after just five days the amp has opened out considerably and the detail is getting through. I'm also playing about with the impedance plugs that come with the unit. I've tried 120k, 500, 85 and 40 and so far I think 40 works best. It's a bit silly adding another variable while the unit warms up but I just can't help myself! the pic below shows the two impedance plugs, just like RCA plugs, above the input and ground.
There's a a stack of vinyl on the couch to listen to after the French rugby, Mingus, Lyle Lovette, Phosphorescent, Chatham County Line, Willie Dixon and more. I can see a visit to Freebird and Tower early in the week too. I'm fully aware that there's about another week of warm-up from this amp (some articles have suggested five weeks!) and already, while not perfect, the sound is probably the best I've ever had in my house. Right now it's engaging and incisive. That will do me.
Ivor wrote:after just five days the amp has opened out considerably and the detail is getting through. I'm also playing about with the impedance plugs that come with the unit. I've tried 120k, 500, 85 and 40 and so far I think 40 works best. It's a bit silly adding another variable while the unit warms up but I just can't help myself! the pic below shows the two impedance plugs, just like RCA plugs, above the input and ground.
There's a a stack of vinyl on the couch to listen to after the French rugby, Mingus, Lyle Lovette, Phosphorescent, Chatham County Line, Willie Dixon and more. I can see a visit to Freebird and Tower early in the week too. I'm fully aware that there's about another week of warm-up from this amp (some articles have suggested five weeks!) and already, while not perfect, the sound is probably the best I've ever had in my house. Right now it's engaging and incisive. That will do me.
The Germany's know how to make best of stuff :) glad you like the sound so far
I was in Ivor's last night and had a quick listen......
and I was not dissappointed. It sounds lovely, really really nice. Very smooth presentation, great depth and it does work a bit of magic with vocals I think. There definitely was that sense of realism there. The other thing was that it had that trick of reducing surface noise - it wasn;t noticeable at all.
I was reading only recently where someone was suggesting that a slight intentional roll-off of the high frequencies can do this. I don't know if thats the case here, but the top end did not seem lacking at all - really good clear shimmering cymbals etc. Where there was sibilance on the track, it was there, but not to an annoying extent - in other words it didn't emphasise it.
Well I've let the wee beastie warm up for the recommended week (minimum!) and I have to admit that it improved day by day since I first plugged it in. Even since Fran was here on Wednesday there's been a marked improvement in bass and soundstage. I've been using Ry Cooder's "Chink Skin Music" as a reference disk (actually I've been using the same copy of this LP as a reference since 1976!) and it's easy to hear the improvements. When I play other, less well recorded albums, even old Stax LPs, it will show up any flaws but that's actually what I want in a system. I want neutral and transparent not something that will colour or varnish a recording.
I really can't this leaving my house now as every day I listen to it it improves - and I listen everyday! The poor CD player only gets turned on when I need to do radio stuff.
I've read some reports that said it took 5 weeks to really 'bed in'.
I took the Yaoin pre amp off Richard's hands on Saturday.
!!!!!!!
The difference between it and my Project Phono Box was quite startling.
Bells ring, bass starts and stops as you would wish, clarity and musicality in spades.
Rhythm and Flow. Engagement. LP after LP, really entertaining.
"A missing Link" replaced is how I feel about it.
In between my rebuilt Thorens 160/Rega arm/Ortofon 2M Blue MM and my Cary 300B integrated it sounds like a match made in heaven.
That relatively middling front end of mine has come alive like I didn't really expect ! My wife will be pleased !!
For the money it is probably the most beneficially effective upgrade that I've ever made.
In fact the only gripe that I have is that the blue LED source indicator lamp is too bright ! Pity about me.
Nirvana for another while.
"Quality means doing it right when no one is looking" - Henry Ford
