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1: Cable Asylum, RE: ETI Legato Gold (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2024-02-02, 04:16:02 (98.218.212.242)
I had a very similar experience going through a wide variety of connectors before settling on the ETI Gold Legato for IEC and FI-11-Copper for AC. I did try Gold Legatos on both ends but in my system .......
2: Cable Asylum, ETI Legato Gold (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2024-01-30, 09:17:40 (98.218.212.242)
I agree completely. The Legato Gold IEC is my favorite of the many I've tried. Nearly all of my power cords these days use Audio Note ISIS mains cable with Legato Gold IEC and Furutech FI-11 Copper AC .......
3: Tubes Asylum, RE: Vita Circuitry (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2024-01-15, 07:29:32 (174.216.146.126)
Input/phase splitter is LTP 5687 with CCS in tail, followed by 5687 driver. E-Linear feedback. .......
4: Tubes Asylum, A very nice looking amp! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2024-01-15, 05:39:19 (98.218.212.242)
It's interesting to see a stereo amp using Fred's Vita circuitry. I have a set of custom Vita amps that have a similar layout but just one channel of course. Mine have a tiger maple base. .......
5: Cable Asylum, RE: Shield / ground (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2023-10-23, 13:33:01 (98.218.212.242)
Wire quality is important for best sound quality. The four 24g conductors inside the Belden are quality stranded copper and have excellent sound qualities. The mesh shield, however, is not a quality w .......
6: Cable Asylum, RE: Best construction for phono cable for MM turntable (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2023-10-23, 02:50:41 (98.218.212.242)
I have built several dozen cables for my phono wiring, and my two current favorites both use Belden 1192a cable. One set has ETI Copper Link RCA plugs; the other has WBT 0102 Cu NextGen plugs. They so .......
7: Tubes Asylum, RE: A DHT or 6AH4 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2023-08-20, 09:28:18 (98.218.212.242)
+1 on the 6ah4. It is an excellent linestage tube. The 6ah4 and the 12b4 are the (indirectly heated) tubes of choice for low-gain and low-output impedance applications. .......
8: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Carlson's Lab goes inside a 400 lb. Audio Research monoblock. (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2023-06-13, 03:40:04 (98.218.212.242)
Interesting video. And what an impractical amplifier! The weight (200 lbs each), the heat, the complexity, the cost of tube replacement. I just don't understand why someone would want such a thing reg .......
9: Tubes Asylum, Very interesting! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2023-05-18, 02:06:54 (65.50.161.90)
Cool report TK. Did the ultrasonic AC solve the hum issue? .......
10: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: You guys would know about tonearm rewiring (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2023-03-01, 09:12:41 (98.218.212.242)
Cardas makes a nice tonearm wire that gets used in a number of arms. It's 32g as I recall. While the Cardas is good, I prefer 1877Phono copper Litz tonearm wiring. It's available from PartsConnexion. .......
11: Speaker Asylum, Great review! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2023-01-30, 12:00:50 (98.218.212.242)
Thanks for the excellent and comprehensive report on the 5/5. I was especially interested in your description vs the SP-100 since I owned those same Spendors for over 15 years. As you noted, the SP-10 .......
12: Speaker Asylum, Spendor SP 100 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2022-11-29, 14:21:50 (98.218.212.242)
I regret selling my Spendors. I enjoyed them for over 15 years but sold them in order to make room for a large pair of Open Baffle speakers. The OB speakers are definitely better sounding but every no .......
13: Jazz Alley, +1 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2022-11-23, 16:09:04 (98.218.212.242)
I love Monk's solo work. But I also love Charlie Rouse! .......
14: Critic's Corner, There oughta be a law (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2022-10-10, 14:26:31 (98.218.212.242)
It's an absolute travesty that this has the fabled Western Electric name. It has no more relation to true Western Electric electronics than any other modern brand. All it does is mislead consumers int .......
15: Jazz Alley, Kevin Mahogany (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2022-09-18, 06:01:23 (98.218.212.242)
I rediscovered Kevin Mahogany this week after a long absence. I bought his 1994 Songs and Moments CD after hearing a track on the radio. That must have been 25 years ago. I remember liking it but some .......
16: Cable Asylum, I miss Duster (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2022-09-18, 05:32:53 (98.218.212.242)
I was searching through the archives yesterday and ran across a number of Duster's posts which reminded me how much I (and most others of us here) miss his contributions. Even though I didn't always a .......
17: Amp/Preamp Asylum, Lifetime warranty? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2022-09-07, 08:17:44 (98.218.212.242)
I bought my CA-300 in 1995 or so, and I seem to recall it had a lifetime warranty. If you are the original purchaser, you should look into that first. In any case, I have always considered the silver .......
18: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, RE: Altec 32C and Le Cleach Horns (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2022-08-02, 06:04:05 (100.15.108.226)
The 32 horn really does sound better when it is positioned correctly (driver hanging down) AND when the horn is securely mounted to the front panel. Not only is the sound smoother but there is a much .......
19: Tweakers' Asylum, Thank you! nt (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2022-07-09, 04:35:40 (100.15.108.226)
nt .......
20: Tweakers' Asylum, Weight limits (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2022-07-09, 04:18:46 (100.15.108.226)
Does anyone know how much weight the Moon Gels can support? Speakers and turntables can be pretty hefty. .......
21: Cable Asylum, RE: Another subjective cable opinion. (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2022-06-14, 08:25:53 (73.134.227.51)
Lou, thanks for sharing your experience. I am curious how many hours you used the new cable before posting your comment. The reason for asking is that VH cables seem to go through a very long break in .......
22: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, Look at the heading for this Asylum (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2022-04-28, 04:23:20 (69.255.103.222)
At the top of the page it says: "Speakers that can rock with just one watt." By that standard, 96db is marginal. I would say a 99 to 105db rating is needed for a 1-watt amp. .......
23: Tweakers' Asylum, Another tip (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2022-04-23, 07:42:09 (69.255.103.222)
If the resistor leads are too thick to fit the circuit board holes, you have a couple options. One is to drill the holes to a larger diameter. I have done this successfully a few times. You need to bu .......
24: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: "I prefer the Silver Tantalums" (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2022-04-23, 05:57:19 (69.255.103.222)
Hifi Collective in the UK lists the dimensions on their website. The 2w bodies measure 9mm diameter by 18mm in length. The lead diameter is 1mm. There's no reason you can't use a mouse ears arrangemen .......
25: Tweakers' Asylum, Don't knock 'em if you haven't tried 'em (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2022-04-22, 10:00:25 (69.255.103.222)
Audio Note 2w Silver Tantalums are the best sounding resistors for most spots. They are actually a bargain in my opinion. (But don't bother with the 1/2w or 1w versions since they don't sound as good) .......
26: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: PP vs SE - musings (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2022-04-11, 15:18:03 (69.255.103.222)
My experience mirrors Ralph and PakProtector. I have built some very nice sounding SE amps with 300B and 46 outputs and they sounded very nice, but I always return to one of my PP amps for long term l .......
27: Vinyl Asylum, Excellent! Thank you. (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2022-03-05, 08:56:42 (69.255.103.222)
I'll order a set today. .......
28: Vinyl Asylum, RE: A little late, but I just learned that June Christy's LP "Something Cool" (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2022-03-05, 05:24:26 (69.255.103.222)
I have a CD that has both the original mono and the later stereo tracks. I prefer the mono. .......
29: Vinyl Asylum, Brass cartridge bolts (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2022-03-05, 05:21:20 (69.255.103.222)
Does anybody know where to buy brass bolts and nuts suitable for mounting phono cartridges? I have lots of aluminum and plastic hardware but I would like to try brass. .......
30: SET Asylum, "40% on the dial" (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-12-11, 14:34:33 (69.255.103.222)
You do realize that the position of the volume control has absolutely nothing to do with the maximum power output of your amp? It is the same as the speedometer on a car---I can put a speedometer with .......
31: Critic's Corner, A different perspective (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-11-17, 07:13:12 (69.255.103.222)
Brian, I am coming at this from the opposite direction. I have several thousand LPs and roughly 400 CDs. Until recently my listening has been almost exclusively to vinyl; I only put on a CD when I did .......
32: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, RE: Horn project taking shape (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-10-05, 06:43:19 (69.255.103.222)
Very nice! I have the Ultraflex plans but I am not familiar with Joseph Crowe. Do you have a link to his version? .......
33: Vintage Asylum, Thanks! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-08-30, 08:49:32 (69.255.103.222)
I appreciate the suggestions. The 2230 looks like a decent option although I was a little surprised by the prices of all the vintage Marantz receivers I looked up on Ebay. The market demand is clearly .......
34: Vinyl Asylum, Very true! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-08-30, 08:16:11 (69.255.103.222)
I too bought an OC9 back in the 1990s based on all the favorable reviews. Big mistake. Yes, it was detailed but it just didn't sound like music. Not to my ears at least. I went through some others as .......
35: Vintage Asylum, Recommend a Marantz solid state receiver (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-08-30, 05:07:14 (69.255.103.222)
After reading the thread below about a Marantz 2238 receiver, I am intrigued enough to buy a Marantz myself for my office. I still have good vibes from hearing a friend's system in 1970 which featured .......
36: Amp/Preamp Asylum, Not at my house! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-08-30, 04:49:04 (69.255.103.222)
Most of my listening at home is to LPs recorded in the 1950s and 60s, and mostly early pressings. No 5532s there. And in my LP playback system, the only solid state component of any kind is the rectif .......
37: Radio Road, Talk about an empty box! nt (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-08-18, 08:19:47 (69.255.103.222)
nt .......
38: Tubes Asylum, Not necessarily (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-08-08, 06:52:49 (174.77.177.104)
Over the years I followed Interstage Tranny's posts about the "chrome cuties" and wondered if I he could be on to something. However I couldn't bring myself to buy a Lafayette or Shure M65 so I just b .......
39: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: The caps in question (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-08-06, 06:23:40 (69.255.103.222)
From the schematic we now know the 10uf is the output coupling cap and its value is not critical to the circuit itself but rather only for adequate coupling to the load on the preamp. The OP says he' .......
40: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Recommendations for repair of a power transformer (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-08-05, 11:42:47 (69.255.103.222)
I would try a second 36v Hammond and see if that solves the problem. If it does, you figure out then how to shoehorn it in. You are not likely to find a stock transformer with two isolated 36v winding .......
41: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Recommendations for repair of a power transformer (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-08-05, 03:16:03 (69.255.103.222)
Lew, have you considered getting a separate PT for the 36v filament supplies and leaving those secondaries on your current PT unconnected? I.e., use the Beveridge transformer only for the HV duty. Tha .......
42: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, T-350 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-08-04, 09:38:15 (69.255.103.222)
Very cool read! I was hooked from the first page with the photo of T-350 tweeters just like the ones I listen to every day. .......
43: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, RE: Changing EdgarHorn D130 from 16ohm to 8ohm? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-07-29, 08:55:48 (69.255.103.222)
Rod, you shouldn't have any troubles with a tube amp despite the apparent mismatch between woofer and midrange impedance. The woofer is the dominant factor so your amp will continue to see a 16 ohm lo .......
44: Jazz Alley, The vinyl rules (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-07-23, 13:41:34 (69.255.103.222)
I have several CD versions and several LP versions of nearly all the Johnny Hartman recordings. If you think any of the digital copies sound good, you really need to hear an early LP on a very good pl .......
45: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Amplifier Progress (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-05-31, 04:30:17 (69.255.103.222)
What type of octal socket did you use? .......
46: Cable Asylum, Connecting RCA plugs to Connex "The Natural One" (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-05-30, 10:56:55 (69.255.103.222)
I took some photos of the assembly process when I connected some new RCA plugs to Connex cable. This particular cable is not the easiest to terminate so perhaps the photos and text will be of interest .......
47: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, Beautiful cabinet! nt (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-05-21, 05:20:24 (69.255.103.222)
Nt .......
48: SET Asylum, Gain (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-05-16, 10:06:42 (69.255.103.222)
I would imagine your Korneff 45 has rather low gain and probably needs an active line stage to get full volume. Is that right? Your amps look very nice! .......
49: Vinyl Asylum, I understand... (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-04-18, 03:51:30 (69.255.103.222)
I have had similar reactions to nearly all reissues but especially those from companies with audiophile pretensions. I nearly always prefer the sound of an original (or a much earlier reissue). Of cou .......
50: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Who knew that my Lazy Approach to powering it on, would be the correct one ............. (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-04-13, 06:51:59 (69.255.103.222)
I bypassed the Standby switch by hardwiring the rectifier diodes directly to the filter caps which eliminated maybe 12-15" of wire. To my surprise this eliminated a very low level hum that had always .......
51: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Standby/Operate Switch on my Cary Super Amplifier (AE-25) (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-04-13, 06:21:05 (69.255.103.222)
Back around 2002 I contacted Cary about the Standby switch on my CAD-40M amps, which was wired exactly as shown on the AE-25 schematic. The tech Kurt said not to use the Standby switch; they had found .......
52: Cable Asylum, RE: Review: Connex "The Natural One" (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-04-06, 09:03:42 (174.192.202.236)
For the shielded version, you connect the shield to ground at one end only. That is usually considered the input end but the cable will work fine in either direction. .......
53: Cable Asylum, RE: Review: Connex "The Natural One" (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-04-06, 08:22:10 (69.255.103.222)
I used the ETI copper Link, not the silver. Chris at VH Audio recommended the copper version. I haven't tried the Duelunds for a few years so no head-to-head comparison with the Connex. However, I did .......
54: Cable Asylum, RE: Review: Connex "The Natural One" (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-04-06, 08:10:14 (69.255.103.222)
To use the cable unshielded, you leave the shield unconnected at BOTH ends. I cut the shield braid as close to the outer housing as possible and then wrapped it with electrical tape a couple times to .......
55: Cable Asylum, Review: Connex "The Natural One" (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-04-05, 10:59:34 (69.255.103.222)
Connex is the house brand used by Parts Connexion for some of the component parts they sell. One of the interconnect wires they sell in bulk form is called "The Natural One" which has a pair of 22g st .......
56: SET Asylum, RE: Listening to my New Korneff Clone 45 SET Amps ................. (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-03-29, 14:14:57 (69.255.103.222)
Hard to tell for sure but thanks for posting the photo. .......
57: SET Asylum, RE: Listening to my New Korneff Clone 45 SET Amps ................. (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-03-29, 13:59:17 (69.255.103.222)
OK, but the 6sn7 has two halves to it, like two identical tubes in one bottle. I am wondering what TAL did with the other half. In a stereo amp, one half is typically used for each channel, but in a m .......
58: SET Asylum, RE: Listening to my New Korneff Clone 45 SET Amps ................. (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-03-29, 13:33:35 (69.255.103.222)
I was a little confused by the different schematics posted in this thread. Your version appears to be the one using the single stage 6sn7, is that right? If so, did the builder strap the two halves of .......
59: Tweakers' Asylum, Please post a follow up (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-03-22, 10:13:42 (69.255.103.222)
If you decide to order some of the diffusor panels, please post your impressions. Like others who responded, I am skeptical about these particular panels since they seem too small to do an effective j .......
60: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Is Kevin still selling transformers at K&K? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-03-14, 19:11:29 (69.255.103.222)
No response to my email of two weeks ago. At least now I know I am not the only one getting the cold shoulder. .......
61: Vintage Asylum, Funny! nt (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-02-14, 05:42:42 (69.255.103.222)
nt .......
62: Radio Road, RE: How Much Tube Rush is Acceptable? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-01-28, 06:37:32 (69.255.103.222)
Are you sure it's tube rush and not just noise from stereo operation? Try switching the Fisher to mono and see if the noise is reduced. I have a 100B also and it has much more noise in stereo than mon .......
