Tubes and horns?

[hjames]

Seems like you are on your way Heather, its a good thing you have a couple of different sets of speakers to accomodate different types of music. It'll be interesting to see how this amp sounds with JBL's. YOu did a nice job on the DCM's, they look very nice.

Well - we thought it sounded nice on the JBLs -
but then we heard things we haven't heard before with the DCMs ...
it resolved some lyrics on the 1st Diana Krall CD, for instance ...

So yesterday I rolled the JBLs into the storeroom and pulled out the Dahlquists ...
tho I don't have the DQ sub connected right now.

Something's got to go and I'm guessing its the Dahlquist DQ10s!

I was kind of hoping to hook the DQs up so I could post them in CL ...
but Emma hears a fiddle in some Mark Knofler that we don't hear as clearly in the DCMs !!
Crazy stuff ... my guess is the crossover points in the Monitors they were mixed in is different than ours (!)



amazing stuff ... and all I want to do is listen to the music ...!
he he he

[Krunchy]

Well - we thought it sounded nice on the JBLs -
but then we heard things we haven't heard before with the DCMs ...

Something's got to go and I'm guessing its the Dahlquist DQ10s!

I was kind of hoping to hook the DQs up so I could post them in CL ...
but Emma hears a fiddle in some Mark Knofler that we don't hear as clearly in the DCMs !!
Crazy stuff ... my guess is the crossover points in the Monitors they were mixed in is different than ours (!)

amazing stuff ... and all I want to do is listen to the music ...!
he he he

Fun predicaments. I'm kind of in the same boat now that I'm moving to the basement, my goal is to whittle the "stuff" down to two good systems & start getting rid of gear as well.
Glad to hear that you guys are having a good time, now if only we all had a little more time to just listen to our music

[hjames]

Went through a major evolution with the downstairs system swapping out the DCM Timeframes for 2pairs of vandersteen 2 series.
And now the upstairs system has evolved again. I found a guy selling off a pair of B&K Pro5 preamp and ST-202Plus (200w/ch) Poweramp.

The power amp went downstairs and replaced the Adcom GFA-555 amp that ran the front mains (currently vandersteens 2CEs),
it sounds nice and warm on the downstairs system - a very nice upgrade there.

Last night I put the preamp on the upstairs system with the Jolida tube amp and JBL L200(plus) speakers.
It replaces the Carver C-1 preamp I got from Wornears a couple years ago (the carver is already spoken for!).

The Pro 5 was recapped with all Silmic caps by the previous owner and has a neat Direct/bypass mode that bypasses all preamp gain stages so it becomes a passive switcher. Obviously, this won't work with a turntable,
for that I can drop back to normal mode, but for all other sources its quite nice.

It sounds very clean and is another nice upgrade - tho I only had a small amount of time to audition it last night
so I can't wait for the weekend for some extended listening.

[hjames]

'Nother upgrade to the L200 based 3 way system.
Ran into a guy with a Jolida 502 BRC amp that wanted to get rid of it.

Its just 2 years old and plays great, but - he had just got something new and something old had to go.
Isn't that the truth!
Anyway, this amp has the same heavy aluminum remote control for Mute and vol,
take the same 4 preamp tubes that my 202 does (pair of 12AX7 & pair of 12AT7s)
but has a quad of 6550 tubes and bigger transformers to power them. Heavy - over 40 lbs!

We just got back from a trip down south past Fredericksburg VA and brought it back.
Very much like my Jolida 202 BRC - but instead of 40w/ch w85 peaks this is rated 60w/ch RMS w/peaks past 115watts ...
Sure sounds like a lot more - it'll hit stupid loud without a lot of trouble - even with the B&K Pro5 preamp in passive mode ...

Just an amazing upgrade - tried some Knopfler, Norah Jones, Malcolm Mclaren (Fan), Art of Noise (Claude DeBussy) ...
even Who's Next. Really dug Ox's bass playing - nice and full through the 2234s in the "L200s".
Boz's Dig sounds like a sub is in the room, but no ...
Much better, tighter bass - really a worthwhile improvement for slightly less than I originally paid for the 202 BRC2 amp!

[hjames]

The obligatory night time tube amp shot ...
Pretty 6550 power tubes at night.

[hjames]

Emma and I had a listening session a few weeks back -
on a whim I bypass the B&K preamp and just ran all the sources (except vinyl)
directly into the Jolida 502 integrated amp.
Great results - took the overkill bass right out and
brought a better level of clarity to everything.

What can I say - it just sounds better!

'Nother upgrade to the L200 based 3 way system.
Ran into a guy with a Jolida 502 BRC amp that wanted to get rid of it.

Its just 2 years old and plays great, but - he had just got something new and something old had to go.
Isn't that the truth!
Anyway, this amp has the same heavy aluminum remote control for Mute and vol,
take the same 4 preamp tubes that my 202 does (pair of 12AX7 & pair of 12AT7s)
but has a quad of 6550 tubes and bigger transformers to power them. Heavy - over 40 lbs!

[hjames]

Current config - redid the ministack and pulled the preamp ...

Jolida JD 502 BRC
Carver TX-2 tuner
Oppo DV-981HD
off on the side -
Airport Express - a $99 wallwart that lets me feed music (mostly Apple Lossless) from my macPro upstairs via Wifi

[hjames]

funny how little things can somehow change your whole perspective.

