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Thread: AOS-recommended SPPV products - just an idea for a sticky?

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  1. #1
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: Yorkshire

    Posts: 9,302
    I'm Andrew.

    Default AOS-recommended SPPV products - just an idea for a sticky?

    I got the inspiration for this idea from reading the Klotz / MS Audio thread. I'd like to start a list of products & manufacturers that produce or have designed fantastic products at amazingly good value for money. So here's my nominations


    AMPLIFIERS


    £100 - £500

    * Croft Mircobasic Preamplifier - The only amp where you get a MM phonostage probably worth more than the amp!! Fantastic value if you can get 2nd hand.

    CABLES

    INTERCONNECTS

    <£100

    * Belden 19364 shielded cable - Fantastic no nonsense cable that simply does the job done.
    * Yannis Tome (www.backbeat.co.uk) - An amazing guy who produces amazing cables. His tonearm cable displaced a Nordost cable at 4 times the cost.
    * Mark Grant G1000HD - Starts at £50 and highly recommended over many forums, crops up regular on 2nd hand market for less cash. An AOS favourite.
    * Flasback's Premiere range - Prices start at £43 per meter and a few AOSer's seem to like these with Quad/Naim gear.
    * Pure AV (White version) - Sold at pound shops! Screened cables, pure copper, gold plated RCA's. Less than £10 would cost considerably more to better.
    * The Klotz MC5000 / MS Audio RCA IC's - Two products when combines produces an excellent set of IC's. Very good SPPV.


    CARTRDIGES (MC)

    £100 TO £500

    * Denon 103 (+Variants) - Widely recognised all over the world as an MC that punches well above its weight. Very tweekable and massive Internet following.

    DACs

    £100 - £500

    * Bushmaster II / Caiman II DAC - Beresford Audio, these come up quite regular and offer excellect SPPV, even better with SFW upgrades and battery powered PSU.
    * IQ-Audio DAC - Nominated by Marco who says, "SPPV doesn't really get much better than with that!"
    * The Raspberry Pi - Very well respected piece of kit used by many AOSer's.

    HEAD-AMPS

    <£100

    * Little Bear T20 - A headamp, goldplated RCA's, PSU, tightly matched resistors&caps (within 5%), from China £20!! Would probably cost £75-100 from UK.

    PHONOSTAGE

    * Arkless Electronics 640P - Widely sort phonostage starting at £185. Rarely crops up and widely recognised as being extremely good SPPV.

    SPEAKERS

    * RFC Extrinsic Tannoy Cross Overs - Fantastic Tannoy speaker designs and Reference grade XO's are simply superb.

    STREAMING DEVICES

    <£100

    * Chromecast - A few AOSers have commented on the quality of this device, it's portability and its incredibly low price.

    TONEARMS

    <£500

    * Jelco SA-750D - Another tonearm that is widely seen across a multiude of forums as good value for money. Prices vary between £400 - 475 brand new.


    TURNTABLE ADD-ONS

    <£100

    * Ebony Armboards - Magna Audio AKA Speedy Steve! His ebony armboard was a very cheap and effective upgrade for my 1210.
    * The Analog Audio Crystal Mat - Harking back to the 70's when the big Jap TT's had glass platter mats, for me this is the best 1210 platter mat available.
    Last edited by Wakefield Turntables; 15-03-2016 at 20:06.
    SS
    CD Teac VRDS25X(Audiotuned) DECK 1210 Mat Crystal Audio Mods MN Base/Bearing/Platter+Ebony armboard Feet Isonoe PSU Paul Hynes SR7EHD-27XL/DCSXL Ag DC lead/3 Stage Regs/Recap PCB+No Pitch/Strobe/Light ARM SME V(Kondo Ag Rewire&Tags) MC Cadenza Black FGS CABLES Arm Yannis SPD-4 IC Yannis 222 Litz+Ag bullets Power WAR PRE ATC SCA2 SPEAKERS ATC 50ASL STANDS Atacama PHONO Sugden Masterclass PA4 SUT Ortofon ST80SE POWER PSAudio P10

    VALVE
    PRE
    Croft Epoch(Modded) AMP Sondex S100 (Modded) SPEAKERS Tannoy 15"MG+RFC Warwick cabs+ Ref XO + Batpure supertweeters DECK Garrard 301 Mat Teunto Bearings 401(Bastin) Plinth Bamboo Arms 3009/3012 PSU Eagle+Tachometer MC Ag Meister II/FGS + Ortofon SPU MONO CABLES Arm Yannis 420.5 Litz+ SpeakerPC Tripple C+WBT-0681 Ag IC Oyaide FTVS-510 AgWBT 0110Ag Phonostages Paradise(4 Box Mega-Modded) / Croft Musicmaker



  2. #2
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

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

    Default

    Good idea for a thread, Andy. I'll move it into Blank Canvas, which is a more relevant place for it to live, considering that the products concerned have various different applications, and also it'll get more traffic there

    I won't sticky the thread right away, however. I'll wait until more products have been added and/or it has received some more replies.

