Justin & Jerry's Hifi Blog [Archive] - Page 7

jandl100

15-11-2015, 10:49

Are the MBLs still there though? The Ravon's do look a lot better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC5yfIarFiA

:lol:

Sussed me.

Here's the grand shootout between the MBLs and the Ravons ....

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF6583_zpsrwdowdf3.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSCF6583_zpsrwdowdf3.jpg.html)

and here they are in a more appropriate setting, background music in my conservatory ...

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF6585_zpsz1adxice.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSCF6585_zpsz1adxice.jpg.html)

Cost me £5 in a charity shop as I thought they looked sweet.
Actually, they sound surprisingly respectable! :)

User211

15-11-2015, 10:58

First post was on the phone - then when I saw the baffles on a decent telly twas obvious an edit was required:D

I reckon you should find a way here though. Been on for ages and they have Jerry stamped all over them: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MBL-101E-Radialstrahler-/391307568777?hash=item5b1bbfa689:g:iLEAAOSwLVZV5A6 n

jandl100

15-11-2015, 11:00

Hey, they are a gen-u-ine known quantity - I had no idea!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Speaker-Docking-Station-Macbook-Speakers/dp/B007H65NUW/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_opt?ie=UTF8

No longer available, so I don't know the RRP - anyone know? - I might have to go back to the charity shop with an extra donation. They're pretty decent for what they are.

User211

15-11-2015, 11:02

It said 60 Euros in the video I posted - he paid 40 on ebay. You did well for £5 minus a dust cap.

jandl100

15-11-2015, 11:03

Actually, the dust cap is just a bit pushed in, have tweaked it out a bit with a pin and it's fine unless you deliberately take a close look.

User211

15-11-2015, 11:09

Yeah looks OK in the later pictures. PM sent.

jandl100

15-11-2015, 11:10

Whoops - the wife has just got up and spotted them.
She was with me when I bought them yesterday.
"Oh, they look sweet there!" - "Have you tried connecting them up?"
I clicked the Spotify 'play' icon.
Surprised look (she's used to the MBLs, remember) - "They sound good!"

Yep, another £tenner will be paid at the charity shop. :)

jandl100

23-11-2015, 09:06

2nd system update.

Frosty today in the Welsh hills!

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSC_0194_zpsffm0qfrx.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSC_0194_zpsffm0qfrx.jpg.html)

You can just see my leetle Akai graphic equaliser, behind the wooden dinosaur (how appropriate! :lol:).
A 4dB bass lift from that and the quite bass light Maggies sound just rootin'-tootin'. :D

AMC 2100 power amp supplies loads of control (100wpc, 30A+ current delivery :thumbsup:).
Audiolab MDAC fed by an old Pioneer DVD player as CDT. Long USB cable from lappy for streaming.
Rotel DD tt with Goldring Eroica mc cart.
Denon minidisc player for my 500 or so collection of mainly live concert recordings off Radio 3.

... and not forgetting my luvverly tartan carpet. :whistle:

Sweet. :)

View from just by listening chair ...

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSC_0192_zpscvfjhthi.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSC_0192_zpscvfjhthi.jpg.html)

Macca

23-11-2015, 13:00

Looks a bit nippy out there, Jerry.

Snowed here on Saturday night. Got up this morning and the toothpaste was frozen in the tube....

Marco

23-11-2015, 19:47

Have you heard of central heating, daftee? ;)

Nice views, Jerry! :)

Marco.

Parkie37

23-11-2015, 20:20

jandl100

23-11-2015, 20:45

Thanks, Don, it is nice.

No, the only water is a small stream that runs across not far beyond the hedge you can see outside the window.
We are surrounded by hills, which is good, too.
And this is Wales - so sheep, lots of sheep!

jandl100

24-11-2015, 08:48

Audio Al

24-11-2015, 12:33

Jerry

With that many sheep around i'm surprised Marco is not a lodger :)

jandl100

24-11-2015, 12:36

I keep a big stick readily to hand to fend him off. :thumbsup:

Macca

24-11-2015, 12:44

The sheep are in the Witness Protection Programme....

struth

24-11-2015, 12:55

The sheep are in the Witness Protection Programme....

:D

Tarzan

24-11-2015, 12:59

Jerry

With that many sheep around i'm surprised Marco is not a lodger :)

:lolsign:

Parkie37

26-11-2015, 09:39

There's the stream ... and you see what I mean about the sheep? :lol:

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSC_0202_1_zpsbgq1ixrq.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSC_0202_1_zpsbgq1ixrq.jpg.html)

That is a beautiful location! I prefer ocean frontage being nearby and my wife prefers to be near farms, like where she grew up, so, of course, we live near farms! I tell her that she won the property discussion, so I get to have my Hifi ; )

Every time she complains about all of the money that I have spent on Hifi, I mention that I want to buy a motorcycle again.....then she says shut up and buy yourself some records. Ha! I may miss my motorcycle but I a building my vinyl collection!

Marco

03-12-2015, 22:14

Jerry

With that many sheep around i'm surprised Marco is not a lodger :)

Yerse... That was the picture before I introduced them to my big 'lamb shank'... :eyebrows:

Marco.

jandl100

03-12-2015, 23:25

Right.
Vinyl front end in my main rig sorted.

I had decided to downsize my phonostage as |I don't use my LP rig that much. So I sold my lovely Jasmine 'stage and bought a small, neat and cheap Angle Audio Audiophile phono stage, and very decent it is, too. But it doesn't quite have the high MC stage gain of the Jasmine and some hiss was evident when the volume was turned up a bit, using my low output (0.23mV) Linn Asak cart. Livable with, but ....

Then this appeared in the Wam classifieds ...

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF6627_zpstnz34oyu.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSCF6627_zpstnz34oyu.jpg.html)

I've just got back from collecting it.
No hiss/hum even when fully maxed out on the volume knob. And it sounds excellent. :thumbsup:

So it's back to a full size component with similar £££ invested as the Jasmine! :doh:

struth

03-12-2015, 23:27

whats that Jerry? an audiolab?

walpurgis

03-12-2015, 23:40

Right.
Vinyl front end in my main rig sorted.

I had decided to downsize my phonostage as |I don't use my LP rig that much. So I sold my lovely Jasmine 'stage and bought a small, neat and cheap Angle Audio Audiophile phono stage, and very decent it is, too. But it doesn't quite have the high MC stage gain of the Jasmine and some hiss was evident when the volume was turned up a bit, using my low output (0.23mV) Linn Asak cart. Livable with, but ....

Join the Graham Slee forum. Then under the loan scheme you can try an ERA V Gold or Reflex M or Reflex C for MCs. They do everything very nicely and not bettered at the price by some margin. My ERA V Gold was better than the EAR 834P I was using. Got the Reflex M now with an SUT and in no hurry to move on.

jandl100

04-12-2015, 07:05

Reffc

04-12-2015, 09:09

Yep, Grant, there's an Audiolab in that there murk!
It's very good, I'd kinda missed the Jasmine 'stage and was beginning to regret selling it.
The little Angle Audio is excellent for the money (and will be up for sale shortly ;)) but doesn't quite have the level of res and subtlety of the much more expensive Jasmine / Audiolab.
But the best move for a box swapper is to try something new and I'd fancied one of those 8000PPAs ever since the seller bought it and sold me his Trichord NCPSU for my Dino several years ago and was extolling its virtues. :)

I've heard a Graham Slee stage in the past, Geoff - at Paul RFC's place, iirc? Not sure, maybe I briefly owned one. And I have to confess I wasn't bowled over when compared to whatever I had at the time - I forget what that was was now! :wheniwasaboy: If it's a Tannoy-Boy sort of sound then it may well not be for me! :lol:

Nah, the Audiolab will do me for the foreseeables (i.e. at least until the end of next week :eyebrows:). I'm sure I shall be dusting off me vinyls and exploring its capabilities over the coming days. :)

It was a Graham Slee Jerry but a very basic one, perhaps two up from the bottom in its range, so hardly a fair comparison with a Dino and NCPS! The higher Graham Slee stages are very good indeed, so I wouldn't be too hasty to write them off on the basis of what you heard. Also, you were listening with a humble DL110 in the mix when at the time I think you were using a 10x5 with the Dino. Apples and oranges so no conclusions should really be drawn as to an entire range of quality designs from Graham Slee I reckon.

Shame you didn't get to listen to the Cornet valve stage yesterday...I reckon you'd have liked that.

jandl100

04-12-2015, 09:18

Reffc

04-12-2015, 12:13

Ah, yes - thanks Paul. I knew my memory was a bit dodgy on that.

Memory returns! - maybe :eyebrows:
Did I have an Edwards Audio stage of my own then? About the same price as the Slee and it saw it off no problem - iirc, which I probably don't!

Anyway, yes, tis wrong to write of a range of product on the basis of one comparison of one in the range. :)

But the Audiolab is a fine thing, too.
-- and I can run two turntables into it! :yay: -- probably a bad capability for me to have. :mental: :D

The one I had was a Graham Slee Gram Amp 2. You had two at the time. A Trichord Dino and an Angle audio one. They both saw off the cheap as chips Slee but didn't see off my EAR 864 (no surprises there!). I'd have expected nothing elss tbh as theGramamp cost buttons and was 4 or 5 times less expensive than the Trichord/NCPS. I dont recall you bringing and Edwards stage but I'm pretty sure it would have been fairly similar to the Gramamp as it uses a similar circuit and is in the same cost ball park. Any differences would have been minor having heard both at one stage or other in the past.

The Cornet phono stage betters even the EAR 864. Happy to lend it out some time.

jandl100

04-12-2015, 16:10

Ah, right. I had an Angle Audio stage then. What it is to have a memory! :)

I was sure I had a cheap one similar price to the Slee that saw it off. That Gram Amp 2 wasn't much cop at all, imo. Bland and drab.

No, ta, to the loan offer on the Cornet - I'm happy with the Audiolab.

jandl100

20-01-2016, 10:33

New amp to play with - arrived yesterday freezing cold - so left it overnight to get to room temperature.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/Inca%20Tech%20Claymore%20amp_zps0cul0z1x.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/Inca%20Tech%20Claymore%20amp_zps0cul0z1x.jpg.html)

Inca Tech Claymore. These come with quite a strong reputation so when this one came along on eBay for a decent price I thought I'd give it a go.

I couldn't get spade lugs on my preferred (Virtue Audio) speaker cables to make contact, so have reverted to previous XLO cables with 4mm plugs.

I can't really listen til my late-rising other 'alf gets up. Very quiet play sounds promising, though!

Firebottle

20-01-2016, 13:10

Interesting Jerry, will be keen to read of your findings :)

jandl100

20-01-2016, 16:52

Interesting Jerry, will be keen to read of your findings :)

Initial listening indicates ....
Meaty bass, tonally rich midband, slightly dry treble. Fast - hi-rez - impactful dynamics. Excellent 3D imaging :thumbsup:

southall-1998

20-01-2016, 17:40

Very interesting, Jerry.

S.

myles

20-01-2016, 18:19

I have the Inca Tech Oberon, which I presume is similar in circuitry. I am, and have been very impressed with it from day one. I'm sure you are going to enjoy this one!

Idlewithnodrive

20-01-2016, 18:19

Sovereign

20-01-2016, 19:24

Nice one Jerry, I made a big one off Wonfor amp last year, my build thread is around somewhere, very pleased with it! Never heard the Claymore but would like to one day. Wind it up to prosper listening levels and let us know what you think.

myles

20-01-2016, 19:34

Nice amps the Claymore, one of Mr Wonfors finest.

