Oh, and adding a smiley face helps out too. (O: |
Hi Luis,
Long time no talk with. My amplification is a pair of VAC Auricle Musicblocs( no longer in production, but recently returned from VAC with some current resistor upgrades used in the PHI line). My speakers are the Reference 3A Dulcet. I have an Alon Thunderbolt sub, but it is currently out of the system as I am waiting for another to reinstall the pair. My VACs have Fusion Audio Predator power cords. The preamp has a Fusion Impulse and my modded UDP-1 CDp has a Shunyata Taipan. My main source used mostly in the evenings is a highly modded H/K Citation 18 tuner. It also has an AZ Tsunami cord with Wattgate 330i male plug. Interconnect from pre to amps is Von Gaylord Chinchilla. Tuner and Cdp have Von Gaylord Legend VI. Other tweaks: Two Alan Maher PEs, one in parallel and one in series. All components have been fine-tuned with various footers from machina Dynamica, Herbie's, and Bright Star. Both amps are sitting on a MD Promethean suspended stand. Speaker cables are AZ Satori w/ special pigtail for bi-wired speakers. This is a very simple and inexpensive system I have slowly put together over these last two years after I sold my entire previous system and I'm very happy with its musicality. In these last two years many interconnects, power cords, and other various tweaks and footers have come and gone during this fine-tuning( actually I have a slew of various footers still in my dresser drawer not being used). I also have a neat little vintage bedroom system which I've been fine-tuning and am spending a lot of time watching movies and listening to music through it.
How are things going for you? I saw you had your TP 2.0 preamp up for sale a while back. Did you end up selling it? I recall that you were leaning more towards home theater. |
Jojo,
I'm glad to hear that you are happy with your AH preamp. I'm not familiar with these Sovtek tubes. Are they a 6922 derivative? Did you get the AH preamp with the stock EH tubes? If so, then I'm surprised that you didn't like them better than the Sovteks. If you ever get a pair of NOS Siemens CCa for locations 1 and 3, you won't believe the musical difference. |
Thank you for your kind complement on my system, Luis. It has been a labor of love for me. After my divorce a couple of years ago, I had to start all over again with my stereo system. My goal was to work within a limited budget and assemble a state-of-the-art system within that budget. I feel that I've succeeded. My main system sounds more natural and gives me more pleasure than any system I've ever had and I've had much more expensive components in the past.
I also have been wondering what out friend Pat( Rx8man) has been up to. I think he's been hanging out on another chat forum. Last time I talked to him, he was acquiring a pair of Nuforce monoblocks and was deciding which pair of monitors he was going to try out.
Stltrains, I'm glad to hear that you're still enjoying your system. I look forward to reading about the updates you've made to it.
May everyone have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day. Although I never saw actual battle, I gave Uncle Sam four years of my life. I don't regret it either. He gave me back a GI Bill to finish my college education. |
Jojo,
Did you check with Joseph about using the 6h30pi as a replacement? As I recall the 6h30 tube has different filament and power supply requirements than the e88cc tube. |
Regarding the 6h30 tube, Jojo, go back to page 6 and 7 of this thread and read where Markwattkiss was going to try this tube as a replacement. |
Gammajo,
Very lovely home you're selling. I know its a tough market, but hopefully you'll sell it soon. Where are you moving to? As I recall, you were moving cross country. |
Glory,
I have the original TP 2.0n version and I love its natural sound. It is far from being dark or muddy. Of course, it is dependent on the power cord, interconnects, and tubes used in the system. In my system, using Von Gaylord Chinchilla interconnects from pre to amp, Fusion Audio Impulse power cord, and a pair of early Siemens Cca tubes in locations one and three, the sound is very lifelike, dynamic and natural. Also, buying new from AH gives you the return policy if it doesn't synergize in your system. I'm not in any hurry to do any upgrading with my preamp. Please also note that I was one who spent the $375.00 to upgrade to the 2.1 version and I eventually went back to my original 2.0 version. YMMV. I personally feel that you'd have to spend a great deal more money to get a better preamp. |
If you go back to the early threads, a couple of top contenders that were replaced with the TP 2.0 were the Aesthetix Calypso and I believe the Supratek Syrah. Rx8man replaced his Counterpoint SA-5000 with the TP 2.0. |
Correction: I meant early "posts" of this thread. Glory, if you'll take a while to start at the beginning of this thread, a lot of answers might be there for you. This thread goes back to about two years ago. |
