Justin & Jerry's Hifi Blog

[Macca]

Jerry, thanks for the offer but as I don't run a motor I am restricted to going to the same places as the railway tracks

As amps go the Alto is a very quirky design but that's no reason why it cannot work well in context. They were quite highly rated by the press with the exception of HFW. Your MBL speakers seem to be very forgiving of amplification in any case. Anyways try swapping in a pre-power at some point, just for me

I'm interested to hear what the Technics will do in Martin T's system, I reckon it will be totally killer but we'll see I guess.

[jandl100]

Jerry, thanks for the offer but as I don't run a motor I am restricted to going to the same places as the railway tracks

Well, there are stations at Lydney, Gloucester ...

They were quite highly rated by the press with the exception of HFW.

Aha! - so you chose the one source that agreed with you!

Your MBL speakers seem to be very forgiving of amplification in any case.

That is very true - they are astonishingly easy to drive for any amp, ime.

Anyways try swapping in a pre-power at some point, just for me

I plan to.

[Macca]

Well, there are stations at Lydney, Gloucester ...



Aha! - so you chose the one source that agreed with you!

lol - yes but I have heard the Alto a few times although not in any of my own systems.

[Reffc]

Fair enough, Martin!

It sounds fabulous in my system. Astonishing clarity, musical presence, speed, dynamics, bass depth and control, image focus. What's not to like? - well, OK, it's not a sound for those who like to relax in a smooth ambient haze, and some folks do which is fair enough, but it does me very nicely indeed. - Paul Refc rated it very highly, too, so it's not just me kidding myself.

System synergy? Personal taste?
Who knows? - not me!

You're in Staffs - not a world away if you travel round a bit - come visit the lovely Forest of Dean and you're welcome to pop in for some choons and a pizza and hear for yourself!

Yes. Cracking amp for the money Jerry. It doesn't matter a fig which magazine has said what about it. If it sounds good in your system, then it is good in your system and that's all you need to know. The sound stage was a little 2-D and 5kHz upwards-ish could be a little strident but only with some recordings, so that may not have been attributable to the amp. No piece of kit is perfect. I've heard Naim pre/power amps costing many times more sound a lot worse when it comes to upper HF than the Alto in some systems. It's not bad by any yardstick.

[howlindawg]

It's not bad by any yardstick.

Considering they can be had for £80ish these days I'd rate them a lot better than 'not bad' in the sound per pound stakes.

[MartinT]

I'm interested to hear what the Technics will do in Martin T's system, I reckon it will be totally killer but we'll see I guess.

I simply don't know what to expect, Martin, and that's fine with me. I'm glad it has balanced outputs as that will make for easier comparison with my Ayre. Hopefully it'll arrive well packed, that's my usual concern.

[Marco]

I simply don't know what to expect, Martin, and that's fine with me.

I think you'll hear the potential, but it'll be a little rough around the edges. Given the sheer resolution available from the Ayre, I'm pretty certain that the presentation of the Technics will need to be refined more before it could become your primary digital source.

The important thing when contemplating upgrading such a component (as indeed you know all too well yourself) is in identifying its main strengths and having the confidence to implement the right plan, in order to address its weaknesses.

Talk to Mark Bartlett first about what is possible, in terms of modifications (and don't dismiss the effectiveness of Bybee filters, which he's keen on, and that I use inside my Sony) and then agree on your plan of action.

Incidentally, what DAC chips does the SL-P1200 use? I don't think it's TDA-1541s, is it?

Marco.

[Macca]

It's a Burr Brown chip, Marco

[Marco]

Cheers, Martin, that's what I suspected, and it should be capable of really good results.

Marco.

[MartinT]

If it's comparable to the Burr Brown DACs inside my old Pioneer PD-91, then it'll have all the right ingredients for greatness.