Tundra Mono 2

[Ron The Mon]

Sources: LP12SE (including Kandid!), Linn DS
Preamps: Linn Klimax Kontrol, Sagatun Stereo 1.1
Power Amps: Tundra Mono 1.0, Tundra Mono 2.0
Speakers: Linn Isobarik DMS
Results: WOW!

I don't have time for detailed opinions today but wanted to alert listeners that Tom O'Keefe at Overture Audio will have this set up for another day or so along with the Sagatun Monos 1.1 and Tundra Stereo.

Ron The Mon
Needle-Freak

P.S.
WOW!

[Music Lover]

2 preamps and 2 pair of Mono's - for demo purpose?
Lovely speakers!!!

[ThomasOK]

Don't have time for a full review now but will clear up a little bit. The setup in the photo was to allow us to accomplish three things: most importantly to compare Tundra Mono 2s (in the middle) to Tundra Mono 1s (on the bottom). As Ron said "WOW!". Simply musically more informative and enjoyable and by a decent margin. More as I have time. Secondly, we have a few customers that wanted to hear the Monos with the Isobariks - one of whom is the owner of the ones in the photo. He brought them in and left them here for a couple of weeks so he and others could experience this. The combination is wonderful - you would think Isobariks were made for Sagatun and Tundra Monos. Third, to compare the Sagatun upgraded to 1.1 with the KK/2. When we had done the same comparisons with the original Sagatun when Fredrik was here for the musical evening we found the two very close with different strengths and weaknesses. Some preferred Sagatun stereo 1.0 and some couldn't make up their mind which was better. (Everybody felt the Sagatun Mono 1.0 was easily more musical than either.) Since the Sagatuns have taken a small but significant step forward with the 1.1 upgrade we wanted to do the comparison again. I'd say the result was still pretty much the same. While the 1.1 upgrade makes the Sagatun more musical and revealing in the ways it already was very good, the KK/2 still sounds different and does some nice things too. Sagatun Monos, on the other hand, are still in a league of their own - just now even more-so with the 1.1 upgrade.

As of yesterday the system was changed by installing two Sagatun Mono 1.1s on the top and that has brought an even higher level of musicality to the system. Highly enjoyable! I have to remind myself that these are 30 year old speakers and a ways from the pinnacle of Isobaric performance being 2 or 3 generations behind the last versions made. Still the music this system puts out just pulls you in and embarrasses many new speakers at several multiples of what a pair of these go for used. More later.

[lejonklou]

Sounds like an awesome demo, I wish I was there!

Especially considering:
1. I haven't compared Sagatun stereo 1.1 with the latest KK - and last time it was close.

2. Haven't heard passive Isobariks in a veery long time. And now two people have told me I've got to hear them with Tundra Mono 2's.

[fatjulio]

Anyone tried a Tundra Mono 2 against a current Solo?

[lejonklou]

Anyone tried a Tundra Mono 2 against a current Solo?

I haven't yet heard of anyone comparing them.

Please report if you do, I would very much like to hear this myself!

[hcl]

Sources: LP12SE (including Kandid!), Linn DS
Preamps: Linn Klimax Kontrol, Sagatun Stereo 1.1
Power Amps: Tundra Mono 1.0, Tundra Mono 2.0
Speakers: Linn Isobarik DMS
Results: WOW!

I don't have time for detailed opinions today but wanted to alert listeners that Tom O'Keefe at Overture Audio will have this set up for another day or so along with the Sagatun Monos 1.1 and Tundra Stereo.

Ron The Mon
Needle-Freak

P.S.
WOW!

Have you tried to remove the big wall soft thingy on the wall behind the speakers? I have still yeat to hear an installation where such a thing actually improves the sound. Every time I have tried such a thing it has not been beneficial to the music. It might require a slight re-positioning of the speakers, which is a not an easy thing with Isobarik, especially not on such a floor.

