akshobhyavajra

---------------- On 12/16/2002 12:55:26 PM mobile homeless wrote: I am going to be trying some other experiments here and will see what different settings hold (it's a bit tough since the mat does change the VTA too). As for now, I really suggest those with acrylic platters and clamps to TRY your table with a mat (so far, I have only tried felt) sans clamp. I know a host of you have ditched your mats and use a clamp on the MMF-7 as well as the Scout. I am starting to question the use of a clamp altogether now and the mat seems postitive, despite the static (which is not a problem here). Just something to think about and consider. kh ---------------- When I picked up my Nottingham I questioned Larry Weinstein (Hollywood Sound) about the use of a clamp and he pretty much echoed your thoughts. I was able to negate static on the mat (and LPs) by using a Mapleshade IONOCLAST: There are a number of different products like it out there - I suspect they all help with the static problem to a greater or lesser extend. Overall I find the sound of the Nottingham w/o clamp very mellow, natural and thus pleasing - as far as my personal taste is concerned. Regards, ~Michael~

---------------- On 12/11/2002 3:23:58 PM cjk1026 wrote: Don't get me wrong, I think the Zen is a very cool little amp, but why would somebody spend $700.00 on speaker wire/cable for a $500.00 amp? Honestly, I'm not trying to be sarcastic. ---------------- I understand what you're saying - some people are budget oriented and as such this would be silly. Other audiophiles like to play around with this sort of thing, so it's not really a budget issue. For $700 you can also get some The Loth-X Amaze single driver speakers (96 db/W/m) or some Omega TS1 single drivers (96dB also) and accomplish the same - maybe better. My point was only to point to various viable solutions to a problem, rather than just focusing on the problem itself, i.e. 1. Autotransformers 2. Single driver or other efficient speakers 3. Equipment matching - using a good pre-amp, etc et al Spending $700 on cable (the Select costs $700) is not that tragic in terms of the big picture (only my opinion - not here to start an altercation). If the reader feels that quality cable and interconnects are unimportant and ought not to be considered as a component - just disregard this paragraph. Happy listening, ~Michael~

---------------- On 12/10/2002 8:13:21 PM mike stehr wrote: ---------------- On 12/10/2002 4:24:56 PM Audio Flynn wrote: These little vintage SE 6BQ5 amps have wimpy sized OPT's, which does not say they sound bad, they have great midband. The lower registers are pretty soft, and it gets worse with a heavier load presented from larger speakers with a good sized woofer and crossover. With the right speaker like a simple microwatt full-range, enables the little SE pentode amp to breathe a little, I geuss. ---------------- One successful way to increase ZEN performance is via autoformer speaker cables, which were initially designed for OTL amps. On a ZEN you would simply reverse the cable to change impedance from ... say 8 ohms to 4 ohms....see link: http://www.otlamp.com/tweaks/ps/zero/cable.html''>http://www.otlamp.com/tweaks/ps/zero/cable.html'>http://www.otlamp.com/tweaks/ps/zero/cable.htmlhref> It appears several Zen owners in the Decware forum have employed these cables with success. Regards, ~Michael~

---------------- On 12/10/2002 5:09:32 PM mobile homeless wrote: I think the original Cary 300se with the extra POWER BANK of caps was an amazing amp in the midrange. In 1990, it changed the way I felt about amplification completely! I know the Tulip got that glowing review in Listener I believe, but I have been a bit wary of this one. I would opt for used Wright Sound 3.5 before the Tulip. kh ---------------- That's a sweet-looking setup, indeed. I've not seen the mono's with the power bank - it must sound divine. I've seen the Tulip and it seems put be put together a bit better than the little AV8 - which I picked up when they were the latest craze in budget pp tube monos... I think you're right about George's WPA3.5 - again - haven't heard it, but I've not heard anyone complain about anything except George answering his e-mail in a timely manner . Must be something to this amp, though, you've been recommending it for some time: http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.pl?forum=set&n=7856&highlight=aes&session=''>http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.pl?forum=set&n=7856&highlight=aes&session='>http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.pl?forum=set&n=7856&highlight=aes&session=href> Best Regards, ~Michael~

