End of upgraditis

[Bigman80]

So, I've had this new rig for a couple of days now and so far my mind is tired from thinking about it constantly.

Words to describe how i feel are easier to come by than words for a description of what im hearing.

I find myself missing the rig, which is a first. I've twice picked up the phone to call in sick at work just so i can stay home and listen to it. Of course, i haven't, because that would be stupid ! but it just shows how completely engulfing it is.

My kids love it. My wife actually came to sit and listen to it with me! Voluntarily too, i didn't even ask her to!!!. My mom had tears in her eyes listening to "tears in Heaven- unplugged" and i basically sit there with goose bumps every time i play a LP.

Everything is just so audibly stunning.

I decided today that a good test would be to plug my laptop in and just see how it sounds with a cheap Toshiba bought On-board DAC. Well......

Fuck about! how good are those mono blocks!!!!! speechless. I am convinced that there is another level to these that can only be unlocked by gear in the tens-of-thousands-of-pounds range. I wasn't overly impressed with the Pioneer speakers at first. Now i am. Dynamic and fast sound. punchy and firm. Airy and delicate when needed. Attack and extended decay. Huge sound stage and such scale ! The Mono's are bringing the best out of them BUT i had one moment today where i nearly shit myself with shock. Back to Vinyl i went......

I like to play the guitar along with the unplugged LP's i listen to so as i was playing along i hit this single string note at exactly the same time as Eric Clapton and........it was faultlessness. Tonally equal to a "live" acoustic guitar. This is no ordinary guitar either. Its a Taylor Dreadnought, worth more than my car and loved more too.

Perfection of tone, sustain, decay and waveform. I thought "have i just hit the peak and its all down hill form here ? well no actually, it isn't. You see i played the same song and did it again and again and again and every time it was exactly the same. Purity.

I know i'm waffling a bit but i just wanted to try and convey how good these three items are. FB-MB's & FB-OTP

This set-up is dreamland.

I am gonna ask alan if we can do a side by side comp with the VIVANT. Not because i want one but because i want to see how close this FB-OTP is.

[Jimbo]

The Vivant will torment you if plug it into your system. Valve phono stages that good are killer components.

Be warned!

[Bigman80]

The Vivant will torment you if plug it into your system. Valve phono stages that good are killer components.

Be warned!

Haha, i wouldn't let Alan plug it in last time he was round for that exact reason. Maybe I'll wait hahaha

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[Martyn Miles]

As you know, i have been mulling over a new rig. I wanted a valve involved and i wanted my next amplifier to be my last big spend for some considerable time.

I auditioned a fair few amplifiers. I drove the Guy in Super-fi bat-shit crazy lol

I wanted to see what was new and what was on offer. I tried Denon, marantz, Arcam and Rotel amps up to a price of £1200.

So being completely thorough i also tested a DIY/Kit Class A valve amp, a dual mono and a set of hybrid valve Monoblocks.

The only thing i couldn't get my hands on was a Class A SS amp such as a Sugden etc.

So the results.

Well the stuff in Super-fi except the Arcam Class G didn't impress me. Even with £2000 speakers on. We used a Project TT carbon something or other lol

The Arcam i felt was actually good but i didn't think it was better than my existing Sony.

Class A valve and Dual mono amps were very very nice. BUT I wanted to hear the Monoblocks again. They have a bit of magic. A bit of that something special.

I realised that throughout my mind bending journey of trawling the internet for options (MingDa valve amp etc) that the answer was staring me in the face the whole time. There was a set of Monoblocks that i had heard multiple times and been amazed at every time.

Enter - Firebottle Monoblocks



I invited Alan over to test his new FB-OTP phono stage with one eye on hearing the Monos again.

Well four hours of listening to every combination we had and i arrived at the conclusion that there simply isn't a better sound at the price.

£1000 for the Monoblocks !!!. Well i just had to have them. I promptly told Alan that he couldn't take them home. So he didn't !!!!!

They are now in my listening room sounding so good it's unbelievable.

I have borrowed a passive preamp off Alan whilst mine is being made.

The TT is running through the FB-OTP and i can honestly say it's a sensational sound.

So total price £1200

I can also say with some confidence that for the price, it's a steal.



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Upgraditis gone mad !
I have been happy with my Quad 34/303 for years.
Trying to find audio Nirvana is a road to nowhere...
You'll never be happy !

[Bigman80]

Upgraditis gone mad !
I have been happy with my Quad 34/303 for years.
Trying to find audio Nirvana is a road to nowhere...
You'll never be happy !