[Music Lover]

2. Haven't heard passive Isobariks in a veery long time. And now two people have told me I've got to hear them with Tundra Mono 2's.

Mono's going to be great with any speaker, but more recent Linn (and others) speakers should be more musical. Is it anybody that compared?

[Ozzzy189]

Rooms tend to sound better with a 'dead' end and a 'live' end, the listener is better seated in the live area and the system and speakers in this dead end, it helps to create a more natural, less fatiguing sound imo. Also some kind of soft furnishing along one side will help negate any flutter echoes if the room is particularly live. So my opinion, for what it's worth is that the panel on the wall between the speakers is more likely to aid the sound quality than degrade it.

[lejonklou]

Sorry, but I've always felt the other way round is more musical: Live wall behind speakers and (reasonably) damped wall behind listeners.

The listening room in the picture, at Overture Audio, sounds very good. It's big and rather damped, but definitely musical.

[hcl]

Sorry, but I've always felt the other way round is more musical: Live wall behind speakers and (reasonably) damped wall behind listeners.

I agree(!), at least with Linn speakers. I have not enough experience with positioning others to give a general comment.

[Ozzzy189]

Just goes to show how people think differently. My new house will have my kit in the lounge for the first time for me, it's always been in a separate room, however with the difference of opinion and the fact I respect your opinions hugely guys, I'll certainly try to dress the room opposite to what I prefer and see how it goes. Mind you, I'm not sure how much room I'll have for tinkering etc!

[lejonklou]

... at least with Linn speakers.

Yes, difficult to give general comments on this. Some speakers, such as Quad electrostatics, should stand far apart in the middle of the room. And some of the best installations I've heard have had rather unorthodox speaker positioning. So it's certainly a good idea to experiment freely, without regard to "rules".

[u252agz]

Received my Tundra Mono 2s from Sweden today, via Hidden Systems and plugged them in to my system only an hour ago.

KDS/1 is currently with Linn ( awaiting upgrade ) so listened with Sneaky DS, Sagatun Monos and 242s.

Wow. Unbelievably nice sound - hard to believe that Sneaky DS ( which I have always rated as one of LInns best value products) could sound quite so good.

I am now somewhat confused re the whole 'source first heirarchy thing' and cannot wait for the KDS/2 to arrive.

On second thoughts - Linn can take as long as they want - I am happy to remain in this state of disbelief and enjoy the Sneaky.

Amazing- just amazing.

[macrotech2]

I think my Mono 2s were in the same batch, delivered by Chris on Tuesday. Thanks for the great service and little tweaks.

The system was sounding great with the loaned pair of Mono 1s, but the 2s take it to an unbelievable level.
I've left them on for two days and adjusted the idling current, which was about 0.8V too high on both amps.

Not sure where to start. Everything I play sounds more musical, more composed, more detailed, just more realistic. I hear previously hidden fine detail on every track.

With the original Monos, I had reservations about the bass which was more tuneful than my Klimax Twin D but a little reserved. Now, wow. The power is back but more tuneful.

Everything I play has more texture and more nuance. Kate Bush and Emily Barker's voices have never sounded more real. Miles Davis was in the room. Amazing.

A fantastic achievement Fredrik - and I haven't even tried Sagatun yet!

[HIDDENSYSTEMS]

It was a great evening, food, drink - thanks.

TM2 are so good they then allow you to hear any changes closer to the source. The kk power cable seemed like an old Kairn/Klout era - I think the pre amp power cables are very sensitive to power strip position noting that EU ones don't have our UK fuses.

The noting of 0.8volts isn't correct as 800millivolts, I think you meant 8millivolts. Talk soon, Chris

[macrotech2]

Apologies I meant 0.8mV - the scale is 0 - 200mV on the DVM.

[anthony]

Apologies I meant 0.8mV - the scale is 0 - 200mV on the DVM.

Is an idle current not in mA?

[lejonklou]

Amazing- just amazing.

