I love this amp. Scott Frankland gave me a few extra goodies inside to make it even better. I also changed the output caps to multicaps and audiocap theta's in parallel. quiet as the grave. and the single most natural sounding amp on the planet.

jsquattrin September 28, 2014 04:43

System edited: new amp, Wells Audio Innamorata. This thing is a giant killer. None of the big boys are going to be happy about this one. Look out pass labs, lamm, martin logan, krell, even the tube amps. This is not supposed to be able to happen. A solid state amp that sounds like tubes. and for a price of 6500.00. Get one before someone dies. first amp to come stock with bybee devices.

jsquattrin September 17, 2013 15:21

I changed out 2 wima mkp 1.0 mF signal caps out of my nuforce amps. I put in a v-cap oimp and bypassed it with a audiocap exotica tft .01 mF . Sounded like crap at first and then after 2 days wow! what a difference. Still just getting better. more bass, more highs, sumptuous midrange. Just can't get enough. I don't like wima caps. everywhere I have removed them things have gotten much better.

jsquattrin February 12, 2013 20:35

I have now changed caps in the speaker crossover network and the signal coupling caps for the amps. I found that the speaker crossover had a major defect. The treble was reverse phase in relation to the bass which messed up everything. I corrected the problem and I have never experienced anything like it before. Too bad $16k speakers have quality control problems. Thank you Dueland, mundorf, V-Cap, and clarity Cap.

jsquattrin February 11, 2013 18:11

I changed 7 more caps , removing the stock jolida caps and replacing them with mundorf silver/oil and mundorf zn. This is a major upgrade. the hard part is figuring out where to put the new caps. they are much larger than the stock caps. You just have to get creative. the best 350 dollars I've ever spent.

jsquattrin January 12, 2013 00:33

II was given a good idea to change the caps for my Jolida preamp. Which I did and I removed the clarity caps and installed the Duelund alexander copper foil paper in oil caps. Making room for the caps was the biggest challenge due to the difference in size between the duelund and the clarity caps. the duelunds are 5 times larger than the clarity caps. The sound change was nothing short of amazing! extension , smoothness, timing , impact, depth of field, low level detail all improved. These are most the economical caps Dueland sells. At 70 dollars a piece for the .47 microfarad, they are around the price of the mundorf silver gold oil caps. The Duelund cast and the ag cast caps are 189.00 ea and 850.00 and higher. From what I read the cast and cast ag caps are much better than the duelund alexander caps, but the same house sound. After hearing the Alexander caps , I am curious about just how much better it could be.

jsquattrin January 03, 2013 20:33

System edited: not so done for now. continuing to improve the system as time and money allows.

jsquattrin January 03, 2013 20:10

I picked up an electric bamboo power conditioner and 2 high end audio grade power strips and made a significant improvement in the entire music presentation of my system. The clearaudio stradivari and tom evans phono stage are so quiet, I never knew I had listener fatigue until it was gone.

jsquattrin September 22, 2011 17:02

I started hearing a hum in the right speaker that I had never heard before. I decided to change out my 12at7 tubes that were in there due to the hum to see if that was the problem. I put in a new set and the hum disappeared. I also did not like the sound as much. I had in a set of RCA black plate 12at7's. So I decided to go down to my friends store where he could test the tubes and I could find out which ones were bad . After testing the tubes I found out that 3 of the 4 were completely dead and only 1 was minimum good. So I picked up another set of RCA's. Much to the dismay of my pocketbook. I returned and put in the RCA blackplates and once again was the magic that I had but in spades. My next adventure may be GEC's. If I can get it by my wife.

jsquattrin September 12, 2011 00:46

I have found a wonderful power strip that is dirt cheap and works better than the mega buck units that I used to use, I picked them up from audible arts in campbell, ca. I'll put some pictures of them on my system within the next couple of days. I moved some cords around and improved the sound even more. I use the bybee's on my amps and going into the power strips and then the audioquests on my front end components. great balance of resolution, extension and bottom end .Top end is silky smooth.

jsquattrin September 02, 2011 17:08

I auditioned a pair of nuforce se v3 amps like mine but with bybee rails installed inside. All I have to say is WOW!!! The difference was not subtle.I immediately took mine in for the upgrade. The purveyor of audible arts was kind enough to leave me the sample pair until the amps come back and he is breaking them in once they come back. Thats service.

jsquattrin August 13, 2011 21:44

I wanted to make a correction on the maker ofthe Momentum Monoblocks, Dan D'Agostino is the maker not Tim Paravincini. Dan D'Agostino is the original founder of Krell but was pushed out in 2009. Its funny how these very creative peope found these innovative companies and are eventually forced out.

jsquattrin August 04, 2011 14:50

Well after going to the northern california audio show, It takes a while to process everything you see and hear. my pick for the best sound of the show goes to the Wells Audio room. Hands down it did everything well even in a show condition where the rooms weren't a good environment for a sound room. The worst room was definitely the large wilson/spectral room, a huge ballroom that should be better than the rest. It had no setup. the speakers were sitting on casters 40 feet apart up against the wall, toed intoward the seats. It was 2-d at its worst. no coherence or imaging.

I thought the new magico Q1 speakers were good. the salks were pretty awesome but dry.

I loved the looks of the new momentum monoblocks by paravincini or what ever his name is. They were hooked up to the wilsom sasha speakers and they sounded good.

