Finally got the courage to play some CDs made by good friends whose music I've heard live on hundreds of occasions. Yesterday I played Spectrum's Murtceps album. It has dated badly, being progressive rock from the early 70's. Geoff Achison's Genevieve album is on at the moment and it's damned good. There are a couple I still can't bear to hear, since they're no longer with us. Maybe one day.
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I only got to see Fotheringay live once, but having been given Richard Thompson's autobiography (part 1?) for my birthday, I've been playing Fairport/Fotheringay/Denny/Thompsons albums, including the live ones, ever since.
Quite a journey, and they've never sounded this good before. Who says nostalgia ain't what it used to be?
Quite a journey, and they've never sounded this good before. Who says nostalgia ain't what it used to be?
I haven't listened to those bands since forever. Great memories there.
The live albums are definitely the best.
The live albums are definitely the best.
Well this amplifier is costing me a fortune. I've bought about seven or eight new CDs this week.
I've done exactly the same. (But cheaply, on line.)
Having used the DIY Sony VFET as one half of a bi-amped system, I was curious to hear what it could do by itself. In my bedroom are Focal micro-Utopias, renowned for their 'no hiding place' presentation and the only source is a classic Audiolab tuner. The Roksan pre- would add some flavour but at least there would be no DAC involved.
There happened to be a re-broadcast of a Prom concert just starting, and my five minute listening session somehow stretched to an hour or so....
Initially I was listening to the outstanding separation of instruments - the differing timbres of various woodwinds for example, but gradually got used to it and into the music itself. (Even the low-level noise of a packed concert hall was noticeable in between movements. It doesn't usually register.)
I've said before that a heavyweight commercial amp somehow sounds congested compared to a KISS design from NP. And now the bar is raised further still.
If I get to build something similar for my brother it will be interesting to get an unbiased (as in brutally honest) opinion.
Having used the DIY Sony VFET as one half of a bi-amped system, I was curious to hear what it could do by itself. In my bedroom are Focal micro-Utopias, renowned for their 'no hiding place' presentation and the only source is a classic Audiolab tuner. The Roksan pre- would add some flavour but at least there would be no DAC involved.
There happened to be a re-broadcast of a Prom concert just starting, and my five minute listening session somehow stretched to an hour or so....
Initially I was listening to the outstanding separation of instruments - the differing timbres of various woodwinds for example, but gradually got used to it and into the music itself. (Even the low-level noise of a packed concert hall was noticeable in between movements. It doesn't usually register.)
I've said before that a heavyweight commercial amp somehow sounds congested compared to a KISS design from NP. And now the bar is raised further still.
If I get to build something similar for my brother it will be interesting to get an unbiased (as in brutally honest) opinion.
My bedroom system is a work in progress. I've picked up a pair of Stentorian HF-1012 drivers that I intend to fit into corner horns, with a tiny electrostatic to help with the top end. The first amplifier I complete (and I have a few in progress) will no doubt go in there. Since there's a TV antenna point in the room I have the option of FM radio or TV, but there's no FM reception here as I live in a remote location. So, perhaps a TV tuner which enables me to pick up dozens of audio transmissions above the video band.
I certainly hope you were using the VFET amp for treble in that biamped setup.
I also own a beautiful pair of Focal 10" woofers that were put in storage in a friend's garage many years ago. I haven't been able to contact him since leaving my yacht and buying a house, and he lives in another state so visiting isn't an option with the health lockdown here in NSW. Hopefully he's still with us, but at my age I have more friends gone than still present unfortunately.
Most of my CDs come from Ebay but I've been eyeing off large collections since the price per disk will be far cheaper.
I certainly hope you were using the VFET amp for treble in that biamped setup.
I also own a beautiful pair of Focal 10" woofers that were put in storage in a friend's garage many years ago. I haven't been able to contact him since leaving my yacht and buying a house, and he lives in another state so visiting isn't an option with the health lockdown here in NSW. Hopefully he's still with us, but at my age I have more friends gone than still present unfortunately.
Most of my CDs come from Ebay but I've been eyeing off large collections since the price per disk will be far cheaper.
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I will help you... sell it to me. I promise I will not push Red Book polycarbonates through it, only vinyl and 24/96+ rips.
I should pay you to take it off my hands, the damned thing has ruined my life. But shipping a 19 kg package to the USA?
Well, if you're gonna pay me to take it off your hands... ;-)
Surely there must be a Gonzo Shipping Company in Oz that will handle it, not too rough. Just make sure it has four masks over the output transistors. We don't want it get sick over Tonga.
Surely there must be a Gonzo Shipping Company in Oz that will handle it, not too rough. Just make sure it has four masks over the output transistors. We don't want it get sick over Tonga.
