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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2018 11:30:41 GMT
Once more, RIP to Neil. I know that Neil passed away a while ago now.
Is Albarry still running?
Do their amps have a sound signature?
If I get the chance (unlikely) to buy the newer production stuff. I'll be pulling the trigger! They look absolutely stunning! This is not your 'whore looking' modern Krell crap!!
S.
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Post by dsjr on Jun 17, 2018 12:10:13 GMT
In reality, these were some of the finest amps out there regardless of status symbol cachet and expensive casework BUT with a caveat I think. The input impedance was so incredibly low (1.5k rather than 10k plus) that many preamps out there may not match properly and a typical passive preamp almost definitely wouldn't be suitable. The earlier Albarry active preamp didn't sound up to much I remember, but a second listen a couple of years later, supposedly to a later preamp (maybe it wasn't and it was just my ears), sounded heavenly to me.
Character? None really that I remember other than absolute precision in the sound and control over the speakers and no waywardness, added 'air' or added 'glow.' An amp you would own and use for decades as you'd need to spend thousands more for a Levinson, Pass Labs or Krell or something to remotely take it further - and that's questionable into normal speakers... my memories of the mono power amps are that they let the music get your feet tapping, rather than forcing it as Naims can. They don't have this broad-stroke colour-wash of a top notch baby amp either, but let the music and individual recordings speak instead.
The prices of the re-launched amps were dictated to by Neil's northern dealer friends I was told, who nearly doubled the suggested retail prices so they could make more slurp out of an exclusive product. Not sure if export markets also had anything to do with it, but it ruled the brand out for far too many people in my opinion.
If you do find one and buy it Shane, it's my opinion that they're FAR too good to use for a few weeks and sell on when you get bored with them. A bit like NVA Statement amps, which have the best the designer can put in to get the most music out without spending thousands more on fancy casework as the US giants do.
The integrated had a little more 'flavour' I remember, being voiced to a gentle warmth (no detail loss and not the over-lush and soggy sound of a Sugden 21A) in the manner of a controlled higher quality Shearne (one was a more refined version of the other I recall).
I only met Neil once, when I was visiting HiFi Dave nearly thirty years ago - he was another quiet, unassuming and lovely gent who could quietly explain what and why he designed his amps the way they were. I believe he was a Uni lecturer in electronics by day?..
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2018 12:30:05 GMT
Your description of Neil sounds rather enchanting. The type of man I can sit down with and chat. Unlike some of the other designers!
S.
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Post by dsjr on Jun 17, 2018 15:15:25 GMT
Certainly no ego to bang against the door on his way in or out  |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Jun 17, 2018 17:59:05 GMT
Albarry amps used to bore the Sh#t out of me, but I think I’d feel differently about them today, paired with more modern kit. I can save anyone planning to use them with flat earth kit though. It’s not worth the effort.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2018 18:26:51 GMT
How does it sound through flat earth gear?
S.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Jun 17, 2018 19:01:45 GMT
How does it sound through flat earth gear? S. In a word: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz I think it’s the passive preamp to be honest, other than NVA, other Passover have generally been a snooze for me. I’ve even tried other passive skills with NVa player amps and not been happy. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2018 19:10:01 GMT
Mr active! S. |
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Post by dsjr on Jun 17, 2018 19:58:52 GMT
A passive with output impedance of 10k or 47k used with a power amp with input impedance of 1.5k - anyone's guess and I admit I can't do the maths...
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2019 18:20:13 GMT
I liked the power amps a lot but reliability could be rather dubious. I recall many years ago comparing the M1108 monoblocks to my MF A370... MF won but the Albarry came closer than pretty much any commercial amp I compared to it.
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Post by sq225917 on Oct 18, 2019 19:39:29 GMT
I sold a kuxma deck to a guy near leeds with a pair of Neil's monos and pre. Velvety sounding as I recall.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2019 19:44:58 GMT
You not got that Kuzma anymore then?
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Post by awkwardbydesign on Mar 30, 2022 16:38:00 GMT
An old thread, I know, but having just bought a PP2 I can't find any info on it. Twin PSUs, 80W/channel, MC/MM board and that's about it. It works well, and with an Ortofon SPU sounds OK, if a little bright, but that is into Heybrook HB3s, which are bright anyway.
I've tried all the other forums I can think of, but no-one seems to know anything.
The MC input appears to be loaded with a Holco type 100 ohm resistor.