No giant speakers, cost no object type systems that knocked my socks off. I heard the new sony speakers that were nice but at 27k I can think of alot of other speakers I'd try first. the new magico Q1's for starters. Same price . The small monitor dynaudios with the integrated stands were really great too. they were hooked up to the simaudio integrated and I used my Ipod to play some tracks through a wadia I-transport. Just like home! Those are the ones that stand out most in my memory. I heard the weird looking speakers from south africa. I think they were called VIVID. Pretty nice but pricey. nice workmanship.

Wells audio has a single ended, solid state, class a amp that doesn't get real hot. it sounds awesome. 5895.00 140 watts into 8 ohms and 260 inot 4 ohms / built like a tank and beautiful. The phono stage was phenomenal as well. As good as anything I've heard and silent as the grave. beautiful as well. $3295. I think they had a modified music hall dac that had bybee devices that are new. they call them power rails. the cd sounded fantastic. using a vincent cd player as a transport. the modified dac was 2295.00 with a nos 12ax7 in a tube stage. the speakers were the usher mini dancers with the diamond tweets. 4995.00. Dam fine sounding speakers and beautifully built. I think one reason why the system sounded so good was the speakers fit the room well. The whole system sounded sublime, I've never heard a system that good at a show. I wish I could get him to come set my system up. He used a VPI scout table with a dynavector XX-2. That sounded far beyond its price tag. I think the table/arm combo costs 1800.00 and the xx-2 costs 1795.00. I love audio equipment.

jsquattrin July 30, 2011 21:18

going to the california audio show Ya!!!

jsquattrin July 14, 2011 04:13

hey desalvo,
sounds like you hit the nail on the head. All of that equipment starts working the way it should when it gets the power it needs. congrats!!!

jsquattrin June 08, 2011 05:04

Hey Desalvo,
This is my favorite preamp. A friend of mine with a very nice system heard mine and sold his preamp and bought one and is very happy with his. He has a pricier system than mine with VTL MB450's and analysis omega speakers. So for a true balanced preamp with 4 balanced inputs and 2 balanced outputs. Its a sceaming deal.

jsquattrin May 15, 2011 01:24

Hey Ray,
they'll catch on eventually. Dick Olsher has a pair of omegas. He talks about them every once in a while in absolute sound.

jsquattrin May 15, 2011 01:19

Hey Ray,
Its good to hear from you. Its nice to finally hear everything living up to its full capability, now that my system has the power it needs to drive my speakers.

jsquattrin May 01, 2011 22:35

Solid core 12 gauge romex. I would like to have used the JPS romex but its pricey. I think its 65/ft which puts that bill at just under four grand.

jsquattrin April 13, 2011 16:12

Well , I finally got myself to install the dedicated circuit for the system. It was tough, but worth it. I am finally hearing the true capabilities of the system,. unrestrained dynamics and bass like I've never heard before . I actually had to turn down the gain on the subs to keep the outlets and items in the room from shaking and with nothing more than installing a 120v line that goes from the 20 amp circuit breaker to the one wall outlet. Every thing else originates power from that one plug. well worth the effort. you can't buy that kind ofimprovement.

jsquattrin April 04, 2011 00:59

I am planning a dedicated run using 12 gauge romex from my circuit breaker panel to the outlet my system comes off of. The plug supplying my system is the last in a daisy chain of 7 outlets. I have done some modifications that have helped but I have come to the realization that to realize the full potential of my system, I will have to make a dedicated run just for my system. You know when the music reaches a crescendo and the lights dim, you need to increase current and change things. Ciao!

jsquattrin February 23, 2011 07:44

Well in the last 3 -4 months, The subwoofers have done a good bit of breaking in and the dynamic attack, clarity, and transparency have greatly improved. I've never had this much fun listening to all kinds of music. Classical and symphonic music have the size and scale. acoustic music has the depth and warmth it needs, and rock has the bite and impact you expect. 2 subs is the ticket.

jsquattrin February 05, 2011 01:55

Correction
Make that one balanced input.

jsquattrin November 07, 2010 23:50

Hey Roxy,
I know A.E. made a supposed better pre but from what I remember is it only has 2 balanced inputs. My pre has a balanced input and single ended for every input. that enabled me to go single ended for every input I have including my analog. I am happy with my pre.

jsquattrin November 07, 2010 23:33

Hey Ken
I guess the answer depends on how you feel the bass is in your system now. I have a very large room to try to pressurize, and the omega's have more bass than the epsilons. I used the tannoy ts10s because of the balanced design and the high and low pass filters. they were a cinch to integrate. The problem is that they have been discontinued. The new ones that tannoy put out to replace them are crap and are not balanced and do not have any of the features that sold me on the ts10. I bought mine from sweetwater.com. Maybe they have 2 more. If you do, don't cheapout with only one sub. 2 makes all the difference. the subs were only $609.00 each with a 2 year warranty. Its too hard to integrate the sub if you get 1 in a stereo system.

jsquattrin November 07, 2010 23:26

I have to say that getting the 2 subs have made the single biggest contribution to my system since I got these speakers. TRANSFORMATIVE!! Spatial ques abound and gut massaging solidity which makes bass heavy jazz just wonderful. Big fun. My wife is even enjoying music more.

jsquattrin October 31, 2010 22:16

I had to back off the gain as the subs break in. They seem to be getting more powerful.More dynamic and more extended and better pitch definition.

cheers!!

jsquattrin October 29, 2010 03:19

My friend came over and brought his Rives test disk. We used the frequency sweeps on repeat to set out each sub one at a time. that made it much easier than trying to set them up by myself. These subs disappear. They have added another dimension to my system that I never had. 2 subs are a must to make it work right. That and having a balanced sub that has all the high and low pass filters and variable phase and crossover adjustments. Fini!!

