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Thread: Arkless 640P MC/MM phono loan list

  1. #71
    Join Date: May 2016

    Location: Much Wenlock

    Posts: 1,522
    I'm Gary.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by blackstar View Post
    Jez,

    I am currently using an Edwards Audio MC-1 and would like to test drive your phono stage if possible. Don't worry; I won't be looking to write an A-B comparison report, just how it behaves with my DL-301 Mk2 cart. Please let me know how to kick this off.

    Regards

    M

    Hi,

    Just put a post on here, Jez will pick it up, or pm him.

  2. #72
    Join Date: Oct 2012

    Location: NE England

    Posts: 4,173
    I'm Jez.

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    Quote Originally Posted by blackstar View Post
    Jez,

    I am currently using an Edwards Audio MC-1 and would like to test drive your phono stage if possible. Don't worry; I won't be looking to write an A-B comparison report, just how it behaves with my DL-301 Mk2 cart. Please let me know how to kick this off.

    Regards

    M
    No problem, and A-B compare all you want Send me a PM with with your details and you can try it after "Sovereign" who has it now.
    Arkless Electronics-Engineered to be better. Tel. 01670 530674 (after 1pm)

    Modded Thorens TD150, Audio Technica AT-1005 MkII, Technics EPC-300MC, Arkless Hybrid MC phono stage, Arkless passive pre, Arkless 50WPC Class A SS power amp, (or) Arkless modded Leak Stereo 20, Modded Kef Reference 105/3's
    ReVox PR99, Studer B62, Ferrograph Series 7, Tandberg TCD440, Hitachi FT-5500MkI, also FT-5500MkII
    Digital: Yamaha CDR-HD1500 (Digital Swiss army knife-CD recorder, player, hard drive, DAC and ADC in one), PC files via 24/96 sound card and SPDIF, modded Philips CD850, modded Philips CD104, modded DPA Little Bit DAC. Sennheiser HD580 cans with Arkless Headphone amp.
    Cables- free interconnects that come with CD players, mains leads from B&Q, dead kettles etc, extension leads from Tesco

  3. #73
    Join Date: May 2012

    Location: Maidstone

    Posts: 977
    I'm James.

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    Ok, quick and interesting update. I've been struggling with my vinyl front end, trying to get it to sound as I want it.
    I took delivery of the Arkless Electronics (Jez) heavily modified Cambridge Audio phono stage . I listened for about an hour last night I I found the music, Lenny Kravitz-Are you gonna go my way, thoroughly engaging. The sound was bigger and bass had a deeper and more authoritative drive to it. The music was very present and in the room, mid range was truely excellent with a wide and tonaly accurate sound. The treble was well balanced and kept me attentive.
    I was very happy indeed. My other phonostage had me in tears. As much as I tried to be engaged, with my other phono stage had me board to tears, and very frustrated. Swap it for the Arkless one and the music is very big, bold and the midrange and treble had me looking left, right, left, right like I was at a tennis match. Harmonies and symbols etc were popping out all over the place.
    After the album was finished I was really impressed, and chuffed.
    I have to send this demo unit on pretty soon, but it has given me great insight into what a TT can do in my system. As I haven't had my digital front end for about a month now as it's being upgraded, this is the first time I've been able to sit down and listen to music without being frustrated. I must admit I am seriously tempted to spend a bit of money on my TT, but I mustn't, not in this season.
    A couple of night later I had a friend come round and he brought round some rock albums I used to listen to as a teenager, these cought me emotionally and I found myself shouting at the speakers as I was remembering these albums from 25-30 years ago. It was a great night.
    Well done Jez at Arkless.
    Source: Heavily modified DDDAC using MacBook Pro.
    Amplification: Pre amp-Stereo Coffee pre amp on steroids.
    Power amp- Rather large Colin Wonfor Class A power Amp
    Speakers: Lampizator P17 Open Baffles
    Accessories: Klotz 500 DIY Interconnects & DIY speaker cable sounding better than anything commercial.
    All powered from a Mother Trucker BPS with a dedicated consumer unit with 10mm armoured radial back to the house tails after the meter.

  4. #74
    Join Date: Oct 2012

    Location: NE England

    Posts: 4,173
    I'm Jez.

