View Full Version : Nice Surprises. Equipment that sounded way better than expected!
walpurgis
15-03-2018, 10:46
We've probably all been there. Chopping and changing gear or buying something on a whim. It can be a disaster or a pleasant surprise.
Mostly, I buy stuff I'm pretty confident is good and am seldom unhappy with my choices, but the odd piece of equipment fails to impress.
However, occasionally, a real gem comes along that surprises.
Being a tightwad (on a pension), I tend to buy second hand these days and in the last few years, the following have impressed me very much.
The Toshiba SR-370 direct drive turntable. Available at very sensible prices and offers remarkable sound for the money. I admit I've had mine some years, but was knocked out by the sound quality when I first rigged it up with one of my Mission 774 arms.
Goldring Eroica LX moving coil cartridge. What a pleasant surprise that was. So musical and enjoyable, far better than I'd expected!
The Quad 306 power amp. Definitely bought on a whim, but I'd heard them sounding good elsewhere. It's a damn nice sounding unit, much better in my system than I'd anticipated, it simply does nothing wrong and is very musical. Needs careful pre-amp matching though.
Most recently, the KEF Corelli speakers, part of the classic 'C' series from the seventies. Also bought on a whim, just for a bit of fun. They were decent when I got them, but with minor renovation and a recap, they sound quite amazing. Seems I'm not the only one who thinks so.
What have you bought that exceeded expectations or even came as a total surprise?
Quad 909 - fantastic amp for not a huge amount of money.
Dali 104s- pretty high end sound for the cost of a pub meal
walpurgis
15-03-2018, 11:24
Quad 909 - fantastic amp for not a huge amount of money
Yes. I've a feeling one of those may make an appearance in my system at some time.
I'd need to flog a few bits first though and it would have to be a black one.
My Sony TA-E86B preamp, but only after being worked over by Dan Santoni (Blackdog here on AoS). I first ran it stock (very good sound, not great); then modded it to run passive (mistake! my Belles power amp needs a good strong feed); then handed it over to Dan giving him free rein to do whatever he wanted. I was blown away by how good it is after he worked his magic. It now sounds outstanding. Definitely a keeper!
Edit: a close second would have to be my Heybrook TT2. It never ceases to impress me with how good it sounds. And it just keeps getting better...the more I tweak it and work with it, the better it sounds. Wonderful piece of kit!
Stryder5
15-03-2018, 13:05
Audio Analogue Puccini, bought as having problem on left channel, Firebottle worked his magic, great musical amp.
Ruark Templar speakers, a great bargain, again musical speakers.
Audio Analogue Puccini, bought as having problem on left channel, Firebottle worked his magic, great musical amp.
Ruark Templar speakers, a great bargain, again musical speakers.
used to have a puccini. nice amp
Google Chromecast...£20....ridiculously competent for the price of a few beers. Behringer Ultramatch Dac. variable sampling rates, analogue balanced inputs (ADC conversion) balanced out, Analogue RCA out. Coaxial and Toslink Out 3 Digital - In's balanced, coaxial and Toslink, Jitter and other stuff to play with, oh and it has a nice AKM Dac....to you Sir....£100.
RobbieGong
15-03-2018, 14:19
Mission 752 Freedom - Excellent, balanced, musical and detailed speakers that go for small change in hifi terms.
You can build a great sounding system around these (I should know ;) )
http://forums.naimaudio.com/topic/the-most-loved-hifi-in-the-world?reply=41551091079905084
Mission 752 Freedom - Excellent, balanced, musical and detailed speakers that go for small change in hifi terms.
You can build a great sounding system around these (I should know ;) )
http://forums.naimaudio.com/topic/the-most-loved-hifi-in-the-world?reply=41551091079905084
I have a pair , and was going to move them on after I purchased my Tannoy 635's!
But having seen how they are appreciating ,I have put them into my AV system in place of some Mission 733's!
I must swap them over now I have the Yamaha A-S500 (which I nominate as my ground breaking tweak at a smallish cost , when I was at first dubious !), they may suprise me :)
I'd been living with my Harbeth Compact 7 speakers since Noah was a boy and thought I'd never get rid of them. Then Jamie decided to sell his Mordaunt Short Signifers and I thought let's give them a go. The difference was immediate, the music came alive. It was as though a heavy curtain had been put in front of the Harbeths and over damped everything and the music flowed from the Signifers without any hindrance at all. Yes I hoped they would be better but by how much was a proper surprise.
My SMSL Sanscrit dac....bought from Amazon for well under a 100 quid.