63: Cable Asylum, Possible problem with connections to KLEI plug (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-01-27, 08:44:37 (69.255.103.222)
Those rectangular conductor wires look interesting. However, I wonder how practical they are for connecting to most RCA plugs and the KLEI plugs in particular since they have such small low-mass tabs .......
64: Critic's Corner, RE: With the passing of Tony Rice it is a great time to read Art Dudley's... (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-01-08, 12:54:35 (69.255.103.222)
What a great read! Thanks for posting the link. .......
65: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: B+ voltage will hit the tubes much faster (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2021-01-02, 09:07:13 (69.255.103.222)
A hefty bleeder resistor across the first cap in a LC filter will dampen the DC voltage until the tubes warm up. .......
66: Cable Asylum, RE: A cable with a furnace problem (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-12-21, 13:44:18 (69.255.103.222)
I too am skeptical that the lack of shielding is responsible for the dropouts. Do you still have the Blue Jeans cable? If so, have you gone back to it just to confirm that the problem is truly with th .......
67: General Asylum, Indeed! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-12-14, 20:45:42 (69.255.103.222)
I can still recall a comparison of a Crown combo (IC-150 and DC-300) to an ARC combo (SP-2C and Dual 50) over the original ARC Tympani speakers (Magneplanars). The ARC sounded like live music, and the .......
68: Cable Asylum, RE: USB Solid Core Silver at a Very Reasonable Price (Continued) (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-12-13, 07:30:00 (69.255.116.66)
The FTVS-510 bulk cable. At this point, I can't see buying any more premade cables. .......
69: Cable Asylum, RE: USB Solid Core Silver at a Very Reasonable Price (Continued) (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-12-13, 04:24:34 (69.255.103.222)
Duster, where do you buy the Oyaide digital cable? .......
70: Jazz Alley, Beautiful! nt (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-12-02, 03:37:54 (69.255.103.222)
Nt .......
71: Tubes Asylum, RE: Question about output tube health (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-11-28, 10:39:15 (69.255.103.222)
For a few years I used a pair of Cary 40M monoblocks which used a single pair of EL-34s in cathode bias. Those amps drove the outputs pretty hard and I found the EL-34s needed replacing every 2 or 3 y .......
72: Cable Asylum, RE: CU-21 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-11-24, 05:23:53 (69.255.116.66)
I sent you a pm. .......
73: Cable Asylum, RE: CU-21 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-11-23, 05:56:28 (69.255.116.66)
I will order some V-Quad CU-24 to try. The thinner size shouldn't be a problem for the application I have in mind which can use all 4 wires in parallel. In my case, I started out with CU-21 in the pow .......
74: Cable Asylum, RE: CU-21 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-11-22, 07:48:40 (69.255.103.222)
Very interesting. I will keep the CU-24 V-Quad in mind for future low-current applications. My phono preamp is fairly high current, not much less than a mono tube power amp, so it's not the place to t .......
75: Cable Asylum, CU-21 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-11-20, 16:36:28 (69.255.103.222)
I highly recommend VH Audio CU-21 which has four 21g solid copper conductors all twisted together. Easy to terminate, fairly flexible, should be quite durable. Most important, it is the best sounding .......
76: Cable Asylum, Totally agree! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-10-25, 08:18:02 (69.255.103.222)
I have been trying the same Duelund 20g wire in my phono preamp the past few days, and I agree 100% with what JonL said. I would actually have used many of the same words to describe what I am hearing .......
77: SET Asylum, No simple answer (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-10-15, 08:00:11 (69.255.116.66)
There are plenty of folks who seem very pleased with their flea-power SE amps driving speakers with a wide variety of sensitivities, even down to the low 90 db range. Then there are others who say you .......
78: Cable Asylum, CU-21 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-10-11, 04:26:12 (69.255.103.222)
Interesting comments on the DC cables. Thanks for posting them. I suggest you try the VH CU-21 quad cable. Even though it is solid core, it seems to have some good things going for it at least on pap .......
79: Cable Asylum, RE: What's your verdict? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-07-14, 05:09:06 (69.255.103.222)
I am not ready to give a verdict. I did take a listen to them after 100 hours of signal, and my quick reactions were that they sounded very smooth and had good detail, dynamics and imaging, but the hi .......
80: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, A decade? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-07-06, 05:24:22 (69.255.103.222)
Mark, How were you able to live with the Cornwalls for a decade? I am not criticizing; I am just wondering how that was possible. I can't imagine tolerating an "ear gouging" speaker for any length of .......
81: Cable Asylum, RE: Connex The Natural One (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-07-04, 09:35:26 (69.255.103.222)
You raise an interesting question—-whether the shield may affect sound quality even when it is disconnected at each end. I wondered the same thing and I don't know the answer, but I chose to assemble .......
82: Cable Asylum, RE: Connex The Natural One (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-07-03, 04:42:02 (69.255.103.222)
I agree with you about the sound of silver plated copper conductors. To my ears there is something wrong about their sound. I will be wiring up some interconnects later today with Connex "The Natural" .......
83: Cable Asylum, Connex The Natural One (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-06-28, 14:24:20 (69.255.103.222)
Has anyone tried "The Natural One" sold by Parts Connexion? It is a two-conductor shielded interconnect cable sold under the PCX house brand Connex. The description sounds promising. The wires are 24g .......
84: General Asylum, KLH 21 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-06-11, 13:42:36 (69.255.103.222)
I bought a KLH 21 a few months ago and have enjoyed it very much. .......
85: Tube DIY Asylum, Schematic? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-05-20, 14:37:15 (69.255.103.222)
Do you have a link to the schematic? .......
86: Cable Asylum, Previous cables? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-05-15, 19:02:31 (69.255.103.222)
What speaker cables did you use before the Furutech? .......
87: Tube DIY Asylum, Heater supply (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-05-15, 13:15:02 (69.255.103.222)
Tre, did you notice any sonic benefit with the highly filtered choke-input heater supply? Or did you just build it that way to be ultra-conservative? .......
88: Vintage Asylum, true of more than just turntables (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-05-03, 14:45:57 (69.255.103.222)
A good argument can be made that nearly all aspects of quality Hifi reproduction were known and established by the 1960s, not just with turntables. As I get older, my tastes in equipment keep going ba .......
89: Cable Asylum, A picture is worth a thousand words (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-04-18, 06:54:12 (69.255.103.222)
Maybe move the crossovers inside the woofer cabinets? .......
90: Cable Asylum, RE: Crossover to Tweeter (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-04-17, 11:02:41 (69.143.138.90)
Are the woofers in parallel or series? It's hard for me to imagine needing 10' of wire. Remember the Lexus is a dual cable. I am picturing a single run of Lexus from the xover to one woofer and then a .......
91: Cable Asylum, RE: Crossover to Tweeter (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-04-17, 07:51:03 (69.143.138.90)
That's the one. Note the price is for 1 meter and it contains both leads for the woofer connections. So if you need 1/2m for each woofer's connections, a single 1m run would suffice. The wire is also .......
92: Cable Asylum, RE: Crossover to Tweeter (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-04-17, 04:37:31 (69.255.103.222)
My recommendation is to leave the TCSS in place for the tweeter and focus on the woofer wiring. Specifically replacing your current woofer wiring with Audio Note Lexus copper Litz will be a major impr .......
93: Cable Asylum, RE: Crossover to Tweeter (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-04-15, 07:47:52 (69.143.138.90)
Kimber TCSS is tailor-made for that application. It provides a slightly rising high end and crisp clarity that complement the Altec driver and horn very nicely. I tried several other wires in a simila .......
94: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, "an antidote to Knights of the Soundstage" (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-04-15, 04:15:00 (69.255.103.222)
Well said. Yes, Art will be sorely missed. In addition to his unique perspective on all things audio, he was a truly gifted writer. On more than one occasion I read aloud a few sentences or a paragra .......
95: Vinyl Asylum, One little problem (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-04-13, 14:16:00 (69.255.103.222)
Having the additional ground wires connected to your system affects the sound quality. (Not a joke.). I found this out when I was trying out 4 tonearm cables courtesy of the Cable Company. I figured I .......
96: Vinyl Asylum, Basie Jam (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-03-23, 12:01:24 (69.143.138.90)
I just listened to Basie Jam yesterday. What a great record! Musically and sonically. .......
97: Vinyl Asylum, Oh no! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-03-23, 08:46:43 (69.143.138.90)
RTX has been one of my regular stops on each trip to the DC area. I will miss them. Their selection of jazz LPs was variable but I could always find a number of albums of interest. On most trips I wou .......
98: Vinyl Asylum, RE: WPFW (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-03-22, 07:19:44 (69.255.103.222)
I will keep that in mind. Unfortunately my trips to the DC area are usually on weekends. .......
99: Vinyl Asylum, WPFW (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-03-22, 03:39:01 (69.255.103.222)
Absolutely! I always tune in WPFW when I drive to the DC area. If I manage to time things right, I can hear some great jazz that I would not otherwise know about. (I am not a fan of the talk programmi .......
100: Vinyl Asylum, I think you have that backwards.... (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-03-19, 17:18:35 (69.255.103.222)
I think you meant to say you installed a low-volt part in a high-voltage spot. There's no problem using a part with a higher voltage rating. .......
101: Jazz Alley, Very nice! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-03-10, 18:32:21 (69.255.103.222)
Thanks for sharing this. .......
102: Tube DIY Asylum, So what are the voltages now? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-03-10, 05:58:12 (69.143.138.90)
I am curious what sort of voltage readings you're getting now on the MC stage. I have seen schematics of MC stages before that have the 6dj8 cathode connected directly to ground and operate on low B+, .......
103: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, RE: I sent you a pm (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-03-05, 12:52:53 (69.143.138.90)
Are you sure that address is correct? It looks like something is missing. .......
104: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, I sent you a pm (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-03-05, 05:31:06 (69.143.138.90)
I sent you an email a few days ago. Let me know if you didn't receive it. .......
105: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, RE: A55-G (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-02-26, 19:28:13 (69.255.103.222)
Have you actually tried the Lamar? .......
106: Vinyl Asylum, Thanks. Nt (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-02-19, 09:08:34 (174.196.135.202)
Nt .......
107: Vinyl Asylum, RE: First impressions Tubes4Hi-Fi PH14 phono preamp. (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-02-19, 08:26:43 (69.143.138.90)
Where do you see it advertised as an 834 clone? I checked the website and didn't see any description of the circuitry other than the tubes used. .......
108: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, Altec 32 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-02-16, 03:32:34 (69.255.103.222)
Look for a speaker using an Altec 32 horn. That has the least "shouting" coloration of any widely available horn speakers I have heard. .......
109: Cable Asylum, RE: Sonarquest vs. Furutech IEC/Power Plugs (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-02-13, 05:54:30 (69.143.138.90)
My FI-50 connectors are the ones with NCF and so there is some warm up time each time they are used. They seem to take 10 to 20 minutes to reach their fully-warmed up state. That's a little annoying s .......
110: Tube DIY Asylum, Thanks! nt (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-02-05, 11:23:52 (69.143.138.90)
nt .......
111: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, A55-G (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-02-05, 08:16:46 (69.143.138.90)
How do you like the A55-G driver? .......
112: Tube DIY Asylum, IT as plate choke (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-02-05, 08:10:04 (69.143.138.90)
Andy, When you use the primary windings of an IT as a plate choke, what do you do with the secondary leads? Do you just leave them disconnected? .......
113: Speaker Asylum, Pure Audio Project Quintet Horn (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-01-31, 07:07:26 (69.143.138.90)
This open baffle/horn sounds pretty good and doesn't take up too much floor space. .......
114: Jazz Alley, RE: Charlie Haden and Pat Metheny-- Missouri Sky (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-01-28, 05:09:29 (69.255.103.222)
I have that one on CD too. Unfortunately not on vinyl. .......
115: Jazz Alley, Charlie Haden and Pat Metheny-- Missouri Sky (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-01-25, 04:14:20 (69.255.103.222)
Sometimes it takes a number of playings before I appreciate a new album, and many times those under-appreciated albums end up as favorites. The latest case in point is the 2-LP "Beyond the Missouri Sk .......
116: Tube DIY Asylum, A few more (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-01-25, 03:51:32 (69.255.103.222)
I too have had excellent customer service with Mouser, DigiKey and Parts Express. But I would also add some other outfits with excellent service—Madisound, Parts Connexxion, VH Audio and Hifi Collecti .......
117: Cable Asylum, RE: Sonarquest vs. Furutech IEC/Power Plugs (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-01-19, 12:24:13 (69.255.103.222)
The FI-50 NCF series are the most neutral connectors I have tried, but they aren't perfectly neutral in my opinion. I use several types of wire for my power cords. My primary cords all use Audio Note .......
118: Cable Asylum, RE: Sonarquest vs. Furutech IEC/Power Plugs (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-01-19, 10:13:02 (69.255.103.222)
To my ears and in my system, the FI-50 NCF connectors are slightly lean and slightly bright. However they are the most detailed, most dynamic and most transparent of any connectors I have tried. I com .......
119: Cable Asylum, RE: Sonarquest vs. Furutech IEC/Power Plugs (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2020-01-19, 04:19:17 (12.226.198.2)
I have tried lots of IEC plugs ranging from the $10 variety to the top Furutech. I stopped the search after I tried the FI-50 NCF. It sounds so much better that I am now using it on nearly all of my p .......
120: Cable Asylum, Which Duelund cable? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-12-16, 03:58:01 (69.255.103.222)
I assume you used some of the Duelund bulk wire. Which version did you use? .......
121: General Asylum, Strathearn ribbons (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-12-16, 03:49:28 (69.255.103.222)
The mention of Strathearn ribbons really brings back memories. I spent an untold number of hours trying to get my Strathearns to sound like music. After trying all sorts of variations, I ended up with .......
122: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Is the quality of grid leak resistor important? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-12-13, 06:24:28 (98.211.120.18)
The sonic qualities of resistors can be a contentious subject in this forum. Some readers contend there is little or no change in sound quality due to the type of resistor, whether in the grid loading .......
123: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: AR Dual 50 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-12-11, 04:03:49 (69.255.103.222)
No, I don't recall the name. I do remember that a friend of Walter Key was present when I first heard his amp at Walter's house but I don't remember his name or his connection to the amps. ::: TOPIC:: .......
124: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: AR Dual 50 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-12-09, 13:54:58 (69.255.103.222)
Are you thinking of Walter Key? He is the fellow who actually designed the Paoli 60M amp. Key lived in the No Va suburbs of DC. Back in the early 1970s a friend and I visited Key at his home and heard .......
125: Tubes Asylum, RE: EveAnna Manley in Guangzhou (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-12-09, 04:50:05 (69.255.103.222)
And they are using a "premium grade" tube. At least it should last a long time considering that it isn't connected to anything. .......
126: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: AR Dual 50 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-12-06, 09:51:12 (69.255.103.222)
Indeed! My first ARC experiences were with the Dual 50-F-1 and Dual 75. They were way beyond anything I could afford as a college student, but at least I could enjoy listening to them at my "dealer." .......
127: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: 6.3v DC heaters from 6.3v AC supply. (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-12-06, 05:12:50 (69.255.103.222)
I almost always prefer the sound with heaters running on AC, but if you're dead set on using DC and if it's not practical to use a higher voltage transformer for the heaters, you can always use a volt .......
128: Jazz Alley, Great story! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-12-04, 07:11:10 (98.211.120.18)
Thanks for sharing your memories. You played with some of the greats! .......
129: Tweakers' Asylum, Not all electrolytics are bad (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-11-29, 04:16:39 (69.255.103.222)
There are some comments in this thread about how film caps sound better as coupling caps than electrolytics. Like many things, however, that isn't entirely true. A number of years ago I had a Threshol .......
130: Tweakers' Asylum, The best bypass cap is NO bypass cap (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-11-25, 05:37:26 (70.165.87.54)
Arguing about bypass caps is like arguing about religion. You aren't going to persuade people to change their minds. For what it's worth (and I have posted this many times), I have tried bypass caps o .......
131: Tube DIY Asylum, I sent you a pm. NT (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-11-21, 09:10:26 (69.255.103.222)
Nt .......
132: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: No more email, Salectric? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-11-20, 11:38:04 (98.211.120.18)
Sorry about that! I just changed the AA email coding to permit messages from inmates. .......
133: Tube DIY Asylum, Trevor Lees (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-11-18, 05:43:27 (98.211.120.18)
A quick Google search shows that TL may still be around and in the retail audio business in Australia. .......
134: Tube DIY Asylum, I built it. (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-11-15, 11:15:37 (98.211.120.18)
I built the Hiraga circuit back in the early 1980s, and I thought it sounded pretty good. It was at least comparable to my DIY version of the Trevor Lees/Positive Vibrations preamp that I was using at .......
135: Tube DIY Asylum, Very nice! nt (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-10-05, 03:29:53 (98.211.79.145)
Bt .......
136: General Asylum, RE: Audiogon Boycott? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-10-01, 20:02:57 (98.211.79.145)
Audiogon is worthless in my opinion. I haven't tried to sell anything there in several years, and I haven't checked their ads for a long time either. Lastly the Audiogon forums have degenerated to the .......
137: Jazz Alley, Tiny Grimes (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-09-09, 14:33:19 (98.211.79.145)
Thanks for posting the link. Listening to two of the tracks reminded me I should have mentioned the important role of Tiny Grimes. Tiny plays his 4-string guitar on most if not all of the Hardee cuts .......
138: Jazz Alley, John Hardee and Ike Quebec (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-09-09, 08:45:39 (98.211.120.18)
I have about 20 Mosaic sets, mostly LPs, and they all have merit, but the one that I listen to the most is #107 "Complete Blue Note Forties Recordings of Ike Quebec and John Hardee." The irony is that .......
139: Jazz Alley, Very true! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-08-20, 18:50:27 (98.211.79.145)
Your post prompted me to pull out an Oscar Moore Trio record—-"We'll Remember You Nat"—-which I haven't played for some time. .......
140: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Denon DL-103R (Soundsmith mod) versus Hana ML (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-08-20, 11:05:37 (98.211.120.18)
Very interesting. Thanks for posting your comments on the comparison. For those (like me) who aren't familiar with SoundSmith lingo, "NCL" means Nude Contact Line." And the Boron cantilever with NCL c .......
141: Amp/Preamp Asylum, Yep, that is pretty ugly (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-08-20, 04:26:02 (98.211.79.145)
But I gave up understanding other people's tastes a long time ago. For that matter, I have never understood the appeal of any MAC gear once they went to the blue lighting, yet lots of folks love it. F .......
142: Tube DIY Asylum, Input attenuator (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-08-20, 04:17:14 (98.211.79.145)
Instead of radical changes to the amp circuit, why not just add a pair of resistors on the input to attenuate the input signal? You can reduce the gain by whatever amount you want. .......
143: Cable Asylum, 250v rating (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-08-14, 12:40:02 (98.211.120.18)
If the umbilical carries the DC voltage, which is how the drawing shows it, there will be less than 250 volts so you can use a more conservative rating. .......
144: Tweakers' Asylum, File (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-08-03, 18:34:39 (98.211.79.145)
When I tried the NCF chassis inlet, I used a file to enlarge the opening. It took a few minutes but it wasn't difficult. Unfortunately the NCF inlets didn't last long. I preferred the FI-06 Gold inlet .......
145: Tweakers' Asylum, Rel-Cap TFT (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-08-03, 04:50:55 (98.211.79.145)
The Rel-Cap TFT Teflons are my preferred cap for RIAA networks. They come in lower voltage versions and are quite small. Exceptional sound quality at a reasonable cost. But they may be difficult to lo .......
146: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: I've never tried the Pardo (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-07-24, 08:40:33 (98.211.120.18)
That was an interesting account of your experiments with the Belleson Super regulator. Thanks for posting the link. .......
147: Vintage Asylum, Yes and No (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-07-21, 03:50:48 (98.211.79.145)
Solens are an inexpensive, reliable and predictable cap for crossovers, but if you are looking for the very best sound quality you need to look elsewhere. In particular Solens will change the voicing .......
148: Tweakers' Asylum, Teddy Pardo power supply (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-07-21, 03:42:30 (98.211.79.145)
My turntable (Galibier Gavia) needs a 12v DC supply. For years I used a Tenma regulated supply, but a month ago I replaced it with a Teddy Pardo supply from Israel. The Pardo has really surprised me w .......
149: Cable Asylum, Audio Note Lexus (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-07-16, 12:40:40 (98.211.120.18)
With Audio Note speakers, you will be best served by making speaker cables with Audio Note speaker wire. The Audio Note Lexus is a reasonably priced, high-performing copper litz wire. You can buy it i .......
150: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, 9848A perhaps? nt (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-07-01, 09:51:19 (98.211.79.145)
Nt .......
151: Jazz Alley, Outstanding! And lots of fun. nt (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-06-30, 08:02:44 (98.211.79.145)
Nt .......
152: Amp/Preamp Asylum, Great link (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-06-24, 08:37:58 (98.211.120.18)
Thanks for posting a link to this thread. .......
153: Cable Asylum, Plastic hangers have very low noise level (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-06-23, 13:54:51 (98.211.79.145)
Well, I haven't actually tried them. .......
154: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, Cornwalls (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-06-19, 06:01:30 (98.211.120.18)
A few weeks ago I listened to a pair of vintage Cornwalls at Deja Vu Audio in Virginia powered by a Synthesis PP EL84 amp. I thought the bass with the Cornwalls was quite good, detailed and powerful, .......
155: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, Fortunately not all horns sound like La Scalas (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-06-18, 19:56:03 (98.211.79.145)
I actually agree with you about La Scalas. The shrill screechy treble is like a needle in my ear. There was a room at the 2018 CAF with La Scalas and I couldn't get past the doorway they were so painf .......
156: Tube DIY Asylum, Thanks (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-05-28, 13:09:00 (98.17.194.201)
If you ever do a direct comparison, please post your conclusions. The CuTF is my favorite coupling cap for my tube electronics. I use them for all couplers in my system. I have tried many couplers inc .......
157: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: We auditioned some as part of the Beta program (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-05-26, 13:25:51 (172.1.48.141)
So how do they compare to the CuTF V-Caps? .......
158: Tubes Asylum, RE: 6L6 family tubes in Rogue M180 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-05-16, 03:10:51 (98.211.79.145)
If you decide to try some, make sure they are 6L6GC. The earlier versions 6L6-G and 6L6, have lower maximum voltage ratings. To complicate things, one exception is the modern reissue Tung Sol 6L6-G wh .......
159: General Asylum, Actually the AR table was an even better bargain... (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-04-27, 16:45:44 (98.211.79.145)
I bought a brand new AR-XA table in 1974 for either $78 or $87. I don't recall which one but it was full list price. This was complete with arm and dustcover. I also got a Grado FTR which had a list p .......
160: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, RE: Altec 414A (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-04-20, 10:34:12 (98.211.79.145)
A woofer sounds different after a GPA reconing. Some say better, some say worse, but the sound is definitely different. Therefore if you plan on sending one you should really send both. Then the two w .......
161: Vintage Asylum, Binding posts (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-04-20, 05:40:12 (98.211.79.145)
Congratulations on getting the Altecs. I am sure you will enjoy them. I recently spent several months trying different binding posts on my horn speakers. The candidates included Edison Price, WBT 0730 .......
162: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: No soldering (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-04-10, 13:33:39 (98.211.120.18)
It just seems to me that the bolt assembly on the Furutech seems to work against the low-mass concept. Take a look at the WBT plug at the link. The WBT has considerably less mass in its solder tabs an .......
163: Tweakers' Asylum, No soldering (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-04-09, 04:15:37 (98.211.79.145)
The Furutech link says this model doesn't use solder connections. I find that curious for a design that is intended to be low-mass. I have no experience with this or any of Furutech RCA plugs so can't .......
164: Tweakers' Asylum, Sound quality (or lack) (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-04-05, 04:19:01 (98.211.79.145)
Aside from the issues raised below regarding durability and value, the bottom line for me is sound quality, and that's where the KLEI plugs fall short in my opinion. I have used the Copper Harmony and .......
165: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, RE: Tried a different driver/horn combination (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-04-03, 07:35:25 (98.211.120.18)
What do you mean when you say you are using "12 db of high frequency compensation"? Are you boosting the highs by 12db? .......
166: Tweakers' Asylum, WBT-0102 Silver and Audio Note AN-P (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-04-03, 04:20:12 (98.211.79.145)
The WBT and AN-P are the best sounding plugs that I have tried. The locking collar on the WBT is a pain though. The AN plugs are more convenient in use but are not as convenient to solder. I have neve .......
167: Jazz Alley, River Man. (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-03-26, 13:50:22 (98.211.120.18)
My favorite Andy Bey tune for sure. Thanks for posting it. It's been quite a while since I last heard it. But I will still take Johnny Hartman any day of the week! .......
168: Cable Asylum, RE: Wall Plugs (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-03-21, 14:02:05 (98.211.120.18)
I have experienced the same thing. For example, my system has a pair of monoblock tube amps positioned right in front of a wall outlet. I could easily get by with very short power cords going from tha .......
169: Amp/Preamp Asylum, RE: ANK is not Audio Note (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-03-05, 15:40:16 (98.207.245.172)
Nice report! It's good to hear from someone who not only had a good kit building experience but also has compared the ANK products to a number of quality commercial brands and was pleased with the res .......
170: Amp/Preamp Asylum, 6SN7 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-03-05, 15:30:30 (98.207.245.172)
I haven't been a fan of 6SN7 preamps. I built 3 different linestages with them—-the Vacuum Tube Valley Octal, Dick Olsher's Blue Velvet, and a simple cathode follower buffer. None of these had staying .......
171: Amp/Preamp Asylum, UltraVerve (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-03-05, 13:34:14 (98.207.245.172)
The UltraVerve uses a single 6SN7 for gain with no negative feedback, yet according to the specs it has 12db gain. That says to me that it has an attenuation network preceding the volume control or bu .......
172: Amp/Preamp Asylum, Different tubes (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-03-05, 11:02:26 (98.207.245.172)
The new DeHavilland (which I hadn't heard of) uses a Type 85 tube which is a low gain tube. The 85 has an amplification factor (mu) of 8.3 and the preamp has an overall gain of about 12db according to .......
173: Amp/Preamp Asylum, No feedback (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-03-05, 08:01:50 (98.207.245.172)
CJ linestages have excessive gain because theie designs don't use global feedback. If they had some negative feedback, the designer could pick any lesser gain level he wanted including unity gain, but .......
174: Cable Asylum, RE: Warmest and best VFM IEC and mains plugs (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-03-01, 09:00:35 (73.202.149.41)
I don't know what VFM refers to, but gold coating definitely lends to a warmer tonal balance. Neotech Gold and Furutech Gold IEC plugs are warm sounding, but so is Marinco at a much lower price. In my .......
175: Vinyl Asylum, One of my favorites. nt (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-03-01, 08:48:30 (73.202.149.41)
Nt .......
176: Amp/Preamp Asylum, ANK is not Audio Note (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-02-25, 12:56:53 (98.211.120.18)
Buried in your post is this comment: "Audio Note uses the AN approved parts - the Kits no longer do and are no longer affiliated with Audio Note." This really needs to be emphasized. Someone might rea .......
177: Amp/Preamp Asylum, RE: ANK AudioNoteKit Preamp Line: ?Sweet spot (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-02-24, 12:01:46 (98.211.79.145)
Anybody who orders a kit from ANK is taking a real gamble. Just read the long threads on the forums but especially at the Steve Hoffman Equipment forum. The forums are chock full of people saying pret .......
178: Amp/Preamp Asylum, I guess you didn't like it..... (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-02-24, 11:42:16 (98.211.79.145)
Seriously, the PAT-4 and ST-120 were absolute dogs, no question about that. Just like you, I bought mine based on the ecstatic reviews. I was a naive 16 year old. Since these were my first separate co .......
179: Amp/Preamp Asylum, EMIA autoformer (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-02-24, 04:26:13 (98.211.79.145)
The EMIA autoformer come with a remote option. It's made by Dave Slagle of Intact Audio and it sounds better than most (if not all) active linestages regardless of cost. See the review by Jack Roberts .......
180: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Spreadsheet for tracking needle hours (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-01-26, 03:51:13 (98.211.79.145)
A few years ago I kept careful track of records played by simply noting the date and a hash mark for each LP side. At 20 minutes per side, three hash marks equals one hour. By keeping this record for .......
181: Cable Asylum, I respect your opinion (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2019-01-15, 12:51:20 (98.211.120.18)
Even though I, like most who post here, do hear significant differences in cables and even different connectors on the same cable, I respect your perspective. You are in good company since a number of .......
182: Cable Asylum, Great idea! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-12-31, 05:40:37 (98.211.79.145)
I like your concept of a direct tie-in point with minimal connectors. The safety issues are non-existent. The OP mentioned in his post that he has holes drilled for a protective plastic cover. The ope .......
183: Vinyl Asylum, Been there (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-12-31, 04:30:17 (98.211.79.145)
I had a similar plan a few years ago. I thought if I had a second table I could use it for either (1) playing poor condition records where I didn't want to abuse the stylus in my main cartridge or (2) .......
184: Vinyl Asylum, +1 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-12-24, 05:59:29 (98.211.79.145)
I too always prefer original issues over so-called audiophile reissues. That was especially true with "Blue" despite reviewers' praise of the reissue. .......
185: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, RE: Question About MJ King Eminence/Full Range OB Project (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-12-23, 04:02:13 (98.211.79.145)
"Overhang on bass notes" suggests to me too much overlap between the drivers caused by your running the E-V full range. You need a high-pass crossover to attenuate the response of the E-V in the bass. .......
186: SET Asylum, RE: Cary Audio CAD-805RS (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-12-14, 14:38:45 (98.211.79.145)
I just took another look at the photo. I am pretty sure those are rectifiers each of which is covered with a clear plastic insulator. A long time ago I had a pair of Cary 40M amps and they had a simil .......
187: SET Asylum, RE: Cary Audio CAD-805RS (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-12-14, 13:32:24 (98.211.120.18)
I don't have the picture in front of me, but as I recall from when I read the review a few days ago those items in the lower left corner are actually rectifier diodes. The B+ voltage is quite high in .......
188: Tube DIY Asylum, Thanks! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-12-01, 14:28:33 (98.211.79.145)
I appreciate the advice. I will give them a try. .......
189: Tubes Asylum, Genalex (reissue) KT-77 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-12-01, 08:00:48 (98.211.79.145)
Very rugged and long lasting. Also the best sounding of modern tubes I have tried. Get a matched set from Jim McShane. .......
190: Tube DIY Asylum, Schematic drawing software (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-12-01, 03:22:14 (98.211.79.145)
Can anyone recommend software for drawing schematics, preferably something free? .......
191: Vinyl Asylum, Great video! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-11-27, 09:34:17 (98.211.79.145)
I wouldn't have expected those three to play together, but I liked it! .......
192: Vinyl Asylum, SUT for sure (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-11-25, 08:58:29 (98.211.79.145)
I once heard a demo between the Herron's builtin MC stage (solid state) vs a not terribly expensive SUT feeding the Herron's MM input, and it was no contest at all. The SUT sounded much better. I thin .......
193: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, No more 32 horns? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-11-25, 07:50:46 (98.211.79.145)
Did you give up on your Altec 32 horns? If so, what were your complaints about them? .......
