Technics SP10 mk2
Jan Allaerts MC 1 Boron mk1 cart
Miyajima Shilabe cart
Hashimoto HM-X SUT
Siggwan (gimballed not unipivot) Cocobola 12"
Aurorasound Vida LCR Phonostage
The Truth linestage
Dave Slagle Autoformer Volume Controller
Cary 805c SET amps
Audio Note ANe-SPX speakers
Townshend Isolda speaker cables
Cardas Golden Presence interconnects
Location: Reading
Posts: 110
I'm George.
OK. I assume you have checked the bias of all the power valves.
Yup - easy on the ref75. All 4 are spot on. Checked again when swapped over and adjusted slightly.
Going to listen to some vinyl and try to get my sanity back.
Tomorrow I will put a fixed output cd direct into the ref75 and listen very very quickly to a quiet piece - it is so obvious it should take a second to know for sure that the Opus is 100%.
It seems very unlikely that both the Cary and the arc have the same imbalance.
Technics SP10 mk2
Jan Allaerts MC 1 Boron mk1 cart
Miyajima Shilabe cart
Hashimoto HM-X SUT
Siggwan (gimballed not unipivot) Cocobola 12"
Aurorasound Vida LCR Phonostage
The Truth linestage
Dave Slagle Autoformer Volume Controller
Cary 805c SET amps
Audio Note ANe-SPX speakers
Townshend Isolda speaker cables
Cardas Golden Presence interconnects
Is there anything the Opus could have done to the amp? I've just put on some vinyl (via the truth) and it's the same - it was fine before plugging the Opus direct. Could it be kicking out a high voltage on one channel and partially fried something?
Technics SP10 mk2
Jan Allaerts MC 1 Boron mk1 cart
Miyajima Shilabe cart
Hashimoto HM-X SUT
Siggwan (gimballed not unipivot) Cocobola 12"
Aurorasound Vida LCR Phonostage
The Truth linestage
Dave Slagle Autoformer Volume Controller
Cary 805c SET amps
Audio Note ANe-SPX speakers
Townshend Isolda speaker cables
Cardas Golden Presence interconnects
Location: Near Saffron Walden, Essex
Posts: 7,087
I'm Dave.
Don't play a fixed output CD player into the ARC as this will produce full output into your speakers with, probably, catastrophic results.
I'm not going to. I've asked eBay for a refund on the Opus. Listening to my vinyl there is absolutely no way the Opus comes close. Think marantz of the 80's.
I'm also convinced it has done something to the arc - even with my vinyl that channel is now down - luckily the truth can compensate for this to a huge degree (it effectively adds/subtracts gain (power) rather than attenuates for balance).
I've also emailed Sarte audio the importers of arc here in Spain and technical center to sort out getting this beautiful amplifier back to how it should be. They are only afew hours drive.
Fuck knows if I'll get my 900€ back, never mind the €100 I paid for UPS, or the shipping back.
What a bloody ball ache. I really don't think I'll buy second hand again.
Technics SP10 mk2
Jan Allaerts MC 1 Boron mk1 cart
Miyajima Shilabe cart
Hashimoto HM-X SUT
Siggwan (gimballed not unipivot) Cocobola 12"
Aurorasound Vida LCR Phonostage
The Truth linestage
Dave Slagle Autoformer Volume Controller
Cary 805c SET amps
Audio Note ANe-SPX speakers
Townshend Isolda speaker cables
Cardas Golden Presence interconnects
I don't know what you were thinking Adrian, paying 900€ for a CD player used and from abroad. Just get a cheap one. You don't have many cd's anyway. I bought a Denon 1930 sacd/DVD player for £30 from my mate who bought a bluray player and it sounds as good as anything I've heard, I don't play cd's much anyway, only when the internet won't play Spotify.
Bakoon 13r Denon DP80 Stax UA-70 Shure Ultra 500 in a Martin Bastin body with jico stylus, project ds2 digital Rullit aero 8 field coils in tqwt speakers
Office system, DIY CSS fullrange speakers with aurum cantus G2 ribbons yulong dac Sony STR6055 receiver Jvc QL-A51 direct drive turntable, Leema sub. JVC Z4S cart is in the house
Garage system another Sony receiver, cassette deck
System components are subject to change without warning and at the discretion of the owner.
There is a lot of music I truly wish to own which is not available on vinyl. If it sounds pants compared to my vinyl rig I wouldn't listen to it. So I spent €900 and would happily spend a lot more if it could provide me with as much sonic pleasure as the 10k or so I've spent on my vinyl set up. If the Opus is truly where digital is at then I would go top of the line vintage - I had a few of them and they were certainly better than the Opus though of course it's obviously not functioning very well!
Technics SP10 mk2
Jan Allaerts MC 1 Boron mk1 cart
Miyajima Shilabe cart
Hashimoto HM-X SUT
Siggwan (gimballed not unipivot) Cocobola 12"
Aurorasound Vida LCR Phonostage
The Truth linestage
Dave Slagle Autoformer Volume Controller
Cary 805c SET amps
Audio Note ANe-SPX speakers
Townshend Isolda speaker cables
Cardas Golden Presence interconnects
Location: Reading
Posts: 110
I'm George.
You are going to need to spend a LOT to get the equivalent sound from a CD to your turntable. It is a great front end. Given that you like valves and Audionote speakers then I would look at an AN CD player if you can borrow one. Some people love them others think they are coloured and should be avoided. They better portray the warmth and space of vinyl. I have an Audionote DAC4.1x and CD4T and even that does not seriously challenge vinyl.
Do you have another source (tuner) or DVD that you could try into the Linestage + Ref 75 (SE?) to hear if you get an even output from your line-stage?
I suspect that a visit to the service agent is needed. I am not sure a CD player could do something to damage the input circuitry (through the line-stage) of the Ref 75 without send a loud noise through the amp. Without doubt the ARC is a superb power amplifier and even if it is a pain to get it fixed it is worth getting it properly sorted.
Good luck.