I Like To Give A Big Shout Out (Thank You) To Those Who helped Me Here!!!

[Jalen01]

Hi All,

I'd like to give a big "Mucho Grande" Thank You To All

who advised me to upgrade my source alittle while back. I went and ordered a Cambradge Audio 500SE(Silver) Cd Player from Audio Advisor. Finally got it broken in the other day. Man did it open things up for me. Great soundstage, even got the "Air" Thingy going when listening thru the Paradigms (Don't Know If the RF-3's are capable of that "Air" Just hooked them back up today). I now know Just what the hell people are talking about when they say they hear the back walls of the recording studios. Center Image is also way better on Both Sets of Speakers. It was always there on The Paradigms not quite so good with the RF-3's. But, with either on now sounds like I'm listening In Dolby or something. I Even went out and bought a few Cd's (Steve Miller 1974-78, The Beatles (1), Jimi Hendrix Experience, Herb Alpert Definitive Hits & Dave Matthews Band Busted Stuff), and get this I've only purchased a total of three (3) CD's in the past three years(Stinkin' MP3's). That's saying alot for this player!!!

I may still upgrade My Amp In the future. Maybe in like six months or so when the newness wears off from this player. I Might just try out some "Tubes"(Thinking like a couple of Zen 84c's may set me off!!!).

Thanks again Guys,

As you can see nothin' but smiles here-->

Jalen

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Pioneer 906s A\V Rec.

Pioneer Cld-d580 Laser Disc Player

Parasound P\Hp - 850 Preamp

Rotel RB 976 Amp 3x150 watts for front 3 speakers.

Technics 110x Cd changer

Awia XD-DV370 (MP3) dvd

Klipsch RF-3II Fronts

Klipsch RC-3II Center

JBL N-26 Rears

Paradigm Mini's low\lvl jam sessions and bar-BQ's

[prodj101]

your welcome. lol.

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New music system:

2.1 using SF-2's (soon to be RF-7's), and an RSW-15. for amplification Mcintosh MC02105, B&K PT-3 preamp, Sony SACD player. pioneer turntable.

Computer uses Promedia 2.1's.

[lynnm]

I have the Cambridge D500se and share your enthusiasm. There are undoubtedly better players on the market but none that I am aware of in the same price range. The Rega Planet can be had used at about the same price,(when it can be found) and may well be superior but when comparing apples to apples the D500se is an no brainer buy.

There are many excellent Tube amps around these days. I have an Antique Sound Lab AQ1003DT driving my KLF30's. ASL has the MG15DT available and had I had the opportunity to hear it before I bought the AQ1003 I would likely have purchased it because it provides the option of triode,(kinda sorta - actually a tetrode mode),or a higher powered Pentode mode at the flick of a switch.

The AQ1003 gives superb overall performance and I am not in anyway unhappy with it but the MG15 running in Triode mode does sound just the slightest bit more open than my AQ. The AQ has about four times the power of the MG,(in triode mode),and this becomes very evident on the bottom end. That said anyone who wants my AQ better be packing some serious iron or the MG and a few C-notes difference.

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It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca.1900)

[Jalen01]

Yeah,

That cambridge is really something. Light years ahead of my Technics Cd Changer (Which I plan to pass down to my Son when He's of age (3yrs Old)). One thing about that Technics is they are pretty reliable if anything else. I've had it going on 10yrs now and it holds 110+1 cd's to boot.

Prodj: I see you have a Mc2105 in your system? Care to give a review? How do you think it will sound on My Rf-3's? I ask because I really like Mcintosh amps also, and was considering a purchase of one. I also found a power seller willing to sell me a pretty mint 2105 at a good price.

Lynnm: whoa whoa whoa, you really lost me on the tube stuff. I guess you really like tubes huh? I knowz nothing about tubes. It's Why I was considering The Zens as starters.

Trying to find something alittle smoother for my rf-3's. Mcintosh & Possibly tubes (which I've never heard), are the only things that come to mind

Jalen

------------------

Pioneer 906s A\V Rec.

Pioneer Cld-d580 Laser Disc Player

Parasound P\Hp - 850 Preamp

Rotel RB 976 Amp 3x150 watts for front 3 speakers.

Technics 110x Cd changer

Awia XD-DV370 (MP3) dvd

Klipsch RF-3II Fronts

Klipsch RC-3II Center

JBL N-26 Rears

Paradigm Mini's low\lvl jam sessions and bar-BQ's

[prodj101]

the MC-2105 is a really great amp. built like a tank weighing in at 65 pounds, and a good amount of dynamic headroom. I really like it, and those blue meters are irresistable. I have built my own tube amps before, and like those too!

------------------

New music system:

2.1 using SF-2's (soon to be RF-7's), and an RSW-15. for amplification Mcintosh MC02105, B&K PT-3 preamp, Sony SACD player. pioneer turntable.

Computer uses Promedia 2.1's.

[lynnm]

1.) The Zen's are great little amps from what I have read. I have never heard them but the comments from other posters here indicate that they are worthy little amps indeed. My only reservation is that according to some users they are a little lacking in low end output. That said some users have also complained that my Antique Sound Lab AQ1003 is wanting in the bottom end and I sometimes find it necessary to lower the volume on certain CD's because my windows and doors start rattling when significant amounts of very low end output is available from the source material,(I am not joking here!).

2.)

Quote:

"Lynnm: whoa whoa whoa, you really lost me on the tube stuff. I guess you really like tubes huh? I knowz nothing about tubes. It's Why I was considering The Zens as starters."

Note to many on the forum who really are expert with regard to tube operation:

I recognise that my comments below will contain errors and will be happy to be educated and corrected. What follows is an admittedly incomplete explanation from an only slightly knowledgeable tuber.