194: Cable Asylum, No hum in my case (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-11-17, 18:39:22 (70.165.87.54)
I recently borrowed a 1m set of Crimson interconnects and used it between my moving coil SUT and phono preamp inputs. I was expecting some hum since I had heard they were unshielded. Yet they were dea .......
195: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, Very interesting (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-11-10, 09:25:12 (98.211.79.145)
The graphs do show the benefits of a shorter wing on one side. Thanks for posting the link. This is of particular interest to me because my open baffle has 10" wings on each side. Even though the gra .......
196: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, RE: Vintage Audio Fun On A Budget (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-11-10, 04:01:00 (98.211.79.145)
Looks like fun! What is the benefit of having one of the sides so short (2")? Won't this cause a reduction in bass due to cancelation? .......
197: Speaker Asylum, Agreed!! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-10-29, 13:45:49 (98.211.79.145)
That makes perfect sense. A Non-Polar electrolytic is actually two electrolytic caps wired in series. The resulting capacitance is half of the ratings of the individual caps. So getting a reading of r .......
198: Amp/Preamp Asylum, RE: Audio Research LS5 MK 3 or Emotive Audio Sira for First Watt SIT 2 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-10-28, 09:17:26 (98.211.79.145)
As I recall the LS-5 was balanced only. I could be wrong about that since I am depending on memory here. The Sira is not balanced; it has RCA jacks for all inputs and outputs. I would definitely choos .......
199: Tweakers' Asylum, Nichicon FW (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-10-17, 06:12:57 (174.204.22.152)
I tried 8 or 9 different caps in the bias supplies for my push-pull amps, and Nichicon FW were the best sounding. I preferred them to two "audio-grade" Nichicons including Muse, as well as Elba Silmic .......
200: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, Interesting article but... (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-10-13, 05:54:54 (98.211.79.145)
Written from the perspective of an engineer focused on measurements rather than sound quality. For example, he seems to consider Zobel impedance-stabilizing networks as almost essential, despite the f .......
201: Vintage Asylum, Thanks! nt (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-10-03, 08:22:27 (69.243.77.226)
nt .......
202: Vintage Asylum, B+ voltage? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-10-03, 04:07:09 (98.211.79.145)
Does anyone know the B+ on this amp? There are no voltages shown on the Sans. .......
203: Vinyl Asylum, RE: A retip question (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-09-15, 11:52:46 (174.204.8.186)
I have heard from others that SoundSmith does repair cartridges but I have no personal experience with repairs. .......
204: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: AC and DC heating from same secondary winding (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-09-13, 07:01:29 (98.211.79.145)
Two points. First, I share your suspicion that the diodes (even those that have reduced noise) will affect the sound of the AC heated tubes, which is why I have always opted for a separate transformer .......
205: Vinyl Asylum, RE: A retip question (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-09-09, 16:38:43 (98.211.79.145)
M3 Lover is correct. SoundSmith offers a "retip only" option where they attach a new diamond tip to the existing cantilever, and this is more expensive than replacing the entire cantilever and stylus .......
206: Cable Asylum, Correct! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-09-03, 04:14:53 (98.211.79.145)
RCA splitters sound awful. I used some for a while in order to use some cables that were too fat for both channels to plug into jacks that were too close together on a CD player. I later tried the spl .......
207: General Asylum, Very true (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-08-17, 08:38:28 (69.243.77.226)
Somebody on AA posted a while back that there are two types of people on Audiogon forums---those who know nothing and people who seem to have infinite funds while also knowing nothing. I couldn't hav .......
208: Cable Asylum, RE: Duster: Furutech FI-50 G vs NCF (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-08-06, 11:07:41 (69.243.77.226)
Thank you for the informative reply. I appreciate your advice. .......
209: Vintage Asylum, JE Labs (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-08-06, 07:15:14 (69.243.77.226)
Joseph Esmilla recently discussed these old tonearms and some modern clones on his blog. .......
210: Cable Asylum, Duster: Furutech FI-50 G vs NCF (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-08-05, 08:04:59 (174.204.4.51)
I included Duster's name in the title because he is the go-to guy re power cord connectors, but I welcome replies from any and all. The Furutech FI-50 series is available in regular Rhodium, NCF Rhodi .......
211: Radio Road, RE: ARC liked it (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-07-30, 16:26:15 (98.211.79.145)
Thanks for posting the link. Lots of interesting photos there. The FM-3 faceplate isn't quite how I remember it, but my memory could be mistaken since it was almost 50 years ago that I saw it. ::: TOP .......
212: Radio Road, I meant really live.... (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-07-28, 12:29:23 (98.211.79.145)
When I was in college near Philadelphia in the early 1970s, the main rock station I listened to occasionally had guest artists playing live in their studio. Typically they were in town for a concert a .......
213: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: FWIW... (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-07-28, 12:11:14 (98.211.79.145)
Good advice. Thank you. .......
214: Cable Asylum, Yes (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-07-27, 06:02:03 (98.211.79.145)
All conductors require break in. I don't use bananas but I have gone through this a number of times with spades. Putting a new set of spades on wire that is already broken in takes a while to settle a .......
215: Cable Asylum, wire gauge is just one factor (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-07-27, 05:22:18 (98.211.79.145)
The sound quality of a speaker cable is affected by many variables, and wire gauge is just one of them. Others include the particular metal content of the cable, whether it has a silver coating on the .......
216: Radio Road, ARC liked it (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-07-26, 12:49:14 (69.243.77.226)
Back in the early 1970s, maybe 1971, I can recall seeing an Audio Research version of the FM-3 in a hifi store. It had the standard ARC 19" faceplate and what appeared to be a stock Dyna FM-3 behind i .......
217: Tube DIY Asylum, Pyranol capacitors---risk of leakage in tube amp power supply? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-07-24, 10:32:08 (69.243.77.226)
I recently started using Pyranol oil-filled capacitors and want to try them now in a higher-voltage application. My plan is to use them as the first cap in a CLC power amp filter. That cap has 455v du .......
218: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: "Your photo brings back memories for sure" (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-07-23, 14:21:37 (98.211.79.145)
You're certainly welcome. I am glad that it has brought you a lot of musical pleasure over the years. A lot of people got their start in DIY with those PAS mods including a number of well known names .......
219: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: Ahh, here it is (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-07-23, 12:54:37 (98.211.79.145)
Your photo brings back memories for sure. As I recall, the most I ever had was four 72,000 uf caps with each pair in parallel. That was back in the day of electronic surplus stores. I paid $5 each for .......
220: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: Ahh, here it is (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-07-23, 11:09:10 (98.211.79.145)
Let us hear how the big FW caps do on your heater supply (in place of the really big caps!). I actually ordered a bunch of FW caps to try on my phono heater supply. I have had some old Panasonic HFQ c .......
221: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: 1000 uF? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-07-23, 08:38:58 (69.243.77.226)
Not a typo. I hadn't seen that comment by Joe Curcio before, nor indeed anything cautioning against using too high a cap value in a bias supply, but I agree that this value is higher than normal. All .......
222: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: " In the bias supply of my push-pull amps" (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-07-23, 07:36:37 (69.243.77.226)
The FW used in the bias supplies is 1000uf, 100v which is available from Parts Connexion and Michael Percy for about $2.25 each. That cap was the best out of 6 or 7 I tried there. .......
223: Tweakers' Asylum, Nichicon FW (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-07-23, 05:09:34 (98.211.79.145)
Funny you mentioned Nichicon FW. That series is one of my very favorite caps due to their sound quality. It's too bad they aren't available in more values. I much prefer the sound of the FW to the so- .......
224: Tube DIY Asylum, Question—- (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-07-20, 09:54:27 (98.211.79.145)
The preamp looks nice! I have a question though about your plan to replace the pot on the input with an AVC on the output. I have a Slagle AVC so I know it is a very good sounding attenuator, and it h .......
225: Vinyl Asylum, Great music! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-07-04, 07:23:53 (98.211.79.145)
I can't believe I don't have either of those albums. .......
226: General Asylum, Awful! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-07-03, 03:57:20 (98.211.79.145)
I just did a search there to see what the fuss is about. I agree with the other posters—this format is terrible! Just another example of how the owners of the Audiogon site are clueless about what the .......
227: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Preamp done but.... (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-07-02, 03:30:02 (98.211.79.145)
Try to find an Alps Black Beauty pot. They were discontinued a few years back but still come up from time to time. The Black Beauty is the best sounding pot I have tried, better than Penny and Giles, .......
228: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Theory vs practice (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-06-17, 14:13:40 (98.211.79.145)
I don't recall too many specifics about IRC resistors, but I do remember they were lacking in detail, too murky or opaque. I also remember that when I replaced an IRC plate resistor with a Mills 12w t .......
229: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Theory vs practice (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-06-17, 11:41:24 (98.211.79.145)
The only metal glaze resistors I recall trying are the 3w IRC resistors that I bought from Handmade a few years ago based on a friend's recommendation. I didn't like them at all. I built an amp that u .......
230: Tube DIY Asylum, Summary (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-05-31, 10:30:41 (98.192.205.60)
From my perspective, the posts in this thread can be summarized as follows: 1. If your circuit does not need a gridstopper, then don't use one. The circuit will sound better without a gridstopper. I k .......
231: Tube DIY Asylum, Theory vs practice (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-05-28, 16:41:25 (98.211.79.145)
There are lots of different opinions on the sonic effects of gridstoppers. Some folks say they have no effect on sound quality because there is infinitesimal current flow. Others say they do affect th .......
232: Speaker Asylum, RE: recommendations for dynamicap/infinacap (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-05-12, 11:35:53 (98.211.79.145)
Yes, I changed the crossover cap on the ESR-6 to adjust the crossover frequency. I ended up running the 80s without any rolloff on the highs and upping the crossover frequency for the ESR-6 to around .......
233: Speaker Asylum, RE: recommendations for dynamicap/infinacap (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-05-12, 10:08:02 (98.211.79.145)
I tried that back in the 1970s and it was a bust. While the standard ESR-6 crossover is nominally 1.5KHz and the FMI-80 internal crossover is nominally 1.5KHz, that doesn't mean you can skip the 80's .......
234: Tweakers' Asylum, Waste of money (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-05-07, 14:10:50 (98.211.79.145)
I tried some and thought they were junk. Very colored. Poor detail. .......
235: Amp/Preamp Asylum, RE: Eico HF 20 indirectly heated Rectifier substitute, any possibility? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-05-07, 04:01:43 (98.192.205.60)
Cathode stripping for audio gear is a myth. See my post below. It is definitely a concern with high power RF tubes but not with audio tubes like the 6L6. But as I said, if you want to try a 5ar4 go ah .......
236: Amp/Preamp Asylum, RE: Eico HF 20 indirectly heated Rectifier substitute, any possibility? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-05-06, 16:01:56 (98.211.79.145)
If you are dead set on using an indirectly heated rectifier, a 5ar4 is plug in compatible. In my opinion, however, the sound is better with a good 5u4gb. Your comment about tube life is what I really .......
237: Tube DIY Asylum, Ditch the input tube (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-04-24, 11:55:41 (98.192.205.60)
Given the excess gain, I would try pulling the 7C6 input tube and connecting your input directly to the grid of the 7N7 following C1. The NFB isn't affected since that runs to the 7N7 anyway. This wil .......
238: General Asylum, RE: Microwave soup (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-03-27, 13:24:01 (98.192.205.60)
As I recall, it was Heraclitis that said "You can't step into the same river twice." Things are always changing. Applying that to audio, I would say that perhaps you can't hear the same thing twice; n .......
239: General Asylum, Microwave soup (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-03-27, 10:09:59 (98.211.79.145)
Todd, I have had a similar thought for a number of years. It is only speculation but I wonder if the soup in which we live, which is chock full of microwaves and digital hash, is so pervasive that it .......
240: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, RE: Plans and documentation? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-03-23, 12:25:28 (98.192.205.60)
Joe, That's a great source of information on WE horns and baffles. Thanks for posting the link. .......
241: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: Thanks! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-03-23, 03:59:15 (98.211.79.145)
I appreciate your offer but I have it covered. Thanks anyway. .......
242: Tweakers' Asylum, Thanks! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-03-20, 13:51:32 (174.204.4.141)
Nt .......
243: Tweakers' Asylum, Anybody using AA speaker filter with tube amps? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-03-18, 15:02:40 (98.211.79.145)
I read over the plans for the RF filter mentioned a few threads below, and I noticed that the comments I have read regarding the filter seem to be using only solid state amps. I can see how a RF filte .......
244: Tweakers' Asylum, Thanks Rob! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-03-18, 09:15:48 (98.211.79.145)
Plans received. .......
245: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: Copy of plans? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-03-18, 03:04:31 (98.211.79.145)
Thanks! I sent you a pm with my direct email. .......
246: Tweakers' Asylum, Copy of plans? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-03-17, 18:39:30 (98.211.79.145)
I did a search in the AA Archives and found a number of posts dealing with the filter, but the links to the plans for the filter no longer work. Can you direct me to a link that works? If they are no .......
247: Tubes Asylum, RE: Telefunken 7dj8 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-03-17, 18:10:06 (98.211.79.145)
Thanks for correcting me. The ones I knew about were 7.0 but clearly not all. .......
248: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: ????????? about RIAA compnents (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-03-17, 12:32:33 (98.211.79.145)
Regardless of theory, the quality of eq components has a major effect on sound quality. I use Rel Cap TFT capacitors and nude Vishay resistors in the passive eq in my phono preamp. Of all the componen .......
249: Cable Asylum, RE: Robert Fulton (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-03-17, 07:19:55 (98.211.79.145)
You may be right about the 14+ foot length being the best sounding. In that case the 57 1/8" is a fraction of the best rather than the longer being a multiple. I actually have some even smaller segmen .......
250: Tubes Asylum, RE: Telefunken 7dj8 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-03-17, 07:05:28 (98.211.79.145)
The difference in rated heater voltage is actually just 0.7v (7.0 minus 6.3) which is just 10% lower than the 7v rating. The general recommendation from the old days was to run heaters at 5 to 10% les .......
251: Cable Asylum, Robert Fulton (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-03-16, 17:21:05 (98.211.79.145)
The real magic number is 57.125 (57 1/8) inches, according to Robert Fulton of Fulton Musical Industries. He is the one who somehow discovered that this length of wire, and all multiples thereof, soun .......
252: Amp/Preamp Asylum, RE: Audio Note Tantalum Non-magnetics Resistor (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-03-06, 06:44:14 (98.192.205.60)
I have tried a number of AN non-magnetic resistors---1/2w, 1w and 2w---as well as the 2w Silver Tantalums. In my opinion, all of the non-silver non-magnetics were unsatisfying; despite being clear sou .......
253: Cable Asylum, RE: Suggestions for DIY ground cable? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-03-02, 07:07:53 (98.192.205.60)
Duster, I can certainly understand some confusion and skepticism about why a ground wire such as Gutwire uses would make any significant difference. I tried something similar to that a few years ago a .......
254: Cable Asylum, Silver Litz (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-03-02, 05:47:38 (98.192.205.60)
Greg, The wire I mentioned that I found to be the best sounding ground wire for my SUT is Audio Note 20-strand silver litz. See link below. Each of the 20 strands is only 0.1mm diameter so the whole b .......
255: Cable Asylum, RE: Suggestions for DIY ground cable? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-03-02, 05:10:55 (98.211.79.145)
Greg, what type of fine silver wire did you like best? .......
256: Cable Asylum, RE: Suggestions for DIY ground cable? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-03-01, 17:10:46 (98.211.79.145)
That has certainly been my experience with the ground wire between my phono preamp and step up transformer box. I have tried a dozen or more different types of wire in that spot and they all sound dif .......
