bencat
Rank: Quartet
Posts: 353
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Post by bencat on Dec 31, 2023 12:20:43 GMT
So some on here have good funds spare to be able buy and change things when they want which I can only say good luck to you and keep writing your findings . Since my retirement I have been on a limited fixed income and have not much spare to sell and change things . As I also only have one system that is not active other than some digital items I do not have the scope . This is even more reduced in that it is Quad ESL 57 that needs to be powered and they are very fussy . Currently I use an NVA S300 which just works and does a fantastic job of getting out of the way and letting the music play . Quite a few months ago I bought an Aurex SC-15M power amplifier to scratch a long term itch I read the reviews at the time when bashing all Japanese products was rife and only Linn/Naim would do . Well that was rubbish then and is rubbish now . Despite only being a 40 watt amplifier the A used drives the Quads very well and offers a slightly different view to the music than the NVA . It also has a very special feature in being able to be switched to being a balanced mono offering 80 watts . Now the one I have cost me £150 and is a real bargain . Today I won on eBay another very tidy looking one for £227 . So in the schemes of things not a huge amount but the prospect of lots of fun and listening . Now I just have to get through the tension and drama of waiting for it to arrive . Will offer further musings and feelings once things have bedded in .
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Post by MartinT on Dec 31, 2023 12:32:38 GMT
Dual monos is going up in the world! Congratulations on the find.
You do realise we're going to want photos when it's set up?
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bencat
Rank: Quartet
Posts: 353
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Post by bencat on Dec 31, 2023 12:43:47 GMT
Martin if I can work out how to get photos on here then no problems . I need a quiet time to study the FAQ instructions and then get my head around it .
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Post by ChrisB on Dec 31, 2023 13:26:33 GMT
There's a video!
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Post by MikeMusic on Dec 31, 2023 15:32:56 GMT
Always worth keeping an eye on 2nd hand kit
I've had quite a few bargains over the years
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Post by Mr Whippy on Dec 31, 2023 20:02:02 GMT
Martin if I can work out how to get photos on here then no problems . I need a quiet time to study the FAQ instructions and then get my head around it . With Tapatalk, you can just upload photos from your phone, as an alternative to using an image hosting site. |
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Post by mattspl on Jan 1, 2024 1:23:55 GMT
I look forward to hearing how the extra amplification sounds.
A good whole system tweak without spending much cash is the Mad scientist Audio Graphene contact enhancer, followed by the Tara labs burn-in track.
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bencat
Rank: Quartet
Posts: 353
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Post by bencat on Apr 28, 2024 12:37:07 GMT
Sadly I have had to give up on the Aurex amps . They sound excellent and in my view just share the NVA . But they have a very intrusive speaker protection circuit fitted and if the volume goes over a certain level they cut out for a second then restart but will keep cutting out until you back off the volume a little . As the levels of recordings is all over the place this becomes very annoying so the NVA is back in place . Will probably try the Aurex out with my two way active Linn Sara 9 set up as they are too good to sit doing nothing . I have rather rolled the dice though by buying an old pair of NVA P70 monos not working and these are with NVA to see if they can be put to use . I like not letting equipment go to landfill and I realise it will cost me but still need to take the chance to recycle . May well take a bath on this but you only live once .
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Post by MartinT on Apr 28, 2024 12:47:10 GMT
Good purchase, they should do well if they can be fixed.
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paulq
Rank: Starter
Posts: 4
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Post by paulq on Apr 28, 2024 14:42:20 GMT
Many moons ago my first NVA amp was a bolt up P50 pre and A40 power.
Hopefully they can fix the A70's. Good luck 😊
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bencat
Rank: Quartet
Posts: 353
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Post by bencat on May 14, 2024 10:18:23 GMT
Well getting the P70 in to working order is going to be far more difficult than at first I thought as they use a very different shapes board than the current ones . Only person at NVA who has worked on them before is Tomaz and he is based in Poland . So after a talk with Paul and accepting that it may well cost me and find nothing can be done I have agreed to have them sent away and will have to see what can be done . As always NVA have been transparent and helpful letting me make the choice . If I can get these working and even with costs involved I will be happy as just throwing out items makes no sense . I have never been that bothered about appearances so th used condition will be fine showing they have had a life . If they work I know they will some very good not the ultimate NVA but knocking on the door and They will be monoblocks which I am finding I like whenever I hear a set .
