jolida 300B

Hello Bill, I would like to thank you for the great job you did on the Jolida 300B amp that I purchased from you. The sound is the best that I have ever heard. I would highly recommend your service and products (Jolida 300B) to anyone; Please feel free to use my name and email address to anyone interested in this modification. THANKS Danny T........ Charleston, S.C.

Bill;

Wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know how much I'm enjoying the new system. (And while she won't admit to it, the wife likes it too.) The AZ-Two's sound just incredible. I don't know if I should attribute it to the quality of the AN's or the Audio Institute integrated tube amp, or the combination of the two, but I couldn't be happier.

I could sit here and tell you all the things I'm hearing in my music that I never, EVER heard before, even on recordings I've had since the early 70's and know really, really well, but I think I'll go and listen some more instead :o)

Thanks again!

Brian in St. Louis

Ultimate "Silver and Oil" Usher X-718 initial impressions

".......We compared the speakers first, upgraded vs. non-upgraded (Usher X-718's) and everyone agreed it was an improvement. The specific things I heard were better instrument and vocalist placement. Also, the bass was less 'wooly' or warm... or just cleaner. The highs were more extended but not harsh. Overall, a good investment. The nice thing about the mod is that it doesn't lose the sound I liked about the 718's but makes them better. I also think they need a wee bit more break-in...."
Carlman - AudioCircle member

The modified AV-20 amps arrived this week, and all I can say is, WOW! What a difference. I have other unmodified AV-20's which I have been using while you did the mods for me. These other amps had the stock tubes replaced by Svetlana 6L6 and Ei Elite Gold 12AX7 tubes, which greatly upgrades the sound quality when compared to the stock tubes. All I did was swap out these old amps for the new modified ones, and there was an immediate audible difference in all the key categories that tend to be used when people review equipment. Larger, deeper and more focused soundstage, better clarity of individual instruments and voices while retaining a very musical balance to the whole of the performance, clearer treble, sweeter midrange, deeper and more controlled bass, hearing new things in very familiar music - it's all there. From Stan Getz to Bach to Rubber Soul to The Who and beyond - an amazing change for the better. Thank you so much for taking these amps and making them sing!

Greetings Bill,

Sorry it took so long for me to write this, but I wanted to share my experience with you as well as others.

I just wanted to share what a great experience I had with Response Audio and how satisfied I am with my purchase of the Usher V9803's. What a great deal you were offering in those speakers! I built a completely vintage 2nd system consisting of a 2 completely rebuilt and overhauled Dynaco MkIII's and rebuilt Heathkit SP-2 and was looking for a "budget" speaker to complete
the system. I was looking at several options including the Spendor S3/5's, Von Schweikert VR 1's, and Soliloguy 5's. Having heard the previously mentioned and never heard the Usher V series, I took a chance on the Usher's based on Bill's recommendation and the incredible price - I am not
disappointed.

The bass is very solid and the mid-range is outstanding, female vocals are right in the room with you! I was a bit apprehensive they would be bright due to the metal dome tweeter, however they are not bright at all. Overall, they are a very good match for my system and I would highly recommend them for an office, bedroom, or 2nd system. Keep in mind however that they are
not small speakers, they are in fact quite large. I found I got just a much performance and speaker as the others mentioned for a great price. The Ushers are in the same league as all of the other speakers and for the price I was impressed with the finish. They are a very good match for low powered or vintage tube equipment and blend quite well to create a very musical system.

As for Bill and Response audio - I could not be happier with my purchase and the service I received. The speakers where received within 3 or 4 days in perfect condition! Bill spent a good bit of time on the phone with me for a relatively small purchase and in my mind that spoke volumes about him and his operation. Bill even offered to take them back if I did not like them.

He is a class act and so is his operation - highly recommended!

Thanks Bill,

Mike Helfrich

I asked Bill to upgrade the fixed "lamp cord" to a good grade power cord. I also asked to have a direct input for a preamp in order to by-pass the internal passive Alps pot. In addition the speaker terminals and RCA connectors were upgraded. The coupling caps were replaced with the new V-cap Teflon ones. The amp has about 40 hours or so on it including Bill's listening and mine in the last 24 hours. This amp was sweet and wonderful before modifications. At this point in time it is distinctly more open and transparent, but it is too early to tell about the cap benefit. I will report back in a few weeks. This amp with Bills mods is still under 1K. It is among the best amps at <5 watts that I have heard. Recommended highly.

There are now over 200 hours on this amp. The caps have "broken in". One just wakes up, turns on the amp, puts a favorite disc in, and he/she just knows that something is different with these caps. This little 4.5 watt Japanese amp with Bill's mods now sounds better than any that I've
had in my home, including the 2A3 Tulip that Bill modified (I still own it and will not give it up). Not that this is really better, just different. I am partial to the sound of the Almarro. The mids and upper frequencies are as transparent but sweeter. Sorry, I don't know how to define that word more precisely. The bottom end is more dynamic with more British "prat" and better control so that the lowest notes on a double bass are less muddy. If any of you are considering a single-ended amp (in this case, it is a pentode, El84), try to audition the Almarro and then have Bill upgrade the caps, cord, and have the volume pot by-passed in order to use your own preamp. You will not be sorry. Remember, however, you need 96 db sensitive speakers.
Thanks, again, Bill,
Marvin

I've been trying to find some time to send you a bit of an update. We are about 20 hours into the break-in period. Friday night was a long one as my wife and I tried to listen to our whole record collection all over again. The Jolida has caused quite a stir in our household and become more than a small attraction. I had one friend visit, ( a Mac guy with an MC275) who was quite surprised to see a set of KT88's powering the amp. Anyway, to sum it up: THE JOLIDA SOUNDS FANTASTIC! The level of transparency and detail have greatly improved. Cello and bass resonate with deep richness that will only be equaled in a live performance I am sure. The quality of the voices is like none I have heard before, at least in my house. We (my wife and I) are immensely pleased. It's like the people inside the stereo have been unlocked and set free in our living room. We had Billy Holiday at our place for dinner. It's quite an experience. Thank you very much for the work on the amp. We can't wait to hear the amp improve during it's break-in period.

Good evening Bill!
We received the 2 pkgs this afternoon, currently I am listening to my equipment. I am happy with your work and they look a lot better esp. the cones and the binding posts...thanks a lot and looking forward to do business again with you..