I used to own a Crown DC-300A and that was a really nice sounding bomb proof powerhouse too.
Stewartwen rates them as well, so can't be bad
Senior Member
Location: South Beds, UK
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I'm Mike.
I used to own a Crown DC-300A and that was a really nice sounding bomb proof powerhouse too.
Stewartwen rates them as well, so can't be bad
He with least money has most to sell
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Interesting (?) update on the Crown XLS 150 amp (my most recent purchase).
To paraphrase my verdict previously - "close but no cigar", aka "pretty damn good, but not up with the very best I have heard" - well, I have now received a pair of very nice balanced silver interconnects courtesy of eBay, and using an all balanced chain - DAC > Restek preamp > Crown XLS 150 - has rather raised the game of the whole thing. There seems to be more rez and immediacy (which it has to be said is not everyone's cup'o'char, but I likes it!).
My feeling is that the Crown is happier with a balanced input. Whether or not the Crown is a true balanced design I have no idea.
Only a few hours on it so far, but it has most definitely earned further listening.
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You wanted updates, didn't you?
Well, with my lovely and excellent NAD S300 semi-behemoth amp available at the easy switch of some cables, it's 3 days later and much music has been played and I am still using the Crown amp. And really enjoying it!
It's actually quite difficult to get analytic and nerdy about it, and get off on a stream of comments about 3D imaging and transient palpability. It just plays music very enjoyably across a wide range of musical genres, I could happily live with the little blingy beast for the long term if I had to.
Of course, I don't have to and I am sure my inner boxswapper will come out of hiding sometime soon!
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Hmm.
This is a bit of a puzzler.
An eBay purchase from a few weeks ago. I first put the auction on my Watch list as I thought from the name that it was a MC cartridge.
GAS - Great American Sound - a bit of an iconic blast from the past for me. Used to read about the brand in the old US hifi mags. Founded back in 1977 by (some would say the legendary) James Bongiorno. Well known for their amps, one of which was called Ampzilla, another Son of Ampzilla !! And also a moving coil cartridge called Sleeping Beauty - which the eBay item turned out not to be!
Interesting site here - http://www.davidsaudio.com/html/gas_line.html
Instead, what I won was this ....
.... here set up and installed in my AT-1010 arm.
It's a GAS 2-MF.
Which Google searching the various forums turns out to be a re-badged Micro Seiki LF 7E mm cart!
... so back to the puzzler bit from above ... how on earth can this mm cart sound so bloody good?!
I've owned dozens of cartridges in my time, up to a £K or so's worth of moving coil Dynavector.
Having tried quite a few mm-type carts in the past (e.g. Goldring 1042, Nag MP30, Grado Statement etc etc ...) I'd unhesitatingly call myself a moving coil kind of guy!
But this GAS / Micro Seiki mm cart has me revising my views in no small way.
I could live with this - in fact, I am!
Of course, box-swapper that I am, I now cannot leave the thought alone and it's made me wonder about whether other mm carts might also float my boat. So 2 more are on their way Jerry-wards as I type.
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Site Owner/Administrator
Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK
Posts: 110,554
I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.
Nice, Jerry. Some of the best vintage MMs can really surprise you…
Anyway, what about your new power cable?
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.
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Hey, yeah, you're right - the new power cable!
Well, that's only been here a few days while the GAS cart has had 3 weeks or so to settle in and inform me of its charms.
OK - new power cable courtesy of Marco.
Bargain of the year? - a £399 as new Tellurium Blue for £90.
It's up against some fearsome competition, mind. My medium term fave - a couple of years or more, I think - Nordost Magus / Blue Heaven.
I just love the Magus for the sense of focus, presence and immediacy-without-hype that it brings to music.
I've plumbed the Blue into my Crown power amp, so it can benefit (or not) the entire system, regardless of source.
Well, I am kind of happy to report that the Tellurium Blue has the same sort of effect on the sound as the Nordost Magus, but more so. There's an improved feeling of in the room tangibility to the sound that impressed initially and is continuing to grow on me.
I say "kind of" happy - as I am unlikely to come across this sort of bargain price again and no way Jose am I forking out for more at £399 a pop for a bloody mains cable!
Thanks, Marco!
Last edited by jandl100; 27-01-2015 at 07:53.
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Site Owner/Administrator
Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK
Posts: 110,554
I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.
Nice one, Jerry. Glad that it’s hitting the spot - we aim to please!
In all seriousness though, you *have* got a real bargain there, so I wouldn’t be letting that cable go too soon (in your ‘box-swapper mode’), if I were you…
Marco.
P.S How about a piccy of your new ’snake' in situ?
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.
Moderator & Terminator!
Location: N E Kent
Posts: 51,627
I'm Geoff.
Very true. Even modestly priced examples can turn in a very musical sound. I have thirty five year old JVC Z1S moving magnet cartridge and it always surprises me with its transparency, depth and detail. I was fortunate enough to find a NOS elliptical stylus in the US which is on its way to me right now. Could be interesting.Originally Posted by Marco
Excel also made some lovely sounding MMs that nobody seems to know about. Still some NOS of those about I believe.
It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!
Double Daftee
Location: Essex, UK
Posts: 3,439
I'm Andy.
Nice, Jerry. Some of the best vintage MMs can really surprise you…
Anyway, what about your new power cable?
Marco.
I am a power cable believer too!, just purchased a Nordost Vishnu with fancy pants connectors and it sounds ace.
System; Michell Gyrodec SE/ Orbe Clamp/ Gert Pedersen armboard mod/ HR PSU/ SME V / J7 Tonearm cable/Ortofon Cadenza Black// Jez Arkless Turbo nutter B------ /Trichord Dino+
Amplification and loudspeaker set up is at the moment being split into two groups, comprising the following;
1. Same sources as above; SONY TAF-770ES/SONY CDP761E/Cable Talk 3.1 loudspeakercable/ Harbeth Compact7ES2/ Stands
2. Virtue Audio Sensation M451battery PSU, ClarityCaps upgrade/ Sensation M901/Russian PIO caps with Teflon bypass caps upgrade/ JT Dynamic PSU with various tweaks/ Connex Audio 5N Litz loudspeaker cable, Impulse H6 Loudspeakers.
Me so horny- Impulse H6 Horny
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No worries, the Nordost Magus leads have been with me for a couple of years I like them so much - so I fully expect the Tellurium Blue will have a similar length of tenure.Nice one, Jerry. Glad that it’s hitting the spot - we aim to please!
In all seriousness though, you *have* got a real bargain there, so I wouldn’t be letting that cable go too soon (in your ‘box-swapper mode’), if I were you…
Marco.
P.S How about a piccy of your new ’snake' in situ?
I explored the higher reaches of the Nordost mains cable range into Shive / Vishnu territory, but for me the Magus / Blue Heaven hits the sweet spot.
OK - new mains lead in situ, a pleasantly vivid blue weave! .....
Note how much shallower and smaller the 300wpc Crown power amp is than the Restek pre below it - the wonders of class D efficiency!
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