Justin & Jerry's Hifi Blog

[MartinT]

Ah - Chapter coming from ex-Chord employees, that was what I was trying to remember. It may well be to my liking, Jerry! Class D, though, so not really like the Chord's topology.

I had thought the Parasound was a keeper, much like the MBLs, back when you brought it over. Should have remembered your box-swapping tendencies

[jandl100]

I had thought the Parasound was a keeper, much like the MBLs, back when you brought it over. Should have remembered your box-swapping tendencies

Well, 18 months or so - that's a keeper by my standards!

-- mind you, the MBLs are coming up for 4 years now.

[User211]

Get the matching CDP and spray the MBLs silver

Good amps those Chapters - best I've heard driving M&Ds - but then they were/maybe still are their show demo speakers.

[jandl100]

Slight system update ....



My Restek Consens pre-amp is now 'resting' - I've gone and bought a MF FBP A1 pre-amp - again. I had one a while back as some here may recall. I didn't go off it, I just fancied a change as one does, or at least as this particular boxswapper does . A great pre-amp for silly-low money - it cost me less than £400 del.
Jake / lordmortlock of this parish has been nagging me occasionally about that pre for ages - he reckons my system was at its best when the MF was in the loop with good old Halo Hal (the big Parasound Halo A21 power amp).
No, I shan't be getting another Parasound - the Chapter is better in every way for me.

It's interesting with the MF pre inserted - a rather fuller and more 'musical' tonality than the Restek once I'd messed a bit with mains cables (it seems to like the thin MusicWorks mains lead), but the imaging went to pot - a bit vague and blowsy. So after a little while I shoved the MBL speakers a little closer together, aha - yes, much more focussed now. I'll stay with this for a while, tweaking away, and see how I go.
A recently acquired pair of MCRU Signature i/c cables are also doing sterling work.
Slight speaker cable change as well - with the MF pre the system was a bit brightly lit, so rather than shotgunned Tellurium TQ Black & XLO Pro600, I now just have the TQ Black hooked up. Sorted.

Also, above the AG1500 mains regenerator, a Pioneer DV-636D DVD player used as a CD transport (my old Vincent CD S7 is now with a very happy new owner) - surely these old Pioneer DVD players are among the best CDTs on the planet!

Oh, and an AudioQuest Eagle Eye digital cable has made a surprisingly large improvement to the fidelity.

Certainly a very enjoyable sound.

[MartinT]

Jerry - in your kit swaps, have you ever come across Red Dragon amps? They look most interesting.

[jandl100]

No - I've never even heard of them - they do look interesting!
http://www.reddragonaudio.com/collec...cts/m1000-mkii
550w into 8 ohms ....

[MartinT]

Indeed, Rowland use the exact same B&O ICEpower modules and others, such as Mark Levinson, Halcro and NAD, use similar class D designs.

The Red Dragon amps look like sufficient bargains that they could be worth a try. I may look them up when I'm in the USA in August.

[Ali Tait]

At that sort of price, I'd be looking at the NC400 modules from Hypex, they seem to get great reviews generally.

[MartinT]

Who builds them into finished products, Ali?

[hoopsontoast]

Interesting to keep up Jerry

If you ever look for another CD Player, give the Sony S9000ES a go, they are a bit of a bargain for ~£100-£150 and I really love mine.