Taperssection.com
Gear / Technical Help => Playback Forum => Topic started by: Tim on January 11, 2005, 03:07:17 PM
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So I called the Oade's today to order a sony 3000 and they didn't answer. I then drove by my local hifi shop to see what they might have and fell in love with an antique sound labs aq 1003 dt integrated tube amp... the AQ is within my budget and I can take it home today. It is built very well, sounds good to me and has good reviews... anyone have any thoughts? FWIW - I run B&W's and they can sound a touch bright at times. I've got a little room so the 30wpc should be plenty...
http://www.uhfmag.com/Issue58/Antique.html
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mmmmmmmmmmmm :) tubes..me likey da tubes....
as for not having heard either one, i cant vote/sway either way...but i do like the tube sound
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Tim -- I believe that the "Big Picture" carries the sony 3000es locally -- my advice -- buy 'em both and see which you prefer over your speakers and in your listening area (since that's all that really counts). Then, return as necessary for a full refund.
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I had an amp that used two pair of EL34s. Very lush sound. You should get that thing for an inhome audition.
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Tim -- I believe that the "Big Picture" carries the sony 3000es locally -- my advice -- buy 'em both and see which you prefer over your speakers and in your listening area (since that's all that really counts). Then, return as necessary for a full refund.
thanks for the heads up Darrin... just got the AQ home... wow....
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that didn't take long. you slut.
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here are some pics...
mine has a black face and black knobs, the build quality on this thing is really first class and the damn thing weighs almost 50lbs...
(http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/1204/aslaq1003dt.jpg)
(http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/1204/aslaq1003dtrear.jpg)
listening to my GBA fob from the Fox last february (mk4/kc5/cmc6/m118/modsbm1) and this thing is just slamming to "Happy Friends" right now ;D
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that didn't take long. you slut.
when I'm ready to buy I'm ready to buy :)
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i'm ready to buy some mics, i think ;D
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i'm ready to buy some mics, i think ;D
dpa's?
If I bought mics Sara would kill me... I need to live vicariously through you :P
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it's down to dpa's or schoeps. leaning more towards schoeps right now for the flexibility with multiple caps, etc...
By the way, I found this picture of you from when you were in pittsburgh, you slut
(http://www.kprf.ru/clipart/misc/hooker.jpg)
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rofl... ZING!!!!
I'm a schoeps guy myself but am slowly coming around on the dpa's...
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i LOVE dpa's, but the schoeps would leave me with more options. Especially for studio work. Know anybody looking to get rid of caps? The pair I am looking at have the mk4 and I think I'd rather have the hypers if I am only going to own one set of caps to start...
who knows though, tomorrow i might want the dpa's again.
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not off hand... only guy I know who is looking to sell only has 4's I believe... I'll keep you in mind though when I talk to him :)
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Congrats on the new gear Tim, tubes are the way to go IMHO. :)
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Thanks Nick! I'm super excited... I'm going to let the thing burn in for a month or so and then start playing with different tube combinations... should keep me busy for awhile :P
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Got it all setup. We've been shopping for a new stand for awhile... really having a tough time finding just what we want. Before anyone asks, the unit has plenty of ventilation it's not getting too warm :)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v411/tmarkham/newstereogear001.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v411/tmarkham/newstereogear004.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v411/tmarkham/newstereogear005.jpg)
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she seems to be staying plenty cool.. I've been keeping a close eye on it though. This POS stand is on it's way out as soon as we find a good alternative... the t00bes are pretty well ventilated and the dvd itself is not getting warm and I've had this thing on for a good 6 hours straight...
it sounds pretty nice but I hear that after about 100-200 hours the caps burn in and the bass response becomes a little better. It's a touch light down low right now but we'll see how it sounds in a month. I'm already shopping for new t00bes to try out :)
going to order a power conditioner in the morning and am eyeing some dacs...
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Got it all setup. We've been shopping for a new stand for awhile... really having a tough time finding just what we want. Before anyone asks, the unit has plenty of ventilation it's not getting too warm :)
Tim, you might want to look into the DIY option for your stand. I've heard good things about the TNT flexy variety.
http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/flexye.html
I think I'm going to try building one for myself this weekend, I'll report back once I get it made.
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tim--i'm coming over for a listen when i get to CO. Looks like a nice unit--and a conversation piece!!
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Tim, you might want to look into the DIY option for your stand. I've heard good things about the TNT flexy variety.
http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/flexye.html
I think I'm going to try building one for myself this weekend, I'll report back once I get it made.