    To your list I would also add:

    The Raspberry Pi/IQ-Audio DAC. SPPV doesn't really get much better than with that! Also the Jelco SA-750D tonearm, with Shuggie collar. Anything from Jez or Firebottle. Oh, and of course, not forgetting a judiciously modified Technics SL-1200!

    So folks, what else should be on this list?

    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.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  3. #3
    Join Date: Aug 2013

    Location: London

    Posts: 1,499
    I'm Sam.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Marco View Post
    Anything from Jez or Firebottle.

    Marco.
    Err... ? How many people who've listened to Firebottle's stuff, Arkless's (that Jez?) stuff would openly dare, socially, to criticise or declare it to be rubbish on AOS?

    I can't see that their gear has ever had a fair and honest scrutiny on this forum simply because of the forum suicide, rebuttle and possibilly attack that would create.. more likely that people would keep their mouths shut or say something nice out of politeness (but not necessariily mean it).

    Kind of looks like just helping mates out rather than an honest appraisal of SPPV to folks outside of regular AOS usership.

    Perhaps a non-judgmental list of forum user's cottage industry products is more appropriate for that if one wants to actively promote cottage industry over and above other trade member's products?

  4. #4
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

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

    Default

    Sam, that's complete bollocks, and in a way rather insulting, as it implies disingenuousness in those here who've nominated products, as a result of what you claim as "helping mates out". I can assure you that no products listed here have been mentioned for any reason other than that they fundamentally deliver the highest SPPV!

    I mentioned equipment from Jez or Alan (Firebottle), in the context of high 'SPPV', because I've heard examples of their products in my own system, and compared/scrutinised them against other kit, some from commercial manufacturers costing considerably more, so I know from personal experience how highly they deliver on the SPPV front, hence me nominating them on this thread. And that will be exactly the same with others here who've nominated products from other manufacturers.

    Therefore, it's got nothing whatsoever to do with "helping mates out". Many members here (and elsewhere), after having heard Arkless or Firebottle products in their own systems, have bought them with their hard-earned cash, indeed after having heard them significantly outperform commercial products, which they were using previously. Shelling out one's hard-earned cash is the biggest endorsement of all of a product's efficacy, which certainly wouldn't have happened had the kit in question not been any good, made by "mates" or not!

    As such, I would have no qualms whatsoever giving, say, £1000 of my money either to Jez or Alan, to build me an amplifier or phono stage, and knowing that what I'd get back, in terms of sonic performance, would be superior to any £1k commercial item, and more likely the equivalent of something commercially produced costing considerably more.

    And their respective talents as audio engineers aside, that's simply down to the fact that because they don't have the overheads of a commercial business to pay for, they can thus afford to use higher quality components in their products; more than any commercial manufacturer would be able to do with the same given budget, which is what delivering the highest 'SPPV' is all about.

    As for this:

    Quote Originally Posted by Audio Advent
    Perhaps a non-judgmental list of forum user's cottage industry products is more appropriate for that if one wants to actively promote cottage industry over and above other trade member's products?
    Well, the majority of the so-called "cottage industry products" nominated and mentioned on this thread are produced by trade members, so I'm not quite sure what the point is you're making?

    A core part of the AoS ethos is supporting small audio manufacturers, whose products deliver the highest SPPV, and identifying new ones when suitable candidates emerge, for the benefit of our membership, so that with their systems, they can obtain the 'biggest bang for their buck'. *That* is one of the key foundations upon which this site was built.

    As such, AoS will always be much more about that, than facilitating the interests of so-called commercial high-end audio, much of which is simply audiophile jewellery or overpriced 'badge-fi' for those with more money than sense. Therefore, as far as we're concerned, long-live the deliverers of high SPPV, the products of whom have been listed here, and those aimed at genuine enthusiasts and music lovers, not simply key-janglers and badge snobs who often buy audio equipment for all the wrong reasons.

    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.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  5. #5
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: Yorkshire

    Posts: 9,302
    I'm Andrew.

    Default

    I'll do a little more work on this later and add seperate sections. I also think that the Caiman mk II + upgrades should be added alongside the Anker PSU.
    SS
    CD Teac VRDS25X(Audiotuned) DECK 1210 Mat Crystal Audio Mods MN Base/Bearing/Platter+Ebony armboard Feet Isonoe PSU Paul Hynes SR7EHD-27XL/DCSXL Ag DC lead/3 Stage Regs/Recap PCB+No Pitch/Strobe/Light ARM SME V(Kondo Ag Rewire&Tags) MC Cadenza Black FGS CABLES Arm Yannis SPD-4 IC Yannis 222 Litz+Ag bullets Power WAR PRE ATC SCA2 SPEAKERS ATC 50ASL STANDS Atacama PHONO Sugden Masterclass PA4 SUT Ortofon ST80SE POWER PSAudio P10

    VALVE
    PRE
    Croft Epoch(Modded) AMP Sondex S100 (Modded) SPEAKERS Tannoy 15"MG+RFC Warwick cabs+ Ref XO + Batpure supertweeters DECK Garrard 301 Mat Teunto Bearings 401(Bastin) Plinth Bamboo Arms 3009/3012 PSU Eagle+Tachometer MC Ag Meister II/FGS + Ortofon SPU MONO CABLES Arm Yannis 420.5 Litz+ SpeakerPC Tripple C+WBT-0681 Ag IC Oyaide FTVS-510 AgWBT 0110Ag Phonostages Paradise(4 Box Mega-Modded) / Croft Musicmaker



  6. #6
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

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

    Default

    Yeah, defo anything Beresford. I'll leave it with you

    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.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  7. #7
    Join Date: May 2008

    Location: A Strangely Isolated Place in Suffolk with Far Away Trains Passing By...

