Rja While I ultimately went with cca's in the great tube shootout with the 2.0, I liked the PQ's alot and actually kept a quad of PQ's to change out for variety within my unit. They had a very dynamic, lively and splashy sound with my equipment with no harshness. |
I have not tried that - May do that sometime when I get snowed in :) |
Btstrg - I was told by the AH representative, Victor that positions 1 and 3 were a bit more critical to the sound than positions 2 & 4. That is the rational for using the best tubes that you can afford there, if you can only afford two really great tubes instead of four. This comes from the cost of great cca's at times pushing $300 each. I opted however to use cca's in all four positions under the idea that it is often best to have matched tubes accross the board in a given unit and that the sound benefit was worth the cost. By being patient I think usually you can find a matched quad of whatever you want at a more reasonable cost. My quads of cca's cost me about $600 I think, and all other options such as Telefunkens, Mullards and Amperex could be found cheaper than this. Let us know what tubes you try from your current stash. And welcome to the AH "club" |
Sherod Thanks fo rthe PC info. Do you have a price range for them or website?
Joe |
I am curious. For AH preamp owners I wonder how many listen primarily to digital sources (CD) and how many mostly enjoy thier LP collection? I have an decent LP collection but I listen primarily to digital, more precisely my guess is 95%CD and 5% LP. That may change soon as I gear up the analogue side. |
Thanks Bill, you got me very interested. My 2.0nB was made right before the switch to 2.1 and therefore Joseph put in some of what the newer unit has. I will have to check out the difference. I am very happy for you that you achieved such improvement - that is always satisfying
Joe |
SLtrains - Thanks for posting your impressions. I am not sure what a gooey mid-range is, can you elaborate?
Tvad - Thanks for posting a good-eared and respectful different point of view. I have been intrigued by those products and now may make an effort to hear them sometime. My AH seems so much less flat than the solid state it replaced, but my experience with different tube units is very limited. |
Stltrains - Yes for me the AH has enough snap, sizzle and bass support that anything with a beat causes one to feel like dancing. |
Bill - Thanks for the detailed post. I am glad that you were rewarded so well for taking the chance at upgrade when the original sounds so good. I may well do the same after your experience. I am uncertain what you mean about digital cable. Are you talking about preamp to amp connect or something else, such as I use a 12Is between my Transport and DAC.
Joe |
I just have to toast your auditory memory. You are listening throughout a 100 hour break-in and still remembering what the unmodded 2.0 sounds like for comparision. I would have to have the units side by side and do my comparisons that way unless the differences were very dramatic. I am very interested in your impressions as the units break in fully - that will determine whether I take the plunge. Perhaps I will compare my unit directly to a new 2.1. to get a flavor of what the ungrades will do. I use the balanced outs. |
Ah, so you use as your benchmark the welll memorized live instrument and then remember the comparisons to this. Do you keep notes as you go along? |
strltrains - also take off the rubber dampers and see what it sounds like. It should be much more lively and dynamic. My cca's were very much better without dampers. Of course you have to watch for microphonics, but floating the circuit board or slightly and gentley widening the pins may do this if needed without damping the sound. |
StlTRains - The other responders are right that NOS can be microphonic, but I had alot more trouble with microphonics with Siemens E188cc's than with my cca's. I own two seperate quads of these. IMO they should not ring even without the use of dampers becuase all dampers that I have tried also dampen the sound.
By floating the board I meant that Joseph for me (to solve microphonics) did not screw down the board that the tubes are plugged into but rather let it float free. The problem herein is that it needs to be tied down for shipping which IMO is not a big problem.
I use balanced outputs to my amp but unbalanced inputs from my DAC, so I have 1/2B type unit. I did notice quite a positive difference using the balanced outputs versus RCA - quieter, more three dimensional, more air. But much of this could also be due to different IC's. I used AH IC's for the balanced and Guerilla Audio silver for the RCA. |
Mark - Thanks for your detailed, cogent and honest Ref 3 comparision. While 4X AH price is out of my current league, it is nice to hear anbout a really great product. |
Good detective work, stltrains. Do you notice a more dynamic sound without the damper? |
Another vote for keeping the discussion on the thread as I too am interested, knowing that nothing is gospel and that you have to heard for yourself with your room, equipment and set of ears. I mostly use a grand piano in the same room as my reference as I go about changes to my system. Have to say that the original decked out AH 2.0(cca's,BN design) seems pretty darn close to ideal to me with my equipment. But I have not heard a broken in 2.1 yet. |
Nice to see the great review of AH effort's. |
Slttrains - congrats on a good decision in a complex obsession prone enviroment:) I am very happy for your excellent synergy among your pieces of equipment. It is so healing to be able to sit back and let the music transport you to wonderland. Bill, I also have the house to myself tonight and tommorrow. Wife is taking second daughter on a tour of possible colleges. Listening to Bach tonight and marveling the night away. |
jojo - Welcome and thanks for your input. Your description helps put the differences between 2.0 and 2.1 in perspective.
sltrains - I could tell the differences between balanced and RCA right away (with no breakin on the XLR cables), even my brother who was listening casually heard it clearly with balanced being better
Victor - thanks for the thorough explanation. It is very clear and captures the effort and care you and Joseph are putting into things. I agree that it is a great use of new creative energy to now focus on an amp.
I can not imagine exactly how the 2.1 can be significantly better given how wondereful the 2.0 sounds but with the folks here mostly suggesting that it is, as well as Victor and Joseph's excellent ears I know that an audition is in my future to hear for myself.
Question for Victor. How close do you think that the current modifications can now take the modded 2.0nB toward the 2.1nB? Has anyone done this A-B comparision between those two units broken in? |
Stltrains - I get great sound with wood floor and an area rug between speakers and listening position - good luck with your setup -it should be very workable |
Not me I have not tried it but anytime I have tried going direct with other equipment, the sound is clean but missing nuance and dynamics. |
David, welcome to wonderful listening and a nice thread. I tried the balanced versus RCA with my 2.0n and found the difference to be immediate and dramatic and worth the $795 easily. My brother who is not tuned to these things also easily heard the difference within 30 seconds. The RCA's were decent quality silver IC's and the Balanced ICs were AH. My feeling was that the IC's were not accounting for much of the difference. There was a more holographic sound stage, blacker background and more nuanced detail.
Joe |
If my memory serves Victor promised a major annoucement here about the 2.0 upgrade at the end of October. Did I miss it? |
SWO - looks like you have created a very sweet system. THanks for posting as I am still obsessing whether to do the 2.0 upgrade. I love the sound so much now and yet I hate to miss out if it could be better - horns of a pleasant dilemma. Happy holidays everyone!
Joe |
Sherod
Glad that amps are back safe, sound and better than before. Wish the thread members a wonderful New year. For our family it may mean a move from North Carolina where I have been for about 30 years to Ashland Oregon - we have many friends out West and are due for a change. Of course I am scanning properties for potential dedicated sound rooms. |
I tried two Siemans cca's in position 1&3 and two Siemans e88cc in positions 2&4. This worked quite well, though the matched quad of cca was slightly better. I also mixed EH tubes with Siemans - it was not as ideal but still OK |
Oddio
I ordered the B version of the 2.0 AH with the full intent to send it back if I could not tell the difference because $795 is substantial to me. Actually mine is a 1/2 B version as I only can go balanced to my amp and not from my DAC.
Well, in direct back and forth comparing of RCA and Balanced outputs I was very impressed that both were great and yet the balanced was better in my system. My non-audiophile brother also immediately noticed the difference with the balanced seeming more holographic and lifelike despite both version being great on dynamics, nuance etc. It was one of those situations that if I had not heard the B version I would have been blown away by the n version and perfectly happy with it. It could have been my IC's (one meter runs) . For the B version I used Joseph's IC's; for the RCA I used silver Guerilla Cable. But I suspect it is because of the high quality of the transformers used in the B version. I hope you enjoy your Ah when it comes. Let us know.
Joe |
Better late than never. I was in Portugal and just came back to see that the thread has re-ignited. I am still enjoying my AH 2.0n1/2B. But since we have put the house on the market a few months ago we had to stage the great room, resulting in moving the speakers and removing the grand piano as shown http://www.visualtour.com/shownp.asp?t=1431481&sk=30&prt=10003.
Boy did that ever crap up the sound - now the windows just bounce the sound around and put one's teeth on edge except at low volumes. So I am listening quite a bit less and when I do it is mostly Bach Goldberg Variations type music. I can tolarate about another month of this and then I will really begin to pout :) |
Yes - going from North Carolina to Ashland Oregon. Thanks for the compliment and yes, here nothing is selling over 300K. We are mainly fed by the Florida market and they can't sell. It will be interesting. |
I have also had no trouble in the two years with the 2.0 preamp - just the way I like it! |
I am still in love with my AH 2.0 but am getting the itch to upgrade my amp, currently Aragon 8008BB dual mono 200 watt per with 26 watt class A. Has anyone been talking recently to AH about whether they are going to build an amp?
I am driving speakers biwired that are 92db and 8ohm top and 4ohm load bottom. I am considering Pass Labs XA60.5 or XA100.5 or INT 150 integrated. Do you think the 60 will be powerful enough, it is all class A doubling into 4 ohm. Anyone have comments on this or others to consider. I have never had monoblocks. Are they really that much better than a quality single box unit?
