Post by cyto on Nov 29, 2021 18:48:26 GMT -5
I just got this a few days ago and thought I would post a short review. I also bought a refurbished basX A-300 which I don't have yet.
I have the PT-1 feeding a 6E5P 3wpc tube amp I built a few months ago. At first the sound was a little thin so I put the PT-1 and the amp on my bench and did some testing (I was a licensed electronics tech in the 70s). The tube amp has a transformer input with an impedance (Z) of 600 ohms and it needs to be fed by 500-700 ohms to sound best. Emotiva customer service told me the output Z of the PT1 was 1K so I figured close enough. I tested the output Z of the PT1 and came up with a super low 20 ohms, I repeated the test 4 times and got the same value. I originally wired in a 470 ohm resistor to the input of the amp and put a switch on it. So I could add the 470R when using a preamp, like Adcom, with 100R output Z. So I flipped the switch to add the 470R and the sound filled out. Awesome sound now.
I use a moving coil cartridge and have a SUT made with Cinemag CM-1254 transformers. I have used a lot of phono stages and have built many, the phono stage in the PT1 is VERY good, not the best I have ever heard but very good. I tried using the cartridge straight to the MC input and tried using the cartridge to the SUT going to the MM input, I preferred the SUT going into the MM input. There is a little less noise and the soundstage is a tad fuller.
I have an ERC-1 CD player and I hooked it up via RCA (ERC DAC) and optical(PT-1 DAC). After listening to both they are very close but I seem to prefer using DAC in the PT-1. Maybe the newer circuitry is better? I think they both use the AD1955.
I only tried the tuner with the supplied antenna and I live in an area surrounded by hills and get very poor reception. It didn't pull in stations very well. I have a Sanyo Plus 55 receiver (1979) that I use for radio listening but I have a power antenna on it. I am certain the PT-1 would have had better reception with it but I like old style analog tuners and will really never use the PT-1 tuner.
I thought the remote was easy to figure out, no problems there.
Overall I an super pleased with this preamp, particularly at the price point. Heck I paid more to get my cartridge retipped than I paid for this preamp!
My system:
Emotiva PT-1 preamp
6E5P 3wpc amp
Sanyo Plus 55 receiver modified with preamp outputs
Technics SL1200-M3D with Origin Live tonearm, Hana SL cartridge retipped by Andy Kim with ML stylus, external PSU, Ian MAC bearing, isonoe feet
Emotiva ERC-1 CD player
Nakamichi CR-1A cassette
1981 Klipsch La Scalas with A-4500 battery biased crossovers and Crites CT-120 tweeters
I have the PT-1 feeding a 6E5P 3wpc tube amp I built a few months ago. At first the sound was a little thin so I put the PT-1 and the amp on my bench and did some testing (I was a licensed electronics tech in the 70s). The tube amp has a transformer input with an impedance (Z) of 600 ohms and it needs to be fed by 500-700 ohms to sound best. Emotiva customer service told me the output Z of the PT1 was 1K so I figured close enough. I tested the output Z of the PT1 and came up with a super low 20 ohms, I repeated the test 4 times and got the same value. I originally wired in a 470 ohm resistor to the input of the amp and put a switch on it. So I could add the 470R when using a preamp, like Adcom, with 100R output Z. So I flipped the switch to add the 470R and the sound filled out. Awesome sound now.
I use a moving coil cartridge and have a SUT made with Cinemag CM-1254 transformers. I have used a lot of phono stages and have built many, the phono stage in the PT1 is VERY good, not the best I have ever heard but very good. I tried using the cartridge straight to the MC input and tried using the cartridge to the SUT going to the MM input, I preferred the SUT going into the MM input. There is a little less noise and the soundstage is a tad fuller.
I have an ERC-1 CD player and I hooked it up via RCA (ERC DAC) and optical(PT-1 DAC). After listening to both they are very close but I seem to prefer using DAC in the PT-1. Maybe the newer circuitry is better? I think they both use the AD1955.
I only tried the tuner with the supplied antenna and I live in an area surrounded by hills and get very poor reception. It didn't pull in stations very well. I have a Sanyo Plus 55 receiver (1979) that I use for radio listening but I have a power antenna on it. I am certain the PT-1 would have had better reception with it but I like old style analog tuners and will really never use the PT-1 tuner.
I thought the remote was easy to figure out, no problems there.
Overall I an super pleased with this preamp, particularly at the price point. Heck I paid more to get my cartridge retipped than I paid for this preamp!
My system:
Emotiva PT-1 preamp
6E5P 3wpc amp
Sanyo Plus 55 receiver modified with preamp outputs
Technics SL1200-M3D with Origin Live tonearm, Hana SL cartridge retipped by Andy Kim with ML stylus, external PSU, Ian MAC bearing, isonoe feet
Emotiva ERC-1 CD player
Nakamichi CR-1A cassette
1981 Klipsch La Scalas with A-4500 battery biased crossovers and Crites CT-120 tweeters
