Jerry's ongoing system blog
- karatestu
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Re: Jerry's ongoing system blog
New power amp - PrimaLuna Prologue 5.
The clever autobiasing arrangement means that it's plug&play for a wide variety of power valve types - KT88, 6550, EL34, 5881, KT90, KT77, KT66. Fun will be had with that capability.
It came fitted with Edicron 6550WE, and JAN 12ax7 and 12au7 input valves.
First impressions are -- very nice. An obviously 'different' presentation to the 2x Apart Champ 2 solid state powerhouses, which is a good thing. There's no point in having different amps if they all sound the same!
So, the Cunning Plan is pretty much complete - excellent power amps in the 4 main flavours now reside chez moi, - valve (PrimaLuna), solid state class A/B (Apart, even if they do call it class G), solid state class A (LP Spirit / Pass Labs) and solid state class D (TPA3116).
I hope they are all keepers for at least the medium term.
The clever autobiasing arrangement means that it's plug&play for a wide variety of power valve types - KT88, 6550, EL34, 5881, KT90, KT77, KT66. Fun will be had with that capability.
It came fitted with Edicron 6550WE, and JAN 12ax7 and 12au7 input valves.
First impressions are -- very nice. An obviously 'different' presentation to the 2x Apart Champ 2 solid state powerhouses, which is a good thing. There's no point in having different amps if they all sound the same!
So, the Cunning Plan is pretty much complete - excellent power amps in the 4 main flavours now reside chez moi, - valve (PrimaLuna), solid state class A/B (Apart, even if they do call it class G), solid state class A (LP Spirit / Pass Labs) and solid state class D (TPA3116).
I hope they are all keepers for at least the medium term.
Jerry - unrepentant boxswapper Life's too short for boring hifi !
Current system ... MBL 116F speakers, ... various and varying electronics and cables ... Laptop (TIDAL hirez)
Current system ... MBL 116F speakers, ... various and varying electronics and cables ... Laptop (TIDAL hirez)
Re: Jerry's ongoing system blog
I'm going distinctly backwards in terms of DAC technology.
As of this post I am totally won over by the DAC in this 20 year old beast.
A Lexicon DC-1 DAC/pre/processor.
Used in 2 channel mode it's as transparent, detailed and enjoyably musical as anything I have heard.
A delta sigma DAC, I think.
Daft, really. Maybe it's not what you've got, it's the way that you use it.
As of this post I am totally won over by the DAC in this 20 year old beast.
A Lexicon DC-1 DAC/pre/processor.
Used in 2 channel mode it's as transparent, detailed and enjoyably musical as anything I have heard.
A delta sigma DAC, I think.
Daft, really. Maybe it's not what you've got, it's the way that you use it.
Jerry - unrepentant boxswapper Life's too short for boring hifi !
Current system ... MBL 116F speakers, ... various and varying electronics and cables ... Laptop (TIDAL hirez)
Current system ... MBL 116F speakers, ... various and varying electronics and cables ... Laptop (TIDAL hirez)
- karatestu
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Re: Jerry's ongoing system blog
I agree Jerry. I also think you don't have to have the latest offerings (which are much hyped) to bring yourself musical satisfaction
DIY FREE ZONE
Re: Jerry's ongoing system blog
Yes, hearing the 20yo Lexicon makes me realise that chasing the "ever-improving" latest digital tech is an expensive exercise in futility - it's just an attempt to get us suckers to part with our £££ every year to get the latest specification improvement. Actually, I suspect that often enough it takes us backwards - I've heard many recent DACs that don't sound half as good as the Lexicon.
Jerry - unrepentant boxswapper Life's too short for boring hifi !
Current system ... MBL 116F speakers, ... various and varying electronics and cables ... Laptop (TIDAL hirez)
Current system ... MBL 116F speakers, ... various and varying electronics and cables ... Laptop (TIDAL hirez)
Re: Jerry's ongoing system blog
A recently purchased headphone amp by the sadly now defunct Epiphany Acoustics is working out very well.
Epiphany Acoustics E-HP-O2
Lots of good reviews and awards won.
The reviews are right; effortlessly powerful, bold, controlled and transparent, brimming with detail. It really is very good.
Battery powered with 2 rechargeable PP3 - fresh ones inserted on arrival - intended as a portable device, all connections are on the front panel, which makes it a bit clumsy for desktop use where rear inputs would be tidier. Still, it sounds great.
Epiphany Acoustics E-HP-O2
Lots of good reviews and awards won.
The reviews are right; effortlessly powerful, bold, controlled and transparent, brimming with detail. It really is very good.