Very smooth and musical.
A special mention for my Nad t 744 home cinema amp.
I got hold of this for free.....travelled more than I should have to purchase this from a EBay seller.
Not listened to on site (bad), the remote had leaky batteries and needed a strip and clean, the amps volume control was only useable on digital inputs...strange indeed.
A couple of factory resets sorted it out.
Upon contacting the seller to complain about these defects she wired me a full refund.
After a couple of years use I went back to stereo and the amp was sitting idle until my power amp died.
Purely as a stopgap I pulled the Nads jumper links and fed my tube pre into its power section....to say it rocks is quite an understatement.
The Nad is rated at 70wpc in stereo but delivers much more and as seemingly added an octave to my speakers bottom.
Not bad for nothing.
jandl100
15-03-2018, 16:17
Xiang Sheng DAC-01A. Bought on an eBay whim (£70 used). My jaw hit the floor when I heard it.
Similar with Amptastic Mini-T amp.
rigger67
15-03-2018, 16:37
My SMSL Sanscrit dac....bought from Amazon for well under a 100 quid.
Very smooth and musical.
Seconded :yay:
Great sounding bit of a kit for sod all money and it has plenty of inputs.
It's actually ideal paired with a passive (I use a Tisbury) as it allows you to cover a lot of bases with two tiny boxes for less than £200 :eyebrows:
Seconded :yay:
Great sounding bit of a kit for sod all money and it has plenty of inputs.
It's actually ideal paired with a passive (I use a Tisbury) as it allows you to cover a lot of bases with two tiny boxes for less than £200 :eyebrows:
Got the smsl m6 minidac which is superb for the money... great headphone amp too
walpurgis
15-03-2018, 18:33
This may make you laugh. My Pioneer PL-12D.
I bought it last year out of nostalgia, as I've always had a soft spot for them. It's just a simple, honest and reliable piece of basic equipment and you know what? It makes music. Better than I remembered actually. :)
narabdela
15-03-2018, 19:11
This may make you laugh. My Pioneer PL-12D.
Not me. As you say, simple, honest, reliable. One of the true classics. :thumbsup:
This may make you laugh. My Pioneer PL-12D.
Not me, good honest turtabale that makes music.
For me, my Amptastic Mini-T amp and an old beat up pair of Celestion 5 speakers I got for a tenner, paired with an HRT Streamer II+ DAC, that little combo sounds way better than it should do.
fatmarley
15-03-2018, 20:20
The Quad 306 power amp. Definitely bought on a whim, but I'd heard them sounding good elsewhere. It's a damn nice sounding unit, much better in my system than I'd anticipated, it simply does nothing wrong and is very musical. Needs careful pre-amp matching though.
Agreed (although I have tweaked mine a bit).
For anyone who's tempted to go for the Xiang Sheng DA-03A rather than the 01A. I wouldn't bother. I had to mess with It to stop It from sounding thin.
Also like the S.M.S.L sAP II headphone amp.
Sherwood
15-03-2018, 20:36
A Rogers Cadet 3 amp bought in West London through Exchange & Mart around 1982. It cost £12 if I recall correctly. Really dirty, greasy and dusty but sounded fantastic with my Rogers LS3/5a speakers.
Geoff
Geoff....are you the guy who had my Thorens TD150 a few years back?
Sherwood
15-03-2018, 21:27
Geoff....are you the guy who had my Thorens TD150 a few years back?
No sorry. Long time Linn owner.
Geoff
hifinutt
15-03-2018, 23:12
audionote m-one was a great surprise , for peanuts it was a great pre
marantz sa8005 was only 350 s/h and a stonking sacd player , well built and quite a surprise i must say . still got it
southall-1998
15-03-2018, 23:51
Grado SR60 Or SR80. From early, right through to the current 'e' generation. Doesn't matter that much to me. Because, they all sound highly musical and enjoyable. Not the most subtle sounding headphone in the world. So bare this in mind before parting with your money.
Mordaunt Short MS10i from the 1990's era. You can pick these up for beer money nowadays. Nice vibrant energetic sound, without giving your wallet a stroke.
S.
Edited; You know the rules!
walpurgis
16-03-2018, 09:32
How could I forget? The Denon PMA-350SE integrated amp of course.
A decent one can be bought for less than £100 and will not disgrace itself in just about any system. Every time I try one, I'm amazed at how good they sound, plenty of power for most situations too. I've had these driving my big Tannoys beautifully.
http://i68.tinypic.com/34px36t.jpg
Thetiminator
16-03-2018, 10:14
A Wadia CD player from 1990. One of the best digital sources I've heard, even beating £20+k modern stuff.
a mint pair of Kef 103.2, a Mayware T24 step up and my first L75 build, all for indecent prices
Yes. I've a feeling one of those may make an appearance in my system at some time.