jsquattrin October 23, 2010 07:05

I recieved my subwoofers the other day. Thankfully they arrived undamaged. I quickly ran through the adjustments and ran the cables and flipped them on and they worked. I haven't officially set them up but just having them in the system has made a huge difference. 2 subwoofers in a 2 channel system makes all the difference. The spatial cues that are part of the presentation now, I've never had before. I've had a large powerful subwoofer before but it sucked compared to these smaller subs with much better controls and inputs. A friend is coming over this weekend and we will be using a program to electronically set them up. I'm sure we will use our ears as well.

jsquattrin October 21, 2010 19:03

System edited: Getting my system ready for 2 subwoofers. I already have the balanced Crystal micro interconnects. I am going to come balanced from my pre into each sub's balanced input and out of the sub's balanced output into the input of my Nuforce amps. I am hoping that utilizing the sub's filters, will make it easier to seamlessly integrate the subs into my system. I will find out soon. They should be here any day now.

jsquattrin October 18, 2010 15:19

Hey Roxy,
The plants are plastic. They are there because they do a great job of breaking up secondary reflections without costing a lot of money and they look good. The WAF is high.

jsquattrin September 11, 2010 04:41

Hey Roxy,
The plants a plastic. They are there because they do a great job of breaking up secondary reflections without costing a lot of money and they look good. The WAF is high.

jsquattrin September 11, 2010 04:39

Hey Doc ,
I'm glad its working out. It is surprising how good they are. Its risky sending money overseas like that but in this situation its worth the risk. I wonder how good the new one with the outboard power supply is in comparison ?

jsquattrin September 10, 2010 02:01

Hey Doc,
I hope it works out for you. I have a close friend who bought one last spring and he loves it. He put in a pair of NOS sylvanias and he loves them. It is a very transparent preamp especially for the money.
Cheers!

jsquattrin August 17, 2010 23:15

System edited: I added a custom made step up transformer between the ps audio gcph and the grado reference and what a difference it has made even though it isn't broken in. there is a difference with or without a step up trans. the sound is smoother and more fully fleshed out over just turning up the gain on the phono stage. step up was a bargain through chas bond.

jsquattrin March 30, 2010 16:13

Hey J
I haven't done alot of research on what would be considered a better circuit breaker but they must be out there. It also makes a big difference on the wire you have in the wall . Jps makes an upgraded romex that I have heard in systems, Its expensive but its effect is immediate.

Ciao!
Jeff

jsquattrin March 30, 2010 16:07

Hello ACK,

I can give you a little bit of an insight into the analysis speakers. Although they share a similarity to apogee speakers they are not like those speakers. They have the speed, resolution, three-dimensionality, and imaging of a good panel speaker with a benign load. They are about a four ohm load depending on the model. I drive them to thunderous levels, much to my wife's chagrin, with my Nuforce amps. 180 watts into 8 and 325 into 4. The top end and midrange is everything I could ask for smooth and beautiful. The top end is shimmering and alive. The tonality is spot on. Chamber music and ancient music is intimate, the stuff goose bumps are made of. The speakers I have, the Epsilons are, undersized for the size room I have. The Epsilons are 52" tall and 24" wide and 3" deep. They throw a huge soundstage in a room big enough for them to do so. I looked at your room and your room appears to be large enough. They do like to get out in the room to be able to get the depth of field. Just as a side note, I noticed that you have Martin Logan speakers. I had Martin Logan Quests and Requests in the pasts. They were great speakers. I had trouble with the room I had at that time. I could never get the bass to integrate with the rest of the sound in that room. I eventually gave up. Back to the analysis. If bass is important to you, then the epsilons are probably not going to do it for you in a large room. I myself plan on getting a stereo pair of subwoofers for myself in the future. My room sucks up bass like a black hole no matter what speaker I have. I have thought about getting the Omega or the Amphytreon model but that takes a larger pocket book than I have at the moment so I will probably get the subwoofers instead. A good friend of mine that lives close by has the Omegas with the VTL MB-450's. That system has the most bass I have ever heard from a 2 channel system with out subwoofers. Real bass that punches you in the gut and you can feel the music !
inside. Every once in a while one pair will come up on audiogon for under 10 grand. I have seen demo pairs for around 12 grand. Don't get me wrong these speakers have great bass , even mine or the omicrons that are smaller than mine, but if you want the best bass these speakers have to offer, The omegas and the amphytreons are the A-ticket. There are a few great reviews online at enjoythemusic.com by reviewer Wayne Donnely and Dick Olsher at TAS has a pair of Omegas. There is a review on the 'Epsilons from a South African Magazine and Six Moons from Srajeen Ebean if you google the Analysis Epsilon speakers. Hope this helps.
=====================================
JSQ

jsquattrin March 03, 2010 17:20

I just wanted to make a quick mention to any of our community that have been looking for that last little bit of resolution from our systems without spending a bunch of money. I live in a normal house that came with the usual electrical system found in a semi-newer home. I have spent thousands improving the power from the wall outlet. I spent hours going through the romex ran through my walls soldering the crappy connections as they daisy chain from outlet to outlet. The improvement was not subtle, it was the kind of improvement that well financed listeners pay many thousands of dollars to get a fraction of this kind of improvement. Well, I was feeling pretty good about my work when it dawned on me that I could find still more by simply changing the circuit breaker to a higher quality one that is only capable of providing power to one circuit. Instead of being split into two circuits. I went down to my local Ace hardware and picked up a good square-D 20 amp circuit breaker for $3.99 knocked out a blank on my circuit breaker panel and installed the new breaker. I hooked up the wiring and put everything back together and flipped on the system. What I heard was another improvement in fidelity that further enlarged the size and scope of my sound stage and an increase in micro and macro dynamics. It deepened and smoothed the music and increased the feeling of being there and experiencing an event that took place 50 years ago. Of course, All of this could have have been taken care of, had I just put in a dedicated line to only my system. But in the real world, for real folks who don't entertain the hiring of electrical contractors and running new power systems, this gives us the ability to hear some of that sonic nirvana that few ever can.

