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Thread: Preamps: Crayon CFA-1/1.2 - Hovland PH100/200 - Croft Micro 25 RS?

  1. #21
    Join Date: May 2014

    Location: Solihull

    Posts: 717
    I'm Martin.

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    Hi Peter
    I have a Hovland HP100 MC and it is a keeper



    I originally had an EAR 864 together with my EAR 8L6 and thought that combo was pretty special. I the used the Hovland with the 8L6 and that was pretty good too.
    I now use it with my Sirius (Gamut) and over the last few days with Firebottle Monos
    The Hovland benefits from good tubes and the best so far is the GE 5751 Black plate
    triple mica especially with vinyl.
    A very slight disadvantage is that the MC version is really the MM with the MC7 SUT apparently permanently wired and one cannot therefore switch between MC and MM.
    There are masses of inputs so a competent engineer could wire a spare pair of inputs. If I were to buy one again fat chance, I would probably go for the MM version so that I could go for my own choice of SUT and one of the now superb range of MM cartridges available (good MC cartridges are now an arm and a leg)
    Lumley Heliosphere Audiomods 5
    Voyd Valdi AN Arm 1 V2 and Denon MC
    Audiomeca Talisman Highly Modded
    Audiomeca Kreatura &,SW1X DAC1
    Hovland HP200 MC
    Hovland Radia
    Ming Da 805 monos
    Magnum Dynalab Etude, RWA Cassabria + LCD 3
    Wilson Benesch Actors
    Cables by Cardas, Hovland G3 and Yter

  2. #22
    Join Date: Sep 2009

    Location: west mids, UK

    Posts: 3,268
    I'm Phil.

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    Yes sounds delightful , lovely pre amp
    ou might slip, you might slide, you might
    Stumble and fall by the road side
    But don't you ever let nobody drag your spirit down
    Remember you're walking up to heaven

    Don't let nobody turn you around
    … Walk with the rich, walk with the poor
    Learn from everyone, that's what life is for
    And don't you let nobody drag your spirit down

    Eric Bibb

  3. #23
    Join Date: Aug 2014

    Location: Aarhus, Denmark

    Posts: 305
    I'm Peter.

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    Nice photo of the great preamp you have got there.

    In the meantime I visited Veteran Hifi in Stockholm and fell in love with the owner's daughter - oh, strike that, ... the owner's turntable and tangential arm.

    Photo of the main set-up (Cairn pre in the background (on top of an unconnected Sugden A21 SE integrated) into a 2 x 20 watt Tenbrock 20+20 red valve power amp and Harbeth HL5+ speakers. MC phono stage was Goldnote PH 10 with PSU + Lundahl transformer.


    Source was this beauty with a Miyajima Madake cart:
    Last edited by Rosewind; 27-07-2019 at 21:25.
    I'm Peter, Denmark: AD Audio Satchmo 3 Line Stage + EAR 516 + Quad ESL 57 + EAR 324P + PTP6 Acoustand L75 + Poul Ladegaard tonearm/Denon 103D + Fidelity Research FR24 mk ii/Decca Maroon + Leak Stereofetic FM Tuner + B&O Beocord 6500 Cassette Deck + Synology DS 415+("upgraded" to 8gb memory) cabled to Win10 PC - JRiver - Paul Pang USB-splitter cable - Linear 5v psu - Nuforce U192s - Line Magnetic 502CA DAC

  4. #24
    Join Date: Aug 2014

    Location: Aarhus, Denmark

    Posts: 305
    I'm Peter.

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    Just received an answer from Mr Kramer about the issue with the Crayon CFA-1. As someone else pointed out, the board failures in the early batches of Crayon CFA-1 happened within the first two months, so any Crayon CFA-1s that have made it until now, will be in the clear. Better still, Crayon Audio will gladly service Crayon CFA-1s, should the need arise. Just thought that I would post this to allay any fears.
    I'm Peter, Denmark: AD Audio Satchmo 3 Line Stage + EAR 516 + Quad ESL 57 + EAR 324P + PTP6 Acoustand L75 + Poul Ladegaard tonearm/Denon 103D + Fidelity Research FR24 mk ii/Decca Maroon + Leak Stereofetic FM Tuner + B&O Beocord 6500 Cassette Deck + Synology DS 415+("upgraded" to 8gb memory) cabled to Win10 PC - JRiver - Paul Pang USB-splitter cable - Linear 5v psu - Nuforce U192s - Line Magnetic 502CA DAC

  5. #25
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: gone

    Posts: 11,519
    I'm gone.

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    .

  6. #26
    Join Date: Aug 2014

    Location: Aarhus, Denmark

    Posts: 305
    I'm Peter.

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    You are welcome, Sir!

    On another note, I popped off the lid to my Herron VTSP2a and took out the valves. I made sure to insert them in the correct places again but now I have lost sound in the phono stage and almost all the inputs except the left channels of the CD and Tuner inputs. Hmmm.

    Last Friday I brough the Herron to a guy who wanted to audition it and the computer replay [correction] sounded decidedly dodgy, dull and shut in with his humugous Line Magnetic 519a. I wonder if the valves had started to go already ... There were a mix of 4 x 6h23p [Russian "p"] e8 valves in the 4 valve poitions in the rear, and two JJ (Tesla?) goldpin 6922 valves in the two front positions. A good thing that I had already ordered 6 goldpin EH 6922 valves from Germany before I opened up the preamp. They will be here tomorrow.

    I am not without music as I am running my Line Magnetic 502CA Dac straight into the EAR 516 while using the digital volume control in Jriver Media Center. It sounds fabulous.
    I'm Peter, Denmark: AD Audio Satchmo 3 Line Stage + EAR 516 + Quad ESL 57 + EAR 324P + PTP6 Acoustand L75 + Poul Ladegaard tonearm/Denon 103D + Fidelity Research FR24 mk ii/Decca Maroon + Leak Stereofetic FM Tuner + B&O Beocord 6500 Cassette Deck + Synology DS 415+("upgraded" to 8gb memory) cabled to Win10 PC - JRiver - Paul Pang USB-splitter cable - Linear 5v psu - Nuforce U192s - Line Magnetic 502CA DAC

  7. #27
    Join Date: Aug 2014

    Location: Aarhus, Denmark

    Posts: 305
    I'm Peter.

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    6 new EH 6922 valves have been installed and the sound is back. Now for the burn-in and the arrival of a Pass Xono clone. I had to sell the Croft Riaa R to fund the completion of my First Watt F4 build by a pro. Thus I found myself without a phono stage and stumbled over a build of the Xono as MM only. After a bit of research on the internet, I made an offer which was accepted. So within a week I expect a "new" phono stage to arrive. I have not abandoned the Croft Riia RS, but it won't be until I have my First Watt F4 build back.
    I'm Peter, Denmark: AD Audio Satchmo 3 Line Stage + EAR 516 + Quad ESL 57 + EAR 324P + PTP6 Acoustand L75 + Poul Ladegaard tonearm/Denon 103D + Fidelity Research FR24 mk ii/Decca Maroon + Leak Stereofetic FM Tuner + B&O Beocord 6500 Cassette Deck + Synology DS 415+("upgraded" to 8gb memory) cabled to Win10 PC - JRiver - Paul Pang USB-splitter cable - Linear 5v psu - Nuforce U192s - Line Magnetic 502CA DAC

  8. #28
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: gone

    Posts: 11,519
    I'm gone.

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    Are the EH better sounding than your previous valve mix?
    EH we're definitely the best I tried with the Herron pre by a long way.
    .

  9. #29
    Join Date: Aug 2014

    Location: Aarhus, Denmark

    Posts: 305
    I'm Peter.

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    All inputs work now. There were 2 JJ (Tesla?) 6922 valves + 4 x 6h23p [Russian "p"] e8 in the slots. I don't seem to detect any major changes to the sound, perhaps the new valves are a bit more "edgy" - and that could either be because they are new or because they are more open up towards the top. Which would not be a bad thing as it would save me from trying supertweeters with my Quad ESL 57s ...

    When the Herron pre played through the Line Magnetic 519a the sound was darker and duller than when we used the Line Magnetic 519a as an integrated amp. So perhaps the old valves were on their way out or they were just darker in their tonality. Or we witnessed some sort of amp mismatch (impedance?).

    I will let the valves run for around 50 hours and then schedule another listening test with the Line Magnetic 519a to see what gives. I actually went there the first time to sell the Herron pre to get my hands on a KR P135mc preamp. But that did not happen, of course, and that is probably not a bad thing.
    I'm Peter, Denmark: AD Audio Satchmo 3 Line Stage + EAR 516 + Quad ESL 57 + EAR 324P + PTP6 Acoustand L75 + Poul Ladegaard tonearm/Denon 103D + Fidelity Research FR24 mk ii/Decca Maroon + Leak Stereofetic FM Tuner + B&O Beocord 6500 Cassette Deck + Synology DS 415+("upgraded" to 8gb memory) cabled to Win10 PC - JRiver - Paul Pang USB-splitter cable - Linear 5v psu - Nuforce U192s - Line Magnetic 502CA DAC

  10. #30
    Join Date: Aug 2014

    Location: Aarhus, Denmark

    Posts: 305
    I'm Peter.

    Default

    So, all this has ended with the purchase of a Van den Hul "The Grail" - not where I expected to spend money. It was between a Croft Riaa RS and "the Grail". I hope this will be my last phono stage.
    I'm Peter, Denmark: AD Audio Satchmo 3 Line Stage + EAR 516 + Quad ESL 57 + EAR 324P + PTP6 Acoustand L75 + Poul Ladegaard tonearm/Denon 103D + Fidelity Research FR24 mk ii/Decca Maroon + Leak Stereofetic FM Tuner + B&O Beocord 6500 Cassette Deck + Synology DS 415+("upgraded" to 8gb memory) cabled to Win10 PC - JRiver - Paul Pang USB-splitter cable - Linear 5v psu - Nuforce U192s - Line Magnetic 502CA DAC

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