Single Ended Journey

by ddriveman on Opinions Please
1st Soul of my system
The Voice of my System
The Heart of my System
The BackBone of my System
The System_2014
2nd Soul of my System
Backup SET amp
3rd Backup amp
Sold

Description

Single Fullrange Driver and Single Ended Triode approach to music reproduction. Why?

I like the immediacy, transparency, tone & timbre, naturalness, presence and richness of low powered direct heated single ended triode amps (with preferably single plate triode power tubes). Because these amps typically have low power (typically 3-4 watts or less), I have to use high efficiency speakers and I prefer full range single drivers to meet this need - for their coherence, speed and naturalness that they bring as compared to multi-way driver systems (typically and IMHO). The Feastrex drivers are simply amazing and I do believe one of the best available full range drivers, if not the best. No peakiness, smooth yet lively, very fast and dynamic (especially the field-coil versions) and the best bass from a fullranger ever. The field coil versions are significantly better than the Alnico versions and the 9 inch versions are very dynamic and capable of rendering large orchestral works in their full majesty. I use a pair of REL 218 subs to get me bass below 40Hz and it's a great combo.

Digital FrontEnd: The Zanden DAC needs no introduction. I use the 47 Labs Flatfish transport as I like its simple approach and musical sound. With the improved clock mods and battery power supply, this CD transport really becomes very good. See 2018 updates.

Analog Source: the Galibier Gavia TT is very quiet, musical, dynamic and transparent. The AudioCraft AC4000 arm with the Technics EPC-P100C MkIV MM cartridge gives great tracking, good dynamics with neutral and wide bandwidth plus good detail and great soundstage. The FR-7F MC cartridge with Micro Seiki MAX282 arm gives me a slightly more organic, richer sound compared to the AC4000/Technics EPC-P100C combo. The SP10mk3 is new to my system and is now my reference. Great PART, dynamics yet very neutral and very transparent. The FR7fz and Ikeda 9CIII cartridge brings a certain natural, organic sound to my system. Deciding which cartridge/arm combo is not easy. Each has its strengths. See 2018 updates.

Phono and PreAmp: My Essential 3160 PhonoPreamp has added more transparency, better details, improved soundstaging and also greater flexibility (Seperate MM and MC stages, phase invert and mono switch etc) to my system. Very neutral yet musical preamp. My first solidstate amp/device but its all class A, dual mono, simple output stage, balanced mode and current drive mode. Added the Wavac LCR-X2 phonostage. Wow! Brings my analog front end up a big notch. Now making me itch for a tube linestage to match. And added Wavac PR-T1 preamp.

PowerAmps: The First Watt SIT-2, Fi 421a and DIYHiFiSupply LD91MonoMax are better SET amps that what I had before, giving increasing transparency and resolution and also improved bass response and extension. These 3 amps are closer to each other than one would think but they each have their respective strenghts and I could live with any of them. In rotation but if I had to pick an order of preference, this would be the LD91 MonoMax followed by the SIT-2 and then the Fi421a. Just added Berning's New 300B SET ZOTL amp. Liking this very much. The most transparent of my amps but very very dynamic, fast and with great tone and timbre. Very sensitive to the tubes used. Now rolling tubes trying to find the best combinations. My new reference amp. Done rolling tubes. This is clearly the best amp ever in my system.

Overall: My system gives me great immediacy, naturalness and presence, realistic tone/timbre, fine transparency and resolution (shows up any tweak/changes easily and clearly) and above all great musicality. Weaknesses are in the room, which have high ceilings. I have tried to improve the room acoustics (with quite some success I must add) using Acoustic Revive's QR-8 quartz resonators all over the room & windows, Shakti Hallographs (in the corners behind the speakers) and a pair of Acoustic Revive's RWL-3 acoustic panels (placed behind the speakers). Also using Acoustive Revive RR-888 (1pc) and 2pcs of RR-777.

I listen mainly to jazz, R&B and some classics, a little rock & some reggae.
Read more...