257: Cable Asylum, Suggestions for DIY ground cable? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-02-28, 11:22:06 (98.192.205.60)
I am curious whether anyone has experience building a ground cable similar to the Gutwire cables shown in the link. The purpose of the ground cable is to ensure a good connection between the system au .......
258: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Input voltage? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-02-23, 11:00:11 (98.211.79.145)
13.5 VDC should be fine provided there is nothing else wrong with the battery. For best sound quality, you should never have the charger plugged in while you're listening. When I had a battery powerin .......
259: Vinyl Asylum, Input voltage? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-02-23, 08:31:42 (98.192.205.60)
What are you using to power the controller---a battery or a wall-powered DC supply? If it is a battery, I would suspect it needs recharging since your problem sounds like it could be caused by a low v .......
260: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Is there any way to make this sound better? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-02-12, 12:02:16 (98.211.79.145)
The lower value resistors on the second tube (100k and 1K or thereabouts) lower the output impedance to better drive the eq network and the outside world (output cables and loading). Eliminating the c .......
261: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Is there any way to make this sound better? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-02-12, 08:07:02 (98.192.205.60)
Delete the 1uf coupler in the feedback loop. Just connect the RIAA network directly to the plate of the second gain stage. The caps in the RIAA need to be rated for the B+ voltage. I agree with the re .......
262: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: connectors?????????????????? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-02-07, 05:56:16 (174.204.39.39)
I can relate to this. I use hardwired output cables on my SUT. A few years ago I wanted to compare some different output cables and mounted some output RCA jacks—-first Cardas and then WBT NextGen. Wh .......
263: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Slagle attenuators (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-02-02, 14:18:03 (98.211.79.145)
Did you go the page I linked? Slagle now has a version with a single knob control. It's stereo so controls both channels. You can't get any simpler than that. My AVC "preamp" is a box with one knob; t .......
264: Tube DIY Asylum, Bad information on Slagle attenuators (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-02-02, 08:27:42 (98.192.205.60)
I recently bought a 47-position autoformer from Dave Slagle and it allows adjustment in 1.25 db steps across the full range. See link below. I haven't measured it but sonically the stereo image is ro .......
265: Amp/Preamp Asylum, RE: Audio Note preamps - pinging RGA (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-01-28, 10:47:41 (98.211.79.145)
Are you sure SH owns the M9? I think he has all of the AN equipment on loan. .......
266: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, Follow up on L-Pads (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-01-20, 13:16:43 (98.211.79.145)
Two weeks ago I asked for recommendations for a better sounding L-Pad, and one of the responses suggested using an autoformer instead. That prompted me to order a pair of autoformers from Dave Slagle .......
267: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: Cardas solder (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-01-19, 07:21:23 (98.192.205.60)
Sorry, I can't comment on how the Audio Note silver solder compares to WBT or any other solder for that matter. The only time I used AN solder was when I was attaching some AN spades to AN speaker wir .......
268: Tube DIY Asylum, Best advice (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-01-15, 14:51:05 (98.211.79.145)
The best advice in this thread is in the posts by Tube Wrangler. A 12AX7 doesn't need any special attention regarding vibrations especially with an outboard power supply. And the isolation techniques .......
269: Tweakers' Asylum, Cardas solder (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-01-14, 08:51:59 (98.211.79.145)
Your comment about Cardas solder sounding somewhat dark and lacking sparkle rings true with me. Even though I use Cardas almost exclusively, I have had a feeling that its only real failing is just wha .......
270: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: Solder, budget larger cap & coil values (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-01-14, 08:20:28 (98.211.79.145)
On a budget I like Kimber TCSS for tweeter and midrange wiring but not for a woofer since it is rather lean sounding. I don't have much experience with other inexpensive wiring so I can't recommend ot .......
271: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: Solder, budget larger cap & coil values (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-01-12, 13:45:47 (98.192.205.60)
I don't like the idea of a PCB for a crossover mainly because it is more difficult to swap out parts if you don't like a particular component or if you just want to try something different. Using tag .......
272: Tube DIY Asylum, "Knock your socks off." Indeed! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-01-06, 10:38:16 (98.211.79.145)
Dave's stacked Quads at the 2017 CAF driven by his biamped PP 300B amps did all that and more. Easily the best sound at the show. .......
273: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, Intact Audio (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-01-06, 04:04:39 (98.211.79.145)
Thanks for the link. I will look into some inductive attenuators for my midrange driver for sure. I am using one of Slagle's attenuators for my system volume control so I know what an improvement they .......
274: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, RE: Fostex R80B (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-01-05, 14:36:54 (98.211.79.145)
Thanks for the comments. I started with a very inexpensive L-Pad (not sure of the brand), and replaced them with a pair of Mills wirewound resistors which sound notably better. However, I miss the fle .......
275: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, Fostex R80B (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-01-05, 10:46:20 (98.211.79.145)
Interesting! The Fostex transformer attenuator looks good but is more expensive than I want to pay right now. However, I noticed they also have a conventional L-Pad---the R80B---which is affordable. .......
276: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, L-Pad recommendations (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-01-05, 05:47:41 (98.211.79.145)
I am looking for an 8 ohm L-Pad. Power handling is of no concern since it is for a HF horn. Any recommendations? .......
277: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Opinions please: looking for more powerful DHT SE tube (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-01-03, 18:36:23 (98.211.79.145)
The Hammond 1650R is a very nice OPT. I have two pairs of amps using them---one set with KT120 outputs and the other with either KT77 or 6L6GC. .......
278: Tube DIY Asylum, Schematic? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2018-01-02, 04:13:43 (98.211.79.145)
Is there a schematic posted with the final circuit you ended up with? The thread you linked is a very long one. .......
279: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: McCurdy AM405 schematic (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-12-25, 10:41:05 (98.211.79.145)
Excellent! Thanks for all the detail. One more question---do you know the impedance of the OPT used by WE? .......
280: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: McCurdy AM405 schematic (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-12-25, 09:04:12 (98.211.79.145)
Thanks. Any particular reason for choosing that Hammond as opposed to something else? Just wondering. The input/ phase splitter transformer seems like a pretty critical key to the circuit. ::: TOPIC:: .......
281: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: McCurdy AM405 schematic (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-12-25, 02:51:26 (98.211.79.145)
What input transformer did you use in your 133A clone? .......
282: General Asylum, RE: Highly reviewed (regarded) equipments that turned out to be disappointing (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-12-19, 19:06:20 (98.211.79.145)
Several come to mind: Threshold FET-10E phono Audio Research PH-1 phono Lehman phono Schick tonearm Symposium Ultra platforms Rega Planar 3 Olsher Blue Velvet linestage Duelund products--CAST capacito .......
283: Cable Asylum, RE: VH Audio V Twist vs V Quad for RCA interconnect (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-12-19, 08:32:43 (98.192.205.60)
I haven't tried the V Quad but I put a lot of miles on a 1m set of V-Twist cables and compared them to a number of other interconnects. I tried several RCA plugs on the V-Twist, starting with Switchcr .......
284: Tweakers' Asylum, The latest (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-12-19, 05:46:09 (98.192.205.60)
Well, I have to admit that the sound with my soldered connections has continued to improve. In particular, the added brightness that I noted after the first couple days is no longer an issue. I guess .......
285: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: Follow up on WBT posts (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-12-16, 08:26:28 (98.211.79.145)
If I notice any further changes, I will report back. But I doubt I could notice changes after 100 or 200 hours of music playing through them. With an all-tube system I don't leave the system running w .......
286: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: Follow up on WBT posts (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-12-16, 08:19:01 (98.211.79.145)
I have the woofer's choke lead connected directly to the binding post, i.e., no intervening connecting wires, and the choke leads are 14 gauge solid copper, not stranded. .......
287: Tweakers' Asylum, Follow up on WBT posts (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-12-15, 05:56:46 (98.192.205.60)
This is a follow up to my posts a few threads below regarding connections to a WBT Topline binding post, specifically whether the WBT setscrew or solder sounded better. The wires in question are Audio .......
288: Tubes Asylum, A travesty (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-12-13, 11:23:09 (98.192.205.60)
The amp and preamp shown on the website are about as far from a true Western Electric design as I can imagine. The pictures show they are chock full of Hovland film caps and the tube complement has no .......
289: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: Thank you.... (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-12-08, 09:46:07 (98.211.79.145)
The way I have been using the WBT so far is to use the setscrew to hold the mass of tinned wires in place. That seems to do a good job of forcing the wires tightly against the post, but I do understan .......
290: Speaker Asylum, RE: Original Altec 604 speakers vs rebuild (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-12-07, 15:42:53 (98.211.79.145)
Whatever this thread is, it certainly isn't a debate. More like an excuse for you to claim your Fultons are the best speakers ever made and to make incorrect claims about other designs like saying all .......
291: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: Thank you.... (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-12-07, 15:05:46 (98.211.79.145)
Actually it's a little more complicated than that. The internal wiring in the speakers is Audio Note Lexus (copper Litz) and SPx (silver Litz). One of the binding posts has a double Lexus hookup (96 s .......
292: Cable Asylum, some equipment does sound worse after break in (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-12-07, 06:54:04 (98.211.79.145)
Two examples are the ARC SP-9 (original version) and ARC PH-1 phono preamp. I bought the SP-9 based on all the hype and reviews (always risky) and discovered that it sounded great....for a week or two .......
293: Tweakers' Asylum, Thanks, that's helpful nt (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-12-06, 19:38:41 (98.211.79.145)
nt .......
294: Tweakers' Asylum, can you describe the differences? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-12-06, 18:47:20 (98.211.79.145)
You say the crimp and solder methods sound quite different. Can you characterize how they are different? Here's my concern---I have been comparing 4 different sets of binding posts on my speakers. Eac .......
295: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, RE: Altec 1.4 /Emilar 500's (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-12-06, 08:38:55 (98.192.205.60)
The TAD 4001 sounds really nice on the EH-500 horn, and so does the TAD 2001 with a throat adaptor. .......
296: Tweakers' Asylum, Thank you.... (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-12-06, 05:59:31 (98.192.205.60)
I appreciate the comments Duster and Bcowen. I will continue to use the setscrews instead of soldering the wires, and I will order some crimp sleeves to try as well. .......
297: Speaker Asylum, RE: Original Altec 604 speakers vs rebuild (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-12-05, 15:20:37 (98.211.79.145)
The 32 horn is not the limiting factor in the sensitivity. The woofer is. The design I used paired the 32 horn with a Jensen P15LL woofer with a sensitivity in the upper 90s and a 16 ohm load. ::: TOP .......
298: Speaker Asylum, RE: Original Altec 604 speakers vs rebuild (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-12-05, 15:15:29 (98.211.79.145)
The Altec A7 is another horn speaker which gives horns a bad name. Any speaker that uses an Altec 511 or 811 horn has inherent colorations that disqualify it IMO. They belong in stadiums, not living r .......
299: Speaker Asylum, RE: Original Altec 604 speakers vs rebuild (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-12-05, 14:15:38 (98.192.205.60)
The problem is you haven't heard speakers using good horns. The 604 and the Valencia do not represent the best of horn technology, not by a long shot. A good sounding horn does not have to be expensi .......
300: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: WBT binding posts--- solder or set screw? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-12-05, 13:50:35 (98.192.205.60)
Duster, thank you for the suggestion. I frankly never considered using crimp sleeves since it seemed that an extra layer of metal between the wire and the binding post would not be a good idea for bes .......
301: Tweakers' Asylum, WBT binding posts--- solder or set screw? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-12-04, 11:50:18 (98.192.205.60)
I have a set of WBT Topline binding posts that have a setscrew that can clamp a wire on the inside of the post. The wire can also be soldered. So far I have only used them with the setscrew. If I sold .......
302: Cable Asylum, RE: Belden DIY 8402 interconnects. (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-11-29, 04:34:02 (98.211.79.145)
The Belden is certainly an "ok performer" to use your words, but in my experience it has significant limitations. It is a great value unquestionably but if we disregard price it is not really competit .......
303: Vinyl Asylum, RE: A separate SUT or a phono preamp with MM and MC inputs (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-11-28, 09:56:09 (98.211.79.145)
What differences do you hear between the JT-44KDX and the 347AXT? I have used a JT-44DX for many years but have never heard another Jensen model. .......
304: Speaker Asylum, RE: Large Fulton users, here is the NEW mid-range replacement. (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-11-28, 09:48:19 (98.211.79.145)
What crossover frequencies did Fulton use for this driver? .......
305: General Asylum, Slagle AVC (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-11-10, 05:41:36 (98.192.205.60)
Richard, I understand your enthusiasm for the Slagle AVC. I recently bought one of his newer modules which has a 47-position control with 1.25 db steps from top to bottom. The steps are fine enough th .......
306: General Asylum, Good show! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-11-08, 08:00:02 (98.192.205.60)
I thought this year's CAF went off very well and there were a number of rooms with good sound. The three rooms I enjoyed the most were: 1. The EMIA room with stacked Quad 57s driven by dedicated biamp .......
307: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Agree! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-11-07, 06:00:43 (98.211.79.145)
My only exposure to Voxativ drivers has been at several shows, but the Charney speakers were perhaps the best sounding implementation I recall. I was surprised by how loud the 5" driver could go and b .......
308: Vinyl Asylum, Agree! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-11-06, 20:07:27 (98.211.79.145)
The sound of the stacked Quad 57s in the EMIA room was truly exceptional. It was the best sounding room at this year's show, in my opinion. The 3-way field coil setup in the Deja Vu Audio room was als .......
309: Cable Asylum, RE: KLE Opinions (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-10-20, 13:51:28 (98.192.205.60)
I tried the Copper and Absolute plugs on my tonearm cables. My Siggwan tonearm came with KLE Copper Harmony plugs and Cardas wiring which ran from the cartridge clips to the RCA plugs. I used the arm .......
310: General Asylum, RE: RMAF Day 1 Pictures (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-10-07, 04:18:29 (98.211.79.145)
Very nice Jack. Thanks for posting the photos. If you don't mind, can you try to get more information on the modified Thorens 124? Those details probably won't be covered by the other show reports. :: .......
311: Speaker Asylum, RE: AudioNote Speakers (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-10-04, 07:34:05 (98.192.205.60)
I suggest you post your question on the Steve Hoffman equipment forum. There are a number of AN fans who hang out there. .......
312: Cable Asylum, Another source for small quantities (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-10-03, 13:39:54 (98.192.205.60)
Take Five Audio in Canada sells 19364 with "deep cryo treatment" for CAD $4.95 per foot. .......
313: Tweakers' Asylum, SpeedyMetals.com (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-10-02, 08:10:57 (98.192.205.60)
Speedy Metals is my go-to source for all quick metal fabrication. Very fast and very reasonable prices. .......
314: Cable Asylum, RE: Hifi Collective in UK has it (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-09-30, 19:05:30 (98.211.79.145)
I don't know about an eBay store. Just go to their website and order from there. www.hificollective.co .......
315: Cable Asylum, Hifi Collective in UK has it (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-09-30, 17:27:41 (98.211.79.145)
Hifi Collective sells it in 1-meter increments. Assuming you are in the US, don't be put off by using them for mail order. I have placed many orders with them and they are a quality outfit that ships .......
316: Vintage Asylum, RE: Who Ever Got A One Cent Cartridge (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-09-26, 13:07:24 (98.192.205.60)
I bought an AR-XA turntable in 1969 and paid an extra $0.01 for a Grado XTR. The cartridge itself had a list price of $9.95! I am not as certain about the AR but I think its list price was $78 or perh .......
317: Vinyl Asylum, Try Facebook (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-09-10, 19:36:52 (98.211.79.145)
A few years back James could be reached via Facebook. He pretty much stopped posting developments on his website but remained active on FB. The last I heard he was still making Siggwan arms but on a v .......