jsquattrin February 24, 2010 18:15

Hey Jon, I am still using the A2 SE. In fact, a couple of my friends that have heard my system have also bought it. All of us have put much better tubes in after receiving it. I have the Bendix 6900 in for the 5687's and rca blackplates in for the 12at7's. For the money, it is a great deal. For a fully balanced linestage and the performance, it is a steal.

jsquattrin February 24, 2010 17:51

System edited: I moved my Koetsu to the RS Labs A1 arm and it sounds wonderful. The only problem is that using the that arm is nerve racking due to the lack of a cueing function. Having to set a cartridge down manually that costs 6 grand is a scary prospect.

jsquattrin January 27, 2010 16:33

I bought a couple pair of rca to xlr adapters to allow me to input the phono stages to my preamp on the balanced inputs instead of the rca's. It was an instant increase in resolution and lowering of the noise floor. the adapters are still breaking in but they are getting better everyday.

jsquattrin December 25, 2009 19:13

Jeff Wells of Audible Arts in Campbell, Ca was kind enough to let me borrow his V3's to use while my V2's are being upgraded to V3 status(as well as breaking them in for me after). I have been listening to the V3's now for about a week and I am astonished at the change in resolution from the V2's. I thought the V2's were great and very highly resolving but they are shown to be rolled off in comparison to the V3's. The V3's are vastly superior from top to bottom. At $800.00 a pair for the upgrade from v2 se to v3 se this is one of the best deals I have found.

jsquattrin December 18, 2009 19:26

System edited: I sent my amps out for the V3 upgrade and I can't wait to get them back.

jsquattrin December 11, 2009 17:20

Just an update on the ringing of my VPI 12.6 arm. I found 2 loose set screws. one under side of the unipivot. This screw tightens down the arm to the unipvot assembly and under the cueing pad. This also holds down another section of the arm tube. I tightened these and the ringing went away. I removed the tape and put everything back to normal.

jsquattrin November 02, 2009 18:07

System edited: The picture of my amps with the new pon-tuns is listed under my equipment. You can get them from Arion Audio. These are the guys who distribute the Analysis speakers. These things had an instant effect putting them under my amps.

jsquattrin October 06, 2009 23:29

Thanks Jbcello, since you have the super platter, most of the tweeks I have described here would be rendered obsolete. the super platter is just so inert it probably would not make a difference. If you have the capability of headphones, I would listen carefully to the arm when it is put down on a record and between tracks. If your arm is ringing(like mine), that is when it is most audible. I used scotch super 33 black tape in bands on the arm to dampen the arm. Its pretty easy, especially if you have an accurate cartridge tracking force scale. just add tape until it stops ringing. When I listen now, my depth is deeper and the microdynamics and macrodynamics are increased. It is possible that your arm does not ring. I dont't really like stainless as an arm material, other manufacturers like origin live and graham have gone to carbon fiber or ceramic because it is a quieter material. the other most important thing is do not use the vpi jig to align the cartridge. I would use the feikert or the turntable basics or another one that is custom made for your table called the best tractor. It is cheaper than the feikert. The vpi jig is about an 1/16''off and that is huge when it comes to tracking a record. The first thing you notice when a cartridge is properly set up is a lack of groove noise when compared to a cartridge that is mistracking. clicks and pops are greatly reduced. Also, if the belts are really stretching upon startup of the platter, put a small amount of baby powder in a baggie and put the belts that drive the flywheel in and shake them up and then remove them from the baby powder and shake them off well to get any excess. Put the belts on and then recheck your platter speed and set to 33 1/3 again. the belts will no longer be overstretched at startup and they will last longer. It takes a little longer for the platter to get to speed. This is not my fix, btw, this is from vpi. I would forget about record mats with the superplatter. I hope this helps. Ciao!

jsquattrin October 05, 2009 22:41

System edited: To any jmw 12.6 users out there that have had problems with their vpi arm, I have suffered from a lousy vpi alignment jig that is not a good line up of the arm. The turntable basics protractor is much better. And they are dirt cheap. I believe I paid $15.00 from turntablebasics.com You have to use something fine like 6 lb test fishing line. Tape the platter on opposite ends and this will immobilize the platter. Next put the protractor on the platter and make a small loop on one end of the fishing line. Lift up the arm and loop the line over the pivot. You can put the arm back down on top of the fishing line. line up the alignment mark on the protractor until the fishing line blocks out the line on the protractor completely and tape the protractor in place without it moving. You can now line up the cartridge with the outer grid first then, take the tape off of the protractor and move the protractor till the inner grid lines up with the stlus tip and cantilever. If everything lines up you did it correctly and its ready to go. I also found that my arm tends to ring. It is most noticeable with headphones. I used bands of black electrical tape on the arm to comepletely remove the ringing. I also had to add tape to equal the weight force on the vtf weight to balance the arm. You can see a picture on my system thread. This has slashed my noise floor while listening to my records and has greatly increased my low level resolution. cheers!