Components Toggle details

    • 47 Labs FlatFish Mk 2 CD Transport: Charney batt PSU & Upgraded Clock
    Minimalist but musical CD transport. Ergonomically a pain to use but with great sound. Very smooth and analog sounding. Upgraded this by replacing the stock Dumpty power supply with a Brian Charney battery powered PSU. This battery PSU is so much better - better bass, soundstage and dynamics - a huge improvement. Really gives the FlatFish a significant improvement - like a new CD transport. Highly recommended. Also, the Flatfish was upgraded by Brian Charney with an AudioComm SuperClock 4 and other upgraded components. This transport now has greater dynamics and jitter has been reduce such that I no longer use the Altmann DeJitter.
    Upgraded with the Chord Blu Mk2 which is a must in combination with the Chord DAVE to bring out the best in each other.
    • Zanden 5000 MkIV DAC
    Zero sampling, no digital filter, tube DAC. Very analogue like and musical. Smooth with great tone and timbre. Upgraded with Gold Lion 6X4 and 6CA4 tube rectifiers and Mullard/Amperex E88CC Holland D Getter pinch waist tube. Also using an Acoustic Revive grounding conditioner.
    Upgraded to Chord DAVE DAC with Chord Blu Mk2 Cd transport and upsampler. This combination is the best digital so far in my system. Still keeping the Zanden 5000DAC because of its unique organic sound.
    • Galibier Gavia TT with Durand Talea 2 tonearm
    Heavy mass loaded base with heavy Aluminium platter coupled with an integrated graphite mat driven by a wide mylar tape belt using a precision DC motor powered by a 12vDC SLA battery. Very quiet and transparent with good soundstage. Dynamic, good bass and excellent PRAT. This is a belt drive TT with dynamics and PRAT of a direct drive/idler drive but with the quietness and transparency of a good belt drive. Can use 2 tonearms; Typically a Micro Seiki MAX282 (3 armwands)and a Fidelity Research FR66s updated with new Silver internal wiring. Also have a AudioCraft AC4000 LTD (silver) and a Durand Talea II tonearms. My Gavia has the latest large block armboard with micro-P2S adjustments. Updated with new DC motor & controller and new belt. All cartridges are setup using the Mint LP Arc Protractors and/or Uni Protractor system.
    • Technics SP10mk3 + Porter plinth FR66s. Fully serviced and rewired with new Silver wires and Rhodium connectors by Ikeda
    SP10mk3. Totally refurbished (new caps, IEC power socket, calibration, new IC) and upgraded with revised Richard Krebs mods by Bill Thalmann of Music Technology.
    Also fitted with the SDP (Special Decoupled Platter w/isolated spindle)
    platter by Acoustical Systems. The SDP brings a further refinement, expanded soundstage to the SP10mk3
    • ViV Laboratory Rigid Float 9 inch
    An amazing arm. Just sits on the plinth, no offset angle, easy to setup and sounds quite amazing. Highly Recommended.
    • Technics EPC-P100C MkIV MM cartridge
    Low Output Moving Magnet Cartridge. Very good tracking ability, smooth sounding with lots of details.
    • AKG P100LE MM cartridge
    Very good cartridge even though its an MM.
    • Koetsu Coralstone Diamond Platinum
    The Coralstone Platinum was my favorite cartridge. Amazing. Very palpable and musical. Check out the shootout review in my threads.
    Now upgraded to Diamond Cantilever version. Added detail and transparency. Excellent.
    • Various MC/MM/MI: SPU Gold, Koetsu Onyx Plt, FR7Fz, Ikeda 9CIII
    Here are some of the cartridges in my possession besides the Technics EPC-P100C mk4 and AKG P100LE. (Not in any order of priority): (1) Ortofon SPU Silver Meister Mk2 run nude. Very dynamic and sounds better without its integrated headshell. I have a custom made Gun-Metal adaptor for mounting into a standard headshell. Works well with my Fidelity Research FR-66s arm. Sold and bought SPU Gold which is better all around. Just bought a used SPU 85th Anniversary and this is even better. (2) Sold my SPU Mono GM and bought Miyajima ZERO - my new reference mono cartridge. (3) Fidelity Research Fr-7fz and Fr-7f - the Fr-7FRz is better. Detailed, transparent, smooth, lush and musical. Very heavy cartridge but works well with my MAX282 with heavy J arm(XP282Au) or FR66s. (4) Ikeda 9CIII. Cantileverless cartridge. Great cart. Very immediate sounding. I'm looking for the Ikeda 9R as a result. (5)Audiocraft AC-3 MC. This is a very nice cart and will give new $$ carts a run for their money (6) Fidelity Research PMC-3 MC. Cheaper and later relative to the FR-7. Nice for its price, similar house sound to the FR-7 but not quite up to the Fr-7f in terms of transparency and resolution. (7) Denon DL-103D. Ceramic body. MC(8) Satin M18BX, quadrophonic MC with berylium cantilever. (9)MM cartridges: Acutex 412STR, Stanton 881s, MM cartrdige with JICO shibata stylus, B&O MMC1 & MMC2, Azden YM-P50VL (A couple of friends whose ears I trust have tried it and both like it very much), Andante P-76, Empire 4000D Mk3, Technic EPC-P205C Mk3, MM cartridge, Glanz M71E, AKG P8ES. I have not heard them all but hopefully...one day... Just added a Transfiguration Proteus MC cartridge, my first new contemporary MC cartridge in a long time. But sold to upgrade to a Koetsu Coralstone Diamond Platinum which I really, really like.
    • Wavac LCR-X2 Phonostage
    Tube LCR phonostage. Best phonostage I have yet encountered. Big, spacious, palpable sound with lots of presence and dynamics.
    • J&R Essential 3160 phono+linestage
    This is a dual mono, Class A, no feedback, solid State Fully Balanced Phono Preamplifier. Phono Stage uses balanced input from the cartridge. Enough gain for use with low output MC to not require step-up transformer (60db). Have completely seperate MM and MC phono stages. Sublime, detail, smooth, neutral, natural tones and very dynamic.
    Now upgraded to Wavac PR-T1 preamp. Better.
    • Tribute Inductive Volme Control
    Bought a passive inductive volume control from Tribute. This is a stereo unit. Put it into a DIY case with 4 RCA inputs using Silver Neotech internal cabling. Very transparent yet quite dynamic sounding preamp. In fact, its probably the most transparent preamp in my collection. Very pure sounding, yet smooth, dynamic and very musical. Needs to have enough gain from your source to your power amp to bring out it's best and need to match the source and power amps impedances. Once you can do this, it's very good and probably the best value in a preamp. Works great with my Wavac phono and Zanden DAC into my Berning 300B ZOTL amp. This combo is now becoming my favorite. Used to have the Bent Audio TX-102 Silver TVC. I think the Tribute is better. More organic sounding and more musical.
    • Berning 300B ZOTL (New Siegfried)
    It's a new version of Berning's famous Siegfried 300B/811 ZOTL amp. Dave B. told me he likes this better than the original Siegfried 300B. He says it sounds better. This is Serial #3. He only builds on special request. Hence, it is built like a DIY amp and is very simple/DIY looking. It's a pair of 300B driven by 6SN7 (2pcs), 12au7 (1pc) and 6au6(2pc) tubes. Stereo single chassis. It has 7 watts into 6 ohm, 6 watts into 4-8 ohm and about 4 watts into 16 ohm. Technically, it's a 300B single ended, class A, choke loaded, ZOTL amp. No output transformers. This is now my favorite 300B single ended amp. Great transparency, detail and speed. But also smoothness, speed, liveliness, linear freq. response from bass to treble. This has all the attributes of OTL but without the leanness and sometimes brittle/tilted high end. AS warm and rich as traditional 300B OPT amps. Need to match with NOS tubes for best results. Liking it very much with the EML 300B XLS tube. The Elrog 300B was better than the EML.
    But now running with 1940's engraved base WE300B. Wow! Beliismo!. With Opoe 6SN7 and 1950's Mullard long plate, D getter 12Au7. 
    Best amp in my system so far.