318: Tube DIY Asylum, Agreed! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-08-24, 03:55:55 (98.211.79.145)
Copper V-Caps are my go-to coupling caps. I have tried lots of caps but IMO the CuTF caps are in a class by themselves. .......
319: Cable Asylum, RE: Jon Risch: tin plating is a "contaminant" (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-08-23, 13:20:25 (98.192.205.60)
People on Cable Asylum don't need no stinkin' measurements! (Sorry, couldn't resist.) Seriously measurements are not totally without merit for cables but mainly for cable designers. Simple frequency r .......
320: Cable Asylum, Jon Risch: tin plating is a "contaminant" (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-08-22, 12:37:20 (98.192.205.60)
The word "contaminant" is an interesting one because it fits with my description of WE and Duelund wire as basically filters. They filter out high frequency detail as well as deep bass which leaves ba .......
321: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, Private message sent (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-08-21, 12:32:39 (98.192.205.60)
Thanks for the kind offer. I just sent you a pm with email info. .......
322: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, Great info! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-08-18, 08:54:23 (98.192.205.60)
I have looked for specs on the P15LL for years and never found them. If you don't mind my asking, where did you get your information? .......
323: Critic's Corner, Agree! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-08-18, 03:04:40 (98.211.79.145)
I hope the ban is permanent and not just a suspension. .......
324: Tube DIY Asylum, Interesting,... (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-08-16, 11:54:38 (98.192.205.60)
I have never heard that before. .......
325: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: I want to make an EICO HF81 or Rogers clone, sans preamp (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-08-14, 06:19:03 (98.192.205.60)
Did you use the EICO output transformers? .......
326: Speaker Asylum, You guys! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-07-02, 10:49:22 (98.211.79.145)
You guys are too much! This thread now has 100 posts and all I can say is Why? This issue has been hashed out so many times that truly there is nothing more to be said. Nobody is going to change his m .......
327: Critic's Corner, RE: 6moons crashes (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-06-29, 06:11:49 (70.91.92.17)
I haven't had any problems with the website. However, I don't visit 6Moons very often these days because (1) the products they review rarely interest me, (2) the ads are intrusive, and (3) the explici .......
328: General Asylum, RE: What do you want from a show report? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-05-28, 03:10:26 (98.211.79.145)
Can you share details of the 45 amp? I don't see it on your system page. I have a pair of Fred's push pull amps and am very pleased with them. .......
329: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, RE: Petite Onken 414 & 802D + 32B (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-05-19, 12:46:46 (70.91.92.17)
Very nice Frank! I bet the speakers sound very nice. Did you try any other cabinets with the 414 before settling on Onkens? What volume are the Onken cabinets? Lastly, you said you are running the 414 .......
330: Tube DIY Asylum, Shunt zeners (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-05-12, 15:34:37 (98.211.79.145)
The shunt zeners in the power supply are dissipating heat and the heat is trapped inside the chassis. That is adding to the heat issues. .......
331: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: Carbon Fiber AC Outlet Wall Plate (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-04-25, 10:36:20 (70.91.92.17)
I am not sure what part of my comments you find "remarkable." I did say the Furutech outlet combo made a "significant" change in sound quality, just that the changes were not "all that major or dramat .......
332: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: Carbon Fiber AC Outlet Wall Plate (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-04-25, 08:15:25 (70.91.92.17)
I certainly agree with the advice to ignore trolls. This is just one of many, many instances in hifi where some people are willing to try a tweak and hear a difference, and others are not willing to t .......
333: Tweakers' Asylum, Burn in jig (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-04-25, 07:58:49 (70.91.92.17)
Making a burn-in jig for inductors is easy enough. Just take a resistor and connect it to one end of the inductor, and then connect the free ends of this series network to your amp in parallel with yo .......
334: Speaker Asylum, No problem (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-04-19, 19:03:43 (98.211.79.145)
From your other post, I figured our views were probably more similar than different. .......
335: Speaker Asylum, RE: Harbeth 40 clone (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-04-19, 12:03:34 (70.91.92.17)
I'm not sure what your point is. When I said a DIY speaker was not going to come close to a Harbeth, I meant close like a clone, which is what the OP was asking. I did not mean that a DIY speaker coul .......
336: Speaker Asylum, RE: Harbeth 40 clone (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-04-19, 07:07:41 (70.91.92.17)
As much as I like DIY, you are not going to get close to the Harbeth 40.2 with a DIY speaker. However, if you want to get something similar and spend a fraction of the retail cost of the 40.2, look fo .......
337: Cable Asylum, RE: Big +1 on the Furutech IEC inlets (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-04-12, 05:14:06 (70.91.92.17)
Good! Did you get the NCF Rhodium or the standard version? .......
338: Cable Asylum, RE: Big +1 on the Furutech IEC inlets (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-04-10, 18:06:17 (98.211.79.145)
I used the set screws. Like you, I would have preferred solder terminals, but I have to admit the screws seem to do a good job. My connections were still tight each time I checked them. And of course .......
339: Cable Asylum, Kudos to Duster (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-04-09, 05:01:09 (98.211.79.145)
In my post above, I neglected to credit Duster for his recommendation of the Furutech Silver IEC plug and the Gold IEC chassis inlet. His advice saved me the bother of trying lots of other parts befor .......
340: Cable Asylum, RE: Big +1 on the Furutech IEC inlets (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-04-08, 16:15:10 (98.211.79.145)
I tried the FI-06 Rhodium and the newer NCF Rhodium version, but I preferred the FI-06 Gold to either of them. Supposedly the NCF is a big improvement but not in my system. .......
341: Cable Asylum, RE: Speaker cable length (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-04-08, 09:14:52 (98.211.79.145)
I have never noticed any correlation between sound quality and cable length, but there have only been a couple times when I compared two cables made from the same wire and with the same terminations. .......
342: Cable Asylum, Audio Note and Ocellia (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-04-08, 07:18:12 (98.211.79.145)
Selecting a power cable is no easy task in part because the "sound" of a given cable is so affected by the type of IEC chassis inlet and wall outlet, which makes comparisons difficult to say the least .......
343: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, RE: Questions for Salectric and Lokie re P15LL (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-04-06, 13:19:42 (70.91.92.17)
Yes, that's right. My 32 horns have always been mounted in the same cabinet as the woofer, similar to the Western Electric 753. I started with the 414 woofers in a 3.2 cu ft cabinet, and later replace .......
344: Vinyl Asylum, RE: What would you do? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-03-24, 14:07:41 (107.19.189.60)
What I did was sell my extra table, a mint restored TD-124, for the simple reason that it didn't sound as good as my Galibier Gavia. I liked the IDEA of having two tables but in practice it always cam .......
345: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Improved Marantz 9?? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-03-21, 13:07:26 (70.91.92.17)
Circuit boards; big heat sinks indicating solid state stuff somewhere; generic quality parts on the circuit boards; horizontal mounting of all output tubes; cooling fans. No thanks! .......
346: Speaker Asylum, Very interesting comments (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-03-17, 09:52:39 (98.211.79.145)
Thanks for sharing your observations Dennis. .......
347: Cable Asylum, Gold vs. Rhodium Spades---Part 2 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-03-14, 13:04:17 (174.204.16.247)
A couple months ago (link attached) I asked about the sound differences between Furutech FP-201R Rhodium spades versus the Gold version (FP-201G). Since then I bought a set of the Golds, wired them u .......
348: Speaker Asylum, Nice layout (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-03-13, 13:30:14 (70.91.92.17)
Very neat and orderly with short leads for each connection. If I recall correctly, didn't this have some pretty severe HF rolloff? .......
349: Speaker Asylum, Audio Note (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-03-13, 11:46:21 (70.91.92.17)
Here's a link to a description of the Audio Note Kaisei caps. At the bottom of the page there is a hint of a true BlackGate replacement but it won't be available any time soon. .......
350: Speaker Asylum, RE: Alternates to Blackgate (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-03-13, 11:01:46 (70.91.92.17)
I have had good luck with the FK series, and to a lesser extent the VK series, but not so much with other BlackGates. .......
351: Speaker Asylum, Alternates to Blackgate (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-03-13, 07:30:20 (70.91.92.17)
The Blackgate WKZ caps still reign supreme as far as I am concerned. I am hoping that Audio Note will soon release its replacement for the WKZ caps and that it will sound as good as if not better than .......
352: Speaker Asylum, RE: "I tried the Wima DC Link caps in my electronics and did not like them at all" (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-03-12, 14:36:50 (98.211.79.145)
No thanks. No need to travel to Montana. I am quite comfortable using a single .1uf CuTF V-Cap as a coupling cap and unbypassed 100uf BG WKZ caps in the power supply. They give me the sound I like. :: .......
353: Speaker Asylum, RE: "I tried the Wima DC Link caps in my electronics and did not like them at all" (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-03-12, 13:44:31 (98.211.79.145)
Jeff, As you know, we disagree on the matter of parallel caps or cap bypassing. In my experience, a single very high quality cap always sounds better than a cocktail mixture of different caps, no matt .......
354: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, Email sent (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-03-12, 11:06:54 (98.211.79.145)
I sent you an email. Let me know if you didn't receive it. .......
355: Speaker Asylum, RE: "I tried the Wima DC Link caps in my electronics and did not like them at all" (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-03-12, 09:34:50 (98.211.79.145)
Power supply. The Wima caps were cold and unmusical even after lots of hours. .......
356: Speaker Asylum, Dyna A-25 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-03-12, 09:25:32 (98.211.79.145)
The A-25 is hardly a stupid design. I bought a pair of the original design in 1970, and the A-25 sounded great then and still does. This is not nostalgia since I have a second pair of original A-25s t .......
357: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, RE: Questions for Salectric and Lokie re P15LL (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-03-10, 16:57:07 (70.165.87.54)
What compression driver are you going to use on the 32 horn? I can send you some cabinet and crossover information later this weekend after I return home from a trip. .......
358: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: V-Cap OIMP Bypass Capacitor (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-03-08, 04:51:19 (98.211.79.145)
Duster, since you apparently like what the OIMP is contributing to the sound, you should try removing the MKP and running the OIMP alone. A 10uf output cap should be more than enough for even a low 10 .......
359: SET Asylum, Too bad you haven't heard one.... (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-03-07, 09:54:49 (98.211.79.145)
You might change your mind. Armchair theorizing can only take you so far. You are right about one thing though. It would be nice to have the input jack right next to the tube. .......
360: Speaker Asylum, RE: It's possible you could have corrected the suckout in the crossover region... (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-03-07, 09:19:30 (98.211.79.145)
I tried reversing the polarity. As I recall there wasn't much difference. The 6 electrostatic panels were angled for better dispersion and they were also open on the back. Perhaps those made the phasi .......
361: SET Asylum, RE: Emotive Audio Caeli 300B (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-03-07, 04:21:50 (98.211.79.145)
If you haven't already done so, you may want to reach out to Fred Volz and see if he has any updates for the Caelis. .......
362: SET Asylum, RE: Emotive Audio Caeli 300B (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-03-07, 04:06:12 (98.211.79.145)
The Caelis should be great sounding amps. I never had a chance to hear them but talked to Fred Volz about them a couple times. I eventually went with a pair of custom Vita amps and have been very plea .......
363: Speaker Asylum, RE: Suggestions For Cap Size With Monsoon Tweeter w/ Fulton FMI80 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-03-07, 04:01:35 (70.91.92.17)
I don't know anything about your ribbon tweeters but I have had a pair of FMI-80s since the 1970s so I do know something about them. The "crossover" is as you described---just a 6uf cap in series with .......
364: Tweakers' Asylum, Sound Anchors (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-03-07, 03:39:31 (98.211.79.145)
Another satisfied Sound Anchors customer here. I have two sets of SA speaker stands--a 3-leg stand for my Spendor SP-100s and a 4-leg stand (actually more like a platform since they're only 5" high) f .......
365: SET Asylum, A lot more involved than wire gauge (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-03-06, 04:32:58 (98.211.79.145)
Wire gauge affects the sound but it is only one factor. Stranded versus solid. Silver versus copper. Teflon versus PVC versus cotton. All of these are important to sound quality. The 12g Mil-Spec wir .......
366: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Copper V-Caps (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-02-18, 07:37:14 (98.211.79.145)
Fair enough. However, I would encourage you to try some CuTF caps just to see what they can do. I can't guarantee you will like them as much as I do, but I am pretty sure you will like them. Of course .......
367: Tube DIY Asylum, Copper V-Caps (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-02-18, 05:14:57 (98.211.79.145)
Mike, Have you tried Copper V-Caps (CuTF) as couplers? Not necessarily in a ST-70 but in any amp or preamp. .......
368: Tube DIY Asylum, Yep (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-02-15, 19:25:44 (98.211.79.145)
I guess it all depends on your reference point. If you are replacing a cheap Mylar cap, the Russian Teflon sounds great. But if you have a CuTF V-Cap available, you won't be using the Russian cap for .......
369: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: Coupling capacitor burn-in (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-02-12, 03:54:29 (98.211.79.145)
The volume pot is fine. That means your input cap has a load on its output so it will break in just fine with an input source (like a CD player on repeat) whether the amp is powered up or not. ::: TOP .......
370: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: Coupling capacitor burn-in (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-02-10, 08:28:53 (70.91.92.17)
You say this is an input coupling capacitor. Is there a resistor on the other side of the cap that goes from the capacitor output to ground? If so, there is no need to leave the amp on for the cap bre .......
371: Cable Asylum, RE: to get the best sound from these you must...... (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-01-27, 05:54:01 (70.91.92.17)
Where can you purchase this damping material? .......
372: Cable Asylum, RE: Looks like trouble in paradise (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-01-26, 11:49:39 (70.91.92.17)
For my DIY cables, I have several options for RCA plugs: WBT 0102 Ag, 1877 Phono ZSP4, Switchcraft and KLE Absolutes. However, I hardly ever use these since my DIY cables don't sound as good as the co .......
373: Cable Asylum, RE: Looks like trouble in paradise (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-01-25, 07:22:00 (70.91.92.17)
It is hard to justify the name "Pure Silver Harmony" for a model that is silver-plated. I had not heard those reports so thanks for sharing. My only experience with the KLEI plugs is with the basic Ha .......
374: Tubes Asylum, GL KT-77 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-01-25, 04:16:46 (98.211.79.145)
Mike, I will be interested to hear your comments on the GL reissue KT-77 tubes compared to the EL-34. The reissue 77's have been among my favorite tubes ever since I got them. .......
375: Vinyl Asylum, Follow up (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-01-21, 11:02:15 (98.211.79.145)
I just listened to both my copies again and here's what I heard. The old pressing (bought on EBay years ago for $9) sounds great---excellent tonal balance (just right to my ears), excellent dynamics, .......
376: Vinyl Asylum, Yep, it's the AP 45 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-01-20, 14:15:03 (98.211.79.145)
On its own the Analog Productions 45rpm sounds very good and of course the music is great. But to my ears my old 33 rpm copy sounds more natural and has more emotional involvement. .......
377: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Getz Gilberto (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-01-20, 09:25:21 (70.91.92.17)
I apologize if it sounded like I was attacking you. That was not my intent at all. I was complaining about reviewers such as Michael Fremer, Jeff Day and others whose favorable reviews caused me to bu .......
378: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Getz Gilberto (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-01-20, 05:53:06 (70.91.92.17)
A great record for sure! I have enjoyed my early pressing stereo copy for many years but decided to spring for a reissue on one of the audiophile labels after rave reviews by several reviewers. What a .......
379: Vintage Asylum, Beautiful! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-01-12, 12:56:47 (70.91.92.17)
That photo really brings back memories. I would have given anything to have a pair of J-Mods but just didn't have the funds. .......
380: Cable Asylum, RE: Does break in of a wire depend on the voltage..? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-01-12, 12:23:11 (70.91.92.17)
No, it does not take years to break in wire used with a low output MC cartridge. As I said in the thread below, I break in wires with line signal whenever I can, but with my tonearm wiring I just hook .......