I built one 2 summers ago before I moved to Virginia. It's been easy to take with me as well. Here's some advice I have - hopefully it will help you get a better rack than I built.
1. If you're having boards cut, get it done properly. At Home Depot, they used a ripsaw that tore up the edges. It took a lot of sanding to even get that edge respectable. I used real wood, rather than MDF. I think it was oak or pine board, but I don't remember.
2. Despite what the design says, use four rods instead of three. I find the three to be unstable, especially if I have something reasonably heavy on the top shelf. (On that note, load your heavy stuff on the lowest shelves.)
3. If you can find neoprene washers to use between the flat washers and the wood, spring for those. I couldn't find them locally, so I went with O-rings from a plumbing supply store. The neoprene will be pricy, but worth the expense if you plan on keeping the rack for a while.
4. I used cap nuts (acorn nuts) as feet, instead of spikes. I used locking nuts for the top shelf.
5. http://members.cox.net/~tonyptx/homeaudio/flexyrack/ ... this guy did it all. Learn from his example!
My total cost was about $120 and 2-3 days. If you're planning for this to be a "permanent addition" to your listening room, take your time with cutting, drilling, and staining the wood. Sand between coats and you'll be golden.
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tim--i'm coming over for a listen when i get to CO. Looks like a nice unit--and a conversation piece!!
you're welcome anytime Heath! I told Sara to just imagine that she has a little fireplace in the living room now :)
+T MattD, thanks
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I just picked up on of these:
http://www.dynamichometheater.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=GSA4&Category_Code=PLA
they had them on www.ubid.com last week for $129 and penny shipping...I was going to build but figured at $129.01, I could justify the marginal amount I pay more than what I would cost for my time to build one...keep an eye on ubid if your interested...none up now...but they have been going up every few days for the past month....
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Beautiful looking piece of gear, Tim, and I bet it sounds great! That's my one and only beef with my Audio Experiences Symphonies - the tubes are hidden.
S'alright, though, I'm gonna jump on the Sony STR-DAx000ES bandwagon sometime soon and move the Symphonies to the home office. :)
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Tim - I forgot to ask earlier, what kind of tubes did it come with? In my experience with my YS-Symphonies and Musical Fidelity X-Can V2 tube rolling can make a huge difference in sound quality and general characteristics.
If you decide to try out some current production tubes check out Triode Electronics (link below), they've always treated me very well and the tubes are pretty affordable. I'm sure others can chime in with advice for NOS tube retailers but I've heard great things about Upscale Audio but don't have any firsthand experience since I'm too poor to be able to afford them. :)
Triode Electronics: http://store.yahoo.com/triodeel/index.html
Upscale Audio: http://www.upscaleaudio.com/home.asp
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Tim - I forgot to ask earlier, what kind of tubes did it come with? In my experience with my YS-Symphonies and Musical Fidelity X-Can V2 tube rolling can make a huge difference in sound quality and general characteristics.
If you decide to try out some current production tubes check out Triode Electronics (link below), they've always treated me very well and the tubes are pretty affordable. I'm sure others can chime in with advice for NOS tube retailers but I've heard great things about Upscale Audio but don't have any firsthand experience since I'm too poor to be able to afford them. :)
Triode Electronics: http://store.yahoo.com/triodeel/index.html
Upscale Audio: http://www.upscaleaudio.com/home.asp
THANK YOU!!!!
I'm not exactly sure what kind of tubes they came with but by all written accounts I can do better. I'm planning on letting it burn in for a month or so before I start changing tubes out. I'm really looking forward to tweaking the sound through the tubes though. The meter you see in the 3rd pic is actually a built in bias meter :)
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I'm not exactly sure what kind of tubes they came with but by all written accounts I can do better. I'm planning on letting it burn in for a month or so before I start changing tubes out. I'm really looking forward to tweaking the sound through the tubes though. The meter you see in the 3rd pic is actually a built in bias meter :)
From the pictures the only tubes that I can identify is the pair in the front on the right which appear to be JJ Electonics (formerly Tesla), which are current production tubes made in Slovakia. What type of tubes are they? I know I've tried the JJ/Tesla 6922 variety in my X-Can V2 and was kind of disappointed in the results, they seemed just a little bit too smooth and a little less coherent than I'd like. I think they sounded great on female vocals but didn't fare quite as well with instrumentals. I'm not sure if these characteristics translate across the entire line or in all usages so as always YMMV.
Edit: After a bit more research it seems that the JJ 12ax7 tubes are pretty highly regarded current production tubes. They're evidently copies of the NOS Telefunken tubes, I think I'm going to pick up a set to see how they compare to the real Telefunkens.
