klinemj
Emo VIPs
Honorary Emofest Scribe
Posts: 14,689
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Post by klinemj on Mar 4, 2019 14:07:20 GMT -5
Since the review, I've lived with it quite a while and still really like its sound and love its ease of use (with auto-bias, it makes tube living easy!). I also have really come to appreciate how I can use it as an integrated amp or as just an amp. I mostly use it now just as an amp, with my XMC-1 in reference stereo feeding the tube amp. The trick I figured out to have a sub in reference stereo requires me to use the amp with the pass through (not as an integrated). And, I prefer my Maggies with the sub feathered in. Mark
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Post by vcautokid on Mar 4, 2019 14:52:58 GMT -5
I know somebody stop me. Ohhh, behave.
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Post by pedrocols on Mar 4, 2019 16:48:53 GMT -5
I know somebody stop me. Ohhh, behave. If I was you I would get some Bob Latino stereo tubes.
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Post by mgbpuff on Mar 4, 2019 17:31:56 GMT -5
I know somebody stop me. Ohhh, behave. If I was you I would get some Bob Latino stereo tubes. Really, Bob Latino does not make tubes.
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Post by pedrocols on Mar 4, 2019 20:09:24 GMT -5
If I was you I would get some Bob Latino stereo tubes. Really, Bob Latino does not make tubes. Excellent point.
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Post by audiobill on Mar 5, 2019 7:22:09 GMT -5
Just acquired TWO of these beauties, each amp is stereo with 140 wpc, or 280 watts as a monoblock. Along with my wonderful VTA M-125s, that makes 405 watts per side available, and 34 tubes glowing (plus 5 more in my magical VTA SP14 preamp). Driving Magneplanar 3.6/R and PBN Montana EPS speakers. Attachments:
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Post by cwmcobra on Mar 5, 2019 7:44:19 GMT -5
Bill, This is the over-the-top "tubeness" that I would only expect from you! 39 tubes? Do you have to specially air condition your listening space to keep the temperature comfortable, even in winter? Seriously, you never disappoint with your pursuit of perfection in the "Shiny and Warm" group. Keep it up!! Cheers! Chuck
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Post by donh50 on Mar 5, 2019 22:15:16 GMT -5
Over the top == ARC REF 750..
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Post by audiobill on Mar 6, 2019 10:08:21 GMT -5
At $55000/pr for the non-SE version, and required 220v outlet wiring, I'd call that one over the moon, not over the top!!
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KeithL
Administrator
Posts: 9,901
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Post by KeithL on Mar 6, 2019 10:59:48 GMT -5
Nawwwww......
Now, if you want to see a LOT of glass.......
Bill, This is the over-the-top "tubeness" that I would only expect from you! 39 tubes? Do you have to specially air condition your listening space to keep the temperature comfortable, even in winter? Seriously, you never disappoint with your pursuit of perfection in the "Shiny and Warm" group. Keep it up!! Cheers! Chuck
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Post by thrillcat on Mar 6, 2019 11:38:30 GMT -5
I had one of the Yaquin amps in my amazon wish list, my girlfriend came across it while Christmas shopping, and she enlisted a fellow AV nerd for help, and wound up getting me a Jolida.
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KeithL
Administrator
Posts: 9,901
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Post by KeithL on Mar 6, 2019 12:00:43 GMT -5
Probably a better choice.... and I hear the PrimaLuna's are quite nice...
Yaqin makes a huge number of different products and, while they all seem to be made pretty well, they vary considerably.
I had one of their small desktop/headphone amps once. I was quite impressed with the build quality...
It also sounded decent and used readily available tubes.
However, I also had the opportunity to hear a "set" of theirs - two SET monoblocks and a matching preamp. They were made with lots of machined aluminum - the construction was nice - and the price was reasonable - but there were a few design faux pas. There was actually no clearance to turn the Volume knob.... and the preamp had a really tacky red LED display which detracted from an otherwise nice look. I also thought it didn't sound very good at all - even considering my sentiments about how tube amps sound in general. (It sounded as if they'd deliberately emphasized everything I DON'T like about the way SET amps sound - the only way to describe how it sounded was "excessively syrupy and goopy").