381: Cable Asylum, RE: Break in with only a 0.25v signal must take years and years? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-01-12, 10:41:04 (70.91.92.17)
I break in my wires with a line level signal (FM or CD on repeat). .......
382: Cable Asylum, RE: Two comments (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-01-12, 10:34:24 (70.91.92.17)
For line-level interconnects, there are many cables I would choose over the V-Twist. Just from ones I have owned or used extensively, these would include Wireworld Eclipse (all versions), Wireworld Po .......
383: Vintage Asylum, RE: Fulton FMI-80 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-01-12, 10:02:35 (70.91.92.17)
I have a pair of FMI-80's although they haven't been used for several years. They definitely like a tube amp and I have had very good results with vintage push-pull amps like a modified Dyna ST-70 or .......
384: Cable Asylum, Two comments (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-01-12, 09:53:49 (70.91.92.17)
1. I doubt you will need any shielding. I have used unshielded wiring for my tonearm wires for years with no hum whatsoever (and with a 0.25mv MC cartridge). I would definitely try the wires first wit .......
385: Vinyl Asylum, Speakers in photo (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2017-01-04, 06:40:12 (70.91.92.17)
Any idea what type of speakers he's using? .......
386: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: Best "exotic" 2W resistors...? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-12-28, 06:06:56 (70.91.92.17)
Sorry for the delay. I just saw your post. I agree with you that the older magnetic AN tantalum resistors were a bit lacking in "air" and "snap." I would not say they lacked detail or deep bass, at le .......
387: Cable Asylum, RE: I have the Gold... (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-12-26, 08:53:00 (98.211.79.145)
I doubt it. The jumper wires use a 12g wire (silver-coated stranded copper) which is not lean sounding by itself (no spades). .......
388: Tube DIY Asylum, Yes! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-12-22, 12:16:27 (70.91.92.17)
I assume you mean a split-load phase inverter like the one in the Dyna ST-70 and many others. If so, I can say that the type of resistor does indeed make a sonic difference. I recently replaced some I .......
389: Cable Asylum, RE: Furutech spades---Rhodium vs. Gold (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-12-19, 11:39:01 (70.91.92.17)
I am also wondering whether having gold spades at one end and rhodium at the other end might give the best of both (or the worst of each). I ordered some Furutech Gold spades as well as some Xhadow si .......
390: Cable Asylum, RE: I have the Gold... (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-12-18, 03:48:27 (98.211.79.145)
Very interesting Tom. I believe I am hearing the same qualities in the Rhodium spades as you described. The midrange and treble are really nice--fast, detailed, and fully extended---but the bass is sl .......
391: Cable Asylum, Furutech spades---Rhodium vs. Gold (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-12-17, 07:37:56 (98.211.79.145)
I recently bought a set of Furutech FP-201R Rhodium spades. Now I am curious how the Gold version (FP-201G) might sound in comparison. Has anyone compared Gold and Rhodium? .......
392: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: How does CCS plate load sound vs Resistor load (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-12-17, 04:19:31 (98.211.79.145)
I use half of a 5687 in the second stage of my phono preamp, and I have compared CCS loading to a plate resistor several times. The resistor (10K Mills in my case) sounded very good, with nice detail .......
393: Cable Asylum, RE: Kondo Japan KSL-LPz vs KSL-LP (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-12-12, 10:53:14 (70.91.92.17)
Yates, I don't think there are very many Kondo fans on Audio Asylum forums, or even all that many Audio Note UK fans. You may try posting on the Steve Hoffman forums instead. .......
394: SET Asylum, RE: Which AC connectors do you use on Isis cables ? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-12-05, 12:23:25 (70.91.92.17)
I don't know what connectors AN supplies on the ISIS mains cables. I bought bulk ISIS mains cable and tried a couple different connectors before settling on Furutech F-11M Copper AC plugs and FI-11 Ag .......
395: SET Asylum, RE: What is your system Salectric ? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-12-05, 11:18:00 (70.91.92.17)
My system is not Audio Note. I have custom versions of the Emotive Audio Epifania linestage and Vita power amps. Details are on my system page. .......
396: SET Asylum, Audio Note Silver Tantalums (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-12-05, 07:43:26 (70.91.92.17)
I have tried the new Audio Note Silver tantalum resistors in a number of places in my electronics and they make such a positive difference that I would opt for them whenever possible. I was curious wh .......
397: SET Asylum, RE: Audio Note Conquest "Silver" vs "Silver Signature" (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-12-05, 04:14:07 (98.211.79.145)
What types of part upgrades come with the Signature version? I have ISIS power cords throughout my system and am very pleased with them. .......
398: Cable Asylum, RE: WE16g vs. Duelund 16g (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-11-18, 11:47:35 (70.91.92.17)
Interesting. I will give both of them---the WE and the Duelund---another try over the next month or two. I will be using them with Furutech spades as well as the bare wire ends I used before. ::: TOPI .......
399: Cable Asylum, WE16g vs. Duelund 16g (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-11-18, 07:47:48 (70.91.92.17)
Alan, I know you have been pleased with the sound of the Western Electric 16g wires, but I don't recall reading until now that you preferred them to the Duelund version. Can you expand a little on wha .......
400: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: Caddock MP series or other's similar thick film (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-11-18, 03:59:53 (98.211.79.145)
Tom, I don't regret trying the Caddocks so don't have any concerns about "steering" me in their direction. One of the great things about these forums is being able to hear of other persons' experience .......
401: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: Caddock MP series or other's similar thick film (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-11-17, 10:16:35 (70.91.92.17)
Tom, I can't speak for Andy but I can say what I heard when I tried the Caddock MP caps in my speaker crossovers (at your suggestion). To my ears, the Caddocks added an artificial sheen to the upper m .......
402: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: How about these? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-11-17, 06:50:39 (70.91.92.17)
Different people have different tastes but for what it's worth, I did try 1% silver micas in my phono eq but preferred the Rel-Cap TFT caps I mentioned below. Unfortunately my old source for the TFTs, .......
403: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Johnny Hartman. Once In Every Life (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-11-15, 13:35:21 (70.91.92.17)
Yes, that is a good one alright. I too have an early pressing and I for one would be very skeptical about the new version sounding better. That hardly ever happens in my experience. Others disagree, I .......
404: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: What is "silver" about AN silver tantalums? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-11-15, 13:31:47 (70.91.92.17)
The end caps and leads are made of silver. I saw a video somewhere in which some Audio Note engineers described the difficulties in bonding the silver end caps to the substrate. There was apparently a .......
405: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: I may need 5W.... (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-11-14, 14:33:32 (98.211.79.145)
In that case, I would use 12w Mills wirewound. Having recently replaced a Mills with an Audio Note Silver, I know the Silver sounds significantly better but if you need a bigger wattage the Mills is t .......
406: Tweakers' Asylum, V-Caps (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-11-14, 14:30:17 (98.211.79.145)
Back when I tried a V-Cap TFTF in my TIAA, the Copper V-Cap had not been released. In the years since, I have replaced a few of my TFTF coupling caps with the CuTF and I agree with you that the Copper .......
407: Tweakers' Asylum, Audio Note Silver Tantalums (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-11-14, 13:27:58 (70.91.92.17)
The new Audio Note Silver Tantalums came out a year ago, and they are now my top choice for a neutral tonal balance, excellent detail and transparency, and excellent micro-dynamics. The only downside .......
408: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: RIAA Network Cap Replacement (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-11-14, 13:22:51 (70.91.92.17)
For RIAA eq, I highly recommend Rel-Cap TFT Teflon caps. They come in 1% tolerance and have a variety of voltage ratings. I preferred the TFT caps over V-Cap TFTF in my tube phono, which is a very hig .......
409: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: A great album but they got "shafted" (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-10-27, 06:46:41 (70.91.92.17)
I didn't know that about the manager. There's a little history on the Wikipedia page. I lost interest in them after Linda LaFlamme left the group since her vocals were an essential part of the sound i .......
410: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Finished my amp project(s) (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-10-26, 06:11:38 (70.91.92.17)
Nice work! And there's nothing cheesy about "It's a Beautiful Day." That's one of my favorites. .......
411: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Schick vs. Siggwan (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-10-21, 15:13:04 (68.112.60.213)
James was still making the Siggwan as of a couple months ago, but he is no longer actively promoting it. I think he is just too busy with his full time job and family. .......
412: Vinyl Asylum, Schick vs. Siggwan (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-10-20, 19:29:13 (70.165.87.53)
If you haven't actually paid for the Schick arm yet, I would encourage you to contact James Grant of Analog Instruments about getting a 12" Siggwan. I owned a Schick for a couple years but sold it soo .......
413: Tweakers' Asylum, Unplug all unused equipment (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-10-17, 12:14:58 (70.91.92.17)
The simplest tweak I know of is simply to unplug all unused equipment. By this I mean unplug the power cords from the wall outlets (even if the component is turned off) and unplug all cables from unus .......
414: Tube DIY Asylum, Hammond 1650R (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-10-14, 04:35:12 (98.211.79.145)
Since it appears you don't already have an OPT, I recommend you get a Hammond 1650R instead. It''s 5K and rated for 100w. I have two amps using them right now and have used KT-88, KT-120 and KT-77 out .......
415: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, Another recommendation (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-10-03, 07:27:08 (70.91.92.17)
This is a great thread with lots of useful advice. Just to muddy the waters a bit, if we are talking DIY versions of Altecs, I recommend using a 15" Jensen P15LL woofer instead of the Altec 414. I sta .......
416: General Asylum, RE: Jerry Jeff Walker (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-09-29, 13:31:33 (70.91.92.17)
Can't say I am surprised by your story. It somehow fits the image I have of him. .......
417: General Asylum, Jerry Jeff Walker (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-09-29, 12:43:13 (70.91.92.17)
1st 3 tracks on "It's a Good Night for Singin" which are: Looking for the Heart of Saturday Night Standing at the Big Hotel Couldn't Do Nuthin Right On the original issue LP of course. .......
418: Cable Asylum, RE: Another comment on Duelund DCA16GA (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-09-22, 20:35:03 (64.134.66.12)
I have never heard a Supra cable in my system. I did hear an impressive sounding system at a dealer using Supra speaker cables but other than that no experience. .......
419: Critic's Corner, RE: Kudos to Art Dudley (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-09-22, 11:12:04 (70.91.92.17)
Thanks for the additional information Larry. I had wondered whether the amp was push-pull or single-ended, so I appreciate the clarification. It's just further evidence that both SE and PP amplifiers .......
420: Critic's Corner, RE: Kudos to Art Dudley (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-09-21, 19:32:56 (98.211.79.145)
Great observations especially concerning the Deja Vu room at CAF. There was indeed an "alive" quality that was present in that system and lacking in the other rooms even those with ultra-expensive mod .......
421: Critic's Corner, Dynamics (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-09-19, 10:14:47 (70.91.92.17)
I agree with you about dynamics. Vintage speakers, at least some of them, have effortless dynamics and this is a big factor in my opinion in why they sound so much more real than modern speakers. What .......
422: Critic's Corner, Kudos to Art Dudley (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-09-16, 12:03:59 (70.91.92.17)
Art Dudley's column in the October Stereophile "The Virtues of Vintage" is one of his best. He does a great job of describing how the sound of some vintage speakers, ones dating back to the 1940s and .......
423: Cable Asylum, RE: Discovery Cable (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-09-14, 16:27:54 (98.211.79.145)
Try to reach him by email through one of his Audio Asylum Trader ads. That's how I reached him a few months ago. .......
424: Cable Asylum, RE: Thanks for your feedback (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-09-14, 08:46:25 (70.91.92.17)
Thanks! Yeah, the Rat Shack CD player is a good example. Some others include Art Dudley's magnet wire interconnects that he wrote about back in the Listener magazine days; the Home Depot speaker wire .......
425: Cable Asylum, RE: Another comment on Duelund DCA16GA (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-09-13, 19:45:02 (98.211.79.145)
I used the Duelund wire in the same manner recommended by Jeff Day---the two wires with a slight twist around each other, maybe 2 to 3 twists per foot, and with bare ends. No solder, no spades or bana .......
426: Cable Asylum, RE: Kimber Kable's GQ-TCSS 4 Braid "GQ" Bulk.. home made into IC cables (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-09-13, 14:17:20 (70.91.92.17)
You're right. 7m is a challenge and unfortunately it's hard to get long loaners to try before you buy. My long cable from preamp to amps is 4m so I can appreciate the difficulty. At least your new cab .......
427: Cable Asylum, RE: Cable as component.. OK I spent 6 months rent. or one whole year of food on ONE pair of IC (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-09-13, 13:56:56 (70.91.92.17)
What cable were you using before the new Kimbers? .......
428: Cable Asylum, Another comment on Duelund DCA16GA (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-09-12, 09:31:00 (70.91.92.17)
I posted something a few days ago about my reactions to the new Duelund 16g wire. After I was done listening to it, I sent my Duelund wire to a friend to try. He has not followed the comments on the i .......
429: Cable Asylum, RE: V-Twist Construction Help (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-09-12, 09:07:59 (70.91.92.17)
When I made my V-Twist interconnects, I started with KLE Absolute plugs but eventually switched to WBT 0102-Ag. With each connector, I wrapped a small section of electrical tape a couple times around .......
430: Tweakers' Asylum, Your recommendation! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-09-02, 14:53:29 (98.211.79.145)
I got the idea of using those particular Furutech connectors from you, so thanks for the recommendation. It makes an especially synergistic match with the Audio Note ISIS mains cable. .......
431: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: My experience with the Furutech connectors... (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-09-02, 11:53:46 (70.91.92.17)
Alan, my experience with (non-NCF) Rhodium plated AC connectors was the same as yours. A couple months ago I tried some NCF Rhodium IEC inlets on my amps in place of the Furutech Gold inlets I was usi .......
432: Cable Asylum, Another perspective (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-08-29, 10:57:44 (70.91.92.17)
I have followed Jack Roberts' writings at Dagogo for some time and I have a genuine respect for his opinions. His priorities in sound reproduction seem to match mine pretty consistently. However, I re .......
433: Cable Asylum, RE: Belden 8204 rca IC ala Yazaki-san (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-08-18, 12:54:42 (70.91.92.17)
I assume you mean Belden 8402. I tried it with the shield connected at both ends and only at the "input" end, and overall preferred the sound with the shield connected at both ends. Lifting the "outpu .......
434: Cable Asylum, RE: Sure (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-08-07, 16:02:20 (70.208.140.82)
Just bare ends, same as what I used for the WE. .......
435: Cable Asylum, RE: Sure (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-08-07, 09:52:29 (98.211.79.145)
I received my order of Duelund 16g wire and the very first listening was promising. I am going to break them in on my video system so won't be listening to them again in the hifi setup until they have .......
436: Cable Asylum, Thanks! nt (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-07-29, 07:47:48 (70.91.92.17)
nt .......
437: Cable Asylum, Contrarian view of WE 16g wire (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-07-28, 07:18:15 (70.91.92.17)
As noted in some recent posts below, there have been a number of favorable, even over-the-top, comments about using vintage Western Electric 16 gauge wire as speaker cables. In the US this all began w .......
438: Cable Asylum, RE: Another skeptic (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-07-27, 13:31:57 (70.91.92.17)
I will post something about the new Duelund wires, but probably not right away. It takes time to get the full measure of a new wire especially considering break-in time. Several times I have made the .......
439: Cable Asylum, Another skeptic (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-07-27, 07:23:56 (70.91.92.17)
I have tried the WE16g (several varieties) and the Belden 8402 interconnect, and went through the cycle of being impressed initially but then disappointed. Neither is used in my system at present. Yes .......
