Justin & Jerry's Hifi Blog

[jandl100]

Jerry, did you sell the basic phono stage you bought, or do you still have it?

Hi Dave - I've still got it - PM me your address if you'd like a play with it. It's set up for a low output moving coil (like my old 0.3mV Denon 103).

[simon g]

Interesting that you have (had?!) a CR Developments Romulus ~ had one myself for 6 months or so. Very pretty amp, but it seemed all mid range glory to me. I think the 6L6 is the culprit there.

I also had bad hum issues with mine ~ apparently a 'feature' of this amp. I let mine go far too cheaply, but c'est la vie!

[jandl100]

Hi Simon

I still have the Romulus although it's "resting" at the moment.

Well, I disagree strongly that it's all about the midrange - yes, the mids are glorious but the treble is just as good, imo, and the bass is fine when driving a fairly easy load like my speakers have. It runs out of bass puff a bit when asked to go loud into my 83dB/W speakers ... but its only a 35-40wpc amp, so that's fair enough.

No hum issues with mine at all - very very quiet. Mine's got a ground switch at the back which sorts out any issues if and when the occur.

[DSJR]

Hi Dave - I've still got it - PM me your address if you'd like a play with it. It's set up for a low output moving coil (like my old 0.3mV Denon 103).

Can't do much at the moment Jerry, but I promise to be in touch shortly, if that's ok. The AVI doesn't like what it's connected to when the MC input is used (I reckon there could be a computer/earth problem and a buzz-hum-bucker may be in order) and the Lentek head amp, although snarl free, just sounds weak and washed out unless the battery is absolutely brand new and even then.....

The vendor of these phono stages is in the same town as me, but I haven't been in touch as yet.

[jandl100]

This arrived yesterday and is a rather pleasant surprise soundwise ...



A Nagaoka MP-30 moving magnet cartridge.
I believe these retailed at £400, a not inconsiderable sum for a mm cart. Although this used one cost me rather less.
I'd heard good things about Nagaoka carts for some time and read claims that the MP-30 competed with quite classy MC carts, so I wondered how one would compare with my high output DV10X5 MC.

At first setup it was a bit bland and a tad rolled-off, and somewhat blurred imaging. Hmmm ... this won't be staying long, thought I.
But I played around a bit with the setup and raised the arm by a few mm so the cart is a little bit 'tail up'. Ah, that's more to my taste - more hf and a more incisive and involving sound all round with nicely focussed imaging.

Very pleased with it so far.

[Tarzan]

You still enjoying the 949 man phono stage then Jerry

[jandl100]

You still enjoying the 949 man phono stage then Jerry

Hi Andy!

Yup, I certainly am - the top model now - 'audiophile' version and battery power supply. I reckon you'd have to spend upwards of £500 to significantly better it.

[Macca]

This arrived yesterday and is a rather pleasant surprise soundwise ...



A Nagaoka MP-30 moving magnet cartridge.
I believe these retailed at £400, a not inconsiderable sum for a mm cart. Although this used one cost me rather less.
I'd heard good things about Nagaoka carts for some time and read claims that the MP-30 competed with quite classy MC carts, so I wondered how one would compare with my high output DV10X5 MC.

At first setup it was a bit bland and a tad rolled-off, and somewhat blurred imaging. Hmmm ... this won't be staying long, thought I.
But I played around a bit with the setup and raised the arm by a few mm so the cart is a little bit 'tail up'. Ah, that's more to my taste - more hf and a more incisive and involving sound all round with nicely focussed imaging.

Very pleased with it so far.

Best cart I have ever had - I think I paid £80 for an NOS one back in about 1994. Don't know about £300? I couldn't have afforded that!

[jandl100]

I find myself swapping between the Nagaoka and my Dyna DV10X5.
The DV sounds a little 'fragile' compared to the solidity of the MP-30. But the DV does have more subtlety to it.
... hmmm ... still, with detachable headshells it only takes a couple of minutes to swap between the two.

Whoops - a new arrival ... now how did this get here? ...

[Marco]

Ha - you've just gotta lurve the totally OTT engineering on that Krell!

Hope that one ends up having an extended stay, chez-Jandl towers... It'll be interesting to know what you think of it

Btw, I agree with your comments on the Nagaoka. Musical solidity is one of the main things I seek in a cartridge. I really dislike the 'fragility' and overly 'delicate' traits, you're referring to, which I often find present in, for example, hi-end MC designs.

Logically enough, I guess, the cartridges I've heard that major on musical solidity are ones which use high VTFs and spherical styli, with nice fat footprints. You don't get much more 'solid' sounding cartridges than the DL-103 and SPU!

Marco.