Jez arkless hybrid mc phonostage

[vinyljunky]

Got the jez arkless hybrid mc phonostage on demo it's the prototype 1st impressions one word wow very even handed with music tonally lively but not bright or brash detail there in spades no colouration of the music whatever's on the album comes out as is listening to golden earring at the mo just sublime I'll give a more indepth review after a more extended listening session here's a pic for the perves https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170110/f6beac4d5be61b97c9e6a6329c64428a.jpg


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[vinyljunky]

This phonostage just keeps giving.Currently listening to Thomas Dolby flat earth the track I scare myself the minutiae of detail coming through is astonishing the zyx cart I have is loaded at 110 ohms using loading plugs it's a high gain phono so my volume pot is at lower levels than normal.

[Arkless Electronics]

Just wanted to point out to people that this is a prototype come demonstrator unit and although ahem... not cheap.. the shite fit and finish etc on this are due to it's prototype nature. The PSU, although in a basic looking box is superbly built (there are photos of its innards somewhere in my trade area), but the main amp has PCB's held down by hot melt glue etc... It's intended test the concept and demonstrate the sound quality but is light years off the aesthetic finish etc a customer could expect if actually ordering one of these ;)

[vinyljunky]

Jez got al Vince and Pete coming over tomorrow night for a listening sesch so expect more comments on your phono and I'm telling you now they'll be favourable got some acid jazz on at the mo emperors new clothes super smooth sound lots of trumpet on the third track I swear it sounds like this guy with the trumpet is standing in front of me I'm gobsmacked.

[Arkless Electronics]

Jez got al Vince and Pete coming over tomorrow night for a listening sesch so expect more comments on your phono and I'm telling you now they'll be favourable got some acid jazz on at the mo emperors new clothes super smooth sound lots of trumpet on the third track I swear it sounds like this guy with the trumpet is standing in front of me I'm gobsmacked.

So you should be... It's a £2500 phono stage:D Have fun going back to the Primare:eyebrows: :)

See this is how we dealers work... get em hooked and..... :lol:

Seriously though yeah I'm glad you're liking it and that Pete and Vince will be able to hear it and add their own reviews. Thanks for reviewing it at your own expense petrol wise as well Steve.

[vinyljunky]

Gonna save ............... this year and next.It's right what they say when you've heard something this good you can't go back.Typical this bloke jez gives you a look in the sweet shop window then closes the bloody shop.



Inappropriate wording edited by me.

[vinyljunky]

Still scratching my head to come up with any negatives for this phono https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170111/1bd109af6813c444c9bee0991804fbcd.jpg


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[RichB]

You've got a funny turn of phrase there Steve. Not entirely politically correct.

Nice to see you're having fun with the phono stage though.

[Bigman80]

Gonna save ................ this year and next.It's right what they say when you've heard something this good you can't go back.Typical this bloke jez gives you a look in the sweet shop window then closes the bloody shop.
"Slave like a ................ For real?

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[vinyljunky]

Yeah bit native with the description the politically correct brigade would have a field day


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[vinyljunky]

You've done the right thing editing my post Geoff I've been a naughty school kidhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170111/0c635c5097f6dcf1fb1c7e7f4cb8e190.jpg


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[Arkless Electronics]

I glimpsed it briefly on my way out but was planning on mentioning that as soon as I got in.... to put it mildly... I'd also thought that surely I won't be the first to mention it upon my return. Sorry Steve but that's not on :(

[Sherwood]

You've done the right thing editing my post Geoff I've been a naughty school kidhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170111/0c635c5097f6dcf1fb1c7e7f4cb8e190.jpg


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You are compounding your ignorant offensive remarks by making a joke of it. I am appalled that the owners of this site have not acted promptly to remove you from this forum!

Geoff

[vinyljunky]

I apologise deeply for any offensive remarks I may have said it was very childish to poke fun at the situation there is a line you should not cross and I crossed it.Also I apologise to Geoff he was only doing his job as a moderator we don't want this forum to descend into anarchy .


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[RichB]

Ok, well it's done, been mentioned and Steve has apologised. Knowing Steve, I do not believe any offence was intended.

[vinyljunky]

Thank you rich I think sometimes we say things in the heat of the moment and we regret saying them it was not intended as a racist remark but it was holy inappropriate for this forum and it's wonderful contributors


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[ianlenco]

Perhaps a mod could edit Oliver's post too so we can't see the offending phrase. In fact why not clear out all the posts coming after the original offensive one and get the thread back to the main subject?

