Gong Back in The Game

[RobbieGong]

And I couldnt be more delighted :yay:

The last year and half has been the toughest part of my hi fidelity journey without question - They say the last hurdle is always the hardest - not flamin wrong.

Wont go into all the details but at long last, this evening I managed to fire up my pride and joy after what has felt like an eternity downtime.

So what's new since this http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?43233-The-High-Power-High-Tower-at-Gong-Towers

?

Well,

1.The completely rebuilt and upgraded Sansui AU 919 integrated has now been completely re-capped as well, the only thing that wasn't done in the initial rebuild.

2. The Micro Seiki MA 202 tonearm has been stripped, re-wired and had new hybrid ceramic bearings fitted.

3. My Techies been treated to Paul Hynes's SR7 external power supply, plus regulator modules, pure silver DC lead with Jaegar low impedance connector.

4. The ADC LM1 Magnesium headshell has been replaced by an Audio Technica AT MS-8 ( 8gram) Magnesium headshell, fully adjustable - lovely thing.

5. Bolted to the above is the Ortofon Cadenza Black, my dream cart - didnt think I'd have one until retirement but came across a deal I'd have been crazy to let pass.

Anyway.... I was out of work today faster than a starved greyhound out of the traps chasing a real rabbit :lol:

Once in I got the preliminaries out of the way then down to cart set up, alignment etc - took hours as meticulous tonearm / cart set up is a given in my book, take the time to get that right and your on the right way to the pleasure zone, hearing your system properly.

Out came my 'set up' reference album, we've all got one, the one you know and use for the final adjustments, vta on the fly adjust sweetspot searching :D

Took a while but when I heard it was in I got down to listening and I havnt stopped this evening right into the night !

Where do I start ?? My fear when this moment came was that it was going to be soooooo hard to evaluate this number of changes all all thrown in at once but hey ho! I can think of worse things to have to do :D

From the get go, my thoughts were neutrality ! very welcome and expected with the purity of sound you get with a Sansui 919 and then the Cadenza is known to be exceptionally neutral and smooth.

So far so good, the smoothness wasnt quite there from the off, but I wasnt worried.

I was conscious there'd be a lot of bedding in /burn in - the re-cap, the SR7 and regulator modules and so on. It's about getting some hours in.

The more I play, is the more I'm blown away by the way the system digs deep into the recording, pulling out the music. Each recording is 'individual' and honest. There's no gloss over which is how I've always wanted it.

Bass notation and texture is great, again within the context of the recording. Treble is the most natural I've ever heard in my system

I sense things are just going to get better and better asd the hours clock up and things really settle.

Curtis Mayfield sounded fabulous, Donny Hathaway Live - (The Ghetto) has taken up residence - beautiful !!!

It's gonna be a long long night - fortunately my daughters out with her mate and wont need picking up until after 2am :dance: .........

I've earned this ......... further update and more musings later :wave:

[Bigman80]

Congratulations, Robbie. I imagine that Sansui is quite special. Always fancied one myself.

Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk

[RobbieGong]

Babylon Sister - Steely Dan........ my gosh sublime !!

[RobbieGong]

Congratulations, Robbie. I imagine that Sansui is quite special. Always fancied one myself.

Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk

Hi Oliver - Ya system got you up too ? nothing better eh bro :)

The 919 is the amp I always wanted and hoped for - knew I'd got it right when I first fired it up. It will be my last amp no question.

[Bigman80]

No mate. 12hr night shift. I don't get to listen at all on these shifts. It's good to hear someone happy with their setup.

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[mikeyb]

What are you planning for your next upgrade [emoji23]

[martian sunrise]

That Donny Hathaway track is amazing.

[Firebottle]

Fabulous Robbie, it's what we all strive for. Goose bumps on steroids when it all hits the spot eh?

:cool:

[narabdela]

Am I the only one who read that as "Going Back on the Game" before the sleep cleared from my eyes? :oops:

[julesd68]

This is great news Rob - if anyone deserves some quality time with their system it's you dude!

:champagne:

[RobbieGong]

This is great news Rob - if anyone deserves some quality time with their system it's you dude!

:champagne:

Bless you for that Jules, hope you're good by the way

[struth]

Pleased for u Rob. Your one of the best

[jandl100]

Nice result. :thumbsup:
-- I'm not sure I could have put up with the wait.
Actually, I'm damn sure I couldn't!