I'd need to flog a few bits first though and it would have to be a black one.
Make sure it has an early serial number. Later 909s were not only assembled in China, but used inferior Chinese-made capacitors resulting in obvious, and clearly audible, sonic detriment.
A Rogers Cadet 3 amp bought in West London through Exchange & Mart around 1982. It cost £12 if I recall correctly. Really dirty, greasy and dusty but sounded fantastic with my Rogers LS3/5a speakers.
Geoff
The Rogers Cadet 3 was a good little amp, though they will all need recapping by now.
There have been very few items I have bought and not liked. In fact I can only think of one: the Decca London tone-arm, which I sold on.
Of those items bought on a whim, I have been pleasantly surprised with the B&W DM2a speakers (£50) and with the Amptastic Mini-T class D amplifier (can't remember exactly how much I paid for it, but it probably around £50-60).
nakamichi ca-5 pre amp,i bought from grant a few years ago now,it has a killer phono stage in it. it used to be low on the radar but now ebay prices see it at £400-500.
Michael loves music
17-03-2018, 09:50
How could I forget? The Denon PMA-350SE integrated amp of course.
A decent one can be bought for less than £100 and will not disgrace itself in just about any system. Every time I try one, I'm amazed at how good they sound, plenty of power for most situations too. I've had these driving my big Tannoys beautifully.
http://i68.tinypic.com/34px36t.jpg l love mine Geoff
Infinitely Baffled
19-03-2018, 08:15
A pair of mint Mordaunt Short Festival 2 loudspeakers (for 100 pounds) has way outperformed expectations for me.
It's a daily pleasure listening to them in the kitchen, driven from a Tandberg receiver. In fact that's what I'm doing right now.
IB.
p.s. Actually the Tandberg receiver is a terrific find too - 145 squid - but maybe that was less of a surprise.
Royd Sorcerers, which I picked up for £350 - the ones with the Revelation drivers before the "SE" version came out (in my avatar pic).
They were intended for a 2nd system, yes you can get a more refined or detailed top end, but it's difficult to find speakers that 'time' so well or have the right sort of 'snap' with transients. Indeed I've preferred these to £1.9k Amphion Argon3s. In the end I finished up with RR3s, which still have the Royd house sound albeit with more refinement on the top end, more bass, and a bit more warmth.
So, discovering Royd speakers was a nice surprise. :)
Back in 1976 I purchased my Tannoy Cheviots from a small shop in Brixton having heard them in the big Laskies in Tottenham Court Road, I got them in a half price 50th anniversary and pre Tannoy move to Scotland sale. They still cost me £350, about half the price of a Mini at the time.
Every time I play music on them they surprise and delight me, a bit like swimming in melted chocolate with a massive firework display going off at the same time.
And no Oliver, you cant have mine, buy your own.
Spectral Morn
20-03-2018, 22:06
Biggest surprise in the past for me was the Pathos classic One mk2 making the Pathos Logos mk1 sound bloated, slow and less transparent than its cheaper brother. I sold the Logos and bought a Classic One.
Primalsea
20-03-2018, 22:18
Quite a few years ago I bought some Mordaunt Short MS10s for the princely sum of £5.85 on ebay. With a beefy amp behind them they actually sounded really good, especially in the small spare room where I had them set up.
montesquieu
20-03-2018, 22:59
A couple of cartridges. You need a heavy arm but I've been frankly astonished at the capability of the Shure SC35C - it's not the best for subtle chamber music but I was playing some Dylan last night and some Ry Cooder today and it was just perfect - there's still a lot of detail but what's apparent is the sheer force of the delivery, combined with a good idler I can't imagine a better cartridge for music with a beat, electric bass and guitars. Fantastically enjoyable and it actually seemed to lose something going over to fancy MCs when I did a comparison. VTF is 5g and I have in a headshell assembly totalling SPU-level 32g on an arm of 20g+ mass and tracks like a proverbial train (top torture track). Best of all these are available for £45 on ebay. I'm told by the new ones from Mexico are inferior to the older US ones but I'm pretty impressed with this one nonetheless. Shown on a Jico stylus I got for it out of curiosity but there's nothing in it (for once) compared to the original.
