New 1022 based integrated -- O22i -- due in next week.
- bobneill
- Advanced Member
- Posts: 115
- Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 11:26 am
- Location: United States
- Contact:
O22i
It's here. I'm trying unsuccessfully not to listen for a few days as it settles in. But first impressions confirm what we heard here from the 1022 on my Crimson SS preamp last summer. Wonderfully clear and magic (both) midrange, VERY solid bass. With Blue Circle and JMR (listening with Offrande Supreme V2's) Im always looking for the perfect marriage of clarity and body. So far, so good.
As expected, I already prefer it to my long-loved FtTH2, which, I'll have to remind anxious tubeophiles here, is, of course, a personal judgment. There are enough tube lovers out there so that the FtTH2 needn't feel threatened, nor should it. It does what it does incomparably. But for those who crave more clarity with no loss of 'natural warmth,' this may be your amp. The O22i makes the FtTH2 sound just a little foggy. I know, I know, it's the fog some audiophiles love, so peace to you.
The O22i is recognizably a member of the 1022- NSP- NSL family, which is what I'd hope for.
More later next week.
As expected, I already prefer it to my long-loved FtTH2, which, I'll have to remind anxious tubeophiles here, is, of course, a personal judgment. There are enough tube lovers out there so that the FtTH2 needn't feel threatened, nor should it. It does what it does incomparably. But for those who crave more clarity with no loss of 'natural warmth,' this may be your amp. The O22i makes the FtTH2 sound just a little foggy. I know, I know, it's the fog some audiophiles love, so peace to you.
The O22i is recognizably a member of the 1022- NSP- NSL family, which is what I'd hope for.
More later next week.
- bobneill
- Advanced Member
- Posts: 115
- Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 11:26 am
- Location: United States
- Contact:
O22i, one week in.
It has taken the O22i approximately a week to develop from a rich, clean, but somewhat dark (English stout?) sounding amp, with huge bass, into an utterly natural one with a gorgeous midrange, great savory bass, and a natural (rather than brilliant, sparkling) high end. I liked it from start; today I love it. Because today it opened up. I remember my BC501obLOC going through the same process at RMAF a few years ago: it took a week to
- bobneill
- Advanced Member
- Posts: 115
- Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 11:26 am
- Location: United States
- Contact:
Images of O22i
The fancy curly maple/walnut faceplate is optional, of course! The amp is surprisingly (to me) compact: 17" x 5 3/8." It's the height that surprises.
Re: Images of O22i
bobneill wrote:The fancy curly maple/walnut faceplate is optional, of course! The amp is surprisingly (to me) compact: 17" x 5 3/8." It's the height that surprises.
Hi Bob please keep the listening notes coming. Very informative, thank you.
What is the depth of the amp and I don't see a retail price as yet.
- bobneill
- Advanced Member
- Posts: 115
- Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 11:26 am
- Location: United States
- Contact:
For ERM...
!5 inches deep, $7500.
We are working on the marketing BS for web site but so far I think Bob is doing a great job for us.
The only point I want to make is USD7500.00 retail is for stainless steel faceplate (standard). Optional wood faceplate cost more. Also with the Canadian dollars dropping like a rock, we are going to adjust the Canadian retail in February. As a result the Canadian number is going to be bigger than the US number.
The only point I want to make is USD7500.00 retail is for stainless steel faceplate (standard). Optional wood faceplate cost more. Also with the Canadian dollars dropping like a rock, we are going to adjust the Canadian retail in February. As a result the Canadian number is going to be bigger than the US number.
- bobneill
- Advanced Member
- Posts: 115
- Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 11:26 am
- Location: United States
- Contact:
"Marketing B.S."
But as most of you know, some B.S. is true.
- bobneill
- Advanced Member
- Posts: 115
- Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 11:26 am
- Location: United States
- Contact:
Question from a Forum Member
One of our number read my description of the O22i (and some of my observations to him on the side). He is involved in comparing the FtTH2 and O22i. His question pointed up something missing in my report, so I thought I'd share both the question and an answer.
"The FtTH2 is very forgiving of badly mastered recordings--some jazz remasters that are unbearably bright on other systems are very listenable on this one. To what extent does the O22i share this quality? My sense is that in terms of bass, clarity and timing the new amp would be closer to my ideal, but that all goes out the window if my favorite albums make my ears bleed. Or is the new amp perhaps cleaner and smoother up high?"
The upper mid and treble range of the O22i has a slight sweetness to it that I didn't go into in my description, though I did way it was becoming beautiful, which is what I was getting at. The midrange flows so smoothly up into the higher range that you don't notice it at first. It's a purely natural sweetness, not an additive. The result is that peculiar ideal most of seek: natural warmth without loss of clarity. The overall effect we feel in listening to music through the O22i is more the warmth (partly a sense of instrumental body) than the clarity I pointed out; but it is never a warmth that holds things back. Listening to some older jazz releases yesterday (Coleman Hawkins, Gerry Mulligan, Teddy Wilson), it all sounded almost 'old fashioned' but in a wonderful way because I heard everything. Where the FtTH2 would forgive, the O22i seems rather to bless. Well it is Sunday and I'm listening to Buxtehude today.
I will probably keep babbling about this amp until I stop noticing it. At the moment it is keeping every other amp in the house at bay.
"The FtTH2 is very forgiving of badly mastered recordings--some jazz remasters that are unbearably bright on other systems are very listenable on this one. To what extent does the O22i share this quality? My sense is that in terms of bass, clarity and timing the new amp would be closer to my ideal, but that all goes out the window if my favorite albums make my ears bleed. Or is the new amp perhaps cleaner and smoother up high?"
The upper mid and treble range of the O22i has a slight sweetness to it that I didn't go into in my description, though I did way it was becoming beautiful, which is what I was getting at. The midrange flows so smoothly up into the higher range that you don't notice it at first. It's a purely natural sweetness, not an additive. The result is that peculiar ideal most of seek: natural warmth without loss of clarity. The overall effect we feel in listening to music through the O22i is more the warmth (partly a sense of instrumental body) than the clarity I pointed out; but it is never a warmth that holds things back. Listening to some older jazz releases yesterday (Coleman Hawkins, Gerry Mulligan, Teddy Wilson), it all sounded almost 'old fashioned' but in a wonderful way because I heard everything. Where the FtTH2 would forgive, the O22i seems rather to bless. Well it is Sunday and I'm listening to Buxtehude today.
I will probably keep babbling about this amp until I stop noticing it. At the moment it is keeping every other amp in the house at bay.