Thanks for responding to my post...good to hear from you again! You are describing precisely my reaction and initial perception of this ultrapath (I wonder if the term will be a registered trade mark one of these days!?) connection. I agree, as well, that the sense of increased high frequency information and small detail is probably more the result of a lowered noise floor than it is an actual increase in frequency respsonse...but I don't know that for sure. This is an idea I had some months ago, when I was contemplating the building of Jack Eliano's original DRD amp design published in VTV. I just couldn't come up with the means to buy all the extra iron needed to produce two monoblocks. And so, I looked at the Moondogs and wondered "What if?" So returning the signal from the OPT to cathode instead of powersupply will offere more detail....lets see what happens! Since I am only running 300 B+, the stock cathode bypass cap will probably work fine in terms of safety, but I decided to increase the power handling ability just the same. So I got some slightly larger Solens to do the job. I tried it for a few days, and then tacked it back into the original bypass position to compare. The area I find a difference seems to be more associated with not always directly music-related information: performers handling their instruments, valves clicking as they are pressed and released, breathing -- that kind of stuff; which for me adds to the realisam of the whole thing. Removing the first cathode bypass capacitor seemed to accentuate this effect; however, in this case I think it may be the result of a slight reduction in bass response, which is having the effect of casting higher frequency info. into more pronounced relief. I don't notice a reduction in gain, though, with bass response perhaps being the only qualification for that.
The PM2As sounded marvelous in free air, Thom. I yanked them out of the Medallions one evening, and plunked them down on top of the big La Scalas. In all honesty, I have never had our listening room so-well loaded before! This was like an extraordinarily good electrostatic panel. But it needed work. The Lowther, I think, needs to be tempered a bit by a panel. I will also either use a variable L-pad on it to balance it with the La Scalas or bi-amp. as I mentioned.
I found a great piece of wood that I think would work well for the initial open-baffle application -- A toilet seat cover! I'd cut a hole in it for the driver, and then glue and screw the lower portion of the cover onto a supporting board which would stand ontop of the La Scalas. It wouldn't take too much work....
Gosh, I wish I had the money for a nice turntable like yours, Thom! As is, even my now antique Denon CD player is showing signs of age and distress. I'm going to have to get a good but not overly expensive digital front end here pretty soon.
Thanks again for responding.
Erik