Owned mine for a year or so, which is good going for me. If you like that, try the Oberon, a real corker for the money :thumbsup: Another "wish I'd never got rid of" piece of kit.

Edit: Which I sold to the gentleman above :)

You certainly did, and I kid you not...I am eternally grateful. I can't believe I tried to haggle a few quid off the asking! It really was a stone cold bargain.

jandl100

22-01-2016, 07:06

The Claymore is a very good amp.
Synergistic progress has been made and the somewhat dry treble that had been bugging me has been sorted.

The Xiang Sheng Chinese DAC with valve buffer that works so marvellously with my el84 amp just didn't get on with the Claymore. Substituting my Wyred4Sound DAC1 and glory be, a nicely neutral top end.

The resulting sound doesn't quite have the 3D presence and fantastic detail resolution of the el84 amp/Xiang Sheng DAC but it has a beefier / meatier dynamic presence that is very enjoyable in its own way.

More listening needed! -- which will now be much more enjoyable without the somewhat grainy overlay that had previously been on offer!

mikeyb

22-01-2016, 10:39

Good stuff, I've always wondered what that version of the Claymore was like as I still hanker after some vintage gear to play with.

Mind you not easy to accommodate much in the way of extra kit here as my main system is in the living room and my wife likes it nice and neat and tidy, so I'm stuck with my PMC 21's and she steadfastly refuses to allow any alternative.

Always a good and informative read this thread.

Mike

jandl100

22-01-2016, 11:23

Always a good and informative read this thread.

Mike

Thanks Mike. :)

Looking back I see that I have failed to fully mention my new DAC. Very remiss of me!

It's kind of tucked away for a decent photo, so here is a stock photo of the unit ...

http://www.sgwoot.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/IMG_1714-edit.jpg

Rear view showing that it has a choice of outputs, either via the valve buffer or solid state.
The solid state output is a bit scrawny and lifeless, so the 'tube' output is the way to go.

http://g01.a.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1K1y3IXXXXXXrapXXq6xXFXXXh/sep-store-XiangSheng-DAC-01A-DAC-Decoder-Headphone-Preamp-with-XMOS-U8-USB-card-L154-40.jpg

Digital inputs from USB, RCA, TOSLINK. It also has 2 analogue input stereo pairs, switchable from the front input selection knob next to a volume control. So it's a proper pre-amp as well.

It's a Xiang Sheng DAC-01A. Also available in the guise of Grant Fidelity and Maverick.
It's Chinese with a valve buffer utilising a 5670 valve. Valve rolling makes a fair bit of difference.
It cost me £69 + £6 delivery on eBay and is available direct from China (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171304027958?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT) for just on £100 + import duty and taxes.

It is astonishingly good. And not just good for the money.

Very hi rez, amazing in the room presence. Superb 3D, focussed imaging.
It's undoubtedly one of the very best DACs I have heard.
The only downside I think is that the treble is a little dry, so requires appropriate system matching. It's superb with my Yarland FV34Ciii el84 amp (another amazing bargain!) and the pairing provide the best sound I have had for my personal preferences - but not so good with my original Inca Tech Claymore which works better with my W4S DAC1.

jandl100

23-01-2016, 08:09

:D Total silence while everyone decides whether to finally consign me to the loony bin for falling head over heels for a DAC that cost me £75.

... not to mention an amp that set me back £119. :lol:

Used with speakers that currently retail at £23k :mental:

http://cdn.toonvectors.com/images/35/12496/toonvectors-12496-460.jpg

smartiepants

23-01-2016, 08:50

For Spotify I use a Chromecast audio using my old sony 930 minidisc as the dac, would getting one of these babys be a better way to go?

mikeyb

23-01-2016, 09:14

:D Total silence while everyone decides whether to finally consign me to the loony bin for falling head over heels for a DAC that cost me £75.

... not to mention an amp that set me back £119. [emoji38]

Used with speakers that currently retail at £23k :mental:

http://cdn.toonvectors.com/images/35/12496/toonvectors-12496-460.jpg
Just helps prove the theory that get the speakers right...........[emoji6] [emoji3]

hermit

24-01-2016, 14:24

:D Total silence while everyone decides whether to finally consign me to the loony bin for falling head over heels for a DAC that cost me £75.

... not to mention an amp that set me back £119. :lol:

Used with speakers that currently retail at £23k :mental:

I think this image sums it up better :lol:

http://s3.media.squarespace.com/production/497390/7782863/wp-content/uploads/WADDLE.jpg

jandl100

24-01-2016, 16:36

;)

It's not the first time I've been told I've got a mullet of a system. :whistle:

But then, they hadn't heard it either. :lol:

Saber

24-01-2016, 16:43

A mullet of a system?

Buisness in the front, party in the back?

Macca

24-01-2016, 17:39

If a digital fronted system isn't a mullet system then you've not spent wisely.

Or you've maxed out.

One or the other.

Marco

24-01-2016, 18:13

;)

It's not the first time I've been told I've got a mullet of a system. :whistle:

But then, they hadn't heard it either. :lol:

Lol - indeed... Although one wonders how it would sound with a £23k front end (digital or analogue) and amps to match! ;)

Or even judiciously selected £5-6k ones, for that matter... But we've been here before :eyebrows:

Marco [Who advocates a 'balanced cost' approach to system building].

Darren

24-01-2016, 23:31

Thanks for the heads up on that Valve DAC Jerry. I've ordered one. I've had a lovely Audionote DAC in the past and its' sweetness is much missed. Cant wait to play my Chromecast Audio into it. :)

jandl100

25-01-2016, 06:30

Marco [Who advocates a 'balanced cost' approach to system building].

Bugger that! :lol:

jandl100

25-01-2016, 06:36

Thanks for the heads up on that Valve DAC Jerry. I've ordered one. I've had a lovely Audionote DAC in the past and its' sweetness is much missed. Cant wait to play my Chromecast Audio into it. :)

Coo.
Well, you've probably looked it up and seen that it gets other rave reviews than mine ... which is what I did and why I was curious about the wee beastie when I saw one on t'Bay.
"sweetness" ... Hmm :hmm: ... more like "boldly present and uncompromisingly transparent". :eek: Or so it seems to me.
I will be most interested in your thoughts, Darren. :)

User211

25-01-2016, 09:05

Bugger that! :lol:

Only cos box swapping components that cost multi-K's generally costs a lot more:)

That said, there's a lot of stuff out there that does cost multi-K's that isn't appreciably better than cheaper stuff especially vintage items.

jandl100

25-01-2016, 09:11

Only cos box swapping components that cost multi-K's generally costs a lot more:)

Hmm :hmm: I suppose so.

But I really am very happy in the few£100 bracket for used electronics. I'm not at all sure I would be happier if I spent more. (And I have spent much more in the past). I could spend more if I wanted to, but I really don't feel the need. To my ears, my system is perfectly satisfying at the moment. :)

Darren

25-01-2016, 20:47

more like "boldly present and uncompromisingly transparent". :eek: Or so it seems to me.
I will be most interested in your thoughts, Darren. :)

Gosh..... I'm certainly looking forwards to trying it Jerry. Thank you for your kindness.

jandl100

29-01-2016, 08:25

I've been listening with the Inca Tech Claymore amp for a few fays, sounding especially good with newly acquired Townshend Isolda speaker cables! - but I went back to the little EL84 Yarland amp yesterday evening.

Whoa - it's complicated!!

I have 2 great DACs, 2 great amps, 2 great speaker cables pairs. But they don't all get on with one another! :D

The Virtue Audio speaker cables with spades won't fit properly on the Claymore.
The Xiang Sheng DAC with the Claymore has a slightly grainy and dry top end.
The Isolda cables sound too thin with the Yarland but really bucks up the rez of the Claymore.

I think I have 2 favourite setups ...

1. Yarland amp, with Virtue Audio speaker cable and Xiang Sheng valve DAC
2. Claymore amp, with Townshend Isolda speaker cable and Wyred4Sound DAC1.

The Yarland combo gives slightly better rez and immediacy, and excellent 3D imaging
The Claymore combo gives better tonal weight/richness and dynamics and merely very good imaging.

I'm trying to think of a combo of those components which will give me the best of both worlds!

But both sound great, though. :)

User211

29-01-2016, 13:05

Choose the best rock option and fire up The Astonishing the new Dream Theatre album - in case you have missed it.

jandl100

29-01-2016, 13:10

Choose the best rock option and fire up The Astonishing the new Dream Theatre album - in case you have missed it.

That'll be the Claymore system - ta for the tip, I hadn't come across that album. :)

User211

29-01-2016, 13:14

I just saw it this morning so can't verify if it really is Astonishing.

jandl100

05-02-2016, 14:47

New toy. :carrot:

With & without camera flash ...

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF6682_zpswivb9bmv.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSCF6682_zpswivb9bmv.jpg.html)

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF6681_zpsmqijx97j.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSCF6681_zpsmqijx97j.jpg.html)

:thumbsup:

brian2957

05-02-2016, 15:09

Very nice :) I'll be interested in your thoughts on this one Jerry seems very affordable .

http://www.lowther.com.hk/Jazz%206L6%20Amp.htm

jandl100

05-02-2016, 15:13

Yep, that's the wee beastie, Brian.
It sounds wonderful so far.

brian2957

05-02-2016, 15:17

Oh good . This may be a serious contender for a little forray into the world of glowing bottles once again :)

Please keep us posted Jerry :)

Firebottle

05-02-2016, 16:08

If it hasn't enough power Jerry you could also add a few more 6L6's:

http://www.sarris.info/main/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/6L6-push-pull-12-tube-amp-3.jpg?itok=PFx4gY0i

...or maybe not :rolleyes:

jandl100

05-02-2016, 16:11

Mine has more than enough power, Alan. Big orchestra going hell for leather at the moment - glorious!
That does look tasty though!

jandl100

05-02-2016, 16:25

Actually, Alan, the power valves the amp came with are RCA 6BG6 with a base adaptor, not 6L6, as the previous owner preferred them.

I had a pair of JJ 6L6 waiting, but I agree with the guy, the 6BG6 sound quite a bit better. But they are very tall!

jandl100

14-02-2016, 09:03

There are 4 amps gracing Jerry Towers at the moment ...

Restek Challenger (130 wpc ss)
Inca Tech Claymore (mk1) (50 wpc ss)
Yarland FV-34Ciii (12 wpc el84 valves)
Lowther Club Jazz 6L6 (8 wpc 6BG6 valves)

What with the Scalford Show coming up and Matt 'fatmarley' bringing his show-bound prototype 3-way speakers round for a final audition and tweak sesh last night (we are sharing a dem room - Syndicate 2 :)) I've been playing with all 4 amps recently. So I figured I'd share some further thoughts on how they compare ....

Firstly , they really are all fine amps.

- Overall, the Restek has the best grip and drive, but in terms of actual sound quality comes at the bottom of the heap. This is a mighty fine performing heap, though!
Imaging, tonality and just sheer believability aren't quite up there with the others. It's simply a very good 'traditional sounding' solid state amp.
It's my fave candidiate for the Scalford dem room, I think.

- The Claymore has the richest tonality and a wonderfully plangent way with transients from plucked strings - guitar, harpsichord etc. But isn't as open and 3D as the valve amps. It's a bit like a very high class chocolate - rich and yummy and very satisfying! It always has you coming back for more. :) Both Matt and I suspect it was running out of puff with really loud playback and getting a bit brash up top with the fatmarley 3-ways.