No mention of speakers - you still with the Missions 752F?

[brian2957]

It's good when a plan comes together :) Health , wealth and happiness to enjoy your system Robert :)

[Marco]

Excellent news, Rob! As they say, good things come to those who wait :)

I suspect that your Techy, in particular, will have moved on several notches in performance, as I know what an SR7 and reg mods does! However, be prepared to be truly shocked and stunned, in about 2-3 weeks time after everything burns in!

Btw, *always*, and I mean ALWAYS, leave your SR7 switched on 24-7/365, because otherwise your Techy will sound thin and bass-light from cold, instead of hugely 'meaty' and solid, as it does when the PSU and associated circuitry has reached its optimum operating temperature.

Anyway, enjoy ya choons, bro! :cool:

Marco.

[RobbieGong]

All I wanted to do today was play tunes but the Mrs wanted to take advantage of the good weather and get us out with our daughters to Southend :rolleyes:.

We do Brighton most years but it would have been mobbed.

Southend was good, every colour, creed, sex, shape and size known to man was there and all well behaved- even the most gorgeous mini Jack Russell pup - totally adorable.

My youngest 14 year old has been on at me for a dog for years but it isn't practical really with us all being out to work, school etc but this was the cutest most adorable thing I've seen in my life and we've seen plenty over the years.

We've had a great day. I had a bit of grub, a nice cold beer, an ice cream and of course lovely sunny warm weather, cant say fairer than that I guess :)

[RobbieGong]

Pleased for u Rob. Your one of the best

Your remark shows your one of the best Grant :)

[RobbieGong]

Nice result. :thumbsup:
-- I'm not sure I could have put up with the wait.
Actually, I'm damn sure I couldn't!

No mention of speakers - you still with the Missions 752F?

Jerry, trust me the journey has been absolute agony.

I wont go into all the details but frustration and pain was certainly endured along the way.

I was that close to exploding let me tell you - wont go through all that again thankfully with all the key 'technical' upgrades realised now - Thank God ;)

Still enjoying the 752F's Jerry, they are like a dear faithful friend I cant let go.

Dont be surprised though if by the end of the year I've bit the bullet and scratched the Spendor S8e type floor standers itch just to see how they sound in the company of the Sansui AU-919 and the fully modded Techie.

I bet those new Spendor A4's would be good .......

[RobbieGong]

It's good when a plan comes together :) Health , wealth and happiness to enjoy your system Robert :)

Too right Brian, too right ! :)

[RobbieGong]

Excellent news, Rob! As they say, good things come to those who wait :)

I suspect that your Techy, in particular, will have moved on several notches in performance, as I know what an SR7 and reg mods does! However, be prepared to be truly shocked and stunned, in about 2-3 weeks time after everything burns in!

Btw, *always*, and I mean ALWAYS, leave your SR7 switched on 24-7/365, because otherwise your Techy will sound thin and bass-light from cold, instead of hugely 'meaty' and solid, as it does when the PSU and associated circuitry has reached its optimum operating temperature.

Anyway, enjoy ya choons, bro! :cool:

Marco.

Thanks Marco, I'm liking the bit about the burn in, very much ! :D

I've heeded your advise and the SR7 is now on 24-7 ;)

Tomorrow will be system and tunes after an hour or two clearing some stuf out of the spare bedroom for decorating, for wifey.

After that I'll be re-addressing cartridge alignment.

In my eagerness to get going (cant blame afterall..) I think I'm a tiny bit out.
There's a slight hash / grain amongst all the loveliness. I check the cart / headshell on the alignment grid tonight and it's not perfect which is what it has to be for optimum joy.

If it already sounds this good being slightly out then I'm in for a right old treat :eek: :lol:

That'll be my first job tomorrow before any music gets played ;)

[jandl100]

Still enjoying the 752F's Jerry, they are like a dear faithful friend I cant let go.

Dont be surprised though if by the end of the year I've bit the bullet and scratched the Spendor S8e type floor standers itch just to see how they sound in the company of the Sansui AU-919 and the fully modded Techie.

I bet those new Spendor A4's would be good .......

I don't know why - because I know little about you! - but from your posts you strike me as a Vintage JBL kinda guy.
Have you ever had a listen to JBL L100 or L110 or 4312 or .... etc? :) You might just find a new love in your life.