Ah Martyn, I'm at my peace now. . The system that is capable of producing that sound known to audiophiles as "Nirvana"
Is unachievable. There are too many variables. All i wanted was a rig that captivated me and christened my ears with purity. I'll buy a few bits in time probably due to curiosity but knowing at the heart of the rig I've got the right bits is my Nirvana.

Have a listen to the Monos and see if your still happy. I was happy untill i heard them in my own home.

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[mikeyb]

The Vivant will torment you if plug it into your system. Valve phono stages that good are killer components.

Be warned!

Like #001 here.....

[Bigman80]

Like #001 here.....

Ah!! It's glorious. I've heard one and it's spectacular

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[Bigman80]

I have just stumbled on this old post and reading through it has made me chuckle......So naive and foolish to think i was finished. I hadn't event really cut my teeth when i had this lot and certainly wasn't ready to declare the "end of upgraditis"

The Light,

I have spent a lot of time, effort and money since 03/2017 listening, building, learning and finally purchasing bits that i felt would improve the system. The upgraditis really took hold at MCRU when i attended the bake off. It really opened my eyes to what could be achieved with the right components. The phonostages there bettered everything i had heard previously, The *** blew my socks off and had it not been for the LDA, there would probably be one in my system. I knew the OTP phonostage was not gonna do it for me after this event because the LDA Jfet i heard was stunning, so i Knew i needed valves...in came the Jolida JD9 MK2

Detail,

That came with a visit to Phonomac last year. His system was Monitor Audio speakers, SP10 MK2, PMAT - 1010, Hashimoto HM-3, Sansui AU-D11 amp and a very lovely Ortofon Vienna. The detail he achieved was mid blowingly ruthless and i was hooked. As much as i liked his detail, the overall sound wasn't for me BUT the SP10 MK2, Tenuto platter mat and PMAT-1010 definitely was.

The revelation,

The Jolida was performing faultlessly and i was having a bit of fun swapping the Caps and Valves. I was invited to Jimbo's abode for a listen to his Croft gear and THIS is when i heard the balance between detail, timbre and imaging i wanted in my house. His 2m Black was, to me, a little coarse BUT wow, the detail!!!! Id already heard the cart i wanted, The Vienna, and i was convinced i needed to get this move done. I searched for a Croft MM RIAA R but to no avail. I listened to other phonostages but they just didn't have that timbrel quality. After some research i found the Wizard Phonostage PCB. A chat with Alan and it was on the way.

What happened next,

Well, here's the crux of the matter. I tried countless items, SUT's, Headamps, Phonostages, Cartridges, Amplifiers, Speakers, Tonearms, Turntables, Cables, you name it, i had one here. It was only when the Wizard Phonostage was built by me and modded by Alan that things started to fall in to place.

I now had the Phonostage i was happy with but the Cartridge i wanted to buy ended up not being available. I bought a Kontrapunkt b instead and put it on my SP10 MK2 and PMAT-1010. I bought a Slagle AVC from Ali Tait and paired it with my FB-Monoblocks. I made my own cables and have now assembled a sound that i am listening to with pride and pure enjoyment. There is however, one more thing to do.......The SUT. I have bought a Rothwell MCX and it should be here tomorrow. I am genuinely hoping its a synergistic match to the cart because i am fed up of looking for the right bits lol

The only components i have left which started this Journey are the Pioneer CS-77A speakers and the Firebottle Monoblocks. This tells you everything you need to know about my thoughts on those two bits. Outstanding and highly recommended.

Moral of the Story? -

Get out there and find your sound. Buy used and don't be afraid to try something you've not considered before. Ignore reputations as the "legendary status" of most bits really didn't impress me and the stuff that has a "Wouldn't buy off him!!" reputation was excellent, so don't believe what you read, only what you hear. Try as much stuff as possible in your home as your room has the most influence on your sound.

SO, i'll end this thread now, as i really have finished (might get the Hashimoto's if the MCX doesn't work out) and will be focusing of listening and building the LP collection.

I'd just like to thank,

Firebottle, Jimbo, Phonomac, Walpurgis, Montiesque, Ali Tait, Marco, Rothwell plus others who have helped me get to this point. I appreciate your loaning of equipment and readily available advice and ......... selling me loads of bits and pieces

[walpurgis]

I'm sure you are welcome from each of us Oliver .

But does the journey really end there?

[struth]

It never completely ends Think of it as a rainbow