jsquattrin September 28, 2009 00:56

I had a problem with my HRX. The main bearing went. Don't ask me how, but I e-mailed VPI and was answered back by Mike. He told me how to pack the platter and the spindle. It was a neve-racking experience taking the turntable apart. I packed the platter and spindle and shipped it back to VPI. The bearing and spindle surface that supports the platter was replaced. When I got it back, I immediately, re-assembled the table. The table is a different animal now. I don't know how long it was bad, but It never sounded like this before. I am very happy with VPI. They fixed the table, no questions asked and even paid for the return postage 5 years after I purchased the table. The table is an amazing sublime recreator of the musical event that now just keeps getting better. I will be a customer of VPI products in the future. Thanks Mike.

jsquattrin July 26, 2009 17:03

Has anyone heard of the peter green anthology. I just picked it up. It is an amazing recording. The music is great and the remastering is first rate. I would be hard pressed to find a new recording that good. If someone has had a different experience let me know.

jsquattrin June 19, 2009 23:12

HEY Ken
you're welcome. Good luck with you're turntable. Hope to hear from you again soon. Let me know which table you picked up.

Jeff

jsquattrin June 15, 2009 22:30

I put a couple of trees behind the speakers and you wouldn't believe how it helped the sound stage and increased the bass and smoothed out everything else. Not bad for under a $100.00 .

jsquattrin June 10, 2009 15:20

hey Ken,
It was nice to finally meet you at Jeff's store the other day. I think you went the right way with your move. The omega's are the best combination for the room you have. They are also capable of filling a large room and even compatible wth a smaller room. I have another friend that has the omegas in a room no larger that 11 x 13 to amazing effect. Those speakers rock. The Spectron's are the best amp I have heard and will never run out of power. The wall outlet is the only limiting factor. I will send you an e-mail directly sometime. Cheers!

jsquattrin June 09, 2009 04:30

I think there is alot of anxiety thinking that a resonably priced preamp from a little known manufacturer could produce a product this good. It is usually thought that a well reviewed and well advertised component is a safer bet. But to those that are turned off by the low price, you can figure a factor of 5 getting a preamp of this quality in the US, europe, or Japan. Labor is just that much cheaper. I have a friend that travels the world frequently and he has heard my system and he has spent tens of thousands on his system as well. He now is entertaining the thought of picking up one of these.

jsquattrin November 27, 2008 22:07

Most people just will not believe it unless they heard it. I am enjoying sound like I have never heard before. I do have to qualify that with the fact that I did spend 850.00 dollars on bendix 5687's and rca black plate 12at7's. but tubes can only do so much and the circuit design has to do the rest. Not to mention that you can buy the tubes with the money that you saved.

jsquattrin November 06, 2008 07:43

Hey Ken,
I believe I met you one time over at Jeff's store. I have to say that the preamp is really good, but the manufacturer had a problem with the transformer and it appears that he finally got it taken care of. I put in the latest transformer myself and there is a difference. It runs cooler. The great sound is there and it will get better as it breaks in. I never knew that a preamp could make that big of a difference.
The biggest thing that I have got to mention to you are the Spectron amps. I have heard the future and I will be saving my cash to to get either the stereo 650 musician 3 or the mono's even if I have to get divorced over it. I think Jeff can get a great deal on them too because of the screwed up economy.

jsquattrin October 23, 2008 00:30

Yes, I did have a Flora. I wanted to go full balanced to get the full benefit of my CDP. I didn't have alot of money so I sold my Flora and took a chance on the Audio Experience A1 SE balanced preamp. It's the best preamp I have ever had. Just make sure it has the upgraded transformer.

jsquattrin October 12, 2008 00:37

I can't believe how good this preamp is!
It just gets better. Its not even broken in. Maybe its the 850.00 I spent in NOS tubes I put in it. Its the best preamp I have had and it is still improving. Depth like I have never had and low level info that I never knew existed. Give this one a chance.

jsquattrin September 13, 2008 01:36

System edited: I rolled the dice and I picked up an Audio Experience balanced preamp from YS Audio. The SE version which makes it their best effort. I rolled some tubes and put in bendix 6900's for the 5687's and rca blackplate 12AT7's for the cheap chines tubes. The sound is better than I hoped for. Quite a feat considering the modwright and ASL Fora that I had before. Absolutely quite noise floor. A pretty accomplishment considering its a tubed preamp. Very impressed and It still has 160 hrs to go before its broken in.

jsquattrin August 09, 2008 19:16

System edited: I hooked up an apple Ipod from a Y-splitter. and can play my Ipod over my big system for hours of listening without having to chage anything.

jsquattrin April 15, 2008 23:55

Hello Narkotic;
The analysis speakers need toe-in to image correctly and get the timing correct and eliminate room interaction being that they are a di-pole speaker. The analysis and the apogees are very different even though they look similar.

jsquattrin February 22, 2008 16:33

Just wanted to let everyone know about the extraordinary customer service I received from Analysis Audio. I had started to notice an unwanted resonance from my speakers when playing low frequency bass heavy music. I contacted my dealer and he contacted Mike Kallelis from Analysis USA. They knew exactly what the problem was. they shipped out the parts to take care of the problem and Mike Kallelis himself came out from New Jersey to California and replaced the offending grill covers and installed the latest greatest stands as well. I have never been treated this well before no matter how much money I spent. The speakers sound better than ever and I am a satisfied customer.

jsquattrin February 03, 2008 07:25

System edited: Added stillpoints beneath my Flora to allow it to do its best.

