Goldpoint SA4M-47 passive 'preamp' winging its way to Marco Towers...

[Barry]

BOGOF : "Buy One, Get One Free".

[struth]

Mine's snappier but I aint spelling it out

[Marco]

How could anyone (who watches TV regularly) forget this annoying wanker:



Marco.

[The Black Adder]

gosh yes... I remember that ad... It still makes me cringe.. An that bloke with the round red glasses too, was he in Coronation Street or something?... all together, very creepy.

[Ammonite Audio]

How could anyone (who watches TV regularly) forget this annoying wanker:



Marco.

Well, the advertising clearly worked in this instance!

[lurcher]

Indeed, Anthony... As a matter of interest, as you've chosen to fit DACT stepped attenuators, which utilise SMD resistors, in your (£5k?) Soul Mate preamps [and have done for some time], what's your view on their inherent sonic qualities and/or technical suitability for that job, in terms of them maximising signal integrity?

Can I just point out that I have not said there is anything inherently good or bad about surface mount as opposed to leaded resistors sonically. I am sure a good SMD component will sound better than a poor leaded one and vice versa. What I was arguing again was:

1. Just because they are small and you can pack many more into the same space as one 5W resistor, doesn’t mean the signal is somehow fooled into thinking its a single resistor

2. I would be very surprised if 20 1k resistors in series sounded as good as one equal 20k resistor.

3. If a manufacturer happens to make a change that is simpler for them and lower cost, be wary when then then claim the change was done for reasons of the sound.

4. There are probably no absolutes in audio

[Marco]

I agree with all four points, Nick! No worries on that score, mate

I was just curious what Anthony thought on the subject, primarily because he uses SMD-based switches in his amplifier designs (so obviously rates them, as he could've easily fitted devices that used conventional resistors on his amps), so I was curious as to his reasons for choosing DACT, especially, as you know yourself, that he is a stickler for perfection/quality.

There's simply no way he'd have fitted those switches to his equipment if he didn't think that they were the best option for the job. He also recommended the DACT for me to use in the Croft, which again was spot on as it sounds great, as indeed do the Goldpoint switches, employing the same resistor technology, which I'm using now in my passive.

Therefore, the fact that SMDs are obviously more than capable of high-quality performance is undeniable. It's what I've heard with the DACT, and indeed is what I'm hearing now with the Goldpoint, so as you correctly say, there are no absolutes in audio. Also, if you do some research on DACT and Goldpoint stepped attenuators/passives it's difficult to find a negative word about them - indeed quite the opposite!

You don't gain that type of worldwide reputation if your products are crap... So, let your ears ultimately be the judge, not your rather ignorant and ill-informed biases [and incidentally, that comment was NOT aimed at you]. It's amazing how folk who dismiss things they've likely never even heard, still feel entitled to offer authoritative views on the matter

Marco.

P.S You have a PM.

[Marco]

Well, the advertising clearly worked in this instance!

Lol, yeah... Trouble is, you remember him, but not necessarily the company he was advertising!

Marco.

[DSJR]

A half metre length of MC5000 'sounds better than' a 1m set. Now I am worried if a half metre added on to an already good short cable used in the tens of metres professionally makes such a difference.. Sorry, I'm really not having a go, but I'm rather glad I'm no longer listening to 'sound' at this level (been there and done it - in my day it was turning LP12 Valhalla kit fuses round, mains plug fuses too and hearing a difference, this apart from turning drive belts upside down and inside out and comparing an LP12 mat both sides up).

All I want to do here is offer a word of caution, as sometimes, 'we' can get so far up our backsides with these sort of things that, in the wider world, actually make beggar all differences. I mean, that Croft line stage must be pretty damned awful and unlistenable by now, judging by the large improvements brought by changing two resistors in a quality passive preamp. I'm sure the Croft isn't in the slightest bit awful and never was, but you get where I'm coming from here? Have fun by all means, but please don't take it to the level of slagging off 'ordinary' 1% metal film resistors as 'awful' or 'terrible' as used in practically all audio and studio gear nowadays

I'm looking to get a stepped attenuator for my NVA P50. Yep, the path has been trodden and there's the obvious one I could and probably should use. I have to say that the one recommended by Anthony here (the Polish? one in square red enclosures) with foil resistors does look bloody tempting...

[Marco]

Hi Dave,

A half metre length of MC5000 'sounds better than' a 1m set.

I'm talking about in terms of the effect it has on a passive preamp, certainly here in my system. The Croft (being an active design) doesn't really care whether it's fitted with 0.5m or 1m interconnects, but the Goldpoint seems rather more sensitive to cable lengths, so I'm only reporting what I'm hearing. The Tisbury was the same.

All I want to do here is offer a word of caution, as sometimes, 'we' can get so far up our backsides with these sort of things that, in the wider world, actually make beggar all differences. I mean, that Croft line stage must be pretty damned awful and unlistenable by now, judging by the large improvements brought by changing two resistors in a quality passive preamp.

Not sure what you're on about there. The Croft line stage still sounds superb, as it always has done, but the Goldpoint is doing the 'passive disappearing act' thing, as well as retaining all the energy and dynamics of the sound I get with the Croft, hence why it's such an addictive listen!

You're missing the point about why the Goldpoint sounds *so* much better now than it did when I first got it. It's not just because I've upgraded two resistors, but more importantly, because now that the switches have been shunted, I've done away with 30-odd series resistors that were originally sitting in the signal path...

Now there is only ONE [on each channel] - and top-notch ones, too. *That*, more than anything else, is why the Goldpoint sounds so good now!

I'm sure the Croft isn't in the slightest bit awful and never was, but you get where I'm coming from here?

Kind of, but not really, because you're missing the point, as I've just explained above.

Have fun by all means, but please don't take it to the level of slagging off 'ordinary' 1% metal film resistors as 'awful' or 'terrible' as used in practically all audio and studio gear nowadays

I'm not slagging off anything, but the fact is that 'ordinary' 1% metal-film resistors do not sound anywhere near as good as the best 'boutique/audiophile' types, or rather I should say that the latter do less damage to the signal (so are 'less bad'), as that's the correct way to look at it.

If you were there when we did the resistor comparisons at Duncan's place, you'd agree. The difference between the Z-foils (or even the much cheaper Caddocks), compared with ordinary metal-films, really is significant - so much so, in fact, that I intend to upgrade all the resistors in the phono stage of my Croft to Z-Foils.

There are actually some in there already, so Glenn must also rate them, and had put them in when he was originally upgrading my preamp! Great minds, lol....

I'm looking to get a stepped attenuator for my NVA P50. Yep, the path has been trodden and there's the obvious one I could and probably should use. I have to say that the one recommended by Anthony here (the Polish? one in square red enclosures) with foil resistors does look bloody tempting...

Nice one. The Khosmo is a lovely unit, but then so is the DACT and Goldpoint - all are top-notch stepped attenuators, so you pays your money and takes your choice. I haven't compared the Khosmo with the DACT, but Anthony has, so he could advise you on that.

At the end of the day, it's important that you have the gumption and confidence to trust your own ears, and make your own decisions about what direction to take your system, instead of relying on an 'appointed guru' to do all your thinking for you. Only brainless sheep do that, because otherwise they wouldn't know where to start themselves!!

Marco.