I recently looked at a current ad photo of a TP 2.1nb preamp and the photo shows the power supply board without the added two caps and with the extra two diodes. If this isn't current, why hasn't Victor updated the photos as previously mentioned? Current photos would help in eliminating confusion in identifying the differences between the original 2.0 vs. the current 2.1. The current photo does show the new caps on the line board. I'm contemplating retrying the new caps in the outputs vs. the original Hovlands as I heard a bigger difference in the wire harnesses than anything else. YMMV (O: |
Victor,
With this new, upgraded version on Joseph's drawing board, will this be available as an upgrade to the older 2.0 as well as the 2.1 or will it be different enough in topology to qualify it as an all new model preamp? Without giving any proprietary details away, can you tell us what the basic improvements will be? Will the upgrades be mainly in the linestage circuitry or the power supply? |
Personally I think that the market is already over-saturated with AC power conditioners. Unless Joseph can introduce something very cost-effective and revolutionary, I think he'd be better off focussing on his previous plans of introducing a unique power amplifier. Also, Victor, how are the plans going for an upgraded SOTA preamp which you mentioned in a previous thread? |
Never had any problems in the two-plus years I've had my TP 2.0n preamp. Just as musical as the first day I received it. I'm still using the same tubes as well and I have put many hours on my preamp. I'm wondering if Joseph designed the circuit to put minimal stress on the tubes. I've thought of getting a good tube tester to check from time to time how much life is left on the tubes, but I'd imagine that I'll know when they start making noise and/or start losing their wonderful sound. Maybe Joseph or Victor can tell us what signs to listen for to let us know when the tubes need to be replaced. |
I still have my original 2.0n version. I don't know if I ever mentioned it, but when I reverted back to the 2.0n from the 2.1n, the biggest difference to my ears was with the wire harnesses. I much prefer the old harness vs. the new one. My latest system epiphany was finding a pair of NOS vintage Mullard Ecc82, 1958 tubes I put in the driver stage of my VAC Musicblocs. These Mullards raised the musical level of my system another huge notch. Thanks for keeping this thread alive, Luis. I hope you are well. I'm still sold on the wonderful compatibility of the Fusion Audio power cords on my amps and preamp. With these Fusion cords, there's an ease and naturalness along with excellent dynamics that is close to that "Absolute Sound" we compulsives try to achieve. I'm so content with my system right now that I'm actually listening to it less due to my recent comeback to playing my trumpet again. I bought a refurbished Bach Stradivarius that I'm having a blast on once again. Although the economy sucks right now, I'm doing my best to keep a positive outlook on life. It takes some work, though. (O: |
Luis,
I'm not sure what the differences are between the new and old harnesses. The new harnesses are smaller gauge and more flexible than the old. Maybe Joseph or Victor can further explain. Joseph might want to keep the two versions proprietary. As far as the sound of the 2.0 vs. the 2.1, in my system they were very different. In my system and in my humble opinion, I preferred the original 2.0, although now that I feel that the old harness had a better sound to my ears, I might some day put back in the new version caps to give them another listen. My system sounds so good now that I'm afraid of changing anything for fear of moving backwards. I've done that on occasion when experimenting with tweaks and sometimes after trying a combination of various tweaks and going backwards with the sound, I'll forget just what I changed and trying to get back what my ears originally liked would be painstaking. I've learned the hard way to do one tweak at a time, document that tweak, and listen carefully before trying the next tweak. I'm tired and not thinking clearly tonight, so I hope I didn't make things seem too confusing. (O: |
Luis,
If you read through the previous posts, you'll see that the majority of those who upgraded to the 2.1 version actually liked it better, so that puts me in the minority, and there's a good probability that you might prefer the new version more. It could be just the way my system is put together that makes me prefer the older 2.0 version. The Fusion Impulse power cord is a perfect compliment for my preamp, however, this is an Audio Horizons thread and Joseph has his own power cord line. I don't want to take away from that.( I still use the original Premium power cord version in my system). I think we discussed this in a phone call a while back where we both preferred the less expensive model, the Premium, to the Transparency model. |