Another candidate (very recently discovered) is the Tonar Diabolic E. There have been threads on this over on Lenco Heaven and Thomas Schick even took one and modified it (rebody mainly, plus he found a way to remove the luminous dot on the stylus tip). It's a DJ cartridge (as is the Shure) though with a massive 8mV output compared to the Shure's measly 5mV. This has been a revelation on the AT1503 (another heavy-ish arm) tracking at 4.5g in a similar 30g+ headshell combo. It's truly remarkable - the eliptical stylus is significantly more detailed than the spherical on the Shure and the refinement is remarkable for the money which is similar to the Shure, to which it gives away nothing at all in the boogie stakes. To my ears the performance comes close to a vintage SPU GE and my next task is to fit a wooden body (available off eBay) and cut the plastic back on the stylus assembly, as the Lenco geeks have concluded this gives a significant improvement. Certainly Thomas Schick was selling his modded ones at 400 Euros (in a graphite headshell).
I've been having quite a bit of fun altogether lately with low compliance MMs, having also a Shure M3D with original stylus (I had a second one with Jico stylus and sold it - I think the Jico in this case was better though perhaps the original is just getting on a bit) and a B&O SP1. This pair are among the earliest stereo cartridges ever made and sound surprisingly good for the age of their designs. (Both spherical and well suited to the early stereo recordings of that era).
https://i.imgur.com/Y7guQdd.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/h1vX3qx.jpg
Lee Henley
21-03-2018, 07:59
A couple of cartridges. You need a heavy arm but I've been frankly astonished at the capability of the Shure SC35C - it's not the best for subtle chamber music but I was playing some Dylan last night and some Ry Cooder today and it was just perfect - there's still a lot of detail but what's apparent is the sheer force of the delivery, combined with a good idler I can't imagine a better cartridge for music with a beat, electric bass and guitars. Fantastically enjoyable and it actually seemed to lose something going over to fancy MCs when I did a comparison. VTF is 5g and I have in a headshell assembly totalling SPU-level 32g on an arm of 20g+ mass and tracks like a proverbial train (top torture track). Best of all these are available for £45 on ebay. I'm told by the new ones from Mexico are inferior to the older US ones but I'm pretty impressed with this one nonetheless. Shown on a Jico stylus I got for it out of curiosity but there's nothing in it (for once) compared to the original.
Another candidate (very recently discovered) is the Tonar Diabolic E. There have been threads on this over on Lenco Heaven and Thomas Schick even took one and modified it (rebody mainly, plus he found a way to remove the luminous dot on the stylus tip). It's a DJ cartridge (as is the Shure) though with a massive 8mV output compared to the Shure's measly 5mV. This has been a revelation on the AT1503 (another heavy-ish arm) tracking at 4.5g in a similar 30g+ headshell combo. It's truly remarkable - the eliptical stylus is significantly more detailed than the spherical on the Shure and the refinement is remarkable for the money which is similar to the Shure, to which it gives away nothing at all in the boogie stakes. To my ears the performance comes close to a vintage SPU GE and my next task is to fit a wooden body (available off eBay) and cut the plastic back on the stylus assembly, as the Lenco geeks have concluded this gives a significant improvement. Certainly Thomas Schick was selling his modded ones at 400 Euros (in a graphite headshell).
I've been having quite a bit of fun altogether lately with low compliance MMs, having also a Shure M3D with original stylus (I had a second one with Jico stylus and sold it - I think the Jico in this case was better though perhaps the original is just getting on a bit) and a B&O SP1. This pair are among the earliest stereo cartridges ever made and sound surprisingly good for the age of their designs. (Both spherical and well suited to the early stereo recordings of that era).
https://i.imgur.com/Y7guQdd.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/h1vX3qx.jpg
When I went to Munich in 2016 I got talking to Thomas Schick and the chap who was doing the demo in the Western Electric room, we were having a chat about the Ortofon SPU at the time and and they both recommended the Tonar Diabolic E as a cartridge that had similar sound characteristics to the SPU. Thomas showed us one of his modded versions but didn't mention it was 400 euros. The Tonar is still on my list of cartridges to try especially as I've now joined the Lenco GL75 idler club.
For the money it looks like the Tonar is a bit of a bargain.
southall-1998
21-03-2018, 16:48
Quite a few years ago I bought some Mordaunt Short MS10s for the princely sum of £5.85 on ebay. With a beefy amp behind them they actually sounded really good, especially in the small spare room where I had them set up.
Are your ones from the 90's era?
S.
Primalsea
21-03-2018, 17:15
Are your ones from the 90's era?
S.
