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Thread: Nearly there....just added some petite Sonus Fabers..

  1. #11
    Join Date: Jun 2012

    Location: Hertfordshire, UK

    Posts: 23
    I'm Mark.

    Default

    No worries
    The Naim CDS2 may have to go sometime, I have longing for a CD player with tubes in....

  2. #12
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

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    Hi Mark,

    Welcome to AoS. Lovely system - I'm sure that it gives you many hours of musical pleasure!

    If I were you, I'd think long and hard before changing the CDS2 for something 'better' with valves... I owned a CDS2 for years, and it's a superb piece of kit - far better than the majority of CDPs produced these days. If you're looking to genuinely upgrade from it, you'll need to spend quite a few grand, so I hope that your pockets are deep!

    I can say from experience (as a valve 'nut' myself), that the majority of CDPs, using valves in the output stage, are a huge compromise, and that valves are introduced merely as a 'bandage', in order to tame the rather 'spikey' top-end of most modern CD players and induce some euphonic coloration, which may produce a pleasing effect in some systems.

    My advice, unless you have at least £3k to spend on a new CDP, is to leave well alone and instead upgrade those horrible Electro-Harmonix valves inside your (lovely) GRAAF! Trust me, you can do so much better, and replacing them with something like some nice NOS Brimars/Teslas/Mullards, etc, depending on taste, will provide you with a much more significant sonic upgrade than you're likely to get by replacing the CDS2 with your average valve-based CDP.

    Just my 2p worth, mate, but it's based on considerable experience. Anyway, whatever you do, enjoy the music!

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


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  3. #13
    Join Date: Jun 2012

    Location: Hertfordshire, UK

    Posts: 23
    I'm Mark.

    Default CDSII and valves..

    Thanks for the advice Marco
    I don't want to immeadiately get rid of the CDSII but must admit to love the looks of the Shanlings and was also looking at the new PrimaLuna.

    Interested to hear about the upgrade to the valves - I know very little about valves coming from a Naim amp background.
    I did replace the original output valves in the Graaf (6550 Svetlana?) with Gold Lion KT88s. This was, I think an improvement, but only tonally. Sound became smoother and slightly more laid back with better depth.

    My next upgrade (nearly final?) will be choosing what speaker cable to move to from Naim NAC5 (too beefy and thick sounding).

    Cheers
    Mark

  4. #14
    Join Date: Jun 2012

    Location: Hertfordshire, UK

    Posts: 23
    I'm Mark.

    Default For Loo and other lovers of the Graaf..:-)



    The best I could do I'm afraid, the finish is so reflective its difficult to get the great black finish to show up.



    And some close ups of the gorgeous Elipsa Auditors




  5. #15
    Join Date: Nov 2012

    Location: London

    Posts: 756
    I'm paul.

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    Hi Mark, thanks for the extra pics great to see another Graaf owner on Aos ,I agree with Marco some nice vintage nos 6922's would be nice in there although the Graaf makes the most of the EH valves. But honestly nothing will give you the improvement that using the Graaf through the balanced inputs does.
    enjoy your classic Italian beauties
    Paul

  6. #16
    Join Date: Jun 2012

    Location: Hertfordshire, UK

    Posts: 23
    I'm Mark.

    Default Er yep...

    You'll have to excuse my ignorance of the valve world. I've no idea about improved valves for the Graaf - aren't the KT88s supposed to be the best?
    I replaced my 6550 Svetlanas for some KT88 Genalex Gold Lions which sound warmer (better) and more tube like.
    Are the 6922 better, do you recommend any manufacturer? Someone said the input valves make more of a difference than the output ones?

    Also I've no idea about balanced inputs, I assume you need a phono stage or CDP with a balanced output (which I don't think I have?) and also use the xlr leads instead of the RCAs on the balanced inputs of ther Graaf?

    Cheers!
    Mark

  7. #17
    Join Date: Nov 2012

    Location: London

    Posts: 756
    I'm paul.

    Default

    Hi Mark, sorry for the confusion the 6922 valves I mentioned are the small input valves there are 4 in your Graaf those are the ones Marco referred to with the electro harmonix label, there are also 2 6A30 driver valves and 4 kt88 output valves you can also use kt90's which will give you more power but are not as warm sounding as kt88's. with regard to balanced operation yes you need a balanced source and use the xlr inputs on the amp , but because the gm50 is a fully balanced circuit its performance will benefit greatly by taking advantage of it.
    I cant help with recommends for CD players but there are a few very good balanced phonostages around at reasonable money one that springs to mind is the Project RS , having said that your Graaf is a sublime amp using the single ended inputs so I would not be in a rush to go balanced.
    Paul

  8. #18
    Audio Al is offline Pishanto Specialist & Super-Daftee
    Join Date: May 2012

    Location: Dagenham Essex

    Posts: 11,215
    I'm Allen.

    Default

    Very slick looking system

    If it sounds as good as it looks you are a happy man
    [

  9. #19
    Join Date: Nov 2008

    Location: North Down /Northern Ireland/ UK

    Posts: 19,484
    I'm Neil.

    Default

    Lovely looking and I bet nice sounding system I never got to hear a Graff integrated, maybe someday.

    Regards Ne
    Regards Neil

  10. #20
    Join Date: Jun 2012

    Location: Hertfordshire, UK

    Posts: 23
    I'm Mark.

    Default

    Thanks for the information Loo. I'll look into the input valves and the driver valves, with the makers Marco recommended.
    I was looking around maybe for a valve Phono stage but I am guessing the Linto is a hard act to beat with the Linn front end.
    If a GM70 comes up on Ebay....

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