La45,
It's been a while, but I paid Joseph to install the upgrade on my preamp. from what I recall there were three things done in the upgrade. When I decided to "downgrade" back to the original version, Joseph was very kind in walking me through it to revert it back myself to save on labor and shipping charges. The first upgrade was in the power supply. This upgrade required replacing two diodes with two capacitors to increase the voltage . The next was replacing the main output caps with the newer versions. The last one, and most difficult was replacing the wire harness. The hardest and most time-consuming as it was very difficult soldering the wires back to the volume pot. I actually broke off one of the pot terminals and had to order another new pot from Joseph( $40.00) All of this hassle has made me reluctant about doing else to it. I have, from time to time, contemplated trying a pair of the expensive Dueland DSF copper caps. I have read that these are amazing, particularly in speaker crossovers, but they would work in the preamp since Joseph keeps the voltage low in the outputs. I have for a long time, been a DIY guy as I have gotten better with soldering and it is fun sometimes if you like to do that DIY technical kind of thing. If you're not confident in doing it yourself(diy) then let Joseph do it as you could hurt either yourself or void your preamp warrantee. |
I'm wondering if this upgrade will be available for us DIY-types to save money or if we have to send it to Joseph. I look forward to Victor's announcement. |
I just installed a pair of new Claritycap MR caps in my TP 2.0n preamp. So far, they only have about 24 hours on them, but I think these might just raise this already great-sounding preamp to another plateau. Stay tuned. |
I just recalled that Victor was going to make an announcement( it's been a while) of a new all-out-assault flagship preamp. Has anyone heard any news about that lately? |
I figured it so, Pat. That's why I threw it into the post.
(O: |
Cedar,
Thanks for the preliminary information on Joseph's new SET amp. Could you give us some information on your Beta testing of the TP 2.0/2.1 with new upgrades? I have had these new Claritycap MR caps in my TP 2.0n preamp for about 100 hours. At this point, I don't want to take them out yet. Joseph is going to order a pair and experiment with them when he returns from Thailand in early April. I'm happy to hear from all the AH preamp family. It has been a while since I've heard from current or past users. Please keep this thread alive and post from time to time. |
I look forward to Victor's announcements. In the meantime, I have had enough time to evaluate these new Claritycap MR caps in my TP 2.0n and they are something special. They have taken the preamp to a whole new level. I know, I know. You're going to tell me, "But Sherod! You raved about the Vcaps you had in there and then you suddenly decided to go back to the Hovlands. Are you absolutely sure this time?" Yes, this time there is no mistake. These relatively new caps are a revelation. Their sound is quite neutral, and they have a cleanliness and transparency across the frequency spectrum that make the Hovlands actually sound like they are broken. Intertransient silence is phenomenal and dynamics are incredible. They just do everything right and are a perfect complement to the TP 2.0n. I wouldn't know how they would sound in the newer 2.1 version. If I had to pick one thing that really makes them stand out, it would have to be their dynamics. The micro-dynamics are so amazing that you'll hear things on recordings you never knew were there and the macro-dynamics will simply stun you. To suddenly be listening to a quiet passage of a recording at say, pianissimo, then a sudden fortissimo of music appears that will make you jump out of your seat is truly amazing. I have done a lot of internet googling about these caps and so far, most of the information is how good these caps sound in speaker crossovers, but in electronics, I'm going to assume they are equally amazing. They are fairly expensive, but in my opinion are well worth it. Hopefully Joseph will be able to evaluate a pair soon and I'm going to guess that he will be as impressed as I am. These caps are so revealing that they will help you to fine-tune other weak areas in your system. I have also found another power cord for my preamp which further reveals the musical pureness of the recording, thanks to these revealing and remarkable caps. Stay tuned for further reports. |
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Mark,
I believe the only U.S. distributor currently is Madisound. The cap is the new MR line cap. The value I chose is 4.7uf, which Madisound sells for $118.00/ea. I have read that a German distributor, Capsandcoils, sells for roughly half that price. Here is a site to click on. The new MR caps are blue in color. Also, I highly recommend reading the white paper on their 2-year research and development.