No, sadly these were the 2nd edition that were built more cheaply. But they were still very impressive none the less.
Back in about 1993 I was 'between' speakers so I needed a stopgap. Most of you will not know or recall but back in about '92 Argos had a very short-lived dalliance with selling audio separates. It didn't go well, unsurprisingly and they ended up selling them in their shops for less than half price.
So I was in there getting something else (and I hate Argos, the only shop where you have to queue twice) and noticed they had these speakers for just £60:
http://theartofsound.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=23092&d=1521655248
Wharfedale CRS3.
They are not just good for the price, they are outstandingly good (for a small speaker). And I mean 'hear the rivets on the cymbals' good. Yes, even with a plastic tweeter that probably cost Wharfedale 50p each bought in bulk.
No-one who heard them believed that I bought them from Argos. And when I told them the price they just thought it was a wind-up.
There was a whole range of them but I've never heard or even seen the larger ones. What Hi-Fi did not like them (often a good sign in itself), but Hi-Fi Choice had them in a multi-speaker blind test behind their curtain and they scored highly across the board.
Shovel_Knight
21-03-2018, 19:33
Dual 1019. I didn’t expect much, but now I think it’s a formidable turntable.
montesquieu
21-03-2018, 19:51
Dual 1019. I didn’t expect much, but now I think it’s a formidable turntable.
Agree! Looks are very plain but the performance is not at all. (Tonearm in particular is far better than looks would suggest).
Idlewithnodrive
21-03-2018, 20:00
Agree on the Dual 1019.
I'm still surprised at how good the Technics SL-7 is, or more accurately, the EPC202C cart.
My Hero Celan 300's - from my cold dead hands etc.
Likewise, the Doge6 CDP, a fantastic player, indeed.
Shovel_Knight
21-03-2018, 20:16
Original Heco Celans are super nice. I missed a pair on eBay recently.
Stereosane
22-03-2018, 11:10
Boston HD7, bought them to try out and I’m blown away.. lacking in the top and bottom a bit but the voicing of the midrange is so addictive, vocals are the most impressive though and the staging. They’ve actually made me decide Im going to hunt for a few of those special old but cheap speakers.
I’ve just bought a pair of Mission 751 as I hear they are also very special, hopefully they arrive tomorrow, next on the list is a pair of Arcam Delta 2 speakers and then if I ever find a pair in my country I’d love the Epos ES11..
dantheman91
23-03-2018, 14:19
Amazing the little things just bought a pair of Wharfedale Diamond III for £10 and they just blew me away...:eek:
Keepers for sure.....:)
My pro art monos. Great value and sound pretty good in a simple setup like mine.
rigger67
25-03-2018, 04:52
Anyone mentioned JBL Control Ones yet ??
I bought some for my kitchen when I had it remodelled a couple of years ago, to replace the sh*thouse boxes that came with a Sony DAB mini-system I'd put in there.
I mainly listen to talkSPORT in that room, but if I'm cooking properly I'll put a CD on and get funky while I'm doing it and I'm always astonished by how good they are, especially in smaller rooms.
I've got mine high up in the corners on brackets that point slightly downwards.
Whenever I'm playing Subbuteo with my mates, it's in the kitchen and I use a laptop for the scoreboard and a loop of crowd sounds through it that lasts exactly five minutes (that's how long each half usually is) with a really loud air horn precisely one minute from the end to give both players a sense of urgency.
Turn it up and it's like being at a real ground :D
Control Ones will embarrass many small, expensive speakers. I've been saying it for years but no-one believes me. Maybe you'll have better luck ;)
jandl100
25-03-2018, 09:40
Biggest surprise in the past for me was the Pathos classic One mk2 making the Pathos Logos mk1 sound bloated, slow and less transparent than its cheaper brother. I sold the Logos and bought a Classic One.
Pathos Classic One mk2.
Nice one indeed, remarkably taut and controlled. If quite a bit of a rose-tinted cast to it. Definitely one for the more romantic souls among us who like the romance presented cleanly, imo.
Interesting that it beat the Logos mk1.
Anyone mentioned JBL Control Ones yet ??
Yep, very nice. I have a pair in a small AV system and they provide excellent clarity (vocals are great) and surprising solid dynamics from such a small enclosure.
Mike Reed
25-03-2018, 10:29
MYRYAD headphone amplifier cum pre. Sold my Naim HEADLINE (powered off 552) when I changed to valved pre, and pressed my old Cyrus One into service for my Senn. 650s, but although the sound was surprisingly good, I couldn't get along with the complexities of the configurations and un-marked knobs.
