Jolly Roger Posted September 5, 2002 Share Posted September 5, 2002 Balanced Audio make quality gear? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted September 5, 2002 Share Posted September 5, 2002 Hope everyone (anyone?) is watching the Sampras vs Roddick match... Excellent tennis. Balanced Audio does make good gear. But I liken it to TUBE HIFI. It is geared toward the audiophile side of the equation in that it is more sterile and clean vs musical and harmonically rich. IT is also quite pricey. I think there are more musical offerings personally. The only way to really know is for you to give it a go in your own system. kh ------------------ Phono Linn Sondek LP-12 Valhalla / Linn Basic Plus / Sumiko Blue Point CD Player Rega Planet Preamp Cary Audio SLP-70 w/Phono Modified Amplifier Welborne Labs 2A3 Moondog Monoblocks Cable DIYCable Superlative / Twisted Cross Connect Speaker 1977 Klipsch Cornwall I w/Alnico & Type B Crossover Links system one online / alternate components / Asylum Listing f>s> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jolly Roger Posted September 5, 2002 Author Share Posted September 5, 2002 Just curious, where do you hook up on your Cary stuff at. I live in Charlotte and I see the only dealer is in Ashville. cpace@carolina.rr.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted September 5, 2002 Share Posted September 5, 2002 Well, I am sure you know the Cary factory is in Cary, NC, only a few hours from you as well. To be honest, I havent bought a Cary component since 1991, when the sole dealer was Tom at Advanced Audio in Cary. He was the first dealer of Cary and instrumental in Dennis Had getting back into making tube amps. Dennis started modifying VTL tube gear in the late 80s and then decided to build his own as he had a lot of background via his past companies and DIY early years. Later, Tom and Cary had a bad split so there actually are hardly any dealers of Cary gear in NC. Dennis does come to Charlotte to visit the Audiophile Society there. He brings a lot of tube gear - this is actually where he introduced the AES Super Amp and got such a great reception. But new Cary gear is hard to come by in NC. You should drop by the factory for a look around, however. It's pretty interesting. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lindsey Posted September 5, 2002 Share Posted September 5, 2002 quote: Originally posted by mobile homeless: Hope everyone (anyone?) is watching the Sampras vs Roddick match... Excellent tennis. I love to watch the Tennis majors and have been doing so since the early 70's (huge Connors and McEnroe fan). I'm a bigger Agassi fan but don't think anybody is gonna beat Sampras. I think Hewitt will beat Andrej. As for the women, Serena will dominate the next two matches... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted September 5, 2002 Share Posted September 5, 2002 Too bad Roddick didnt play well although it was great to see ole Pete make it through. I think he can win this next match if on top of his game. Schalken is almost in a haze just making it this far. As for Agassi, there would be NOTHING better than having him beat Hewitt! but Hewitt is going to be too tough. Sadly, it will probably be Hewitt and Sampras, and I just dont see how Sampras will be able to take Hewitt out. I give the US Open to Hewitt but hope to hell that Agassi takes him! Nothing better than an Agassi vs Sampras final to match last year's quarters! It will be the two Williams sisters in the finals. For some reason, I think Venus might take it. I'll go with Venus even though Serena will probably win. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lindsey Posted September 5, 2002 Share Posted September 5, 2002 OK, I'll take Sampras and Serena, and you've got Hewitt and Venus. Let's just say loser buys the winner a nice bottle of wine... to be consumed during my next trip to Myrtle Beach in May. This time I will stop in and say hi. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted September 5, 2002 Share Posted September 5, 2002 Deal, although I sure as hell hope Agassi beats Hewitt. It will definitely be the match to watch on Saturday. I'll go with Hewitt but hope you win and dont mind a bottle of wine for the deal! As for Venus and Serena... WEll, in all honesty, I think Serana will probably pull it out. But what the hell, I'll so with Venus. I'll save the bottle. Hope you win! kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lindsey Posted September 5, 2002 Share Posted September 5, 2002 I would love to see Andrej beat Hewitt but just think he's past his prime, and Lleyton is just coming into his. The quarters match last year between Pete and Andrej was fantastic and I'd like to see a rematch with Andrej winning it all (in 5). Unfortunately, at 32 years of age and without Sampras's serve, I just don't think he has enough game. He's a battler tho... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike82 Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 I think Mobile's description of BAT as "Tube Hi-Fi" is right on the money. I've had opportunity to listen to various BAT components throught the years and, while they're pretty, sonically they didn't impress me. It's probably the most solid-state sounding tube gear I've heard. IMO, too pricey for the sound quality. ------------------ 2 Channel Transport: CEC TL-2X DAC: Audiomat Maestro Pre-amp: Wyetech Jade Amps: Jeff Korneff 45 Interconnects/Speaker cable: Analysis Plus Solo Monocrystal Power cords/line conditioner: CPCC Top Gun, Model 11, Super Power Block Equip Stand: Grand Prix Audio Monaco Belle Klipsch, K-horns Second system- My dad's old Fisher 400-refurbished, Heresy II, Vecteur Variation CD player Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEAR Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 Mobile, Give me a break "Balanced Audio does make good gear" NO I did not know,discovery of the century.DUH,they dont make good tube gear they make some of the best tube gear. And this one is good "It's probably the most solid-state sounding tube gear I've heard." You mean the least colored tube gear! You said it all Tube fanatics are a funny bunch TheEAR(s) Now theears Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 Ears, anyone can read the magazines and then go buy what Reviewer A said. Having been reading these damn mags for a good 30 years, I can tell what you are going to say most of the time. Trouble is, when you combine experience with the mags, you begin to see where the reviewers taste lies in addition to the bias and HIFI leanings, which unfortunately tend to weigh heavily on perception, especially given the sorry state of the Audiophile contingent in relation to their ability to actually judge gear on a musical level, and not via some Audiophile recording claptrap, listening to SOUNDS being made. The 80s saw this get much worse and the 90s cemented it. It is the rare reviewer these days that really has a handle on this distinction. I find most audio mags to have actually become tainted by the Audiophile disease. Of course, in a way, you have to have gone through it and out the other side. From the sound(s) of it, you are planted in it like Hoffa, legs encased in a bucket of cement. Victor Khomenko (BAT's Chief Designer) is all over the forums and his bias is plainly evident. BAT gear is WELL reviewed in the Audiophile press but after hearing it, I can safely say that it really does lie knee-deep in the unmusical crowd of amps that do things well, but remain more unable to convey the very soul and essence of the music. This is a sad state. So YES, BAT makes very nice stuff. But why get expensive "pain(t) by numbers" without the music? Music... Not BOOM CHICK BOOM BELL RING BOOM. Someday, this may come to you... kh ------------------ Phono Linn Sondek LP-12 Valhalla / Linn Basic Plus / Sumiko Blue Point CD Player Rega Planet Preamp Cary Audio SLP-70 w/Phono Modified Amplifier Welborne Labs 2A3 Moondog Monoblocks Cable DIYCable Superlative / Twisted Cross Connect Speaker 1977 Klipsch Cornwall I w/Alnico & Type B Crossover Links system one online / alternate components / Asylum Listing f>s> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike82 Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 Sorry EAR. I should have explained myself better. When I say, "most solid-state sounding tube gear, what I mean is this: good tubed amps have the ability to present a "corporeal" sonic experience. Whether that can be attributed to tube coloration, harmonic complexity, etc., it's clearly audible. On the other hand, s-s seems to get the "elements" of sound (pitch, PRaT, imaging <2 dimensional anyway>). And their specs!! Holy $#!t--0.000001 THD, IM, blah blah.. But what I hear coming out of the speakers sounds either artifical or technicolored and ultimately unsatisfying. It's kinda like comparing Guiness to Budweiser. So, I guess if Bud's your idea of beer then BAT's your tube amp, because that's how it sounds to me. FYI, I have no prejudice against s-s. I've owned both tube and s-s in 30+ years as a hobbyist. Sometimes I wish I liked s-s sound better. It's less expensive to buy, zero maintenance, and easier to use. But once I found some decent tubed gear and finally SET, there was no going back. ------------------ 2 Channel Transport: CEC TL-2X DAC: Audiomat Maestro Pre-amp: Wyetech Jade Amps: Jeff Korneff 45 Interconnects/Speaker cable: Analysis Plus Solo Monocrystal Power cords/line conditioner: CPCC Top Gun, Model 11, Super Power Block Equip Stand: Grand Prix Audio Monaco Belle Klipsch, K-horns Second system- My dad's old Fisher 400-refurbished, Heresy II, Vecteur Variation CD player This message has been edited by Mike82 on 09-06-2002 at 11:43 AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted September 6, 2002 Share Posted September 6, 2002 Well, if push comes to shove, if I had to get one of these BAT amps, a used VK-60 would be more palatable than some amps. I heard this BAT for a whopping 20 minutes in NYC in a fairly good setup. Transparent it was, by God. I would have to say this type of amp (with that darn monster 6C33C power tube as seen in Joule Electra/Tenor Audio etc) has the ability to impress you on first listen. I would sure favor it over a host of other solid state amps. Like the Silverline Sonata II speakers, it is more like a surgeon's scalpal! The ole BAT VK-60 IS actually a single-ended, zero feedback amp wired in triode..but in PARALLEL, meaning through two of those big 6C33 tubes per channel. It also uses oil caps and is far more powerful (in watts) than the normal directly heated triode SET affair with 2A3/300B etc. Running these two 6C33 tubes in parallel does this. I liken this amp sonically to the Joule Electra Stargate, another 6C33 parallel SE amp. To be honest, many would love the sound. Over the long haul, after exposure to other more musical offerings, that is when you start to wonder... kh ps- Another big difference with other SET amps is the use of Toroidal transformers with no air gap. These output trans are the donut shaped affairs and are more efficient than stacked trans. There is contant debate as to which sounds better however. This message has been edited by mobile homeless on 09-06-2002 at 12:10 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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