Rick J B

Mike, very nice! Your Stereomaster is gorgeous!

Very nice! Not sure yet which specific version, but its a 299 I've been thinking about getting. It looks to me like the Scott's are getting more and more popular, at least their price seems to be climbing. I'll have to look for the recording you reference. With two violin players in the house I'm sure it'll be well received.

Nutin but Chiefs!

I sadly had to shelve my Njoe Tojeb here recently, its having issues and I need to find a tech to sort its problems out. After 11 years she needs some care. What kind of issues? It has a couple. Every once in a while, like every other song, it'll cut out, no sound for just a split second. On top of that the left channel is getting weak for some reason, its only putting out around half the sound the right channel is. I dunno, but it needs help. I need to contact Kevin and see where he recommends it being sent.

Tell us more, Mike. It sounds like a nice system!

I sadly had to shelve my Njoe Tojeb here recently, its having issues and I need to find a tech to sort its problems out. After 11 years she needs some care.

I've got the CD-5004, which by it self is good, I just like it a bit better through the Jolida, especially with the Siemans tubes in it. A Scott integrated is on my short list, which Scott are you enjoying?

It is interesting that many of my old RTR tapes from earlier years (most of those I recorded myself) will still blow you away. Sometimes the pre-recorded ones that I purchase on ebay sound as if they were recorded yesterday. OTOH, sometimes those types of tapes are so brittle and dry that they break the moment you put them on the tape machine. I have several reference series tape machines that I maintain very carefully. I buy new RTR "blank" tapes. I transfer today's digital recordings to tape. The result is very pleasing..... Very cool, I've long desired a nice reel to reel, rig but have thus far avoided the temptation.

I thought I'd mention that I've had a chance now to play several records through this thing and it sounds wonderful. My biggest concern with it was that the phono section would be less than great, but worries, its quite good. One odd thing, this amp has features I've never seen before, it has 3 different phono inputs, one for ceramic cartridges! It also has two knobs in the center at the top, these are called "low level" controls. I guess you use them to equal the output level of different sources, like say your reel to reel deck has a higher output signal than your turntable, I dunno, I need to look into it further and try stuff I guess. Another thing is the "mode selector" knob. It has choices of mono-phono, reverse, stereo, A or B.

I believe that understand your point of view, even though I consider what you say to be opinion. I can't fully agree with the statement as is without limiting its sweeping nature, since JFET amplifiers are also "SS", and they don't sound dry, and neither do high quality CDs, SACDs, DVD-As, Blu-Ray music discs, and downloaded 24/96 digital music files in LPCM format. Also, "sweetness" is to me synonymous with a large amount of lower even-order harmonic distortion - a form of distortion that creates a very opaque sound when playing anything but simple, thin instrumentation or pure tones: it falls apart on orchestral music--especially string orchestras--as sounding opaque and canned. Here is an excellent article written by Nelson Pass that may help to clarify why many SS amplifiers sound "dry": https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=73904 Chris Of course its opinion, mine. You don't expect me to parrot the impressions of others do you? I'm simply stating what I like to listen to, what I think sounds best. Are you doing any different? No I will listen to SS with vinyl and tubes with digital, but the SS + digital pairing I don't care for.

...for me analog recordings are a medium of convenience (and nostalgia) only--and only for those recordings not available without remastering on digital format. And many times, analog records are a LOT less preferable to my ears. YMMV. On your comment above, I have to mention that I always try to quality my opinions. Your statement is subject to the judgment of the person who is doing the listening and reporting. Whether I trust their judgment to make such statements to substitute for my own judgment is the issue, and your comment as it stands doesn't help. Note: I've learned this lesson the hard way--it gets expensive, too. The tube amps that I've heard that sound good are typically push-pull (i.e., having greatly reduced even order harmonics over a single-ended triode amplifier--and I really don't prefer the sound of an Aphex Aural Exciter). Their cost was at least 3x that of comparable SS amps--for instance the JFET amps from First Watt. I also don't prefer the "magic" of high output impedance tube amps used on fully horn-loaded loudspeakers, either. Chris The simplest test I have for any equipment is: will I enjoy listening to it all day? Its hard to put into words but I'll try, SS + digital is dry and artificial compared to the organic sound of vinyl and tubes. Tubes have a sweetness to them that SS doesn't in my experience. Its hard to quantify and describe but I know the type of sound that makes me smile and want to hear more. Its easier for me to obtain that with tube gear and a turntable than it is with SS and digital sources. It seems to me that as complex as our auditory system is, that different things are going to strike people in different ways. What I find pleasing may be finger nails on a chalkboard to the next guy. I dunno, it just is what it is.

If current sales trends continue new presses will be built.

Vinyl, like tubes, can't be explained by specs, but the ear knows and recognizes a good thing when they hear it.

Taz, for now they're playing through a pair of RF82-II's. By this time next year it'll have a pair of La Scala's. Kent, that is a perfect description of this amps sound. Swapface, yep, this thing weighs a ton. I don't believe this is the original output transformer, but its not hurting anything either. I'm playing The Bends by Radiohead on vinyl right now, and the organ and vocal on Fake Plastic Trees is fantastic!

Long live the black disc!

Got this in finally this morning. I bought this from a guy in NC who had had Craig at NOS Valves rework it in June of 2011. Its a nice looking little unit, in remarkable shape for something built in 1961. She's very much alive and sounds sweet. I've been playing this for a couple hours now through the living room system. Damn it sounds good! I've got my Marantz cd player going through my Jolida DAC into The Fisher feeding the RF82-II's. At 3 on the volume knob its as loud as I need. This thing has an interesting assortment of tubes too. The output tubes are the only current production present, a matched quad of Sovtek EL84 Craig provided. The rectifier is a Fisher branded Mullard GZ34. There are two tubes in the front that I'm not sure their function. They're a pair of NOS 7247's by Ei in Yugoslavia (former obviously) Now, the preamp tubes in this I believe to be original to the amp, and they're good ones. All I'll say is that I'm very, very pleased with this little Fisher amp. Its going to stay in the front room for awhile. Note to add: I had intended to post this last night but got side tracked.

Agreed. Life is short, might as well enjoy it!

I'd say that since more LP's are being pressed each year and with turntable sales up that analog is alive and well and actually seems to be thriving.

Um, do you have a white van with "free candy" painted on the side of it?

Is this some Yankees BS? F them!

For fucks sake, you're worse than my wife! Your wife has tubes ? She has a fine set of tubbies!

For fucks sake, you're worse than my wife!

...some men, you just can't reach.

What were they?

Thanks, Jim. You too! Listening to some Furs right now, waiting on dinner.