Justin & Jerry's Hifi Blog

[Colin Wonfor]

A pair of genuine stereo Tripath EB-TA2022 evaluation boards ver 4.0, configured in bridged mode.


http://pdf.datasheetcatalog.com/data...th/mXwtryw.pdf

http://g.dubuc.free.fr/pdf/TA2022.pdf

I see you solved the bass pumping with large caps, I did it with a SMPSU and a choke to dump the energy back to the sagging PSU, It worked well, also I used RM cores in the amp OP choke to reduce the winding enter radiation that you get from toroidals.
Nice work solid case. I like it.

[User211]

I'm just flummoxed as to why you like those T-amps with your speakers Jezzer. The Graaf 5050 and the Krell 250a were to my ears so far ahead... miles ahead.

It takes all sorts, and we agree on a lot of stuff, but that one has me puzzled.

Just sayin', like.

[jandl100]

I just love t-amps! Well, some of them. The best of 'em just sound more like real music to me than most valve or tranny amps, more palpable presence or tactility as Nat would have it.
We do have different musical genres as our main focus, Justin, maybe it's summat to do with that.
Funny old world, eh!

-- I do rather fancy that you'd like the new Williams Audio box - no lack of power there to ruffle your trouser legs. -- maybe I'll bring it round to you?

[User211]

Defo if you still have it when the trip will be worthwhile. Those new speakers are getting closer to reality...

[jandl100]

A couple of years or so ago I obtained a Cyrus CD8X CD player in a swap deal.
Cyrus? - I didn't want the darn thing but I did want to move my less-well-known kit on and thought the Cyrus would be easy to sell on.
Well, blow me down - it sounded quite excellent! The "One Word Review" of the sonics would have been 'beautiful' - lovely full midrange tone and soundstage to die for.
Quelle surprise.
The bass was taut but a bit lightweight, buy hey, who around here is perfect?

So I've been kind of wondering about trying other Cyrus kit since then ....

.... and these arrived at Jerry Towers over the last couple of days.



A Cyrus PRE XPd pre-amp/DAC with bolt on PSU box. About £1850-worth at full retail. I paid less, used.

The pre box itself only arrived yesterday, and 1st impressions were not good, just kind of bland and uninteresting.
-- but I left it playing and after an hour or so it started to come together.
Maybe it had been left unplayed for a while, or maybe it does like to be warmed up. The Cyrus instruction booklet does advise to leave it at least on standby.

The onboard DAC section is pretty good, but no real match for my tube-rolled Jolida. No real surprise there, I guess.
And (sadly, imo!) the PSX-R add-on PSU box really does make a worthwhile improvement to the rez and image focus.

Anyway, by the end of the evening I was really enjoying it - I'll wheel out some big musical guns today and see how it copes.

And there are another couple of amps arriving today! Boxswapper Ho !!

[jandl100]

The Cyrus pre is already on gardening leave.

This arrived today ....



A vintage Technics SU-MA10 integrated amp - all 25Kg of it!

I have to say, it sound fantastic on 1st listen.

I am sorely tempted to get this lovely vintage bit of kit properly serviced and fettled - any reccies for who could do this?

[Reffc]

Try Will at Radford Revival Jerry. He'd do an excellent job.

[jandl100]

Thanks Paul - advice from elsewhere is that the Techie is young enough and quality enough that all is probably AOK anyway. What do you reckon? I'll see how it gets on.

System as of just now ...


Famous last words, of course, but I rather think this is settled now for some time to come. Well, maybe there'll be some tube rolling and cable tweaking!

A Pioneer DV-717 DVD player feeds Red Book CD digital data to my Jolida FX3 DAC with Sylvania 6072A valves fitted, via an AudioQuest Eagle Eye digital i/c.

The Restek Consens pre-amp allows remote control of the Technics SU-MA10 integrated amp, cabled up with MCRU Sig i/c. The Restek is transparent enough, and I do like to keep my bum in the chair.

XLO Pro 600 speaker cables then feed the signal to my MBL 116F speakers.

Power is regenerated by an AG1500 and fed to all who need it by a mixture of Nordost Magus, MusicWorks and Isotek EVO3 mains cables.

Yep, it sounds very nice thanks!

I tried the Technics amp's onboard DAC, and that is surprisingly close (very close!) to the Jolida in the mids and treble, but is quite woolly sounding in the bass, sadly, so the Jolida stays.

[User211]

I still haven't tried the M&Ds with the Restek - will do so later today.

My Luxman is miles nicer than that Techie any day...

[jandl100]

My Luxman is miles nicer than that Techie any day...

What's it weigh, then?
Can it beat 25Kg?