[brian2957]

I'm a bit of a box and cable swapper . These last few months , however , I seem to have found a combination which I'm happy with and I've left well alone . Over that period I've noticed an incremental improvement in SQ which has culminated in SQ which IMO is , like yours Robert , sublime in a lot of areas . If I were you I would leave well alone and just enjoy the music , for a while at least ( after optimizing your cartridge first of course :) )

The final piece in the jigsaw should be arriving today or tomorrow , a Firebottle phonostage for my very nice Goldring Lenco GL75 :)

BTW every set of Spendor speakers I've heard I've loved .

[RobbieGong]

I'm a bit of a box and cable swapper . These last few months , however , I seem to have found a combination which I'm happy with and I've left well alone . Over that period I've noticed an incremental improvement in SQ which has culminated in SQ which IMO is , like yours Robert , sublime in a lot of areas . If I were you I would leave well alone and just enjoy the music , for a while at least ( after optimizing your cartridge first of course :) )

The final piece in the jigsaw should be arriving today or tomorrow , a Firebottle phonostage for my very nice Goldring Lenco GL75 :)

BTW every set of Spendor speakers I've heard I've loved .

Totally hear you Brian,

I've never been a box swapper and agree with you that for now, get the cartridge set to optimum and then just enjoy basking in the joys of the music through the system in all it's current glory.

If in the future, the itch or curiosity becomes unbearable it will very very likely be Spendors (S8e's most likely - always been drawn to those for some reason) even though I've never heard a pair or any Spendors whatsoever come to think of it
:scratch: :mental: :lol: - (lots of 'research' and a good gut hunch I guess :)

[Marco]

Thanks Marco, I'm liking the bit about the burn in, very much ! :D

I've heeded your advise and the SR7 is now on 24-7 ;)


Nice one. Trust me, you'll hear the difference when/if you ever have to power down your T/T and the SR7 is being used from cold...

The burn-in will result in a general 'fleshing out' of the sound, with the bass in particular gaining a little more weight and authority. The midrange opens out a bit more, too. It's all good! :cool:

Marco.

[RobbieGong]

Right guys, more hours clocked up and got through a few more familiar albums today.

Immediate thoughts are neutrality, the Cadenza Black and the Sansui AU-919 will defo be playing their part there being known for those character traits.

The other thing that is very clear now is that the system is now very revealing in terms of the individual recordings - you get the music as recorded. If bass is there, you'll get it, if it isnt then you'll get it how it is recorded in those grooves.

I haven't even scratched the surface in terms of tunes due to other commitments but I'm grabbing every opportunity like a mad man to get to know what has occurred as all the changes come together.

Boy oh boy! Cant half hear the tangibility of the vocalists going about their business, almost analytical is the presentation :)

[brian2957]

What a great place to be :) It's fantastic when you can't wait to get home and play your system .

[RobbieGong]

What a great place to be :) It's fantastic when you can't wait to get home and play your system .

You know it Brian and clearly been there enough times too ;).
Got work in the morning but it's album after album after album here, just loving the revealing nature of the albums, the vocals sound like a human if you know what I mean.
I've strived hard and waited long for this - Did somebody say good things come to those who wait :)

[brian2957]

Yes , I've been there a few times Robbie , then I've made a couple of changes and lost my way again .

These days if I find a sound I'm happy with I just leave well alone .

You'll probably experience more improvements as the system components all burn in . Enjoy sir :)

[RobbieGong]

Yes , I've been there a few times Robbie , then I've made a couple of changes and lost my way again .

These days if I find a sound I'm happy with I just leave well alone .

You'll probably experience more improvements as the system components all burn in . Enjoy sir :)

Max Bless to you bro :)

[brian2957]

Max Bless to you bro :)

And to you Robbie :)

[Jimbo]

I see you have moved up the Ortofon tree Rob, I have always wanted a Cadenza Black so will be following your posts closely.

Nice to see you back on mate and nice to see someone still committed and exploring vinyls potential!

I am still using the 2M black and to be honest my system at the moment has never sounded better. Changed a few things myself recently but not sure which bit has made the significant uptick in SQ. Might be the new caps in my preamp or the new line stage valve.?

Sounds like you have had a fair bit going on mate?