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Did you ever play with changing power tubes?
My current amp has 6550s and the previous owner sent a set of KT88 to swap in. I've been a little concerned because I've heard that the bias range of KT88 has different boundaries from the 6550s. I guess they worked for the previous owner.
How much of a risk am I running/what could go wrong?
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Tim - I forgot to ask earlier, what kind of tubes did it come with? In my experience with my YS-Symphonies and Musical Fidelity X-Can V2 tube rolling can make a huge difference in sound quality and general characteristics.
If you decide to try out some current production tubes check out Triode Electronics (link below), they've always treated me very well and the tubes are pretty affordable. I'm sure others can chime in with advice for NOS tube retailers but I've heard great things about Upscale Audio but don't have any firsthand experience since I'm too poor to be able to afford them. :)
Triode Electronics: http://store.yahoo.com/triodeel/index.html
Upscale Audio: http://www.upscaleaudio.com/home.asp
THANK YOU!!!!
I'm not exactly sure what kind of tubes they came with but by all written accounts I can do better. I'm planning on letting it burn in for a month or so before I start changing tubes out. I'm really looking forward to tweaking the sound through the tubes though. The meter you see in the 3rd pic is actually a built in bias meter :)
Tim,
Your tubes offend me. Please change your avi. :P
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Telefunken r00les your face biatch :P
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i'm trying to plan a trip to CO just to hear your amp. I'll have to wait until it's burnt in though ;D Isn't there a bluegrass festival or something out there in the summer?
h
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there's a couple...
Telluride, the mother of all bluegrass fests in my favorite city that I have ever visited... but TRide is about 8 hours from Denver... for something a little closer Rocky Grass is great and Skalinder will be there
www.bluegrass.com
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thanks for the link tim. I'm going to have to check that out!
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come on out Heath!!!!!!!
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to be honest, though, the lineup at telluride looks to be more up Jaime's alley than the rockygrass...and she's my taping sidekick. I'll test the waters and see what's shakin'
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I can't really do anything this summer... fuggin bar exam
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I can't really do anything this summer... fuggin bar exam
that's not true. you will go insane if you study all the time for the bar. you're gonna need breaks, believe me. I saw panic the saturday before the bar, after the first night of the bar, and on the second night of the bar. great shows. 8)
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I can't really do anything this summer... fuggin bar exam
it's a small price to pay to make the big bucks ;)
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Thanks for the advice Damon, I'm doing Red Rocks run for sure...
Heath - I won't be making any big bucks, I'm going into political work...
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if you like what you're doing, any bucks are big bucks. at least that's what I keep telling myself ;) :P
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if you like what you're doing, any bucks are big bucks. at least that's what I keep telling myself ;) :P
take it from someone who makes a solid salary and hates their job...Heath speaks the truth
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thanks guys :)
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Easy for Heath to say when he has a job that's the envy of most of the posters here! :)
Yeah ... from me too.
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if only the $ was equal to the envy, then I'd be kickin ass and takin names (and I'd have the most kickass rig of all time). Until then, I'm content to just enjoy my job.
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Telefunken r00les your face biatch :P
Yes, they really do. It will be a sad day when mine no longer work.
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I just picked up on of these:
http://www.dynamichometheater.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=GSA4&Category_Code=PLA
they had them on www.ubid.com last week for $129 and penny shipping...I was going to build but figured at $129.01, I could justify the marginal amount I pay more than what I would cost for my time to build one...keep an eye on ubid if your interested...none up now...but they have been going up every few days for the past month....
Thanks for this info Nick, a new batch just showed up on ubid so I'm going to try to snag one. After considering the cost of materials and the time required to build one on my own I've deciced this was a better deal. Thanks again.
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glad I could help...
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I just picked up on of these:
http://www.dynamichometheater.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=GSA4&Category_Code=PLA
they had them on www.ubid.com last week for $129 and penny shipping...I was going to build but figured at $129.01, I could justify the marginal amount I pay more than what I would cost for my time to build one...keep an eye on ubid if your interested...none up now...but they have been going up every few days for the past month....
Thanks for this info Nick, a new batch just showed up on ubid so I'm going to try to snag one. After considering the cost of materials and the time required to build one on my own I've deciced this was a better deal. Thanks again.
just a heads up Nick, they shipped my product as slow as they possibly could...should be here later this week, but that will have been 3 weeks since the auction closed...guess that is what you get for penny shipping :P
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Thanks for the advice Damon, I'm doing Red Rocks run for sure...
