Sorry I realise I only replied to half your message.
So for a while now I’ve had a Transfiguration Phoenix, which as far as im concerned, is an almost flawless cartridge. Easy to set up, easy to load, and both smooth but lively and open.
Sadly, not made any more. But I knew that they were ultimately made by excel, and the specs on the Hana blue were surprisingly similar, so decided to give it a punt.
it wasn’t a bad shout. The Hana has some of the character of the Phoenix, but doesn’t quite have the clarity and transparency. It’s close, but just the last minute bit of snap and verve doesn’t seem present.
That said, it’s brand new and clearly nowhere near broken in, so this may change, and I may adjust the tracking force as the suspension eases off.
Definitely a similar class of cartridge. Given the magnet specs of the Phoenix, I suspect the Umami Red would be even closer, and when this one goes I’ll maybe try a red
I have heard the fuuga cartridge which I liked but It is just a bit too pricey (£9k ish) for me to bite but have heard both the blue and the red in totally different systems. Unfortunately the system the red was in (at a hifi show) was using an amp and speakers of a start up company and they sounded terrible. Not sure how they could have sat down listened to the system and thought it sounded good.
The demo at the same show with the blue, in a far cheaper system , sounded very good, and he did say that the red was better again.
There is someone in this forum who bought a red a few months ago but I cannot remember who it was. Maybe they will see this and remind me. I do remember they had a good deal on it.
My bedroom setup…
Leo Research LR282DM 300B push-pull class A integrated tube amplifier.with headphones output.
Holo Spring level 2 R2R DAC
Roppiee Roon bridge with external linear power supply.
HiFiMan Sundara planar headphones
Dali Oberon 5 floor standing speakers
Nordost Odin Supreme Reference interconnect cables
Nordost Style hi-fi cables
How do the Dali Oberon 5’s sound? I’ve been eyeing them as a possible replacement for my Dali Spektor 2’s, should I decide to switch from bookshelf to floorstanding speakers.
The shop owner where I recently bought the XLR cables for my system believes it to be a good fit for my Cambridge Audio CXA81.
Dali Oberon 5 sounds a bit to the neutral side so when paired to a tube amp, it will bring the ‘tubey’ sound. I’ve tried the bookshelf before but I still prefer the floor standing for 2 reasons; they are very compact and have a better lower extension.
I have a pair as well, using a NAD M10 to drive them. I like them so much I’m considering another set for my basement system, where they’re be paired with a small Quad tube integrated.
If I’m going to get them then it will be the light oak/white version that @MusicFidelity has. Since that would really match the furniture in my living room.
The Spektor 2’s would then go to my office. I would have to get a new amplifier for that, as I have gifted my Octavio Amp to my nephew. Can be a quite simple one, as it will only have my laptop and my Bluesound Node X connected to it.
I have a set of Oberons and they are great (in my second system now), and my friend has a set paired with a CXA81 and I have listened and can confirm they work very nicely together. He is really happy with the pairing having recently upgraded from a Sonos Amp to a CA stack.
I spent a few years using them with a PowerNode and sub woofer and it was a good experience for me.
Not sure about where you live (Netherlands I seem to remember), but in the UK the Oberon often went on sale at a 20% discount and I got a crazy deal on mine (right place at the right time) and after 5 years they have moved out of the main room and into the conservatory where they still do great work.
They are such an easy listen and are often described by shops as the sweet spot for Dali speakers. They tend to sell a lot of them
I have a set of Dali Helicon 300 mkII’s and have never felt the urge to upgrade them. Such a great neutral speaker. Now if i could be happy with my electronics then i would not be so poor.
I should have also said that I recently bought a pair of Dali Opticon 1 Mk2 for my man cave (fit inside an IKEA kallax cube) and I love those little speakers (so much bass). Also another guy here has recently purchased the Option 2 mk2 and he is very happy with those as well
I think Dali make some great speakers across a wide range of prices and sizes.
Hmm going to dig up some information about the Opitcon’s as well.
My Spektor 2’s are from Dali’s budget range. But they have been playing here for half a year now and they have really improved a lot sonic wise. Mid- and high range are great. Just lacking in the bass department. And even though they are quite small, they are sufficient for my living room which is about 20 square meters.
I went a few years with no changes at all and then changed most of the systems in the house in the last three years. Personally I blame the bad company here for making us keep looking