[RobbieGong]

I see you have moved up the Ortofon tree Rob, I have always wanted a Cadenza Black so will be following your posts closely.

Nice to see you back on mate and nice to see someone still committed and exploring vinyls potential!

I am still using the 2M black and to be honest my system at the moment has never sounded better. Changed a few things myself recently but not sure which bit has made the significant uptick in SQ. Might be the new caps in my preamp or the new line stage valve.?

Sounds like you have had a fair bit going on mate?

Thanks Jimbo,

Cant believe i'm back in the game myself, I thought I'd never get this last part accomplished, I'm over joyed !

The sound i'm now enjoying is exactly what I've been aiming to achieve and like yourself, I'm now experiencing the best SQ from my system without a doubt.

I was on such a high after last nights session I didnt sleep buzzing on the thrill and excitement of how good it is - wow !! I thought of nothing but getting to it again all last night :)

The Cadenza is just as wonderful as the 2MB you and I both love.

The differences are it is totally neutral and portrays more timbrel, tonal textures of the instruments / vocals. Add to that even more lifelike / tangible feel to voices - fabulous !

The 2MB though, as you know is a stellar cart regardless, in any system in my experience and opinion, it is the one that opened my eyes in terms of what a really good cart can do.

Just in from work and the itch to get some tunes on the go is unbearable but I've still got to continue clearing a room for my lovely Mrs and daughters, ready for decorating so I'll have to wait for the next opportunity.

The kit is fired up though just in case there's an hour or two I can squeeze tonight ;)

[Jimbo]

Know how you feel mate, exciting stuff! I have a new stellar recorded LP I have just taken delivery of and am itching to get it on the platter!

Maybe some time before I can afford the Cadenza!:)

[alphaGT]

I recall one of my very first exposures to high end audio. A friend's older brother, in the mid 70's, had a huge Sansui amp! Solders were bringing them back from overseas in those days. I don't recall the speakers, but they were big! And it was most impressive. And left a lasting impression on me, all I knew was that I wanted one!

And nothing beats when your system has taken a turn for the better, and suddenly all of your old records are new again! New details to hear even in your favorite albums! That is sheer joy! To find new entertainment in old records.


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[RobbieGong]

I recall one of my very first exposures to high end audio. A friend's older brother, in the mid 70's, had a huge Sansui amp! Solders were bringing them back from overseas in those days. I don't recall the speakers, but they were big! And it was most impressive. And left a lasting impression on me, all I knew was that I wanted one!

And nothing beats when your system has taken a turn for the better, and suddenly all of your old records are new again! New details to hear even in your favorite albums! That is sheer joy! To find new entertainment in old records.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Very very apparent tonight Russell, The extent to which some tracks I've played numerous times over the past two / three decades and thought I knew have 'changed' is jaw dropping :eek:

The system now takes you absolutely into the record and the liveness of it, the tail off of vocals the, rawness, breath sometimes that wasn't being revealed before is amazing - like you're there, very insightful and i'm just loving it :yay:

[RobbieGong]

Need an early night...... but it wont be tonight :whistle:

[Wakefield Turntables]

Your systems not a million miles away from my own. It's a nice sound isn't it :eyebrows: but I think there is still more to be had with a little tweaking. You might want to try an isolation board under your techie.

[RobbieGong]

Your systems not a million miles away from my own. It's a nice sound isn't it :eyebrows: but I think there is still more to be had with a little tweaking. You might want to try an isolation board under your techie.

Sure is Andy, very accurate / revealing I'd say. You get what's recorded in those grooves, no gloss over, warts n all which was always the aim so mission accomplished / arrived at destination. Definitely a rediscovery of some albums i've played for decades and thought I knew :scratch: :)

There's always a knats you can squeeze but I'm just loving and enjoying the music, the downtime was long and hurt so I'm overdosing / bathing in the joys of it now.

One area that I've always been curious about, if I do touch anything again is speakers. The 752 Freedoms are great but realistically I sense I could be moved / thrilled even further with a 'genuine' upgrade there. They have brought me a lot of pleasure over the years, a good faithful friend but if there's a weak link in the company of the Sansui, the modded Techie and the Cadenza Black it's likely them but no urgency and no rush ;)

[RobbieGong]

another night, another session - a lot of vinyl to rediscover you see :D It's like layers have been pealed away, some tracks sound different, some very different from what Ive known previously :eek: