Yes I'm looking forward to that review. |
No, I have not listened to the TP 2.2 in my system. I heard it in Joseph's system. As I reported in October, Joseph invited me to listen to the 845 SET amplifier in his system. I did not audition the TP 2.2 at that time, although a TP 2.2 engineering sample was working with the 845 amp, I believe. We'll have to watch for the Positive Feedback review of the TP 2.2.
Yesterday, I listened to an improved 845 SET amp in my system for the first time. I will say more about that event in my next post. |
This new TP 2.2 version isn't even on their web site yet. Cedar, have you had an opportunity to evaluate and compare this new version to your current version? I'd be interested in knowing what your impressions are. Thanks. |
The latest version of the Audio Horizon's preamplifier, the TP 2.2, has received a "Writer's Choice Award" from Positive Feedback web magazine.
Here is the link
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue46/awards.htm
Scroll down about about 75% of the way to the section of Jeff Parks. Apparently Positive Feedback will publish a review of the TP 2.2 in the next 30 days or so. |
Well for selfish reasons I'm behind the development of the 845 tube amp.The alternative would mean my speakers have to go.Thanx for sharing and don't get hooked on pain killers. |
Cedar,
Thanks for sharing your listening tests of Joseph's new prototype amps. Hopefully, once you recuperate from your shoulder surgery, you'll be able to listen to the 845 tube amp in your own system to do a better comparison with the two EL34 versions. By the way, is Victor still involved with AH? He's been quiet for a while here on our thread. |
Here is an update on development of Joseph's SET amplifiers. I have been listening to an EL34 SET amplifier in a compact chassis that uses 5 tubes (2 each EL34 as power tubes). Previously I described the very good music I received from it. Low power and very good sound - dead quiet as are all of Joseph's products.
A couple of weeks ago, Joseph brought a new SET amplifier that he wanted to listen to in my system. It had a larger chassis, 6 tubes (2 each EL34 power tubes), several transformers; it must have weighed more than 50 lbs. We listened to it for about 1 hour. It was much better than the amp I have been testing. More detail, more bass control, more air in upper frequencies; a lovely midrange.
The following week, I had shoulder surgery, so I've been laid up at home. On Friday Joseph called to ask if I wanted to listen to another amplifier, different from the first two amps. He brought me to his listening room, where I listened to his system for about an hour.
This third amplifier was in the larger chassis and used 845 power tubes with multiple transformers. More powerful bass control and better high frequencies; however, I thought that the midrange of the 845 amplifier was not as open as that of the larger (second) EL34 amplifier.
There are two SET amplifiers under development. Both are larger (and better sounding) than the sample to which I have been listening. The amp I have been testing appears to have been a prototype for the two subsequent amps. Joseph told that the peak power of the new SET amps I heard - and which may not be the final versions - are <10 watts (EL34) and <40 watts (845), respectively. |
Well, here I go again about to experiment with yet another cap in the output stage, the venerable Duelund VSF copper. This should be an interesting comparison to the current Claritycap MR caps. I'll post some results in a couple of weeks after some break-in. Stay tuned. |
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:) |
Gummajo i am going with V3 upgrade before pulling the plug on upgrading my 2.1. Not to dis this thread with other Manufacturing talk but the price is right and the prior 2 upgrades SE and V 2 were good moves to a better sound i cant pass V 3 up.
I m so happy with my 2.1 i feel the same way dont want to mess up a good thing for now. |
Joe,
Just enjoy what you have now in your system and send the extra money to your kids in college. (o: ( I'm just kidding, okay?) |
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 |
|
That is part of the design of the balanced interconnection. They call it common-mode noise rejection. It lowers noise level. It's a more expensive solution because it requires balanced mode output transformers in the preamp.
Here is a link that will offer more information
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balanced_line |
Since acquiring my second fully modified AH pre amp I rotated out the rca interconnects,Siver Audio 4.0's and rotated in the balanced version 6.0's.Pleased with the results,lower noise floor,blacker blacks.
