Vosne vs Giscours

[fjn04]

Thanks Franklin- I would have to reconfigure for audition, but it sounds like it could be worth a try. What I do like about the 9.0 meter cable is there is nothing between or in back of the 0/96's. I believe this becomes more important still, when the room isn't that wide.

[FranklinLG]

Ok, so I'm about 2 weeks in with my baby giscours. Forget "break-in", as I don't listen with enough regularity nor do I have the requisite ability to recall those sonic stages very well. But after 2 weeks I can tell you I am hearing more and more detail in every album I listen to. It's ridiculous the stuff that seems to pop out and come alive with the Giscours. I really have to say it's awesome! But as I think I've noted elsewhere, the downside to all of this is that poorly mastered and pressed albums really suck now! The delta from that to, say, AP's Nat King Cole reissues is ridiculous. That's ok, as I am more than willing to listen to magnificent reissues or originals instead of mediocrity - I'll just stick to the digital version for that.

In short, I really like this Giscours. it may be the second most important acquisition behind my Os.

[Wino]

Originally Posted by FranklinLG

Ok, so I'm about 2 weeks in with my baby giscours. Forget "break-in", as I don't listen with enough regularity nor do I have the requisite ability to recall those sonic stages very well. But after 2 weeks I can tell you I am hearing more and more detail in every album I listen to. It's ridiculous the stuff that seems to pop out and come alive with the Giscours. I really have to say it's awesome! But as I think I've noted elsewhere, the downside to all of this is that poorly mastered and pressed albums really suck now! The delta from that to, say, AP's Nat King Cole reissues is ridiculous. That's ok, as I am more than willing to listen to magnificent reissues or originals instead of mediocrity - I'll just stick to the digital version for that.

In short, I really like this Giscours. it may be the second most important acquisition behind my Os.

FranklinLG-

Happy new Year !

Nice next chapter & mini review-

Someday a Giscours.... mmm...

For me, I prefer to have only the best SQ pressings possible on vinyl, since I find it tough to sit through a bad recording of something I like; Meaning I get 'ants in my pants', and gotta go do something else, yet keep the music on-

Don't mean to do weird advertising here (especially for long term LP collectors) (or hijack the thread), however for really, really great sound on a limited amount of styles of music, try Better Records Hot Stampers- I've bought a few now, and they're really pricey, however, quite astounding SQ, compared to a standard pressing- Enough said-

David

[baddog]

Wow! These Giscours sound quite wonderful, I gotta get me a set!

I wonder how my beloved Gang of Four will sound on them...

Curious - does your digital stuff sound better (different) through them as well?

Barr

[Jerome W]

Originally Posted by FranklinLG

Ok, so I'm about 2 weeks in with my baby giscours. Forget "break-in", as I don't listen with enough regularity nor do I have the requisite ability to recall those sonic stages very well. But after 2 weeks I can tell you I am hearing more and more detail in every album I listen to. It's ridiculous the stuff that seems to pop out and come alive with the Giscours. I really have to say it's awesome! But as I think I've noted elsewhere, the downside to all of this is that poorly mastered and pressed albums really suck now! The delta from that to, say, AP's Nat King Cole reissues is ridiculous. That's ok, as I am more than willing to listen to magnificent reissues or originals instead of mediocrity - I'll just stick to the digital version for that.

In short, I really like this Giscours. it may be the second most important acquisition behind my Os.

Interesting. Although the resolution increased to an unbelievable level with my Giscours over all my previous preamps, I have not experienced the fact of enjoying less poor recordings. Quite the opposite actually. There is some kind of refinement, purity to the message that makes even poor recordings sound very enjoyable. They do not sound as good as great ones of course, but what I mean is that when I listen to a poor recording, if I like the music, I enjoy it as much as if the recording was perfect.
My power amps are all EL34 based and I found the 34 to be a warm sounding tube. Maybe that the resolution of the Giscours is "balanced" by more forgiving amps in my system.

[baddog]

Jérôme -

Interesting comments - I hope as well that I find the Giscours make better the really good stuff and do not significantly degrade the bad...

Did you have a different Shindo pre amp prior to your upgrade to the Giscours?

Happy New Year to you!

Barr

[Jerome W]

Originally Posted by bplexico

Jérôme -

Interesting comments - I hope as well that I find the Giscours make better the really good stuff and do not significantly degrade the bad...

Did you have a different Shindo pre amp prior to your upgrade to the Giscours?

Happy New Year to you!

Barr

Hi Barr,

No, Giscours is my first Shindo pre. No
need to upgrade now as the Petrus is out of budget !

[FranklinLG]

Jérôme,

I need to note my view is very subjective. But I have found that some of the records that I have that are not well done are obviously so now. The added detail reveals more clearly the areas in the record that are lacking. The reference to Adele's vinyl is spot on. So I would rather listen to her blu-ray performance and just enjoy. Also, some of my older and sadly more worn records are not as sweet sounding, as there is just more clarity coming through and those age and usage issues are more pronounced.

That said, we're only talking about 10-15% of my collection that fails to make the grade. Average or well produced vinyl certainly sounds swell. And I am enjoying that a great deal more. Van Morrison's Poetic Champions is a regular heavy rotation. Its an album that I've probably played as much (or close to) as Sinatra's Wee Small Hours - and both are right up there in my top 10 listening sessions. Listening to it through my system has always been a pleasure. But it tends to shine even more so and I hear new detail not previously culled from my prior pre-amps. So here's an average mastering and pressing from the mid-1980's, and I love it. it is better now than I have ever heard it.

On the other hand, my Wee Small Hours has some wear issues. The disc came in "NM", but was really more of a VG+ to excellent for its surface. And then i discovered some significant groove wear on the first side on the last 2 tracks. Unfortunately, both issues are more clearly noticeable and detract from the experience. And while I could tolerate it before, as there are so few original grey labels out there to be found of this amazing album, the added noise and distortion is too much for my Koetsu to compensate for to allow me to enjoy this album. Here's to hoping MoFi includes it in its reissues.

So what's my point - I don't know. But I'll try to recap. I like the Giscours a lot. It is taking me more closely to the performance than anything else I've had in the Pre-Amp spot. My take is it does this, in part, by the way it reproduces so much more detail that was somehow not coming through with my prior pre-amps. This is a blessing and a curse. Great masterings are amazing. Average ones are wonderful. Poor ones just stink.... Put another way, there's no way to make supermarket Welch's grape juice into fine wine! The damage is already done.

Cheers!

[pitch perfect]

Originally Posted by bplexico

Jérôme -

Interesting comments - I hope as well that I find the Giscours make better the really good stuff and do not significantly degrade the bad...

In the context of a well balanced system, using A23 and/or Shindo interconnects and loudspeaker cabling, you will not find this to be the case...

These are the only interconnects and speaker cables designed for Shindo pre & amps, and thus the outcome can be assured. This is especially important in regards to amplifier and speaker coupling.

-M

[pitch perfect]

Originally Posted by Jérôme W

.....There is some kind of refinement, purity to the message that makes even poor recordings sound very enjoyable. They do not sound as good as great ones of course, but what I mean is that when I listen to a poor recording, if I like the music, I enjoy it as much as if the recording was perfect....