    • DIYHiFiSupply LD91 MonoMax SET amp + Noguchi OPT
    300B SET monoblocks utilizing an upgraded version of the WE91 circuit using a direct coupled reactive interstage driven by a 5687 triode tube. My version uses a pair of Noguchi FM-24WS output transformers which uses the Hitachi FineMet cores. This is an upgrade over the standard OPT. It's a 300B with more power (in my case about 10W since I use a 5K primary instead of a typical 2.5K primary which gives 16W) but with a more typical 45 SET type sound. So I am able to get something similar to a 45 type sound but with more power than a typical 300B. It's a more liner freq bandwidth than the typical 300B i.e. more bass and treble extension. And the FineMet Cores are really good. My favorite cores for OPTs. The best of both worlds IMHO. I use vintage 1950's WE300B tubes, vintage fine mesh shield WE 310A pentode driver tubes, Tungsol black plate D getter 5987 triode tubes and vintage 1960's WE 274B rectifiers. The tubes cost more than the amps but IMHO add another level of refinement and musicality to the amps. Update: Have switched to the Sophia Royal Princess 300B. This is a really good 300B. For the first time, I found something that I like generally like better than the vintage Pre-1970's WE300B (I don't like post 1970's WE300B anyway). It has much better bass and treble extension but still retains enough of that mid-range magic (though the vintage WE300B's mids are just a bit nicer, more detail and microdynamics). Really pushes this amp up significantly. I have to say that this is now my favorite amp in my collection. Just added the Takatsuki TA-300B tube. Better mids than the Sophia Royal Princess, more layered soundstage and more holographic sound. Slightly less impactful bass and not as forward as the Sophia Royal Princess. I prefer the TA-300B and it is closer to the vintage WE300B than the Royal Princess in the mids and soundstage and microdynamics. And better bass than the vintage WE300B. Have now added EML 300B and this is now my reference 300B for this amp. Sits between the Sophia Electric Royal Princess 300B and the Takatsuki 300B but having the best from both.
    • Fi 421A SET amp
    Made by Don Garber with upgraded components. 4w into 16ohm. Very musical. Quiet, smooth, transparent and great bass for a SET tube amp, with good pace and rhythm. Very easy to enjoy. Replaced my previous U4AB amp as it was better in many ways. Upgraded with Magnequest QS-025 OPTs with pure silver wiring on both primary and secondary coils. Very nice upgrade (and expensive). This now makes my Fi421a a long term keeper.
    • First Watt SIT-2 amp
    This replaced my First Watt F2J amp. Also a single ended FET amp with just 1 gain stage. I like it very much and its an improvement over the F2J. Its a single ended design with no feedback and class A of course. Very detailed but smooth and with good tones. Fast sounding with the best bass yet in my system. Sacrifies just a little lushness and trailing tones for better speed, resolution and bass. In heavy rotation with with Fi 421A SET and 300B amps.
    • Feastrex D9e - Type 1 Field Coil Speaker
    Fullrange 9 inch field coil driver. 16 ohm in a simple reflex box in DIY marine plywood. Natural, very transparent, fast and very dynamic. Great bass and great treble extension (for a single driver). My version has the Urushi lacquered over gold plated phase plug. Now using an updated Feastrex external DC power supply with constant current supply. The new power supply (dual mono in a single chassis) which is an option from Feastrex, makes the speaker more dynamic, faster and more detailed. This new power supply is much better than the standard original Feastrex DC power supply. I use a Taket BATPro Super Tweeter which is enhances the bass and makes it a little more airy. Update: Have since swapped the Taket BATPro super tweeter for a pair of Townshend Maximum Ribbon super tweeters. These are quite a bit better than the Takets. I get better soundstaging, treble seems more integrated with the rest and has a more organic sound. Further updates: The D9e have been reconed by Feastrex in 2012 and upgraded with CW treatment. The whizzer is now slightly smaller in size. The drivers are even more natural sounding and the treble integration is more smoother. Overall, a nice upgrade. Main weakness now is the cabinet. Currently working on upgrading the cabinets. Stay tuned. Aldo, recent conversation with Hal Teramoto (the maker & designer) revealed that my driver has a 1 piece pole-piece construction (only 2 pairs were made like this). The tolerances are tighter with the single unit machined construction. So, maybe my unit is more like a D9e Type 1.1~1.2. LOL
    • REL R218 subwoofer 2pcs, stereo pair.
    Have replaced my previous pair of REL Strata MkIII subs with a pair of REL R218. The R218 seems faster and more dynamic. Set between 36-40hz crossover for my Feastrex D9e speakers. Blends in very well with the main speakers. A stereo pair gives me better soundstage and depth compared to single subwoofer. I use Oyaide Tunami powercords for these subs.
    • Altmann JISCO Dejitter
    DeJitter Device. With 12 volt SLA battery power supply whihc sounds better than the standard wallwart. Works great. Better bass definition and smoother highs. However, now not in use as my modded Flatfish with upgraded clock sounds better without the DeJitter.
    • Hashimoto Live MC-10 Step-up Transformer