I'm curious as to why that is,better isolation?Comments |
Cedar,
I am looking forward to the unveiling of an AH amp with much anticipation. |
Hey Mark! I'm glad to see that you found a deal on an upgraded 2.0 model. Enjoy the music. By the way. Has anyone spoken with Victor lately? He was to post upgrade and update information a while back and he has disappeared from this thread. I hope he's all right. |
Markwatkiss,
Thanks for the update. Meanwhile, I continue to listen to iterations of Joseph's SET power amp - and they continue to improve. I understand that within the next few weeks I will listen to a SET power amp with a different tube complement and more power. I'm looking forward to the audition even though I haven't felt any loss of SPL from the lower watt SET.
As Nelson Pass has memorialized in his "First Watt" amplifier series, almost all of what we will ever want to hear is delivered in the first few watts. |
Hi guys,I just acquired a second Audio Horizons TP 2.0n from one of the club members who will remain anonymous at this time.This particular unit, in addition to the install of Clarity caps also has the larger transformer,power supply and a Furtech pc plug.Other tweaks engineered into this particular unit make up what I believe has been called harmonic realignment.The quad tube complement of Siemens CCa's is the same employed in my original AH so no changes there.
I'm now on day 3 now and I can tell you that the word floated by Sherod in descrbing the sound as "relaxed" is on point.
Bass is deeper and more well defined and there is that extra level of detail which provides a deeper richer musical experience.Those are my original impressions I will post additional comments after more listening sessions.And for those of you wondering what happened to my original 2.0, it was sold to a fellow Canadian who has been following this thread for awhile.He's replacing a Bryston BP-20,I think he's in for a pleasant suprise. |
Just a reminder to new as well as current AH preamp owners that the AH preamp does indeed invert phase and simply reversing your speaker cable polarity corrects this issue. |
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. |
I too just found out yesterday that the discounted upgrade
is for new customers only ;o( I got excited for nothing,
oh well. I totally agree with Sherod's comment "Joseph, Please pass the savings on to the current owners as well"
Pretty please... |
Oh, great! How about us poor dolts that already have an older model in need of upgrading? I know the economy's tough, Joseph. Please pass the savings on to current owners as well. |
My error,the discount upgrades only apply if you purchase a new pre amp.Doh! |
This new promotion is a good deal for those who have been holding back:
http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?preatube&1256773013&/Audio-Horizons-TP-2.1-July-Pro
I am strongly considering the Vishay resistor upgrades. I already have the Claritycap MR caps in the pre outputs. |
Hi guys,
Trust most have seen the 50% off promo sale on mods being offered by Joseph.Fortunately I waited to do the "cv" upgrade,Clarity caps,Vishay resistors,harmonic re alignment(I love that term)My question is this,AH is also offering the install of line balancing out transformers for $550(ouch)and input transformers at $350,no discounts are being offered on these mods.Has anyone done this transformer mod,worth the money,consider doing both or just one and if so which one? |
Hi Sherod:
The Dude is going through its second break in milestone and I'm replacing a defective tube. Give me a little more time and I'll fill you in.
cd |
Hey Charlie(Cdente),
How's that Dude and Dac upgrade sounding. I would love to hear your current impressions. |
Hi Sherod
Giving the TRL Dude a try. I just got it today. I pulled the trigger on the DAC upgrade and Dude purchase at the same time. Finally just got the Dude. Both companies took forever to deliver but as you know I'm very happy with the DAC upgrade.
I can't say much yet about the TRL Dude other than thisbut I can say this. After only 7 hours the bass is already better than my Bel Canto Pre3 that it replaced. I can also sense the ease at which it play's at higher volumes. In other words the sound gets bigger not just louder. Way to early to comment otherwise.
I may have an issue with the right channel and the darn thing did not come with feet! Don't know what that's all about but it does not make me happy. Out of town all next week so catch up with you later.
Charlie |
Charlie,
As you know I only have the MR caps in my preamp, but yes, I heard improvements up through the 300 hr. mark. Once you hit the 200 hr. mark, you're 90% there though. I look forward to hearing more comments from you about your system and particularly your new preamp. What preamp do you have coming? |
Sounding absolutely wonderful and keeps getting better. I've got a solid 200 hours on it now. All kinds of changes occur between 125 and 200hrs. It's really fun to experience. That brightness in the highs is fading away and the sound stage has got deeper and wider. Voices sound like real people. Bass continues to improve but at very small increments.
