John Curl's Blowtorch preamplifier

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#18,981
john curl said:
[When I don't need first class performance, I go to Radio Shack, as I did today. and buy what's there. I got a amplified stereo speaker for $22. Such a deal. That is about 20 minutes work, on something that I am expert at. Why should I bother to spend hours building its equivalent? It is just for TV sound, late night, when the lady in the next apartment bangs on the wall. I can hear every word, but it would not be my first recommendation for a concert.
'Horses for Courses', engineers, please don't try to convince me that what I bought today can stand up to my $5000 WATT's parked next to it, or even my $1500 Sequerras nearby. But it will do. [/B]
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Mr Curl
I do admire your knowledge , but tell us , how to explain the phenomen of the "Gainclone" and all those chipamps made on the base of the National devices (LM3386 , LM3875)
Why so many (also on this adudio forum ) swear that such "chipamps" made with good quality passive components and proper wiring can hit the sound quality level of the 1000$ solid state amps of even higher

For sure Chipamps can't comepte yet with the high priced solid state amps but let's faced the truth ; rising generation (we call them : generation of the thumb ) don't care so much about highest quality of the sound reproduction , they want fast and simple solutions with good quality at moderate price level

Is it the reason , why Mr Curl , Mr Pass or Mr Chansen should cancel the production of their solid state preamps and amps

NOW !!!!


But this is the reason , why Toshiba , Sanken , Hitachi or others will close the production lines of the active audio devices (or already did ).
And without the supply of such devices,producers of the solid state amps and preamps will end up like dinozaurs.
 
#18,983
Good to see you like the Swiss made LEMO connectors. I use
LEMO connectors for power supply work. For ex to connect the power supply box with the line amplifier box.

They cost something like 150 Euro each and the quality is outstanding.

For XLR cable connectors, I have not found anything that beat the ones from Furutech that are called FP601/FP602 Rhodium
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and for chassie XLR I use the round ones also from Furutech:
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Sigurd

john curl said:
SOME LEMO's cost 10 EUR, I have LEMO's that would cost much more and would replace XLR connectors.
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#18,986
Dodo, some people like fast food, too! I like KFC chicken, if its done right. Appreciated it for the last 45 years! Horses for courses. Of course, when someone will pay the check, I like Chez Panisse within walking distance from where I live, even better.
What really surprises me is people spending serious money on wine. What a waste of money!:geezer:
 
#18,987
Sigurd Ruschkow said:
Good to see you like the Swiss made LEMO connectors. I use
LEMO connectors for power supply work. For ex to connect the power supply box with the line amplifier box.

They cost something like 150 Euro each and the quality is outstanding.



Sigurd
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Lemo ,expensive connectors to connect external power supply to line/phono preamp? Is there any subjective difference between Lemo and siver plated DIN or XLR connectors in same position?
Did you mean 15 Euro instead of 150?
 
#18,989
I prefer to say that LEMO are costly. To say that they are expensive I do not.

No, they cost about 150 Euros each. Depends a bit on type and how many poles you want to have. But about 150 Euros. They are the best I have found, and the best often cost.

Please give LEMOs a try and compare to for ex Neutrik's XLR connectors so you can hear the differences for yourself.




Sigurd



kamis said:

Lemo ,expensive connectors to connect external power supply to line/phono preamp? Is there any subjective difference between Lemo and siver plated DIN or XLR connectors in same position?
Did you mean 15 Euro instead of 150?
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#18,990
Lemo 8 way 2B plug is 22.91 pounds at Farnell. UK. Same price for the socket. They still have nickel barrier between base metal and gold plating.
I do not beleive that there is a difference in sound quality when Lemo conducting power supply AC or DC to audio stages.
German Fisher connectors are similar to Lemo and slightly less expensive.
 
#18,999
Re: Re: nickel barrier

kamis said:

Bad thing, of course. Best audio connectors are direct silver, gold or rhodium plated , without nickel.
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Bzzt!!! wrong answer

Unfortunately, unless the base metal is inert (titanium, stainless, that sort of thing) they will corrode with an inert metal plated over them. That's why the nickel is there...

silver, gold, rhodium are all porous at any practical plating thickness one could afford.... hence strong anodic currents will flow from the pores in the coating dissolving the base metal... >>> eventual failure. With gold, copper will actually diffuse through the coating if no barrier is present. I doubt that the 20 microns or so of nickel middle layer will have any discernable effect on sound quality, other than maintain it over years of use.

John L.
 
#19,000
I'm glad that real, serious, discussions on audio quality are back here, on this thread, where I feel safer to input.
Lemo makes BEAUTIFULLY made connectors, (good) BUT they do use nickel interface (bad) and this is one reason that I don't use them very often. My favorite audio connector (unbalanced) is the premium Vampire RCA connector with 2 bands, denoting: Oxygen free pure copper, with direct gold plating, (no nickel) with a Teflon insulator. I used them on the input stage of the Vendetta Research preamp and I will use them in the future for phono inputs and outputs.
My only complaint about them is the copper is a little stiff. I might add cryoing to the process as well.
After all, I want to do the best possible.
 
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