Neverending Story: Hifi Edition

Martin, you're doing what DQ told me I was doing - coming out with absolutes!

You need to know WHY the 33 is as it is - highly band limited being the real issue here, the rest being age of the design in a pre-digital age.

The 57 speakers have no real bass other than distortion below 40hz or so and it would appear the cap coupled 303 which was Top End ss back then, takes off into the 57 load at very low bass frequencies. The 33 has an intrusive high pass filter which starts rolling off on all inputs below 40hz to help with this.

Now, Dada Electronics do an excellent (to me) update/upgrade for many Quad boxes and the current 33 one ups the running voltage, replaces all transistors to BC550's (I think from memory) as well as all the old caps (mostly 'Roe' types which were top grade for the UK back then, but not so good today I believe. I also changed the output cap to take the bass a touch lower and using the tape input for digital (minimum sensitivity which is a bit of a bodge as the signal is attenuated and re-amplified), it sounds fine if a little lean, but it's totally presentable. Looks gorgeous too

Now, the A&R A60 had a very long life and it changed in production. First ones were musical but sloppy in the bass and the sound dried out and became harder hitting as it went on, the last ones very expensive and not hugely nice to listen through long term. This harder hitting tone was fully realised in the replacement Delta 60, which abandoned tunes in favour of driving rhythms - very 'stark' tone I remember.

It's a LOT less bad in my opinion and look to your amp before commenting on re-capping please... The transistor change better uses the 16V rails, reducing noise. Doddle to do as all sub boards un-plug or are easily removed in the case of the supply board and there's only a couple of caps to change on the mother board.. It's only really the very low bass that's an issue the way I have mine wired (it's a lovely ornament usually I admit as the IC-150 is rather better and RCA equipped)

Tell you summat, I think I'd rather have an updated 33 to an early foggy sounding 34...

I tried the Micromega Duo with the Alpha 5 CD and it certainly improved a lot on the Arcam internal DAC. Still nowhere near good enough though, so it will be getting the heave-ho. I just don’t like a thing about it. Definitely my last ever Arcam purchase, even at a fiver. If you can pay £5 for a piece of kit and still be disappointed, it has to be shite.

Anyone have any experience of the Pink Triangle DA Capo? I just snagged one fir £72! It’s untested but sold as used so I risk nothing getting it.

I want to replace the rotary selector switch in my Claymore. It’s a 4 way. Do I need a 2 or 3 Pole MBB or BBM? I forget and my head doesn’t want to work out the logic behind it.

I’m expecting it’s 3 pole 4 way BBM. Is that right?

Thanks for averting a cock up

Thanks Dave. I’ve only ever just installed one with the right number of positions, How do you set the number of inputs? It has a perfectly good ne fitted but it’s a 6 way and it has two vacant positions, which irritates me,

Thanks for that, I was clueless because the only 4 ways were 3 pole. I have no idea whet they would work for if you only need 2 for stereo. I have zero understanding of electronics terminology.

Elma switches are good

It had to happen once I’d vowed no more Arcam: Bought an Arcam Alpha Plus off PFM! I really enjoyed my old one. They aren’t the most detailed player out there for sure, but it was always fun to listen to. I will only be using it for headphone listening, so not much more needed. Cheap at £30 I think. Seller was a great guy to deal with too.

Also got my oak speaker stands too. Very nice although not quite as tall as I wanted and the bases are smaller than I wish. I may add an extra piece of American white oak to the base, about an inch wider all round. It will add another 30mm to the height too, which is what I wanted. The dimensions in the listing included spikes but it didn’t specify that.

I still need to find the right guy to fix the lid. I will chase it up this week. I’ve got a Project motor pod as a stop gap.Platter size is iidentical so it will run at the right speed. I’m still thinking about an arm but I’m in no hurry. I will get more from looking at it than playing it. Seeing it spinning is mesmerising,

It all goes well together aesthetically, anyway.

Dunno about the deck, but the rest is better than any sound I’ve had before and it also looks gorgeous. I couldn’t go back to ugly kit again, The TransRotor only has to be reasonably good to be a keeper. I don’t spin vinyl much and I’m sure I can wring a decent sound out of it with a good arm and cart. I will probably buy a new OC9 when the time comes. They are the same problem CN now that they were in the late 80s if you shop around, I loved them then and still do.

Clarity, dynamics. and speed, I guess. It’s got good bass too. It’s pretty much spot on to me.