2. analog
  3. 152850-2164

Dipping my toe in

I have a Thorens TD 124 with SME III arm and Ortofon 30H cartridge, and I recently bought a used Audible Illusions Modulus 3 preamp to use with it. A cousin has loaned me a pair of Cary CD 572 SE monoblocks on a long-term basis, so I’m going to take a dip in analog with tube. I’ll be using KEF Reference 1 speakers that at 8Ω and 85 dB sensitivity are within range for a moderate size listening room according to Cary. I favor baroque and jazz at moderate levels.

The main setup I use to drive the Reference 1s is Ayre X-5 Twenty series digital hub, preamp, and amp with Roon as the primary source with an occasional disc.

db
dbphd

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dbphd OP
1,633 posts
 
milostyn, I plan to also try driving pairs of stacked KEF Reference 102.2s wired in series for 8 Ωs that have an 89 dB sensitivity rating.  They could be dedicated for use with the Cary monoblocks, whereas the Reference 1s would be switched between the Ayre amp and the Carys.  

noromance, rolling tubes is more than the toe-dipping I envision.
dbphd OP
1,633 posts
 
We smoke tested the setup Saturday with both vinyl and disc (via Ayre DX-5 DSD) and discovered the right channel of the Audible Illusions Modulus 3 is out.  The setup sounded good when switched to mono with the left channel output from left and right KEF's Reference 102s stacked and wired in series for 8Ω.  I'll be talking to Audible Illusions.

db
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