Musical Fidelity A1008 - does the valve portion of the pre require servicing?

[Funk]

Following recommendations in my intro thread (https://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?64381-New-member-checking-in) that I start a proper thread here, here it is...! For a little more background please feel free to read my welcome thread but in a nutshell I have a PC running FLACs from MusicBee into an Audiolab M-DAC (a recent addition and I'm staggered by the benefits it's brought to the sound), a Cyrus 8vs2 amp and Celestion A2 speakers. I've decided to put some cash into the system and am looking at amplification options.

Macca made a suggestion of an XTZ A100 D3 commenting that the A2s will benefit from an amp with greater power reserves - his recommendations of something from Krell or Bryston are also good but looking at various options out there at the moment I think they're also probably a little out of my budget even as used purchases.

Off my own bat I also took a look at a couple of options from Musical Fidelity - there's an A1008 up for sale at the moment but I'm not sure whether the valve part of the pre requires servicing or new valve (or valves). It looks like it would be capable of delivering the control at low resistance that the A2s apparently demand. Can anyone who's got or previously owned one offer any advice? I'd be buying without being able to hear first and at this price point (£1k+) I'd like to gather as much information as I can before making a decision. In contrast the XTZ looks like absurdly good value at around £500ish so that's on the list too.

Any other recommendations would be useful too! Budget around £1-2kish.

Cheers! :)

[nonuffin]

I have never owned any MF product that brought joy into my life and having owned the XTZ myself that is the one I would happily buy again.

My other candidate to recommend is a Lyngdorf - if you can find one for sale.

[Lawrence001]

If the MF has the little glass military valves soldered in it may do. Though MF claim very long life my Tri Vista dac required replacement valves last year. I do recommend the higher power hybrid MF gear, they are very nice as a rule.

Sent from my BLN-L21 using Tapatalk

[User211]

Following recommendations in my intro thread (https://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?64381-New-member-checking-in) that I start a proper thread here, here it is...! For a little more background please feel free to read my welcome thread but in a nutshell I have a PC running FLACs from MusicBee into an Audiolab M-DAC (a recent addition and I'm staggered by the benefits it's brought to the sound), a Cyrus 8vs2 amp and Celestion A2 speakers. I've decided to put some cash into the system and am looking at amplification options.

Macca made a suggestion of an XTZ A100 D3 commenting that the A2s will benefit from an amp with greater power reserves - his recommendations of something from Krell or Bryston are also good but looking at various options out there at the moment I think they're also probably a little out of my budget even as used purchases.

Off my own bat I also took a look at a couple of options from Musical Fidelity - there's an A1008 up for sale at the moment but I'm not sure whether the valve part of the pre requires servicing or new valve (or valves). It looks like it would be capable of delivering the control at low resistance that the A2s apparently demand. Can anyone who's got or previously owned one offer any advice? I'd be buying without being able to hear first and at this price point (£1k+) I'd like to gather as much information as I can before making a decision. In contrast the XTZ looks like absurdly good value at around £500ish so that's on the list too.

Any other recommendations would be useful too! Budget around £1-2kish.

Cheers! :)Two Krells on eBay for less than £2K at the moment. Their was an S300i for £750 in the classifieds but it's gone now.

If you need power a Parasound A21 and a valve pre would be my reco. Do not use without a valve pre. It'll sound sterile.

[Macca]

I never tried it but I reckon a Luxman would do well with the A2s. The bigger the better although they do get expensive even second hand. The A2 are very capable speakers. I do still miss mine sometimes. So it is well worth spending up to the top of your budget I think. The XTZ is really the minimum you can get away with.


Don't know what you're using for speaker cable but I tried a fair few and Chord was a good match. Balanced out a bit of softness in the mids. Bi-wiring them with it made no difference, unsurprisingly, but it was extremely expensive.

[Funk]

So in a moment of rare decisiveness and based on the pretty much universal endorsement of the XTZ A100 D3 I found George at Heathcote Audio has a mint one-owner unit for £495 which I've decided to take a flier on. A lot of this was thanks to Macca's experience of this amp with the A2s specifically so thank you for taking the time to comment, I appreciate your insight.

Ultimately if it's not for me then I can sell it on, however, I hope it delivers what I'm looking for and it should be with me Thursday. I'll need to do some re-jigging of my setup to accommodate it so that sounds very much like a Bank Holiday weekend task!

[walpurgis]

Don't think you'll go wrong there. What else can you get for the money that compares? Not much!

[Funk]

I should be able to sell my 8vs2 on for about £300 so the £200 cost-to-change makes it a bit of a no-brainer if the XTZ is a good as everyone says!

[Funk]

It arrived today and I couldn't resist hooking it up to have a listen before I have to start unplugging everything to relocate it - after warming up for a bit I gave it a run through some favourite tracks and it's certainly living up to expectations so far! Forgot the Cyrus uses Deltron connectors so have ordered some new bananas.


Don't know what you're using for speaker cable but I tried a fair few and Chord was a good match. Balanced out a bit of softness in the mids. Bi-wiring them with it made no difference, unsurprisingly, but it was extremely expensive.

I'm using Chord Odyssey 2 which I've had forever and I don't think would benefit from changing. I too can't say bi-wiring has ever made a difference in any setup I've heard; what I've done on my speakers is make a jumper from a short offcut of the Odyssey 2 to replace the standard jumper bars.

I do think I should replace my interconnects though; I'm using old Cable Talk Monitor 2s which I've had since I don't know when - they're tatty and the plastics on the plugs are disintegrating with age. Any recommendations under £100...?

[Macca]

Odyssey 2 was what I used with the A2s so I'd say you are sorted there.

[Funk]

Sounds like I'm slowly putting together your old system Martin! :lol:

I noticed one thing with the XTC that I hope settles down a bit - as it heated up the metal ticked occasionally as it expanded and as it cooled once powered down. It was loud enough that I noticed it (and it did get quite warm - up to 48 degC and I was running it in AB mode mostly). I'll also have to remember to get used to putting it into standby each night due to the power draw & heat. With the Cyrus I usually just left it on all the time as it never got particularly warm...

[Macca]

Yes it does tick a bit sometimes. Always keep it in standby or switch it off at the back, it will last longer. I mostly used mine as a power amp only with a passive pre-amp until I moved it to the A/V system where the built-in DAC comes in handy. Although at the moment it is back working as an integrated in my main system whilst my Krell is in for repairs.


I've tried it in class A mode but the only difference I can determine is that it gets a lot warmer!


Is it any improvement on the Cyrus? I found the big advantage of it over the Linn LK100 I was using before was that it never, ever sounded like it was running out of steam no matter what music or what volume. I hate it when you can hear the amp bottom out on peaks.

[Funk]

I tried switching between A and AB last night several times - on some songs it's noticeable but oddly only really going from AB > A and not the other way around. At best it's a slightly crisper top end and a very slight sense of more 'space' around the instruments. I couldn't tell you from a standing start which mode it was in and the change is very subtle. Is class A worth the extra heat and power draw? No, not in my opinion - but it's certainly interesting to have tested though. I suspect I'll leave it in AB mode permanently and running AB-only tonight it never went much above 30-32 degC which is fine in my book. Evidently once you've run it in A for a bit it takes a while to dissipate that heat even once back in AB.

How does it compare to the Cyrus..? That's quite an interesting one to answer, especially after having known the Cyrus' sound for so long. Changing components can sometimes be an exercise in "...it's different, but is it better...?" I think I need to break it down a little in order to answer and I'll come back to this at the end of the post.

The first thing I noticed is XTZ has incredible control of the bottom end and this was the change that stood out the most. It's like taking a tent that's flapping in the breeze and tensioning all the guy ropes - it's much tauter and agile but what's also happened is that the control in lower end has had significant benefits in the mid-range too. The mids and upper frequencies are now layered on a more stable base (bass? :lol:) and the XTZ's better control of the drivers has allowed that to come to the fore - not only is it clearer but it's also sharpened the soundstaging. I always felt there was more the A2s could do in the midrange and it seems the Cyrus was the limitation in this regard. I've also noticed that the separation has improved markedly and it's much easier to follow both lead vocal and backing harmony for example or a single acoustic guitar amongst many.

The top end is also a huge improvement on the Cyrus although my higher-frequency hearing is starting to roll off now (I can't hear above 15kHz and I have permanent tinnitus - a consistent whistle at around 13kHz from years of drumming and not protecting my ears in my early 20s - stupid really but them's the breaks). I did always wish the Cyrus did more at the top end, perhaps it's just a slightly warmer/smoother sound than I ever realised. The last couple of days have been worse than usual for tinnitus, usually I can tune it out more.

Here are a few of my favourite reference tracks I've listened to tonight:

Allan Taylor- 'The Traveller', 'A House by the River'
The Notting Hillbillies - 'Your Own Sweet Way'
Béla Fleck & The Flecktones - 'Flight of the Cosmic Hippo'
Chris Jones - 'Long After You're Gone'
Daft Punk - 'Lose Yourself to Dance' (the Édition Studio Masters version from Qobuz)
Eagles - 'Hotel California' (Live version from 'Hell Freezes Over')
Dire Straits - 'Brothers In Arms' (MFSL version)
Pendulum - 'Watercolour'
Dirty Loops - 'Circus'
Porcupine Tree - Blackest Eyes'
Fun Lovin' Criminals - 'Passive/Aggressive'
Home Free - 'In the Blood'
Incognito - 'After the Fall'
Jan Garbarek & The Hilliard Ensemble - 'Parce mihi domine'
The Greater Good - 'If I Could'
Rob Martino - 'One Cloud'
Propellerheads - 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'

So overall yes the XTZ is clearly a big improvement over the 8vs2, however to be fair to the Cyrus it does pack a punch that belies its size and overall it's been very impressive for the money. By a stroke of luck, the XTZ just seems to take the things I liked about the Cyrus and do them bigger and better whilst also addressing some of the (few, minor) shortcomings I felt the old amp had. With an easier pair of speakers to drive the Cyrus would probably shine all the more; the XTZ is a cracker but the Cyrus isn't as far behind as you'd think it might be.