Bought a black Myryad Z40 as bankrupt stock for a little over £100 (silver ones for under £100 !). It sold for £400 when it was introduced 3 or 4 years ago, and with 2 h/phone jack sockets, 4 inputs, 2 gain stages, output and class A design, I wasn't expecting too much on the s.q. front.
Easy to use and re-route to and from my pre., the separation, dynamics and effortless frequency presentation are amazing; not least the affinity to my 650s. My Headline never sounded this good, but in fairness, my pre. changed from Naim 552 to E.A.R. 912. However, even the TV sound (via I/C from TV line level out) is superb, and that goes in direct.
One of two others on forums recently have bought this model and been pleasantly surprised. It even turns itself off in 20 minutes if no signal is detected ! Only caveat ? You need to remove the h/phone jack to re-route (in my case TV) from input to output. Bit of a design oversight, i.m.o., but it does save a switch and potentially concomitant deterioration in s.q.
I had a pair of control ones a few years ago now, used them in my fly away kit when I worked overseas, them, a 12volt car amp and a diskman = hand luggage. fantastic sound sound for the size.
Om10 set up correctly sounds surprisingly good in my GH228 fitted to a Luxman PD264.
mannypr551
28-03-2018, 03:07
We've probably all been there. Chopping and changing gear or buying something on a whim. It can be a disaster or a pleasant surprise.
Mostly, I buy stuff I'm pretty confident is good and am seldom unhappy with my choices, but the odd piece of equipment fails to impress.
However, occasionally, a real gem comes along that surprises.
Being a tightwad (on a pension), I tend to buy second hand these days and in the last few years, the following have impressed me very much.
The Toshiba SR-370 direct drive turntable. Available at very sensible prices and offers remarkable sound for the money. I admit I've had mine some years, but was knocked out by the sound quality when I first rigged it up with one of my Mission 774 arms.
Goldring Eroica LX moving coil cartridge. What a pleasant surprise that was. So musical and enjoyable, far better than I'd expected!
The Quad 306 power amp. Definitely bought on a whim, but I'd heard them sounding good elsewhere. It's a damn nice sounding unit, much better in my system than I'd anticipated, it simply does nothing wrong and is very musical. Needs careful pre-amp matching though.
Most recently, the KEF Corelli speakers, part of the classic 'C' series from the seventies. Also bought on a whim, just for a bit of fun. They were decent when I got them, but with minor renovation and a recap, they sound quite amazing. Seems I'm not the only one who thinks so.
What have you bought that exceeded expectations or even came as a total surprise?Richard Grey power conditioner . I didn't believe much in power conditioners because those that I had tried did very little to the sound , they did protect and some even made the sound worst as they constrained the current . But I needed one . Saw one at Ebay for 100 dollars ,list price was 800.00 . Bought it . Connected it to my system and has never come off since then . It really put my whole system on a higher level of musicality . Everything was better . Bass , mids , highs , soundstaging , prat . You get the idea. Never thought a conditioner could do that . In reality it isn't a conditioner but rather it creates new electrical power for your system filtering in the process everything thats in the current that not supposed to be there . And to think I bought it just for protection on a impulse . I was pleasantly surprise.
Sent from my XT1635-02 using Tapatalk
Stryder5
28-03-2018, 18:29
Watford Valves had these on special offer.
ECC83/12AX7WA square getter NOS Chinese military grade 6N4-J.
Bought 2, can't believe how good they are.
Sparker242
29-03-2018, 19:44
[QUOTE=Bought a black Myryad Z40 as bankrupt stock for a little over £100 (silver ones for under £100 !). It sold for £400 when it was introduced 3 or 4 years ago, and with 2 h/phone jack sockets, 4 inputs, 2 gain stages, output and class A design, I wasn't expecting too much on the s.q. front.
.[/QUOTE]
Totally agree about the Myryad Z40. Total bargain at £100-ish on eBay.
I find the sound completely adictive with Senn HD600s and Shure SRH840s
Mike Reed
29-03-2018, 21:58
Totally agree about the Myryad Z40. Total bargain at £100-ish on eBay.
I find the sound completely adictive with Senn HD600s and Shure SRH840s
Nice to hear. I certainly didn't realise my 650s were so good on my previous Headline. Compatibility, perhaps? Shouldn't be, though..
