I think the Alephs are a different kettle of fish.
You would never categorise my XP-20 as smooth and sleep inducing!
I think the Alephs are a different kettle of fish.
You would never categorise my XP-20 as smooth and sleep inducing!
Site Owner/Administrator
Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK
Posts: 110,546
I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.
Ha - yes, could you not tell by how often I was falling asleep on Saturday, after edging up the volume on the remote control, every time we heard something more musically spectacular, from the tonearm cable changes we were doing?
Oh yes, definitely sleep-inducing... (might not work quite as expected, though, in an advert for Valium)
Marco.
Main System
Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & regulator mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat with Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight. Isonoe feet & boots. Ortofon RS-212D tonearm with Denon DL-103GL, in a Denon PCL-300 headshell, fitted with Funk Firm Houdini and Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.
Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp and Denon AU-310 SUT.
Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.
CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.
Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.
Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp, fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.
Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.
Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.
Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.
You like that remote control
Site Owner/Administrator
Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK
Posts: 110,546
I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.
I lurves it more than you'll ever know...
Marco.
Main System
Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & regulator mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat with Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight. Isonoe feet & boots. Ortofon RS-212D tonearm with Denon DL-103GL, in a Denon PCL-300 headshell, fitted with Funk Firm Houdini and Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.
Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp and Denon AU-310 SUT.
Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.
CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.
Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.
Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp, fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.
Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.
Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.
Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.
Senior Member
Location: gone
Posts: 11,510
I'm gone.
What did Marco get up to with that remote?
You didn't leave him alone with it, did you, Martin?
If you did, I suggest you give it a thorough clean with a strong antiseptic.
.
Hmm, I think it was its metallic beauty, the rounded corners, the long thin profile, the...
<disconnected>
Senior Member
Location: gone
Posts: 11,510
I'm gone.
Oooo, heck - this is rather nice ...
... although only on loan for a review.
.
Absolutor? Good grief, Terminator meets preamp?
Senior Member
Location: gone
Posts: 11,510
I'm gone.
Well, there have been a few changes recently so I thought I'd update this system blog.
MBL speakers are still here, of course, and providing a nicely transparent window on to the rest of the system, and - most importantly - the music. Well over 2 years since I got the MBLs and I am still madly, deeply in love with them.
It's coming up to 1 year with the Parasound power amp, too.
Sigh - what's a boxswapper to do?
... change everything else, of course!
So here's "The Rack" as of this morning ....
The big Parasound bottom, right.
New Morgan 500 valve pre-amp above it. That arrived yesterday, from Martin Howlindawg in rainswept Ireland. Thanks, Martin.
I had this very item before, sold it to Martin, who promptly found that the mains transformer was not up to par. Damn- I never did hear it at its best. Well, now I have. Cor. Stunning resolution in the mids - it just latches on to every dynamic change and micro-inflection. Especially now that I have replaced the stock Golden Dragons with a pair of TAD 12AX7 and a pair of Amperex 12AU7. The bass isn't quite as taut as the XTC Pre-1 that is now 'resting' but it's way more than good enough. Maybe some more tube-rolling can improve things further? The Morgan pre is not for the faint of heart or for those who want to wallow in an enveloping wash of sound. This pre puts you front/centre. Wonderful - I love it so far.
Top left is a Pioneer PD-S505 stable platter CDP used as a transport into my new DAC. I do love those Pioneers stable platters as transports - they knock the spots off most other transports, imho.
Below that is my Arcam DV29 DVD player for SciFi blockbuster movies, classical concert DVDs and Gilbert & Sullivan operettas on DVD and VHS tape.
Bottom left, my Beresford Bushmaster DAC is powered by an S-Booster linear PSU supplied by Mark Grant and they both sit atop the PowerInspired AG1500 mains regenerator that feeds the whole shebang.
You know, the system don't sound half bad. In fact, it's the best I've heard, imho.
.
Senior Member
Location: Scotland
Posts: 1,940
I'm Tom.
Only because you won't risk having a hernia lugging it outOriginally Posted by jandl100
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