---------------- On 12/10/2002 2:53:52 PM mobile homeless wrote: I happen to really groove to the open and coherent sound of the single-source speaker. My northern friend has some excellent Lamhorns with the AER Mk I drivers and they do amazing with 2A3/300B. I almost got a pair of Lamhorns myself but opted the vintage Klipsch route since a pair of CW appeared within driving distance (btw, he found them lacking with the original ZEN that he had on loan after his Horus 2A3 amps sold, at least with more challenging music - the Lamhorns come in at about 100db or so with no crossover). That last bit of magic is missing...but it's magic I think that's pretty important if going the SET route. kh ---------------- kh, I was looking at the Lamhorns (never heard them, but heard good things about them), and the 1.8 Cabinets w/ AER MK-1 or Lowther drivers is something I would consider - half the cost of a new Avantgarde UNO...though I've seen them for about 7k used. And yes - the SET magic - really what it's all about. Larry from Hollywood Sound, a Cary Dealer for over ten years and South Florida turntable guru - mentioned to me on a recent visit that the little ASL TULIP 2A3 actually smoked the CAD-300SEs - period. I was shocked to hear this from him, since he lived, ate and breathed Cary for years.... Something worth considering, esp at 1K - which is a bargain for someone like me, who does not want to build anything. Regards, ~Michael~

---------------- On 12/10/2002 1:27:43 PM mobile homeless wrote: ps- The Reference 3A are not actually more efficient speakers than the average vintage Klipsch but ARE more simple eschewing the crossover. I think to actually get the most from SET, an even more efficient speaker is needed, that is, to make SET fully BLOOM. On the note of the RF-7, just hope its not quite so benign impedance does not bring a problem. ---------------- Depends if you're throwing a crossover into the definition of "efficiency". I wasn't refering to vintage Klipsch... just mine, which were discontinued a couple of years ago. A 106 db speaker will definitely make SETS bloom more so than a 92 db box, though I suspect something like a CAD-805C will probably bloom fine @ 92 db.... Regards, ~Michael~

---------------- On 12/10/2002 6:41:31 AM Vito wrote: Thanks Michael, but Monolith ins't sold in Italy or E.U. Greetings vito ---------------- OK, I was not aware of that. In any case the EAR and Lehmann both have excellent reputation. I suspect the SS Lehmann may lend itself better to rock music - though I cannot confirm this. Do a search in the Vinyl Asylum - there is lot's of info on both phonos: http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/vinyl/bbs.html'>Vinyl Asylumhref> Good luck! ~Michael~

---------------- On 12/9/2002 11:12:19 PM robforst1 wrote: http://www.decware.com/Select/select.htm ---------------- The SE84 series of amps are a great match for speakers with an efficency of 90 db +. I've owned an 84C for a year and love it. Great midrange and it works well with my 8 ohm speakers. According to Steve Deckert it works even better with 4 or 2 ohm loads (as opposed to OTL amps, which prefer 12 to 16 ohm loads). As long as you have efficient speakers and a small to mid-size room you might really like their sound. Larger rooms would require some more efficient speakers like the Avantgarde Uno (also their cheaper DIY clones) or a more powerful amp, like a 2A3 or 300B type. NOTE: I was able to manage power requirements by replacing my Klipsch speakers (now on secondary system) with more efficient Reference 3As (which have no crossover). I also added an Octal 6 preamp, which added 20 db of gain in shunt regulated push pull mode. I was willing to tweak my system to make the Zen work. IF you decide on the Zen - it will take more than a month to break in - I don't care what anyone says. After six months mine really started to sing and. Most people are not patient enough to wait that long. In my particular case a little patience, some tweaks and a bit of tube rolling really paid off. Regards, ~Michael~

