The Bigblog!

I was being serious (for a change), when asking about connections, but I see you mention a DIN connector, and now I understand.


How do you Tag someone?

Thanks Cagey.

Well what is the wire going into the back of the box, I've assumed it's another DIN, so you were running DIN to DIN on the arm cable. The wires at the front going to your pre.

Thanks Oli, no need for pic, my imagination can now run wild.

Preamplifiers....possibly the hardest part of amplification to settle on, for me anyway.

The incumbent Neurochrome 8x2 has been giving sterling service and in all honesty, i had no urge to do anything in the preamplifer department.

However, a few weeks ago, Tony of Coherent systems brought round his rather monumentally priced 'Liquid Music' Pre. Price aside, in all honesty it was a bit of an eye opener. One which saw me lose the sMPS in the 8x2 and get a proper toroidal PSU instead, in an attempt to find the massive and pinpont soundstage that the LMP delivered. If i could take one thing from that Preamp, it would be the soundstage.

Obviously, this was not going to be an easy feat, as nothing in that preamp was off the shelf. It's all bespoke, right down to the Digitally controlled Analogue chip that does the volume control aspect. This though is where i decided the biggest difference must be, between the LMP and the 8x2. After all, apart from a PSU being a PSU and a Buffer being a Buffer....what else would be so vastly different between the two pre's?

The Volume control.

Alan and i decided to look into this Analogue chip idea a little further and spotted a potential candidate in the Chinese market. A fully built Weilang preamp for £40 delivered. The bit that was of interest was the fact it used a Texas Instruments PGA2311A Chip. Alan promptly ordered one and we set about waiting to see what this little pre could do. As usual, just after you pull the trigger, one popped up closer to home. The 'Mshow' is based on the same chip and looked fairly well made from a PCB perspective. Alan snatched that one up to.

The Mshow arrived whilst i was at Alans and instantly showed potential...lots of it.

I left it with Al and he set about trying to wring out any performance left inside of this little preamp. Ultra Low Noise regs were fitted, Pure Silver signal wire, Buffer fitted to the input and the addition of some caps meant it had been pimped in the usual style. Nothing stays standard round these parts for long!

As this little Pre was finished, so was free movement and my ability to get a listen. Until yesterday.

Here's the Pre:



I had to make some makeshift adaptors to use my balanced cables but it was easy enough.



I decided to hit this with one of my go to tracks for vocals. They aren't recorded all that well but there is something about them i love.

I played Aretha Franklin - Do right Woman

Wowzers, her voice sucked me in with mesmeric effect. There was a fullness to the sound and it filled my room, much like the LMP did, just not with the fulless and not to the same degree of scale. I replayed that song a fair few times to be honest because it sounded so good.

The big thing was the presentation. The way everything had a more 3D quality than the 8x2 surprised me. The soundstage was not limited to the room in the same way either. In fact, it felt like quite a euphoric display, much like that of a good valve preamp.

I moved on and played Eva Cassidy - Wade in The Water

Again, the vocals soared out of the speakers, high and wide. The bass was bigger, bolder and the midrange sounded a touch warm in comparison to the 8x2. I wasn't totally convinced that the Mshow was as neutral in this respect but in the listening, it was bloody addictive. The Mids again seemed to be a bit thicker, more fuller even, which left me wondering if it was possibly masking some of that finer detail. I decided to find out

On went Hans Theessink - Down In Mississippi

I know this track inside out. I also know that as the song progresses, when either HAns or Terry Evans starts to tap thier foot, theyre is a prominent jingle from some sort of metal object. I always imagine it as a spur on a boot, although i don't know for sure.

Via the 8x2, this is laid out for all to see. Via the Mshow, i had to really listen out for it. That fatter midrange was indeed making the micro detail harder to receive. HOWEVER, this didnt stop my enjoyment of the song. Oh no no no! I was in full Delta Blues mode and loving it.

I decided then to play Art Blakey - Moanin'

Again, a really lively, big and bold sound came accross to me and i thoroughly enjoyed it. I then played it again throught the 8x2 and yes, i was right about the Micro details.

There is a section where Art hits the cymbal and then mutes it (grabs it) Via the Mshow, it's not clear, but via the 8x2 it bloody obvious. SO much so that i heard it via the 8x2 on and went back to the Mshow to see if i had just missed it.

I hadn't. It's there-ish or thereabouts but you have to really pay attention to hear it, but the 8x2 delivers this to your ear and makes you hear it. That to me is the mark of a good bit of kit.

SO, disappointment then?

Hell no!

The Mshow may not deliver the same level of detail as the 8x2, be as transparent as the 8x2 or even be as neutral as the 8x2, but it delivers on as organic, soulful plateau that reels you into long listening sessions and take you into the music, rather than dissecting it, just like good valve stuff does.

And thats how i am left feeling after listening to the Mshow. That it's great for music and a super sub for valve gear. I like it a lot.

Unfortunately, it didn't solve my soundstage desires either. As good as it was, i really wanted the Mshow to deliver so i could buy the Volume control section from China and try it in my 8x2. I don't feel it's transparent enough to make this a project for myself. Alan as also modded the Weilang now, which i am told is better than the Mshow, but in the current climate it may be some time before i get the chance to hear it. But i do have another idea. That said, for the price they cost in China and the £40 in parts to raise it's game, this is a sweet and really likeable preamp. It really reminded me of the valve presentation in a class A setting. Don't buy one for forensic purposes though, as that isn't what this does. Plenty of detail though. I liked it a lot and am still listening with it.

Next up, I have just bought a Stepped Attenuator for the 8x2, to compare it's soundstaging ability to that of the 64 step Relay control from Khozmo that resides in the 8x2.

It may be a fruitless effort, but i am slowly ruling options out and it will only be a matter of time before i crack it!

Why did you put a buffer on the input?

A bit of balance here. What Oli is talking of in his system is ruthless transparency. Not in a bad way, it is what Oli and I have been chasing for a while.
In a lot of systems the Mshow and indeed the Weiliang in its original unmodified state would be excellent performers. As I have stated before every part of the chain needs to be extremely good to be able to appreciate the ultimate level of detail that is being talked of here.

Jerry has an unmodified Weiliang and is very impressed with it, it is a great pre at the price.

macca. To achieve the ultimate performance the volume chip needs the best conditions to operate under. One condition is super clean supplies, hence the swap out to really low noise regulators.
The other condition for best performance is the chip being driven from a low source impedance, so fitting a buffer driving the chip achieves just that.

The difference between the modified Mshow and Weiliang is a small percentage, but as they say 'every little helps'.

Er no James, that MBL is very expensive. Here is the Weiliang

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PGA2310-PGA2311-Bluetooth-5-0-Remote-Preamp-2CH-Preamplifier-Volume-Control/383373692170?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=651826427246&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

Makes sense, thanks for the explanation.

Hahaha,

Jim, no word of a lie, the Weilang (if it's better as Alan says) would be perfect for a second system IMO.

A T-amp for power amplification is also a great shout. Mine is still in service in the garage.

And as for the phono....you I think lol

Yes it could.

Good point

Adding to the digital library

Box 1of 4

Yes mate.

I reckon theres 100 per box minimum.

I've got a 18x8x12" box of CDs in clear plastic sleeves to go through too.

Must be 500 in there too.

They're were my Dads, cousins collection.

He retired last year and moved to Anti Paros I n Greece. He has them all on two 64gb iPods.

I tried to tell him that mp3 was not the best way but to listen to the files, but he said, "I have sea, sand sun and an ever revolving hedonistic group of women who visit the island every year....music is the backdrop"

Lol....hes a legend.