kkerley33 Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 The Manley Stingray Deal fell through. It is still for sale, but the Pawn Shop owner raised his asking price to $1000 after seeing one sell on Ebay for $1000. I listened to it in store and sent the serial number via email to EveAnna at Manley. She replied back with who the original owner was. It was the owner of a local high end stereo shop. I called him up and asked why he pawned it. He said the amp had some problems and he didn't feel comfortable selling it to any of his customers so he sold it to the pawn shop instead. He recommended that I look at this item since I store a good chunk of music on my 600GB hard drive PC in Appless Lossless Audio Format. http://www.rothaudio.co.uk/docs/products/mc4.shtml He also recommended I look at this set-up as well... http://www.psiberaudio.com/iPod_3.htm with the PAS3 Pre-Amp............. http://www.psiberaudio.com/iPod_4.htm By the way, he is not a dealer for either and is a Manley dealer, so he turned down a potential sale and recommended products he doesn't carry. Thanks, KAK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbsl Posted August 12, 2007 Share Posted August 12, 2007 For 1200-1300 dollars you could have a nice set up. I would see if you can get some more info on the builder. What background or experience does he have in tube gear. Make sure there is some kind of trial period, two weeks. If not you would rolling the dice on these. They look very interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbuckster Posted August 12, 2007 Share Posted August 12, 2007 Why would you invest so much into that type of playback system? Seems like heavy change for a soon to be obsolete music system...I really don't care for Ipods........it's kinda' dark in my cave............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted August 12, 2007 Share Posted August 12, 2007 OB, the ipod glows...might help with that cave situation... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracking Angle Posted August 12, 2007 Share Posted August 12, 2007 What is that old hi-fi adage? If it doesnt break it isnt high-end or maybe If it breaks it must be high-end? At least I have heard of Manley. As someone already said, do some research before buying something you haven't heard of. After you do, call or e-mail the manufacturer and ask them specific questions about their history and repair policies. Most audio companies don't have a 60 year history like Klipsch. There are many "here today, gone tomorrow" audio businesses. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> Also, it is interesting that a dealer would sell a piece to a pawnshop and get very little money for it rather than have the manufacturer set it right for him for free or at least at cost and have a good piece to sell and make money on. Of course, it could have been a trade-in piece with a major problem and not worth the expense and time reselling a potential problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kkerley33 Posted August 12, 2007 Author Share Posted August 12, 2007 To answer a few questions. With Apples marketing prowess, the Ipod is not going anywhere for the foreseeable future. Secondly, I can store most of music in a lossless audio format on the Ipod. The DAC inside the IPOD is pretty darn good. The circuits in the existing big box store solutions cause sound degradation. With a 600GB hard drive available, I record most of my chosen music in lossless format, save it as a playlist and download what I want to listen to on my ipod. It takes 5 minuts to change whats on the ipod if I want to "switch music". As for the Manley. The Audio Dealer is the original owner of the unit. He sold it to the pawnshop because "and he won't tell me what is wrong with it" he wouldn't be able to recoup the cost of the repair by selling it through his shop. The Pawn Shop has it fairly priced at $1000. I would have bought it no questions asked for $700, but they lost out because they raised the price. That caused me to do some research hence I found who the original owner was, contacted him and asked why he didn't resell it in his own shop. The answer that there was something wrong with it and that I should stay away was good enough. The fact that he carries only high end Audio...(Anthem, McIntosh, Adcom, Rotel, Pioneer Elite, Top Line Denon, Integra, Yamaha, NAD and he recommended I look at some other items for better sound, I figured he was telling me to stay away from Solid State (correctly) and of course new MAC gear is out of my price range. As for research, I have found very little on Psiber Audio, while Roth Audio aka Fatman has gotten some very respectable reviews in Europe and Great Britain. KAK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbuckster Posted August 12, 2007 Share Posted August 12, 2007 The Ipod is the flavor of the month right now.............It to will vanish like many of "the next big things" that come and go....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kkerley33 Posted August 12, 2007 Author Share Posted August 12, 2007 Well it has been the flavor of the month since the Christmas season of 2001. It has outlasted many game consoles, cell phones, DD, DTS, DVD-A, HDCD, and SACD. I would say a 6 year "flavor of the month" is pretty good staying power. With 100 million units sold, and the fact that it controls 70% of the "portable" audio market sales, it will be around for the foreseable future. Ipod and digital audio type devices are going to be around for years to come. While the formats used to save them may change, the idea won't. An Ipod is no different than a music bank that saves lossless audio, just smaller. It allows it to be portable. Heck, DVD has only been out for 10 years and it is being replaced by competing formats. The great thing about Audio, is it stays pretty consistent while video will keep emerging over time. Heck, there are already talk that HDMI Spec 1.3 is out the door for a new transport medium and until home theatre receivers reach the 17 Channels that are now in use in the Actual Theaters, that medium will advance as well. KAK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbuckster Posted August 13, 2007 Share Posted August 13, 2007 Not trying to argue, but how many people use Ipods