    Great moving coil step-up transformer. Better than the Cinemags which was my ex-reference. More detailed, better treble extension, faster and more open soundstage.
    • Choir Audio Hashimoto HM-7 Step-Up Transformer
    The HM-7 is the flagship Hashimoto step up and is quite a bit better than the HM-3. It's the best step-up I have heard.
    • DIY HiFi Supply Cole LCR phono amp
    Cole uses LCR RIAA and tube output. Uses a Telefunken EZ80 rectifier and a pair of Amperex Holland E88CC D getter tubes. Transparent, detailed and musical.
    • Custom Mod Nagashima U4AB SET amp
    A custom built amp of a design that was featured in a Japanese DIY magazine by Nagashima (the editor of that magazine). It uses a U4AB pentode power tube by Pedersen (Danish 1942 built) but wired in triode mode. Its driven by a pentode tube ECL86 which has both half section of a 12AX7 triode and a EL84 pentode built into the tube. 3 watts output and 20 ohm tap. Very natural with good soundstage and depth. More detailed than my previous 300B monoblocks but loses none of the richness, tone, timbre and harmonics of the 300B (DIYHiFiSupply's LD91+ amp).
    • Tony Wong Custom 6SN7 CCS line preamp
    A custom built preamp with a single 6SN7 tube with CCS loading. I prefer this to the TVC passive preamp (silk TVC) in my system as the U4AB power amp needs extra gain to sound at its best. This preamp is fast, transparent, very quiet, smooth, dynamic and musical. I am using Tungsol 6SN7 round black plates tube.
    • Neumann W444STA line preamp
    Vintage Microphone active Fader as used in German Broadcasting industry. It has both input and output transformers and a discrete op-amp giving 15dB of gain. Very smooth fader with a smooth, musical sound. Has a custome made 24Vdc power supply built into the cabinet.
    • Feastrex D5nf speaker
    My first Feastrex. Fullrange alnico driver - 5 inch. Incredible xmax excursion and treble extension with >95db efficiency, 16 ohm. In a hybrid bass reflex/TL box in marine plywood. Natural, transparent, fast and musical. Now used as speakers for my second system and partnered with DIYHiFiSupply Fusion integrated USB DAC amp. I also use a Taket BATPro supertweeter with the speakers to aid in bass and imaging.
    • Audioquest Leopard tonearm cable
    I have several DIN-RCA and DIN-XLR cables. 72V DBS bias. These are now my preferred tonearm cables
    • Analysis Plus Silver Oval Tonearm Cable
    Tonearm cable from Tonearm to phono preamp. DIN-XLR. Neutral and transparent
    • Silver Breeze Tonearm Cable
    All silver DIN-XLR tonearm cable. Fast, neutral and musical.
    • STEREOLAB Master Reference 818 Digital IC
    Great sounding and great value digital cable. Better than my previous Stereovox XV Ultra Reference cable. The XV Ultra was itself better than the previous Stereovox XV2 version which had replaced a Kondo Ks-Lpd digital cable that costs much, much more. Tried also many other digital cables like Harmonic Technology Cyberlink Platinum, Nordost Silver Shadow but the Stereovox was better. Had the earlier HDXV but the newer XV2 is slightly better and the XV Ultra better yet. But the new Stereolab Master Reference 818 was noticeably even better. More details, higher transparency yet remaining smooth and musical.
    • Antipodes Komako IC MK 2 version
    The Antipodes Komako are silver I/C with a little gold and palladium. It sounds musical yet detailed and fast. They have replaced my Kondo Ks-Lp I/C, so highly recommended.
    • ClearDay Double Shotgun
    The ClearDay Double shotgun is all silver. Smooth, musical, good bass extension, wide soundstage. Very happy with it compared to more expensive cables.
    • ElectraGlide SOTU Power Cord
    This replaced my Acrolink P4030 and Oyiade Tunami PCs. It is more detailed, smoother, richer and more dynamic compared to the previous powercords. Really good and good value too but no longer in production. If you find it on the market, highly recommended.
    • Harmonix X-DC2 Power Cord
    Nice power cable. It's very musical, smooth, with good details. It has a slightly golden sound which makes it forgiving but yet detail and fast. I used it for my DAC. The synergy of this cables helps with the digital front end.
    • Shunyata Python Vx Power Cord
    Used for CD transport and field coil power supply. Has noise reducing Fe-Si pellets in the cable. Very musically and quiet cable. Can sound a little compressed on other equipment but ok for my field coil power supply
    • BPT BP-10.5 Ultra Power Isolation Trans
    Upgraded with Oyaide R1 outlets. This really help reduce the power supply noise in my system and was better than my previous custom Isolation Transformer. Apparent immediately was a better defined and weightier bass, larger soundstage and the music also flowed much better. Highly recommended. This BPT replace my previous custom build isolation transformer - 2.5KvA which I found to be better than my previous Shunyata Hydra 8 power conditioner. The custom isolation transformer was more dynamic, faster and a little more transparent than the Hydra 8. The Hydra 8 was more quiet but I found the music flowed better with the custom Isolation Transformer.
    • PS Audio P500 and P300 Power Regenerators
    Finally, I tried a power regenerator. Both units actually converts 230V to 115V which was what I was looking for and I bought it used. It definitely helps reduce noise and the MultiWave is useful and can help improve sound. It's a keeper but wish the fan noise was a little lower.

