Post by zleepy on Aug 19, 2021 18:07:47 GMT
Hi all!
Haven't been posting much but very much enjoy reading the various topics and threads on this forum!
I rarely feel the need to share something and if I do I usually shy out rather than "grab the pen". Thought I'd make an effort and share an experience I had this evening. Warning, this might be longwinded and cable agnostics better stop reading here!
The very reason I joined this forum was to get in touch with Oli to purchase some spotfire cables for use as interconnects between my Lenco and phono pre (Jessica's tube phono pre). That was sorted swiftly after I joined, thanks Oli!
Can't say much about the performance as tonearm cable as I did not really compare them to anything else. The cables were pretty much a part of the turntable setup from the start.
Recently I got carried away by the YouTube algorithm and stumbled upon a review of the Audiolab 6000CDT. It's a CD transport which has no inputs and only spdif outputs, one coaxial and one optical. Well, the machine caught my interest and after a couple of days of deep diving into everything I could find about it on the web I could no longer resist the urge and pulled the trigger on one from one of the Finnish hifi shops.
I got a pretty good deal on it I think, 400ā¬ brand spanking new and posted to the closest post office, only half a km away from home. Connected it and was pretty pleased with what I heard. Put it on repeat and let it burn in for 3 days. A clear improvement. It sounded very detailed, balanced, even, nuanced but maybe a touch dry and polite?
The same time I ordered the machine I also ordered a modification kit from German Hoer-wege. I did not waste any time. Opened the machine the same evening and got everything done in one session, maybe 4-5 hrs of delightful soldering. Mostly swapping caps for better quality and larger capacity ones but also changing rectifier bridges for ultrafast diodes and some mechanical damping as well.
Could not resist a listen the same evening. It was clear that there was an improvement although the caps were fresh and machine cold. I could sense a depth to the sound and a soundstage that was not that clear before the mods. Promising I thought and went to bed. Transport burning in on repeat.
Listened to the transport every evening. I have experienced burn in of components before but not to this degree. After 24h the transport was very "boombastic". It was all over the place with exaggerated bass and treble. Mids were harsh and not very pleasant. Much worse actually than when I listened to it immediately after the modification.
After the first day it took a turn for the better (thank god) and started to calm down allowing the mids to step forward and bass + treble backwards. Day 3 it sounded really nice. It was clearly the best digital source I have heard to date in any home system. If I would have to nitpick I would say it could still be a little more involving and I would like the mids to be a smidgen more present.
This I pointed out to the modification kit provider Hoer-Wege. I got a suggestion to switch/upgrade the coax cable between the transport and my DAC. I had not really thought about it before but it totally made sense. The one I used was some cheap but nice looking cable from Ghentaudio.
This evening, day 4 into the burn in process I thought why not try one of the Spotfire cables as a coax cable? Robbed one from my tonearm, connected it, started the CD and already sitting on the floor with both speakers at each side of me I could hear a totally different sound. Sat down in the sofa in the sweet spot and was totally in disbelief. Only once have I heard an equally big difference in sound with a swap of cables. That was speaker cables (no, not spotfire:)).
Gone was the slight dip in the mids and although I did not think the sound was harsh anymore with the other cable, it was now noticeably smoother without loosing detail. The soundstage locked into place with better depth, width, everything. Bass became stronger without being overpowering. Treble now utterly smooth and pleasant.
I had a feeling the Spotfire would beat the generic cable I used but not to this extent. The Spotfire lets the transport shine and geez that machine is a beast! I have not had this much fun with CD:s EVER before. It will be a pleasure to rediscover my modest collection. Have a few hundreds of the silver discs waiting for better days. They don't have to wait any longer!
I still want a dedicated coax cable and have thought about making one from this:
www.audiophonics.fr/en/digital-cables/neotech-nei-3003-mk-iii-coaxial-cable-75-ohm-up-occ-silver-plated-o85mm-p-11606.html
Will terminate it with OCC plugs. Let's see. I seriously doubt it could be any better or even as good as the Spotfire. I might have to order a single one from Oli for use as a coax cable!