Heath - I won't be making any big bucks, I'm going into political work...
Politics?
I guess if George W. can do it, so can you
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Thanks for the advice Damon, I'm doing Red Rocks run for sure...
Heath - I won't be making any big bucks, I'm going into political work...
Politics?
I guess if George W. can do it, so can you
I likely won't be running for office myself... but your concerns have been duly noted :P
///////
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Edit: After a bit more research it seems that the JJ 12ax7 tubes are pretty highly regarded current production tubes. They're evidently copies of the NOS Telefunken tubes, I think I'm going to pick up a set to see how they compare to the real Telefunkens.
I'm not sure if anyone else is interested but the JJs arrived yesterday and I've listened to them a bit so I thought I'd share some initial thoughts.
Setup: APL DV-563a > YS Symphonies > B&K ST-140 > Magnepan MMG
Input Tube: Amperex 12ax7
Output Tubes: Telefunken 12ax7 (Long Plates)
After hearing good things about these tubes I decided to try out a set to see how they stacked up to the NOS tubes I'm using now, I figured for $8 a piece they're worth a shot. After allowing an hour for the tubes to warm up I decided to sit down and give them a listen. My first impression was that they really lacked the smoothness and weight that I was accustomed to, not necessarily a bad thing just kind of different. The high are nice but don't seem to sparkle like they do with the NOS tubes, once again a subtle but noticeable difference. The midrange is nice but the vocals are a bit more forward and seem to really push the mids into the background, generally I prefer a more balanced sound but the vocals sound very nice so I can live with it. It's tough to judge bass on my system, the MMGs don't have much of a low end but they seem to sound just a smidge tighter.
Overall I'm pretty impressed with the sound, my biggest complaint is they seemed to lack the smoothness of the Amperex / Telefunken combination which I really like. Is the difference in sound worth spending 10x more, to my ears yes but as always YMMV. I can definately state with certainty that the JJs are lightyears better than the unmarked tubes that came with the Symphonies.
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found this dont know if it would help..
http://boston.craigslist.org/ele/56382469.html
Tubes, Tubes, Tubes, GE, RCA, Sylvania, Ratheon, TV/Radio Electron
Reply to: anon-56382469@craigslist.org
Date: 2005-01-20, 11:24AM EST
Huge box of tubes. GE, RCA, Sylvania, Ratheon TV/Radio Electron. Most are NOS. Total is about 225pcs. Looking for a take all at $2.00 each tube. $450.00 for the lot. See pics below!!
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Just to comment on being a slut a bit...
Wayne at Bolder Cables sent me a "box of goodies" today, containing the following:
My panasonic XR-45, full home theater mods with two large bybees on each speaker output, a bybeed quantum purifier, plug and play variety that he actually just gave me for nothing, which I can use on any rca input device, specifically the digital input on the panny, one bolder super nitro plus, double shielded power chord for the panny, and finally, bolder nitro bybee'd speaker jumpers for the swans. After cutting a check for 1400 clams, I am dead broke ;D
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nice pickup on the gear! lucky....1400$...damn...i will be glad when i can afford the sony reciever...nowhere near 1400$!
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Daryan,
If you are dropping that much on cables and whatnot you need to get some high quality AC line conditioning going on.
These are my favorites just because they aren't TERRIBLY expensive for the high end stuff: http://store.acousticsounds.com/browse_detail.cfm?Title_ID=13070
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Daryan,
If you are dropping that much on cables and whatnot you need to get some high quality AC line conditioning going on.
These are my favorites just because they aren't TERRIBLY expensive for the high end stuff: http://store.acousticsounds.com/browse_detail.cfm?Title_ID=13070
:o :o :o $800 for line conditioning? goddamnit...why didnt i choose fishing or something for a hobby!
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thats one of the less expensive audiophile ones. the gray stuff goes well into the thousands.
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Yeah, they get REALLY exspensive. What I would like to do when I buy my own place here in the next couple of years is to have dedicated lines run in with hubbell outlets, voltage regulators, and a power conditioner. I have read over at audiocircle that plugging the amp diorectly into a power conditioner isn't the greatest idea, why, I haven't any idea as the conversation was in the empirical audio forum, and quite frankly that Steve guy who owns the place talks well beyond my understanding of physics etc. Thanks for the link Jonny, Uncle Sam might bring me a power conditioner here in the next couple of weeks. I also bought a used pair of Bloder M-80 speaker cables, with plans on going to the more pricey nitro's in the near future as well. If anyone is ever in Iowa, lord knows why, but you are more than welcome to stop by and hear it for yourself. The hospitality is first rate too:-)
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it's not that it's not the greatest idea, but it's more that you are doing double duty. a decently made amp has its own line filtration in it and can handle a small surge without being fried- it will flip its circuit and be done. Even a conditioner ain't gonna stop a lightning strike to your line. Generally an Amp and a sub do not need to be connected to a conditioner.
