Anyone? :(

Personally, I like the ISA 428. Especially if you don't have any other means of digital conversion, it's a great deal. The sound is very nice too. I use it to track vocals for classical music - opera, etc. The converters aren't bad, but don't expect too much from them. They won't hold their own against a good outboard converter - but they are far better than what you normally find in most all-in-one boxes or sound cards (Lynx - and maybe RME - excluded).

J...

Cool. I actually have the Lynx card and I am way impressed with the converters.

The point to my query is that I have two AMEK CIB's and they are wonderful. I wanted to know if the ISA are much different sounding. If so then they'll be worth while cause I'll have two different flavours. But both are very Rupert Neve - so need a comparison really. As for the AD of the ISA - I heard great things about them so that dissapoints me a little if they are not great. I may as well buy another Lynx 2 card instead.

I'm also in the market for new monitors and I can get a great deal on the K+H 0300D but need as many opinions as possible on them.

The dealer is 350 miles away from me but although they offer a full maufacturers warranty they wont extend the usual 30 days refund if you dont like em - due to the amazing deal they have on them. So I need opinions on them!

Cheers

Blenn

not did it yet the A/B comparison between the mini-me and ISA converters(i never have worked with RME, Lynx or Lucid)...but, to be honest, i dont hear too much diference...i like them both...in fact, the overall sound (converters + pres ) from the Focusrite is way better...sounds bigger and round in the lows...well, just my opinion...i´m not a guru... :roll:

I own a pair of the AMEK/NEVE CIB's and I own Focusrite Red. Have used the Focusrite ISA and both are closer to the CIB than different. I'd be looking for something way off on the other side for tone such as API, Vintech, Daking, Manley and others that are in that direction.

Thank you Audiogaff. Thats exactly what I needed to hear. So for my next selection - I was thinking of the Millennia STT1 due to the many different sounds you can extract from this or even the Liquid channel.

Any thoughts?

Cheers

Blenn

p.s. any thoughts still on the K+H0300D?

No knowledge or experience with the K+H0300D. I don't find enough character in tone in the STT-1 to bother with. The difference between solid state and tube is subtle, at least to me, and is why I passed on it when I was shopping. It would not be the drastic difference in tone from the CIB compared to the others I mentioned above.

Excellant. Time to audition some API!

Thank you

Blenn

I brought some CDs of my work with me to the NAMM show this past year where I had an opportunity to listen to the K&H speakers... I had a very favorable impression of what I heard there- granted it is a pretty shitty listening environment, but at least they were in a back corner so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. What I heard was enough that I would seriously consider them if I had to replace the speakers that I already use (and love)...

--Ben

Thank you Ben. What speakers do you currently use?

Blenn

I have a pair of speakers that almost nobody has heard of- Norberg Model 28's. They are a line that never did particularly well commercially that Bob Norberg of Capitol Records designed. They are a strange design- 2 6" woofers that run in parallel and a horn with a binary/selectable crossover and are acoustically time aligned.

Powering them, I use a Haffler 9505 Amplifier, Benchmark DAC-1, and a Coleman M3P. My secondary reference is a pair of Genelec 1031A's but I don't like them anywhere near as much.

--Ben

They sound fascinating! Thank you for the comments on 0300D. I am looking forward to getting them and full of dread as to what they reveal my room to be really like.

Blenn

Blenn wrote: I was thinking of the Millennia STT1 due to the many different sounds you can extract from this. .... The Amek pure path CIB? The Focusrite ISA 428? ....

Any thoughts?

The Focusrite uses classic Focusrite transformer-based pre amps with switchable impedance and direct instrument inputs and probably has more in common with the APIs (an OP AMP design) than the others mentioned... making it totally different than the 9098 / Amek pure path which uses what is termed by Rupert Neve as a "transformer like amplifier" (TLA) ...

I have the 9098's eq with pre amps. It is said these are a little different than the "Pure Path" .. but they are probably more similar than different. I like the 9098's a lot but not as much as an original Neve, Vintech or the GRMP2NV ... I think the 9098's are actually relatively neutral sounding.

As to the STT-1 a lot of people say that there is not much difference in the sound of the different topology selections and that the sound is "unexciting". Both Fletcher and Audio Gaff do not seem to care much for it. I guess different people like different things and I do not question their sensibilities but I personally like the Origin a lot and it is my "go to" box for tracking bass.

It has also not been mentioned that the sound of the tube sections of the Origin can be changed considerably by switching the tubes. Millennia sent out some Telefunkin tubes with the Origin I received. I have heard that these tubes make a huge difference in the sound (although I have not felt the need to switch them myself) and it should be asked if Audio Gaff and Fletcher had the chance to hear the STT-1 with these other tubes. Other tubes than the originals and the Telefunkins may be switched also ... Check these two recent threads [="http://recording.org/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=21200&highlight="]Tube upgrades[/]="http://recording.or…"]Tube upgrades[/] and [[url=http://="http://recording.or…"]ART TUBE PREAMP[/]="http://recording.or…"]ART TUBE PREAMP[/] here at RO on switching tubes in the ART pres ... Imagine what a difference tubes could make in a real quality piece like the STT-1 Origin ...

The EQ in the Millennia, is beautiful sounding and the compressor alone is worth the price of the whole box IMO .. it seems a lot of people heard a lot of difference between the sound of the different topologies in the Origin pre amp when I posted comparisons a while back ... check [[url=http://[/URL]="http://recording.or…"]this thread[/]="http://recording.or…"]this thread[/].

As always YMMV and you should try to hear them all for yourself if possible before making a decision. Deal with a reputable dealer (Fletcher is excellent, although he doesn't carry the Millennia line) that will allow an exchange or refund if necessary. If you do these 2 things, you will be fine.

Sound advice Kurt and many thanks. I loved the sound of the SST1. I heard it, of all places, live with Joss stone. The compressor was nigh on invisible sounding. Beautiful sounding!

It's on my hit list.

Blenn