http://www.madisound.com/manufacturers/claritycap/mr.php
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Pat,
I have a gut-feeling that an improved and more powerful power supply( quieter, with more dynamics and headroom) will be introduced by Joseph in his new preamp. Whether it is tube or SS regulated is a matter of taste, cost and preference. The power supply is very important in the make-up of a great preamp. |
Only Joseph, and perhaps Victor, knows what the new cap in the 2.1 is. He is keeping it proprietary. The copper foil around the new cap is not there to hide anything about the cap. It is there as a shield to block out EMI/RFI. I doubt if the cap is from Claritycap, especially the APW, as it is an inexpensive cap and Victor once mentioned that their new caps in the TP 2.1 cost them around $80.00. The Hovland is a musical cap, but it does have its limitations, hence, Joseph's change to the new cap in the 2.1. Joseph will be soon evaluating the new Claritycap MR series and I'm looking forward to his impressions. |
One of the things I would like to remind all Audio Horizons product owners( and to all audiophiles in general) is to periodically clean all your cable connections. Depending on where you live regarding differing conditions of humidity, unless you use all gold-plated contacts or have your contacts covered with a specially formulated contact paste,i.e. Xtreme Quicksilver Gold, etc. I found a wonderful cleaner called Kontak. This product cleans off all oxidation with a couple of swabbings and dries instantly leaving no residue, and just as importantly, leaves no sonic signature like some cleaners I've tried. Once all your connections are properly cleaned and re-inserted, the overall sound opens up very nicely. This inexpensive tweak of contact cleaning is sometimes forgotten in the scheme of things as we look at other ways of improving our system. Have a great weekend, everyone, and hopefully this thread will continue with periodic posts of information from past, current, and future owners of the AH TP preamps. I have about 300 hours on my new Claritycap MR caps and will post a report soon. |
Victor,
I am pleased that you and Joseph have heard the merits of this new Claritycap MR. I have over 300 hours on mine and their transparency and superiority over previous caps have shown me the greatness of Joseph's preamp circuitry. I can go crazy with audiophile superlatives but as I mentioned to Pat in a private e-mail, our Rx8man here on this thread, this cap comes as close as you can get to sounding like "no cap", which theoretically, that's the way it should be. This output cap is supposed to let AC through and block out DC, and that's all. From top to bottom, this cap just lets more of the music get through to your speakers and in a most wonderful way, I might add. I have read that this cap will further improve up through the 500 hour mark. I can hardly wait. |
Hey, Mike. Thanks for the commendation. This was all a "labor of love" for me. I know that Joseph gets a little nervous when someone gets inside his preamp and messes with it, but I had a gut feeling about this new cap and wanted to hear how it sounded. If after it had broken in and didn't show any merit, I probably wouldn't have said anything about it. But when I heard just how much better it made an already great preamp sound, I just had to let the word out. I am happy( and more so, relieved) that both Joseph and Victor, after evaluating the cap, did indeed hear its potential. There was a possibility that neither of them would have liked the way this cap sounded in their system and I certainly would have come out of this thing with egg on his face. I am not a technician and don't know a lot about circuit designs and would never make an attempt to change that which Joseph, the Master, has designed. I look at this as a parts replacement tweak that only further refines and brings out an already great design. Kind of like experimenting with what power cords, interconnects and speaker cables work best in your system. |
Joe,
Joseph has designed an excellent preamp with a great topology at a specific price point. But even with the best-designed preamp circuit topology, it is only as good as its parts can give you, hence the desire to upgrade to premium parts. But these premium parts usually come with a price, so that is why Joseph gives certain upgrades to help those who are set with a certain budget. I believe that this new Claritycap MR line is an advancement of capacitor technology, and it is relatively new to the market and as a result, since Joseph's evalution, he will soon place it into one of his upgrade packages. Victor also mentioned that Joseph is currently experimenting with some premium resistors that will further improve the presence and aliveness of the sound of the preamp. "Good things come to those who wait." ( my mother used to tell us this, but I never did understand it. (O:) |
Here's a link to a photo of Joseph's power supply upgrade on the TP 2.0:
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t300/Sherod_01/AHnewtransformers.jpg
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I'm anxious to hear Pat's(Rx8man) impressions on how the new transformers sound. That would be my next upgrade consideration. I'm also curious what Joseph decides regarding the new Vishay resistor upgrade. I would probably do both if the price is right. (o: |