Comments 131

Sign in to comment
Owner
Hi Charles1dad,

Thanks for the list. I have heard the Ocellia's. Nice speakers. Just a little too warm and slow compared to my Feastrex. BTW, there are 2 Feastrex for sale on AudiogoN, a 9" field coil and the 5" Monster Alnico. IMHO, if speakers use crossovers, they are less likely to be a good match for SET amps. You are not really getting the most out of the SET amps. It robs them of efficiency and therefore life. Its also important to match the impedance of the speaker with the OPTs. And for you 300B lovers out there, do listen to good 2A3 and 45 SET amps. There is more to SET's than just 300B. And when you are done with that, try some 71A and 205D. Magic but you will need speakers with over 100dB. For me the 300B is the highest power tube I will go to. Have tried 211, 845, 6C33C and G70 etc but while these are more dynamic, they loose some of the micro details, sweetness and immediacy (in general). If you stick with HE speakers you won't need more than 300B's anyway. Enjoy your system and music. Cheers

ddriveman

Hi Ddriveman,
Here's a short list of commercially available high efficiency speakers for SET amps. Audio Kinesis, Coincident, Zu, Tekton, Trenner-Friedl, Ocellia, Omega, Horning, Tonian Labs, Devore Orangutan, Tannoy ( certain models), Reference 3A, Sophia Electric, Line Magnetic field coil, etc. There's more.
Charles,

charles1dad

Hello Ddriveman,

Yes, SET amps have been a real eye-opener for me. I had always used high power SS amps in the past (300 Wpc for my previous speakers, Dynaudio Contour 5.4's).

Curiosity about tube amps, and my desire to return to Tannoys, led me down this path. I have been completely surprised at how well a 9 Wpc SET 300B amp drives the HPD Tannoys. Compared to anything I've had before, it's a near-miraculous transformation. I'm sold for life.

Regards, and enjoy,
Dan

islandmandan

Ddriveman,
There are 300b enthusiasts who consider the W.E. vintage versions the Gold standard. PFO reviewer Jeff Day also preferred the Sophia Royal Princess 300b to the W.E. just as you and cites the same reasons. Listener preferences (and likely system make up) are the determining factors.
Charles, .

charles1dad

Owner
To Islandmandan,

Thanks for your comments. Glad that you have finally discovered SET amps. I had used ElectroVoice EV12TRX tri-axial drivers before and there also worked wonderfully with SET amps. I love the fact that the SET amps drive us towards high efficiency speakers which then leads to the fast, dynamic, natural sound. But it can also be maddening because there are so few commercial high efficiency speakers and one is drive to DIY or custom make speakers. But, I guess that's the passion.
Enjoy your system.

ddriveman

Owner
System edited: Just made updates to my system. Nothing really new added but just catching up with updating the system details.

ddriveman

I'm surprised I've just now encountered your sweet system. A few similarities with your system and mine, a relativly inexpensive SET 300B with upgraded caps and resistors, and EML 300B XLS tubes.

I'm using custom built 12" Tannoy HPD drivers in 150 liter bass-reflex cabs, and custom outboard crossover. I've been very surprised at how well they respond to the SET 300B amp. I'd not thought that combination would work together, but it really does, and well.

I also have a Dynavector XX2MKII cart (Soundsmith retip), that I like a great deal.

And, I just sold off my Auditorium A 23 speaker cables, and am now using Tempo Electric 12 gauge solid-core with Teflon tube insulation, on both my amps.

My foray into SET amps is a recent one, and I'm now wondering what took me so long. Best sounding combination I've ever had at home, you also know of what I speak.

Yours is a system I'd love to hear, extremely well though-out, and very well done. I'm hoping to build an SET amp one of these day, I intend to check into DIY HiFi Supply's offerings.

Congratulations, and enjoy! Regards,
Dan

islandmandan

Hi,
Thanks for your reply and as I've said before you have a wonderfully appealing system. I just love DHT SET amplifiers, if transistor amps were an only option it'd be First Watt or Valvet for me. Both are single ended pure class A with very simple and pure circuitry with little or no NFB.
Charles,

charles1dad

Owner
Hi Charles1dad,

Sorry for late reply but I have been "off the boil" on Audiogon for some time. Yes, I am still using SET amps. I like the SIT-2. They are better than the First Watt F2J I had before. They are fast, good tone and have great bass but ultimately, they fall just slightly short of the immediacy and air of very good SET's like my 300B's. I like the SIT-2 over my Fi 421a but I like my LD91 MonoMax with Sophia Process 300B just a little better. At this time, I am keeping all 3 amps. The Fi 421a are on the lush side, warm side while the SIT-2 are more on the cleaner, transparent side with the LD91 MonoMax in the middle. Hope this helps. Now, with that said, I am using a solid state preamp (JR 3160). I have read that the SIT-2 prefers a tube preamp and that makes sense. I have yet to try the SIT-2 with my 6SN7 custom preamp. That could change my preference

ddriveman

Ddriveman,
Are you still using the SET amps,if so how are they compared to your First Watt SIT-2 amplifier?