I think you said that I can expect more improvements up to 300 hrs. Is that correct? This will probably be my last report since I'm introducing a new preamp tomorrow. All I can say is this is by far the best improvement in sound I have ever experienced - upgrade or new components alike. Thanks to all again for turning me on to the MR's! |
Hey Charlie!(Cdente) How are those components sounding now with some time on them? |
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 |
Although I moved away from vinyl some time ago, I have listened to the TP 8.0. It's a very good phono preamp. You can listen to it, too. Contact Jospeh and ask for a trial. |
Ive just finished reading the entire thread! And I am seriously considering buying one AH 2.1. Do you know if I get any discount for reading the entire thread? :):):)
The thing that surprised me the most is the few comments on the Audio Horizon phono preamplifier, the TP 8.0. That is important to me, because I listen to Lps more than Cds. How does the TP 8.0 (alone or as part of the 2.1) compare to good phono sections out there? Many thanks, Pablo. |
Cedar:
I do have more results. My upgrade consists of caps, resistors and the harmonic alignment that you spoke of in an earlier post. There is no chip or power supply upgrade available (for their DAC) to the best of my knowledge.
I have a solid 100 hours of break-in time under my belt. There simply is no comparison of the unit now vs. when I first reported in at 20 hours. This upgrade is really very significant. Im happy with the overall results but there are a few aspects of the upgrade that have not bore fruit as of yet.
Quick summary:
1. Clarity and detail is just stunning.
2. Dynamics are improved and continuing to get better.
3. Overall sound seems bright and a bit thin.
4. Bass is nowhere near what I was hoping for but is slowly seeping out.
I have confirmed that the Clarity MR caps take lots of time to break in. In fact I suspect it will take another 100 hours to really get an ideal of the final result. Other components and my room could be at the root of issues 3 & 4. I did find it interesting that the Clarity MR caps did not work out so well in my new preamp. Had to go back to the Mundorf Supreme caps. With that said I cannot be sure that the bulk of the DAC improvements are the results MR caps or the combination of them with Vishay resistors and harmonic alignment. Ill report back at the 200 hour mark.
Charlie |
Cdente - do you have more results to report from your TD3.0 DAC upgrade?
If I understand it correctly, this upgrade involved significant change, including a new DAC chipset (192kHz) and power supply chamge. |
The wire is a custom-made UPOCC copper solid core that Reference 3A buys in bulk. They sent me enough to do the pair. Interesting that the tweeter wire is .56mm and the mid/woofer is 1.26mm. |
Sherod aint life grand when your stereo can deliver that natural sound.
What kind of wire did you use.
Mike |
I just upgraded the caps and wiring in my Reference 3a Dulcet speakers. The cap is the new Duelund VSF copper foil and it is as good as they say it is. Can you say "natural"? After much break-in, these speakers are really showing just how good Joseph's preamp is, particularly now that the pre's output caps have the new Claritycap MR caps in them. The transparency, dynamics and musicality is " to-die-for". (O: |
Robertwofee,
I did replace my AH with the TRL Dude, but my AH preamp did not have the latest upgrades available from AH. I think his latest with all available upgrades would cost well over $4500. The Dude cost $3500.
I would like to compare the two someday and may.
Charlie, no I don't drink at all and I know it sounds a little strange, but the tweek with sand bags really helps some amps - not all amps :-)
The Sistrum stands are the real deal on all gear and speakers I have ever tried them under. |
Hi Robert,
No reason to feel lost. It's quite simple. E-mail or call Victor or Joseph to make arrangements for an audition. AH has a money-back return policy if you aren't happy with the preamp in your own system. |
It seems a lot had been discussed about this AH preamp in here. Yet my question to your guys is:
Are this AH preamp that good:
Some of the contenders I have in mind and experienced with:
Sonic Frontiers Line 3
Canary CA-903
Also, I have noticed that Grannyring he had recently replaced this AH with the TRL Dude, right?