I think we are all waiting for Victor or Joseph to make the announcement of exactly what upgrades are available and what the price is for each. I have a feeling that they are probably trying to get the best OEM price for key parts to be able to give a realistically fair final price. I realize that Joseph is in the business to make money, but he also wants to be fair in giving us all the best value for our dollar spent. |
I hear you, Mike. It's tough parting with a component that is so crucial in your system when everything sounds so musical. Plus the hassle of unplugging, carefully packaging(apparently Fedex and UPS run periodic tests of dropping packages containing fragile electronics off the Empire State Building for their tests)and then waiting the two weeks to get it back into your system. I'm also debating whether to go with one or more upgrades so that I can get it all done at once and not have to worry about returning it a few months later for another upgrade. I have to fight my "Audiophilia Nervosa" syndrome at times. (o: |
Pat,
You will have your preamp back early next week and it will be in pristine condition ready to put out some glorious music for you. It will be well worth your wait. I can't wait to hear your impressions. |
The Claritycap MR sounds very decent right up front. It will go through a mini roller-coaster ride up to around 100 hours. At about 100 hours the cap starts to relax and slowly disappear, letting the music come through with that nice ebb and flow feeling of musical naturalness. The bass will further extend and tighten up while the highs will not only extend, but cymbals will have a natural sheen and brilliance that will give you an ear-to-ear grin. From 100-200 hours the roller-coaster ride smooths out dramatically with gradual improvements heard daily. After 200 hours, you'll be so enamored of the music, hearing nuanced details and natural tone and timbre that you'll forget about the cap. You'll be rearranging your music collection, anxious to hear your old favorites like never before. |
Let the challenge begin! (o: |
Well, Pat. If you like the sound now, just wait until those caps start to relax within the next 100 hours. I doubt if we'll be hearing from you for a while as you'll be too busy being caught up in the music. Just remember to do something nice for the wife from time to time. You don't want her to think that you're married to your beloved stereo. (o: |
Cdente,
I don't have Joseph's DAC, but I'm going to assume that the Claritycap will raise the level of quality of sound just as it does in the preamp. Joseph would be better qualified in telling you if one or all caps should be changed out to Claritycaps. If you want to see if the AH preamp would synergize better with your DAC than your Bel Canto, try out the AH preamp yourself in your own system with their return money-back guarantee. If you like the AH preamp the best, I would imagine that you could resell your Bel Canto on Audiogon for a reasonable price. Maybe someone that currently owns the AH preamp who might have previously owned the Bel Canto pre can chime in to give you some first hand experience advice. |
Cdente,
It's your call,but I'd wait for the new Claritycap for the preamp since you're already getting it for your DAC. I would do one thing at a time to avoid confusion. Let the Clarity caps break into your DAC and listen to your favorite reference music to make sure that you like the new sound. If you hear the improvements like I think you will, then I would look at the preamp next, of course with the newest upgrades depending on your budget. In my opinion, the Claritycap MR option is a "no- brainer". (O: |
Charlie,
Welcome to the AH club. I look forward to hearing your impressions. I am also in line to send my preamp to Joseph for the transformer/Vishay upgrade. As you know, I already have the Claritycaps. (O: |
Charlie,
I look forward to hearing your impressions of the sound of these upgrades. |
The 200 hour mark on the Claritycaps is the first milestone where the caps begin to relax and slowly disappear. They will continue to gradually improve even more through the next 100 hours. Enjoy the music. |
Bill( Grannyring) and Pat(Rx8man) should plan a get together to compare preamps. That would be a fun read. How close do you guys live to one another? I live out in the left armpit of Texas(El Paso). With the drug war going on just a few miles from my house across the border in Juarez,Mx. you wouldn't feel safe here. (o: |
Joe,
There are a few others who have owned a version of the AH preamp and have since moved on to other preamps. Grannyring has so far been the only one with the cajones to post about it in this thread. I'm sure we'll hear from others some day. I'm glad that Grannyring has found something that best suits his listening preferences. |
Actually I made a mistake. Ater browsing through some of the older posts here, I read where member Tvad tried out the TP 2.1nb and it didn't work for him in his system. Victor also mentioned somewhere, either in this thread or maybe in a private e-mail to me, that a small percentage of preamps bought are returned with the money-back guarantee, but the majority end up keeping them. |
I say we take the power supply out of the Dude and put it in the AH preamp. Then we'll call it the Frankenstein. (o: |
Madisound recently lowered their prices on the Claritycap. I paid quite a bit more for mine from them not long ago. Oh, well. I'm still happy with them in my preamp.
http://www.madisound.com/pdf/printcatalog/claritycapMR.pdf
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