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Thread: Justin & Jerry's Hifi Blog

  1. #2321
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: N E Kent

    Posts: 51,624
    I'm Geoff.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Macca View Post
    Always wanted a go on some Sumo amps
    Me too. Never had any come my way (yet).

  2. #2322
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: gone

    Posts: 11,519
    I'm gone.

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    Boxswap madness.

    Who could guess that my hifi budget is refreshed annually on Jan 1?



    Firebottle AIR hybrid power amp, atop this a QLS QA100 all digital amp (powerDAC).
    To the right atop my longstanding CA Azur 851D DAC/pre is a newly arrived Auralic Vega DAC/pre.
    Only 1 new amp still en route now.

    Of the 3 new items that arrived today only the Firebottle AIR power amp has so far been plumbed in.
    Playing now.
    -- it came out of the box very cold - on turn on the L/R imagery was rather strange; a little phasey and biased just a little toward the R channel. Worrying!
    And the presentation was a little matter of fact and uninvolving.
    It took about 20 minutes to centre up, and settle down. Central image is perfectly centred now (I have to confess to being a bit anal about this!).

    Initial impressions (after about a couple of hours of warmed up listening) - it's a damn fine amp!
    Tonally rich and vibrant, very detailed and fast. Deep, powerful, controlled room-shaking bass when appropriate - but clean with no extra boom. Extended and realistically smooth top end, perhaps just a little too 'nice'? Maybe there could be just that little bit of extra air up top to advantage.
    Well defined imagery in depth as well as lateral, just a little bloomy rather than pinpoint sharp, I think.

    Very rhythmically able - my foot tap test track (Loreena McKennitt's Hurricane Beltane Fire Dance) playing now and it's Big Grin time. Not the very best I have heard, but bloody good all the same. I suspect that the best toe-tappers tend to be leaner tonally.

    I haven't popped the lid so I don't know what make valve is inside - but I have a Siemens on the way to have a bit of a roll with. Top end extension and imaging may well benefit.

    Hats off to Alan Firebottle. Without doubt a brilliant amp, imo, very musically convincing.
    .

  3. #2323
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,778
    I'm Martin.

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    Starting to look like a demo room in there Jerry. Thought you might like the AIR, it has a lot of 'rez'.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  4. #2324
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: gone

    Posts: 11,519
    I'm gone.

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    Ooo - I do like my rez.
    .

  5. #2325
    Join Date: Apr 2010

    Location: Bristol, since 1978. Current house since 1996!

    Posts: 909
    I'm Chris.

    Default Tapping?

    Try Pat Metheny Group 'Straight on red' on Live 'Travels' album.Keep it playing until the drum bit! THEN dance-or shuffle, as we're getting on a bit?

    And not sure about 'Budget refreshed'-a bit like Train Companies Price 'adjustments' being euphemism for INCREASE! (-:

    You're our hero, of course!
    Chris.

  6. #2326
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: gone

    Posts: 11,519
    I'm gone.

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    Actually the total annual funding (hifi + music) has remained static for quite a few years.
    It got an effective shot in the arm a couple of years ago when I turned to streaming at £10 a month compared to my previous monthly budget of £50 for CDs. An extra £480 a year for the hifi.

    And the final arrival from the New Year purchases ...



    SAE XXXiB (31B) power amp - refurbed and sounding rather splendid.
    A James Bongiorno design.
    50woc, but with a lot of muscle behind it.

    That's probably enough amps to play with .... for now.
    .

  7. #2327
    Bigman80 Guest

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by jandl100 View Post
    Boxswap madness.

    Who could guess that my hifi budget is refreshed annually on Jan 1?



    Firebottle AIR hybrid power amp, atop this a QLS QA100 all digital amp (powerDAC).
    To the right atop my longstanding CA Azur 851D DAC/pre is a newly arrived Auralic Vega DAC/pre.
    Only 1 new amp still en route now.

    Of the 3 new items that arrived today only the Firebottle AIR power amp has so far been plumbed in.
    Playing now.
    -- it came out of the box very cold - on turn on the L/R imagery was rather strange; a little phasey and biased just a little toward the R channel. Worrying!
    And the presentation was a little matter of fact and uninvolving.
    It took about 20 minutes to centre up, and settle down. Central image is perfectly centred now (I have to confess to being a bit anal about this!).

    Initial impressions (after about a couple of hours of warmed up listening) - it's a damn fine amp!
    Tonally rich and vibrant, very detailed and fast. Deep, powerful, controlled room-shaking bass when appropriate - but clean with no extra boom. Extended and realistically smooth top end, perhaps just a little too 'nice'? Maybe there could be just that little bit of extra air up top to advantage.
    Well defined imagery in depth as well as lateral, just a little bloomy rather than pinpoint sharp, I think.

    Very rhythmically able - my foot tap test track (Loreena McKennitt's Hurricane Beltane Fire Dance) playing now and it's Big Grin time. Not the very best I have heard, but bloody good all the same. I suspect that the best toe-tappers tend to be leaner tonally.

    I haven't popped the lid so I don't know what make valve is inside - but I have a Siemens on the way to have a bit of a roll with. Top end extension and imaging may well benefit.

    Hats off to Alan Firebottle. Without doubt a brilliant amp, imo, very musically convincing.
    Jerry, I would suggest better valves will yield better results. A pair of new old stock Telefunkens really brought the best out of my Monoblocks.



    Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk

  8. #2328
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: gone

    Posts: 11,519
    I'm gone.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bigman80 View Post
    Jerry, I would suggest better valves will yield better results. A pair of new old stock Telefunkens really brought the best out of my Monoblocks.
    Coincidentally, I popped the lid on the AIR about half hour ago -- and there was a Valvo pcc85 in there. That ain't chicken feed!
    I don't know if that is the original valve that Alan installed or if there has been some valve rolling going on before it got to me.

    Whatever, I have just now installed a Siemens pcc85. Nice .....
    .

  9. #2329
    Bigman80 Guest

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by jandl100 View Post
    Coincidentally, I popped the lid on the AIR about half hour ago -- and there was a Valvo pcc85 in there. That ain't chicken feed!
    I don't know if that is the original valve that Alan installed or if there has been some valve rolling going on before it got to me.

    Whatever, I have just now installed a Siemens pcc85. Nice .....
    Let us know what you think after a bit of siemans valve goodness.

    Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk

  10. #2330
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: gone

    Posts: 11,519
    I'm gone.

    Default

    Listening now.

    The Plan was to sample a few pieces already heard with the Valvo installed.
    Scrap that! - I'm listening to the whole of the first piece tried - a 45 minute album.
    That probably tells its own story.
    .

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