440: Vinyl Asylum, RE: I agree (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-07-27, 05:54:14 (70.91.92.17)
I have certainly read about Magic Eraser but I haven't tried it due to the occasional reports of it damaging the stylus. .......
441: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Did you notice any odd smell when the LP was pulled.... (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-07-25, 07:49:51 (70.91.92.17)
No, I didn't notice any smell. I went back and sniffed it after reading about WD-40 but still didn't notice anything unusual. .......
442: Vinyl Asylum, Follow up re polish on LP surface (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-07-25, 06:24:06 (70.91.92.17)
A week or so ago I posted a question regarding a possible substance like a polish applied to used records by some Ebay sellers. In my case, I am pretty sure it was not the seller who applied the subst .......
443: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Could used LP be coated with something to disguise wear? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-07-20, 06:05:33 (70.91.92.17)
Thanks for the replies. It appears that some sellers at least do apply some coating to their LPs to make them look better even though this probably messes up the sound. In my case, the seller agreed t .......
444: Vinyl Asylum, RCM (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-07-15, 18:06:11 (98.211.79.145)
I plan on setting up the RCM over the weekend and giving this latest LP a thorough cleaning. From past experience I don't think that will make much difference but it's certainly worth trying. Thanks f .......
445: Vinyl Asylum, Could used LP be coated with something to disguise wear? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-07-15, 14:32:15 (98.211.79.145)
I buy used LPs on EBay fairly often and most of the time records are fairly close to the claimed grading quality. (Well, maybe one grade lower than claimed.). A few times, however, the LP sides are ni .......
446: General Asylum, Great show reports by Art and Herb (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-07-12, 10:05:54 (98.211.79.145)
Stereophile had excellent coverage of this year's CAF. Art Dudley and Herb Reichert not only visited many of the rooms, but they posted detailed show reports on Stereophile.com. Unlike most other onli .......
447: General Asylum, RE: removing low/high gain switch completely from SUT then preamp (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-07-05, 08:09:29 (70.91.92.17)
I am not surprised by the improvement in bypassing the switch. I noticed something similar with my SUT when I went from hardwired output cables to RCA output jacks. Even though the jacks were decent q .......
448: Cable Asylum, RE: Zavfino 1877 IC, anybody heard them? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-06-29, 07:10:17 (70.91.92.17)
I haven't heard any of their finished cables, but I did use the 33g copper 1877 Phono wiring for a few months in my Siggwan tonearm. The 1877 Phono wiring was very flexible and easy to install. It als .......
449: Tube DIY Asylum, Hard to answer but.... (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-06-18, 08:34:22 (98.211.79.145)
It is difficult to say with certainty whether monoblocks or a stereo amp sounds better. First of all, it is very hard to make a true apples to apples comparison using the same circuit and identical pa .......
450: Tweakers' Asylum, Agree 100%!! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-06-10, 05:58:52 (70.91.92.17)
I too hate Silmic II caps. I have tried them in both solid state and tube applications (cathode bypass caps), and each time they sounded very colored and unmusical even after hundreds of hours of use. .......
451: Vinyl Asylum, similar experience (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-06-01, 13:41:45 (64.134.127.3)
I sold a Schick tonearm in just a couple days and I could easily have sold 2 more to others who responded before I took the AA ad down. As a side bonus, I sold the Thorens 124 table shown in the Schic .......
452: Cable Asylum, RE: Any advantage to running balanced interconnects over a short (1m) run? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-05-29, 10:22:55 (98.211.79.145)
I don't think you will find any truly authoritative answer short of trying the same type of cable (well, as close as possible given the different connectors and internal wiring requirements) both ways .......
453: Cable Asylum, Good to know. Thanks! nt (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-05-21, 09:02:25 (98.211.79.145)
nt .......
454: Cable Asylum, RE: VH Flavor 4 connectors (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-05-20, 16:21:22 (98.211.79.145)
Duster, I am curious why you are recommending Gold connectors on both ends. I have read a number of your posts recommending the FI-11 Copper AC plug and Silver IEC plug. Is there something about the F .......
455: Vinyl Asylum, Art did not go far enough (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-05-18, 12:20:51 (70.91.92.17)
I nearly always prefer the sound of the original issue or early reissue of the albums I listen to which are mostly jazz recordings from the late 1940s through the early 1980s. Offhand I can't think of .......
456: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, RE: My New 414 In 614 With Azura 425 (Long) (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-05-15, 13:28:50 (98.211.79.145)
Great story Abe! You are obviously having a lot of fun on your journey, and the rest of us are having fun just following along. I especially enjoy the videos (and your taste in jazz). .......
457: Amp/Preamp Asylum, RE: not a Mullard (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-05-11, 17:39:40 (98.211.79.145)
I happen to really like the EF-86/12AU7 circuit. It allows the potential of Dyna's topology to be realized without concern for out-of-spec 7199 tubes. Frankly I think the ST70 doesn't get the respect .......
458: Amp/Preamp Asylum, not a Mullard (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-05-11, 14:59:09 (98.211.79.145)
Each channel uses one EF-86 and one-half of a 12AU7 so it's not a Mullard. I would bet serious money the circuit is basically the same as the old Triode Electronics board for the ST70. That board used .......
459: General Asylum, That IS over the top! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-05-10, 10:18:03 (70.91.92.17)
Do I need 2 for stereo? .......
460: General Asylum, Liked the turntable photos (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-05-09, 11:49:54 (98.211.79.145)
I only made it through page 7 of the photos, but I actually liked the many pictures of turntables and tonearms. What I don't get are the huge amplifiers and speakers with all the bling. Who buys this .......
461: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Question about Power Supply (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-05-08, 17:33:07 (98.211.79.145)
It is not a 150v supply. It is a 300v regulated supply with a voltage divider tap on the output to derive a 150v reference voltage for the heater supply. .......
462: General Asylum, RE: Equipment rack details? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-04-23, 09:21:14 (98.211.79.145)
Got it! Thanks for the information. .......
463: Cable Asylum, RE: Far more than 30 hours needed (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-04-23, 03:58:13 (98.211.79.145)
Just let the cables run 24/7 with a CD on endless repeat or with a FM tuner as the source. That's the only practical way to let the cables run in over a reasonable time. .......
464: Cable Asylum, Far more than 30 hours needed (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-04-22, 13:49:03 (70.91.92.17)
At 30 hours, your V-Twist cable isn't close to being broken in. Chris VH correctly called this for me. The cable needs several hundred hours before it reaches its fully mature state. In my case, I swa .......
465: General Asylum, Equipment rack details? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-04-22, 13:38:35 (70.91.92.17)
I really like the look of your equipment racks. Did you make them yourself? Can you share any construction details such as type of wood? .......
466: Vintage Asylum, RE: Heathkit AA-11 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-04-20, 05:46:17 (70.91.92.17)
Excellent! Thank you. .......
467: SET Asylum, Very reliable (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-04-19, 13:22:37 (70.91.92.17)
My SE amps have all been homemade, and each has performed flawlessly and reliably every time it's been turned on. No blown tubes, no sparks or other fireworks, and no noise. In fact, my 417a--46 amps .......
468: Vintage Asylum, Heathkit AA-11 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-04-19, 11:03:10 (70.91.92.17)
Mike, Do you have a schematic of the AA-11 you could share? I checked the usual sites and didn't find one. I am curious what makes that circuit special. .......
469: Tube DIY Asylum, Au contraire (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-04-16, 07:49:30 (98.211.79.145)
Heating an indirectly heated tube with AC does sound different from using a DC supply. Some prefer the sound with DC on the heaters; I prefer AC. But whatever your preference, there is clearly a diffe .......
470: Tubes Asylum, RE: Shuguang Treasure KT-120 or Tung Sol KT-120? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-04-11, 13:06:09 (70.91.92.17)
Interesting report. Thanks for sharing. I haven't tried Shuguang Treasures but my Tung Sol KT-120s have been chugging away for over 3 years and the bias voltage has been totally stable the entire time .......
471: Vinyl Asylum, Similar experience (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-03-18, 06:41:36 (70.91.92.17)
I can recall shopping in a record store in Washington DC in the mid-1980s when a sales clerk saw I had pulled out a new Red Rodney/Ira Sullivan record and he said "That record is nice but you should a .......
472: Tweakers' Asylum, Do you have a schematic you can post? nt (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-02-18, 10:41:27 (70.91.92.17)
nt .......
473: General Asylum, Frank Sinatra (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-02-15, 08:31:22 (98.211.79.145)
"That Old Feeling" in original mono from the mid-50s. The music and the sound are both sublime. .......
474: Tweakers' Asylum, RE: A plate upon which to build and isolate a crossover network (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-02-07, 04:50:50 (98.211.79.145)
The type of material the crossover is mounted on does indeed make a difference sonically. Likewise how the crossover components are mounted to the board is also important. Personally I think it is a .......
475: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, RE: Altec 416z remag/recone/replace (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-01-21, 09:48:46 (98.211.79.145)
If you like the sound with the vintage cones, stick with what you have. I suppose a remag would not hurt anything (although I don't know for sure), but a new cone from GPA will sound different and pro .......
476: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Nice looking turntable. (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-01-16, 08:39:57 (98.211.79.145)
Well, I think it looks nice. Despite the naysayers. The owner clearly favors a hands-on approach to audio and there's nothing wrong with that. .......
477: Vinyl Asylum, RE: DC Motor Speed Issues (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-01-15, 13:29:16 (70.91.92.17)
The drive system is fairly sensitive to several factors. The first step is to make sure that both the motor pod and the platter are level. Next, you have to experiment with different belt tension. Bot .......
478: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Finished it is........ (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-01-12, 05:29:26 (70.192.207.255)
One possible explanation: if your listening spot is equidistant from the side walls, it may have a null in the 60Hz region which will cause hum to be reduced somewhat in that spot. Likewise other plac .......
479: Vinyl Asylum, Yep, one of my favorites! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-01-10, 14:12:53 (98.211.79.145)
Great music and great sound quality. .......
480: Cable Asylum, High Fidelity vs. Virtual Dynamics (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2016-01-04, 12:41:09 (98.211.79.145)
Has anyone compared the Hugh Fidelity power cords to Virtual Dynamics? I would expect some similarity since the same guy designed them. I have Virtual Dynamics David power cords and am very pleased wi .......
481: Critic's Corner, 2 other reasons (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2015-12-30, 06:58:29 (70.91.92.17)
Two other reasons I rarely click on 6Moons these days, in addition to the ones you stated which I agree with completely, are (1) they no longer review gear I am interested in and (2) 6Moons is now exp .......
482: General Asylum, RE: Low RFI & High RFI Environments........ (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2015-12-25, 09:08:58 (98.211.79.145)
Good points and ones that have occurred to me as well. I would also add the omnipresent power line garbage due to computers and other electronic gear connected to the same power line. I have speculate .......
483: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: beware of dc (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2015-12-04, 03:47:11 (98.211.79.145)
The Artemis PH-1 used battery bias that way---in series with the grid of the input tube (6DJ8). .......
484: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Stephen Robinson's Izzy Wizzy (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2015-12-01, 13:39:24 (70.91.92.17)
I am not sure what transformers and choke Stephen used in his build, but there is nothing sacred about his selections. I used standard Hammond power transformers and chokes in my preamp, but my power .......
485: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Stephen Robinson's Izzy Wizzy (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2015-12-01, 12:24:56 (70.91.92.17)
The D3a/5687 is in a different league than the Shure M65. Even a scratch-built M65 like mine which uses pretty much cost-no-object parts has less detail and a smaller soundstage than the D3a/5687. Plu .......
486: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Stephen Robinson's Izzy Wizzy (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2015-12-01, 12:10:05 (70.91.92.17)
Just leave out the MC stepup transformer (TX 103) and you have a MM phono preamp. In my case, I use an outboard stepup transformer so the preamp itself is MM. .......
487: Tube DIY Asylum, Stephen Robinson's Izzy Wizzy (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2015-12-01, 11:44:10 (70.91.92.17)
Stephen Robinson in the UK has a great sounding phono design using a D3a and half a 5687 for each channel. The development process is described on his website (see link). Later versions are not necess .......
488: General Asylum, RE:1967---AR 2ax speaker (just one) (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2015-11-30, 07:57:04 (70.91.92.17)
Unfortunately in 1967 I could only afford one speaker, in unfinished pine veneer. My first audiophile stereo setup came a little later as I saved up to buy more gear. By 1970 I had an AR-XA table, al .......
489: Vinyl Asylum, Agree!! (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2015-11-25, 03:35:03 (73.212.47.159)
I agree with Tidycat's comments below. I almost always prefer the sound quality of older LPs, even reissues years after the original recording, as opposed to reissues on audiophile labels like Classic .......
490: General Asylum, RE: REVIEW: Durand Kairos Tone Arms (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2015-11-23, 17:53:58 (73.212.47.159)
A "more cost effective competitive option"? That pretty much describes the Analog Instruments Siggwan---a 12" unipivot made from a single length of cocobolo. For the past year since I bought a Siggwan .......
491: Vinyl Asylum, 1877 Phono (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2015-11-09, 10:14:45 (70.91.92.17)
I replaced the Cardas wiring in my Analog Instruments Siggwan arm with 1877 Phono wiring, and I am very pleased with the improvement in sound quality. It's not cheap and it takes a while to break in, .......
492: Speaker Asylum, RE: Crown ES-212 Electrostatic Speakers, Another Interesting Vintage Speaker (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2015-10-21, 17:57:00 (73.212.47.159)
Very incoherent sounding. The woofers and the electrostats sound quite different and there is a big hole in between them. .......
493: Whiner's Woad, You clearly don't subscribe to TAS (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2015-10-20, 11:58:22 (70.91.92.17)
If you get upset about a minor editing error in Stereophile (one which I caught myself when I read it last night), you would really get crazy reading The Absolute Sound. TAS is full of incorrect state .......
494: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, RE: Plastic vs. aluminum (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2015-09-25, 05:41:44 (72.82.62.16)
Thanks Joe. Your comments are very helpful. I actually have both the plastic and metal 32 horns and have used them both, but in different cabinets. Since the mounting dimensions are different, I have .......
495: High Efficiency Speaker Asylum, Plastic vs. aluminum (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2015-09-25, 02:43:23 (72.82.62.16)
Joe, Can you describe the differences between the plastic and aluminum versions of the 32? .......
496: SET Asylum, Thanks (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2015-09-17, 13:37:58 (70.91.92.17)
Thanks for taking the time to post your experiences and recommendations. This kind of sharing of information can be very helpful for others. And don't be put off by the negative comments in this threa .......
497: General Asylum, RE: I agree on both top selections. (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2015-08-31, 08:23:22 (70.91.92.17)
Good comments Larry. I find myself in complete agreement with each thing you said about the WE speakers, the Quads in the MyEmia room and the Voltis. I would simply add that the Volti Vittoras sounded .......
498: General Asylum, WE 757 (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2015-08-30, 18:30:14 (73.212.47.159)
Yes, I did see the pair of 757s on EBay. Not the prettiest looking but I think I could find a place for them! .......
499: Speaker Asylum, RE: Jantzen Wax Coil inductors or Solen Hepta-Litz? (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2015-08-30, 15:04:46 (73.212.47.159)
I haven't tried the Solen Hepta-Litz and I have never even heard of the Jantzen wax coil, so I don't have the direct experience you are looking for. However, I have tried the Jantzen 14g toroids and t .......
500: General Asylum, Siggwan tonearm (0.00)
Posted by Salectric on 2015-08-30, 14:51:29 (73.212.47.159)
I agree with you about the superb sound of the phono setup in the Emia room. Part of the credit has to go to the Analog Instruments Siggwan tonearm and the modified Garrard 301 table, but I suspect th .......
Found total of 500 records, Query: , Author: Salectric in All Forums, Time: 1 sec.