/Karl
Haven't been posting much but very much enjoy reading the various topics and threads on this forum!
I rarely feel the need to share something and if I do I usually shy out rather than "grab the pen". Thought I'd make an effort and share an experience I had this evening. Warning, this might be longwinded and cable agnostics better stop reading here!
The very reason I joined this forum was to get in touch with Oli to purchase some spotfire cables for use as interconnects between my Lenco and phono pre (Jessica's tube phono pre). That was sorted swiftly after I joined, thanks Oli!
Can't say much about the performance as tonearm cable as I did not really compare them to anything else. The cables were pretty much a part of the turntable setup from the start.
Recently I got carried away by the YouTube algorithm and stumbled upon a review of the Audiolab 6000CDT. It's a CD transport which has no inputs and only spdif outputs, one coaxial and one optical. Well, the machine caught my interest and after a couple of days of deep diving into everything I could find about it on the web I could no longer resist the urge and pulled the trigger on one from one of the Finnish hifi shops.
I got a pretty good deal on it I think, 400ā¬ brand spanking new and posted to the closest post office, only half a km away from home. Connected it and was pretty pleased with what I heard. Put it on repeat and let it burn in for 3 days. A clear improvement. It sounded very detailed, balanced, even, nuanced but maybe a touch dry and polite?
The same time I ordered the machine I also ordered a modification kit from German Hoer-wege. I did not waste any time. Opened the machine the same evening and got everything done in one session, maybe 4-5 hrs of delightful soldering. Mostly swapping caps for better quality and larger capacity ones but also changing rectifier bridges for ultrafast diodes and some mechanical damping as well.
Could not resist a listen the same evening. It was clear that there was an improvement although the caps were fresh and machine cold. I could sense a depth to the sound and a soundstage that was not that clear before the mods. Promising I thought and went to bed. Transport burning in on repeat.
Listened to the transport every evening. I have experienced burn in of components before but not to this degree. After 24h the transport was very "boombastic". It was all over the place with exaggerated bass and treble. Mids were harsh and not very pleasant. Much worse actually than when I listened to it immediately after the modification.
After the first day it took a turn for the better (thank god) and started to calm down allowing the mids to step forward and bass + treble backwards. Day 3 it sounded really nice. It was clearly the best digital source I have heard to date in any home system. If I would have to nitpick I would say it could still be a little more involving and I would like the mids to be a smidgen more present.
This I pointed out to the modification kit provider Hoer-Wege. I got a suggestion to switch/upgrade the coax cable between the transport and my DAC. I had not really thought about it before but it totally made sense. The one I used was some cheap but nice looking cable from Ghentaudio.
This evening, day 4 into the burn in process I thought why not try one of the Spotfire cables as a coax cable? Robbed one from my tonearm, connected it, started the CD and already sitting on the floor with both speakers at each side of me I could hear a totally different sound. Sat down in the sofa in the sweet spot and was totally in disbelief. Only once have I heard an equally big difference in sound with a swap of cables. That was speaker cables (no, not spotfire:)).
Gone was the slight dip in the mids and although I did not think the sound was harsh anymore with the other cable, it was now noticeably smoother without loosing detail. The soundstage locked into place with better depth, width, everything. Bass became stronger without being overpowering. Treble now utterly smooth and pleasant.
I had a feeling the Spotfire would beat the generic cable I used but not to this extent. The Spotfire lets the transport shine and geez that machine is a beast! I have not had this much fun with CD:s EVER before. It will be a pleasure to rediscover my modest collection. Have a few hundreds of the silver discs waiting for better days. They don't have to wait any longer!
I still want a dedicated coax cable and have thought about making one from this:
www.audiophonics.fr/en/digital-cables/neotech-nei-3003-mk-iii-coaxial-cable-75-ohm-up-occ-silver-plated-o85mm-p-11606.html
Will terminate it with OCC plugs. Let's see. I seriously doubt it could be any better or even as good as the Spotfire. I might have to order a single one from Oli for use as a coax cable!
/Karl
.