jsquattrin January 07, 2008 16:56

Thanks Ray,
I really enjoy my system. I took alot of heat from my wife over all the speaker changes so I had to make this one stick. How's your zyx cartridge treating you?

jsquattrin December 03, 2007 04:57

Hello PSBcity,
I have earthquake putty on the bottom of the arm. I know some people use blue dot which is basically the same thing. It is an extremely strong hold. It never gets hard but remains pliable and can be reformed later if need be. The arm is not affected by the putty but makes it much more stable.

jsquattrin November 25, 2007 00:07

System edited: I added a beautifully made amp stand and turntable platform from UltraSonic out of Texas. They are as functional as they are nice looking and were a bargain compared to other manufacturers out there.

jsquattrin November 06, 2007 17:40

System edited: bybees speaker filters make a significant difference in the removal of distortion you never knew was there.

jsquattrin October 12, 2007 23:46

System edited: I've gone through pretty significant changes. Thankfully all for the best. I now have the best speakers I have ever heard for speed and transparency. Almost no coloration due to the fact that there are no speaker cabinets to color the sound. Once you get the position in your room right its Jazz heaven. I never thought I'd be so happy with solid state amplification. And I'm still married. phew !!!

jsquattrin October 05, 2007 17:07

AS70
I am going to buy a set of new 845m's. They are supposed to be the next best option to buying the nos rca's or united's. That is just too much to pay when you can get so much more for just $470 a quad.
cheers!

jsquattrin May 25, 2007 01:01

AS70- I thought the paper caps were supposed to be better for this amp? I will have to look into this. To be truthful, I love the way this amp sounds now.

Zephyr24069-
Thank you for the compliment on my room. I have thought about other power systems but the exactpower was the first one that I heard an immediate improvement without having to play my reference recordings to tell the difference. Eventually I am going to get a balanced power system. Maybe a greys pole pig.

jsquattrin May 20, 2007 15:21

System edited: Sold my P-75 and purchased the Audible arts SE Modded Jolida JD-9 phono stage that has tons of gain that is whisper quiet. Wayne Donnely is working on a review for this piece on Enjoythemusic.com. I also purchased a North Star Sapphire CD player and traded in my old North Star M192 dac and transport. The new one box player takes the trophy hands down.

jsquattrin May 11, 2007 02:01

Hey Dgad.
I really don't miss the colibri and the problems of keeping it in one piece. The more I get familiar with the XV1S, the more I feel that the dynavector was meant to go with the VPI 12.6 arm. I have it set to 2.4 grams and it has a synergy unmatched by my colibri xgw.

jsquattrin March 12, 2007 02:03

System edited: The Dynavector DRT-XV1S should be my final solution to my analog dreams. It was a snap to setup and sounds good right from the start. I am looking forward to it being broken in but it seems like it will be easy getting there.

jsquattrin March 04, 2007 02:56

I picked up a new-in-the-box Dynavector XV1S cartridge. I believe I finally have the cartridge that perfectly matches the VPI HRX table and VPI 12.6 arm combo.

jsquattrin March 02, 2007 03:48

System edited: changed out the telefunken 12au7's and put in mullard nos 12au7's. They have a midrange richness that adds a new dimension to the sound.

jsquattrin February 13, 2007 17:48

System edited: A great attribute of the Cadenza's is the ability to customize the sound by rolling the 12AU7 input tubes. The amps sound can be subtley changed to suit your tastes.

jsquattrin December 14, 2006 17:44

Trying some tube rolling in the Cadenza Mono blocks. Broke the amp and tubes in with RCA clear tops, took those out and put in some slightly used telefunken 12AU7 ribbed plates. The difference was dramatic. Even better than the clear tops for the midrange and just as extended in the top and bottom. Kt 77 drivers much better than the el34's. Dropped in some national union grey glass 6sn7's from the 1940's into the ASL Flora preamp and the entire spectrum took a big step forward.

jsquattrin December 07, 2006 05:13

I continue to be captivated by the compelling beauty of the ZYX Universe silver presentation. Since adding the antique sound labs pre and mono blocks amps, The absolute transparency of the those components have magnified just how good the ZYX is at bringing through the original performance.

jsquattrin November 26, 2006 17:02

They are very good units, but are not worth the $5000 price tag. If you are getting a deal on one great but I know of several other units in the $4000 price range that I would prefer. The revelation audio I2S cable is a must upgrade and is a major improvement.

jsquattrin October 26, 2006 16:28

Hello Bob
I really like the jd-9. It is definetely a best buy. I can't even think of another high priced phono stage that is capable of 95 db of gain at any price. I use only 85 db of gain for my ZYX. Along with the fully adjustable impedence and capacitive loading, you can't go wrong. If you want you can always go to one of the companies offering mods to take the performance up a notch.