Matt's speaker designs do not get on with valves, sadly. Last year my beast of a 70wpc Icon Audio valve amp simply sounded awful with the 2-way design! So we didn't even try the dinky valve amps I have on hand this year with his new 3-ways.

But from previous listening with the MBLs ....

- The Yarland has the best imaging - amazingly holographic, and probably beats the Jazz on resolution and transient speed, and it has enough power for anything I want the MBL speakers to do.
If Justin came a-visiting I'd connect the Restek up, though. :D

- Jazz is very good, but may be just a tad inferior to Yarly overall. But there is something about it that specially appeals that I still can't quite put my finger on. It might just be the looks - the Jazzster does look amazing! But she does begin to run out of whoomph at very loud levels or with bass heavy material played quite loud. it's not a safe allrounder for most of my listening like the others.

They were all cheap enough that there are no real problems with keeping them all for now and enjoy what each has to offer.
Mullet systems rule! :cheers:

jandl100

14-02-2016, 09:08

And for those who like to look ....

Restek
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF6367_zpsxh3ljwbi.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSCF6367_zpsxh3ljwbi.jpg.html)

Claymore
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/Inca%20Tech%20Claymore%20amp_zps0cul0z1x.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/Inca%20Tech%20Claymore%20amp_zps0cul0z1x.jpg.html)

Yarland
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF6562_zpsnjqqwife.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSCF6562_zpsnjqqwife.jpg.html)

Jazz (but not with up to date valves - only the power valves remain the same)
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF6682_zpswivb9bmv.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSCF6682_zpswivb9bmv.jpg.html)

Macca

14-02-2016, 09:08

Have you ever tried a Radford STA15 in your set up, Jerry?

jandl100

14-02-2016, 09:17

Have you ever tried a Radford STA15 in your set up, Jerry?

Nope, I've never had a Radford, Martin - so much hifi, so little time. :)

A Leak Stereo 20 might come closest to that? Dunno. :scratch:

Macca

14-02-2016, 09:26

jandl100

14-02-2016, 09:33

At a previous NEBO we compared an stereo 20 to the Radford, I thought the Radford was better, although I liked the stereo 20.

At the last one the Radford was there again and went on late after lots of amps. I don't know what it is about it but it is just so fundamentally 'right' it actually bothers me :)

I know they are not easy to get hold of but it should be on your list (if not already).

Hmm.
Sometimes you (or at least, I) get put off things by circumstances that may not actually be relevant.
I've heard a Radford in a dealer's system (Len Gregory, actually) and tbh his system sounded brash and forward to me.
Of course, it could have been any of the components or combinations thereof in his system - but somehow I associate that sound with the Radford. :mental:

It would be interesting to try one if a visitor brought one round, but I can't quite see myself getting one given all the other stuff out there that I don't have negative vibes associated with.
Used prices seem OTT as well, I have a feeling they have become trendy in recent years, and that doesn't help encourage me either.

But yes, I would be curious if someone cared to bring a Radford round. :)

RichB

14-02-2016, 10:38

User211

14-02-2016, 10:45

Hm the Restek - my Challenger got sold pretty quickly really. It just isn't in the same league as that fantastic Restek preamp you had.

If Justin came round he'd bring the Accuphase M-60s. Nowt there I'd think would do it for me into the MBLs I am afraid Jerry.

Actually looking at the current Accuphase line up there is nothing that can deliver anywhere near the M-60s power output into 4 Ohms. Even right at the top of the range. None of the contemporary designs look as cool either. They should remake the f^&%ing things as the circuit is right up there sonically IMHO easily topping even very high priced contemporary efforts by some margin. That is, in my system with my partnering kit, in my opinion.

Fabulous things and a superb discovery for me.

walpurgis

14-02-2016, 10:55

Nope, I've never had a Radford, Martin - so much hifi, so little time. :)

A Leak Stereo 20 might come closest to that? Dunno. :scratch:

A good Stereo 20 is a very nice amp indeed. I've had three of them. They are very lucid and offer good grip for a mere 12 watts of EL84. Quite capable of driving awkward loads like the Quad ESL 57. It's very well suited to use with a simple passive pre-amp too.

jandl100

14-02-2016, 11:00

Hm the Restek - my Challenger got sold pretty quickly really. It just isn't in the same league as that fantastic Restek preamp you had.

Well - the Krell KAV250a worked much better in my system than it did in yours. I think the Chellenger is similar in that way. It does work well with the MBLs. But no, it's not quite as good as the Krell, but isn't as forward either.
Mmmm, not sure which I prefer overall. Yeah, I'd probably go for the Krell :)

Nowt there I'd think would do it for me into the MBLs I am afraid Jerry.

That's true, I'm sure, although the Restek might surprise you here.

But for my listening, I suspect I'd prefer the Yarland over your Accuphase monos - they are just too full-on for me - which, of course, is the characteristic that you love them for. Take them to Shaun / Haselsh1 and blow his mind. :D

jandl100

14-02-2016, 11:04

A good Stereo 20 is a very nice amp indeed. I've had three of them. They are very lucid and offer good grip for a mere 12 watts of EL84. Quite capable of driving awkward loads like the Quad ESL 57. It's very well suited to use with a simple passive pre-amp too.

Yep, I had a fully refurbed one, and it was excellent.

Prices have gone a bit potty now, though - a few years back I bought and sold mine for £400, now they are twice that. :mental:

mikeyb

14-02-2016, 12:36

jandl100

14-02-2016, 13:51

I have an Inca Tech Claymore 2 (100w) with Colin Wonfor for a service at the moment, your welcome to try it anytime.

I would get him just to send it direct to you for a try but I still have the Phono 2 on demo so wanting to try them together before sending the NVA stuff back.

Thanks for that, Mike, but I'm fine with my mk1.

I've demmed the new TQ Claymore, as well, and that was quite a different beastie to the older one I have now. I prefer my older one, in fact, despite having slightly lower rez and more character overall (or maybe because of that!) - the treble is easier on the ear, imo the TQ was a bit too feisty for my classical music preferences. The TQ sounded amazing on rock & electronica, though!

User211

14-02-2016, 13:57

But for my listening, I suspect I'd prefer the Yarland over your Accuphase monos - they are just too full-on for me - which, of course, is the characteristic that you love them for. Take them to Shaun / Haselsh1 and blow his mind. :D

I don't think that is the Accuphase amps doing that TBH. I think they are pretty much as neutral as it comes.

Next time I might pull the mid range back a bit between 3 and 6K. You'd probably like that...:) Mind you, with no kit changes planned for yonks, probably won't be for a good while.

In fact, I might list the 211s in a week or two. I'm not giving those away though and therefore they won't be cheap.

southall-1998

14-02-2016, 20:07

Hmm.
Sometimes you (or at least, I) get put off things by circumstances that may not actually be relevant.
I've heard a Radford in a dealer's system (Len Gregory, actually) and tbh his system sounded brash and forward to me.
Of course, it could have been any of the components or combinations thereof in his system - but somehow I associate that sound with the Radford. :mental:

It would be interesting to try one if a visitor brought one round, but I can't quite see myself getting one given all the other stuff out there that I don't have negative vibes associated with.
Used prices seem OTT as well, I have a feeling they have become trendy in recent years, and that doesn't help encourage me either.

But yes, I would be curious if someone cared to bring a Radford round. :)

Was this fairly recent, Jerry? What was the rest of his set up?

S.

jandl100

14-02-2016, 20:22

Was this fairly recent, Jerry? What was the rest of his set up?

S.

No, it was probably over 25 years ago - but some memories linger!
I haven't a clue now what the rest of the system was. :scratch:

jandl100

23-03-2016, 17:03

Aargh.
Too many amps.
I - must - stop - buying - amps. :mental:

Apart Champ One
Restek Challenger
Lowther Club Jazz
Yarland FV-34ciii
Kenwood 3020SE
Inca Tech Claymore
Rotel RA-1412
Marantz 4230
JVC JR-S200
Amptastic Mini-T
AMC 2100
AMC 2445
Peavey PV 2.6C

All of them good.

Well, OK, I have 2 systems so I do need 2.
So that's all right then.
:mental:

walpurgis

23-03-2016, 17:09

There is no cure. Self help won't work. You must have your wallet impounded!! :lol:

southall-1998

23-03-2016, 17:20

I have a similar problem like Jerry. Only difference, is that I'm more scaled- down :)

S.

Firebottle

23-03-2016, 17:30

Aargh.
I - must - stop - buying - amps.

:lol: Come on Jerry, you know you love it. I'd be in the same frame of mind but being in France has certain advantages.

The price of 2nd hand gear is ludicrously expensive, generally.

:)

User211

23-03-2016, 19:12

Well, I only have 4. 6 including preamps. 8 if you include a monoblock as being an amp:D

Jonboy

23-03-2016, 21:24

It was compulsion I had ( and still got for all sorts of things) Down from 20 something valve amps plus a few solid state to just 4 valve amps and the odd solid state

walpurgis

23-03-2016, 22:15

Well, I only have 4. 6 including preamps. 8 if you include a monoblock as being an amp:D

Exactly the same count here. :)

(whoops, not quite right, forgot the integrated)

struth

23-03-2016, 22:26

4 pro monos/ stereos and an integrated, and a smashed up leak and tuner DOH!

Barry

23-03-2016, 22:49

I have only 11 poweramps:

Mark Levinson ML-2 monoblocks
Radford STA15 Mk.III (Mullard valves fitted)

Quad 50E monoblocks
Quad 303 (x2), one fitted with XLR connectors
Quad 405, heavily modified
Quad 405-2 lightly modified
Quad 405-2 NET modified edition 3
Quad 405-2 heavily modified and 'monoblocked' by Duncan (Tubehunter). This will be a recent acquisition (they're arriving tomorrow)!
Quad 510 monoblocks
Quad 520

And 8 preamps:

David Hafler DH101
Sugden C51
Quad 33 (unmodified)
Quad 44
Mark Levinson ML10A (used as a phonostage)
Mark Levinson ML25 headamp
Mark Levinson ML26
Mark Levinson ML28 (in current use)

Methinks I ought to thin down the inventory. :rolleyes:

walpurgis

23-03-2016, 23:06

Suppose I may as well list mine.

Some are a bit obscure and members may not be familiar with them all.

Pre-amps.

MingDa MC-9 TVC.
VTL Deluxe valve job.

Power amps.

Pair Classic Tubes CT15 EL34 valve monoblocks.
Monarchy Audio SM-70 solid state Class A.
Monarchy Audio SM-70 Pro solid state Class A.

Integrated amp.

JVC AX-A441.

Macca

24-03-2016, 00:15

I've sold some amps recently so down to an HK 930 receiver, three power amps and 3 integrateds. And 3 A/V amps. And 2 pre amps. Not too bad by comparison.

User211

24-03-2016, 09:42

Air Tight ATL10a passive pre with $1000 upgrade Alps pot.
Cayin C100 (modified SC-10). Excellent thing.

Luxman L-435 Integrated
Austria Analogue 211 monos (excellent)
Accuphase M-60 monos (ace)
Apart Champ - still assessing but very promising. Soon to hit some proper speakers.

jandl100

26-03-2016, 08:23

Well, I plumbed my new Apart Champ One amp in when it arrived a few days ago just to make sure it was all OK.

