First posted on the Wam but here also for AOS'ers.
Having been round Mr Coco's a while ago with me pimped SL-1210 and AT 33 PTG see http://www.hifiwigwam.com/view_topic...217&forum_id=1
It was time for a re-match again, my having acquired a Ortofon SPU Royal N to put up against the mighty IO.
Firstly Mr Coco had some car troubles - immobiliser gone duff, not allowing the Audi T to run for more than 3 secs at a time...
A quick tow behind my trusty 1.9TDI tow car saw it off a double yellow and onto safe permit parking.
We returned for the evenings hifi and beer - most of which found it's way down our necks:P ;-)
First up the SP-10. Same front end as last time. This time the power amp's were the 308B 35kg in weight each, (£2.5K parts only), mono's that Coco had built for a fellow audiophile.
I am now well familiar with the sound of this front end and the Golds GRF's.
So how did the 308B PP's sound? Well to start with a little polite and restrained to be honest. Not much ummph or get up and go really.
They had not had much burn in time up to this point (yeah - do we believe in that or not?) - well in this case I think we have to, cos the longer we listened to them the more authoritative and in control and darn right lovely they sounded.
Even after several hrs they run cool - much cooler than the SoH KT88 PP I use that could heat a small abode on its own quite easily. Perhaps its surface area - the 308 have a large copper top plate a bit like a beautifully cluttered aircraft carrier deck in size, clutter in the form of lots of nice iron work and tubes all aglow.
So after thoroughly warmed up and probably as much time on them in that evening as they had seen thus far in total things were sounding very fine indeed.
Discs played
- Blues for a Fisherman- by Milcho Leviev recorded at Ronnie Scots
- Tori Amos - Boys for Pele (any redhead who looks that hot holding a hunting rifle is all right with me).
- Heather Nova - Storm (More sensual music hotness).
- The old favourite Armstrong and Ellington - Together. Man that stick and horns sound good.
- A bit of Dylan, acoustic Cash, Jan Johansson (Polska - what else;-) ) and a splash of Nora too.
Ok over the the SL-1210 / SPU.
The Spu gives a very appealing and ever so slightly jazz specialised focus. Man was it born to play jazz!
It just rounds off some the oh so accurateness edges of the IO on the instruments and vocals and make them so compelling and easy/right to listen to.
Th IO has a slightly higher ceiling in some ways - you don't notice that on jazz or close mic'd / acoustic stuff but do on more complex stuff. The Spu has more bass depth we thought.
Pete was saying things like "I will have to get one of these one day", "a 2nd arm perhaps?" :-) etc etc.
You will remember that it was Pete's recommendation that 'forced' me to buy a SPU Royal N in the first place.
So all in all a very good evening and the winner was
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the music.
No, the beer! No the tea! no, def the music!!!
So decks and carts. Its horses for courses really - I am very happy with where my set is right now for the music I listen to it and what I want out of it - it is very very good indeed.
I wonder what the SPU would sound like in that SP-10 with the SME V12 all massed up - it should surely be better right?
Anyway, returning the deck to home and listening earlier this evening I find my GRF speakers slightly cleaner / tigher than Pete's - could be the cab construction playing in (21 / 24mm birch ply, and/or room acoustics. I fancy the SoH is slightly cleaner sounding then the 308 too. Silicon power reg perhaps? Or more running in time needed or Western Elec tubes it will soon get.
Lastly here's a couple of mood shots from Pete's Canon 'arty' lens, this time of the mighty SPU.
Thanks for another great evening Pete.