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Post by palace on May 14, 2024 11:35:10 GMT
Well getting the P70 in to working order is going to be far more difficult than at first I thought as they use a very different shapes board than the current ones . Only person at NVA who has worked on them before is Tomaz and he is based in Poland . So after a talk with Paul and accepting that it may well cost me and find nothing can be done I have agreed to have them sent away and will have to see what can be done . As always NVA have been transparent and helpful letting me make the choice . If I can get these working and even with costs involved I will be happy as just throwing out items makes no sense . I have never been that bothered about appearances so th used condition will be fine showing they have had a life . If they work I know they will some very good not the ultimate NVA but knocking on the door and They will be monoblocks which I am finding I like whenever I hear a set .  |
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bencat
Rank: Quartet
Posts: 353
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Post by bencat on Jun 2, 2024 13:13:10 GMT
So I tried a pair of Aurex SY15 Power amps with the Quads and while the sound was superb confirming my original view when I heard them many years ago that these are really excellent amplifiers with really high quality build .
So with the S300 back in place and sounding excellent as it always has I sent eh P70 and they are currently with NVA and on the way to Poland for Tomaz to look at as he is the most experienced of the company with these older amps . Still have to hope that they can fixed .
In the mean time I have tow Aurex SY15 doing nothing and decided I would swop out my Fidele Audio modified (NetGear stage 2) Quad 405 amps in the two way system and use the Aurex here for the active Linn Sara . Worth the trouble they improve on the Quads and sound really good . They will be staying in place .
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Post by MartinT on Jun 2, 2024 14:07:48 GMT
To be honest, I'd be surprised if the Aurex amps didn't beat the 405s.
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bencat
Rank: Quartet
Posts: 353
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Post by bencat on Jun 2, 2024 16:03:59 GMT
I suspect Martin that is because you have not heard an upgraded unit . They are much changed and improved and to be fair to them they sounded very good . The attractiveness quite extensive with completely new drive board including upgraded opamps , full point to point rewire and separated power supply for each channel . They do not sound like standard Quads much better . Sadly Fidele Audio which was a one man business has closed so no longer available .
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Post by puffin on Jun 28, 2024 9:52:20 GMT
I've been having fun on a budget all my audio based life. Going DIY about 30 years ago has given me the best fun and bangs for bucks. I have recently rebuilt what were Gainclones that had suffered slightly from running very near the vdc power input limit for the LM3875 chip. They don't make those chips anymore and so the alternative is the LM3886 so I got 2 of those and decided I would use a PCB with much shorter signal paths. As I only had one suitable transformer they are now one stereo amp. Cost of revamp was about £30.
The Lampizator OBs I use I got from a member of HFWW in around 2014. He was based in the Midlands so I agreed to meet him at a service station at the bottom of the M1.....all very cloak and dagger.He said he didn't get on with them as they were too big for his room and we sealed the deal at £200. £200! the estimate by Mr Lampizator of the total cost inc the vintage Saba Mids and HF, 15" Eminence LFs and expensive crossover components was £1500. He was right the reccomended baffle size was too tall for my liking and I mothballed them until late last year when I re-homed in a smaller baffle and they now sound just right.
All my Pre-amps are DIY apart from a very nice Mingda MC7R.
I used to go to several Audiojumbles a year (Tongham is the only one to survive) and in the past you could really get some bargains for silly money.
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Post by puffin on Jul 10, 2024 17:11:30 GMT
How important is the power supply for an amplifier? I posted on here some time ago about a Class D amp I bought on Aliexpress under the Sure brand which uses the latest TPA3255 used in the more expensive Fosi amps. The amp cost £23 inc postage. What! is it a toy!! "Switch it on and release the Magic Smoke"!
Not so. I have used many Sure boards in my DIY amps and they are well put together. You can use a "Wall Wart" PS to power these amps or switch mode or linear. I used to make my own PSs and have several linear ones to call on. The cost of transformers has risen considerably in the last 10 or so years and are in some cases prohibitively expensive when building a PS for a Class D amp.
The one I have paired with the Sure mentioned above would cost well over £100 with a 350va tranny 20,000 uf stiffener caps and bridge rectifier and other bits. It really makes the Sure sing so if you think spending 4 times the price of an amp on the PS....think again?
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Post by puffin on Jul 13, 2024 7:11:02 GMT
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Post by puffin on Sept 30, 2024 8:40:18 GMT
I'm still having loads of fun!  Currently using a DIY Class D IRS2092 based amp which I put together a couple of years ago. Class D is often poo pooed as a low quality product used in flat screen tele's or sound bars for cost and space requirements, but IMO this is nonsense. |
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Post by MikeMusic on Sept 30, 2024 9:29:26 GMT
Class D TAD M2500 here It's quite good |
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