[vinyljunky]

Yes a good idea and I have now decided to step back and think before I make a posting idle banter in a pub is one thing posting on a forum needs a lot more care and attention


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[farflungstar]

Yes delete it and all posts after it - anyone online can read posts without being a member, I used to do it before joining and had I come across that remark I wouldn't have joined.

Adey


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[Bigman80]

Agreed.

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[vinyljunky]

Having had the arkless hybrid mc phonostage for a few days I've finally found the words to describe it.I heard something special from it in parts I could tell that with a longer time listening to it it would show me more of it's character.From the brief time I had it it presented to me tremendous detail I'm sure I heard things in albums I've never heard before.On an album the emperors new clothes acid jazz I heard a lovely shimmer from a cymbal on one track and numerous other jaw dropping moments on other albums.All in all a very entertaining phonostage plenty of detail but not clinical or analytical it makes you want to listen to the music not analyse it.


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[Arkless Electronics]

Thanks for the good review and for the prompt return of the demo unit Steve :)

[clarkey555]

Just adding on to a few things Steve has already mentioned I had a brief listen to the hybrid phono stage and have to admit there was something very very special happening to the music. I would have liked a lot more time with it however my system whilst very nice only has mm if I ever move up to mc I will be asking Jez very kindly for a good 3 or 4 day listening session. I believe it would shine when used in a mid to high end system. Anyone looking for a seriously good mc phono stage should put this on a shortlist HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

[speedracer]

Is this still available as a loan unit?

[sq225917]

Great sounding stage, best valve phono I've heard by a country mile. Valvey and unvalvey the same time, super filigree but with solid state bass.

[Arkless Electronics]

Is this still available as a loan unit?

That's a trickier question than it sounds :scratch: Yes...ish!

Steve lives about 12 miles from me and so postage didn't come into it. Although not massively heavy, to send by fully insured, tracked and signed for carriage it costs me about £28 to send it out for a demo, and a recipient the same to send it back.... As an impoverished one man band manufacturer, and having now already had several very good reviews on this unit, I wouldn't really want to be sending this out for demo unless the demo-ee was VERY seriously looking to buy a phono stage at this pretty high end price range (£2-3K or so depending on the exact build a customer requested). FFS there are quiet weeks where my takings fall short of £100 so to send a demo unit out @ £28 postage...... It's not so bad when there's a list of a few people interested in seriously trying a demo unit and therefore I pay one lot of postage, maybe 4-10 people try it, maybe, hopefully, I get an order or two and the demo unit eventually "round robins" it's way back to base.... So there's a big hint there if several folk are interested;)

However... The MM phono section of my forthcoming hybrid full MM pre amp/MM phono stage/line stage range is closely based on the circuitry of this hybrid MC stage and my R&D on that has resulted in several upgrades I have in mind for this unit... A full MkII in effect, so substantial are the changes... with a different second section valve type, discrete HT regulators for each stage of each channel and a few smaller upgrades. Now, superb as this unit is already, I'd be loath to get an order for this one, based on a demo of it, and then to announce the availability of a substantially better MkII a week later...

A bit of an ethical dilemma I suppose. A MkII of many goods/products will come out and there is always going to be someone who buys the last MkI.... and wishes they'd known a MkII was just around the corner... or does/should a manufacturer keep promoting and selling a MkI model? Knowing he has plans for a MkII... but not knowing quite when it will be available...

Well I reckon in this small audio community, and for a one man band, full disclosure of the probable existence of a MkII soon is by far the best way:) Especially as, in the case of custom builds, one builds quite a rapport with a customer, what with all the phone calls over the build etc, and sometimes becomes friends/acquaintances... I couldn't look someone in the eye and say "hay mate, you know that £2.5K phono you bought of me? Well if you'd ordered it a month later you could have had a much better one for only £100 more".... Nah:nono:

Edit: Common sense dictates of course that if the idea for a MkII came in a flash of inspiration, a month after selling the last MkI, that's a different matter :) As improvements to this have been cogitating for a while though I thought it best to make it clear to anyone interested in a demo of this one, with the postage costs plus time and trouble involved, that a MkII is in the pipeline:)

[speedracer]

I see, trickier indeed, best if I pm you I think Jez.

[Arkless Electronics]

Well Speedracers question was basically "do you make a cheaper MM only version" and the answer is yes... soon. It's all here http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?46640-Valve-hybrid-full-function-pre-amp-with-MM-phono-stage

[Floyddroid]

Sounds interesting

[Arkless Electronics]

Sounds interesting

It's the one I brought to that NEBO when we had mains supply issues...