Stereosane
02-04-2018, 07:17
Just picked up a mint pair of AR18s, condition is unbelievable for a speaker that’s nearly 40yrs old.. The sound has blown me away, I though most people just raged about it as a good speaker for its age, but damn these things will give a lot of modern speakers a good run for there money. I feel like a kid at Christmas again, I’ve just packed away my Mission 751 speakers, right now I’m pretty hooked on these AR18s :)
Stereosane
02-04-2018, 07:23
https://s17.postimg.org/k2i1pzgez/52867202-72_CD-4_FB2-91_FD-_C7_B942_B8_D54_E.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/k2i1pzgez/)
https://s17.postimg.org/f54h4pttn/6_A96_F290-1984-488_C-_B308-62_F920013_EC2.jpg (https://postimg.org/image/f54h4pttn/)
Just picked up a mint pair of AR18s, condition is unbelievable for a speaker that’s nearly 40yrs old.. The sound has blown me away, I though most people just raged about it as a good speaker for its age, but damn these things will give a lot of modern speakers a good run for there money. I feel like a kid at Christmas again, I’ve just packed away my Mission 751 speakers, right now I’m pretty hooked on these AR18s :)
They would be expensive speakers if they were still made today, ten times the cost of those Missions at least. AR knew what they were doing. And a good speaker is a good speaker, regardless of the age of the design.
Michael loves music
02-04-2018, 15:21
I had AR 18s with a Nad 3020e amp and Nad 520 CD player for 30 years very musical but imho my tannoy Mercury V1 speakers sound better
mannypr551
02-04-2018, 16:03
They would be expensive speakers if they were still made today, ten times the cost of those Missions at least. AR knew what they were doing. And a good speaker is a good speaker, regardless of the age of the design.I concur. A.good.speaker is.a.good speaker anywhere and anytime . AR made great.speakers and many of them today are classics .
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mannypr551
02-04-2018, 16:21
Richard Grey power conditioner . I didn't believe much in power conditioners because those that I had tried did very little to the sound , they did protect and some even made the sound worst as they constrained the current . But I needed one . Saw one at Ebay for 100 dollars ,list price was 800.00 . Bought it . Connected it to my system and has never come off since then . It really put my whole system on a higher level of musicality . Everything was better . Bass , mids , highs , soundstaging , prat . You get the idea. Never thought a conditioner could do that . In reality it isn't a conditioner but rather it creates new electrical power for your system filtering in the process everything thats in the current that not supposed to be there . And to think I bought it just for protection on a impulse . I was pleasantly surprise.
Sent from my XT1635-02 using TapatalkIn case some of you are wondering how the richard gray creates new current it does it by passing the electricity threw a inductor . When current passes threw a inductor the inductor creates another charge at equal level as the current that went in but all the garbage that your household electricity has picked up traveling to your house is not created by the inductor . It is esentially filtered out . What the equipment recieves is electricity as clean as that which was produced . In order to handle the high current demands the inductor has to be big making the richard grey very heavy . A caracteristic of inductors is the they filter high frequencies but since the current is 110-120 there is no liability . I admit after having read that I told myself " why didn't someone think of this in the first place " .It's so freaking simple that it bypass everyone . PS Audio has a power conditioner which does basically the same but it works differently , plus it isn't passive as the richard grey products
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Ninanina
02-04-2018, 19:05
My nice surprise was my Magneplanar speakers
They sound so different than any other speaker I've owned and I've owned a fair few over the years
For what I paid for them the Maggies were a complete bargain sound wise ;)
hifinutt
05-04-2018, 18:17
got some little B&w 602 s3 standmounts that cost 120 quid on the end of a naim integrated and they should not sound so good , but by jingo they do . cracking vfm
southall-1998
06-04-2018, 15:31
Managed to source a Myryad Z40 Headphone amplifier last Winter. From Peter Tyson for £90. The Z40 originally cost nearly £400 back in it's prime days.
Can't fault anything for the price I've paid. The sound is fairly warm and slightly laid back. Provides enough detail for my ears. Even managed to drive the stubborn AKG K701's pretty well.
In some ways I prefer having the Z40 over the Schiit Asgard 2 & **DELETED**. Out of the trio, my ears finds the Z40 to have the least solid state sound.
S.
Mike Reed
06-04-2018, 16:41
Managed to source a Myryad Z40 Headphone amplifier last Winter. From Peter Tyson for £90. The Z40 originally cost nearly £400 back in it's prime days.
Can't fault anything for the price I've paid. The sound is fairly warm and slightly laid back. Provides enough detail for my ears. Even managed to drive the stubborn AKG K701's pretty well.
In some ways I prefer having the Z40 over the Schiit Asgard 2 .Out of the trio, my ears finds the Z40 to have the least solid state sound.
S.
I use mine with 300 ohm Senn. 650s and I'll go further than you in saying I'm amazed at how good this amp. is. Versatile, too. It is a class A design, but I certainly wouldn't call it warm; its bass is surprising too. Nice feature is the 20 min. turn to standby if no signal is detected but a caveat is that you need to remove the cans to divert the signal to the line out RCAs. One of these days I'll try it as a pre. (as it has 4 inputs). Better than my maxed out Headline, although not exactly an A-B comparison.
southall-1998
06-04-2018, 16:50
I use mine with 300 ohm Senn. 650s and I'll go further than you in saying I'm amazed at how good this amp. is. Versatile, too. It is a class A design, but I certainly wouldn't call it warm; its bass is surprising too. Nice feature is the 20 min. turn to standby if no signal is detected but a caveat is that you need to remove the cans to divert the signal to the line out RCAs. One of these days I'll try it as a pre. (as it has 4 inputs). Better than my maxed out Headline, although not exactly an A-B comparison.
Do you use the gain on high position?
S.
southall-1998
06-04-2018, 17:47
@ Macca, you had no fecking right to delete part of my content on post 67. Go and look at your signature!!!!
I strongly suggest you don't interfere with my posts again in the future.
S.
sorry but you are ooo Shane. It was removed correctly. You know the rules.
@ Macca, you had no fecking right to delete part of my content on post 67. Go and look at your signature!!!!
I strongly suggest you don't interfere with my posts again in the future.
S.
Go and read the rules again, it is allowed in signatures.
I strongly suggest you look before you leap. Again in the future.
It's still quoted in post 68 :lol:
Mike Reed
06-04-2018, 19:15
Do you use the gain on high position?
S.
Yes, although there's stack of gain for my Senns. When I re-route to my (valved) pre., though, I do have to up the volume control, though I can balance this with the pre.'s vol. control (via the VU meters). I guess my Senn's would work with the lower gain setting but I can't be bothered to change it; no advantage that I can see with my kit but could be useful with either ultra sensitive cans or pre., I s'pose.
As for me, it will be the old chrome bumper Naim 32.5/110 amp combo. Cheap. Reliable. Sounds great.
It's everything that you wanted in an amp.
Sony CDP XB930 (good price from eBay), particularly through a passive pre for some reason.
Primalsea
08-04-2018, 08:11
Does anyone still use any digital amps that have the Tripath chips? A friend had the “T Amp” and for a £30 thingy it sounded really good on some speakers.
walpurgis
08-04-2018, 08:46
Does anyone still use any digital amps that have the Tripath chips? A friend had the “T Amp” and for a £30 thingy it sounded really good on some speakers.
I've got a couple that get an airing now and then. Yes, I do find they sound decent.
Can't remember what they are and they're all stored away at the moment :).
Pigmy Pony
08-04-2018, 12:02
I have an Amptastic Mini 1 that I bought from someone on here. Its performance is so much better than its price and size would suggest, and it drove my big Zu floorstanders with ease.
Not being used at the moment though, it will be going into a second system I'm putting together. But first I need to find the space to accommodate a second system!
Does anyone still use any digital amps that have the Tripath chips? A friend had the “T Amp” and for a £30 thingy it sounded really good on some speakers.
Does the "Amptastic Mini-T" use them? I have one, bought for about £30 (I think) and used for AV duties, feeding a pair of B&W DM2As. No complaints about the performance
I’ve recently bought a pair of Snell E’s. Driven by my Audio Note Oto Signature they sound brilliant. Far better than I was expecting. They’re not the last word in detail, but they’re probably the most musically engaging speakers I’ve had in my room.
I’ve recently bought a pair of Snell E’s. Driven by my Audio Note Oto Signature they sound brilliant. Far better than I was expecting. They’re not the last word in detail, but they’re probably the most musically engaging speakers I’ve had in my room.
There is something very musical about a well-designed, simple 2 way. :)
Ninanina
09-04-2018, 18:32
@ Macca, you had no fecking right to delete part of my content on post 67. Go and look at your signature!!!!
I strongly suggest you don't interfere with my posts again in the future.
S.
Steady on there..
mannypr551
13-04-2018, 21:43
My nice surprise was my Magneplanar speakers
They sound so different than any other speaker I've owned and I've owned a fair few over the years
For what I paid for them the Maggies were a complete bargain sound wise ;)Maggies are the cream of the crop at all price levels . The only thing where they are wanting is in dynamic which are not bad but a box speaker does better .
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