I will attempt to NEVER be in Iowa. Nothing to do with you. More because, well, it's Iowa.
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what about just a regular UPS made for computers???
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it's not that it's not the greatest idea, but it's more that you are doing double duty. a decently made amp has its own line filtration in it and can handle a small surge without being fried- it will flip its circuit and be done. Even a conditioner ain't gonna stop a lightning strike to your line. Generally an Amp and a sub do not need to be connected to a conditioner.
I will attempt to NEVER be in Iowa. Nothing to do with you. More because, well, it's Iowa.
I will attempt to never come back once I move to Virginia next year! ;D
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what about just a regular UPS made for computers???
it's a start but that's not doing any line filtration of excess noise and interference.
and where in VA are you moving to?
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Tim...You will need a voltage regulator and an AC regenerator. Look into Monster and Panamax. When I got into the McIntosh gear a few years ago, I made the decision to look into the voltage and AC regen's and am quite happy I did. You definitely don't want to fry those tubes!!!
NICE upgrade!!!!! Do you still wanna borrow the AudioQuest speaker cables? I finally found them and the Slate bi-wire connectors :) The cables could make that tube amp/B&W sound even better.
----Jason
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Tim...You will need a voltage regulator and an AC regenerator. Look into Monster and Panamax. When I got into the McIntosh gear a few years ago, I made the decision to look into the voltage and AC regen's and am quite happy I did. You definitely don't want to fry those tubes!!!
NICE upgrade!!!!! Do you still wanna borrow the AudioQuest speaker cables? I finally found them and the Slate bi-wire connectors :) The cables could make that tube amp/B&W sound even better.
----Jason
I'm looking into voltage regulators right now... I've asked about them before and have a few good recommendations... Panamax and Monster are both on the list :)
I'd love to try those cables... I'll email you my address...
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A $1600 Panasonic digital receiver, bring that thing over for a shootout! When OJ got off I thought I'd seen it all, but now.... FYI, if you are looking into surge protection I would look at Surgex and Brickwall as they use no MOV's. Monster and Panamax do. I'd look into the PS Audio power components as well. Get that gear riding a pure wave!
Uncle sam isn't going to help me this year as the wife says we are headed back to Jamaica, but "The General" may get me some new audio/video equip although I may also get forced into a downpayment on a new pad :(
SC
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what about Furutech?
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I'll throw in a vote for the BlueCircle Music Ring power conditioners: Instantly audible improvement.
http://www.bluecircle.com/index.php?menu_id=2724
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Scott, are you going to MOE in shicago again? I could always show up with a receiver on Sunday after the show. I just got the confirmation that it is on it's way here. I am going to start checking into power condeitioners. I will report back with what I find. Jonny, I haven't really decided on a spot yet, it really depends where an agency opening is. I knw one is coming availible in Leesburg, which would be nice though the cost of living would be quite high I would imagine. Possibly Richmond. Somewhere where where young professionals actually exist, because they sure as shit don't here in Iowa City!
Happy Weekend
Daryan
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There aren't many in Leesburg either. Mostly late 20s through mid-30s.
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what about Furutech?
anyone?
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Daryan,
If you are dropping that much on cables and whatnot you need to get some high quality AC line conditioning going on.
These are my favorites just because they aren't TERRIBLY expensive for the high end stuff: http://store.acousticsounds.com/browse_detail.cfm?Title_ID=13070
:o :o :o $800 for line conditioning? goddamnit...why didnt i choose fishing or something for a hobby!
Sheee-at ! For $800 I can make an A.C. line D.C. !
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what about Furutech?
anyone?
ok, not great. better than nothing, but just ok. really all you get is a rack mountable powerstrip with not much else.
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thanks Jonny! I went with a furutech e-tp60, found one for $250 and decided to order it.... the few online reviews sounded good. I don't have room for a big rack mount etc...
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just hooked up the furutech... noticeable difference right away, I've never heard black before but that is certainly where my background noise is now at. the bass seems to be cleaner and a touch deeper as well. I listened fo rabout 20 minutes to a recording of acoustic classical music before hooking up the furutech then went back and relistened and there is a distinct difference. thanks for the help guys...