And it's still there and making very fine music. :)

Yes, there is a touch of dryness to the treble as Justin has said. Strangely that notices most on rock music vocals, not classical. :scratch:
Good clarity, rez - nicely rich tonality as well.
Not quite the hear-thru transparency of my Lowther Club Jazz valve amp, but few things do, bar Justin's amazing Accu-amps.
Seemingly limitless power.
Damn, another amp I want to keep. :doh:

Stock photo to show the innards, and the prettily curved heatsinks :) ...

http://bilder.hifi-forum.de/max/44195/innenansicht-apart-champ-one_507875.jpg

Coo, look at that transformer :drool: - no wonder it doesn't seem to run out of power. :eyebrows:

http://www.ela-data.de/Images/Produkte/popup/CHAMP-ONE_Front.jpg
http://bilder.hifi-forum.de/max/316754/apart-champ-one-back_109491.jpg

Thanks, Duncan. :thumbsup:

User211

26-03-2016, 13:18

Have you tried the SS/tube switch yet? Still not taken the back panel of mine. Will plug it into the main system before the end of the easter break.

jandl100

26-03-2016, 13:23

No, not yet.

User211

27-03-2016, 11:54

Just had the back panel off and, switching between solid state and tube mode on the fly is pretty subtle on speakers with no bass i.e. the M&Ds. A slight loss of res in tube mode maybe?

If I walked in the room, not knowing the setting, with the M&Ds, I definitely couldn't tell you which mode it was in with any degree of reliability.

BTW it is the middle switch, Jerry, and you'll need a screwdriver to poke down inside a bit and change it.

jandl100

04-04-2016, 11:03

My 4 main amps ....

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF6717_zpsja3y37an.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSCF6717_zpsja3y37an.jpg.html)

Top to bottom on the left; Yarland FV-34Ciii (12wpc), Inca Tech Claymore (50wpc), Apart Champ One (300wpc)
And on the right; Lowther Club of Hong Kong Jazz 6L6 (but fitted with 6BG6) (8wpc)

The Jazz is currently plumbed in, but any can be made ready in about 1 minute. :)

All are different sounding, all are good - I love them all! :grouphug: :lol:

Macca

04-04-2016, 11:45

You need more wires

jandl100

04-04-2016, 11:52

No such thing as too many wires. ;)

southall-1998

04-04-2016, 13:27

I'm liking that little frog, Jerry.

S.

jandl100

04-04-2016, 13:29

I'm liking that little frog, Jerry.

S.

Which one?
There's actually two frogs there. :)
The other one is one shelf up, slightly to the right.

Yes, I know it's a mess - but I actually tidied up a bit before I took the photo. :eyebrows:

southall-1998

04-04-2016, 13:32

The one almost next to the valve amp.

S.

jandl100

05-04-2016, 21:00

Cue the Eagles ... there's a new DAC in town.
On a temporary table while I suss it out and decide whether it is deemed worthy to take its place on the rack.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF6719_zpspvyrileo.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSCF6719_zpspvyrileo.jpg.html)

Arrived today and being played for the past few hours.

The Rega DAC comes with 2 reputations as far as I am concerned - warm, bloomy and over fullsome in the bass - or naturally musical and full toned.

I have to confess I was expecting to hear the former, but no, the latter view is definitely in the ascendant at the moment. -- which will be a disappointment for the person who has asked for 1st refusal after I pipped him to the post in buying it. :lol:
Excellent rez (no other word for it). Tonally quite rich and vibrant. Imaging is spot-on, very naturally focused in depth as well as laterally.

Slight feeling of closed-in-ness at the top? - a lack of air. Hmm, I'll see how that goes. Might just be in comparison to the fullsomely rich midband. Also, I've been using the Claymore amp which tends a bit in that direction itself. I'll have to try other amps (like the valve job in the pic) to see what happens with a somewhat leaner amp.

Vocals are very natural.

Mostly quiet music so far, but I'll let her rip tomorrow. :)

Yep, impressed so far.

Note the Wyred4Sound DAC1 behind it, peering round from behind the wooden shelving leg, wondering if its time has come. :eyebrows:

brian2957

05-04-2016, 21:04

Which input are you using Jerry . The USB sounds different to the coax input .

Oh.. and have you tried the different filters . Subtle differences in each :)

jandl100

05-04-2016, 21:07

USB at the moment - but I have a cunning plan to enable use of the co-ax for streaming tomorrow.

How does the sound differ?

brian2957

05-04-2016, 21:09

The USB sounds a little more '' pipe and slippers '' compared to the coax ( which might be more to your taste )

jandl100

05-04-2016, 21:18

The USB sounds a little more '' pipe and slippers '' compared to the coax ( which might be more to your taste )

Hmm. Interesting.

My main source is USB streaming from my laptop.
Problem -- how to convert USB to coax?
I have an expensive way to do it - is there a cheap option?

brian2957

05-04-2016, 21:23

Stans Asynch 1 is pretty good http://www.homehifi.co.uk/S/usb.htm

brian2957

05-04-2016, 21:32

Or drop this guy a PM and see if he'll accept an offer http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?44224-FS-Music-Fidelity-VLink-192

struth

05-04-2016, 21:32

Aye the a synch1 is a nice unit... still got mine.... the vlink in PE is a good unit too. does 192

jandl100

05-04-2016, 21:34

Stans Asynch 1 is pretty good http://www.homehifi.co.uk/S/usb.htm

I'll go with my old mate, Stan - ordered. :)

Thanks for the heads-up, Brian - I had no idea the product existed!

brian2957

05-04-2016, 21:40

Good God ! I've tried something you haven't Jerry :lol: That's a new one for me :D

Nice one . I think you'll like Stans little box . I'll be interested in your opinion of the coax input on the Rega DAC .

User211

06-04-2016, 07:01

I'll go with my old mate, Stan - ordered. :)

Thanks for the heads-up, Brian - I had no idea the product existed!

You could have had my MF VLink for nowt: http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?31969-FS-Lampizator-USB-Cable-MF-V-Link-USB-gt-SPDIF-RFC-Digital-Cable

In all honesty, I always thought it was shite. You'd get dropouts connected to my Tri-Vista, which was shite too. Though when it worked it did sound good.

BTW this offer does not extend to anyone else... before you try it on:);)

jandl100

06-04-2016, 07:04

Thanks Justin for the offer of a shite bit of kit :D - but too late, I'll see how I get on with Stan's. :)

Dropouts? - no thanks. I'll let Stan know if it happens with his widget.

User211

06-04-2016, 07:23

Thanks Justin for the offer of a shite bit of kit :D - but too late, I'll see how I get on with Stan's. :)

Dropouts? - no thanks. I'll let Stan know if it happens with his widget.

Free shite - not so bad. TBH it is a hit and miss affair and it may well have sync'd nicely with whatever you are using. So actually... you might have done well out of it.

Too late now.

jandl100

06-04-2016, 07:25

Too late now.

Nooo :(

It would be interesting to do a head2head with the Beresford, if you'd care to send it along :)

User211

06-04-2016, 07:26

If the one you buy drops out, it will be worth trying the MF. So if it does the offer is still there.

User211

06-04-2016, 07:27

Cross post. Will send it anyway...:)

brian2957

06-04-2016, 07:28

Aye worth comparing the two . You never know :)

jandl100

06-04-2016, 07:31

:thumbsup: A 3-way shootout - only one of them has to remain secret. :eyebrows:

brian2957

06-04-2016, 07:38

This the expensive one then :eyebrows:

jandl100

06-04-2016, 07:47

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/news/images/uploads/Secret-Sister-Swaps.jpg

:lol: - a friend of a friend has come out with a prototype USB convertor they've asked my opinion on. Be interesting and useful to be able to compare it to Stan's finest.

brian2957

06-04-2016, 07:51

Sounds interesting Jerry . Please keep us posted :)

jandl100

06-04-2016, 07:57

Yep, if it's worth reporting on then I will do so (assuming the designer's permission, of course).
If it's sent back to the drawing board then mum's the word! - until the mk2 comes around. :)

brian2957

06-04-2016, 08:06

Well , I've been doing this file audio thing for quite a few years now and I'm always interested to hear about new things in this area :)

jandl100

06-04-2016, 11:48

Wife baffled -- so many boxes arriving. :D

Some more gear for my vintage collection today.

Philips Black Tulip pre-amp and B&O Form 1 headphones.
Lurvly. :eek:

Beobloke

06-04-2016, 11:50

Wife baffled -- so many boxes arriving. :D

Some more gear for my vintage collection today.

Philips Black Tulip pre-amp and B&O Form 1 headphones.
Lurvly. :eek:

Ah the good old Black Turnip! Always fancied trying one of these just to see if they were as bad as everyone seems to think...

jandl100

06-04-2016, 11:53

Ah the good old Black Turnip! Always fancied trying one of these just to see if they were as bad as everyone seems to think...

:lol:

Sounds good with the B&O phones which is all I have connected up at the moment.
Black Turnips are really bad, are they?
Ah well - the B&O 'phones are very bass shy, so full whack up on the bass control and the loudness switch on - yeah, it's very decent actually. :ner:

Macca

06-04-2016, 12:26

I am also interested in the Black Turnip outcome. Get it hooked up Jerry! Headphones are meaningless!

jandl100

06-04-2016, 12:33

http://www.laimadinner.ch/DocUpload/black.radishradis_noir.jpg or http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/29800000/Black-Tulip-tulips-29859808-300-400.jpg ??

:D

Macca

06-04-2016, 12:35

That's a turnip for the books...

brian2957

06-04-2016, 13:08

Could well be ;)

jandl100

07-04-2016, 16:41

walpurgis

07-04-2016, 16:49

:scratch:

jandl100

07-04-2016, 16:50

;) I decided to delay the post pending some developments. :)

Audio Advent

07-04-2016, 23:29

Stans Asynch 1 is pretty good http://www.homehifi.co.uk/S/usb.htm

I use one and yes it's pretty good! Also can feed a dac both coax and optical at the same time (because you know you want to).

brian2957

08-04-2016, 00:49

Didn't know that Sam , neat trick :)

jandl100

08-04-2016, 06:09

I think my USB converter project is grinding to an embarrassing stop. :o
I've got 2 of them at the moment and I can't get either to work properly. :(

I'm a total computer numpty so I don't have a clue myself - but carefully following the advice of someone who does know what he's on about it still doesn't work. :scratch:

Bah - life's too short and I am more than happy with the sound going directly into the DAC as USB, so bugger it! :lol:

If Justin sends his MF I'll have a go with that, but otherwise I'd rather listen to music than fek about with this stuff. :)

struth

08-04-2016, 07:17

Is it driver issues jerry ? Had some initial problems getting the driver introduced to the async myself.

jandl100

08-04-2016, 07:20

Is it driver issues jerry ? Had some initial problems getting the driver introduced to the async myself.

Dunno.

One of the beasts is said not to need a special driver - although that is being chased up today.
The other has a driver to download and install, which I have done - I get music but with accompanying popping sounds!

User211

08-04-2016, 08:33

I am not sure I didn't bin the MF but will look this w/e.

Streaming through these devices can cause mental problems trying to find out why it doesn't work.

User211

08-04-2016, 09:38

Found some time to check - yup, I did bin it, as no one bought it and I couldn't be arsed with the likely returns after ebay/Paypal fees etc.

Soz. I had genuinely forgotten I'd ditched it.

struth

08-04-2016, 09:45

The hifime diy usb dacs with sabre chip are pretty decent for money

jandl100

08-04-2016, 10:07

Audio Advent

08-04-2016, 19:30

Didn't know that Sam , neat trick :)

Good way to compare dacs if you can set output levels to match somehow (or of course the different inputs or cables).

Audio Advent

08-04-2016, 19:41

No worries, Justin - someone else sent me a V-Link 192 - arrived this morning.

So I now have 3 USB converters that I can't get to work properly. :steam: :lol:

One makes a static-like noise
One shows all locks are good, but conveys no sound at all
One plays music accompanied by popping sounds.

:doh:

Gone back to straight USB into my DAC (with the same USB cable) and that works great. :yay:

Are you using a PC or Mac?

One thing with having already used the USB input to your current DAC is that windows will have installed a driver for it and will be switching to that usb driver when you plug it in. If one of the others uses the same make of USB receiver chip but a later version, then perhaps windows is assuming it's your original DAC and not bothering to install the new driver?

I had some issues from memory with popping with an older driver for the chip in the Async 1 and all was resolved with the updated driver (which was on the Beresford site) This for Win 8.1 - I think the older driver worked well only in win 8.0.

Another thing too - sometimes it can depend when you plug in your usb cable, before or after starting the music software. Sometimes the software you're playing from needs to be restarted in order to re-direct the sound to the new audio device you've just plugged in..

Take a look at the sound properties on whatever computer you're using and see what it says it's playing through..

One final thought - when I plugged the async 1 into my dad's pc for the first time I ended up deleting the usb driver for the Caiman II that did work and restart the pc just to make sure. Again that was a windows issue of it not picking the correct driver after I'd installed it.

hughandella

08-04-2016, 21:27

Are you using a PC or Mac?

One thing with having already used the USB input to your current DAC is that windows will have installed a driver for it and will be switching to that usb driver when you plug it in. If one of the others uses the same make of USB receiver chip but a later version, then perhaps windows is assuming it's your original DAC and not bothering to install the new driver?

I had some issues from memory with popping with an older driver for the chip in the Async 1 and all was resolved with the updated driver (which was on the Beresford site) This for Win 8.1 - I think the older driver worked well only in win 8.0.

Another thing too - sometimes it can depend when you plug in your usb cable, before or after starting the music software. Sometimes the software you're playing from needs to be restarted in order to re-direct the sound to the new audio device you've just plugged in..

Take a look at the sound properties on whatever computer you're using and see what it says it's playing through..

One final thought - when I plugged the async 1 into my dad's pc for the first time I ended up deleting the usb driver for the Caiman II that did work and restart the pc just to make sure. Again that was a windows issue of it not picking the correct driver after I'd installed it.

good advice I think --- it has to be a compatability issue --- I know one of the units definitely works --- I must admit having Apple makes it a lot easier ! .... keep the faith Jerry !

struth

08-04-2016, 21:30

go into the system list and install it (the driver) manually.

jandl100

08-04-2016, 21:45

Audio Advent

19-04-2016, 22:25

Any luck?

Parkie37

19-04-2016, 23:42

Thanks for the advice, Sam.

|I have a laptop PC.

Too tired now to have a go, but will be able to have another crack at it on Sunday.

I know that when I installed the driver for the MF V-Link it showed that as the active driver (called it V-Link so seemed unambiguously correct!) but no sound came out.
I don't doubt that all 3 units are fine, and that the problem is in my setup.

Whenever you make a change to a PC, such as a new driver, make sure that you reboot it (not that I have ever updated my computer audio setup and sat swearing at it, only to realize that I hadn't rebooted yet :doh:). I am sure that you have tried that, but thought that I would mention it just in case....

BTW, I love your new avatar! What a cute little baby duck : )

jandl100

20-04-2016, 05:55

Any luck?

Nah, I gave up. :whistle:

Although, curiously, I am currently using an Audiolab MDAC (which has digital-out) to convert USB to co-ax digital to feed into my (non-USB) DAC de jour.
That works just fine. :scratch:
I have no idea why I had insuperable problems with the stand-alone USB converter boxes.

jandl100

20-04-2016, 06:00

I am also interested in the Black Turnip outcome. Get it hooked up Jerry! Headphones are meaningless!

Finally, have hooked the Black Tulip pre up into my main rig as phonostage / pre-amp for vinyl.
Works fine, sounds good.
A bit more neutral, dynamic and higher rez than the admittedly rose-tinted 'stage/pre in my vintage Marantz receiver.
I don't use a pre in my main streaming setup, so can't do a direct comparison there.
I've an Audiolab 8000PPA 'stage sitting on my shelves and good though it is, I feel no burning urge to return to it.

La Tulipe plays music enjoyably and is nice to use, the feel of the stepped volume control is very sexy indeed! :eyebrows: :thumbsup:

jandl100

20-04-2016, 06:11

Whenever you make a change to a PC, such as a new driver, make sure that you reboot it (not that I have ever updated my computer audio setup and sat swearing at it, only to realize that I hadn't rebooted yet :doh:). I am sure that you have tried that, but thought that I would mention it just in case....

BTW, I love your new avatar! What a cute little baby duck : )

Ah.
Whoops.
I know I did some re-boots along the way, but not as a matter of course. :doh:
I wonder if that was the problem? :o
:oops:

brian2957

20-04-2016, 07:44

Nah, I gave up. :whistle:

Although, curiously, I am currently using an Audiolab MDAC (which has digital-out) to convert USB to co-ax digital to feed into my (non-USB) DAC de jour.
That works just fine. :scratch:
I have no idea why I had insuperable problems with the stand-alone USB converter boxes.

I'm a computer numpty who uses a file based audio system too Jerry , so I can understand where you're coming from . Gary ( gazjam ) gets a phone call or has to pay me a visit every so often to help me out .
TBH if it wasn't for him the old Marantz CD player would be coming down from the loft :)

jandl100

20-04-2016, 07:53

I hear you, Bruv! :lol:

Computer numpties of the world unite. :grouphug:

Although, to be fair to me, by luck or (less likely) by judgement, I got my basic lappy/streaming system up and going on my own with but a word or 3 of encouragement from Justin / user211. :yay:
Luckily it just needed 1 cable to be plugged in, USB lappy to DAC with no driver downloading. Phew, I wouldn't have managed it otherwise. :)

brian2957

20-04-2016, 08:03

So are all the DACs working in your system now . If so I'm looking forward to your feedback on what you have .

jandl100

20-04-2016, 08:39

So are all the DACs working in your system now . If so I'm looking forward to your feedback on what you have .

All DACs?
Ah well -- if you're curious ....

I have an Audiolab MDAC, Wyred4Sound DAC1, and a SMSL cheapo Chinese DAC.
A Rega DAC recently departed to its new owner.

I enjoyed the Rega for a week or so. Lovely rich midrange tonality and a very fast way with microdynamics. Excellent imaging - in width and depth. Lovely. But ultimately it felt restrained in the macro-dynamic department. There was a subtle 'glass ceiling' on how large scale dynamics could expand - it felt like it was being gently curtailed and made to sound too comfortable and easy going. It just got a bit frustrating in the end, I knew there was more excitement to be had. The new owner has had one before and it suits him down to the ground, so probably big doses of personal preference and system synergy are involved!

MDAC. Ah, hmm. So good in so many ways. Dynamic, rez, presence, bass control and definition - superdooper! But an emphasised top end makes it annoying in a reasonably neutral system and it then sounds a bit grainy. It works very well in my 2nd system with Maggie 1.6QR speakers which have a rather gentle top end.

W4S DAC1. A more sophisticated sound. Very nice - loadsa rez and very nice 3D imaging. You can hear why it costs more and was well thought of. DACs have come and gone over the last couple of years, but the W4S is always there ready to take over from the latest digital wondertoy! :) I've almost sold it a couple of times to a particular AOSer. He'll get it one day, if he strikes at the right moment. :eyebrows:

And currently plugged in is a SMSL DAC - £25 from a forum member. It sounds great - probably as simple a DAC as they come, and maybe it benefits from that.
I'm using the MDAC as a USB to co-ax converter as the SMSL doesn't have USB input, so I can still use it for streaming.
Yeah, OK, it is a bit uncouth, just a little bit raw at the top and imaging in depth isn't its strongest point - but the openness, rez and dynamics are all excellent. There's an honest simplicity to the sound that appeals at the moment - it just plays the music in a fun and communicative way. Think of it as an MDAC done right. :whistle: :)

YMMV to all of that lot. :lol:

Marco

20-04-2016, 10:04

I'm a computer numpty who uses a file based audio system too Jerry , so I can understand where you're coming from . Gary ( gazjam ) gets a phone call or has to pay me a visit every so often to help me out .
TBH if it wasn't for him the old Marantz CD player would be coming down from the loft :)

Lol - I know exactly where you're coming from. I do the same thing with Duncan... Handy having friends like that when you need them (and they know you'd only too gladly return the favour if you could) ;)

Marco.

brian2957

20-04-2016, 10:34

Lol - I know exactly where you're coming from. I do the same thing with Duncan... Handy having friends like that when you need them (and they know you'd only too gladly return the favour if you could) ;)

Marco.
Yup , Gary has become a very good friend , along with Ali and Tony :)

brian2957

20-04-2016, 10:36

All DACs?
Ah well -- if you're curious ....

I have an Audiolab MDAC, Wyred4Sound DAC1, and a SMSL cheapo Chinese DAC.
A Rega DAC recently departed to its new owner.

I enjoyed the Rega for a week or so. Lovely rich midrange tonality and a very fast way with microdynamics. Excellent imaging - in width and depth. Lovely. But ultimately it felt restrained in the macro-dynamic department. There was a subtle 'glass ceiling' on how large scale dynamics could expand - it felt like it was being gently curtailed and made to sound too comfortable and easy going. It just got a bit frustrating in the end, I knew there was more excitement to be had. The new owner has had one before and it suits him down to the ground, so probably big doses of personal preference and system synergy are involved!

MDAC. Ah, hmm. So good in so many ways. Dynamic, rez, presence, bass control and definition - superdooper! But an emphasised top end makes it annoying in a reasonably neutral system and it then sounds a bit grainy. It works very well in my 2nd system with Maggie 1.6QR speakers which have a rather gentle top end.

W4S DAC1. A more sophisticated sound. Very nice - loadsa rez and very nice 3D imaging. You can hear why it costs more and was well thought of. DACs have come and gone over the last couple of years, but the W4S is always there ready to take over from the latest digital wondertoy! :) I've almost sold it a couple of times to a particular AOSer. He'll get it one day, if he strikes at the right moment. :eyebrows:

And currently plugged in is a SMSL DAC - £25 from a forum member. It sounds great - probably as simple a DAC as they come, and maybe it benefits from that.
I'm using the MDAC as a USB to co-ax converter as the SMSL doesn't have USB input, so I can still use it for streaming.
Yeah, OK, it is a bit uncouth, just a little bit raw at the top and imaging in depth isn't its strongest point - but the openness, rez and dynamics are all excellent. There's an honest simplicity to the sound that appeals at the moment - it just plays the music in a fun and communicative way. Think of it as an MDAC done right. :whistle: :)

YMMV to all of that lot. :lol:

Interesting Jerry , I had the Rega DAC for a couple of years and loved it . It wasn't until I heard the M2 Tech Young DAC in my system that I realised I had to make the change .
Thanks for the feedback , computer audio and the parts which make it work always interests me :)

RichB

20-04-2016, 10:53

All DACs?
Ah well -- if you're curious ....

I have an Audiolab MDAC, Wyred4Sound DAC1, and a SMSL cheapo Chinese DAC.
A Rega DAC recently departed to its new owner.

I enjoyed the Rega for a week or so. Lovely rich midrange tonality and a very fast way with microdynamics. Excellent imaging - in width and depth. Lovely. But ultimately it felt restrained in the macro-dynamic department. There was a subtle 'glass ceiling' on how large scale dynamics could expand - it felt like it was being gently curtailed and made to sound too comfortable and easy going. It just got a bit frustrating in the end, I knew there was more excitement to be had. The new owner has had one before and it suits him down to the ground, so probably big doses of personal preference and system synergy are involved!

MDAC. Ah, hmm. So good in so many ways. Dynamic, rez, presence, bass control and definition - superdooper! But an emphasised top end makes it annoying in a reasonably neutral system and it then sounds a bit grainy. It works very well in my 2nd system with Maggie 1.6QR speakers which have a rather gentle top end.

W4S DAC1. A more sophisticated sound. Very nice - loadsa rez and very nice 3D imaging. You can hear why it costs more and was well thought of. DACs have come and gone over the last couple of years, but the W4S is always there ready to take over from the latest digital wondertoy! :) I've almost sold it a couple of times to a particular AOSer. He'll get it one day, if he strikes at the right moment. :eyebrows:

And currently plugged in is a SMSL DAC - £25 from a forum member. It sounds great - probably as simple a DAC as they come, and maybe it benefits from that.
I'm using the MDAC as a USB to co-ax converter as the SMSL doesn't have USB input, so I can still use it for streaming.
Yeah, OK, it is a bit uncouth, just a little bit raw at the top and imaging in depth isn't its strongest point - but the openness, rez and dynamics are all excellent. There's an honest simplicity to the sound that appeals at the moment - it just plays the music in a fun and communicative way. Think of it as an MDAC done right. :whistle: :)

YMMV to all of that lot. :lol:

My Benchmark still hanging around Jerry....:eyebrows:

No glass ceiling with that one.

Marco

20-04-2016, 10:56

Yup , Gary has become a very good friend , along with Ali and Tony :)

Nice one. That's the AoS community at work! :cool:

Marco.

Parkie37

20-04-2016, 23:13

One last thing to help anyone reading this thread, if they have problems using a USB to Coax converter. You have to change the 'source' in your computer sound settings to the converter and not the DAC. The computer now sees only the converter but not the DAC.

Don't ask me how I know that!

jandl100

24-04-2016, 07:04

My current playback system - well, the core of it. The previously mentioned Philips Black Tulip pre is very much a part of it now as well.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF6733_zpsbowgmact.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSCF6733_zpsbowgmact.jpg.html)

OMG look at that dust. :eyebrows:

My main source is Spotify Premium streaming from my laptop.
USB cable into an Audiolab MDAC which is acting purely as a convertor to digital co-axial into my SMSL SD 793 mini DAC (which doesn't have a USB input).
I remain a bit baffled by the SMSL DAC. I bought it used for £25 delivered, and it doesn't cost much more than that new.
I definitely prefer it to the MDAC, whose treble I usually have problems with.
It sounds great, it really does!
Hmm. :scratch:

That feeds into a RadioShack cheapo switch box.
I can't hear any insertion losses - it's very transparent to my ears.

And then off into the APart Champ One power amp.
Very pleased with that, too. Muscle with subtlety and delicacy.

OK, so that's the streaming source. I also play some CDs, LPs and DVDs and the occasional cassette tape. And they need a volume control, and that's where the Black Tulip pre comes in as it routes all those sources to another input on the RadioShack switch box.
There is a bit of low level hum from the Philips-routed sources, but music covers it. Not sure where that is coming from, but there are a lot of wires going to and fro in my current system configuration!

The Philips pre does a great job, I'm very pleased with it. I'm using its phonostage, too, and that sounds fine.
And it's got a great headphone amp.
Very impressed by the Philips Black Tulip pre - it's not a turnip at all. ;)
In fact, it easily deserves a photo of its own. :)

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF6734_zpsvq3vydzm.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSCF6734_zpsvq3vydzm.jpg.html)

jandl100

24-04-2016, 07:30

Oh ... and headphones. I use them a fair amount these days (including as I type this).

I need closed types, as the missus sleeps in late and my previous fave Grados just leaked too much sound and could easily be heard in adjacent rooms.

Trying out these two atm ...

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF6735_zpsphev39c6.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSCF6735_zpsphev39c6.jpg.html)

Audio Technica ATH-M50 and Harman Kardon CL.
Both bought on the basis of online reviews.
The AT are circum-aural and the HK are on-ear.

Initially the HK were incredibly uncomfortable and quite muffled sounding. I bought them new.
But the reviews insisted that that changed with usage - and they were right! They use a firm kind of memory foam that takes a while to form to your ears' shape, probably about 12 hours usage now and they are quite comfortable - I expect they'll improve further.
And the sound has opened up nicely, quite a rich sound but loads of detail.

The AT M50 have a lighter more forward balance, and sit well on my head - very comfortable from the off, although they were bought used, but fairly pristine.

Not sure which is the keeper at the moment, maybe I'll keep both.

brian2957

24-04-2016, 07:55

Looking good Jerry :) . I may buy one of those little SMSL DACs and give it a try .

Frazeur1

24-04-2016, 13:12

I have a pair of the HK CL's too and enjoy them quite a lot. Agree on the comfort level at first, but they have loosened up over the course of time. They were almost like having my head in a vice! Good sound though!

jandl100

01-05-2016, 10:01

Enough LED lights for you? :eyebrows:

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF6745_zpsr2mzeend.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSCF6745_zpsr2mzeend.jpg.html)

New toy. Bit of a lash-up at the moment.
Behringer SRC2496 digital upsampler and general digital doohickey.

Lappy > Muse USB converter > SRC2496 > MDAC.

Currently set to upsample 16/44.1 to 24/96 with dither. Cor. :D Very impressed by initial listen. :thumbsup:

Lots of stuff to play with. A fun way to spend a rainy bank holiday afternoon.

jandl100

01-05-2016, 15:18

jandl100

03-05-2016, 11:46

On its way Jerrywards ...

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTA2NlgxNjAw/z/JuIAAOSw3mpXJ4U6/$_57.JPG

Quite excited about this.
I have very fond memories indeed of my XLM mk1 from, oooo, 40 years ago ish. :eek:
And I remember my disappointment with the mk 2 and 3 - nowhere near as sophisticated and musical to my 20 year old ears.

Probably not an ideal match with my medium mass arm, but I just couldn't resist. :D

Alleged to be posted today ... :popcorn:

walpurgis

03-05-2016, 11:58

That will sound very nice.

struth

03-05-2016, 12:04

Been looking at this for some time... I thought it was a joystick:doh:

Marco

04-05-2016, 07:46

The lash-up reported on above was sounding so good it's now all been sorted and put in place properly.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF6746_zpshhs8f2qf.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSCF6746_zpshhs8f2qf.jpg.html)

Glad to see you're having fun as usual, Jerry, and that you're getting some nice sounds :)

Just a quickie (as these things always catch my eye).... You may find that separating your pre and power amp from each other, by placing the former on the shelf where the duck picture is, improves matters significantly, in a sonic sense, as the huge transformers inside the latter, and the magnetic field generated, will be interfering with the preamp circuitry.

Always best, IME, for that reason, to put pre and power amps on separate shelves. Just a thought, although perhaps you've tried it already and couldn't hear a difference? :cool:

Marco.

jandl100

04-05-2016, 07:52

Yes, I know what you mean, Marco.

And as you can deduce by peeking at post 1670 above, I originally had the pre and power separated, but bringing them together seemed to have no detrimental effect on the sound. And they do look kool as well as neat and tidy together.

... and yes, I'm having a lot of fun! :thumbsup:

Marco

04-05-2016, 08:13

Yeah, I kinda thought that, but wasn't sure. You'd probably only really notice it if there was a phono stage inside your pre (as it would likely cause hum with vinyl playback), which I don't think there is?

Anyway, as you were, muchacho. Keep up the good work! :cool:

Marco.

jandl100

04-05-2016, 08:19

A well separated Audiolab 8000PPA does phonostage duty.

Marco

04-05-2016, 08:47

Coolio :thumbsup:

Marco.

jandl100

04-05-2016, 10:53

She's arrived :) - set up and sounding very nice and cleanly articulate at 1g vtf.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF6757_zpsxqbs2gs1.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSCF6757_zpsxqbs2gs1.jpg.html)

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF6759_zpsu4tn6yap.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSCF6759_zpsu4tn6yap.jpg.html)

jandl100

05-06-2016, 06:54

Headphone shootout at Jerry Towers. :)

Well, actually these 3 are the end result of a bit of a recent headphones journey.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF6769_zps7ochxxaf.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSCF6769_zps7ochxxaf.jpg.html)

Vintage Yamaha HP-500 orthodynamics.
B&O Form 1
Beyerdynamic DT-150

The Yammies are more obviously 'vintage' - a little boxy sounding, but good rez and dynamics. Nice to have and use occasionally.

The B&O surprised me. I bought them only because of the lovely (to my eyes) visual design.
But actually they are surprisingly good sounding - providing you can whack up the bass by a solid 10dB or so and reduce the treble a bit with a handy set of tone controls!

The Beyers are the main set for 'proper' listening before Mrs J gets up in the morning (she's a late sleeper). Pretty damn good, actually. Quite hi-rez, good tonality, a fair bit of oomph in the bass but not overpowering like some modern 'phones. And the earpads don't crowd my ears like some so-called over-ears do. Maybe I've just got big ears.

I tried a couple of other pairs before settling on those ...

Harman Kardon CL. On-ears that sounded very good, but I just couldn't settle with the on-ear feel. I much prefer circumaural over ears.

Audio Technica M50. Bought these ex-dem, with obviously very little play time on them. To start with they were very bass light and a bit peaky in the treble, not at all what I was expecting from the reviews! So I left them pounding away to Massive Attack's Mezzanine for 24 hours. Whoo - what a difference a day makes. After the break in they turned from bass light to rather bass heavy. The treble smoothed out nicely. Voiced for the Dr Dre crowd who want to move on to something a bit more sophisticated, I suspect.

And before any of these I had Flare Audio R2a in-ears. Great sound but I just couldn't adjust to the in-ear experience. Hence the above journey to find a replacement.

And before the Flare Audio there were Grado 325i. Superb headphones but the sound leakage was just too much for the Mrs.

jandl100

14-06-2016, 07:49

I honestly thought it was going to be bigger than that.
- that's what I always tell the ladies. :eyebrows:

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF6773_zpsztrfirj4.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSCF6773_zpsztrfirj4.jpg.html)

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF6774_zpsuri4kdfp.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSCF6774_zpsuri4kdfp.jpg.html)

Another teeny-weeny amp that caught my attention recently.
Not a class D chip amp, but a power-DAC, I believe.
40wpc - 4 ohms, 25wpc into 8 ohms.

Mainly digital inputs, it also has an ADC on board and accepts a mini jack plug analog stereo input.
Here's a stock photo of the rear ...
http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0199/1898/products/SMSL_Q5_Pro.1_large.png?v=1447050197

Remote control of volume in 60 steps (with a lot of gain available), mute and .... tone controls! :D Bass and treble, and a fixed set of 6 equaliser settings. I like the tone controls! - just a plus or minus 1 nudge (out of 9) for bright or dull recordings, yay.

The sound majors on clarity, resolution, image focus and small/medium scale dynamic nuance. So probably not an ideal piece for many here on AOS ;) - a very different presentation to the Monarchy class A amps that are so popular here, for example, although I suspect that Marco would love it. Very upbeat, somewhat 'brightly lit' allowing its startling clarity to be showcased, and it lets a very healthy dose of musical pizzaz and excitement thru. Within the power limits, bass is deep and very well controlled - more than a bit awesome, actually.