A fantastic achievement Fredrik - and I haven't even tried Sagatun yet!

Thank you so much! I will be working on that boost of energy you just gave me for the rest of this weekend!

Apologies I meant 0.8mV - the scale is 0 - 200mV on the DVM.

Is an idle current not in mA?

Yes, the main idling current is in mA, but what you measure is mV over a resistor.

As I've had a bunch of questions about this adjustment, please note that you only need to do it:

• When your Tundra has moved to a new location
• If the room temperature changes by more than 5°C
• Once a year at the most

So why aren't the Tundra Mono 2's perfectly tuned to begin with? Well, they are - for the conditions in my lab. In your house, on your table, they will differ slightly. And to get the most musical enjoyment out of them, this trimming compensates for the differences in positioning that affects all amplifiers.

[u252agz]

I have now tried TM2 with my old RP3 /Gaio and it sounds really, really good - the sneaky continues to deliver a staggeringly good sound for a basic streamer.

My KDS will be back in a week - I cannot wait to see what the TM2s /Sagatuns make of this update.

I have a feeling that the Tundra Mono 2 is anther landmark product from the house of Lejonklou - and like Sagatun Mono before it, has significantly improved upon what most considered the 'best'.

Fredrik - although you have received a boost of energy - perhaps you should try resting on your laurels - at least for a weekend.

[ThomasOK]

I promised a bit more detail on our listening to the Tundra Mono 2s here but haven't had a chance to get back to it. As I mentioned we had a kind of mini musical evening with three interested customers and myself. We did A/B comparisons of the TM and TM2 through Isobarik DMS speakers from the mid 80s driven by a fully loaded LP12 and an ADSM/1 (with preamp functions disabled) through Sagatun Mono 1.1s. The sound was just sublime. An exceedingly musical performance. Starting with the original TMs all were quite impressed with the performance of the DMS finding the musicality higher than we expected from these 30 year old speakers. A couple of us had heard this combo before and found it very musical, and that was before Sagatun. With the Sagatun Mono 1.1s that impression was further strengthened. Then we switched to the TM2s and I think it is safe to say we were blown away. Nobody really expected the magnitude of improvement the TM2 upgrade made, including me. As good as the TM1 was the TM2 reaches a significantly higher level of musicality. One person noticed a third vocalist for the first time in a well known Fleetwood Mac track. As macrotech2 stated, the quality of vocals was as I've never heard it before. You could hear very clearly how words were enunciated and the emotion in the voice was laid clear. The feeling of musicians in the room singing and playing for you was palpable. Everything just had a supreme musicality that I have very rarely, if ever, heard from a system before. And again this was with 30 year old speakers. (I do think that the Lejonklou electronics and the Isobarik is a very special combo. Somehow all the music the Lejonklou electronics throw into the Isobariks, with the proper sources of course, reveals new levels of reproduction and a homogenous, balanced musicality I would not have expected of these speakers.)

Over the years there have been a few times where I have made an upgrade to a system where the new item was so good that it made the previous reference sound dull and uninvolving by comparison - to the point that you just didn't want to listen to the original piece, even though it had recently been reference status, once you had heard the new item. This happened to me when I replaced my Arkiv with an Akiva, when I installed the Keel in my LP12, when I upgraded to a Radikal, when I replaced a Kairn with the KK and when I first listened to the Kandid. Each was so musical there was no thought of wanting to listen to the lesser item ever again. But I don't believe I've ever heard this kind of change from an amplifier, much less from an upgrade to an existing amplifier, that is until now! The TM2 is just so special that the TM1 sounds flat and tired in comparison. The Tundra Mono 2 is truly a world class amplifier and Fredrik should be justly praised for it. The Sagatun Mono 1.1s (macrotech2 you really need to try them - I'm afraid you will send your KK packing), which themselves are a worthwhile improvement in musical communication over the 1.0, now have a truly groundbreaking pair of amps to match in the TM2s. I expect it to be some time before we hear anything else come close.

