The AUDIOPHILE Thread

[trondsi]

I have two turntables, both with Sumiko cartridges. I really like my Dual 502 turntable with Sumiko Rainier cartridge. Sometimes it sounds better than digital recordings, sometimes worse. It depends on the condition of the record, sound engineering etc I suppose, but vinyl is so much more fun than digital music

[ZipZop]

Hey gents, I just ordered this Chi-Fi Hybrid TUBE amp from Amazon. Only $150 delivered for the silver faced model, 25 watts Class AB into 8 ohms.
Good reviews.



What I don't like is the BlueTooth integration as that tends to cheapen the design engineering, but these days, it's very hard to get Chinese Hi-Fi WITHOUT WiFi or BlueTooth.

No Mag Phono Input (I don't believe) but that's not a biggie for me since I have a few Behringer Pre-Amps for Mag Cartridges. This is a Hybrid so not a PURE tube amplification model, but still the tube circuit is incorporated in the output design so the warmth should be there, as well as the expanded headroom that tubes provide without clipping the waveform at higher volumes.

I will keep you posted on how it goes with this one. I have a full electronic bench so if the unit fails, I can repair it and get into the design in depth to see how well it is engineered and manufactured.

Some Chi-Fi (as you know) is not so good quality-wise. Some is excellent (re: iPhones). This one should not be so bad based on reviews. Time will tell. I run 4 ohms on speakers so I'll be driving the full 35 watts per channel, and that should be plenty for ear-ringing volume.

LINK TO AMAZON

[Badgister]

That is some bargain! I had a Chinese tube amp by musical paradise that served me well for several years. I sold it because it wasn't ideal for lower volume listening and near field listening which is mostly what I do .

I recently made a few upgrades to my system. Never been a believer in power cables until my Hi Fi dealer lent me a transparent high performance cable to audition. I asked my wife to help me do a double blind test. I was able to tell which was the new cable and we both noticed a fuller and more dynamic bass.

I also changed my Shure m97xe cartridge for a Hana SL. It's my first MC cartridge and I am very impressed. Great clarity and less surface noise. I am listening to all my records all over again and the CD player has been unplugged, that's how good it is.

[ZipZop]

Unfortunately I discovered MC Cartridges in College. It's been a love affair (and a drain on my wallet - thus the "unfortunately" comment) ever since.

I too have never been a big believer in HQ cables for enhanced listening perception - either interconnect nor power. but maybe I should try. I do have all of my interconnect cables in good condition and many are gold plated connectors, but I never went in for $200 monster cables. Maybe I need to re-think that. Thanks for the post.

[Speedster]

Not so sure about my Nordost XLR interconnect cables, but the Heimdall 2 power cables completely eliminated all discernible traces of power line noise from my McIntosh system. With the previous Chinese OEM cables, this noise/hiss was easily heard.

I get the same effect using a Cardas Clear Power cable with my CODEX DAC / headphone amp, so there is something to be gained from high-quality power cables.

Nordost's factory falls under NSA protections since they supply the military with even fancier power and data cables; not even certified Nordost dealers get to tour or visit the factory. Audiophile improvements gained from military R&D, of course! It's the American way.

[ZipZop]

Hey, that's worth a try! I spent a small fortune on everything ELSE audio, I might as well try serious power cables! Especially on my McIntosh.
Thanks for the tip, Mark.

[jfk742]

Some of those cables are worth more than my whole system, I rather just live in ignorant bliss.

[thebigspendur]

Probably the first thing you want to do when you get that is trash the tubes that come with it and buy some vintage tubes. Of course that would cost you many times what the unit cost.

Poor tubes are really horrible sounding.

[tintin]

I have been working on a '60's Heathkit turntable and amp.(I realize this may not be considered high end) Since there are a lot of smart guys here with a wide variety of talents i thought i might be able to get some help(and i don't know who else to ask). This weekend i finally was able to hook the turntable up to the amp (the amp was at my sons house) and to my dismay it emitted a loud hissing (actually more of a windy) sound through the speakers. I know it's not the turntable since i had already tried it through my home stereo. The noise is so loud it drowns out the sound of the record. Any ideas?

[Badgister]

I suspect it could be the tubes. Maybe one of them is loose and needs to to be pushed in better or they could also need to be changed. Sounds silly, but you might want to check that all your cables are plugged in correctly, speaker cables, interconnect and grounding wire. Good luck!