Justin will be pulling his hair out in anguish that I have fallen for yet another weeny digital amp. :lol:
It only arrived yesterday, but initial impressions are that I could easily live with this.

OK - it doesn't have the awesome heft at high levels of my APart Champ One 300wpc power amp, but it does a creditable job of Dream Theater at 10 (rather than 11) and sounds fantastic on pretty much all of the classical and folky music I have so far tried with it.

It costs about £85 delivered, and is called a S.M.S.L. Q5 Pro.
It is a stunning piece of kit regardless of price.

hifilover

14-06-2016, 12:31

Bloody hell Jerry!

Saved one of them to my watch list last night on Fleabay; will be buying one when I'm back from holiday next week

Looks to be a great all-in-one and ideal for a desktop system. Will be interested to see how it drives my RX2s!

Thanks for the write up; it's a good read :)

jandl100

14-06-2016, 12:35

Thanks, Dan - yup, it's a mighty midget!

Interesting comparative article / review here http://www.qobuz.com/ie-en/info/hi-res-guide/comparison-four-digital-amplifiers178041

hifilover

14-06-2016, 12:40

Seems like it's a lot of bang for not a lot of £££!

Cheers Jerry

User211

14-06-2016, 16:21

Ah. More pussy power. Meow.

jandl100

14-06-2016, 16:54

Ah. More pussy power. Meow.

Surprisingly, it's more of a

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/06/09/16/03BB5E5A0000044D-3117010-image-a-25_1433862086692.jpg

than a

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/f2/56/59/f2565989f455984f206411089d6b1b82.jpg

Playing Mahler 7th symphony at the moment ... BIG orchestral.

Before that Buggles Age of Plastic.

It's going good. :thumbsup:

Doesn't quite make the grade on Blues for Klook, where 3 figure wattage would be needed for the full drama to be revealed, but you'd be surprised how well it does, I think.

It'd probably go into meltdown with your Apogees, but it works well with the MBLs.

User211

14-06-2016, 18:23

Nah. Even my cat sez it's pussy.

User211

14-06-2016, 18:25

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160614/b477411aa1c1cf922cea87fe1147c5d5.jpg

User211

14-06-2016, 18:37

The sub-standard mobile pic shows he has screwed up what was once quite a nice chair.

Anyway, glad you're enjoying yet another amp. It is an Apart Champ session and some Leffe Brun chez moi in a bit. Still enjoying that.

Audio Advent

15-06-2016, 15:03

Getting your claws into that vinyl must feel good - my cat liked it too when I had a black version of one of those chairs.

jandl100

16-06-2016, 15:06

Despite its pussy-status the SMSL Q5 Pro is still very much the amp-de-jour here. :)

Now hooked up via its mini-jack analog input to play some newly acquired classical vinyls - and sounding very good indeed. :thumbsup:

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF6780_zpsr3vwjae1.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSCF6780_zpsr3vwjae1.jpg.html)

Audio Advent

16-06-2016, 17:26

Took me a long time to spot it!

jandl100

21-06-2016, 10:38

Headphone update!

Still into my vintage 'phones thing I bought a pair of B&O U70 orthodynamics. Bit of a design legend, these. Awesome looks if you like that sort of thing.
I got a pair dead cheap on t'bay as the earpads were totally AWOL and MIA.
But a quick scout back on ebay turned up a promising pair of pads of about the right dimensions, and with the help of some doublesided tape they are now attached and ready for music. :)

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF6781_zpsu5sxqkby.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/DSCF6781_zpsu5sxqkby.jpg.html)

The U70 often get dissed on the headphone forums as being a poor implementation of orthodynamics, but I am surprised how good they sound!
Very open and excellent speed on plucked transients. Vocals have excellent presence and bass, while lacking in the extreme has good definition in the mid/upper-bass.
Cumfy, too.

Very pleased. :)

Darren

22-06-2016, 19:18

HI Jerry,
even though you don't know me at all, could you please do me a favour and buy one of the SMSL dacs from further up their range? One of the Sanskrit models or even higher would do. If you rate it could you please let me know ASAP and if its rubbish it will save me money.

Thank you . :eyebrows::D

jandl100

22-06-2016, 19:29

Well, to be perfectly honest, the Q5 Pro is more than good enough for my humble system, so I'll leave it you to explore the more expensive regions of the SMSL catalogue, Darren. :thumbsup:

I look forward to your comments on it with bated breath. ;)

User211

22-06-2016, 19:58

Geek + Q5. All 30 mins LOL.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bxf8_WzGrI

jandl100

22-06-2016, 20:05

Wheee-ooo! I guess he's got a webcam on his head - making me dizzy watching it!

User211

22-06-2016, 20:06

Nope he's half Dalek:D

hifilover

23-06-2016, 09:50

I'm sea sick after watching that review...

POV reviews suck ass :D

jandl100

28-06-2016, 07:54

Yomanze

30-06-2016, 16:39

Horizontal bi amping, a poor solution for a non existent problem. [emoji14]

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

jandl100

30-06-2016, 16:42

Horizontal bi amping, a poor solution for a non existent problem. [emoji14]

Really?

300wpc on the bass, 25wpc on the mids / treble -- instead of 25wpc covering the lot.

Would be expected to make some difference I would have thought? :scratch:

Yomanze

30-06-2016, 16:45

Really?

300wpc on the bass, 25wpc on the mids / treble -- instead of 25wpc covering the lot.

Would be expected to make some difference I would have thought? :scratch:
Like what you have found, I think that (passive) bi-amping results in a less cohesive sound, and comes across more "split up".

Reffc

30-06-2016, 19:12

Did he like it?
I just watched a few minutes of the start - no audio! That was enough. So I've no idea what he thought of the Q5 Pro.

___

Anyway, I'd kind of set myself an expectation of re-inserting the 300wpc Apart power amp for Justin's planned visit chez-moi. That visit didn't happen cos I've come down with an 'orrible cold caught from my 9yo great nephew, curse him.
But that still set up an expectation for an amp change.

So I thought I'd try a spot of bi-amping - the Q5 Pro on the mid/top and the Apart on the bass.
Sounds like a good plan, but it didn't work out at all well. It sounded very strange indeed.

Going back to sole use of the Apart, I realised that the problem was a different tonal presentation of the two amps that just didn't gel together.
The Q5 Pro has a much 'whiter' tonality - which helps explain the amp's very noticeable openness and clarity, I think.
The Apart is richer, fuller, a bit slower-seeming.
And listening to the bass section of the MBLs on its own, the x-over is a slow one and it goes way up into the lower mids. So the tonality of the mids with the 2 quite different sounding amps substantially overlapping probably explains the sonic weirdness that I heard.

So the current setup is with the Apart amp on its own. It does sound yummy. :)

Interesting observations Jerry but in reality, there may well be other reasons attributable to what you are hearing with this bi-amp solution. The first point of note is that 25wpc (if indeed it actually does produce this) might or might not be sufficient as those lower mids cross over at something like 170Hz but are drawing appreciable current an octave below that and those speakers draw a sizeable current demand up to above 1KHz, above which impedance falls off to something like 4 ohms. Rated as 83dB/1w/1m they are not especially sensitive hence I would have expected more power to be needed for any appreciable dynamic swings. Of course, you can, and probably have driven them with lowish powered valve amps but the way that they normally run into clipping tends to be more benign (not always, but more usually even order distortion). So it is possible that you could drive the little amp quite hard, even into clipping distortion. That's one possibility. The second point is that you are, in effect, slightly altering the crossover by losing some of the out of band damping that a single amp driving a crossover with all the tri-wire links in place would normally see. This does slightly increase measurable distortion unlike a true active solution driven by a single amplifier with the crossover within the preamp section.

Now it would be more interesting to hook up something like a beefier valve amp for the mids and HF which might be more tolerant of the impedance drop and see how that compares. Unless an amp is poorly designed and operates with a degree of audible distortion within its stated operating band, I would not expect to hear much, if any differences between them if operating below clipping levels (ie your current configuration as described) providing that they were both level matched. If you aren't able to level match them, then that on its own might account for the differences you hear. The input sensitivity and gain structures of the output sections of both amps will differ, one might reasonably assume, so driving each off the same preamp is still no guarantee of level matching them. Personally, with speakers of that calibre and at that cost, I wouldn't be messing about driving them with lower powered amps given the choice. Best I ever heard them I reckon was with the Parasound Halo up front :cool:

jandl100

30-06-2016, 19:33

Hmm - well, the problem with that analysis may be that I am much happier with the (alleged) 25wpc digital amp on its own than I am with the aforementioned bi-amp pairing with 300wpc taking care of the bass. :scratch:

And, crazy dude that I am :mental:, I am actually quite happy with a 10wpc amp driving my speakers! - be it a Mini-T switching amp or the SET Jazz valve amp - both of which work very well, imo.

It's the bi-amping thing that went skewiff, not an under-powered mid/top amp.
And I like all the amps on their own - just not in combination! :scratch:

Maybe it's the x-over damping/distortion thing you mention, Paul - but it was a very obvious and unpleasant effect so I doubt the issues you raise would be so catastrophic.

User211

30-06-2016, 22:22

I agree with Paul in the sense that I think your speakers need power, Jerry.

Amp mixing does lead to some really weird sounds sometimes, so I am not surprised, especially with such radically different amps. Paul is right.

Also, the Champ is great. I really like it and for what we paid it is out and out amazing VFM. But the MBLs could do with better.

Halo was very good, KSA 250a the best I've heard with yours IMHO (though defo the other way round on my speakers).

Just my thoughts.

User211

30-06-2016, 22:30

Oooops forgot the Graaf. That was my fave actually in valvesville. Only 50 Watts but that did things I really liked with the MBls. Loved it.

I regard that as sort of an equiv to my 211s. Ultimately lacking in power, but WTF who cares it works so well at anything but silly volumes.

User211

30-06-2016, 22:31

EDIT: Double post in weird non-responsive forum s/w blues.

jandl100

30-06-2016, 23:00

Hmm. yeah, while I certainly enjoyed the Graaf / MBL pairing I wasn't as keen on it as you, Justin.

Did you ever hear the 70wpc Ming Da KT90 amp (that Marco heard)? - I think that one would have ended up as your favourite valve / MBL pairing if you had. A very ballsy / controlled sound.
Ultimately that was a bit stark for me, and the NAD S300 stayed and it left.

You might be surprised at how well the Apart Champ amp works here - I suspect that with an easier load than your Aps it shines in ways that it doesn't quite manage in your system. It really does sound rather fine. Just as ballsy and detailed as the Krell 250a (you should hear it on Dream Theater) but warmer, without the Krell's upfront sound. Your choice would I think still be the Krell, but the Apart is more to my taste.

User211

01-07-2016, 08:23

I should have said KAV 250a...:doh:

The Champ is fabulous on the Aps - smooth, warm, powerful, even handed, easy to listen too. That is, until you connect the M-60s, when you realise it is veiled, and very obviously so by comparison. But then I've already talked about that on the high power amp thread.

The Graaf did really entertaining imaging with the MBLs. Nicely fleshed out, I would put it.

Doesn't matter what anyone really thinks, though, including me. Just carry on doing your thang, Jerry.;)

jandl100

01-07-2016, 08:28

Doesn't matter what anyone really thinks, though, including me. Just carry on doing your thang, Jerry.;)

No worries about that. :lol:

I might call the Accu M60s 'forensic' - impressive but not sure I could live with them.