I am lost, please help
Robert |
Yes indeed Bill. Likein this upgrade a lot. Just over 20hrs on it and I would already rate it as very, very positive! I can already verify two things that have been said in previous posts.
Cedar's post where he talks with Joseph about harmonic alignment is pretty much right on. The issue I mentioned earlier about presentation was not articulated correctly. What I was trying to say was instruments seemed a bit over emphasized compared to voices. This condition varied depending on recordings but it was noticeable to me. It is now a thing of the past.
Sherods comments about this upgrade being a no-brainer is also right on. Detail and clarity is just outstanding already. It gives the illusion of better musical dynamics simply by hearing more and being presented in a smoother and more refined way.
Sand on my amps??? Have you had a few too many this weekend? lol |
Charlie, glad to hear that without any burn in you love the upgraded DAC. That is a great DAC and I am sure it is now something very special.
I have an idea for you if your amps are on the floor. Place them on Sistrum SP 004 stands and then place about 2 pounds of clean sand in a nice zip lock bag and place on top of your amp. The Sistrum stands the 003's or 004's can be had for about $150 each used.
Now listen to your system. Wait until you have some 200 hours on the DAC before doing this amp tweek. You will be very pleased! |
Great news, Charlie. I look forward to hearing more of your impressions as the unit goes through its break-in process. I'm thinking it will only get better. |
Hey Guys:
Well I finally got my AH DAC 3.0 back. The upgrade took much longer than I expected. Been playing it non-stop this weekend and want to give my initial impressions. As I indicated in earlier posts this is the Clarity-Vishay upgrade with harmonic alignment. The same one some of you are looking to apply to you AH preamps. This is not a review! I would never attempt to do that with my level of knowledge so please bear with me on this.
Just a few background notes:
I purchased the dac used from Grannyring about a year ago. My goal was to add some tube warmth and body to my all solid state system. My speakers are somewhat bright and forward sounding and my listening room amplifies these problems. Seemed like a good fit after chatting at length with Bill. The dac had upgraded, warmer sounding tubs so I went for it. The stock unit met my goals and expectations and then some. Just to nitpick a little I always thought the presentation was a little odd or different.
So right out of the gate I could tell the sound was much smoother and refined. There appears to be a film or haze that has been lifted and clear, detailed, wonderful music has emerged. The thing I like best is you can enjoy these new attributes at much lower listening volumes. Also, that presentation issue is a thing of the past. Perfect balance! From what you all are saying the best has yet to come keeping in mind I only have about 10 hrs of break-in time so far.
Ill report back in a few weeks.
Charlie |
I forgot to mention that much later, after Joseph had upgraded my tuner, I put some Blackgates in the MPX section of my tuner and it made another huge improvement. I have a 1977 Harman/Kardon Citation Eighteen tuner so the circuit could be a little different than the Sansui TU-919, but you might run the MPX upgrade question by Joseph. He offers several cost upgrades to tuners. |
Gandme,
Joseph will do some very nice things to your TU-919. The Blackgate caps he puts in the power supply and signal path will need some break-in time, but in a short while, you might just be listening more to your tuner than your Cd player. It happened to me. Keep us posted. |
I received my Audio Horizons Transparency ICs this afternoon. I will let them burn in for 50hrs or so before giving my opinion on the A.H. 2.1R preamp in my system. Just replacing the Audioquest Snake ICs has made a substantial improvement in the overall sound. I can't help noticing already that this preamp sounds good, very dynamic, with a big wide and deep sound stage....in fact freaky good for the price!
It will be difficult to have an objective opinion since my system has undergone so many changes in the last few months.
I have been selecting CDs to use, I will pick recordings that are cemented in my memory so those "ah ha" moments won't fail me. I am not in the position to do a A/B with my last preamp, a Pass Labs X-0.2...I will have to rely on memory.
I'm far from a good writer and even further from a good audio reviewer, but I do know what my ears like.
I have noticed a change in how my Sansui TU-717 Tuner sounds with this tube pre...much more analog,almost vinyl like.
Joseph is doing his full mods on my best tuner, a Sansui Tu-919. Hopefully this will make my radio listening even more natural/musical. It might put my CD player out of business! |