I had one of the Yaquin amps in my amazon wish list, my girlfriend came across it while Christmas shopping, and she enlisted a fellow AV nerd for help, and wound up getting me a Jolida.
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Post by thrillcat on Mar 6, 2019 12:58:53 GMT -5
Probably a better choice.... and I hear the PrimaLuna's are quite nice...
Yaqin makes a huge number of different products and, while they all seem to be made pretty well, they vary considerably. This reputation is essentially why it was in my wish list and not in my listening room. I bookmarked it to remind me that I needed to keep researching, and it was somewhat of my baseline. Fortunately, my friend knows a lot more about it than I, and he had already done the research, and my girlfriend did the ordering. The Jolida is a really nice sounding amp. Nice build quality. I'd love more power, but for the 3% of the time I would actually use it, probably not worth the additional investment.
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Post by donh50 on Mar 6, 2019 14:48:06 GMT -5
Shoot, Keith beat me to it... I even had some conversations a few years ago with the principal of Atma-Sphere and still forgot to loop them in...
With top SS amps pushing $200k a pair I'm thinking Bill has a long ways to go...
I am not using any of my tube stuff now. I used an ARC D-79 for a long time, supplemented by a hybrid (tube front/MOSFET output) Counterpoint amp for a while, and ARC SP3a1 preamp. I need to sell the stuff... Sold the D-79 cheap, still have the preamp and Counterpoint, plus an old Eico amp. No more Dynaco gear in the house. Whilst I would not give up my current rig, there's is something to be said for tube sound, at least in the midrange where they really shine.
IME/IMO - Don
Fun factoid for tube freaks and geeks: The intrinsic distortion expansion series for a tube is factorial whilst for a bipolar transistor it is exponential. That means a tube technically has lower distortion all else equal. Alas, all else is never equal, and tubes rarely approach the performance of SS, at least for power amps. But for a turntable, having tens of volts of input overload means ticks and pops won't clip your preamp.
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Post by Loop 7 on Mar 15, 2019 14:07:34 GMT -5
Whoa, those CJ's look very awesome.
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Post by audiobill on Mar 15, 2019 14:42:02 GMT -5
Thanks, and there are those who maintain that looks don't matter!
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Post by geeqner on Mar 15, 2019 15:43:56 GMT -5
I remember seeing some nice CJ stuff in a local Audio specialty shop back in the 1980's -
The stuff I remember had rounded, chrome or nickel-plated cages around the tubes with a sort of Art-Deco look to it. Don't remember the speakers that they had patched into it at the time, but i DO remember that it was pretty friggin' schweet!
Lucky dog!
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Post by geeqner on Mar 15, 2019 15:46:50 GMT -5
Nawwwww......
Now, if you want to see a LOT of glass.......
Bill, This is the over-the-top "tubeness" that I would only expect from you! 39 tubes? Do you have to specially air condition your listening space to keep the temperature comfortable, even in winter? Seriously, you never disappoint with your pursuit of perfection in the "Shiny and Warm" group. Keep it up!! Cheers! Chuck Looks like something that someone would have pulled out of a rack bay at Mission Control in Houston: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MOCR_2_Building_30_JSC_angle_view.jpg...and I was going to ask Mr. Bob the same question about his cooling bill: "...chestnuts roasting over an open (rack full of tubes).... ;-P"
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Post by DavidR on Mar 16, 2019 10:42:37 GMT -5
I have always liked the CJ PV-5 Pre. Hard to find them with the phono section and they still command a high price (for an old unit).
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Post by boomzilla on Mar 19, 2019 5:47:23 GMT -5
And they accuse ME of being a troll! LOL
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