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yeah i was very pleased when i first hooked up my conditioner. amazing what some stuff can do
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yeah i was very pleased when i first hooked up my conditioner. amazing what some stuff can do
it's hard for me to put into words what happened to the sound, it's like the music is playing out of the dark now... if that makes any sense.... :p
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the best i can say is that before, if i had my stereo playing, you could hear that the stereo was playing. now if it's playing, you just hear music
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it's hard for me to put into words what happened to the sound, it's like the music is playing out of the dark now... if that makes any sense.... :p
This darkness in the background is exactly what I noticed. What really affected me about the MR1200 is that I didn't think that there was any noise before. I did not notice that there was any background. The balanced power just blacked out everything between the notes.
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you guys are describing the difference perfectly!
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Got it all setup. We've been shopping for a new stand for awhile... really having a tough time finding just what we want. Before anyone asks, the unit has plenty of ventilation it's not getting too warm :)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v411/tmarkham/newstereogear001.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v411/tmarkham/newstereogear004.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v411/tmarkham/newstereogear005.jpg)
You should definitely upgrade your source if that Toshiba is what you use right now. I upgraded from a $80 Samsung dvd player to a Music Hall cd-25 and the difference is night and day with my headphone rig (better bass response, midrange! and the player is quite smooth). Great looking amp though.
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have you heard the Toshiba?
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why don't you read this....
http://www.taperssection.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=22154.0
do a search for Toshiba 3960 on AudioAsylum while you're at it...
it sounds fantastic, actually. I'd put it up against some serious "high-end" cd players.
my Bel Canto DAC 2 will be here next week, can't wait to do a head to head comparison between the BC 24/192 dac and the internal on the toshiba....
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I went with a furutech e-tp60, found one for $250 and decided to order it....
where did you get this deal - i want one, too. :D
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why don't you read this....
http://www.taperssection.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=22154.0
do a search for Toshiba 3960 on AudioAsylum while you're at it...
it sounds fantastic, actually. I'd put it up against some serious "high-end" cd players.
my Bel Canto DAC 2 will be here next week, can't wait to do a head to head comparison between the BC 24/192 dac and the internal on the toshiba....
I hang out on head-fi so i've heard of that model, based on what people have wrote, it is a great budget source. Some folks have modded there's too, buncha nut jobs. The reason what i said was that i used a budget samsung dvd player and i thought it sounded fine...until i got the Music Hall...what a revelation! However, since you're getting the dac, no need to bother then right? ;D
Kudos to the amp, it's a beauty!
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I went with a furutech e-tp60, found one for $250 and decided to order it....
where did you get this deal - i want one, too. :D
http://venhaus1.com/VH_Audio_Test.html
almost halfway down the page :)
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+ tim
i'm in.
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backatcha!
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the DAC 2 arrived today 8)
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it really is a great little piece of gear.
backatcha moke...
listening to the dats of the Oade's 9-3-85 tape right now and just smiling ;D
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Congrats on the new toy. I'd love to hear your thoughts on how it stacks up to the 1.1
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I'll see what I can come up with but it's been almost a year since I had the 1.1
at this point the only thing I need to upgrade are my speakers, I will say though that the new gear has really given new life to my B&W's.
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I'll see what I can come up with but it's been almost a year since I had the 1.1
at this point the only thing I need to upgrade are my speakers, I will say though that the new gear has really given new life to my B&W's.
It's a vicious cycle... :)
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+t for the new gear, and thanks again for pointing me to the power outlet...
i have a new sacd player comin' from the oade bros. any day now - i hope my neighbors enjoy "beggars' banquet," "let it bleed," and "ya-yas!"
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+T to you to Macdaddy!
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btw - just rolled the power tubes in it too :P
my new hi-fi shop had 4 matched Svetlana el34's... I talked him down $15 which made them as much as ordering online and shipping.
put em in an hour ago :)
I'm still shopping for new 12ax7's but the Svets are pretty highly recommended with my amp from what I've dound on AA...
definitely noticed a change but I want them to burn in for awhile before passing too much judgment. Off hand I'll say they sound more open, maybe a little more presence in the highs...
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here's what i am running...
fully matched quad of ElectroHarmonix EL34
Jan Philips 12AT7 (2)
ElectroHarmonix 12AX7 (2)
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that's interesting, why do you run 2 different pairs on your outputs? I'm really just starting to learn so bare with the stupid questions :P
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that's interesting, why do you run 2 different pairs on your outputs? I'm really just starting to learn so bare with the stupid questions :P
that's the way the amp is designed...