Ciao!

jsquattrin October 20, 2006 15:37

Hey Jeff1225
The super tweeters retail at 1500.00. I found a deal at 900.00. The amps and preamp make my Tylers sing in a way that I always hoped they could. It is not hard to connect the super tweeters. they come with their own crossover and sensitivity adjustment. the cables they come with allow you to stack bananas terminals.

jsquattrin October 18, 2006 23:28

System edited: Spun the dice and got a seven! This is the best Amplifier I have ever heard. The increase in low level information is tremendous. The sense of depth, space, and air is beyond anything I have heard before.

jsquattrin October 15, 2006 16:47

System edited: picked up a ASL Fora -EX DT preamp. I love it.

jsquattrin October 04, 2006 06:19

Acresverde
I have to comply. I have never had anything but great luck with Jack's products. If I had the cash, I'd have everything he makes. Just wait till you hear what he's got coming down the pipes.

jsquattrin July 22, 2006 03:57

System edited: Speaker cable change.

jsquattrin July 21, 2006 14:25

Looks like all my components have finally broken in completely. The sound is way beyond my expectations and I credit the exactpower for the immense transformation that I have experienced since adding it to my system. The change was almost instant from the moment I turned on the exact power. I added a new power cable into my system a couple of days later and had to wait for it to finish breaking in. The amazing clarity and realism has returned in spades.

jsquattrin July 03, 2006 23:47

System edited: Exactpower EP15A. This thing works!

jsquattrin June 07, 2006 02:59

System edited: MIT Z-stablizer makes a noticable improvement across the board. Using my Wergrzyn power cord to power it up. Stomach punching bottom end.

jsquattrin May 10, 2006 16:02

System edited: For those of you that have looked at this system, Thanks for looking. I would like to share a revelation with you that I have discovered and has completely changed the sound I experience in my system. Since the beginning of my listening experience I have had to deal with(to some degree)a ground loop noise. I have been able to deal with it through lifting the ground with cheater plugs and making sure the ground was solid. However, it was always a factor to a lesser degree. I was even receiving a mexican radio station when I used a set of single ended inputs on my amp. I received a piece of advice from a friend that owns a HI-END store to originate all my components from one plug. I eventually gave it a try and had to rethink how I ran my power cables and power strip. After some creative thinking I was able to run all of my power from a single 15a plug. the change was simply stunning. I felt like I had just spent 50,000 on a new system! And except for having to buy one more power cord the change cost me nothing. The noise floor has dropped to almost nothing. You can't even hear a hiss from the speakers. The dynamics are amazing. The sound stage is huge, no mexican radio station, no hum, and no hiss. The clarity from every component had increased and the fidelity of the entire system is what I had always hoped it would be. A larger gauge power cord at the outlet was best. I have an 8-gauge wegryzn power cord that sounds best doing the heavy lifting of handling the bulk of the current draw from the wall outlet. Happy listening

jsquattrin May 05, 2006 16:48

Hi Frank
I love my SWL 9.0. It is the best preamp that I have used. It is a bargain for the level of resolutuion it has brought to my system and with the tube output stage it has that sense of harmonic richness that I like.

jsquattrin March 27, 2006 17:40

Thank you all for your kind words.

To Michael 647: So far the rogue sounds fantastic with the tyler speakers and just keeps getting better. I play my music pretty loud and it has no problem.

to Gammajo: I really like my northstar. I used to have a theta system and it was consistently aggravating to listen to. Th northstar has a large and very analog presentation.
the northstar never is hard to listen to. Although the sound was improved by using a different i2s cable from revelation audio labs.

To Jeff1225: I have not heard before that the tylers have taken so long to break in. They sound great now so I can expect for them to keep getting better for a long time to come.

jsquattrin March 27, 2006 01:20

System edited: I have about 160-170 hours on the speakers. They have really opened up. Thy will continue to change until the tweeters are fully broken in at about 450 - 500 hours. the imaging and transparency are becoming quite amazing and the bass is fantastic. A real bargain!

jsquattrin March 15, 2006 17:58

System edited: Well, I thought I was done. I read so many good things about the Tyler speakers that I couldn't resist. I just got them in my system and I can expect 400 - 500 hours of play time before they are fully broken in. So far, they are getting better fast and will soon surpass my last speakers. Sound stage is huge. Imaging is getting 3-dimensional and palpable. I have only been playing them for 2 days. So, the tweeter has some smoothing out to do.

jsquattrin February 26, 2006 21:04

Installed my Lyra Helicon Mono a couple of weeks ago and it has really increased the enjoyment factor for listening to mono albums. Coincidently Clasix has been reissuing many of the old Jazz greats in mono. The ones I have bought are really good. The recordings and sound are almost as good as new recordings. Kenny Burrel- 'Midnight Blue' is a must have in stereo or mono.
Happy listening

jsquattrin December 22, 2005 07:11

System edited: I finally picked up my new helikon mono cartridge. I immediately came home and installed it into my system. There is a tremendous difference from listening to mono albums on a stereo cartridge and a mono switch than listening to a mono cartridge.

jsquattrin November 24, 2005 16:38

I am waiting for my Lyra Helikon mono to arrive before I can get this new arm going.

jsquattrin October 31, 2005 17:41

System edited: Putting together a mono analog rig by adding the rs a-1 arm and lyra helicon mono cartridge. I got a jolida JD9 phono stage for the mono setup and liked it so much I might sell my p-75 and get another jolida.

jsquattrin October 31, 2005 17:29

Careful to check speaker driver screws. The screws that hold the drivers in loosened up a bit and man what a change in the sound of the speaker. After tightening up the screws they sounded like different speakers. Just like I spent another $10,000.00 on a pair of new speakers. The imaging is holographic and pinpont. The speakers disappear.

jsquattrin October 04, 2005 04:20

System edited: I recently experienced a problem with my HRX. One of the motors started going bad. I had to get a replacement from VPI on warranty. I changed out the motor myself, this saved me a chunk of change shipping out that very heavy motor assembly. The motor caused a serious reduction in the fidelity of the table. After removing the motor it was fine. Changing the motor out was not beyond a normal persons ability with a modicum of mechanical know how. It was frustrating until I figured it out.