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    Thanks for the write up James. Glad you enjoyed it

    Would anyone else like to try the Arkless 640P demo unit?
    Arkless Electronics-Engineered to be better. Tel. 01670 530674 (after 1pm)

    Modded Thorens TD150, Audio Technica AT-1005 MkII, Technics EPC-300MC, Arkless Hybrid MC phono stage, Arkless passive pre, Arkless 50WPC Class A SS power amp, (or) Arkless modded Leak Stereo 20, Modded Kef Reference 105/3's
    ReVox PR99, Studer B62, Ferrograph Series 7, Tandberg TCD440, Hitachi FT-5500MkI, also FT-5500MkII
    Digital: Yamaha CDR-HD1500 (Digital Swiss army knife-CD recorder, player, hard drive, DAC and ADC in one), PC files via 24/96 sound card and SPDIF, modded Philips CD850, modded Philips CD104, modded DPA Little Bit DAC. Sennheiser HD580 cans with Arkless Headphone amp.
    Cables- free interconnects that come with CD players, mains leads from B&Q, dead kettles etc, extension leads from Tesco

  5. #75
    Join Date: Oct 2012

    Location: NE England

    Posts: 4,173
    I'm Jez.

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    A bump to see if anyone else wants to try this wonderful phono stage?
    Arkless Electronics-Engineered to be better. Tel. 01670 530674 (after 1pm)

    Modded Thorens TD150, Audio Technica AT-1005 MkII, Technics EPC-300MC, Arkless Hybrid MC phono stage, Arkless passive pre, Arkless 50WPC Class A SS power amp, (or) Arkless modded Leak Stereo 20, Modded Kef Reference 105/3's
    ReVox PR99, Studer B62, Ferrograph Series 7, Tandberg TCD440, Hitachi FT-5500MkI, also FT-5500MkII
    Digital: Yamaha CDR-HD1500 (Digital Swiss army knife-CD recorder, player, hard drive, DAC and ADC in one), PC files via 24/96 sound card and SPDIF, modded Philips CD850, modded Philips CD104, modded DPA Little Bit DAC. Sennheiser HD580 cans with Arkless Headphone amp.
    Cables- free interconnects that come with CD players, mains leads from B&Q, dead kettles etc, extension leads from Tesco

  6. #76
    Join Date: Oct 2012

    Location: NE England

    Posts: 4,173
    I'm Jez.

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    Another shout out to anyone looking for the ultimate VFM in phono stages! Available for home demo now, just PM me.
    Arkless Electronics-Engineered to be better. Tel. 01670 530674 (after 1pm)

    Modded Thorens TD150, Audio Technica AT-1005 MkII, Technics EPC-300MC, Arkless Hybrid MC phono stage, Arkless passive pre, Arkless 50WPC Class A SS power amp, (or) Arkless modded Leak Stereo 20, Modded Kef Reference 105/3's
    ReVox PR99, Studer B62, Ferrograph Series 7, Tandberg TCD440, Hitachi FT-5500MkI, also FT-5500MkII
    Digital: Yamaha CDR-HD1500 (Digital Swiss army knife-CD recorder, player, hard drive, DAC and ADC in one), PC files via 24/96 sound card and SPDIF, modded Philips CD850, modded Philips CD104, modded DPA Little Bit DAC. Sennheiser HD580 cans with Arkless Headphone amp.
    Cables- free interconnects that come with CD players, mains leads from B&Q, dead kettles etc, extension leads from Tesco

  7. #77
    blackstar Guest

    Default

    Arkless MM/MC Phono Amplifier Review

    To start, I use an Edwards Audio MC1 Phono Amp with a NAS Interspace Jr/Jelco Sa-750D arm and Denon DL-301 Mk2 cartridge.

    I received the Arkless and wasted no time setting it up using the 100 ohm loading plugs and setting up for MC playback. The first thing I noticed was quietness; a very low noise floor. I pushed the volume up to see what happened and very little did. There is very little circuit noise being introduced by this amp.
    I reached for one of my test records, Love Over Gold - Dire Straits. The MC1 does a very good job on tight bass and believable treble and the Arkless matched it punch for punch. The improvement was in soundstage. The MC1 does soundstage very well but the Arkless eclipsed it; separation and positioning of the band was excellent.