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that's interesting, why do you run 2 different pairs on your outputs? I'm really just starting to learn so bare with the stupid questions :P
12AT7 and 12AX7 aren't the same type of tube.
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that's interesting, why do you run 2 different pairs on your outputs? I'm really just starting to learn so bare with the stupid questions :P
12AT7 and 12AX7 aren't the same type of tube.
blah! just saw that... -T for not reading closely :P
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nick - thanks for all of your tube help, I'd be pretty lost without you :P
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nick - thanks for all of your tube help, I'd be pretty lost without you :P
Glad to be of assistance. Did you get your local dealer to match Triode's price?
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nick - thanks for all of your tube help, I'd be pretty lost without you :P
Glad to be of assistance. Did you get your local dealer to match Triode's price?
yep! worked out very nicely actually...
now I need to find some output tubes.... not a lot of 12ax7 recommendations for my amp out there.
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Atleast with the 12AX7s you have a pretty good number of tubes to pick from after you decide what characteristics you're looking for. Keep your eyes open for some 5751 triple mica tubes, I really love mine.
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thanks Nick!
sounds like these svets take close to 100 hours to burn in. I'll probably spend that time researching 12ax7 brands for my amp and then figure out what will complement the amp's sound the best...
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missed the fedex guy with my sacd player from oade bros. today :(
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picked up the sacd player from the fedex terminal today, got home, and found that power outlet on my doorstep. boy does that thing make a difference. another +t to you, tim, for pointing me towards that unit...
now the only problem is that my wife just called, and she really wants to go out and do the "nice evening" thing - i just wanna stay home and crank tunes...
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+T backatcha :)
Sara works unitil 9pm on monday, wednesday, and friday... it's great I get 4-5 hours by myself to listen to whatever I want. good stuff...
I think you'll like the Furutech. I had Todd R over last weekend and turned the amp on, switched to both the dat and cd inputs with nothing playing and turned the amp up *all* the way and there was literally *nothing* coming from the spealers... NO sound, nothing at all. You'll really enjoy it. :)
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+T backatcha :)
I think you'll like the Furutech. I had Todd R over last weekend and turned the amp on, switched to both the dat and cd inputs with nothing playing and turned the amp up *all* the way and there was literally *nothing* coming from the spealers... NO sound, nothing at all. You'll really enjoy it. :)
exactly - i did the same thing - no noise, not even from my computer source...
where do i attach the ground cable (it was included but i dont see where it should go)...
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I have no idea. I've been wondering that myself. Looks like it may go with the 80 version.
what power cable are you running from wall to the furutech. I'm running some hospital cord that I was able to get my hands on but wouldn't mind getting something nice.
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I have no idea. I've been wondering that myself. Looks like it may go with the 80 version.
what power cable are you running from wall to the furutech. I'm running some hospital cord that I was able to get my hands on but wouldn't mind getting something nice.
i was gonna ask you the same thing...i am using a cord from an old 'puter monitor. i probably should do something about that, but those things are big bucks...
gotta love the gear that stays in the background - the sacd player is a bit hard to hide :P
edit:
now it's time to move on to the cables... i have poking around here (http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/diycables.html)...
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thanks for the link!
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this guy is apparently local around here...makes high end cables...dont know anything about him, but I am considering getting him to make me an upgraded power cable for my receiver.
www.moon-audio.com
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I made a couple of the venhaus power cords. can't fluff them enough.
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yeah, nick pointed me to the Bob Crump DIT power cords yesterday
http://www.audiotweaks.com/diy/bobcrump_pc/page01.htm
I am going to have to give this a shot I do believe...
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If you build the Crump cord, would you be interested in doing a comparison? I need to build a couple of cords and I was going to use the venhaus recipe again. I like it but it's the only one I've tried so I'm intersted in trying some others.
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how much do you save making them yourself? i am looking at flavor 3 for my joLida...
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If you build the Crump cord, would you be interested in doing a comparison? I need to build a couple of cords and I was going to use the venhaus recipe again. I like it but it's the only one I've tried so I'm intersted in trying some others.
I would be happy to...but I probably wont get to it for a couple of weeks...shoot nmculbreth a PM...he has one that he currently uses today and would probably be interested in doing a comp right now!
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how much do you save making them yourself? i am looking at flavor 3 for my joLida...
I don't remember exactly. I built a 3 foot flavor 1 and a 10ft flavor 2. What I built was equivalent to the base model he sells with watgate IEC and Marinco plug. I spent about $160 in parts. I think the cost difference was about $20 a cord for the assembled ones, maybe less. At the time I remember thinking that I wish I had just bought them assembled because it was a real PITA to push 10ft of twisted wire through the airhose for the long flavor 2. I think for shorter lengths it wouldn't be as much hassle.