jsquattrin October 04, 2005 04:13

One thing about the Zyx, it does not gloss over any negative qualities of the record. If the recording has any weaknesses, you will hear it. The good thing is that with good recordings it is fantastic.

jsquattrin September 17, 2005 20:36

Latest word on the zyx universe. I borrowed a Graham Azimuth adjustment tool from a friend. I got the azimuth adjusted spot on and had to change everything else. I ended up at 2.2 grams vtf to get the tracking right. I am still at 28 marks above level for the vta. I was worried about being at 2.2 grams when everyone else said 1.95 - 2.05 grams but I talked to VPI and my friend and was told that unipivot arms sometimes require more vtf than lets say a SME V or a bearing type arm. One turn on the wire for anti-skate.

jsquattrin September 17, 2005 20:05

I wanted to update on the Zyx universe cartridge after I had a chance to play with it for a few days. I had to wait till I got a new scale, due to the fact that my cartridge man scale battery died after 6 years. I only used it 9 or 10 times. I was finally able to get the VTF dialed in to where all the forums say it should be. I ended up with 2.07 grams and the VTA is about 28 gradations above level if using a JMW 12.6 arm. This cartridge is very sensitive to VTA and VTF like all cartridges but when you hit the right spot, you won't believe that your system can sound like this. I have never heard this level of reality before. Set up can be finicky but its worth it. CD's aren't even in the same 'Universe'.

jsquattrin September 13, 2005 06:46

Just got my Zyx universe in my system and it is amazing. Not even an hour of play time but the single best I have heard so far in my system. When my colibri gets back I'm going to have some fun. Maybe some of the SFO locals would like to get together. Drink some wine and listen to some music.

jsquattrin September 09, 2005 06:31

Thanks Ken
I really enjoy my record collection. I sure like your Usher speakers. They are a beautiful adornment to any system and from what I hear they sound great too. I love your McIntosh tuner. I was just looking on the listings to see what it would cost me for a good tuner.
Regards
Jeff

jsquattrin September 07, 2005 00:07

Thanks
From every forum I have seen, all of the Zyx's are a bargain and perform way above their price level. I hope you find a copy of Trio Jeepy. Its well worth the trouble.
Ciao
Jeff

jsquattrin September 06, 2005 03:19

System edited: Just picked up a Zyx universe s-sb. Can't wait to put it in my system and put it up against the VDH Colibri. Too bad I have to wait till the colibri gets back from VDH. Regards Jeff

jsquattrin September 06, 2005 01:37

Just wanted to turn jazz fans on to an album I heard and purchased last week that is kickin! It was used vinyl that I got from my buddies store. The artist is Branford Marsalis and the name of the album is 'Trio Jeepy'. The recording is amazing quality for 1989 columbia records. No remastering or heavy pressing, just regular 120 gram double album. Bass is fantastic and the players are equally fantastic. Tempo is from ballad sleepy to burnout crazy. I haven't been able to stop playing it for the last week. My wife's getting sick of it. Ciao!

jsquattrin August 28, 2005 06:35

Thanks for the kind words. It has been a long time in coming. My wife added a woman's touch to the room. I just had to make sure those touches didn't sacrafice the sound. I am happy with the speakers. They are relatively unkown, so maybe this help to get the word out. Ciao!

jsquattrin August 24, 2005 04:59

System edited: You can see in the TNT HRX picture the absence of the air filler cap that was present with the air pod system. The new suspension uses rubber balls filled with air to suspend the table.

jsquattrin August 24, 2005 01:22

A correction is neccessary concerning the stated frequency response of the James Grand Symphonic 10 speakers. I have recently been notified that the stated frequency response in the owners manual of 20-20,000 hz +- 3db is a misprint and should read 30-20,000 Hz +-2 db. Sorry for potentially misleading anyone. This does not change how much I like the sound of the speakers. The speakers have a ton of low well defined bass, which is why the original specs were believable to me. Any vibes missing in the lowest octave is provided by the James EMB-1500 subwoofer. Ciao!!

jsquattrin August 23, 2005 17:15

I just receved the new airless suspension system from VPI for my TNT HRX. Installing it was a snap. Removing the air pods was a little dicey but went ok. The new system is a replacment of the air pods with a new leveler and a ball resembling a raquetball. After removing the pods they insert easily and require nothing more than releveling the table. There is a dramatic increase in the sense of space and depth. The whole spectrum gains a new level of smoothness and clarity. This is noticeable immediately. Can't wait to get my Colibri back from Van Den Hul. The best thing is not having to add air to the pods any longer. Taking the life of your cartridge in your hands every time you did it. especially for the pod behind the arm weight.

jsquattrin August 23, 2005 15:35

ordered new airless suspension pods for the TNT HRX. Thank God No more pumping.

jsquattrin August 10, 2005 06:51

Thanks! I still tweek from time to time but I like to tweek with it. I am having a repair done to my colibri cartridge due to my four year old droppong a balloon on it while it was playing. That's why I have my stand by dynavector on instead of the colibri. I don't mean to say that the Karat is not a great cartridge, but not as good as the Van den hul. I am constantly surprised by how good the james speakers are. I just happened on them by accident, I loved how they looked. I decided to listen to them for the heck of it. I bought them on the spot and sold my Gallo references. I have been happy with them for over a year now. Other priorities in my life make sure that I am done for now. However, its fun to try new stuff.
I looked at your system. Nice stuff!I love Watt puppies.I really like your Sim audio moon cd player. A real work of art. Thanks for looking at my system.

jsquattrin August 05, 2005 07:20