I suspect you may be referring to my comment regarding Triode vs. Tetrode vs. Pentode modes. I too am no expert re: Tube amplifier tube modes but here goes on the triode vs. tetrode issue....

Think of an Amplifier Tube as being a device which allows a potentially very large voltage to be varied (ie.controlled) by a very small voltage. In other words alterations to a very low current and voltage input can be used to create essentially identical corresponding changes in the current flow of a massively larger voltage source. In order to understand this process one needs to have an understanding of the physics of the simplest of all tubes - The Diode which normally is used for AC-DC conversion AKA rectification.

Rectification is accomplished by 2 element tubes which are referred to as diodes. A half wave rectifier is a diode a dual diode is a full wave rectifier.

Basically when the cathode,(in the simplest tubes - the heater ie. the filament),is heated it emits electrons. The plate at idle represents a large positive voltage with respect to the anode,(ie the filament). If there is no emission of electrons from the cathode the plate is in a steady state and little if any conduction occurs. If electrons are present the plate current will increase or decrease in proportion to the number of electrons emitted by the cathode,(ie heater). If a lot of electrons are presented to the plate the plate will conduct. If no or a very few electrons are presented the plate will not conduct. This is the operating principle behind rectification,( ie. The conversion of AC. to DC.). A detailed explanation of half wave vs.full wave rectification is beyond the scope of this explanation and would require my attempting to explain processes that are at the outer limits of my capabilities and understanding. Essentially what is described above is for half wave conversion. For Full wave a highly negative potential creates current flow for the positive side of the AC cycle. Thus one half of a full wave rectifier allows current flow on the negative swing and the other allows current flow allows current flow on the positive swing. The two current streams are thus added to each other and presented,(very imperfectly), as a DC equivalent of the original AC voltage to the amplifier. Capacitors and inductors,(chokes) are used to clean up the result and present the other components within the device with someting approaching a true DC voltage. The rectifier then creates a large positive potential on the plate of the amplifier output tube which is available to be controlled by the control grid. That voltage is then stepped down by the output transformer and fed to the speaker(s).

In a triode there is an element added called the grid,(AKA as the control grid),which is moderated by the audio signal and effectively controls the amount of current flow to the plate. The grid becomes more or less negative with respect to the plate and the anode,(heater) and the plate responds by sending more or less current to the output transformer in sync with the signal applied to the grid.

In a perfect world the grid signal would perfectly control the current flow to the plate and a perfect representation of the original signal would be fed to the speaker(s). In fact some of the electrons emitted by the control grid bounce off the plate and are reflected back to the grid where they then bounce once again and are again presented to the plate slightly out of time and power level. The plate then has its current flow moderated by these errant electrons and a form of distortion is created.

There has been a considerable disagreement as to whether this effect is of any significance at audible frequencies. In a tetrode a fourth element is added to the tube to attract these leftover electrons and neutralise them. Some designers feel that this extra grid functions well and has no effect on the original sound. Others argue that the extra grid in fact can dull the sound resulting from the original signal and in any event the so called distortion resulting from those errant electrons is measurable but inaudible. There is also a school of thought that argues that the use of this extra grid can create an additional type of distortion - At this point we are getting in way over my head and I am going to sharrroop. If others are willing and able to provide more detail and/or corrections to the above please feel free to do so as I am struggling toward a more thorough understanding.

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It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca.1900)

[Deang]

I knew it all along. Lynnm & Mdeneen are the same person

[lynnm]

LOL

If Mdeneen sees that comment he'll be looking for both of us.

Anyway I don't think a slap upside the head with the RCA Receiving Tube Reference could hurt all that mu...

BLAP

Duh! Toto? Toto? Aunty Em?

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It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca.1900)

[Jalen01]

Thanks Lynnm,

I really appreciate Your efforts at explaining the differences in the designs of tube amps. although, I was able to soak some of that info in, most of it was as if You were speaking in French or some other language I don't understand. I guess I need things explained in " the lowest of laimen (sp?) terms, almost ebonics if you will. Not that I need you to repeat it or anything.

I guess I'm from the camp of " Duh, If it sounds better then I'll give it a shot"(within My Budget). You know that camp? But, My understanding of "tubes" are that of Major Headaches. Especially, if you have no knowledge of tweaking, rebuilding, soldering, and finding the right tubes etc etc. It can really be expensive also for a good Tube set-up. Yet, another reason I was considering the Zen amps. They are supposed to be decent sounding and comes with a lifetime guarantee (If the thing breaks down, I'll send that S**T back for replacement). But, from what I hear even the Zens,

suffer from too little Bass & Clips on occasional Crank sessions.

So, for now I'm Gonna stick with SS amps. My Rf-3's & Rotel 976 is sounding a little better these days (Now that I got my new cd player). But, may still be quite Edgy or Fatiguing at louder volume levels. Maybe I need a new amp, maybe I need a larger Room with some better treatment, who knows? We will be moving to Italy some damn where here in a few months (Military).

Maybe I'll have a something larger than 15 X 15' room to work with this time. One things for sure I plan on keeping My RF-3's and building around them untill I find a perfect match.

Thanks,

Jalen

------------------

Pioneer 906s A\V Rec.

Pioneer Cld-d580 Laser Disc Player

Parasound P\Hp - 850 Preamp

Rotel RB 976 Amp 3x150 watts for front 3 speakers.

Cambridge Audio 500SE

Awia XD-DV370 (MP3) dvd

Klipsch RF-3II Fronts

Klipsch RC-3II Center

JBL N-26 Rears

Paradigm Mini's low\lvl jam sessions and bar-BQ's