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View Full Version : A visit to Jimbo's, with photos (a few)



Firebottle
18-04-2015, 16:21
Another visit to Jimbo's, much anticipated, with some different kit.

Now James has made some significant improvements to his Croft 25R preamp since my last visit so we had some very interesting comparisons during the evening.
All listening was from vinyl (:yay:) and James had some new artists to play. The front end was as before, a well sorted VPI Scout with 2M Black:

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt97/Paramotorpilot/Visit%20to%20Jimbo/P1040800.jpg

Listening started using James's Croft 7 power amp and 25R+ pre-amp, with some tunes that were very well known to James, but new to me.
Well....stunning focus and dynamics, the aural memory isn't so good but I have no problem believing when James said the performance was a few steps up from my previous visit, it really came across.

Performance gain has in the main been achieved through using quality NOS valves, as James has posted previously on here.
After a few tracks we swapped to the Firebottle 2 phono stage, connected into one of the line inputs of the Croft 25R.

Here is where it got interesting, well actually a little surprising to both of us. Here is the kit in situ:

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt97/Paramotorpilot/Visit%20to%20Jimbo/P1040798.jpg

The telling comment from James was 'you've made a Croft', as it was impossible to tell the two apart. (Honest guv I haven't copied any of it ..............:rolleyes:) The sound was identical :mental:
Quite a few tunes were played and very much enjoyed using this set-up, then the Croft line stage was taken out of circuit by using the Tocos pot in the EL84 SE amp as a passive, directly into the Croft 7, as shown:

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt97/Paramotorpilot/Visit%20to%20Jimbo/P1040799.jpg

Performance was very very similar, though both of us agreed that the dynamics had reduced but only by a few percent, still a very open and direct sound stage.
One of the outstanding artists for me was Ry Cooder/ Paris, Texas - absolutely stunning. One of the discs I took around was Bill Haley & the Comets/ Rock around the clock, stormingly good, a very well recorded album.

Time came to try the 'ugly duckling' EL84 SE amp in place of the Croft 7:

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt97/Paramotorpilot/Visit%20to%20Jimbo/P1040801.jpg

I think James wasn't expecting a great deal, with only 3W on tap, but the Spendor speakers are an easy load.
As Gordon found earlier in the year, there is something just 'right' about an EL84 SE class A sound. We both enjoyed a lot of tunes, using both the Firebottle 2 then later on the Croft 25R into the SE amp.

A damned enjoyable evening was had, interspersed with chat about valves, NOS availability, valve circuit design and general system synergy.

Many thanks James for your hospitality :)

Macca
18-04-2015, 16:52
Great to see that little amp back in use again. Can't believe it really.

Firebottle
18-04-2015, 18:45
It has had a complete rebuild though Martin.
The only original parts are the valve bases, 2x EL84 valves - ah no, I had to change one, the mains transformer, the output cathode bias resistors and a couple of other power resistors in the power supply :eek:

Macca
18-04-2015, 19:01
Sure I understand that. But if it had stayed with me it would have been binned at some point.

Jimbo
18-04-2015, 20:48
A visit from Alan always brings something interesting and unexpected and I think last nights session was no exception.
The main purpose of the evening was to get to listen to Alans latest version of the Firebottle - Firebottle 2!

I was surprised at the compact design and although Alan has not posted any pictures of its interior it has been cunningly executed with some clever use of space. Compared to the space found in the Croft amps this little phono stage is packed and as I found out it was engineered with some very nice quality components. Maybe Alan might post some more pics of the interior:eyebrows:

As Alan has already stated listening was done using vinyl only but hey what are valve phono stages for:lol: The first surprise of the evening was indeed when we swapped form listening to my modified Micro 25R to the Firebottle 2 via the Croft S7 power amp. I was very hard pressed to hear a difference although there may just have been a slight change of vocal presentation in the mid range, however I found them uncannily similar.

Now what makes this comparison very interesting is the fact I have done a large amount of tube rolling with the Croft 25r and had some work done on the linestage so it was a very different beast from when Alan last heard it. In the mean time Alan has surged ahead with the Firebottle with his 2 box design but they both seemed to have met at the same point of evolution:eek: You would be splitting hairs to tell the difference between the two phono stages. My system is very revealing of any change of component so this was indeed a surprise. The Croft is however is twice the price of the Firebottle but it is also a Pre amp. Now if Alan was to build a pre amp with the Firebottle phono MM/MC incorporated that would be interesting!:eyebrows:

Vinyl used for the evening included Ry Cooder (Paris Texas), Michael Hedges (Strings of Steel), Shelby Lynne (A little lovin 200g pressing), Bill Haley, Eurthmics, King creosote and Jon Hopkins, and Dire Straits ( Brothers in arms). Oh yes and Agnes Obel both albums.

Half way through the evening we put Alans 3watt Class A Macca ( Martins) Skip salvaged amp into service:lol: Yes I was laughing and expecting very little from these 3 watts but... I was wrong, very wrong. How could this old little power amp resurrected from the grave with Alans parts bin drive my speakers and sound GOOD!:scratch::doh:

It was indeed very good and gave a very clean open transparent sound with both the Firebottle 2 and the Croft 25R, In fact we left it playing for the rest of the evening and enjoyed very much what it could do with its 3 watts. Those of you, including myself who may feel more watts the better would be astonished at its performance but Class A valve watts are probably very different from tranny watts:eyebrows:

So two surprises and a very enjoyable listening session.:)

PS - you gotta hear that little power amp now Martin! Would be a good one for NEBO6!:eek: