Prattlin' Dave's HiFi Rambles... [Archive]

synsei

13-04-2011, 21:05

I have an existing thread in The Gallery somewhere, but I neglected to subscribe to it and now I can't find it, so I've decided to begin another ... :lol: (I'll add as much info and photos as I can in stages)

I've been a music lover as long as I can remember thanks to my late father. It was he who also piqued my interest in Hi-Fi when he brought home a very expensive Marantz separates system back in the early 1970's. I remember the massive argument between him and my mother very well :eyebrows:

My adventures in Hi-Fi began around 1980 when I acquired a Rigonda Corvette TT, a Sony TA73 integrated amp and a pair of Videoton Minimax speakers. The story behind this system is documented elsewhere on the forum, so I won't repeat myself here, only to say that if anyone knows of a pair of Minimax's up for sale to PM me please as I'd love to acquire another pair.

After an extended period out of the Hi-Fi game, I rediscovered the bug again early in 2010 when I won a system on eBay for £120. This consisted of a NAD CD524, a NAD 3140 integrated amp and a pair of Mission 773's.

http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/MySystem3.jpghttp://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/Mission773sfrontgrillsoff.jpg

I added a Thorens TD316 fitted with a Linn LVX+ tonearm and Linn Basik cart fitted with an ATN95e stylus, a Cambridge Audio 540p phonostage and the vintage Sony ST73 tuner you can see in the pics. The Sony MD player I owned already. The system it came from couldn't really be defined as Hi-Fi so I haven't included it on here. All the above were picked up on eBay for the princely sum of £125.

Tim

13-04-2011, 21:15

Wow, £120.00 for that was a real bargain - got you back on the road too, that's a great days work on eBay :)

synsei

13-04-2011, 21:23

Yup Tim, I was a very happy bunny that day I can tell you... ;)

Marco

13-04-2011, 21:33

Hi Dave,

I have an existing thread in The Gallery somewhere, but I neglected to subscribe to it and now I can't find it...

Would it be this, with all the pictures now deleted from your Photobucket account:

http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=7837

;)

Marco.

synsei

13-04-2011, 21:36

After fixing one bass/mid and replacing another I decided the Mission's weren't really doing it for me, so I began to browse eBay again for something a little more suitable. That's when I found the Hafler...

http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/DH-220VE.jpg

This I won for £95 plus £8 postage from a reclaim centre, which was a result. I've had it open since and someone has spent a lot of money on this amp to keep it up to and beyond spec. To begin with I used the pre-amp section on the 3140 to drive the Hafler, but this combo never really gelled.

The day after I won the Hafler I noticed these on eBay with 12hrs to go and no bids. they were on a 'Buy It Now' for £165.

http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/RogersLS55ssmall.jpg

After a crafty, pre-emptive phone call I secured the LS55's for £120 (seems to be my lucky number). :lol:

synsei

13-04-2011, 21:54

Hi Dave,

Would it be this, with all the pictures now deleted from your Photobucket account:

http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=7837

;)

Marco.

Could be? :lol:

You can delete it if you wish Marco, I'm starting afresh anyhoo... ;)

synsei

13-04-2011, 22:07

Two months on and a trip to Peterborough later and I arrived home with an Audiolab 8000c pre-amp for, you guessed it, £120 after another cheeky phone offer... :eyebrows:

This was a huge improvement over the 3140 and got even better when I bought SatanFriendly's (Chris) TD160 mkII, SME Series III and Goldring G900IGC and some new IC's.

http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/160mkII-SMESeriesIII-Goldring900IGC2.jpg

synsei

13-04-2011, 22:26

After that came the Beresford Caiman pre-fitted with a 'Gator board direct from Stan, the only new component currently in my system and another step up on the Stairway To Heaven.

That brings me to my latest addition, although perhaps that is a bit pre-emptive as I've yet to pay for it :eyebrows:

With many thanks to Mark (Reid Malenfant), I am currently trying before buying his Classe Audio DR5 pre-amp. This is an astonishingly capable piece of kit that has totally transformed the sound of my system. The lack of bass extension and definition that has been the bane of my system since the early days is no more. If one ever needed a demonstration of how just one component can change the entire characteristics of a system, pop around to mine one day before I offload the Audiolab and I will eagerly demonstrate it to you...

http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/SystemNow.jpg

I will post better pics tomorrow... ;)

DSJR

14-04-2011, 09:43

synsei

14-04-2011, 10:30

I wonder if Stan could make a cheap line only multi-input preamp based on the current Gator board, or would it cost too much to tool up for this?

Pleae could you remind me the mat combo in the Thorens?

Hi Dave,

I suggested a similar thing in one of my posts on another thread. As I discovered, the little Caiman is very capable when used as a pre-amp for digital sources. My suggestion was to design a modular input system for the Caiman so the user could pick and chose what inputs they might need for their system. For example, I don't use the optical input on my Caiman and would swap it for a line only input in a heartbeat if I could. Mind you, now I've heard the DR5 I couldn't go back to using the Caiman, as the DR5 is several 'Classe's' above it in the scale of its delivery, not to mention that I can now use my Thorens... ;)

There is an Acrylic mat and a thin, Sorbothane mat on the TT. The thinner mat is supposed to sit under the Acrylic one to prevent slippage, but I find the Acrylic mat sits firmly on the platter with no problems. I use the thinner Sorbothane mat on top as I find many of my records do slip if the combo is reversed.

Reid Malenfant

14-04-2011, 10:37

I will post better pics tomorrow... ;)
:popcorn:

:eyebrows:

synsei

14-04-2011, 11:44

http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/SystemNow2.jpghttp://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/SystemNow3.jpghttp://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/SystemNow4.jpg

Reid Malenfant

14-04-2011, 11:48

That's better :clap: Amazing what a difference a bit of daylight makes to the picture quality ;)

Nice & tidy setup :)

synsei

14-04-2011, 11:55

It looks great on the rack, but the rack is shite. It's wobblier than a jelly, even worse than the pine one I was using before so its gotta go, but first I need a TT shelf. :eyebrows:

synsei

14-04-2011, 12:04

Of course, I meant NAD C340, not 3140... :doh:

Rare Bird

14-04-2011, 12:04

Always like the Classe amps..

Reid Malenfant

14-04-2011, 12:07

It looks great on the rack, but the rack is shite. It's wobblier than a jelly
How nice to know that there is more improvement to come sound wise once rubber rack is consigned to where these wobbly bits deserve to go to :lolsign:

synsei

14-04-2011, 12:18

Tru dat Mark. If only it were as easy to consign my wobbly bits to the same fate. Not sure that a beer belly would sell quite as well on the 'Bay though... :lolsign::lolsign::lolsign:

As you can see I've placed some of the kit on my home made granite isolation platforms. Would this be strictly necessary on a decent quality rack with 6mm glass shelves?

Reid Malenfant

14-04-2011, 12:23

As you can see I've placed some of the kit on my home made granite isolation platforms. Would this be strictly necessary on a decent quality rack with 6mm glass shelves?
Only your ears can tell you that, my guess is yes though ;)

RochaCullen

14-04-2011, 13:19

There is an Acrylic mat and a thin, Sorbothane mat on the TT. The thinner mat is supposed to sit under the Acrylic one to prevent slippage, but I find the Acrylic mat sits firmly on the platter with no problems. I use the thinner Sorbothane mat on top as I find many of my records do slip if the combo is reversed.

Hi Dave,

Is there much of a sound difference between the current mat duo and the stock felt mat? I'm using a cork mat on my TD160, and I've been looking at changing that.

synsei

14-04-2011, 13:42

It is as it came when I bought it Nathan. The only other mat I've tried on it is an old Avon Audiomat. The Audiomat adds a lot of mass to the already weighty platter and probably helps with speed stability, although not to the extent that I can notice the difference. It does dull the edge of high frequencies a little compared to the other arrangement though, which is why I've stuck with the acrylic and Sorbothane mats. I'm not willing to experiment too much on the 160 as it stands until I've got it housed on a solid platform and off my suspended floor, there really is no point until then. :eyebrows:

Dingdong

14-04-2011, 15:09

Hi Dave,

Is there much of a sound difference between the current mat duo and the stock felt mat? I'm using a cork mat on my TD160, and I've been looking at changing that.

I can recommend the Blue Horizon mat on a 160. It was a huge improvement over the stock one.

synsei

14-04-2011, 15:12

Hi Mark,

Thank you for your kind offer to help me solve my pre-amp problem but as you have probably read, it's solved now, and man, hasn't it been solved well... :lol:

Dingdong

14-04-2011, 20:33

synsei

14-04-2011, 22:24

I've been contemplating a new preamp myself. And no I don't want a 2nd hand Audiolab;)
I'm considering making one myself at the moment. Maybe with a remote volume control.
What make is that wobbly rack you have?

Well, I thought it was a Sound Organization rack when I saw it on eBay, but I don't think it is. It's actually very well made, and would be fine located on a solid floor, It's just not up to the job on a suspended floor. I'm quite impressed with the weight it can handle though as the Hafler, DR5 and TD160 weigh a ton... :lol:

Dingdong

14-04-2011, 22:31

I thought it looked like a Sound organisation. My cheap as chips system has a black Sound organisation stand (£15) and is upstairs on a suspended floor and it seems reasonably stable. You are more than welcome to give it a go as I've got spare stands and won't need it 'til next year.

synsei

14-04-2011, 23:38

Hi Mark,

Sorry, I think I called you Graham in the PM I just sent you for some obscure reason... :doh: Anyhoo, you have a PM...:lol:

Dingdong

15-04-2011, 00:22

No problem. Surprisingly I've been called a lot worse.
I've responded to your pm.

synsei

06-05-2011, 14:48

There are two new additions to my system. An Arcam CD72 to replace the NAD CD524 and a pair of B&W DM2's to replace the Rogers LS55's. So far things are sounding very, very nice indeed. It's a little too soon for me to give all the gory details, but suffice it to say that at last I seem to have found what I've been looking for. Pics to follow tomorrow, too tired and sore to post 'em today... :cool:

Reid Malenfant

08-05-2011, 16:21

Pics to follow tomorrow, too tired and sore to post 'em today... :cool:
:scratch: Come on Dave, get a move on :lolsign: Only a day late :ner:

By the way, are the DM2 series II or the original? I have just stumbled accross some information that makes the series II rather interesting indeed :eyebrows:

synsei

08-05-2011, 16:49

:scratch: Come on Dave, get a move on :lolsign: Only a day late :ner:

By the way, are the DM2 series II or the original? I have just stumbled accross some information that makes the series II rather interesting indeed :eyebrows:

No Mark, they are series 1's. I will get some pics on here soon but my backs been playing up since my trip to Sheffield. I missed out on the series 2's from the previous week because I was out when the auction finished. They went for £113 and they were mint :doh:

Mine are in pretty good shape but I think one of the Coles super-tweeters is US. :(

synsei

25-07-2011, 11:33

Well, it's been a while since I posted on here. There is a lot going on in my personal life which takes priority but the onslaught seems to have lessened recently so I thought I'd take a few moments to post up piccies of my latest system configuration. No pics of the DM2's at the mo due to the fact they are hiding behind all the junk I moved out of shot :lol:

http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/1System25-07-2011-1.jpghttp://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/2System25-07-2011.jpg

synsei

11-09-2011, 22:20

Having had my DM2's precariously perched on top of an old pair of 600mm tall Target stands with very small top plates for just over three months, I finally found and won a pair of much more suitable Atacama SL400's in silver from fleabay for a paltry 16 quid this evening. I'll post before and after piccies when I get a moment ;)

synsei

13-09-2011, 16:46

http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/DM2onnewstand.jpg

Now this is much better, I no longer have to look up at my speakers and the SQ has benefited as a result. I know I mentioned above that I would post before and after piccies, but I was so knackered after arriving back from Manchester with the stands I really couldn't be arsed faffing about with the camera. Suffice it to say the poor DM2's looked utterly ridiculous on the Target stands, but they were always meant to be a stopgap anyway. Thanks Mark (Dingdong) :respect:

I also took delivery of some new Belkin AV53001 Speaker cables today which I bought for the princely sum of £17.99 (original price £79.99). I had to move the Hafler closer to my speakers as the cables weren't quite long enough and also had to swap out 2m long white Belkin PureAV Silver IC's (which again were a tad too short to reach to the Hafler's new location) for a 2.4m pair of Belkin's grey version of the same leads (the price I had to pay for the Hafler's relocation).

The Belkin speaker cables replace an old set of CableTalk 3.1 biwire cables I won from eBay a couple of years ago. Well, the improvement is staggering. These Belkins are bloody amazing for the money and after reading Tim's thread I was delighted to note that they just get better with age :yay: I won't go into all the improvements here because they are well and truly covered in the thread, but I got it all going on... :fingers: :band:

Dingdong

13-09-2011, 19:59

But cables can't make any difference, surely. I'll get me coat.
Glad to hear it's all coming together.

synsei

24-09-2011, 14:22

I've been messing around with the settings on my little Samsung ES70 compact and the results aren't too shabby at all. Not bad for a 60 quid camera :cool:

http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/900IGCCloseUp800x600.jpg

p.s. Incidentally, this shot was hand-held :stalks:

Reid Malenfant

24-09-2011, 17:48

Nice pic Dave, modern cameras are great aren't they :eyebrows:

Nice to hear things are still improving buddy, i think i recognise a certain type of granite block under your Hafler, think i have similar sat on top of the PF40 sitting on my Paradigm sub - it stops it walking off of the top when things get a bit 5368

:D

Dingdong

24-09-2011, 18:11

When are we going to see pics of that turntable in its new position Dave?

Thing Fish

24-09-2011, 19:53

Your new rack looks the mutts nuts Dave...:)

synsei

24-09-2011, 20:40

When I feel well enough to put it up Mark, I've been feeling particularly shitty today. I might tackle it tomorrow if I feel okay, if not it'll be during the week. I'm looking forward to putting it up because it would be nice to be able to walk around the room without the needle bouncing all over the place :eyebrows:

Nice to hear things are still improving buddy, i think i recognise a certain type of granite block under your Hafler, think i have similar sat on top of the PF40 sitting on my Paradigm sub - it stops it walking off of the top when things get a bit http://theartofsound.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5368

Yeah Mark, things really are coming together now. The next step will be the cap upgrades for the Hafler (ordered), Gold plated Neutrik RCA sockets to replace the rather naff existing ones, and a 1.5m length of Belden mains cable. This should raise what is already a fine sounding amp to another level entirely :cool:

synsei

24-09-2011, 20:50

Your new rack looks the mutts nuts Dave...:)

Thank you Dave :thumbsup: Hoping it will look even better once I get the Target TT shelf on the wall above it. Sound reproduction from the Thorens should improve somewhat that's for sure... :cool: ;)

At present the DR5 is sat on it's own feet in the rack and is a little too chunky to sit comfortably on one of my home made isolation platforms. I have been considering a couple of options, to place it on Sorbothane feet or, and this might be overkill, a set of Isonoe feet. I'd appreciate any thoughts on this please... ;)

Thing Fish

24-09-2011, 21:08

Thank you Dave :thumbsup: Hoping it will look even better once I get the Target TT shelf on the wall above it. Sound reproduction from the Thorens should improve somewhat that's for sure... :cool: ;)

I bought my Target wall stand off fleabay for around £40 (i think) its the older extra braced model which is supposed to be better?

The difference was well worth it. I can now dance naked directly in front of it with incredible gusto and the needle stays as steady as a rock...:)

synsei

10-10-2011, 15:35

http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/SysTTshelf.jpg

As you can see I now have a Target TT shelf on the wall. I still have to level the Thorens properly but I'm quite pleased with the result :cool:

Reid Malenfant

10-10-2011, 17:35

You'd have thought that with a more modern house than mine that they'd get the blasted wall straighter :eyebrows:

Looks very nice Dave, like the pre amp ;)

:lol:

hornucopia

11-10-2011, 08:58

The Hafler upgrade kit from Ray Kenkel in USA is good.(eBay)
I had my DH200 altered with the original POOOGE-inspired changes suggested by Ivor Humphries in the 80s (still have the letter he sent.....somewhere.)
Basically was //-ing the caps, and upping the bias levels to have more Class A output. I imagine this would also apply to the DH220, as the circuit is near the same.
Had my DH101/112 pre modded last year.

Isolating Feet? I use Corks!

synsei

11-10-2011, 12:12

Hi Chris, Rays upgrade kit is winging its way to me as I type... :cool:

synsei

13-10-2011, 15:02

My Belkin PF30 arrived today and after hooking it up I can now hear what all the fuss is about and damn they are good at what they do. Listening to Wet, Wet, Wet's, High On The Happy Side album reveals far better focus and dynamics are effortless. Bass is incredibly tight and possesses more weight. This is a well produced album with particular care having been taken recording the drums. Skins resonate so naturally now, something only hinted at when using the Tacima.

Moving on to Nik Kershaw's Radio Musicola reinforces the sense of control my system has now. There is a lot happening on this track and in the past it could sound a little cluttered, but now it sounds bloody amazing. Percussive effects whizz around the soundstage at breakneck speed and with incredible impact. The radio announcers voice at the beginning of the track begins quietly and is recessed into the background initially and then gradually appears to float outwards towards the listener. The manic percussion plays around the announcers voice as the intro progresses, it's quite something to hear.

Newton Faulkners, Hand built By Robots is a revelation. This album always did sound good on my system but now it rocks. Another superbly produced album, Faulkner and his band could almost be in my listening room. There is so much space around the performers and Faulkners guitar sounds absolutely magical. I am really enjoying myself here, does it show? :)

Thank you all for the advice and help you have given me over my time here on AoS, it has on occasion been a somewhat frustrating journey but bloody hell it has been so worth it. I never felt so connected to the music as I do now and the upcoming mods to my Hafler promise even more, thank you from the bottom of my heart... :youtheman:

Alex_UK

13-10-2011, 15:45

Always great to see other people's journeys, and how much more they enjoy the music - which after all, is what it should be about. Nice one Dave, glad you're enjoying it. :)

synsei

14-10-2011, 02:18

Listening tonight in a quiet atmosphere (we've had a road maintenance team digging a hole in the pavement opposite our house for most of today) I discovered a slight fly in the ointment. Since installing the PF30 there is now a pronounced hum coming from my speakers. The Hafler has always generated a very slight hum which is only audible if an ear is placed right next to a speaker, but the latest hum issue is far worse. What's more, unlike the Haflers latent hum, this new hum rises when I turn up the volume on the DR5 to become quite metallic and course in nature at full volume. Apart from plugging the mainsleads of my equipment into the PF30 I've not changed anything else so I'm at a loss to explain this.

I should point out that the PF30 and the Tacima power conditioner 6 way mainsblock are both running from an unfused two way block adapter which is plugged into a single wall socket (there are no double wall sockets in this room). Is it possible that the Tacima and PF30's mains conditioning circuitry are interfering with each other in this configuration? There is an earthing terminal on the rear of the PF30, could this be utilized to remove the hum? I hope someone is able to help because this is a serious downer :(

edit: Ok, I discovered what the problem was this morning. It would seem that my suspicions were correct, the PF30 and Tacima hate each other. Tacima removed from circuit + Hafler plugged directly into two way adapter = No hum! Although I can't be certain until the Hafler comes up to temperature in a couple of hours time (it's been off all night), there does seem to be a slight reduction in focus and dynamics but them's the breaks I guess... :rolleyes:

synsei

26-10-2011, 20:53

Woohoo, the Cap kits have arrived for the Hafler from Ray in the 'States at long last. I'll post once all the adaptations have been made to the Hafler. I may even take some picks to document the work if I'm feeling up to it...

Below are the two kits and a new replacement Belden 19364 mains cable from David Brook. Also waiting to be fitted but not in the photo are a new set of binding posts and a pair of gold plated Neutrik RCA sockets :cool:

http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/Sam_0760.jpg

Alex_UK

26-10-2011, 21:26

Good luck Dave. :cool:

MartinT

26-10-2011, 21:42

Good luck with the mod, Dave. Keep us posted!

Reid Malenfant

27-10-2011, 16:24

Looks like i'll be hearing from Dave shortly :eyebrows: Yes good luck with the modifications Dave :ner:

:cool:

Dingdong

30-10-2011, 22:13

:popcorn:

synsei

31-10-2011, 18:19

Right, Hafler mods are done however things are far from right. Every computer in the house can be heard over the speakers as can the Caiman and my CDP and it gets worse the higher I set the volume control (bad earth?). I also get an intermittent distortion when playing from any source which sounds like a stylus mistracking. Worst of all, the the music cuts out occasionally for about half a second then kicks back in again bringing with it a total change in character :eek:

None of the above happened before the mods were fitted so I'll give you a run down of what has been done to the Haf'

http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/Haflerrearpanel.jpghttp://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/Haflercableentry.jpghttp://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/Haflermoodyrear.jpg

The original Hafler power chord has been replaced with Belden 19364 and a more substantial cable protection device has been fitted. Neutrik RCA sockets replace the extremely naff original fitment sockets. The design of the Neutriks is different to the RCA's fitted by Hafler. These were screwed to the rear of the case and were not isolated from the casework whereas the Neutriks pass through and are secured via the hole that houses the body of the connector in the usual way. The whole shebang is isolated from the casework via the supplied plastic grommets. Whether the mounting differences of these two types of RCA sockets are playing a part here I really don't know. There are also substantial Maplin binding posts fitted which replace the cheap and nasty originals.

http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/HaflerBigCaps.jpghttp://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/HaflerRHPC19board.jpghttp://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/HaflerLHPC19board.jpg

18000mf caps from Nippon Chemicon replace 10000mf original fitments next to the transformer and the two PC19 driver boards have been upgraded with various caps from Dayton, Nichicon and Nippon Chemicon.

Reid Malenfant

31-10-2011, 18:23

If the original phono inputs were connected to the chassis then it was part of the grounding scheme, you'll need to ground the new phono sockets to the chassis as close as possible to the sockets themselves..

Sounds like you have grounding issues alright by your descrpition of what the thing is doing ;)

Jeez, looks like it could have done with a serious rewire while it was apart as well :lol:

Reid Malenfant

31-10-2011, 18:53

Yes it definately needs the screen of the input phonos to be grounded to the Chassis, check the circuit diagram ;)

5535

Could be a superb amp with a few modifications. I notice it's not even using miller capacitors to create a dominant pole. I bet the local decoupling caps could do with being a bit bigger to with those DC bus fuses adding impedance to the DC lines.

synsei

29-11-2011, 19:24

After an extensive period assessing the Cambridge Audio Dac Magic 2 I acquired recently, I re-installed the Caiman back into the system this afternoon with dramatic results. The sparkle and detail are back bigtime! As good as the DacMagic is, it is utterly trounced by Stan's baby so here it stays and it is time to wave goodbye to the DacMagic... :eyebrows:

EDIT: One other thing: I have listened to nearly three hours of music through the Caiman so far using both Foobar and Spotify with not even a hint of a dropout. Nuff said!!!

Reid Malenfant

29-11-2011, 19:33

Good to see you about Dave ;) Looks like you have a definate winner then :eyebrows:

synsei

29-11-2011, 19:41

Cheers Mark ;)

I've been without both my lappy and netbook for over a week and have been posting occasionally using my phone. It's a pain in the arse typing at length using an android phone hence why my posts have been few and far between of late. My own forum has suffered a lot as a result too so I've got lots of work to look forward to over the coming days :eyebrows:

synsei

10-01-2012, 00:24

Having dragged my Classe Audio DR5 around to Dingong's place the other day so we could hear his WAD monoblocks hanging off the back of it, I think I can speak for both of us when I say that we were absolutely blown away with the result. Not only did it confirm what a bloody good pre-amp the DR5 is, it also highlighted the weaknesses of my Hafler DH220.

I know its a terrible old cliche but it didn't matter what Mark played on his SP10, it was as if the performers were there in the room with us. Due to the quality of the amplification and the B&W DM2's it was very easy to discern the ambience of a recording. Also, from a personal perspective, it was the first time I have been aware of how much emotion is sapped from a performance by Red Book CD playback.

Reid Malenfant

10-01-2012, 00:31

Dave, you are just confirming that I know what I'm listening to :eyebrows:

The DR5 that you now own wiped the floor with a whole lot of pre amps when I auditioned it way back when... I knew it was "the one" within a few minutes of it being connected up ;)

There was no comparison in all honesty, it made things "real" :eyebrows:

I'm glad you are enjoying it & not someone I don't happen to know :D

synsei

10-01-2012, 00:36

Cheers Mark, I am still very grateful you sold it to me. I know in my heart that it would take something very special to come along for me to consider replacing it. Now, would you ever consider letting go of your Krell KSA80? :D

Reid Malenfant

10-01-2012, 00:44

I haven't got one, a good friend did have a KSA80B though :eyebrows: You wouldn't like the leccy bill with the KSA250 though :eek: He also now owns a KSA250 & it heats his flat in winter, cooks it in summer :wowzer:

synsei

10-01-2012, 00:48

Ah, I thought yours was a KSA80, me bad... :lol:

Dingdong

10-01-2012, 08:22

Also, from a personal perspective, it was the first time I have been aware of how much emotion is sapped from a performance by Red Book CD playback.

I was really quite enjoying cd's with the vrds 7. They sounded pretty good after I hooked the Kel80's up. But now, after listening to some vinyl it seems a bit flat. I was hoping to do a few mods on my cdp, but blew all my cash on the SP-10.
A mixture of mine and Dave's systems can be heard at Scalford for anyone who is interested. You'll just have to drag yourselves up to the second floor.

Dingdong

21-01-2012, 18:21

:popcorn:

synsei

21-01-2012, 20:54

Hint, hint... :lol:

Okies, I guess I'd better speak up then :ner: I have acquired a lurvely Technics SL1210 from 'im above (;)) and I think he might be waiting for me to comment on what it sounds like in my system :D

The truth is I am in way too much pain to set it up tonight so it will be done sometime tomorrow and besides, my youngest is now in bed so hifi gone bye byes :doh:

Dingdong

21-01-2012, 21:43

It did sound quite decent in my system with your Series 3 and Goldring.

I'll go and change the Scalford spreadsheet to a 1210 and an SP-10 than shall I?

synsei

21-01-2012, 21:56

Yup :)

synsei

04-02-2012, 19:25

One of the bass/mids blew in my DM2's yesterday :rolleyes:

Dingdong

04-02-2012, 20:08

I know a bloke who has a spare driver. Gonna cost ya gov ;)

synsei

04-02-2012, 20:59

I'm around the bend, can he drive me back again? :D

Dingdong

04-02-2012, 21:03

I think golf will be off tomorrow. If the roads are not so bad in the afternoon I'll pop over with it and a spare crossover just in case.
Will give you a bell.

synsei

04-02-2012, 21:56

Okey dokey, cheers :D

Dingdong

05-02-2012, 19:45

All sorted out now and making lovely music.:)
The Herbies mat does seem to work in your 1210. It sucked ass on my SP-10.

Now back to sorting my sudden static problem out.

synsei

05-02-2012, 22:09

Cheers for sorting that Mark, it does sound fab now ;)

Your static issue is a weird one, especially as it seems to have started when you installed the Jico stylus, unless it is related somehow to the new tubes in the power amps? :scratch:

Dingdong

05-02-2012, 22:59

It's summat to do with the phono stage earthing. I hooked the tt up direct to the preamp and it's okay.
The bad news is that the new, expensive, Yello lp will be going back. There's a bit of a warp and it crackles like a crackly thing at one point.
And I'm not sure about the new valves either. A couple of times when I've switched the amps on the right side seems down in gain.
All good fun this hifi malarkey int it.

synsei

06-02-2012, 02:06

It's what my old Mum would have described as character building... :D

synsei

07-02-2012, 09:19

Now listen up at the back, the SL1210 I bought from Mark (Dingdong) a couple of weeks ago has settled in and is going great guns. Any fears I had that the SME SeriesIII would render all and sundry into treacle were unfounded. It is actually a good match for the Technics and sounds fantastic partnered with the G900IGC. Detail is crisp but not fatiguing to the old lugholes, imaging is spectacular and I truly know what a transient is now. Spinning Joe Jackson's, I'm The Man, which could sound a touch uninvolving on the Thorens, delivered a performance that was full of energy and life on the Technics/SeriesIII combo, and that using a Herbies Mat! Jackson and the band could have set up their kit in my room and given me an impromptu live session and it wouldn't have sounded any better. It's difficult to put into words without using some well worn cliches so I won't bother. Let's just say it sounded well good, that should do it ;)

I'll get some piccies up when I can be arsed, at the mo I'm too busy working through my vinyl collection... :cool:

Dingdong

07-02-2012, 09:32

Excellent review Dave. Listening to the Herbies on the 1210 changed my mind about it. Was completely wrong on my tt, but seems to work a treat on yours.

synsei

07-02-2012, 09:51

Cheers Mark. Until something comes along that sounds better than the Herbies on here it's staying put, besides I rather like the look of it :lol:

farook

11-02-2012, 13:21

Totally love your mission speakers!
what a total bargain,iv tried ebay loads of times ,but always get pipped to the post!
they are the doodahs :)

synsei

11-02-2012, 16:30

Totally love your mission speakers!
what a total bargain,iv tried ebay loads of times ,but always get pipped to the post!
they are the doodahs :)

Thank you, although they are long gone. Sadly they just didn't sound right in my system, although they were the mutts nuts setup in my kitchen connected to a NAD C340 and ancient Sony CDP from an 80's micro system when I was demonstrating them to the guy who won them on eBay for 48 quid. Grrr :o

Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk

synsei

15-02-2012, 16:15

I thought it was high time I posted a pic of the new addition to my system and yup, it is a Technics SL1210 fitted with one of my SME Series III's. I thought it was about time I heard for myself what all the fuss is about. The 1210 is a very different animal to the Thorens TD160 and there are things I like and dislike about them both, but in the main I prefer the way the 1210 delivers music with drive and enthusiasm. In contrast the TD160 is more laid back and emotional, which works very well on certain types of music but in general is a bit too 'pipe and slippers' for me. A set of Vantage audio feet are on their way so it'll be interesting to hear what they do for the SL... ;)

http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/IMAG0074.jpg

jostber

15-02-2012, 18:45

Like that Techie. :) What type is that record clamp?

synsei

15-02-2012, 19:11

Thank you. It's a Michell Jostein... ;)

Dingdong

15-02-2012, 20:09

Arm all setup nicely now? Did you rtfm?:eyebrows:

synsei

15-02-2012, 20:14

No it isn't and I haven't :eyebrows:

Wakefield Turntables

15-02-2012, 20:38

Thank you. It's a Michell Jostein... ;)

+1 for the Michell clamp I have sitting on my 1210 which is used in conjunction with a SME V & Ortofon Cadenza black. The Michell works very very well.

synsei

15-02-2012, 20:59

+1 for the Michell clamp I have sitting on my 1210 which is used in conjunction with a SME V & Ortofon Cadenza black. The Michell works very very well.

Hi Andrew, how well does your SME perform on your techy? The reason I ask is because when I initially mentioned that I was going to be fitting an SMEIII to mine, a number of people commented that it wouldn't be a great match, citing that it might sound a little dull and lifeless coupled with the 1210. I've not found this to be the case however. In fact there seems to be a lot of synergy between the TT and the arm and as a whole I find the combo to be very entertaining and dynamic and not the least bit laid back. I wonder if it is because SME's have a reputation for being neutral sounding?

Wakefield Turntables

15-02-2012, 22:23

synsei

15-02-2012, 22:43

Well you can come round to my house and listen to my V and hear for yourself if you think its dull and lifeless! Seriously the SME is a very well dampened tonearm. Some forum members think it's lifeless but what they dont realise is that you can control the dampening factor to some extent by unscrewing the dampener resovoir screw. I used to use a Audio technica cartridge on mine but found the treble a little too high. The SME III is something of an unknown quantity for me as I have never heard one on a 1210. My deck has fantastic micro detail, its got bass like a jack hammer and timing like john holmes!! The main thing is to listen to your III on your 1210 and make your own mind up. Other people can give opinions but its you that has to live with it! I think if you can get a decent cartridge with your III you'll have a nice setup. That just my 2cents worth.

Andy

I'm running the Goldring 900IGC I used with the SMEIII on my Thorens and if anything it sounds even better on the 1210 than it did on the TD160. I've a long way to travel regarding upgrades and I'm about to step onto the first rung of the ladder by fitting a set of Vantage feet. I wasn't suggesting the V sounded 'dull and lifeless' Andrew, I was only wondering whether you had encountered similar comments? As I stated above, the Series III works very well with the 900 IGC on the Techie and sounds anything but 'dull and lifeless'. I have a Shure M95EDM knocking about somewhere which needs a stylus. It would be interesting to compare the M95 with perhaps an SAS tip to the 900IGC with its VDH tip...

MartinT

16-02-2012, 07:48

The SME III is a delight to setup (like any SME) and you hardly need to RTFM - unlike a Jelco, which has no FM!

synsei

19-02-2012, 22:25

I'm ashamed to admit Martin that before I obtained the SME I was too nervous to setup my own arms so I asked others to do so on my behalf. Having now read the SME manual thoroughly I am much more confident these days, it really isn't that difficult at all, one just has to be very careful (I can be a bit hamfisted). Typically the SME manual is very well compiled and extremely informative which made the job so much easier. I also learnt a lot from watching Mark (Dingdong) who set the arm up initially :cool:

MartinT

19-02-2012, 22:34

Good stuff, Dave. Setting your own arm up and tweaking it is all part of the fun and very satisfying when you get the cartridge on song.

Dingdong

19-02-2012, 22:38

Once you've practiced with the SME get yourself a Hadcock if tonearm setup is your thing. There's hours of 'fun' to be had;)

synsei

19-02-2012, 23:02

Looking forward to the 'joys' of dialing out unipivot wobble... :D

synsei

19-02-2012, 23:16

Well, I've lived with the Vantage Audio feet for a few days now and I can honestly say that I'm not hearing any improvement in SQ over the standard feet. It's no worse either but that is hardly the point. I'm pretty sure the feet aren't to blame as too many people have stated that they have improved matters and I'm now convinced the problem is down to the positioning of the TT shelf. It's fitted to a dividing rather than an outside wall at the moment which isn't ideal for resonance isolation. I'll deal with this sometime after Scalford so watch this space... ;)

Dingdong

20-02-2012, 08:59

jazzpiano

20-02-2012, 16:35

Lots of unipivot-type wobble to be had too w/ a Well-Tempered Arm, what w/ rocking on a sea of silicone, etc.

Best,
Barry

Dingdong

20-02-2012, 18:47

The Hadcock doesn't do wobble on my tt. Getting the weight right to sort out the tracking force and azimuth is a tricky wee thing. Just needs repeating quite a few times, as adjusting one bit can affect the other.
On the SME it's just a few knob twiddles.

synsei

20-02-2012, 19:50

I think the wall you have the tt shelf attached to is substantial enough. It could be that with the tt being on a shelf that there is very little isolation needed from feet.

When I had the tt on my Stands Unique rack the sound was improved by putting it on an Isoplat.

The wall definitely isn't up to the job Mark. When I had the Thorens on the shelf the bias weight on the SME would swing some if anybody walked into or across the room. It is only a single skin brick dividing wall after all. The outside wall is very solid and it is where I should have mounted the shelf in the first place. I was trying to avoid having to move too much in the room. Besises, it could all be academic anyway because we may have to move house :rolleyes:

Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk

synsei

28-04-2012, 17:45

http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/Mini-T.jpg

Here's the new addition to my system comfortably snuggled up under one of the DM2's. Yup, it's an Amptastic Mini-T and it is the dogs danglies. How such a huge sound can emanate from a box so small beats me... :cool:

synsei

07-06-2012, 02:53

I am seriously considering switching to an all digital setup. Whilst it is nice to be able to play a bit of vinyl now and then I really can't justify spending the miniscule funds available to me to do the medium justice. I can only dream of affording an RCM, shit I am even struggling to afford a Permastat Gun, so consequently there is next to no chance that the Techie is ever going to see an upgrade and you can forget new vinyl acquisitions. There are various reasons for this sorry mess which are far too personal and painful to go into here.

Another problem manifested after I installed the turntable shelf onto the wall. As some of you know I have a severe issue with my back as well as other health related problems which together impact on my mobility in a huge way. I attempted to install the turntable shelf myself and cocked it up royally. Despite marking the wall out carefully before hand I rushed the job due to the pain I was in so now the shelf is on the squonk. I really couldn't face taking it off and reinstalling it so the deck has been levelled using the VA feet fitted to the 1210 and the adjustable spikes under the shelf platform. There isn't quite enough adjustment therefore the deck isn't quite level. It's all a bit of a mess :lol:

I do the vast majority of my listening via Spotify and frankly I like what I'm hearing. I don't feel that I'm losing out simply because it is a digital medium, in fact it is a net gain due to its convenience. I know there is a lot to be said for owning something tangible rather than a file, and of course Marco would disagree vehemently with me on what I am planning to do, but my circumstances are such that not only is my lack of financial buoyancy a serious limitation but so is storage space for CD's and Vinyl and to some extent, the hifi gear. My partner Jo is an avid cross-stitcher and she's very good at it. She also makes a few bob on ebay selling off odd bits 'n' bobs she doesn't need so consequently our bedroom, which is also the listening room as well as her hobby room, houses all her kit as well as mine. Before anyone suggests otherwise there is nowhere else in the house suitable to store all this stuff or relocate the system to. Again there are personal and very practical reasons for this therefore it is crucial that I attempt to rationalize my system.

Just how far I'm willing to go isn't really clear to me as yet but there are components which will stay with me regardless. For example there is no way on this sweet Earth I am ever going to let the Classe DR5 go, so it stays for sure. The Hafler on the other hand is a definite candidate to be shipped out as it is totally outclassed, if not out-gunned, by the little Amptastic T-Amp despite the upgrade it suffered a few months ago. It could probably be tweaked into a darn good amp if I was solvent enough to go down this route but I'm not so needs must. The 1210, SME III and goldring G900IGC could also go along with my vinyl collection and together this little lot would liberate enough cash to buy a Beresford Bushmaster DAC (which would also liberate the Caiman) and a couple of class D mono-blocks perhaps, along with some better speaker cables (TQ Blue's would be nice) and IC's.

As you can see I've been doing some hard thinking and there are some excellent possibilities available to me. I'd welcome your input on this guys because when I do eventually decide which way to jump I'd like to end up with a shit hot digital system which won't ever make me regret selling my deck and vinyl :eyebrows:

Cheers guys...

Dave... :cool:

MartinT

07-06-2012, 06:34

Each to their own, Dave, but I could not abandon my vinyl now, despite (or perhaps in spite of) having left it out of my system for a few years.

If you're going fully digital remember that the analogue bits (preamp, power amp) remain vitally important. Don't get bogged down in this DAC or that media streamer and forget the bits that bring it to life. I personally like the Mini-T amps but for my computer with near-field speakers. I could not use one in a full-blown system as their power limitations become all too obvious, running out of steam and into distortion rather too readily for my liking.

DSJR

07-06-2012, 22:57

Summat I learned or re-learned only very recently is how a system works at VERY low levels is as telling as how it works at thrash volumes.. My upstairs valvey Denton W20 system sounds superb at very quiet volumes and even with my ears now, I don't find I'm straining to hear what's going on :)

Rare Bird

07-06-2012, 23:13

Just out of intrest Dave how much would you be looking at for the 'G900IGC'?

synsei

08-06-2012, 00:22

Just out of intrest Dave how much would you be looking at for the 'G900IGC'?

The Mrs and I are currently mulling this over André and Jo brought up an excellent point this evening. I inherited quite a few records from my Mum after she passed away and without a turntable we'd have nothing to play them on to remember her by, so now I am feeling a bit shitty for not thinking about this myself :eyebrows:

Summat I learned or re-learned only very recently is how a system works at VERY low levels is as telling as how it works at thrash volumes.. My upstairs valvey Denton W20 system sounds superb at very quiet volumes and even with my ears now, I don't find I'm straining to hear what's going on

I can relate to this Dave. When I had the Hafler in the system, as a whole it sounded great at modest to high volume levels but absolutely pants at low levels. Bass was light and muddled, mids were distant and veiled with only the top end sounding clear (there was also an audible hum from the speakers). The T-Amp sounds amazing at low levels and almost as good when I turn the wick up. The DM2's are very efficient and they produce pretty decent SPL's for the meagre power being fed to them by the T-Amp. I'd like to see what it could do with a decent power supply but that experiment will have to wait until funds allow.

synsei

02-08-2012, 18:03

Thanks to a very generous AoS member (Dingdong) I am now the proud owner of a Paul Hynes SR3 power supply for my Techie which is currently enjoying a holiday at Mark's place so he can install it for me, talk about above and beyond the call of duty!!! Thank you muchly Mark... :respect:

Marco

02-08-2012, 18:08

Nice one, Dave, and respect to Mark. You should like that! :cool:

Marco.

synsei

02-08-2012, 18:48

Indeed Marco huge respect to Mark, he's a very good friend. Although it's a seed of an idea at the moment if all goes to plan, Jo and I may be setting up our own business just after Christmas (there's much advice to seek and many meetings to attend before that can happen however) and if we are successful I may be in a position to return the favour at some point :D

Concerning my system, the next step for me will be to audition a pair of Temple Audio monoblocks. If they perform the way I expect them to within my system I shall attempt to source a used pair as soon as funds allow, after which I will be swapping the Caiman for a Bushmaster and that'll be me pretty much sorted equipment-wise for a good while. There will be some improvements to cabling somewhere along the way and a complete refurbishment of the DM2's both inside and out. I'm planning to rewire the DM2's which will involve hard-wiring the new internal cabling to the drive units and refurbished crossovers thus removing the original and potentially unreliable plug and socket arrangement which exists currently. I also want to find someone who can make me a pair of Birch Ply baffles to replace the chipboard originals which should improve the structural integrity of the cabinets and hopefully improve an already excellent sounding pair of speakers. As I intend to ask Colin of Edendale fame to re-clad the DM2's in oak veneer I may approach him about the baffles while I'm at it. Things are looking up... :cool:

Dingdong

02-08-2012, 21:30

Thanks really should go to Paul Hynes. Top bloke.

I had a listen to the tt earlier with some familiar stuff (Forcione Live) and it sounded pretty good.
I've now started to take the tranny and some other bits out. Should finish it over the weekend. Depending on whether I get sidetracked with my SP-10 slate plinth or not.:eyebrows:

Ali Tait

02-08-2012, 22:18

Ali Tait

02-08-2012, 22:19

Marco

02-08-2012, 22:22

I need to bring my Techy again to Owston - it's been a LONG time...! ;)

Marco.

Dingdong

02-08-2012, 22:30

The SP 10 in slate is the best TT I've heard to date.

Off to pick the plinth up on Saturday. Armboard will need sorting for my Hadcock. It's currently cut for a 12" SME. Looking forward to getting it up and running.

Lots of soldering to do over the weeknd. got a selection of trendy caps to fit to my amps as well as buggering up Dave's Teccy.:eyebrows:

Ali Tait

02-08-2012, 22:30

Aye, be good to hear where it's at now mate.

Ali Tait

02-08-2012, 22:31

Off to pick the plinth up on Saturday. Armboard will need sorting for my Hadcock. It's currently cut for a 12" SME. Looking forward to getting it up and running.

Lots of soldering to do over the weeknd. got a selection of trendy caps to fit to my amps as well as buggering up Dave's Teccy.:eyebrows:

Cool, enjoy. If it sounds anything like Nick's does, you'll love it.

Dingdong

03-08-2012, 20:10

Dave's 1210 is spinning vinyl.:champagne:

I managed not to let any of the magic white smoke out during the mod. It's pretty simple to implement if you have the right tools and are confident (and safe) with lectrickery. I wired the on/off switch in as well as Dave wanted to be able to use it.

More thoughts on what I think of the sound later when the system is warmed up a bit. Initial thoughts are quite positive.

synsei

03-08-2012, 20:58

:yay::thumbsup: Thanks bud... :D

Dingdong

07-08-2012, 19:14

After a bit of a listen to the upgraded 1210 I'd happily recommend a Paul Hynes power supply.
The sound just feels as there is a bit more substance to it.

I quite like Dave's deck. The arm and cartridge work well together. The Herbies works well with the stock platter. The power supply has given it a bit more oomph. All good.

Will be interesting to hear what he thinks when I take it back.

synsei

07-08-2012, 19:18

Both ears are prepped and waiting in eager anticipation... :D

Are you gonna post up some piccies of the job? ;)

Dingdong

07-08-2012, 19:31

Here you go.

The connection block connects to power switch in to the circuit. I was thinking of soldering the wires and using heatshrik, but settled for twisting the bare wires together and clamping them in the block.

The neg supply lead has a crimp connector and after giving the contacts a good clean screwed on the the board. The positive wire is soldered onto a link on the other side of the motor.

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/ac169/marktb/Hifi/IMG_0206.jpg

I'll put the old bits in a bag and you can have them back.

synsei

07-08-2012, 19:43

Cheers dude. I might need the old bits in the unlikely event I sell it on sometime in the future. As we discussed during your last visit the only way I'd move it on is if someone wanted to swap it for a Gyro SE ;)

Dingdong

07-08-2012, 20:03

I know what you mean about the Gyro. I quite like the way they look.
Can't see me swapping my tt for anything though. I quite like it. 'Specially now it looks a bit prettier.
Maybe have to get a duscover for it at some point.

synsei

07-08-2012, 20:13

To be honest I wouldn't swap on a whim anyway, I'd want to hear one in my system first ;)

Dingdong

11-08-2012, 18:51

Finally took Dave's turntable back. The verdict is a big thumbs up for the Paul Hynes supply.

synsei

11-08-2012, 21:12

I'll post some piccies up tomorrow. It really is very good, cheers Mark :)

synsei

13-08-2012, 00:13

No pics as yet as I spent a good portion of Sunday trying to get the Techie to sit level. This proved impossible and at about 4:30pm I discovered why, the bearing is totally shot. As I Grasped the top of the spindle between my forefinger and thumb and moved it from side to side I could feel significant play, not good. It will need to be replaced however it is going to have to wait until funds allow. New original bearings go for between thirty and forty quid on ebay but to buy one would be a waste of money as I have my sights set on a VA bearing so I'll soldier on with the one I have for the moment unless someone has one knocking around that they don't need.

sq225917

13-08-2012, 07:23

Couldn't Vanrage just mod your replacement bearing for you rather than yet another new one?

Dingdong

13-08-2012, 08:51

synsei

13-08-2012, 10:16

I thought I left it pretty level.

If you lift the platter off make sure I tightened the screws holding the bearing and motor in place. I'm pretty sure I did, but you never know. With the platter off there should be very little play in the bearing. I didn't notice any.
Then just re-seat the platter and see if it wiggles.

You did leave it level Mark, however the problem is definitely the bearing. There are visible grooves worn into the base and top of the shaft. I tried fitting the other shaft you gave me which is in excellent condition but it is not a 1210 shaft, it's a different design and narrower by about an eighth of a millimetre. Just removing and replacing the lid is enough to knock it out of true incidentally. If I place gentle pressure on alternate sides of the platter not only can I feel movement but it is visible too. It would explain why the platter doesn't appear to run true sometimes. I intended to replace the bearing anyway but I was hoping I wouldn't have to do it so soon. I guess the TT has had some heavy DJ use at some point in its life. I got very frustrated with it on Sunday to the point where I nearly hefted it out the window :lol:

If I can find a used bearing in a reasonable condition at the right price then I'll use that until I have saved enough for a VA bearing.

Couldn't Vanrage just mod your replacement bearing for you rather than yet another new one?

I believe Vantage work on an exchange basis Simon, they take the customers bearing and replace it with a part that has already been modded. As always the problem is one of money, I just don't have the available funds to stretch to a VA bearing until October/November time.

Dingdong

13-08-2012, 13:22

If there are worn grooves top and bottom of the shaft it's probably because it has been used whilst not levelled.
Pressing on the platter, even lightly, will cause it to move. It's a feature of the 1210.

synsei

13-08-2012, 19:48

Another bearing on its way for £8.98 which includes postage. Bargain!!! :D

Dingdong

13-08-2012, 20:37

Another bearing on its way for £8.98 which includes postage. Bargain!!! :D

It is a relatively easy swap.

Take the platter off.

remove the screws for the plastic cover.

Remove the screws holding the pcb down and the 3 screws holding the motor and bearing down.

Then the bearing lifts out.

Put a bit of oil on the new one and put it back together.

synsei

17-08-2012, 06:10

Cheers for the info Mark. The bearing hasn't arrived yet, I'm hoping it will come in the morning post as it has been marked as dispatched for a couple of days.

Apart from a few little tweaks which are needed here and there I am really quite happy with my system as it stands. Once cash is flowing again (shouldn't be long now) I'm going to be looking into getting a Bushmaster DAC from Stan, a linear PS for the Mini-T and a VA bearing for the Techie over the next six months or so. Originally I was considering buying a VA platter too but I have a cunning plan. A little birdy has informed me of an outfit that may be able to make me a bespoke, acrylic platter for my Techie at a fraction of the cost of the one from Funk Firm. I know there are going to be those who will advise against this but I am willing to take the risk as this firm has an excellent reputation for precision machining acrylic items and besides, there's no way I'm going to be able to afford Funk's prices so I'm thinking outside the box. I am going to contact the company via email tomorrow so I'll keep you all posted ;)

synsei

31-08-2012, 16:57

I fit the new bearing into the Techie today. Nice easy job although I had a little scare putting it back together as I managed to trap a blue wire between the board and standoff to the front left corner of the board where the black wire is secured. I spotted it before any damage was done though.

As expected the platter now runs perfectly true and the deck sounds better than ever. I would have liked to have fed the bearing a little oil but I need advice as to the best oil to use for the Techie and also where to apply it, and then I need to get some of course. I've seen many images of the standard bearing and always assumed the images were of an engineering prototype with a cutaway through a lubrication chamber at the base, so imagine my surprise when the replacement bearing arrived and I discovered the cutaway is actually part of the design. It seems a crazy idea to me.

Dingdong

01-09-2012, 08:31

The bearing does an okay job I suppose. Doesn't look like something I'd want to put a lot of weight on.
As for oil. I'd like to have tried something a bit viscous in the brass sleeve bit of the bearing. The idea being that a small amount of drag may sound different from some super slippery thin oil. Better or worse I'm not sure.
As the bottom of the spindle sits on a slippy pad something light would probably work.

Would be interested in hearing what improvements summat like a Vantage bearing would make.

Did I ever mention valves to you? I have this theory that DM2's like valves.

p.s. Will try and get the rcm out later.

synsei

05-09-2012, 21:50

Financial issues aside, the astounding realisation that my 'T' is so very close in performance to your stunning valve combo, at least in this environment, has persuaded me that I don't need to upgrade just yet. What I may do is pick up another 'T' at some point because others have reported that imaging accuracy and soundstaging are much improved by running them as monos using a single channel from each amp to drive the speakers.

As I have mentioned elsewhere, I finally bit the bullet and evicted the Gator from the Caiman a couple days ago to replace it with a standard board (albeit with upgraded caps) sourced from Bernie (Canetoad). Not only has this neatly solved the distortion issues I've reported previously, but it has also led to a hike in performance which was unexpected. I guess this is due to the cap upgrades. The most startling aspect is that bass is now very solid with a little more extension. There's less hash at the top end too and it all sounds beautifully natural.

Now the new Techie bearing has had a chance to bed in, the full effect of fitting a Paul Hynes SR3 power supply to the Techie can really be appreciated. The improvements are immense and overall the sound is much cleaner. I have not really appreciated the term 'focus' in relation to audio until now and the clarity that has been revealed as a result is simply jaw dropping. There is so much grip and control in the lower registers for example that bass transients deliver the sort of slam that can be felt as well as heard. The midrange has improved too. The breathy intonation and inflection that is apparent on some vocals can really grab the attention. The top end benefits as well with more natural sounding cymbals being a particular highlight. There has also been a marked improvement in the positional accuracy of instruments and voices within the soundstage, which in itself has grown in every dimension.

As you can probably tell, I am very happy with the results of these two upgrades and it has given me a taste for more... :D

Canetoad

06-09-2012, 06:29

As I have mentioned elsewhere, I finally bit the bullet and evicted the Gator from the Caiman a couple days ago to replace it with a standard board (albeit with upgraded caps) sourced from Bernie (Canetoad). Not only has this neatly solved the distortion issues I've reported previously, but it has also led to a hike in performance which was unexpected. I guess this is due to the cap upgrades. The most startling aspect is that bass is now very solid with a little more extension. There's less hash at the top end too and it all sounds beautifully natural.

Glad I could help Dave. :)

synsei

06-09-2012, 06:40

Cheers Bernie, and you're still a gent... :D

Canetoad

06-09-2012, 08:05

Ooh! I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy! :o

synsei

13-09-2012, 16:42

Today I listened to music. So, you may ask, that's what we do, isn't it? Yeah, but for some reason, today my system disappeared from the room completely to be replaced by Nils Lofgren and his band performing Acoustic Live.

I've been performing one or two tweaks over the last week. My speaker stands have acquired some lead in their legs (lead shot to be precise), I have tidied the cable runs, repositioned the DM2's slightly and concentrated on getting them properly level using, yes you've guessed it, a spirit level and the results are simply astonishing. Realism! Yup, that's the word right there, and bearing in mind I am streaming the album from Spotify and I don't even have a premium account with them. I'm going to make it my goal to pick up this album on vinyl or CD very soon, because if it sounds this good at 120kb's it is going to sound bloody amazing on vinyl or CD. Hopefully tomorrow I will be taking delivery of a superb oak bodied, double socketed extension lead (all contacts silver plated throughout) from Dave Brooks, which will replace the flimsy, plastic bodied double adapter I am using just now. This is a neat solution which will solve the unswitched, single socket dilemma I have been suffering from for a while now. I wonder who's booked to perform for me tomorrow?

Dave... ;)

MartinT

13-09-2012, 16:46

today my system disappeared from the room completely

It's great when it does that. Takes getting everything right, but most satisfying :)

synsei

13-09-2012, 16:49

Oh Martin, it's magical. It has truly blown me away, and what a lovely album too... ;)

MartinT

13-09-2012, 17:49

and what a lovely album too... ;)

Thanks for that Dave, I've had a look around and copies on CD are pricy with nothing apparent on vinyl. I shall have a dig around.

MartinT

13-09-2012, 18:15

Found a used copy at a reasonable price. It's on its way!

synsei

13-09-2012, 18:16

Awesome... :D

MartinT

13-09-2012, 18:22

By the way, your current avatar is the creepiest you've yet displayed :eek:
Makes me think of Stargate.

Marco

13-09-2012, 18:41

today my system disappeared from the room completely

Burglars?

Marco.

synsei

13-09-2012, 18:50

Thankfully not :D I've lost one system to burglars already and that was painful enough. It taught me a salutary lesson, never assume you can do without contents insurance :doh:

Dingdong

13-09-2012, 19:01

A pie and some chips seem to have disappeared from my room.

synsei

13-09-2012, 19:04

How did they sound?

Marco

13-09-2012, 19:08

Mushy.

Marco.

Dingdong

13-09-2012, 19:08

I did hear an 'omnomnomnom' sound, and then it sort of disappeared. 'Tis magic.

Dingdong

13-09-2012, 21:23

This new double socket gubbins you've got. It'd be great for powering some nice monos that could drive you DM2's properly. ;)

synsei

14-09-2012, 10:02

Owning a pair of mono's would be nice Mark but honestly, I really don't think I need them as I am sure you will discover when you pop over with those records. Others have pointed out the shortcomings of the Mini-T in their systems, however there is a special synergy going on between these components that produces something quite wonderful and I am loathe to mess with it in case I ruin it. For the first time since I got the hifi bug I am totally happy with what I am hearing. That's not to say there's isn't room for improvement of course but that will cost money, a commodity which is in short supply just now and will be for the foreseeable future... :cool:

synsei

18-09-2012, 17:21

The Oak mains block arrived today from Dave at MCRU. I'm liking what I am hearing so far, more depth and resolution, meatier bass and a sweeter midrange. I'll post up some pics and a better write up once I have had more time to assess what's going on. Meanwhile, back to the music... :cool:

synsei

19-09-2012, 20:05

A piccy for your entertainment. Oh look, it's a mains block made out of wood. T'is good though ;)

http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/IMAG0100_zpse87a6302.jpg

Reid Malenfant

23-09-2012, 20:18

Marco

23-09-2012, 20:55

Yo, evenink! Where'vya been, dude? :)

Marco.

synsei

23-09-2012, 20:59

That looks rather nice :)

Wood, a natural insulator (once properly dried of course).. Pity it doesn't shield against EMI, RFI etc, though I guess it could be lined with copper foil :D

Just think, if it was sandalwood you could be sniffing your mains block & enjoying the smell to :lol:

Just messing Dave :cool:

I'm sure Dave has implemented shielding of some sort in the design Mark as I am not noticing any deterioration at all in the sound, in fact quite the opposite ;)

Hi Marco, pull up a chair dude and I'll pour you a glass of wine, any preference? :)

brian2957

23-09-2012, 21:03

Yo, evenink! Where'vya been, dude? :)

Marco.

Sniffin his mains gear gear mate :lol:

Marco

23-09-2012, 21:03

Hi Marco, pull up a chair dude and I'll pour you a glass of wine, any preference?

Blue Nun, served by a real nun.

Marco.

Reid Malenfant

23-09-2012, 21:08

Yo, evenink! Where'vya been, dude? :)

Marco.
Sorry for the thread crap Dave ;)

Making hay while the sun shines Marco :eyebrows:

When my back goes really bad I get nothing done, when it gets to the point I can do things again, I'm kind of forced to do them while I can :rolleyes:

Not a great deal of fun, but it's life Jim :lol:

So I have been getting house maintanance done, preparing for the winter & all that... As an example, I have been up on the garage roof sealing up the dodgy bits that leak.

As another example, I have been downloading shed loads of FLAC music files :lol: BT kindly sent me an email telling me I had downloaded over 32GB of them, with a 40GB per month limit that's problematic given it was inside of fifteen days & I deliberately held myself back ;)

However, tomorrow I will have no download limits at all, as I have upgraded once again :D

So maintanance & a shed load of shopping, with some fun mixed in there somewhere & a good bit of quality new music :cool:

Reid Malenfant

23-09-2012, 21:09

Sniffin his mains gear gear mate :lol:
:rfl:

PMSL, I see someone saw my sandalwood comment :eyebrows:

Marco

23-09-2012, 21:20

Wow - you've been a busy boy, Mark. Anyways, good to see you back! :cool:

Sniffin his mains gear gear mate :lol:

I'm getting jock strap with a hint of grapefruit.

Marco.

Reid Malenfant

23-09-2012, 21:25

Wow - you've been a busy boy, Mark. Anyways, good to see you back! :cool:
Actually, a lot busier than just roof repairs & shopping would suggest :lol:

I type with one hand, you have to expect short explanations :D

But yes, good to be back on the forum once again...

Bring it on :)

brian2957

23-09-2012, 21:29

:rfl:

PMSL, I see someone saw my sandalwood comment :eyebrows:

Good to see you back Mark , hope you are well mate. I'm gonna see if I can get a fish n chips smelling one as its my fav. smell.:lol:

Reid Malenfant

23-09-2012, 21:33

Good to see you back Mark , hope you are well mate. I'm gonna see if I can get a fish n chips smelling one as its my fav. smell.:lol:
Only if it's cooked in real fat & encased in newspaper when you exit the establishment :eyebrows:

Damn, how I miss real fission chips :rfl:

Better leave it there, Daves avatar is giving me a particularly hard stare :stalks:

brian2957

23-09-2012, 21:38

Aye , workin tomorrow so off to ma cot .

synsei

23-09-2012, 23:42

Soz guys I missed all the fun. Been neglecting my little netbook for months and thought it was high time I booted her up and gave her a good seeing to (ahem) :D Lots of updates to download and security software to update, ya know the sort of thing. Got kinda carried away and forgot I was still logged in TBH. Anyway, no thread crapping to see as far as I'm concerned Mark, it's alway good to have guests on me thread... :)

synsei

24-09-2012, 17:59

Okay, here are my thoughts now that I have had a week to listen to the system with lead ballast in the speaker stands...

There are changes throughout the frequency range with the initial improvement being to the mids and highs. Definition is much improved and I find it a lot easier now to pick out and follow instruments which are way back in the mix. Another benefit is the improved space between the instruments and performers in the soundstage whereas before, although I could tell where everything was, vocals and instruments almost blended into one another.

I have left the bass until last because I am a little confused as to what is gong on here. Bass is now incredibly clean, tight and musical, but I seem to have lost some of the very low end stuff. I'm wondering whether perhaps the lack of ballast in the stands helped excite the room somewhat. It's not as if bass extension has disappeared altogether, when there is low end information in a recording it is portrayed well, it's just that on certain recordings the bass bloom has gone so the overall sound is leaner.

On balance then I feel it was the right decision to ballast out the stands but it is going to take a little while for me to adjust to the new sound, however I am more than happy with the results... :cool:

realysm42

24-09-2012, 21:08

Interesting findings there Dave.

I wonder if the 'reduced' bass is in fact the same stuff just more controlled? I could be totally off the mark here but sometimes a more controlled sound can be mistaken for 'losing' something from the mix.

It's really easy to over do it with the Lead shot as I found out.

I'm glad overall it's helped improve the sound in geneal. Out of interest how much did you fill yours in the end?

*edit* I reckon you might be happy with the granite slabs thrown in ;)

synsei

24-09-2012, 21:16

After much experimentation I found the best results were obtained when I used the lot Martin. I think you are absolutely correct about the bass by the way, I'm sitting here listening to a live set by Dave Gilmour and the bass is still there, it's just far better controlled. What surprised me is just how much better defined the mids and highs are, plus the vast improvement in imaging and the spaciousness around performers and musicians within the soundstage. I'm looking forward to getting the slabs under the stands because I reckon there is more to come yet... :D

realysm42

24-09-2012, 21:38

Yeah, it's a source of great enjoyment showing my system to my brother who always used to ask "but how can it get better?". He's stopped asking that now lol. Sounds like we've been on a similar journey with these upgrades atleast.

I'm glad it's worked out for you mate :cool:

Dingdong

24-09-2012, 21:48

The answer to 'how can it get better?' is valves. Lovely glowy tuby things. Dave knows he wants some. Don't you Dave? :lol:

Lots of loverly valvey watts stuffed up them DM2's. Mmmm.....Nice.

synsei

24-09-2012, 22:03

No, no, no... I don't want valves. I must resist... Oh, wait a minute? Nope, I'm sure I can't buy a pair of luverly valve monos for 50p.... :ner:

Dingdong

24-09-2012, 22:12

No, no, no... I don't want valves. I must resist... Oh, wait a minute? Nope, I'm sure I can't buy a pair of luverly valve monos for 50p.... :ner:

If you sold all your kit you could afford a pair. :lol:

synsei

24-09-2012, 22:25

Cheeky... :D

When are you coming over anyway Mark, you will be quite stunned at how much of an effect all the recent tweaks have had on the old gramophone... ;)

Dingdong

25-09-2012, 06:11

Not sure yet. It probably won't be til next week.

synsei

21-10-2012, 17:50

Following on from the rollercoaster ride on this thread 'ere (http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?p=374823#post374823) I thought it best to put a few of my thoughts on this thread for posterity.

So, the controversy began after receiving a set of those much sought after Tellurium Q Blue speaker cables from David Brooks at MCRU. After reading some of the amazing write ups these cables have had from many members here on AoS I was somewhat keen to get them straight into the system.

After listening to a few of my fave tracks via the Belkins I set about installing the TQ Blues, and now for the moment of truth. On went I Believe from the Nils Lofgren Acoustic Live set and I sat back to listen to perfection. "No wait, what's this? Hmmm, something isn't right here", I thought. Previously this track had possessed the most amazing live ambience I've heard from a recording, and now it was as if the audience had died. As the vocal began Nils sounded as if he was singing into a pillow and his guitar strings appeared to be wrapped in felt. Felt seemed to be laying over the skins of the drumkit too. Like many SWMBO's I'm guessing, Jo is usually happy with new kit as long as I am. That's not to say she doesn't appreciate an improvement in SQ, it's just that she's not quite so anal about it, however she noticed the problem immediately. "That sounds awful", said she. I had to agree with her, it did.

Muttering something about needing to give the Blues time to burn in, I moved on to the beautiful album Blue Mind from Anne Bisson, I cued up Soothing Soul, a gorgeous track which contains some wonderfully delicate drum techniques, along with some soothing vocals from Anne herself. Jo was in a particularly droll mood on Saturday and about thirty seconds into the track she made her feelings patently clear, "Who's locked her in the cupboard?", said she totally straight laced. With two such criticisms in as many minutes from Jo I knew the waters were beginning to get choppy. Getting desperate now, I searched through my music list for Depeche Mode's Behind The Wheel, a cheeky little number about naughty sexual antics :D Although this tracks subject matter is a little kinky it is a great track with some wonderfully sequenced rhythmic sounds and beats. Whilst not being the best engineered track I've ever heard, it is lively and is usually guaranteed to get my feet tapping. Imagine my surprise however when it dropped dead right at those same feet. "I don't like those cables", says Jo as she looks up from making her latest batch of decoupage Christmas Cards.

This went on for the rest of the morning and on into the afternoon. By two o'clock neither of us could stand listening for another minute, so off went the system. Now, in all the time we've been together (just over three years now), and through various system incarnations, we have never turned the music off because it was painful to listen to. We spoke about this at some length and eventually we came to the conclusion that neither of us could tolerate the TQ Blues for a further week, agreeing that it was highly unlikely they would ever achieve the Belkins level of performance in that time.

So, my thoughts on why the TQ Blues failed to deliver what they promised are as follows. I think the TQ Blues are strongly voiced to tame the forward sounding nature of modern equipment, and specifically modern speakers. I have a feeling they would perform admirably in a Naim system actually. My system is supremely well balanced. I have strived very hard to put together a system that is neutral sounding and which doesn't emphasise frequencies at the expense of others. I believe in this case the Blues shut down the top end and upper mids to such an extent that the system struggled to resolve detail in those frequency bands. That does not explain why there was poor bass extension or why it sounded woolly when compared to the delivery from the Belkins however.

In conclusion, the TQ Blues will be shipped back to MCRU on Monday and the Belkins live to fight another day... :cool:

Mika K

22-10-2012, 10:34

Yep, it's all about the synergy. If there would really exist one cable or amp or any other component that really would rule them all this wouldn't be so interesting would it.. ;)

synsei

23-10-2012, 02:21

Yep, it's all about the synergy. If there would really exist one cable or amp or any other component that really would rule them all this wouldn't be so interesting would it.. ;)

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ2WbaxXEeSOopQelNabPs2Z081o9hDp A59j9TmoAXl1mVixvOO https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR-TXrC86nmPQfcMpmSza0YQvXaRBZxRI5tPQfQv22kPHryKEsC https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQwa49fKUgOnMCuzwRNQnk41Yz42KEMl 5WMPf_FGKVcrFWLJM5v

http://images.zaazu.com/img/Happy-Grin-Happy-Grin-smile-teeth-smiley-emoticon-000986-facebook.gif

synsei

23-10-2012, 03:46

Up until recently I'd been employing a spare Belkin PureAV Silver IC as a coaxial digital cable between my music server and the Caiman and it performed the task admirably. The main reason for using it was due to it being 2m long which meant I could position the PC at a reasonable distance from the system thus reducing stray RFI interference, at least that was the theory. Over the weekend I decided to move the PC a bit closer to the system so that I could replace the Belkin lead with a Profigold PGD4015 Oxypure digital coaxial lead which I bought a couple of years ago. It has been bumming around unloved since I began using an optical cable between the CDP and Caiman a couple of months ago.

http://www.tvcables.co.uk/images/items/profigold-pgd4015.jpg

This turned out to be a very good move indeed. I am still reeling from the dramatic improvement swapping to the Profigold cable has made. Resolution is incredibly good, especially when playing HD audio files. However, an unexpected surprise for me is that the SQ of streamed music from Spotify has improved too, by a lot. Now, I have no idea why that should be and frankly I really don't care, I am just enjoying the results... :D

Mika K

23-10-2012, 07:47

^^ Hehee! As a non native english speaker had to give that one a long thought before understood the idiom :D

synsei

23-10-2012, 08:01

Of course, I'm sorry Mika. I hope I didn't make you work for it too hard ;)

synsei

04-02-2013, 02:13

There are going to be some interesting changes to my system in the next couple of months. Firstly, I have bought a Vantage Audio bearing for my Techie from Stephen (worrasf) after his became surplus to requirements when he treated himself to a Mike New bearing. Although I can't expect the sort of performance Stephen is now enjoying I am looking forward to what the VA bearing will bring to the party :)

I am also buying Hugo's (Shuggie) LAD GAJ828 Direct Drive TT. Initially my intention was to remove the SMEIII which currently resides on the SL1210 and replace it with the Jelco (LAD) item which would improve the choice of cartridges I can use as I am currently limited to high compliance items due to the SME. However, several people have suggested that I should take a listen to the LAD/Jelco combination before I butcher it for the arm as it may surprise me. Seeing as it will be nay bother to wap a cartridge onto the LAD/Jelco combo in the meantime, and that I also have a NOS Goldring G820 sitting about doing nowt, it would be churlish not to. I should have the LAD in my possession shortly after the Scalford show as Mark (Dingdong) has very kindly offered to meet Hugo there and bring it back for me.

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/hugocass/IMGP1127_zpseee7ae2e.jpg

I spent a goodly part of Sunday dismantling my system so that I could give all the signal and mains contacts a good scrub and a liberal treatment with De-Oxit. After a discussion with the missus beforehand it turned out that I have not done this for nearly a year therefore I decided to do it thoroughly, including all the fuses and their holders in the mains plugs. Bearing in mind the last time I did a deep clean I did not own either the Techie nor the Mini-T I was quite keen to hear the results.

BLOODY HELLS TEETH!!! :D Let's just say the whole shebang sounds quite a bit more than decent now... :eyebrows:

MartinT

04-02-2013, 07:18

Never heard of that deck, Dave. What's its provenance?

Rare Bird

04-02-2013, 07:23

Martin they are Pro DJ DD's - LAD (London Acoustical Developments)

MartinT

04-02-2013, 07:26

Interesting - I like their nice compact nature. Any idea what motor they use?

synsei

04-02-2013, 09:01

I believe it is a JVC motor Martin.

MartinT

04-02-2013, 18:25

Thanks. Nice.

Dingdong

04-02-2013, 19:29

Jeez, didn't realise the LAD was that fugly. Not sure if I want to be seen with that. Can't he post it?:eyebrows:

MartinT

04-02-2013, 21:51

It's only the colour scheme. Underneath, it's a rather tidy and compact chassis.

synsei

04-02-2013, 21:53

I rather like the colour, so there... :ner: ;)

Beresford Bushmaster on its way for evaluation purposes with an option to purchase :)

Rare Bird

04-02-2013, 21:53

I recon the '828' colour scheme will suit you down to the ground :D

MartinT

04-02-2013, 22:35

Beresford Bushmaster on its way for evaluation purposes

It'll be interesting to hear your views on it, Dave.

Dingdong

04-02-2013, 23:36

I rather like the colour, so there... :ner: ;)

Beresford Bushmaster on its way for evaluation purposes with an option to purchase :)

'Salright if you like listening in the dark.

synsei

05-02-2013, 19:33

I have this little beauty sitting in my system just now courtesy of Mark (Dingdong) and it is sounding mighty fine playing Janis Ian :)

http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/a1e172ff-deee-469b-b47a-ffbf0ea129c6.jpg

Dingdong

05-02-2013, 19:48

Has it not blown up or electrocuted anyone yet?

synsei

05-02-2013, 19:55

Dingdong

05-02-2013, 20:26

Nope, but it has a new name. Brandon has christened it The Thunderbirds Amp :lol: The kids love it :D

Another piccy:

http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/56643658-3607-4e7a-ba3f-d555e1e17a5c.jpg

'Tis a bit more bling than the T-amp.

For those interested it runs two pairs of Svet 6L6GC's in p-p ul. Little valves are NOS Mullard ECC83's.
UK trannies, so the heaters and HV are as they should be. Delivering around 15W.
Doesn't sound half bad, now I've replaced the tubes and a component or two. Still got a couple of 'lytics to replace to improve reliability in the future.

Marco

05-02-2013, 21:02

Nice one, Dave. Welcome to da world of toobs! :eyebrows:

Marco.

synsei

05-02-2013, 21:05

Nice one, Dave. Welcome to da world of toobs! :eyebrows:

Marco.

Thank you Marco, now I know what I have been missing, the Valhalla sounds absolutely glorious and it is so damned pretty too. I have it on spec just now but I am pretty sure we will be exchanging it for sponduliks soon enough. As good as the T-Amp is I did discover its limits today and it wasn't pretty :eyebrows:

Rare Bird

05-02-2013, 22:00

I had a big bright red 'Anderson' toobe power amp a few years ago, i kinda regret letting that go!

synsei

05-02-2013, 22:03

I had a big bright red 'Anderson' toobe power amp a few years ago, i kinda regret letting that go!

I am really rather keen to keep hold of this one André it sounds lovely ;)

synsei

06-02-2013, 01:07

Well, the missus and I discussed the finances this evening and the decision has been made, we are keeping the Valhalla as it sounds utterly amazing and at home in our system. We both gave up smoking at the beginning of last month so we have a few more readies to play with than we initially thought. Mark is going to fix a very slight buzz which is apparent on the right channel, apparently there are some slightly suspect caps which will need replacing but even so, it doesn't detract in the slightest from this amps remarkable sonic performance :D

http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/56643658-3607-4e7a-ba3f-d555e1e17a5c.jpg

The Bushmaster and the VA bearing should be here tomorrow so I expect to be getting some seriously good vibes from the system by the evening :D

I have borrowed this part of the post from my musings on another thread as it documents my experience thus far with the ubiquitous B&W DM2's. ;)

Now, it would seem that DM2's divide opinion somewhat. There are people like myself who adore and appreciate their open, airy nature, delightful top and mids and their fabulous bass performance born out of their 1/4 wave transmission line design. It is the DM2's bass performance which mostly divides opinion it would seem. Their critics claim that bass performance is 'slow and plummy', and 'fruity' is another description that has been thrown at these classic designs over the years. My contention is that these critics have not heard them with the right amplifiers. Perhaps they have listened to them hooked up to some ploddy old Quads with their 'what ho' pipe and slippers delivery or perhaps some other equally languid amplifier. Such amps do not suit the DM2's at all and if I am correct in my assumption then no wonder the bass sounded plummy and fruity to these people.

My experience with B&W's DM2's has taken yet another huge step forward and it would appear that they are not the slow, drudgy affairs they are made out to be by some. So far I have driven my DM2's with three 'power' amps, a Hafler DH220, an Amptastic Mini-T and now a Delphonica Valhalla One which sports glowing bottles. The Hafler and the DM2's were not a good match. I didn't discover quite how bad a match they were until the 60 quid T-amp took its place in the system, after which I sold the Hafler on pretty quickly. Veiled was probably the best description I can come up with to describe the sound of the Hafler/DM2 combo. The Mini-T by comparison drove the DM2's wonderfully and it was as if the two were soul mates. Gone was the stodgy bass, lacklustre mids and tizzy top end, suddenly the music was alive with detail, pace and depth, the only caveat being a tendency for the Mini-T to softly clip during dynamic bass passages at higher volumes, which is hardly surprising as it only delivers around 10wpc in real world terms. At slightly more than reasonable listening levels however the DM2's sing beautifully with this little amp.

So, to the Delphonica Valhalla we go and here at last is an amplifier which can really take the DM2's by the scruff of the neck and banish those rumours of low frequency stodge forever. The Valhalla does everything the Mini-T does but more so, realism is how I would describe it. It's a hoary old chestnut, but I really am hearing things in recordings I have not noticed before. Really subtle things like low level mic hum, people turning pages, the percussionist shuffling his feet to the rear of the orchestra. Did I just hear a door slamming off in the distance? And all this in the most stunningly realistic 3D which stretches well beyond the speakers in every dimension. That is how good DM2's can sound when partnered with decent gear and an amp which can exercise rigid grip and control over the DM2's 8" Bextrene coned bass driver.

MartinT

06-02-2013, 07:29

Nice acquisition, Dave, and very pretty too.

mad-moon

06-02-2013, 08:03

hee-hee..£120 for the ls55's...Do you own a stripey shirt and a mask??...
After fixing one bass/mid and replacing another I decided the Mission's weren't really doing it for me, so I began to browse eBay again for something a little more suitable. That's when I found the Hafler...

http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/DH-220VE.jpg

This I won for £95 plus £8 postage from a reclaim centre, which was a result. I've had it open since and someone has spent a lot of money on this amp to keep it up to and beyond spec. To begin with I used the pre-amp section on the 3140 to drive the Hafler, but this combo never really gelled.

The day after I won the Hafler I noticed these on eBay with 12hrs to go and no bids. they were on a 'Buy It Now' for £165.

http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/RogersLS55ssmall.jpg

After a crafty, pre-emptive phone call I secured the LS55's for £120 (seems to be my lucky number). :lol:

synsei

06-02-2013, 08:10

Well, you don't get if you don't ask ;)

Dingdong

06-02-2013, 08:21

hee-hee..£120 for the ls55's...Do you own a stripey shirt and a mask??...

The Dm2's Dave has were far more of a bargain.

Dave, I had a similar experience running the DM2's with solid state. But that was with an LK280. I did have a 250w Perreaux hooked up to them briefly and the bass was very deep and quite controlled. The top end was a bit on the dry side though. On the whole I preferred my valve amps. Still plenty in the low end, but sound just so sweet.

I have a Chapter amp here at the moment I'm repairing. That might be interesting to try. But what I really fancy is 211 SET amps. Massive glowy bottles with proper voltages. Might be a future diy project.

One of the things you noticed yesterday was that the valves seem to work better at lower listening levels. They still seem to be able to get the woofers moving properly for a better late night listening experience.

synsei

06-02-2013, 08:32

You are not wrong, I have been up all night listening to music way down low and yet it still sounded magnificent :)

Dingdong

06-02-2013, 08:35

You'll have to get yerself a piggy bank sorted for new 6l6's if it's on all day and night.

synsei

06-02-2013, 08:42

I've already been pricing them up. Electro Harmonix are well priced, are they any good?

Dingdong

06-02-2013, 08:46

I've already been pricing them up. Electro Harmonix are well priced, are they any good?

They'll do ya. It has Svetlana 6L6GC's in at the moment. I think there are some Russian versions that are supposed to be cheap and god. Will investigate and let you know.

synsei

06-02-2013, 08:48

Churz. From what I discovered last night on t'internet they should last, with average usage, around 14 to 18 months so I reckon I'm good for a while yet ;)

EDIT: Wow, I just improved the sound of the system enormously for nowt :stalks:

synsei

06-02-2013, 20:02

Well boys and girls, along with the Valhalla I am now trialling Vinylspinners Bushmaster in my system with the option to buy if I like what it does. Lets just say I like what it does very much indeed. This is what makes the occasional stressful moment or two over the years worthwhile. It has been a very long haul which began way back in the late 1970's but at last I own a system that takes a step back to allow the music to breath. Today has been wonderful and full of OMG moments... :lol:

MartinT

06-02-2013, 20:33

The Bushmaster is one hell of a window on a digital recording, and I only use mine for AV!

Dingdong

06-02-2013, 20:35

Just remember. I'm always right. ;)

Haven't heard the Bushmaster yet, but it all sounded sweet to me yesterday.

synsei

07-02-2013, 11:53

http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/1eb1da46-0b98-46d9-a159-76f946659375.jpg

This is the other substantial addition to the system this week. From what others have said elsewhere about Stan's little marvel I was confident beforehand that the BM would outperform the Caiman, but what I was not prepared for was by how much. The BM really is a staggeringly capable piece of equipment in every respect and in my opinion qualifies to be called a statement product. I hope Stan is rightfully proud of his little baby because his design prowess is evident throughout.

One of the things that disappointed me about the Caiman from the off was the poor quality of its headphone output, particularly so because I purchased a pair of Superlux 668B headphones before the Caiman was delivered to take advantage of it. Despite coming pre-fitted with a Gator board I have never been happy with the resulting SQ therefore the headphones have remained more or less unused for over two years. The headphone section of the BM redresses the balance in spades. I had no idea the Superlux's were such a capable product until yesterday evening and I have lost count of the number of albums I listened to, or for that matter what time it was when I eventually packed down to sleep. Never have I experienced a soundstage so wide and so deep through headphones. Listening to the second track on Third Worlds self-titled debut album, which contains a live, outdoor recording of tribal drums, you are suddenly transported to the African plains. All around you are the voices and general banter of African tribes people and right in front of you a fire is crackling away as the sound of feet swishing and dancing over the dusty ground underpins the entire scene, real movie magic for the ears is this.

The synergy that currently exists in this system is a joy to behold and if I was not quite so ill I would be very proud to show it off at Scalford Hall where I am absolutely certain it would turn quite a few heads. The unbelievable part is that I have achieved all this for relatively little outlay, some judicious wheeler dealing and the good grace of friends and members on this fine forum, and of that I think we can all be rightfully proud...

:cool:

MartinT

07-02-2013, 12:38

Dave, have you tried removing the inner foam filters from your 668Bs? I find it improves the transparency of mine.

synsei

07-02-2013, 13:16

No Martin I haven't, I will give it a go. Thanks for the tip ;)

synsei

07-02-2013, 14:28

Something one can't fail to notice is that valve amps deliver such an immense sense of scale. My poor valves are not going to last long at this rate, I just can't stop listening to music... :D

Marco

07-02-2013, 19:35

You'll be surprised how long good valves last, Dave. I agree with your comments about the sense of scale.... "Effortless", I think, is the word! ;)

Marco.

synsei

07-02-2013, 22:32

And the excellent thing is that a quad of new Electro Harmonix 6L6's can be had from ebay for just over 50 squid which is not exactly going to break the bank :)

Dingdong

07-02-2013, 23:18

And the excellent thing is that a quad of new Electro Harmonix 6L6's can be had from ebay for just over 50 squid which is not exactly going to break the bank :)

Get yourself a piggy bank next to the hifi as a new valve fund. The Mullard ECC83's should keep going for years.

Rare Bird

07-02-2013, 23:51

http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/1eb1da46-0b98-46d9-a159-76f946659375.jpg

Dave:
Have you ever tried running a Phonostage straight to the Bushmaster at all? I quite like the look with exception to the control knob..

synsei

08-02-2013, 00:01

It can't be done André, there are no analogue inputs on the BM sadly. It is something Stan might want to look at because the Caiman made a pretty good case for itself as a digital only pre when I had the Hafler, it was nigh on as transparent as the DR5 which cost over £3000 when new :eyebrows:

Rare Bird

08-02-2013, 00:44

Shame.. I was then thinking about a USB equiped Phonostage loike the Sonneteer 'Sedley' + USB to SPDIF convertor, this should work with the Bushmaster ?

http://sonneteer.co.uk/home/sedley/

http://www.goodwinshighend.com/manufacturers/berkeley_audio_design/Alpha%20USB.htm

synsei

08-02-2013, 01:03

It could work but I'd want to have a damn good listen before pulling the trigger :)

Whoa, hang on, the BM doesn't have a USB input :doh: You would need a MF V-Link too. Instead of buying all that you might as well get a pre and a BM ;)

synsei

08-02-2013, 19:30

I have fitted the VA bearing to the Techie (5 minute job) and it is doing its thang. What a difference!!! There is simply far more focus across the entire audio spectrum and a quantum leap in presence, image accuracy and space. With the VA bearing sounding this good then a MN item must be a real eye opener :stalks:

jandl100

11-02-2013, 08:00

The Bushmaster is a great DAC, but can be 'upped' even further - Mark Grant sells an excellent PSU for it for just over a £ton. ;)

I do love 6L6 valve amps - I had a CR Developments Romulus a while back - gorgeous open and detailed mids, superb transparency.

synsei

11-02-2013, 10:10

Thanks Jerry. Unfortunately I seem to be having some problems with this Bushmaster, it only seems to latch onto a signal when it damn well feels like it. For example, on powering up this morning it refused to play owt but digital mush from any source. After about 10 minutes it deigned to talk to the CDP but steadfastly refused to converse with the PC, and now it is sulking again and playing nothing. The auto source select is a pain in the arse too, is there a way to turn it off?

At this rate the Caiman will be going back into the system soon... :(

jandl100

11-02-2013, 10:15

Ah, yep - I had an early BM that did that after a few weeks. Stan sorted it out pronto. Later production are AOK.

synsei

11-02-2013, 10:21

Do you think Stan would take a look at it as I am not this BM's original owner, Nigel (Vinylspinner) was. :eyebrows:

MartinT

11-02-2013, 10:27

Stan has a firmware update for it.

Also, you can turn the auto-scan feature off. RTFM!

synsei

11-02-2013, 10:32

jandl100

11-02-2013, 10:49

Hmmm -- ask Stan really nicely! :lol:

It's worth getting it sorted - a fabulous DAC at any price, imho. :)

MartinT

11-02-2013, 10:54

As I remember, you press and hold the switch for a few seconds while the red autoscan light is on, and then the DAC stays in manual mode on switch-on. You definitely need the firmware update, too. EDIT: sorry, that changes the blue LED behaviour. Jerry is right, the autoscan just swaps between auto and manual on each complete rotation.

Stan is always very helpful and it's worth getting that unit sorted anyway.

Canetoad

11-02-2013, 13:51

I have the manual in front of me Martin but it is not altogether clear to me how I achieve that. The manual would seem to suggest that Autoscan is the default setting and to override it the user just presses the select button until the desired input is selected. By the way, the BM is now outputting digital hash and a loud hum :(

This has spoilt what was otherwise a really good week... :rolleyes:

Dave, had the same problem with mine. Contact Stan and he'll get you to send it for checking. I sent mine on Friday morning and received it back the following Monday. Great service!

synsei

11-02-2013, 17:02

After spending most of the afternoon trying to coax the BM back to life I have had to admit defeat. "It's worse than that it's dead Jim". Have fired a PM off to Stan in the hope that he will deal with me directly under the warranty otherwise I will need to ship it back to Nigel so he can deal with it.

I rescued the Caiman from its box and gave it a stay of execution. It is performing remarkably well to be honest, far better than I expected. Although the Caiman does not quite possess the lovely breathy nature and openness of the BM the old girl certainly gives the BM a run for its money in the dynamics arena, better in some cases actually. I am currently listening to Eric Clapton Unplugged on CD routed through the Caiman's Optical input and I have to say it sounds the best I have ever heard it, anywhere. :scratch:

Here's a pic of some glowing bottles. Considering the camera cost under 50 quid I am quite impressed with the result.

http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/Sgtgrash/Hifi%20Stuff/SAM_1758.jpg

synsei

26-02-2013, 19:45

I made a significant upgrade to my system today and do you know what, it hasn't cost me a penny. I was bored earlier and remembered that I had six metres plus of ICE subwoofer cable sitting in the garage. This stuff is thick... 4mm's thick in fact, and it is comprised of over 700+ strands of LOFC copper per individual cable run so it's freakin' manly stuff. Languishing in my bits and pieces box were some spare gold plated copper banana plugs so I thought, 'what the heck' and got on with it and made 'em up.

The Belkin's have gone and they will be staying gone. These are freakin' epic sounding cables and they haven't cost me a damn penny. How can cable that retailed at 79p a metre sound so bloody good (not that I paid for it, it was given to me)? There's no foo here, just lots of copper wearing a clear plastic jacket and it looks so bloody boring, but who gives a foetid Dingo's kidney when it sounds this bloody good. Things lost way back in the mix can now be heard in all their glory, such as subtle cymbal taps and brushes on snares. Incredible stuff, I just can't stop smiling. And to think I was considering blowing 100+ pounds on some TQ Blue recently. Really, don't pay for Foo, try making yourself some cables out of this stuff, you will not be disappointed.

The only slight damper on this amazing situation is that I won't be keeping the Bushmaster. Why? Because I can't trust it to work properly. I will save up for a Rega DAC which I will at least be able to trust to switch on and work when I need it to.