---------------- On 12/8/2002 2:44:37 PM Vito wrote: I like rock over all (even if not hard or heavy), but also classic, new age and jazz. And for this reason, perhaps, Black Cube should be better. Can anyone help me to decide? Greetings Vito ---------------- If you like rock as well as classical you may want to consider the Monolithic with the upgraded power supply instead of the Black Cube. It is detailed, has great bass extension, and good sound stage. Gain settings are 26db, 35db, 44db and 53db - so it will even work with a 0.5 mV Helikon (assuming your pre has the added 10 db gain). It also offers capacitance settings of 100pf, 270pf or 370pf - depending on your tonearm cable - and loading resistance settings of 47k, 10k, 1k and 100 ohms. The PS-1 will run you new $399 and the added dual mono power supply will add an additional $259 or so. Here is the link: http://www.monolithicsound.com/ps-1.html'>Monolithic Sound PS-1href> Regards, ~Michael~

---------------- On 12/6/2002 4:17:02 PM mike stehr wrote: I'll have to look at the FR's you mentioned, I have some cheap and sensitive Norelco AD4201M's that seem to work well on vintage SE 6BQ5 amplifiers. I would like to make cabinets someday for them, but they'll have to be huge. Of course, my gear is cobbled vintage thrift store items. ---------------- Here is a link to the website: http://www.omegaloudspeakers.com/ His FRs start at $399 a pair for the TS3 Standard, which uses a modified 5" Shielded Fostex ES - 93dB - good enough for most flee-power amps, since there is no crossover. I'm gonna go for the TS1 @ 96dB since that's a bit better for opera and classical with my massive 1.8 watt amp Ciao, ~Michael~

---------------- On 12/6/2002 2:48:24 PM mike stehr wrote: Does the Zen amp have the output tubes triode strapped? Does it still have the SV83 output tubes? Or have you tried some 6BQ5's of any brands? What Full-Range Drivers do you have in mind? ---------------- Yes - triode. Yes - still SV83. Yes - tried numerous 6BQ5 tubes , including Yugo/Orion EL84Y, Russian 6n14n-EBs, etc. - I like the Zen best with the SVs... The Full-Range Driver I have in mind is the Omega TS1 Standard (96 db), which will work well in my little room. I looked at the Horns by Ed, the Abby by Cain & Cain, and just other efficient speakers in general (Model 95 by Parker Audio, Triumph Sigs by Coincident, Rhapsody by Galante, etc.). I'm not into DIY - so I think the little TS1s will do. Emailed Louis who is a great to deal with... can't beat the 30 day in home trial.... Regards, ~Michael~

---------------- On 12/6/2002 7:59:09 AM Randy Bey wrote: ...the cute tush of the viola player then you don't have the concert experience. ---------------- Gotta be careful - THAT can create woofer excursion due to unexpected voltage surge as a result of melting resisters ~Michael~

---------------- On 12/5/2002 5:46:15 PM Randy Bey wrote: Michael, from what I understand, "epistemological" refers to the process during child birth when the OB/Gyn performs a minor incision to facilitate childbirth. ---------------- Now that's just funny (ouch - maybe not)! As for Leo Koettke - I would have liked that anyway - I have some of his LPs and the CD Solo Guitar - love it. Sounds pretty good on the ol' SET system - now if I can just get me some full-range single driver speakers I'll be happy and complete... maybe Regards, ~Michael~ PS - I tried to get that "full orchestra sound", but could not fit all the members of The Academy in my 16 x 12 x 8 room...

A lot of great stories here. Wow. I hit the jackpot twice in the past six months. First, I happened to arrive at the local thrift shop at the time a lot of LPs arrived. They were all DGG, Philips (Europe), Angel, London FFrr and Red Label. I took 96 LPs for 25 cents each - most pristine - all were classic performances by Karajan, Boehm, Horowitz, et al. A few months later I hit the jackpot at the local Goodwill - this time classic rock (60ies - 80ies) - all mint. I walked out with 65 LPs @ 25 cents a piece. I also ended up with 6 boxed sets by Arthur Fiedler, Rubenstein, etc - looked unplayed and had no surface noise. These were RCA. Truly a fun way to kill a few hours Regards, ~Michael~

---------------- On 12/5/2002 5:30:07 AM talktoKeith wrote: It would be a waste of both your time and mine Michael. ---------------- Keith, You are probably correct. I'll stick to my big, black discs and you can keep your little, shiny ones. As to the definition of the before-mentioned term - I am aware of the definition Best regards, ~Michael~