Jerry's ongoing system blog

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karatestu
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Re: Jerry's ongoing system blog

Unread post by karatestu »

That's some serious heat sinkage you got there Jerry. :dance:
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jandl100
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Re: Jerry's ongoing system blog

Unread post by jandl100 »

New power amp - PrimaLuna Prologue 5.

The clever autobiasing arrangement means that it's plug&play for a wide variety of power valve types - KT88, 6550, EL34, 5881, KT90, KT77, KT66. Fun will be had with that capability. :dance:

It came fitted with Edicron 6550WE, and JAN 12ax7 and 12au7 input valves.
First impressions are -- very nice. An obviously 'different' presentation to the 2x Apart Champ 2 solid state powerhouses, which is a good thing. There's no point in having different amps if they all sound the same!

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So, the Cunning Plan is pretty much complete - excellent power amps in the 4 main flavours now reside chez moi, - valve (PrimaLuna), solid state class A/B (Apart, even if they do call it class G), solid state class A (LP Spirit / Pass Labs) and solid state class D (TPA3116).
I hope they are all keepers for at least the medium term. :grin:
Jerry - unrepentant boxswapper 8-) Life's too short for boring hifi !

Current system ... MBL 116F speakers, ... various and varying electronics and cables ... Laptop (TIDAL hirez)

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Re: Jerry's ongoing system blog

Unread post by jandl100 »

I'm going distinctly backwards in terms of DAC technology.

As of this post I am totally won over by the DAC in this 20 year old beast.

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A Lexicon DC-1 DAC/pre/processor.
Used in 2 channel mode it's as transparent, detailed and enjoyably musical as anything I have heard.
A delta sigma DAC, I think.
Daft, really. Maybe it's not what you've got, it's the way that you use it.
Jerry - unrepentant boxswapper 8-) Life's too short for boring hifi !

Current system ... MBL 116F speakers, ... various and varying electronics and cables ... Laptop (TIDAL hirez)

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Re: Jerry's ongoing system blog

Unread post by karatestu »

I agree Jerry. I also think you don't have to have the latest offerings (which are much hyped) to bring yourself musical satisfaction :dance:
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Re: Jerry's ongoing system blog

Unread post by jandl100 »

Yes, hearing the 20yo Lexicon makes me realise that chasing the "ever-improving" latest digital tech is an expensive exercise in futility - it's just an attempt to get us suckers to part with our £££ every year to get the latest specification improvement. Actually, I suspect that often enough it takes us backwards - I've heard many recent DACs that don't sound half as good as the Lexicon.
Jerry - unrepentant boxswapper 8-) Life's too short for boring hifi !

Current system ... MBL 116F speakers, ... various and varying electronics and cables ... Laptop (TIDAL hirez)

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Re: Jerry's ongoing system blog

Unread post by jandl100 »

A recently purchased headphone amp by the sadly now defunct Epiphany Acoustics is working out very well.

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Epiphany Acoustics E-HP-O2

Lots of good reviews and awards won.

The reviews are right; effortlessly powerful, bold, controlled and transparent, brimming with detail. It really is very good.

Battery powered with 2 rechargeable PP3 - fresh ones inserted on arrival - intended as a portable device, all connections are on the front panel, which makes it a bit clumsy for desktop use where rear inputs would be tidier. Still, it sounds great. :dance:
Jerry - unrepentant boxswapper 8-) Life's too short for boring hifi !

Current system ... MBL 116F speakers, ... various and varying electronics and cables ... Laptop (TIDAL hirez)

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Re: Jerry's ongoing system blog

Unread post by slinger »

Are you heading down the "vintage" path again, Jerry? What with the Lexicon and now this. Even the Champ-2s look a lot like something from a bygone age.
Amps - NVA P50, AP30, A40, Stanislav Palo Tube Headphone Amp BB 85
Speakers - Monitor Audio Silver RX2
Cables - NVA LS1+LS3, SSC, Gotham S/PDIF, IBRA Optical
Digital - NAD C516BEE, SONY ST-SDB900 DAB TUNER, TEAC UD-H01 DAC
Analogue - Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Esprit SB, Graham Slee Gram Amp 2 Phono
Cans - Grado SR80, ATH-M50X

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Re: Jerry's ongoing system blog

Unread post by jandl100 »

Not intentionally, Paul.
The Epiphany amp must be between 5 and 8 years old, I guess, not exactly vintage.
The APart amps are more recent than that, I think.
- I do rather like the no-nonsense fff designs. :geek:
Although a bit of bling can be well received as well. 8-)

I just go where the whim of the moment takes me. :grin:
Jerry - unrepentant boxswapper 8-) Life's too short for boring hifi !

Current system ... MBL 116F speakers, ... various and varying electronics and cables ... Laptop (TIDAL hirez)

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Re: Jerry's ongoing system blog

Unread post by slinger »

jandl100 wrote: Fri Feb 07, 2020 11:46 am Not intentionally, Paul.
...

I just go where the whim of the moment takes me. :grin:
Never a truer word was spoken, Jerry. :lol:
I suppose I meant more in looks than in the actual date of the kit.
Amps - NVA P50, AP30, A40, Stanislav Palo Tube Headphone Amp BB 85
Speakers - Monitor Audio Silver RX2
Cables - NVA LS1+LS3, SSC, Gotham S/PDIF, IBRA Optical
Digital - NAD C516BEE, SONY ST-SDB900 DAB TUNER, TEAC UD-H01 DAC
Analogue - Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Esprit SB, Graham Slee Gram Amp 2 Phono
Cans - Grado SR80, ATH-M50X

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Re: Jerry's ongoing system blog

Unread post by jandl100 »

Ooo, look what's just arrived.

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Beyerdynamic T90

Open back, which I haven't tried for a while - actually, they don't seem to leak too badly.

Very open and detailed, perhaps a little lean on first listen - but I suspect I need to adjust to the open back sound having been a closed devotee for the last little while since the Grado PS1000 were moved on.

Cumfy, too.
Jerry - unrepentant boxswapper 8-) Life's too short for boring hifi !

Current system ... MBL 116F speakers, ... various and varying electronics and cables ... Laptop (TIDAL hirez)

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