    Posts: 14,535
    I'm David.

    Default

    I think the Chromecast Audio is fine as well, especially as mine cost me £14 each if your wireless network is clean and you wish to stream network music files (currently), it's great and 'sounds' far better than you'd imagine by the price and visuals. Apparently VLC media player may support (Chrome)casting locally held music files too before too long and I await that with keen interest.

    By the way, the little P20 passive preamp I make ought to be included if nothing else from the range, as it's 'only' £100 and doesn't 'sound' any different from the bigger more versatile models...
    Tear down these walls; Cut the ties that held me
    Crying out at the top of my voice; Tell me now if you can hear me

  8. #8
    Join Date: Jan 2013

    Location: Bristol

    Posts: 6,843
    I'm Justin.

    Default

    Got that Chromecast thing too not tried it via the main system yet.

    No TIDAL support though you can use BubbleUPnp. However, that does not support TIDAL phone buffered tracks.

    Would also be better if it worked in the car. It will if you have an in-car router. I might set that up as I am a bit fed up with low latency Bluetooth, which skips when the phone is challenged for CPU by something else.

    So cheap though for what it can do. Mad really.

  9. #9
    Join Date: Apr 2011

    Location: London

    Posts: 4,419
    I'm Robert.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by REXTON View Post
    I got the inspiration for this idea from reading the Klotz / MS Audio thread. I'd like to start a list of products & manufacturers that produce or have designed fantastic products at amazingly good value for money. So here's my nominations


    AMPLIFIERS


    * Croft Mircobasic Preamplifier - The only amp where you get a MM phonostage probably worth more than the amp!! Fantastic value if you can get 2nd hand.

    CABLES

    * Yannis Tome (www.backbeat.co.uk) - An amazing guy who produces amazing cables. His tonearm cable displaced a Nordost cable at 4 times the cost.
    * The Klotz MC5000 / MS Audio RCA IC's - Two products when combines produces an excellent set of IC's. Very good SPPV.

    DACs

    * Bushmaster II / Caiman II DAC - Beresford Audio, these come up quite regular and offer excellect SPPV, even better with SFW upgrades and battery powered PSU.

    SPEAKERS

    * RFC Extrinsic Tannoy Cross Overs - Fantastic Tannoy speaker designs and Reference grade XO's are simply superb.

    TURNTABLE ADD-ONS


    * Ebony Armboards - Magna Audio AKA Speedy Steve! His ebony armboard was a very cheap and effective upgrade for my 1210.
    * The Analog Audio Crystal Mat - Harking back to the 70's when the big Jap TT's had glass platter mats, for me this is the best 1210 platter mat available.



    I'd like this idea to work and ultimately this thread/sticky can be seen as a reference for other AOSer's who don't want to spend stupid amounts of money on Foo.
    Excellent and very useful Andy

  10. #10
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: Yorkshire

    Posts: 9,302
    I'm Andrew.

    Default

    Updates and added a few more suggestions.
    SS
    CD Teac VRDS25X(Audiotuned) DECK 1210 Mat Crystal Audio Mods MN Base/Bearing/Platter+Ebony armboard Feet Isonoe PSU Paul Hynes SR7EHD-27XL/DCSXL Ag DC lead/3 Stage Regs/Recap PCB+No Pitch/Strobe/Light ARM SME V(Kondo Ag Rewire&Tags) MC Cadenza Black FGS CABLES Arm Yannis SPD-4 IC Yannis 222 Litz+Ag bullets Power WAR PRE ATC SCA2 SPEAKERS ATC 50ASL STANDS Atacama PHONO Sugden Masterclass PA4 SUT Ortofon ST80SE POWER PSAudio P10

    VALVE
    PRE
    Croft Epoch(Modded) AMP Sondex S100 (Modded) SPEAKERS Tannoy 15"MG+RFC Warwick cabs+ Ref XO + Batpure supertweeters DECK Garrard 301 Mat Teunto Bearings 401(Bastin) Plinth Bamboo Arms 3009/3012 PSU Eagle+Tachometer MC Ag Meister II/FGS + Ortofon SPU MONO CABLES Arm Yannis 420.5 Litz+ SpeakerPC Tripple C+WBT-0681 Ag IC Oyaide FTVS-510 AgWBT 0110Ag Phonostages Paradise(4 Box Mega-Modded) / Croft Musicmaker



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