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There's a pair of Yamaha B3 amps on Ebay Australia for AU $2,900 + $120 shipping and they've been dragging my attention for weeks. I wish someone would buy them to remove the temptation ...
Last night I pulled apart the JM-S7 to see how it was constructed. The underchassis just looks like generic electrical wiring, no electronics at all. It was an untraceable mess because everything goes to a pair of finger sockets, into which two PCBs plug from the top of the chassis.
According to the sound at background levels I was expecting el-cheapo components, and I was not disappointed. Lots of disc ceramics, low-end electros, polyesters and carbon resistors. There are also at least three dual diode packages, although they are not the same unreliable parts that killed so many Sony units thankfully.
I won't be performing any mods. The only way to do that properly would be to trace the whole circuit and design new plug-in PCBs and frankly it would be more productive to simply design a new amplifier from a blank sheet of paper, tabula rasa.
Enjoy the happy snaps.
According to the sound at background levels I was expecting el-cheapo components, and I was not disappointed. Lots of disc ceramics, low-end electros, polyesters and carbon resistors. There are also at least three dual diode packages, although they are not the same unreliable parts that killed so many Sony units thankfully.
I won't be performing any mods. The only way to do that properly would be to trace the whole circuit and design new plug-in PCBs and frankly it would be more productive to simply design a new amplifier from a blank sheet of paper, tabula rasa.
Enjoy the happy snaps.
Attachments
Extended listening continues. I'm pretty sure that in the days of vinyl with its inherent backround noise this amplifier would have seemed perfect, but on most low-res digital source material the overlay of the amplifier's character becomes annoying, even if it does sound sweet. I prefer something more accurate myself, but for that I'll have to personally design something better, which is a tall order.
I've also discovered that there's a channel disparity and I've had to push the right channel volume preset about 20 degrees further than the left. I've eliminated all else, it's definitely the Victor. It probably needs a good alignment, but of course there's no data on how to do that anywhere online.
On hi-res sources (24/96 and better) or on low-res sources at reasonably high levels it is as good as anything I've heard. Definitely a keeper, this one.
I've also discovered that there's a channel disparity and I've had to push the right channel volume preset about 20 degrees further than the left. I've eliminated all else, it's definitely the Victor. It probably needs a good alignment, but of course there's no data on how to do that anywhere online.
On hi-res sources (24/96 and better) or on low-res sources at reasonably high levels it is as good as anything I've heard. Definitely a keeper, this one.
Perhaps time to try one or two of the alternate front end cards? There are already two that don't use the Edcor signal transformer for gain.
I built the Dreadnought and have enjoyed those, albeit with significant modifications from what was released by the designer. You could try building it straight from the BOM and schematics, see what you think.
I built the Dreadnought and have enjoyed those, albeit with significant modifications from what was released by the designer. You could try building it straight from the BOM and schematics, see what you think.
I have the sense from your comments so far that you will never be satisfied with this amp or any other, even the one that you design and build for yourself. 😉
My reference amplifiers are a pair of Krohn-Hite UF-101's that were lovingly restored years ago. They are extremely accurate and sound wonderful driving a pair of ESL speakers and others. That said, if I was forced to pick between the K-H and the Victor, without a doubt I would choose the Victor or any of my other V-FET amps ... but then that's just me. 🙂
Cheers and enjoy the music!
Yes, there's an element of truth to that. 🙂
My reference amplifiers are a pair of Krohn-Hite UF-101's that were lovingly restored years ago. They are extremely accurate and sound wonderful driving a pair of ESL speakers and others. That said, if I was forced to pick between the K-H and the Victor, without a doubt I would choose the Victor or any of my other V-FET amps ... but then that's just me. 🙂
Cheers and enjoy the music!
80dB of negative feedback? Urgh! Nice amp for it's day but the manual shows frequencies in cycles/sec so it's day was a while ago. I'd choose the Victor over most valve amplifiers, at least until I eclipse it myself. That's the diehard DIY spirit.
And TungstenAudio appears to be referring to the AKSA Lender preamp? I don't even use a preamp.
Nah, I was talking about one of the alternate FE cards for the VFET amp.
Worth trying, just to feed the addiction. 😉
Worth trying, just to feed the addiction. 😉
Oh, the addiction is being fed, don't you worry. The aforementioned sale for two B3 amps on Fleabay expired, to be replaced by an ad for a single B3 at AU$3000 with the amp having been "fully restored by my tech." I enquired what had happened to the other unit and was told it was faulty.
Assuming blown VFETs I offered AU$500 for it, and the seller scoffed at that price and informed me that the VFETs were fine. So, I've revised the offer to AU$1000 today. At 75W/ch it would do nicely for a surround amp in conjunction with the Victor. 🙂