The flavor 1 was pretty easy and quick - 10 minutes if your tools are handy. That one could be worth your time.
I don't know if there is a sonic difference between the flavor 1 and flavor 3 when used on a unit that requires no ground wire. But if I wanted a flavor 3 and my gear would accept a 3 wire IEC, I'd make a flavor 1 instead just because having that ground wire makes the cable more widely applicable. Send Chris an email and ask him if the ground wire has a negative sonic impact inplace of a flavor 3 cable. He's a really nice guy.
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Send Chris an email and ask him if the ground wire has a negative sonic impact inplace of a flavor 3 cable. He's a really nice guy.
+t for the info, maynard.
my experience with him has been great - prompt shipping, too. i just bought that furutech(sp) power outlet from him. and that thing is sweet - no noise...
as for the time vs. money thing with cables i am on the fence - i have done some of the cat5 stuff, and it is kind of a pain in the a$$. it might be worth it to just buy the cables from him - his prices are VERY reasonable for all this stuff...
edit:
what about this thing (http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/auc.pl?cablpowr&1107742146&auc&3&4&)..?
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nick - thanks for all of your tube help, I'd be pretty lost without you :P
Glad to be of assistance. Did you get your local dealer to match Triode's price?
yep! worked out very nicely actually...
now I need to find some output tubes.... not a lot of 12ax7 recommendations for my amp out there.
The EL-34s are actually the output tubes, they do the power amplification for this integrated, the 12a_7s do the preamp gain to get the signal up to something the power amp section can use. It looks like the integrated is built to use 12au7s (same as ECC82), they are in the same family as the 12ax7(ECC83) and use the same pinout but have a different gain structure. The obvious first step would be to pickup a set of 12AU7s, there are a bunch of different brands on the market, check out Ei, Sovtek.... I can't remember the other good small tube manufactures off the top of my head. Once you are comfortable with the sound, try a few NOS or almost NOS tubes, telefunken made some really nice tubes, also amperex, mullard, and even some of the US brands, I've had a good experience with RCA 'clear top's as a phase splitter... YMMV
For output tubes, if you can swing it and find a reliable source, try some NOS Mullards (xf2 dual halo getters if you can find em), they'll run you but they're a good solid tube. My second favorites are some Japanese Raytheon tubes I got my hands on (nice bass response on those), and in third were the current production SED EL-34s. I didn't like the chinese ones I tried, labeled Westinghouse, they were messy sounding, and I'm not a huge fan of the big bottle 6CA7s that are currently in production. But again YMMV, try as many different things as you can, some things will sound awesome (or 'interesting') and others you may immediately hate.
my .02
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I like the JJ E34L quite a bit for new production.
Ned at Triode is an excellent guy to deal with, BTW.
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nick - thanks for all of your tube help, I'd be pretty lost without you :P
Glad to be of assistance. Did you get your local dealer to match Triode's price?
yep! worked out very nicely actually...
now I need to find some output tubes.... not a lot of 12ax7 recommendations for my amp out there.
The EL-34s are actually the output tubes, they do the power amplification for this integrated, the 12a_7s do the preamp gain to get the signal up to something the power amp section can use. It looks like the integrated is built to use 12au7s (same as ECC82), they are in the same family as the 12ax7(ECC83) and use the same pinout but have a different gain structure. The obvious first step would be to pickup a set of 12AU7s, there are a bunch of different brands on the market, check out Ei, Sovtek.... I can't remember the other good small tube manufactures off the top of my head. Once you are comfortable with the sound, try a few NOS or almost NOS tubes, telefunken made some really nice tubes, also amperex, mullard, and even some of the US brands, I've had a good experience with RCA 'clear top's as a phase splitter... YMMV
For output tubes, if you can swing it and find a reliable source, try some NOS Mullards (xf2 dual halo getters if you can find em), they'll run you but they're a good solid tube. My second favorites are some Japanese Raytheon tubes I got my hands on (nice bass response on those), and in third were the current production SED EL-34s. I didn't like the chinese ones I tried, labeled Westinghouse, they were messy sounding, and I'm not a huge fan of the big bottle 6CA7s that are currently in production. But again YMMV, try as many different things as you can, some things will sound awesome (or 'interesting') and others you may immediately hate.
my .02
brain fart on my part.... thanks for the correction
+T for the tube rrecommendations...