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Post by jandl100 on Mar 28, 2023 19:57:18 GMT
New electronics this week. The previously noted Audiophonics Hypex ncore power amp. Today's arrival a Teac UD H01 DAC. And the Dragon. Which I've had for a while but not fully used. It's a big chassis containing a valve buffer and a remote controlled Stereo Coffee LDR passive preamp. They can be used independently. I put the dragons on because it was a big boring faceplate. I had been using the valve buffer on its own, but the Teac DAC doesn't have volume control except for headphones so the LDR passive is being tried out. Still settling in with it and the SMSL SU-9 DAC/preamp is resting for now. It ain't half bad. I went back to my SMSL SU-9 dac/pre, loaned the little budget TEAC DAC to someone, they liked it so I sold it to them. And then I started to miss the TEAC. Not what I expected at all. So I bought myself another one. So the SMSL SU-9 is back to resting. And has been for over a week now. It's a bit embarrassing, really. What with so many folks here diving deep into digital reclocking and all that jazz. And here's me just using a plain Jane straight out of the box budget DAC and just loving it. I am seriously beginning to wonder if my hearing is deteriorating with age and all this audiophile stuff is just passing me by unheard these days. But I'm enjoying my music as much as ever, so it doesn't seem to matter!
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Post by jandl100 on Apr 22, 2023 20:14:59 GMT
Further evolution of system electronics. And some thoughts regarding my recent visit to hear Oli's system. Having really enjoyed the previously mentioned TEAC UD H01 budget DAC I thought I'd go up the food chain a bit, and I've happily settled for now on a Teac UD 301 DAC (bottom right). My recent visit to Oli was a bit of an eye opener in quite a few ways. His AQVOX DAC showed the SMSL SU-9 the door in a fairly conclusive way. I was already teetering away from it, hence the first TEAC DAC, but the extra rez, transparency and tactility of the AQVOX sealed its fate. Tbh, I don't want the small scale music ultra transparency of Oli's system, but a move partly along that path seemed an enjoyable thing to pursue, and the 301 achieves that. Having now scratched the itch of a retry with ccc cables with a pair of SAEC 1980 kindly loaned me by Chris, I'm staying with my Atratus 3 interconnects. Chris subsequently informed me that the cables I heard at Oli's that impressed me would likely be SAEC 3000 (?), a more expensive and capable cable. Regardless of that, the Atratus sounds so much better in my system than it did at Oli's that I am a bit baffled. Quite a lot baffled, actually. It's still my ideal interconnect in my system. Maybe the SAEC 3000 would change that. And then there's the Lentek integrated amp. Now back from its checkup by Alan firebottle. Alan found it to be in fine electrical fettle with no servicing or parts replacement needed. Much needed though was a thorough overhaul of the build and physical integrity of the chassis and internal component mounting, obviously botched by a previous owner. So, I plumbed the Lentek into my system just to make sure all was OK after its trip home. And somewhat to my surprise, a week or so later it's still there making very enjoyable music. There's a "what music should I play next?" feel to the sound, rather than a hankering after more system fettling. It just seems to get out of the way of the music. It's got a solid, almost iconic rep, and I can hear why. So, thanks to Oli for hosting me and for some interesting and enlightening dac, amp and cable comparisons, some of which I have touched on here. Alan can testify, I suspect, that I was in a bemused and confused state when I arrived at his place after visiting Oli, trying to process what I'd heard. I think it's fair to say that Oli and I want different things from our systems and I doubt that either of us would want to swap systems with each other!
