GAT1 versus GAT2

[paulCJ]

I am of just the opposite mentality, the "if it isn't broken, don't fix it mentality," lol. It is a smaller crossover box than the larger ones that came with the IRS Beta's and a few others. Is something I simply do not want to start opening up to see how difficult it is, and somehow break the box in the process. What I do know is how magical everything is with this in the system, and just don't want to risk messing with the magic box.

[admin]

I think this is reasonable. If you are happy with the sound, why spend money trying to change it?

[paulCJ]

It has been a few months since my last post about the GAT-S2 preamp, and wanted to provide an update. I was warned that purchasing a GAT-S2 could be a slippery slope that could lead to upgrading other parts of the system. This turned out to be 100% true. After borrowing, and having in my system, a Grimm MU2 streamer/DAC, I had to have one. The level of musicality of the MU2/GAT-S2/5302 (Levinson) combination is just off the charts good. Whether feeding the FR20 speakers from PS Audio or the lowest on the totem pole Magnepan LRS+, music is just jaw-dropping good. Clean, open, musical, vibrant, dynamic. Female vocals were fantastic on my older PV10AL & MV55 combo, and, to my ears, a million times better with this newer combination.

[admin]

Yes, this is a common problem with upgrades. You come to realize that the amazing sound you had previously can actually be substantially improved. Nice 1st world problems to have!

Regardless, congrats on the system!

[paulCJ]

Thanks!! 30+ years into this hobby, I am having the most fun ever with my system. This reminds me of the fun I had when I went from a NAD receiver to the PV10AL & MV55 with the Infinity Modulus speaker system. Those were fun times. But these times are WAY more fun. An audiophile buddy recommended I listen to "New Favorite" by Alison Krauss and "Chasing Cars" performed by Chantal Chamberland (the Snow Patrol song). Both sound just jaw-dropping good. Chasing Cars, in particular, might just be the best recorded female vocals I have ever heard.

And yes, just when I thought everything was good before, several of us audiophiles went to a retailer and heard music that just blew away my previous system that I had thought was good, though I knew that while classical and jazz and female vocals sounded quite good, there was a non-cleanness to my system that was evident with rock music, even well recorded rock music. Now I have the cleanness and musicality both, without compromising either, and was pure luck that everything came together so nicely.

[admin]

I've also had very similar experiences with the upgrades of the system over the years. These incremental improvements can be rather substantial. I find that I tell myself, "wow this is a great system, probably not worth upgrading as just how much better could it be?" And then I find gear that just elevates it to another level and I prove myself wrong. I appreciate the older gear as well but the newer offerings can really be amazing.

I'll have to check out those albums.