charles1dad

Ddriveman, did you ever get a chance to listen to the Takatsuki 300b? They are great tubes. I see you are getting some nice upgrades. I have stereo subwoofers on the way that I hope will integrate into my system well. They are cain and cain subs but Ian purchasing them from blumenstein audio. Those guys are a feastrex dealer and cabinet designer. I am excited to see what they offer once their designs for the new feastrex drivers come out.

tjkurita

Owner
System edited: In addition to the previous post, I have also updated my system list: 1) Cartridges - used Koetsu Onyx Platinum and Ikeda 9CIII MC cartridges 2) Tonearms - Fidelity Research FR66s reiwred with all silver Ikeda wiring and Durand Talea II with Purist wiring 3) Technics SP10mk3 with Porter Plinth. Restored and upgraded by Music Technology's Bill Thalmann with the "Richard Kerbs" mods 4) Isoclean power conditioner 80A3

ddriveman

Owner
Hi Charles1dad,

I see that you like the Takatsuki 300b. How much are these and where do you buy them? I am tying a pair of Sophia Royal Princess now. It has better bass and dynamics than my NOS WE 300b but do lack that midrange magic. Would like to try the Takatsuki's. I see you also have the BPT power conditioner. Do you like it?

ddriveman

Wow!,
You have been very busy lately.
I`d be very interested in your impression of the 421a amplifier once these premium grade silver transformers are installed. The First Watt SIT-2 amplifier compared to the 421a, curious to know how they contrast when used in your system.You are in store for a lot of fun and good sound in the near future.
Regards,

charles1dad

Owner
Ok, time for some updates:

1) The First Watt F2J is being traded in for a First Watt SIT-2. Looking forward to hearing what this single ended JFET will bring. It will have more power at 10w compared o the F2J.

2) The 421a is bring upgraded with an all silver Magnequest QS-025 OPT. This output trans cost almost as much as the amp. Will also upgrade the VCap to CuTF from TF.

3) The Feastrex D9e Type 1 drivers are also being upgraded to the atest version with CW treatment. This would take. Bit of time so I am without speakers till it comes back from Japan.

4) The Galiber Gavia TT has the latest solid block armboard which is cut for the Durand Talea II arm which I also acquired. Waiting on the plinth to be recut to allow dual arm while using the new heavy block armboard and another older style swing armboard.

5) The Technics SP10mk3 has Judy come back from being upgraded ith the "Richard Kerbs" mods. Have yet to set it up.

6) Finally, purchased 2 Arche fully adjustable headshells from Dertonarm. These will be used for the FR66s and MAX282 J tonearms.

Phew! Lots of new stuff, not enough time, sigh!