as main center piece of their Stereo? They are a nice Toy just like Boom Boxes were at one time, but that's it, a Toy.......It all depends on what a person likes I guess........I can't imagine Khorns, powered by McIntosh, with an Ipod as a main system, for some maybe, but not here................hell, I still can't figure out how to put film in my digital camera, where does the cartridge go in a CD player ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbsl Posted August 13, 2007 Share Posted August 13, 2007 I heard a Ipod run straight to VRDs thru KHorns and it sounded pretty darn good. No not the best I have ever heard but still better than most systems I have heard. Run the data from the Ipod to a good DAC and you have a very good system. I think CD player makers will get rid of the transport and the computer will become the transport, cd players will eventually become DACs. You can already do this now. Some people thought the same thing when cds first came out and they are still around. While the Ipod may be replaced by some newer better portable storage devices I think the basic idea behind the Ipod preamp is a valid one. Now how good does the tube amps sound? Just be aware of the pros and cons before you do anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Spinner Posted August 13, 2007 Share Posted August 13, 2007 The Ipod is the flavor of the month right now.............It to will vanish like many of "the next big things" that come and go....... Dude .... bettr' move outta Farm Country ....[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbuckster Posted August 13, 2007 Share Posted August 13, 2007 What is the title of this thread? What are your thoughts on this.........Those are my thoughts!!!.... Farm Country, indeed.....[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaiser SET say Posted August 13, 2007 Share Posted August 13, 2007 Not trying to argue, but how many people use Ipods as main center piece of their Stereo? They are a nice Toy just like Boom Boxes were at one time, but that's it, a Toy.......It all depends on what a person likes I guess........I can't imagine Khorns, powered by McIntosh, with an Ipod as a main system, for some maybe, but not here................hell, I still can't figure out how to put film in my digital camera, where does the cartridge go in a CD player ? An expensive toy OB! I think lossless on the iPod is the best portable setup going and then throw a external amp with some killer 3 driver in-ear phones on it and youi might be very surprised[] Matter a fact IB, Seti and I pounded a few tunes off my Mini Pod into my old SAE RC-3 receiver with my freshly rebuilt LaScalla's this weekend and they as JBSL said sounded quite nice[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kkerley33 Posted August 13, 2007 Author Share Posted August 13, 2007 JBSL, One of the problems with the IPOD is that it does not have a data connection. Only analogue outputs. A few companies are adding aftermarket Sp/Dif outputs to the Ipods, but the cost is very prohibitive. I think it is in the $2000 range and voids the Apple Warranty. Personally the Wolfson 2 Channel DAC in the Ipod has pretty good reputation, it is getting the Analogue info to the Pre-Amp that causes the problem via the current Big Box Ipod Docks. (2 channel Analogue Audio is actually sent via the docking port, not digital data) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted August 13, 2007 Share Posted August 13, 2007 ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted August 13, 2007 Share Posted August 13, 2007 How do they keep the rain off the second option? But seriously, both options look like props from a cheesy sci-fi movie from the fifties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbuckster Posted August 14, 2007 Share Posted August 14, 2007 'How well do you sleep at night?'............................Not very well Oldtimer, Not very well................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbsl Posted August 14, 2007 Share Posted August 14, 2007 This is from a review of the Monarchy Audio M24 tube DAC/Preamp. If you want to read the whole review it is here http://www.dagogo.com/MonarchyAudioM24-SM70PRO.html Heres where I really had a bunch of fun with this Preamp/DAC, the M24, and it really got me thinking of the future of our audio sport. I ran an optical digital cable from my Airport Express into the M24s optical input and through its tube DAC and tube analog output stage. It is so convenient to stream music wirelessly from my Apple laptop to the Apple Airport Express any format: non-compressed audio, lossless compression, mp3s, internet radio, videos audio. Whatever the format, the M24 took that data and raised the sound level to that same musical plane it did when converting the digital output of my CD player. Compared to the straight analog audio output from the Airport Express own onboard DAC, the digital feed through the M24 had much more of everything musical. The sound was more 3-dimensional, it involved more of the room, and it was more robust and richer. Now, make me an integrated amplifier from the M24s DAC and preamp with the SM-70 Pros amplifier in the same size and beautiful chassis as the M24, and Id be in heaven. This would be the kind of single, elegant, flexible, and affordable (hopefully) audio device that would really have me excited to use and show off This is an example of the computer being the transport instead of a cd player. What kind of output does the Ipod have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbsl Posted August 14, 2007 Share Posted August 14, 2007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kkerley33 Posted August 14, 2007 Author Share Posted August 14, 2007 JBSL. A key of this review was the music was streamed from the Apple Laptop computer, not the Ipod. The ipod only has an earphone out and the docking port on the bottom. That said, I think there is an airport express adapter that can be added to the Ipod and thus would lead me to believe that Digital Audio could be output. The question then to me becomes is does the Airport Express convert analogue signals to digital? Or would the digital output not work? KAK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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