Archive - Nuts About Hi-Fi Blog

Customer Review – Mola Mola Tambaqui

I wanted to share a review from an another satisfied customer who recently purchased a Mola Mola Tambaqui.

Thank you, Rich, for taking the time to write this.

“Recently, my Roon server died, so I visited Jim on a Saturday morning to arrange a replacement. Jim invited me to listen to the Mola Mola Tambaqui, a product I had read about and seen in the showroom but never truly experienced.

I was amazed from the start. The soundstage was wide and deep, and the presentation was incredibly detailed. However, there was a quality I couldn’t quite pinpoint. Soon, other customers arrived, and we passed an iPad around, sharing tunes. Track after track produced many ‘oh my god’ moments. Jim finally had to close for the day, but in the car on the way home, I decided I had to have one. My wife even thought it was a good idea! I texted Jim to say, ‘I’m in!’

Listening at home, I finally figured out what the magic was that made the sound so compelling. The term “timbre” finally came into focus.”

– – Rich

Definition of Timbre
Timbre (pronounced “tam-ber”) refers to the specific tone quality or color of a sound produced by an instrument or voice. It allows listeners to differentiate between sounds based on their source, such as distinguishing between a flute and a piano playing the same note. Timbre is influenced by the frequency spectrum and the harmonic content of the sound, which includes the fundamental frequency and its overtones.
– – Wikipedia

When a Listening Room Becomes a Lifelong Adventure

Hi folks,

I wanted to share an update on a long-term project with my good friend and customer, John. We started designing his listening room over 15 years ago. His beautiful home, perched on a hillside overlooking Hood Canal, was once a bed and breakfast and has always been one of my favorite places to visit. The stunning gardens, his incredible art collection, and the old-world architecture make it feel like a comfortable museum.

Our journey began when John and his wife wanted a high-end home theater system, which we installed on the upper floor of their home. During the theater design process, John and I would often take breaks to enjoy music in our listening room. As a true music connoisseur, John quickly became captivated by the possibilities of high-end audio and decided to embark on this lifelong adventure. Even with so many rooms in his home, he chose to add a dedicated wing just for music.

As technology has advanced, we’ve continuously upgraded his system over the years. Our most recent upgrade a few months ago was the Mola Mola Tambaqui, which elevated the overall music performance to a new level.

Yesterday, we replaced his power conditioner with the new Nordost Reference QB 10. I had recently installed this amazing device in our showroom and was so impressed that I called him the same day to tell him about it.

Given John’s background as a scientist, we like to use a scientific approach during our listening sessions to evaluate how a new product truly affects the sound. Carefully noting the exact volume levels and our listening positions, we first listened to an Emmylou Harris track John had been enjoying recently.

Then, we replaced his older line conditioner with the new QB 10 and started over. It took less than ten seconds to realize we were both hearing what seemed like a completely different recording. The best way to describe the difference was a calming sense of realism, Emmylou’s voice was no longer lost among the surrounding instruments but was clear and pure.

Next, we moved on to a very familiar recording of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35, which is frankly one of the most difficult pieces to get right on any system. I wish all my customers could hear what we heard. Joshua Bell’s violin, even during the crescendos of the entire Berlin Philharmonic, remained so precise we could hear every nuance of every string.

John turned to me and simply said, “Can I write you a check?”

Garage Sound Goes Gotham: the Ultimate Bass Upgrade

Here is a quick update of my favorite “basic” garage sound-system. Yesterday, we added the most amazing subwoofer we carry in our inventory, the JL Audio Gotham™ v2 Powered Subwoofer. It did the trick as far as reaching down to the last octave and provided a new dimension which is impossible to describe.

We have one of these bad boys in our showroom. Stop in and we are happy to show you what is possible.

This Is Your Brain On Music

If you’ve ever wondered why music is such an important part of our lives and well-being, this book by Dr. Oliver Sacks, “This Is Your Brain On Music”, gives a very intriguing explanation. A good friend and customer gave me a copy years ago. I decided to buy the audible version and listen to it again over this weekend. Fascinating stuff.

JL Audio Gotham V2 Has Arrived!

Our newest JL Audio Gotham version 2 just arrived this afternoon and we are in the process of calibrating in our listening room.

Our FedX freight guy is sort of used to us by now but I think even he was impressed that such a small package could weigh as much. It took three of us… Eric, Justyn and myself just to unpack it and move it into position. Well worth the effort!

Please stop in for a demonstration. Words can’t even come close to describe it.