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Apr 22, 2023 20:37:45 GMT
jandl100My pleasure, and a treat to finally meet you in person. The cables you heard at my house were XR-3000, which in truth are quite some step up from the SL-1980. The Atratus cables: I think it best for me to just say nothing
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Post by robbiegong on Apr 22, 2023 21:01:50 GMT
jandl100 My pleasure, and a treat to finally meet you in person. The cables you heard at my house were XR-3000, which in truth are quite some step up from the SL-1980. The Atratus cables: I think it best for me to just say nothing Cheeky monkey
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Apr 22, 2023 21:07:15 GMT
jandl100 My pleasure, and a treat to finally meet you in person. The cables you heard at my house were XR-3000, which in truth are quite some step up from the SL-1980. The Atratus cables: I think it best for me to just say nothing Cheeky monkey I thought that was unusually diplomatic of me lol
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Post by karma67 on Apr 23, 2023 6:02:07 GMT
@bigman80
in what way are the XR-3000 a step up from the SL-1980?
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Post by jandl100 on Apr 23, 2023 8:27:24 GMT
"... The Atratus cables: I think it best for me to just say nothing Haha yes. No need to be shy. They didn't jell at all well with Oli's system. Closed in and drab. But in my system they are clear winners against the CCC 1980. Cable - system synergy and compatibility. I'm beginning to believe in it.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Apr 23, 2023 8:35:41 GMT
"... The Atratus cables: I think it best for me to just say nothing Haha yes. No need to be shy. They didn't jell at all well with Oli's system. Closed in and drab. But in my system they are clear winners against the CCC 1980. Cable - system synergy and compatibility. I'm beginning to believe in it. I don't understand why those cables behaved the way they did, Jerry. Soundstage just shrank, loss of depth and acoustic space. Lifeless, and most confusingly, they butchered the timing. I haven't experienced that with a cable before. Since you visited, I have tried some other cables in that position and I have put some utter junk in there, like red and whites from the 80s, and I cannot replicate that timing issue. Odd.
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Post by jandl100 on Apr 23, 2023 10:26:59 GMT
Yes, odd. Very. It's not just me being an Atratus fan boy, I know of others including robbiegongAh well, if it works for you, use it. Otherwise don't!
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Apr 23, 2023 13:30:33 GMT
@bigman80
in what way are the XR-3000 a step up from the SL-1980? In all ways, sonically and from a construction perspective.
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Post by karma67 on Apr 23, 2023 14:03:59 GMT
@bigman80
in what way are the XR-3000 a step up from the SL-1980? In all ways, sonically and from a construction perspective. well yes obviously but can you elaborate on the sonic differences please.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Apr 23, 2023 14:05:15 GMT
In all ways, sonically and from a construction perspective. well yes obviously but can you elaborate on the sonic differences please. Well, obviously lol I will impart a few opinions on the differences later. Out at the moment.
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Post by robbiegong on Apr 23, 2023 18:54:34 GMT
The Atratus sounded good connected to my cdp, enjoyed it much, it's a cable that others liked a lot too, based on reviews and forum musings I remember. But, the SAEC XR-3000 that is now in its place is better, much better to my ears, quieter, better resolving, every little thing, nuance, macro, micro detail is revealed and in its own place, texturally too, this cable, or is it just PC Triple C ? is spot on!
I now have PC Triple C throughout my system, speaker cable, interconnects (XR-3000), tonearm cable (XR-3000) and power cords to amp, phono stage and mains extension and I cant think what could possibly be better - As the Olster says, and in a nutshell, it's in the construction, coupled with copper purity and that amazing triple ccc process which basically means the signal travels through without being noisy - you effectively get the music and a whole lot more of it as a result, that's the reward with absence of noise, which applies to system componentry period.
PC Triple C is precision, it gives you what you feed it, truthful and honest. I am genuinely blown away by it and what it brings to this game, it's like my system has grown up, matured, no more messing about, everything else is a flavour of some kind/ a tone control of sorts, that's sincerely not meant to be an arrogant statement, just my conclusion, after a lot of analysis, consideration, evaluation and time spent with the stuf.
I also found it takes a lot of time to settle / burn in and at times it sounded awful, but eventually gets better and better, particularly in terms of bass and instrumental texture and timbre. Think I've said plenty - end game cable.
