Here We Go Again…

It seems I am completely changing my system again. Well, perhaps not completely, the DeVore O/Bronze loudspeakers are going nowhere, neither is the Esoteric SACD player nor my dCS Network Bridge, but almost everything feeding them is about to change. A new turntable, preamplifier, phono stage and power amplifier represents rather more than the usual bit of shuffling around.

This isn’t the result of any dissatisfaction. The Kondo amplifier and phono stage have been superb, and selling them is not something I take lightly, in fact I wish I could keep them too. But the arrival of the EM/IA autoformer line stage, followed by my time with the Audio Note 300B SET amplifier, shifted my thinking. The simplicity, openness and immediacy of that combination was really instructive. It showed me another way forward, or perhaps rather reminded me of the direction I was always heading in. I should end up with a pretty spectacular sound overall.

What I particularly enjoy about the new system is the contrast at its heart. At the front will be the Technics SP-10R, a brand-new, state-of-the-art turntable built with extraordinary precision and control. Alongside it, the Mola Mola Lupe offers almost absurd flexibility: multiple inputs, extensive loading and gain options, and the ability to accommodate virtually any cartridge or step-up transformer I might want to try.

Everything else is anachronistically simple. The EM/IA autoformer controls volume without the complexity (and noise) of an active line stage, while the Komuro K-300S reduces amplification to something elemental. The Komuro isn’t just an amplifier but a piece of functional art, built around a profound understanding of what a 300B amplifier can be. It represents craftsmanship, experience and musical instinct rather than technology for its own sake.
This combination appeals to me hugely: modern engineering and supreme flexibility at the source, followed by the purity of an autoformer and a beautifully realised single-ended triode amplifier.

On paper, this is a fairly dramatic upheaval. In reality though, it feels as if the system is being distilled into something more pure. As mentioned, nothing is sacred anymore in audio, and no component remains merely because of its name, reputation or price. If something shows me a more convincing, or at least interesting way to listen, I’d rather follow it than cling to what I already have, life is too short to be slavish to the religious sects and factions in audio.

So yes, the system is changing again, quite significantly, in fact. This time it will combine some of the most advanced analogue technology available with components whose underlying ideas come from another age. The mixture feels completely coherent to me, so we shall see what happens.

Of course to make this happen I need to sell stuff, so please have a look at the for sale page and get in touch.