I have decided to go for a home setup after some thinking,decided to go for tok's AKG 601.I was hoping that my voyager with the A.C will have enough juice to drive this monster to sound great BUT i am totally wrong for thinking so,after getting the K601,i went home to try them out.The voyager will powered by A.C and was on full volume,songs tested:
Overture From Forza del Destino by Giuseppe Verdi:the volume is there for sure with the voyager full volume,but the strings and the brasses is basically not coming out for me,being a band member and also played in orchestra and symphony.The instruments and strings are not have the details and felt very congested,just like the orchestra is playing to the audiences with cloths in the instruments.(something stuck in the instruments) and the strings sounded like the strings used were those oxidized one,it is not vibrating at all,i do not have the mood to continue to listen for the next song anymore.so i decided to look for alternative,went searching for amps and so on.
I begin to think that,now i know why people having headache to find an amp that will drive the AKG 701/2 or for me,K601 well.they are like huge monsters that are hungry and difficult to be driven,even can be driven,which amp will be well synergy with them too...and i have found a winner for me and my budget:Travagans "White"I gotten them the next day from newbie123.went home and do not have the time to test it out with the K601
Today is a free day for me,so i spend around 13 hours on the Travagans "White" pairing it with the K601.the first song that i tested will of course be the Overture From Forza del Destino by Giuseppe Verdi which sound underpowered to me when i pair the k601 with the GS voyager on A.C at full volume.i was at volume 5 on the Travagans "White".From the very first sec,the AKG begin to sound like i was playing the song in a huge concert hall,all the strings sounded like those top notch instruments,the strings on them are all well seasoned and so one,every note played is very clearly projected and sound very soothing and even without any edgy endings for the phrases.the brasses sound very very well articulated and sounded very full and round.the sound of the whole orchestra become very firm and steady,there aren't any moment that i have the feeling that the orchestra is breaking down soon when i am testing with the voyager.The clarinets and flutes sound very sweet and are well pronounce out within the orchestra. Travagans "White" sound very quick,very very detailed and transparent to me.there is air and ambient with the.IT also have very good synergy with the K601.This is for the classical portion that i have listened too and i will move on to jazz.
Sir duke by Stevie Wonder,I was very amazed by the Travagans "White",it is very good with this songs,it actually make the trumpets,trombones solos were very well done!with the jazz feel,it get my foot tapping along with the music and how i wished that i am playing this piece in a jazz band.the saxophones sounded so sexy that i feel great that i am playing on a saxophone in band and big band.sadly there is no clarinet (which is the instrument that i majored in) parts in this song.the drum set have have a very very good groove in this sound with the Travagans "White".
Deep purple medley for wind band,this is a jazz song mostly for showing off the saxophones family,it have solos for all the saxophones ranging from soprano,alto,tenor and the baritone saxophone.it also have a trumpet fanfare feeling in the whole songs.the Travagans "White" sounded very quick and details,the saxophones solos have a lot a lot of bending notes and the Travagans "White" is able to make the solo sound very cheesy to me.this is one of the best,the highs is very crisp and clear,with warm mids and the bass is there but not very punchy which i love them straight away as i do not like to have too much bass punch in my music too.the bass is present in the music,just the way i love how the bass should be.
Overall,to conclude this whole thing,will be that i have find that the Travagans "White" to be very very enjoyable and pleasant to listen to and done especially well with my K601,the travangan white does a good job in the classical and jazz area and i think that more people should give this baby a chance and try them out.to end off,all this is done by ears and this is not well written with all the bad English that i have used here and there.I only want to let people here know that there is this cute little thing that have a very good synergy with the k601 and even k701/2.
I personally test tubes and do not like how classical sounded with them as they do add warmth to the songs.
The travagan white sounded have clean crisps sounds and accurate in the sound in conclusion,but the feel of the music it produced is the reason why i like the travangan white.
Until i find another better amp in the near future