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optical
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Post by optical on Apr 23, 2023 19:05:46 GMT
The Atratus sounded good connected to my cdp, enjoyed it much, it's a cable that others liked a lot too, based on reviews and forum musings I remember. But, the SAEC XR-3000 that is now in its place is better, much better to my ears, quieter, better resolving, every little thing, nuance, macro, micro detail is revealed and in its own place, texturally too, this cable, or is it just PC Triple C ? is spot on! I now have PC Triple C throughout my system, speaker cable, interconnects (XR-3000), tonearm cable (XR-3000) and power cords to amp, phono stage and mains extension and I cant think what could possibly be better - As the Olster says, and in a nutshell, it's in the construction, coupled with copper purity and that amazing triple ccc process which basically means the signal travels through without being noisy - you effectively get the music and a whole lot more of it as a result, that's the reward with absence of noise, which applies to system componentry period. PC Triple C is precision, it gives you what you feed it, truthful and honest. I am genuinely blown away by it and what it brings to this game, it's like my system has grown up, matured, no more messing about, everything else is a flavour of some kind/ a tone control of sorts, that's sincerely not meant to be an arrogant statement, just my conclusion, after a lot of analysis, consideration, evaluation and time spent with the stuf. I also found it takes a lot of time to settle / burn in and at times it sounded awful, but eventually gets better and better, particularly in terms of bass and instrumental texture and timbre. Think I've said plenty - end game cable. Very well put Robbie, I know exactly what you're saying regarding all of it actually, including it sounding off for a while! The stuff Jerry tried was "only" SL 1850 (which is great in my system too btw) and the XR3000 is indeed a cut above. More costly too but worth every penny imo. When I happen across some more and have enough I'll be more than happy to lend to Jerry to try again but as has been suggested it may just not have the right synergy with other components. Although my gut says the 3000 will do the job....
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Post by jandl100 on Apr 23, 2023 19:21:05 GMT
I would be interested too try the CCC 3000 in my system. So thanks in anticipation for the offer, Chris.
But my tastes have definitely evolved over the years and I'm no longer after 'hyper rez' and 'ultra transparency'. That's not what I hear in a concert hall a dozen or so rows back in the stalls,and it's that concert hall experience that I'm after reproducing at home.
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Post by robbiegong on Apr 23, 2023 19:45:22 GMT
I would be interested too try the CCC 3000 in my system. So thanks in anticipation for the offer, Chris. But my tastes have definitely evolved over the years and I'm no longer after 'hyper rez' and 'ultra transparency'. That's not what I hear in a concert hall a dozen or so rows back in the stalls,and it's that concert hall experience that I'm after reproducing at home. That's not what it does to my ears Jerry, it gives you more of everything, not because it just does, but because noise has a hindering/altering effect which isnt obvious until removed/absent, a way of smearing and hiding / altering info, when that isnt happening, because the noise is absent, you get the fullness of the recorded music and that's it, the genuinely right and proper result. Each to their own of course, but for me this is exactly what I've always wanted, the honesty/truth, the recorded music, the music - all of it, as in accurate textures timbres, nuances, inner detail, vocal phrasing accuracy etc etc, I couldnt go back, it would be impossible to do so.
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Post by jandl100 on Apr 23, 2023 19:52:50 GMT
Could be, Robbie, but I heard the hyper and ultra in Oli's system with the 3000 cable - I reckon that's what I'd hear if I were sitting in the first violinist's lap, and that sound is defo not where I want to be!
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Post by jandl100 on Apr 23, 2023 20:02:01 GMT
... Of course, the sound of Oli's system was also aided and abetted by the Aqvox dac and Neurochrome amp, both of which I suspect have tendencies in the same direction.