I remember Albarrys driving Allisons in Bespoke Audio in Stockport in the 80s, when they were experimenting with solid core phone wire as speaker cable, and have wanted one ever since.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 30, 2022 16:51:08 GMT
An old thread, I know, but having just bought a PP2 I can't find any info on it. Twin PSUs, 80W/channel, MC/MM board and that's about it. It works well, and with an Ortofon SPU sounds OK, if a little bright, but that is into Heybrook HB3s, which are bright anyway. I've tried all the other forums I can think of, but no-one seems to know anything. The MC input appears to be loaded with a Holco type 100 ohm resistor. I remember Albarrys driving Allisons in Bespoke Audio in Stockport in the 80s, when they were experimenting with solid core phone wire as speaker cable, and have wanted one ever since. What are you trying to find out? |
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Post by awkwardbydesign on Mar 30, 2022 17:58:42 GMT
A user manual would be ideal, but specifically, the specifications.  A schematic would be wonderful, but S/N figures, input impedances, gain, overload margins, for a start. Also, how many were made? Mine is No. 20002*, so probably the second one made. Were there any more? I have seen, and borrowed, PP1s, but never the PP2. *Optimistic numbering!
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 30, 2022 18:21:02 GMT
A user manual would be ideal, but specifically, the specifications. A schematic would be wonderful, but S/N figures, input impedances, gain, overload margins, for a start. Also, how many were made? Mine is No. 20002*, so probably the second one made. Were there any more? I have seen, and borrowed, PP1s, but never the PP2. *Optimistic numbering!
Hmm, tried manuals.lib? All the usual places etc? Must admit, I've never heard an Albarry. Surely someone has some nuggets of information! |
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Post by awkwardbydesign on Mar 30, 2022 19:21:07 GMT
Tried all the places I can think of. No manuals, no info at all. I liked the PP1 I borrowed a couple of years ago, in my loft system, but it wasn't better than the Concordant Excelsior preamp clone with a little Ming Da EL84 power amp, and it had no phono board anyway. So when I had some spare cash I put out feelers for one with a phono board, and the PP2 popped up. They have always been under the mainstream radar, but I liked what I heard in the 80s, and they look cute too. Apparently most went to Italy, so I may try over there. This is mine; And this is a PP1, without a phono board. The fronts and backs are the same on both.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 30, 2022 20:43:09 GMT
Tried all the places I can think of. No manuals, no info at all. I liked the PP1 I borrowed a couple of years ago, in my loft system, but it wasn't better than the Concordant Excelsior preamp clone with a little Ming Da EL84 power amp, and it had no phono board anyway. So when I had some spare cash I put out feelers for one with a phono board, and the PP2 popped up. They have always been under the mainstream radar, but I liked what I heard in the 80s, and they look cute too. Apparently most went to Italy, so I may try over there. This is mine; And this is a PP1, without a phono board. The fronts and backs are the same on both.
It's not very often I see a picture of gear that impresses me, but they look very well thought out. I like that a lot. Hmm, have to have a trawl through some Google pages. |
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Post by awkwardbydesign on Mar 30, 2022 21:01:11 GMT
If you want, I can either post, or send you, the rest of the pictures of it.
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Post by sq225917 on Mar 30, 2022 21:04:49 GMT
Nicely made amps I worked on a set of monos a few years ago. Lovely things
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 30, 2022 21:16:47 GMT
If you want, I can either post, or send you, the rest of the pictures of it. Post the pics mate, it looks lovely. |
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Post by awkwardbydesign on Mar 31, 2022 13:26:33 GMT
I don't know what the two LEDs next to the volume control are for. They connect to the end of the power amp section, but have never lit up so far. Clipping indicators?
The selector switch gives passive (source) or active (+16 dB) input.
I changed the binding posts to something that will accept 4mm plugs, the originals only take bare wire.
10k pot; probably not worth spending £££ on a TKD to replace it, although they do sound better, to my ears.
Phono board; at the moment the input is wired to the MC tag, with a wire link from MC out to MM in. Presumably moving the input cable to the MM in and removing the link would convert it to MM. I wil try injecting a small (>1mV) 1kHz signal and see what comes out. All discrete transistors, the TO-220 devices are all LM317/337 voltage regulators. There are TL072 ICs in the line level preamp section, but I run it passive.
The selector switches are a little crackly, but appear to be unobtainable, so cleaning is the only option. All very neat.
Power amp section. Again, very neat and simple. TIP 141/146 Darlington transistors, 125W disippation. There is also an H11A1Z optocoupler there. Is that to isolate the output if there is a fault? And the two LEDs would then light? I don't know enough myself to answer that question. But it looks like the LEDs are linked to that part of the circuit; perhaps the blue preset sets the level? The other one near the outputs must be for bias current.
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A schematic would be wonderful, but S/N figures, input impedances, gain, overload margins, for a start. Also, how many were made? Mine is No. 20002*, so probably the second one made. Were there any more?