Another little story comes from a customer who used to work for the US Linn distributor several years after I did. As such he is very familiar with the sound of Linn equipment and with a number of Isobarik DMS and PMS systems. He brought in his turntable for me to go over while we still had the Isobarik/Lejonklou setup running and noticed the speakers in there. He asked if I could play some music on them. I think it is fair to say he was pretty gobsmacked. He asked if this was running passive and I said it was with the mono amps. When Keith came in the room he turned to him and said; "This guy (meaning Fredrik) really knows what he is doing with these electronics. These Isobariks sound like they are Aktiv!" This makes him the fourth previous Aktiv Isobarik owner who felt that this just might be the best they had ever heard Isobariks!

I have to admit that the TM2s are so good that they have caused me a bit of a dilemma. I have heard such stunning musicality out of this system that I'm not completely sure that my system at home connects me with the music as well. There has always been the hierarchal question as to how good the amps in the ATC 100As are. (The same kind of question that has lead many to favor Klimax Solos or Tundra Monos into passive Linn speakers over the built in amps in the Aktiv K350s and Akubariks.) This question has always been answered in the past for me by the fact that my system at home has always been the most musically involving that I have heard. Fredrik will attest to the fact that it is musically something special. But the TM2s have me doubting that superiority for the first time in 8 years. It has me wondering whether I should haul a pair of my later version Isobariks up from the basement (a bit of a Herculean effort) and try them in the living room with the TM2s. Then again, considering how much more I like the ATC 100As than I liked the Isobarik Aktiv with either LK280/SPARKS or 2250s the most sensible move might be to get a pair of passive crossovers for the ATCs and try them with the TM2s. I haven't made any decisions about this yet but I'm certainly considering things. Every time I hear the full Sagatun Mono 1.1/Tundra Mono 2 setup into some good speakers it makes me think about it more. Yeah, the TM2s are really that good. Exceptional work Fredrik!

[anthony]

(u252agz you really need to try them - I'm afraid you will send your KK packing)

u252agz has Sagatun monos!

[macrotech2]

Thomas, great write up, your experiences mirror many of my own feelings. I think you're getting me confused with u252agz though, he already has Sagatuns, and I made the comment about female vocals. I also notice previously unheard information on so many tracks. For example, extra multitracked voices on Emily Barker's Letters and many subtle keyboard swirls in the Stranglers Golden Brown. I find it difficult to put into words how much more musically communicative the system is now. Everything is just there to be heard, quiet parts are not overshadowed by louder instruments, and the depth of texture in each voice or note is remarkable. I have never heard a Chopin piano piece sounding so realistic.

As for the Sagatuns, I have heard them once, in a KDSM/1, passive Akubarik system if I remember correctly. My main memory is of an staggering transformation in realism of the female vocals at the start of an XX track. If I have this level of improvement yet to come, I will be left speechless!

[u252agz]

Over the years there have been a few times where I have made an upgrade to a system where the new item was so good that it made the previous reference sound dull and uninvolving by comparison - to the point that you just didn't want to listen to the original piece, even though it had recently been reference status, once you had heard the new item. This happened to me when I replaced my Arkiv with an Akiva, when I installed the Keel in my LP12, when I upgraded to a Radikal, when I replaced a Kairn with the KK and when I first listened to the Kandid.

Although it is much more difficult for domestic users such as myself to do AAB comparisions and accurately quantify improvements:

In my system, the move from KRDS/0 to KDS/1 was a huge jump, as was Kolektor to AK/1 and AK/1 to Sagatun Monos.

Based on what the TM2s have done to the Sneaky DS - it also sounds (to my untrained ears) that the Tundra mono 2 upgrade is right up there with the above.

Will be interesting to see how the KDS/2 sounds with the Monos in place

[mrco99]

Make sure with KDS2 back in place, your ears don't fall off.... ;-)