    Next up was Louis and Ella - Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. Now you might think that this isn't much of a test, without much in the way of musical complexity. However, it is a good test for reproduction of voice and Satchmo's gravelly sound up against the liquid gold of the best female voice perhaps ever was given the Midas touch by the Arkless amp. It was a beautiful thing, being faced up by the two jazz greats, positioned exactly as they would have been all those years ago. On an inferior amp, listening to a voice like Armstrong's can be fatiguing, where the coarseness is only multiplied. It was a joy throughout, so much so that I threw it back on straight after side two had finished.

    I can go on about the A/B testing that I carried out over the space of a couple of days but the results are all the same. Don't worry about how the MC1 fared, the Arkless was as good, no even better than the reviews I have read before. What can I say about this amp then? Soundstage, air between instruments, ultra low noise floor, faithful reproduction to what was originally recorded and with a range of loading plugs to adjust for any cartridge it will satisfy even the most overzealous tweaker!

    Buy one at your peril, you'll have to upgrade the rest of your kit to even keep up with it! Thanks for the lends Jez, now who is next?!

  8. #78
    Join Date: Oct 2012

    Location: NE England

    Posts: 4,173
    I'm Jez.

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    Last chance to try the Arkless 640P for some time folks.... If anyone's looking for the best budget phono stage for their system don't put it off as I will be asking the last person to try it (Blackstar) to return the demo unit to me if there are no more people out there interested in trying it. There will then be no chance to hear it in your own system unless SEVERAL people all wish to hear it once again and a new loan list can be formed.
    Arkless Electronics-Engineered to be better. Tel. 01670 530674 (after 1pm)

    Modded Thorens TD150, Audio Technica AT-1005 MkII, Technics EPC-300MC, Arkless Hybrid MC phono stage, Arkless passive pre, Arkless 50WPC Class A SS power amp, (or) Arkless modded Leak Stereo 20, Modded Kef Reference 105/3's
    ReVox PR99, Studer B62, Ferrograph Series 7, Tandberg TCD440, Hitachi FT-5500MkI, also FT-5500MkII
    Digital: Yamaha CDR-HD1500 (Digital Swiss army knife-CD recorder, player, hard drive, DAC and ADC in one), PC files via 24/96 sound card and SPDIF, modded Philips CD850, modded Philips CD104, modded DPA Little Bit DAC. Sennheiser HD580 cans with Arkless Headphone amp.
    Cables- free interconnects that come with CD players, mains leads from B&Q, dead kettles etc, extension leads from Tesco

  9. #79
    Join Date: Oct 2012

    Location: NE England

    Posts: 4,173
    I'm Jez.

    Default

    Last chance to hear this phono stage for a good while folks... ask next week and the answer will be no...
    Arkless Electronics-Engineered to be better. Tel. 01670 530674 (after 1pm)

    Modded Thorens TD150, Audio Technica AT-1005 MkII, Technics EPC-300MC, Arkless Hybrid MC phono stage, Arkless passive pre, Arkless 50WPC Class A SS power amp, (or) Arkless modded Leak Stereo 20, Modded Kef Reference 105/3's
    ReVox PR99, Studer B62, Ferrograph Series 7, Tandberg TCD440, Hitachi FT-5500MkI, also FT-5500MkII
    Digital: Yamaha CDR-HD1500 (Digital Swiss army knife-CD recorder, player, hard drive, DAC and ADC in one), PC files via 24/96 sound card and SPDIF, modded Philips CD850, modded Philips CD104, modded DPA Little Bit DAC. Sennheiser HD580 cans with Arkless Headphone amp.
    Cables- free interconnects that come with CD players, mains leads from B&Q, dead kettles etc, extension leads from Tesco

  10. #80
    Join Date: Jun 2014

    Location: Bridgend

    Posts: 142
    I'm Simon.

    Default

    Jez
    I'd be interested in demoing this for a few days if available? I'm not sure I'm getting the sound I want from my Graham Slee Era V Gold. Would the Arkless be ok with my AT150mlx as I have read it favours adjustable MM loading but have never tried a phone stage where this can be done.

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