___

Frustrating and irritating discovery yesterday about headphones.

The reason I found on-ear types uncumfy turns out to be that I wear glasses.
Take them off, or have them hooked over the headphone pad, and they are hugely more cumfy. :doh:
It was the headphones pressing the arms of the glasses against my ears that was the problem.

I've sold on some on-ears due to comfort issues.
Ah well, live and learn.
Still, it enables me to really enjoy the Musical Fidelity MF-100 'phones for extended listening - they are really quite special now that they have run in. :thumbsup:

I've ordered a pair of MF-200 .... said to be much less comfortable due to revised headband design being much less flexible but a sonic improvement on the 100. I'll see how I get on with them.

User211

01-07-2016, 08:58

No worries about that. :lol:

I might call the Accu M60s 'forensic' - impressive but not sure I could live with them.

The M-60s are the OLED TV kind of presentation. Deeply impressive when fed with a reference quality source i.e. they show all they could reasonably be expected to. The Champ, more LED lit LCD i.e. less well defined. You might call that refined.

At the end of the day I prefer high res rather than less so.

jandl100

24-08-2016, 21:41

New amp.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/Carat%20A57%20amp_zpstyooxwsr.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/Carat%20A57%20amp_zpstyooxwsr.jpg.html)

Carat A57.
Arrived yesterday. Very impressed so far.
It's been on my vague Want List since this review came out nearly 8 years ago! http://www.hifiplus.com/articles/the-carat-a57-integrated-amplifier/

Will say more once I have more listening under my belt ... but most amps get the old heave-ho quite quickly, this one is definitely staying a while!

struth

24-08-2016, 21:50

Nice looking amp Jerry. I'd swap out the blue leds mind, as Im not a big fan, but otherwise it looks tops. whats the output on that then?

jandl100

24-08-2016, 21:55

I'm a blue LED fanboy, so it's fine by me.

80wpc into 8 ohms, 150wpc into 4 ohms - so it's got a decent power supply in there. :)

User211

24-08-2016, 21:56

The review says nowt that I saw about the original retail price. Any idea?

jandl100

24-08-2016, 22:02

£1k back in 2008.

User211

24-08-2016, 22:06

It's a bit of a cheeky chappie style wise. Most Primare.

http://www.soundandvision4u.co.uk/primare121Front.jpg

jandl100

24-08-2016, 22:10

Ha! - so it is.
I've never heard any Primare gear.

User211

24-08-2016, 22:19

struth

24-08-2016, 22:33

Well I am in the same boat. Just bought some very Furutech look-a-like rhodium carbon fibre RCA plugs from China.

Got to say the quality at £35 for 4 is unbelievable, though. The eBay seller just got banned!!!

long arm of the law society .

Aye these amps do look very similar... wonder if there is a connection?

jandl100

25-08-2016, 06:48

It was a bit of a tough call deciding to pull the trigger on this purchase as, while the Hifi Plus review is incredibly positive, it gets roasted by What Hifi! http://www.whathifi.com/carat/a57/review ... "The £1000 amplifier sector is fearsomely contested, and the Carat gets eaten alive".

In my view, Hifi+ gets it right and WTF lives up to its name. :D
... to be fair, IME What Hifi often gets it right, but is sometimes so far from credibility that the mind boggles! :scratch:
I've had a very similar experience recently with a pair of Sony XBA-H1 IEMs. A great set of 'phones, but they get roasted by WTF and lauded elsewhere.

Macca

25-08-2016, 07:41

Not often you see a bad review in a mag these days so that's interesting. They really must have hated it!

User211

25-08-2016, 08:21

long arm of the law society .

Aye these amps do look very similar... wonder if there is a connection?
Yup. I am skeptical of the rhodium content given the price.

They look to be unbranded Acrolink with a very similar model number to £240 worth of Furutech plugs. Other eBay seller's have them but at a higher price.

The Acrolink name shows signs of one being there - probably polished off.

Barry

25-08-2016, 17:24

Yup. I am skeptical of the rhodium content given the price.

They look to be unbranded Acrolink with a very similar model number to £240 worth of Furutech plugs. Other eBay seller's have them but at a higher price.

The Acrolink name shows signs of one being there - probably polished off.

Rhodium doesn't have the highest conductivity, but it is hard wearing. That's why it's used as a plating for wristwatches etc.. Being part of the platinum group of metals, rhodium is not cheap.

User211

25-08-2016, 18:42

Rhodium doesn't have the highest conductivity, but it is hard wearing. That's why it's used as a plating for wristwatches etc.. Being part of the platinum group of metals, rhodium is not cheap.

Exactly.

I would not be surprised if the rhodium content, was, in fact, zero. Which begs the question WTF is it?:lol:

I'm going to connect it to some Furutech cable (that is genuine, believe it or not) that I know well and already own in another set of interconnects. If the plugs obviously suck I will know very quickly.

User211

25-08-2016, 18:49

In my view, Hifi+ gets it right and WTF lives up to its name. :D
... to be fair, IME What Hifi often gets it right, but is sometimes so far from credibility that the mind boggles! :scratch:
I've had a very similar experience recently with a pair of Sony XBA-H1 IEMs. A great set of 'phones, but they get roasted by WTF and lauded elsewhere.

In my view it is all pants. Amps that do well in one system don't in another. The value of amp reviews is close to worthless because there are waaayyy ttoooo mmmaaannnnyyy vvaarriiaabllles.

Barry

25-08-2016, 18:56

Can you provide a link to the eBay seller?

Suspect he is using "rhodium" simply as a title: in much the same way that I suspect that very little, if any, tellurium copper is used in Tellurium-Q cables. But I could be wrong.

User211

25-08-2016, 19:15

No as I said he is banned.

They are unquestionably Acrolink CF-102(R). Google it. You'll get hits.

Here are some actual photos of mine. They are seriously nice and weighty. And they look fab I think.

http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g436/User_211/DSC02704_zpsdb7ciora.jpg

http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g436/User_211/DSC02706_zpsehqrs39i.jpg

http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g436/User_211/DSC02709_zps5sjdnr9w.jpg

danilo

25-08-2016, 23:54

Ohhhh Sparkly!
Fabrique en Chine perchance?
I use simple /stoopid Soundcraft Nickel plated RCAs'.
Work fine thanks and affordable too.

jandl100

26-08-2016, 09:38

I've been on a closed-back headphone hunt for quite a while. *Tried quite a few, but none were keepers for a variety of reasons.

These arrived this morning, and I feel I have reached my destination at last.
From solo lute to Dream Theater @11 ... :thumbsup:

https://cnet2.cbsistatic.com/img/l9dWWicZL61HkDpWqUVdVswWvAU=/770x433/2013/05/09/9212dbce-67c2-11e3-a665-14feb5ca9861/PSB_M4U_1_35663373_02.jpg

PSB M4U-1.
They are a bit red, though.

petrat

26-08-2016, 11:08

Wow, they look lovely!

Firebottle

26-08-2016, 11:36

Don't look in the mirror when using them Jerry :doh:

Glad you have found the ones.

(Yours arrived beginning of the week, thanks.)

jandl100

26-08-2016, 11:42

Don't look in the mirror when using them Jerry :doh:

:lol:

struth

26-08-2016, 11:42

Do them in black ish colour too.. Look the part that

jandl100

26-08-2016, 11:52

I got these vintage cans a few days ago, as well.

http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/7JoAAOSwawpXuuGt/s-l1600.jpg

... no, not in the same league sonically as the PSB, but they sound pretty decent and I just love the look of them! They are destined for my 70s-style living room with my 2nd system. :)

Audio Al

26-08-2016, 11:53

jandl100

07-09-2016, 10:59

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!

A Philips Black Turnip Tulip power amp to go with my superb Black Tulip pre-amp ...

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/Philips%20Black%20Tulip%20pre%20amp%20power%20amps _zpsizhc4osb.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/Philips%20Black%20Tulip%20pre%20amp%20power%20amps _zpsizhc4osb.jpg.html)

Arrived this morning and it is MINT! -- it looks new, feels new, it even smells new. :)

100wpc and luvverly power meters. :stalks:

Just hooked up, works fine and sound is ..... awaiting audition. ;) But seems very good at first blush.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/Philips%20Black%20Tulip%20380%20power%20amp_zpssva oeohs.jpg (http://s262.photobucket.com/user/jandl100/media/Philips%20Black%20Tulip%20380%20power%20amp_zpssva oeohs.jpg.html)

Firebottle

07-09-2016, 11:12

Where do you find these Jerry?
Looks lovely ;)

Macca

07-09-2016, 11:31

Are you going for the Full Turnip then Jerry? I think there is a tuner and a tape deck too.

struth

07-09-2016, 11:37

Nice amps those.. Massive torroidal in there.... Similar to some Marantz designs i believe

jandl100

07-09-2016, 11:43

Yes, I was surprised how much it weighed!
Philips - Marantz - they were pretty much the same thing at one point, weren't they.

Full Turnip? - probably not. There was a full stack on eBay for £350, it's probably still there.
I might be tempted if the cassette deck came along for £50 or so.

Barry

07-09-2016, 12:04

The 'Black Tulip' range was Philips flagship statement range.

Interesting choice of name; the production of a truly black-coloured tulip has been an ambition amongst tulip growers for years. The goal has not yet been reached: so-called black tulips are actually a very dark purple/aubergine colour. Some might say (and some have) the choice of name is apt for the Philips range of electronics.

Your amp looks to be mint and unused. Well done, though I still think power meters to be an egregious, inaccurate and unnecessary distraction on amps - but then that's just me!

jandl100

07-09-2016, 14:25

Interesting choice of name; the production of a truly black-coloured tulip has been an ambition amongst tulip growers for years. The goal has not yet been reached: so-called black tulips are actually a very dark purple/aubergine colour. Some might say (and some have) the choice of name is apt for the Philips range of electronics.

I'm not at all clear what that means!

Aubergine-tinted sound? :scratch:

Or black blacks?

Or black as in dark, as in lacking top end sparkle?

Certainly not the last, imo - lots of top end air to be heard, and I like a rather feisty sound and it is sounding very impressive to me so far.

The bottom end is particularly impressive - weighty, but taut, vibrant and highly resolved.

DSJR

07-09-2016, 14:31

Black Tulip? I don't think they were bad in any sense of the word, but they *were* Philips, and that was the killer in my opinion and experience of trying to sell the range at the time. My more recent experiences of Philips was in their video recorders they made for themselves and for B&O. The performance of these was as good as any of the best jap machines with excellent 'VHS' picture and sound, but my Gawd, they were grindingly frail, clunky and noisy in operation with literally 'grinding' gears in the 'Charly' mechanism and 'zizzing' noises when function motors were working to load and unload tapes in the mechs that came after. JVC, Toshiba and Panasonic alternatives (amongst many, many others I'm sure), were all but silent when threading, un-threading and ejecting the tapes.

I have a reputation now for defending belt driven springy decks - and Philips made a lovely model called a GA 212 back in the day before Black Tulip. Held together with double sided adhesive tape (I'm not entirely kidding here) and with a sadly steel main platter, it was capable of a fine sonic quality. DC servo motor with good torque I recall, light-touch start-stop and speed select sensors, optically sensed auto switch-off at side end and the arm, despite high friction which acted as damping (same as the original AR XA and XB tonearm) actually worked better than its crudeness would suggest - in my opinion and experience with them. Later models (alongside and after the GA 312 styling job) further emulated Japanese deck styling I remember, but the build wasn't there I think.