Battery powered with 2 rechargeable PP3 - fresh ones inserted on arrival - intended as a portable device, all connections are on the front panel, which makes it a bit clumsy for desktop use where rear inputs would be tidier. Still, it sounds great.
Jerry - unrepentant boxswapper Life's too short for boring hifi !
Current system ... MBL 116F speakers, ... various and varying electronics and cables ... Laptop (TIDAL hirez)
Current system ... MBL 116F speakers, ... various and varying electronics and cables ... Laptop (TIDAL hirez)
- slinger
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Re: Jerry's ongoing system blog
Are you heading down the "vintage" path again, Jerry? What with the Lexicon and now this. Even the Champ-2s look a lot like something from a bygone age.
Amps - NVA P50, AP30, A40, Stanislav Palo Tube Headphone Amp BB 85
Speakers - Monitor Audio Silver RX2
Cables - NVA LS1+LS3, SSC, Gotham S/PDIF, IBRA Optical
Digital - NAD C516BEE, SONY ST-SDB900 DAB TUNER, TEAC UD-H01 DAC
Analogue - Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Esprit SB, Graham Slee Gram Amp 2 Phono
Cans - Grado SR80, ATH-M50X
Speakers - Monitor Audio Silver RX2
Cables - NVA LS1+LS3, SSC, Gotham S/PDIF, IBRA Optical
Digital - NAD C516BEE, SONY ST-SDB900 DAB TUNER, TEAC UD-H01 DAC
Analogue - Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Esprit SB, Graham Slee Gram Amp 2 Phono
Cans - Grado SR80, ATH-M50X
Re: Jerry's ongoing system blog
Not intentionally, Paul.
The Epiphany amp must be between 5 and 8 years old, I guess, not exactly vintage.
The APart amps are more recent than that, I think.
- I do rather like the no-nonsense fff designs.
Although a bit of bling can be well received as well.
I just go where the whim of the moment takes me.
The Epiphany amp must be between 5 and 8 years old, I guess, not exactly vintage.
The APart amps are more recent than that, I think.
- I do rather like the no-nonsense fff designs.
Although a bit of bling can be well received as well.
I just go where the whim of the moment takes me.
Jerry - unrepentant boxswapper Life's too short for boring hifi !
Current system ... MBL 116F speakers, ... various and varying electronics and cables ... Laptop (TIDAL hirez)
Current system ... MBL 116F speakers, ... various and varying electronics and cables ... Laptop (TIDAL hirez)
- slinger
- Posts: 9375
- Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2012 4:30 pm
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Re: Jerry's ongoing system blog
Never a truer word was spoken, Jerry.
I suppose I meant more in looks than in the actual date of the kit.
Amps - NVA P50, AP30, A40, Stanislav Palo Tube Headphone Amp BB 85
Speakers - Monitor Audio Silver RX2
Cables - NVA LS1+LS3, SSC, Gotham S/PDIF, IBRA Optical
Digital - NAD C516BEE, SONY ST-SDB900 DAB TUNER, TEAC UD-H01 DAC
Analogue - Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Esprit SB, Graham Slee Gram Amp 2 Phono
Cans - Grado SR80, ATH-M50X
Speakers - Monitor Audio Silver RX2
Cables - NVA LS1+LS3, SSC, Gotham S/PDIF, IBRA Optical
Digital - NAD C516BEE, SONY ST-SDB900 DAB TUNER, TEAC UD-H01 DAC
Analogue - Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Esprit SB, Graham Slee Gram Amp 2 Phono
Cans - Grado SR80, ATH-M50X
Re: Jerry's ongoing system blog
Ooo, look what's just arrived.
Beyerdynamic T90
Open back, which I haven't tried for a while - actually, they don't seem to leak too badly.
Very open and detailed, perhaps a little lean on first listen - but I suspect I need to adjust to the open back sound having been a closed devotee for the last little while since the Grado PS1000 were moved on.
Cumfy, too.
Beyerdynamic T90
Open back, which I haven't tried for a while - actually, they don't seem to leak too badly.
Very open and detailed, perhaps a little lean on first listen - but I suspect I need to adjust to the open back sound having been a closed devotee for the last little while since the Grado PS1000 were moved on.
Cumfy, too.
Jerry - unrepentant boxswapper Life's too short for boring hifi !
Current system ... MBL 116F speakers, ... various and varying electronics and cables ... Laptop (TIDAL hirez)
Current system ... MBL 116F speakers, ... various and varying electronics and cables ... Laptop (TIDAL hirez)