ddriveman

Owner
Hi Davidhyman,

Sorry for late reply. Just saw your message. The Feastrex D9 Type 2 are a little better than my version which is a type 1. This is due to the premendur pole piece. It gives more details and probbaly higher efficiency. I have heard the Type 2 and also Type 3. The type 2 will have better detail and resolution in the treble and it gets better as it moves up the chain. The thing to be careful is that the Type 2 can be merciless if the recording is bad or the system is mismatch. It just lays everything bare, and the speed and detail from the treble can make it sound hot, especially if the system is mismatched. And of course, you need to have the bass to match. Those who go with box designs need to be careful to get enough bass (the Feastrex box designs are the most succesful so far) otherwise the sound can be lean. Since you are going with OB and a subwoofer, then its less of an issue but you do need a good and fast sub. I have no experience with the Torus but I use 2 REL Strata III and it works well in my system. I tend to prefer the REL approach which is to use the power amps to connect to the subs rather than the preamplifier. And the REL's load the room rather than fire directly at the listener, so its easier to integrate. I started with one sub and ended with 2. My experience is that getting 2 stereo subs is the way to go. You may need 2 subs anyway since your design is OB and you probably needs the subs to come in around 80HZ or higher and so a stereo pair of subs is needed.
I find the 9inch Feastrex mids and highs to be great. Its true most people prefer the field coil 5inch which has arguably better uppermids and highs compared to the 9inch. But its also mostly because the 5" is much cheaper and easier to integrate into a cabinet. But I can also say that the highest resolution and detail I have heard in the Feastrex range comes from the Type 2 and Type 3 Feastrex 9" fieldcoils. So, in your case, I don't think you give up anything to the 5" fieldcoil in terms of mids and treble. I also find the 5" to be less dynamic and ultimately limited in scale and loudness. I could drive the 5 inch to clip but I have not been able to drive the 9inch to clip. So, if you have a bigger room and the $$, the 9" gets my vote especially since you are getting the type 2. You may note I also use a supertweeter but I only choose those that range from 18-19KHz and above. I cannot hear any output from these even with my ears next to them but they do improve the bass, adds air/life and imaging benefits. Try it too! And its important to note that if you use a tube amp, it is best if it has a speaker impedance of at least 16ohm. In fact, the ideal speaker output impedance is 22 ohm DC. But that would mean a custom Output Transformer so 16 ohm is the minumum in order to be optimize. What amps are you planning to use? Also which field coil power supply are you intending to use. the Feastrex one is good. Make sure you get a couple of Degawa diodes to be used (one each) at the speaker terminals. They help to reduce back EMF from the field coils.
Finally, congrats if you do decide to buy the Feastrex. Not many users out there, especially D9.
I have a pretty good group of Feastrex users here and my local dealer/distributor is probably the most experience dealer outside of Feastrex Japan. I am also close with Haruhiko Teramoto, the builder and designer and have visited him several times. So, if you need any help, please feel free to call on me.

ddriveman

i'm about to pull the trigger on a pair of 9inch feastrex type 2 field coils. considering an open baffle and augment with wilson benesche torus subs (musical at 120hz downward). how do you find dispersion of the 9inch? and high frequency energy in general? i see some people prefer the 5 inch in this regard. my concern with the 5inch is less dynamics and weaker in the low midrange, upper bass. any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

davidhyman

Owner
System edited: Sold the Denon DP6000 direct drive and bought a Technics SP10Mk3. Awaiting an Albert Porter plinth for it. Stay tuned.

ddriveman

Owner
System edited: Added a second REL Strata MkIII subwoofer. So, now running my subs in a stereo pari. I get better soundstage and depth. I can now say that having dual subs is a good thing.

ddriveman

Ddriverman,
I`ll admit to an ongoing curiosity to hear that vintage of WE tubes, but their cost is ridiculous.Thank god for the Shuguang Black Treasure tubes they`re really exceptional and have a beautiful-natural tone. I appreciate your comments regarding my system. I`d love to hear my Coincident Frankenstein 300b amps driving your Feastrex speakers...Wow.

charles1dad

Owner
Hi Charles1dad,

Thanks for your kind comments. I like your system too. Its simple but with all the "right" components. I have always wanted to try Coincidnet speakers because of their high efficiency and compatability to low powered SET DHT amps but was never able to find a dealer near to me. You should try the pre-1970 WE 300B tubes in your amp.

Cheers

ddriveman

Hello,
Ddriveman, you have a very nice system that is obviously the result of good ears and intelligent thought. I share your admiration of low powered DHT tube amps. Although my speakers are multi drivers design, they were built to be utterly compatable with SET amps. One day I`d like to try speakers such as yours or a PHY-HP driver type speaker.
Best Regards,

charles1dad

Owner
System edited: Upgraded the super tweeters from the Taket BATPro to Townshend Maximum Ribbon Super tweeters (used pair bought in AudiogoN). These are a good upgrade. The high frequenices seem better integrated to the music. I get better imaging and the treble seems to be meatier and more organic rather than just airy with the Taker. Highly recommended.

ddriveman

Owner
System edited: Added new system pic

ddriveman

Owner
Hi Tjkurita,

Thanks for your comments. It seems from you system that we are generally headed in the same direction as far as pursuing sounds i.e. SET tube amps and single drivers. You can read my comments about the Feastrexs and I have 2 different models - the cheapest and the big field coils and I like them both very much. I have also heard the top of the range drivers at the Feastrex factory too. Awesome! Can you buy "better" speakers for the money...I would think so. But if you like single drivers, then these are the ones to go for. All the benefits of single drivers with none of the nasties and simple cabinets are enough to get good and extended bass from them. The model that is the best value of the bunch, IMHO and most other Feastrex lovers, is the cheapest 5" field coil - NF5ex. You are welcomed to come listen to my system if you are in the neighborhood.

Blessings

ddriveman

Showing 51 - 75 of 131 posts
  • 177.6K
  • 131
  •  6
© 2024 Audiogon.com