I've been reading threads about external DACs and while it sounded interesting,
there are extremely heated arguments about them, and some serious brand loyalties.

In this system, the weak point is probably that $99 Apple Airport Express Wifi adapter.
Some threads said a great improvement can be made pulling optical out of the Airport adapter
and feeding that to an external DAC.

I'm hardheaded and cheap - but I read about a $20 DAC available through Amazon.
Yeah, I can hear the chuckles - go ahead Rolf - why even bother - there is no audio magic in a $20 gadget ...

I'm here to tell you - its the best $20 I ever spent!

This goofy little block has brought out separation, detail and clarity I didn't know I was lacking!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ls_o00_s00_i00
FiiO D3 Digital to Analog Audio Converter - 192kHz/24bit Optical and Coaxial DAC

I was running a simple mini-phone connector to L & R RCA Phono connector cable out of the Airport -
so I pulled it out, and connected a TOSlink cable to that connector (apple has an Optical feed hidden in many of their mini-jack ports).
SO its just an optical cable from there into this little DAC - and a good pair of interconnects feed that to the Jolida integrated amp.
WOW! Eyes wide open and we have not been drinking or ... anything!


That said, I'll probably look for a better DAC with an optical in and see what a better one can do -
but if this little gadget can make that kind of a change ... whew!

[BMWCCA]

WOW! Eyes wide open and we have not been drinking or ... anything!
That said, I'll probably look for a better DAC with an optical in and see what a better one can do -
but if this little gadget can make that kind of a change ... whew!

I had a similar epiphany with the loaned V-DAC out of my Sony DVD changer's optical coax after a disappointing failed upgrade to an upper-end Denon universal disc player. I had read that the best sound quality usually was in the coax connections. That was just before I got the little eBay DAC from China that Seawolf recommended. I've not compared the two but they've each improved the quality of what is input into them. The TV is connected through optical to the Muse mini-DAC.

I, too, am considering a new DAC. Still interested in the Emotiva XDA-2 which includes tons of versatility and can actually replace an entire pre-amp in a system for only $349, and there's also the fairly amazing Shiit Modi USB-only model made in USA for all of $99! I think the golden age of the reasonably priced DAC is almost upon us.

If I end up pulling the trigger on the Emotiva maybe I'll make a run to NOVA some Sunday and you can give it a test-run.

Happy New Year to you all.

[Mr. Widget]

funny how little things can somehow change your whole perspective.

I'm hardheaded and cheap - but I read about a $20 DAC available through Amazon.
Yeah, I can hear the chuckles - go).
SO its just an optical cable from there into this little DAC - and a good pair of interconnects feed that to the Jolida integrated amp.
WOW! Eyes wide open and we have not been drinking or ... anything!


That said, I'll probably look for a better DAC with an optical in and see what a better one can do -
but if this little gadget can make that kind of a change ... whew!

I think it really shows just how bad the built it DAC is... a good DAC certainly does make a difference. You should check out some of the threads over on Computer Audiophile... They have checked out quite a few DACs at many price points.


Widget

[pathfindermwd]

I'm hear to tell you - its the best $20 I ever spent!

This goofy little block has brought out separation, detail and clarity I didn't know I was lacking!

That's what it was like for me too. The difficulty is in conveying the proper level of improvement of new gear. We say this thing or that really made an improvement, but then there are things like this that really do perform, for little money.

[MikeBrewster77]

A good DAC can certainly be quite revealing. I know there's a lot of allegiance out there to whatever anyone might happen to have at any one time, but if you could swing it, I think there's a big consensus that the Benchmark DAC-1s are truly primo units. Accidentally became an audiophile darling as they were designed for professional use. I tried one, and it was just ever so slightly on the analytical side for me (and admittedly, I skew towards what I'd describe as "realistically warm" in my sonic signature preference) but very solid, and a bargain at the price. I imagine you'll see a drop in used market prices shortly too as they've just released the second major iteration. Peachtree has a good reputation out there too among all the other flavours (and again, considered a great performance-for-price brand.)

[hjames]

We tried all different kinds of music through iTunes and it really was amazing -
we had a sound stage, there was imaging, ... actually Imaging on those JBL "L200" 3-ways!
We heard separation between instruments on AJA ...
even a 40 year old recording of the Grateful Dead Live at RFK stadium in DC was incredible.
Bass was tight and distinct - and had an impact - it was like everything had been slightly out of focus,
then this DAC did a rack focus and all was crisped up! Had to pry ourselves away after an hour of OMG moments ...
I think the next stage is to run the old OPPO 971HD I have in that system though it and see how it sounds with an updated DAC ...
and if that is revealing as well, I'll replace that $20 demo DAC with a 2 input DAC for that system!

I think it really shows just how bad the built in DAC is ...
a good DAC certainly does make a difference.
You should check out some of the threads over on Computer Audiophile...
They have checked out quite a few DACs at many price points. Widget

[4313B]

Well, someone posted that DAC will work for 99.99% of all people. I'm inclined to leave the 1% out of this, so let's assume it's good for merely 99% of all people. I'll probably pick one up and try it.

Has anyone tried the new Oppo BDP-105? Too bad the DAC in that thing isn't available separately?

[MartinV56]