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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2018 19:01:49 GMT
I could've had it for about a grand, which is a great price, but I don't have enough vinyl to justify the outlay I still have a Michell ISO tucked away, which will be enoug for my needs. It will likely be months before I get a vinyl system up and running again,
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Post by Stratmangler on Feb 12, 2018 19:22:48 GMT
I did evaluate the Longdog phono stage and it was excellent. I ended up buying an Aurorasound VIDA only because it was marginally better sounding still Which Longdog phono amp?
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Post by MartinT on Feb 12, 2018 19:39:48 GMT
The MCJ2.
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Post by Stratmangler on Feb 12, 2018 19:43:18 GMT
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Post by MartinT on Feb 12, 2018 20:38:23 GMT
Fair enough. I'm not sure that was available at the time and I never came across it.
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Post by southall1998 on Feb 12, 2018 23:14:56 GMT
Had a couple Leak Stereo 20's. They're OK, never really blew me away.
I quite like the Audio Note Meishu.
S.
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Post by MartinT on Feb 13, 2018 6:03:13 GMT
The modified Leak Stereo 20 I had featured the most incredible midrange. It wasn't very good at bass and the treble was a little rolled off but the vocal quality was outstanding.
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Post by Greg on Feb 13, 2018 20:57:36 GMT
The modified Leak Stereo 20 I had featured the most incredible midrange. It wasn't very good at bass and the treble was a little rolled off but the vocal quality was outstanding. Having been a valve amp user for many years, my conclusion is the struggle to deliver good solid and controlled bass is the valve amps Achilles Heal. Upper treble is also an issue but a little less so. The other issue is sound colouration, although in itself, colouration does not mean the sound is bad. It is simple the character of the reproduction. It was these observations that caused me to return to solid state but in a different way with Devialet. To put this in perspective, I went with valves when I had limited funds, could build my own stuff with an outcome of very good sound. These days I don’t have the same funding pressures and my Devialet 220 Pro Core Infinity is a completely satisfying sound and particularly, I don’t find I am hankering after my previous valve sound. The Devialet is totally satisfying, apart from the Phono stage which just doesn’t seem to work (others disagree) for me. A Ray Samuels F-117 The Nighthawk Phono stage does. For me, valve amps have reached their very enjoyable zenith, but I’ve happily moved on.
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Post by MartinT on Feb 14, 2018 6:20:02 GMT
Pretty much my feelings, Greg. I loved my dabblings with the Rogers Cadet III, Leak Stereo 20 and Croft Series 5S (not to mention friends' Dynavector monoblocks and Art Audio Quintets on loan) and they provided relatively inexpensive access to quality sound. However, there isn't a single aspect of valve sound that I miss now. Things have moved on and good solid state amps do everything I look for in sound quality.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2018 13:39:37 GMT
When you say Zenith.........
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2018 13:52:07 GMT
Pretty much my feelings, Greg. I loved my dabblings with the Rogers Cadet III, Leak Stereo 20 and Croft Series 5S (not to mention friends' Dynavector monoblocks and Art Audio Quintets on loan) and they provided relatively inexpensive access to quality sound. However, there isn't a single aspect of valve sound that I miss now. Things have moved on and good solid state amps do everything I look for in sound quality. Interesting, at JVC I was involved with the cutting edge of "Solid State" development and I still have many SS amps from the Marantz in the workshop to the pair of MF P-140s driving the soundcubes and a couple of very beefy Yamaha power amps. But to me none are on a par with good, well implemented valves. Love the Art monos, the Art Quintet and even the old Armstrong. Just goes to show that "De gustibus non disputandum est". BTW I did a review of the LDA cascode Phono Stage and it was bloody awesome.
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Post by Firebottle on Feb 14, 2018 17:17:51 GMT
The LDA phono stage is awesome, I have heard it.
Valves can provide very low levels of distortion but given extra help with their operating conditions, usually by incorporating solid state supporting circuitry, can give vanishingly low distortion levels, as in the case of the LDA.
Using hybrid circuitry is the way to extract best performance in my opinion. I hope to be at ASBO with an example.
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Post by TheMooN on Feb 14, 2018 18:05:55 GMT
I spent quite some time last year demoing for new amplification, several rounds later it came down to a heavy weight bout between an SS option Viz Dan D'Agostino Momentum Mono blocks and an Valve option ARC Ref250se Mono blocks.
After 12 bruising rounds, both contestants trading heavy blows, the result was extremely close to call with both sounding surprisingly more similar than dissimilar, however in the end I descided to go with the Valve option for one , and for me crucial reason, whilst the SS shaved it on low end extension and control with perhaps a smidgen more treble extension , with the majority of my demo reference recordings the Valve amplification provided the more organic and believable rendition of the human voice, Accoustic instrumentation, classical string instrumentation and Jazz horns, YMMV as always.
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Bonky
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Post by Bonky on Feb 16, 2018 16:31:18 GMT
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Post by MartinT on Feb 16, 2018 20:56:20 GMT
D'Agostino Momentum Mono blocks I've heard them several times and have been supremely underwhelmed so far.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2018 21:18:52 GMT
Any chance of more new valve types being developed?
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Post by MartinT on Feb 16, 2018 21:27:20 GMT
Variations, quite possibly, but I doubt that we'll see a new 'heptode' or 'octode'. Damn, I looked them up and they both exist already
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Post by pre65 on Feb 16, 2018 23:04:20 GMT
With valves (tubes), if in doubt - go bigger.
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Post by MartinT on Feb 17, 2018 11:40:38 GMT
I don't fancy playing with the HT on that!
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Post by pre65 on Feb 17, 2018 12:23:09 GMT
I don't fancy playing with the HT on that! No ?
The HT on mine was about 950v, but after the (protracted) rebuild should be nearer to 1200v.
Will give me more than enough power for my OB speakers.
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