Thank you Watchdog for having us over and for your kind hospitality that evening
I will give my impressions in the order of the AR rtp6, Furutech rtp6, DIY distro and finally the Orb Kamakura, as listening was done in that order. Prior to this visit, I had the luxury of using the Furutech rtp6 in my system for an extended duration and I was very pleased by its performance.
1. AR rtp6
Switching from the elite bac1500 to the AR rtp6, first impression was that of refinement. Everything felt more relaxed and natural and I preferred this a lot more than the elite bac1500. Background was very black and vocals had more presence. Detail retrieval was excellent.
2. Furutech rtp6
Going from the AR rtp6 to the Furutech rtp6 was a leap in the other direction. My heart sank as what I considered to be a very good performing distributor, was easily outclassed. Though the furu rtp6 had a fuller sound, it was muddy in comparison and lots of details were missing from the presentation.
3. DIY distributor
I initially had mixed feelings about this distributor. At first, I mistook the R1 for NCF receptacles and was very surprised at how 'dull' it sounds, lacking engagement (very laid back and thin). Was only after I commented that Watchdog said it was the R1 I was listening to
. It felt like a side-grade to the Furutech rtp6.
Swapping to the NCF receptacles provided an improvement in detail retrieval and musical engagement. Strings sounded livelier and the overall performance was elevated to 'good enough' for me. What I meant is although it didn't rival the AR rtp6, I could certainly live with this + the NCF receptacles
4. Orb Kamakura
Nothing could have prepared me for this. Watchdog was downplaying it, saying it has not been used for a long time/not burnt in etcetc
. I really didn't know what to expect because I've no experience with high end distributors. The strum of the guitar strings in the opening seconds was already a 'wow' for me
As the music played, I felt drawn into the performance. The Orb Kamakura was rich, musical, sweet, smooth yet highly resolving. Felt like it checked all my boxes! Soundstage width and depth was huge, vocals were lustfully sweet, bass had authority and grip, highs were very extended.. This was clearly in a different league than all the other distributors and although I agree that it strays from the original performance, I would argue that it elevates it. I'm not a 'neutral/true to performance' kind of guy, preferring a more musical, sweet, organic yet natural kind of presentation.
Overall, this was the only distributor that gave me goosebumps! In fact, even as I'm typing this, it takes me back and I realised I am grinning goofily at my monitor
Watchdog is right, I really loved the Orb and everything about it, just not the price tag..