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Post by Bigman80 on Apr 23, 2023 20:13:27 GMT
... Of course, the sound of Oli's system was also aided and abetted by the Aqvox dac and Neurochrome amp, both of which I suspect have tendencies in the same direction. The Aqvox is most likely 'to blame' for that "hyper detail" you describe Jerry, not the 3000 cables. The cables are transparent conductors that only pass through the chain whatever they are fed, which means they don't really have a sound of their own IME. Personally, I don't feel the Aqvox is 'hyper detailed' or Ultra-anything, but I understand why you may think that. Swapping the digital cables gives a completely different type of sound and can quite easily get much closer in tonality to the Holo you heard at Alans. To be fair, we had maybe 1.5hrs to try a few bits out and had we spent more time experimenting with cables, we may have been able to get it a little closer to a presentation you enjoyed more.
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Post by robbiegong on Apr 23, 2023 20:18:43 GMT
... Of course, the sound of Oli's system was also aided and abetted by the Aqvox dac and Neurochrome amp, both of which I suspect have tendencies in the same direction. Spooky! I was in the middle of typing just that ie: Neurochrome, the dac, speakers etc which I dont know their 'sound' etc, basically you've heard in the context of another mans set-up, etc etc and any contributory factors thereof. Either way, do your thing Jerry, as we do, cause that's where your happy'll reside.
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Post by jandl100 on May 12, 2023 19:47:22 GMT
Err... what?! It's the first time I've gone Flat Earth in my system. And I have to say that I'm loving it so far. Tautly defined, fast, rhythmic, precise - which I kind of expected. But also tonally explicit and with well focused imaging - which I wasn't really expecting. And I've gone back to the SMSL SU-9 dac/pre despite its poor showing in Oli's system. It just sounds right chez moi. It's being fed from Presto Music hi res classical music streaming. (Presto also does jazz). And it all goes through my previously mentioned valve buffer thingy which has proved itself to be Essential. Which is a bit disconcerting. Oli's system bewildered me when I visited - definitely a game of at least 2 halves, probably 3 or 4! - and it still does thinking back on it. I've come to the conclusion that it's just irrelevant to what I want to hear in my own system. I suspect that the objectives are simply very different. Very happy with it all atm. Not sure what I'll do next.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on May 12, 2023 23:33:39 GMT
I can only apologise Jerry. Had I realised that letting you listen to my system for an hour or two would drive you to this, I would never have let you in 😂
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Post by jandl100 on May 13, 2023 5:00:10 GMT
I can only apologise Jerry. Had I realised that letting you listen to my system for an hour or two would drive you to this, I would never have let you in 😂 Yeah, no one more surprised than me, I can assure you. It came up on ebay, fairly recent recap, decent price..... I do like to try different things. Tbh, I'd more than half expected it to be back on ebay within half hour of opening the box. But it's proving to be a very enjoyable listen. Different, for sure, but very entertaining. More than a few "WTF" exclamations could have been heard by someone nearby as album after album got sampled last night. Expectations very definitely not met. In a good way!
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Post by Bigman80 on May 13, 2023 7:35:38 GMT
I heard a Naim DAC at the bakeoff we had last year, and in truth I thought it to be fairly good. Always difficult to tell, but I was quite close to buying one when I sold the Aqvox, just to see for myself. I think it was mayebaza who brought it round. Maybe I'll stick a few on my watch list....see if one pops up mega cheap.
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Post by bencat on May 13, 2023 11:13:23 GMT
Not being familiar with Naim range what is that a power amplifier ?
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Post by robbiegong on May 13, 2023 11:34:59 GMT
Not being familiar with Naim range what is that a power amplifier ? Ditto, what is it ?
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Post by pete on May 13, 2023 11:41:42 GMT
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Post by jandl100 on May 13, 2023 12:07:49 GMT
Yup, a NAP 90/3 power amp.
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Post by jandl100 on Jul 20, 2023 12:37:52 GMT
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Jul 20, 2023 13:32:19 GMT
Good grief..... They must sound VASTLY different
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