this is my first decent stereo ,i listen to all kinds of music,chamber,jazz(old&new),rock,electonica,bluegrass,acoustic.I love the sound of a tube preamp with a SS poweramp ,.my system is sounding much better with the upgrades ive made,,!!i would apprieciate any sugg.,comments ,thanks for all the help so far guys!!!
Hello Sgr,Thank you! I went with the CJ MF2500A,which im very happy with,much better than the Anthem PVA2 it replaced ,it took a bit of work to get the bass response out of it,but worth the effort!I still have some room issues to deal with,not too bad untill i crank the volume a bit,,im saving for a new cart. now as i bent the cantilever on my Clearaudio **%#@(!,,sure miss my LPs!The pics were my first attempt,i will post some more(hopefully better) photos soon,the Magnum has a nice analog sound to it ,that i enjoy.Ray
Hello Slipknot,I think im in love with my Chardonnay!!!The addition of the DAC@DIP have made a nice improvement to my digital sound,larger ,deeper soundstage,more air between everything,less digital sounding,top end is a bit smoother,Everything has a bit more wt.without hurting detail , more toetapping happening now!!I should recieve a pr of Tungsol Roundplates 6SN7s and a pr of RCA Greyglass VT231s this week!I have a bent cantilever on my cart.so ll replace it next,i have my choices narrowed down to a ZYX RS30 or Dynavector Karat,also decided(for now) to add 2 pr of Stereovox HDSE ICs for phono,they sound very well balanced and quiet in my system,I do need to work on my room too,i will do a lot of research and a bit of testing in this area,,also want to price a dedicated line,but dont want to go overboard since im renting for at least another 2 years,I sure miss my latenight analog sessions!!Just the pure emotion that LPs have!Well,Thank you for the visit!!OH!how do you like the RCA Greyglass?
Ray, Looks really good to me! Nice selection of gear. How's the Supratek treating you? Have you been doing any tube rolling? Thus far, I have swapped out the EH 6SN7's for a pair of NOS RCA gray glass 6SN7 and keep trying Amperex 6922 Bugle Boys in the phono stage. Depending on which cart I am using: Shelter 501 II seems to like the amperex better than the Dynavector 17D does.
Chad,Thanks!The DAC is working out well,I should have my Monarchy DIP MK2 mon.I do love my Chardonnay,I should be getting a pr of Tungsol Roundplates and pr RCA grey glass VT231s sometime next week too!
Ellery,Thanks for the kind words!Let me know if you find anything,hehe!Im pretty happy with the sound,its come a long way since its humble beginings,,,im trying to think of a way to snag a pr of B@W Matrix801s that my local dealer took in recently,,they are ugly as hell ,,,,,but sound soooo good!!Gunbei,thanks for having a messier room than i do!I dont feel too bad now ,,lol,Jimi and Dali grace the back wall,Where is it ? Ive been looking all week for it,,hehe!!
sorry dude...i've got my money on gunbei for winning the messy award...you're room looks pretty chillin'...I dig the Marley flag...I'll bet the system sounds sweet too...now let me get out my magnifying glass and see where you have your contraband stashed...lol...kidding.
Chad,,I recieved the DAC today,with about 7 hours in my system it is an improvement !! First impressions are fuller sound,wider,deeper soundstage,Thanks !!!Should have pics up this week!!!Im using a SignalCable Analog Two for Digital IC,would a true digital IC work better?
Well, Im really enjoying my system lately!The Stereovox HDSE IC is between poweramp and preamp,and the BMC is between DVD and preamp,which sounds much better than the AQ Kingcobra ,better synergy i guess!I finally have my speakers placed just right ,after moving my system to another part of house.Should have a pr of Tungsol RPs in a couple weeks to try in my Chardonnay!Iheard a pr of B@W 801 Matrix at my local dealers and was impressed!Im taking my Chardonnay over next week to see how it sounds with the 801s.icant make up my mind what to upgrade next,APL Denon(ss model)cartridge or speakers,,,,I finally bought a camera to take system pics,now if i can get around to cleaning my place a bit,,,,,
I swore i would not get another universal player,,,but,,,,,The APL Denon 3910 SS version sure sounds appealing,at about the same price i was planning on spending on a redbook CDP,from what ive read,it will equal or surpass what i could get from a redbook only player at the same cost!what do you guys think!
my Chardonney is breaking in nicely,,,,,i love this preamp!!!!!!!!i have a pair of Stereovox HDSE ICs on order,,,well im looking forward to some tube rolling on the Chard!please feel free to comment or offer sug.i may upgrade my Integra universal player next, i can live without DVDA,,,still not sure ill be going with SACD either,,,
Hello Larry,id love to hear a Teres in a nice system,ill have to search for a dealer in Fla,im very happy with the way my system is sounding,the CJ MF2500A really improved things,,i feel like i am in high end territory now,,it did however expose a few small flaws with my current preamp,cant wait to hear how the Chardonney fits in!!
. Ray, . I will probably give the Walker SST a shot down the road and let you know what it does for my system. . Your system is coming along vary nicely. Do put a Teres turntable in the back of your head to look at for a down the road upgrade. . Rgds, Larry .
after i get my Chardonney,i might upgrade my universal player with an SACD player that can also do a good job with redbook CDs as over 90% of my digital listening is redbook,another option is a good Dac,,,,
i sent a deposit last friday for a stock Chardonney,,,,,,Slipknot ,i couldnt stretch my budget for the Chenin,your advice to wait on any cable changes makes good sense!Larry,i put a picture of the Chardonney on my locker at work,of course the guys at work think im nuts,one guy could not believe what im spending on audio,after all he bought a HT system for 300.00 that does everything!!the best way i can descibe the Walker SST is that everything sounds a bit more effortless,,not a dramatic improvement,but def. an improvement,,also the color and picture on my TV is a bit better,brighter color and sharper images
. Ray, . You will be more than happy with the Chardonnay and it is well worth the wait. You are headed for some serious fun. . If and when you want to do something about a table upgrade (after you get your new house), the Teres is a match made in heaven when combined with the Supratek. . How much of an improvement was the Walker SST ? What areas were improved ? I have a bottle of the older version that I never opened. . Rgds, Larry .
Walker SST applied with good results,and sent a deposit for my Chardonney today,,,,the sound of my system has improved since i started this wacky hobbie,cant wait to hear what the Suprateks going to do for my system,,,,
i recieved an email from Mick today,he said it takes a lot less time to build a Chardonney than other models,,,ill send a deposit in 2 weeks,,this is a purchase i have no hesitation making,,,also bought some Walker SST today,ill apply it tonight!!!
