Mallette Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 ST-70 back online. I've been thoroughly enjoying the 21rst century Class D technology that is, IMHO, audibly superior to any SS design ever at any price I've heard. Dolby ProLogic II and Neo6 have replaced, after thirty years, my Hafler DynaQuad for putting the out-of-phase info from 2 channels sources in the right places without significant (to my ears) sense of "manipulation." However, I wired the ST-70 back in after it returned from NOSValves with a clean bill of health (heck, I'd have paid what Craig charged just to get him to listen to it for a day or two like he did) and a new rectifier. I am using a Niles switch to route either the XR-SA25 front channels or the ST-70 to the 'horns and a simple RCA switch to route the line out of the Super PAS-4 preamp to the inputs of each amp. Works smoothly with no thumps or pops on a hot switch. So, I put on Louis Armstrong's awesome AFSD 6132 "The Best of..." LP first on the Class D. Incredibly detailed, smooth, rich, and Louis is right over there where you can here him breathe and his fingers rubbing the valves. The ProLogic II is providing a very deep and immersive field that extends at least 270 degrees and the Cornwall center is perfectly balanced to fill the "hole" in my imaging due the the room being about 2 feet too shallow. So extraordinary I didn't really want to move, but the tubes were glowing, so I hit the Niles and the RCA box, switching to the ST-70. The surround collapses immediately and the stage is altered with the Cornie gone. Just unadorned 2 channel. But wait, there's MORE. The sound is now LIQUID and LIVING again, as if those tubes and Louis were personal friends...which they may have been. Sure, I have to sit VERY carefully dead center on my futon with my head back to keep a complete image...but that ain't the ST's fault. I did not move until the stylus glided home from the last cut. My friends, thou shalt not crucify music upon a cross of silicon. My Class D will be on most of the time...very little source material is as good as the Louis and, IMHO, EVERYTHING starts with the source material. Furthermore, the Class D will add nine lives to my ST-70 as I'll only fire it up when I suddenly hear source material so good only those vacuum tubes can do it complete justice, and when my wife wants to cuddle to Norah Jones with a glass of wine and the cold light of a flourcesent display simply doesn't work like the orange-yellow warmth of tubes. My 3.5 year old son came in and danced to Louis, and said "Daddy, I LIKE jazz!" I don't know if Craig has a son, but someday after I am gone my boy will probably do something dumb like I did and need his help. That amp will still be the standard to reckon with when Sissy State is just a bad memory. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben. Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 I'm with you, too, Dave. I'm quite enjoying switching back and forth between the good sounding (yet expendable) Teac and great sounding tube monos. Feeding them with a great sounding pre and source makes it easy, too. Good times. My bass rig is sounding better than anything I've had in the past, too. It's a good time to be me and have ears that operate properly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted August 6, 2005 Author Share Posted August 6, 2005 "...the good sounding (yet expendable) Teac..." Ain't it great? Blister-packed amps aren't too far down the line, and by this time next year "blow-out" specials to unload all that SS inventory will be the rage. Non-class D SS is a completely dead issue. And good riddance. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben. Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 My biggest hope for this phenomenon is an increased demand for higher quality digital formats. "Hey, why does my MP3 player sound so much worse than my ______" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted August 7, 2005 Author Share Posted August 7, 2005 >My biggest hope for this phenomenon is an increased demand for higher quality digital formats. What? I am having a bit of trouble relating this to the thread... Could you elucidate? Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben. Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 Yeah, I guess I didn't put that into any reasonable context... I suppose what I'm picturing is a situation where most folks have fairly hifi amps. If that happens, the folks that use decent speakers are going to be exposed to a potentially higher quality sound, hopefully evolving into a higher demand low-mass, higher quality digital format. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Spinner Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 ---------------- On 8/6/2005 8:47:12 PM Mallette wrote: " ..non class D SS is a completely dead issue. . Dave ---------------- what about Class i s/s, Dave...???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted August 7, 2005 Author Share Posted August 7, 2005 >what about Class i s/s, Dave...???? I have no idea what that is. But, perhaps, a more important question would be can you get one for 300 or less with 7.1 channels at 100/w ea that performs (IMHO) better than the 5k SS HT units? Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Spinner Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 Class i ..is a "Balanced Current amplifier' it has milliohms resistance in the output stage .... and a switching power supply Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted August 8, 2005 Author Share Posted August 8, 2005 New to me. From whom? How much? What do others think? Inquiring minds want to know... Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted August 8, 2005 Share Posted August 8, 2005 horns love tubes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjgeraci Posted August 8, 2005 Share Posted August 8, 2005 Great to hear about it, Dave. That little 'ole Niles switcher is a nifty device. It is expensive and works great. Doing a similar thing with my setup. My front Belles I now run on either my Marantz 8B or my solid state Rotel, and my rear Altecs I now run on either a modded Stereo 70 or a Teac. Running the non-tube amps for most of my listening saves on my tube amps, but.... neither my 8B or my Stereo 70 should be going anywhere anytime soon. Regardless of how good Class D gets, there is always something magical about tubes. Carl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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