Thanks for your input. |
Tvad
Thanks for the perfectly tailored to my situation answer. Followup questions, if I may, that you can answer privately or on this thread. How do you like and how would you describe the 60.5 sound? Did you audition the XA100.5's and see any differences? I have heard the XA100.5's and they seems fabulous but are over my comfort zone in price.
Joe |
Hi to all. Hope all of you are well and still abundant in these interesting times. I am very happy to see this thread is back. Just reporting in on changes. Still using my AH 2.1 with early 60's Siemens CCA's. Now have Kool Cable gold Silkworm IC and Nuforce Reference 9V2 SE mono amps and am enjoying the sound with the AH - good synergy.
It is great to hear that an AH amp is on the way. I emailed Victor in January a few times and each time received an immediate response, so maybe he is not receiving sltrains mail - perhaps call them to check? As email servers have tightened up I notice that now at times my email is blocked and stuff going to me is shunted to deleted or spam that is from private parties that I know. |
Sherod
Thanks for the interesting report
Joe |
I want to add my thanks to Victor and Joseph and all the AH explorers that are willing to experiment and share the results. I'd much rather upgrade this great preamp than look for anything else becuase it already has the rightness and musicality that I had been searching for.
Joe |
Also awaiting Rxman's comments, final price, and some extra cash to come my way, then I"m in for the upgrade if three green lights on issues above.
Joe |
Wow, after more than 1,000 posts someone who is very familiar with the AH, has treasured its strengths, and whose opinion invites respect posits a superior contender (at least in their system) for best in pre-amp class. I, for one would be highly interested in a comparison of Joseph's latest with the Dude. |
Besides stellar sound in a preamp, I also look for reliability, ease of use, tube rolling potential, great communication and helpfulness, attractiveness, an available upgrade path that is cost reasonable, and synergy with my other equipment. So far AH has fit this bill beautifully.
I know for me things really dialed in with the AH with an exceptional quad of Seimans NOS early sixties cca's. Other quads of cca's and other tubes just didn't do it as well for me. Victor confirmed my judgment of the cca's that I ended up with.
I am eager to hear equipment such as the Dude and the Sampsons that are reported as taking things even further but the incentive to chase the next best thing has been greatly diminished when it is so much fun to listen to what I already have and I am so pleased with the customer service. |
Cedar - thanks for the preview on the Set amp. Would you post whether you used an LP or digital source, efficiency of your speakers and size of your room, so that I can get an idea if the Set is something that may be in my future? |
Thank you for the excellent detail Cedar. It is very helpful. |
Pablo
I think that if you summarize the thread concisely without leaving anything important out, it should merit a discount:) I do feel that even without a discount you will be very pleased. My AH has given me years of undiminished enjoyment.
Welcome to the club
Joe |
I am also just ready to jump on the upgrades, but unless discounted I will have to wait some more and I hate waiting for the treasure that comes from AH. My business is off during the recession and two kids will be in college soon. |
Markwatkiss
Thanks for posting on the upgrades. I am watching feedback on the upgrades very closely because my original AH is so good to my ears that I don't want to ruin it. Sounds like Joseph was able to preserve what we like about the AH and enhance beyond that substantially. I also hear that Nuforce has come up with an upgrade to their Reference V2SE that brings in the good qualities of sound found in high dollar tube amps. Which upgrade to choose amp or preamp? Any input?
Joe |
Stltrains
Please be sure to lets us know what you think of the V3 as there are several of us with the AH-Nuforce combo. I agree that my guess is that the Nuforce, while having great clarity and control has more way to go toward natural organic sound
Sherod - I was hoping that they would send me money. By the time that happens we will probably be listening through brain implants:) |
Victor
Glad to hear you are still on the AH team because it is such a pleasure to communicate with you
Joe |
I can not seem to log on to the AH site. Has the address changed?
Joe |
Sherod
I put in my CCa's about the same time you did, turn the preamp off when not using and have it on about 6 hours per day and the cca's still test very well on my tester and best I can tell no degrading of the sound. I picked up a B&K Model 606 tester for about $100 on ebay in excellent condition at the time I got the cca's and find it perfect for my purposes and easy to use. Hope this helps
Joe |
Here's a tip, after reading in the last review that mass loading was helpful, I put three heavy marble bookends on top of my AH2.0, which sits on top of three Hyperion Magnetic floater discs. It worked! The sound is more relaxed,natural, and focused.
After years of satisfaction, and a bit reluctant to change since I was so pleased already, I am sending in my unit for a full upgrade (power supply, Clarity Caps, Vishay, fuses and fuse holder, Furmen IEC etc. to bring my unit up to the level of a 2.2nBcvg. as always Victor was great at helping me decide. Wish me luck!
Joe |
Why don't you email the reviewer and ask him about this. |
Suit yourself. I have found sometimes people are willing to be quite helpfully chatty of the record if approached in a friendly manner. |
