Need Advice & Need It Fast
There is a class D forum here which will be well worth your while to investigate. I’ve been using class D for over a decade, but have owned Rowland, Kinergetics, Parasound, Joule, Rogue, etc Class Ds included several; PS Audio, W4S, Emerald Physics 100.2SE and currently Audio Alchemy stereo amp & dac/pre. The AA amp blows away the EPs, which I found thin in the mids. I am getting a full set of PS Audio; 700s and matching dac pre just to compare to my much loved AA amp//dac, as I have a big room and might benefit from more watts. Of late, I discovered just how important cables and power cords are with class D. Now, I always used quality cables (Nordost, DHLab Revelations, pure silver from Clear Day Cables, PS Audio.., but class D is so dead quiet, with jet black backgrounds it is extremely revealing of cables and power cords! It has shown me that just because cables are expensive does not mean they are worth it. In my system, recently switching to WireWorld Eclipse series 7 and 8 has been a jaw dropping revelation |
@tweak1 https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-wireworld-star... If your system has a lot of mains leakage (harmonics of 60Hz for Americans), then the WireWorld does perform better than generic cables (mostly due to the wiring technique and shielding, nothing magical). However, if your system has no electrical issues, then generic should perform just as well. |
I’ve owned both the Nova Pre/220 combo and the 220se. My brother still currently owns a Nova Pre/ 220. My only complaints are relinility issues (Peachtree and Wally are both outstanding with customer service) and the volume control via the remote control goes from conversation level to zero with a slight touch of the volume level. Apartfrom that, I’d definitely buy another 220se at that price. It looks cool in my oppinon and it really does sound good. I personally like the dac’s sound and the amp section has the power to push anything I have thrown at it. I think you should buy it. You’ll also be able to sell it secondhand later for not much loss at all so you can enjoy for a year or two and move on pretty easily. |
Sorry but this is delusional If your system has a lot of mains leakage (harmonics of 60Hz for Americans), then the WireWorld does perform better than generic cables (mostly due to the wiring technique and shielding, nothing magical). However, if your system has no electrical issues, then generic should perform just as well. I have owned many entirely different systems over 3+ decades. The better the cables, the better the sound |
Actually, that Cayin would be a better way to go. You have really nice speakers and if you can swing the Cayin, you might want to do that. I think it will sound superior, and is built better, and tubes are so sexy! If you do go the with ghe Peachtree you won’t be disappointed but I think if you go with that Cayin, it might make magic! |
I'll back up b_limo on the recommendation of the Cayin amp. I have the A-50T Cayin integrated and of the 20 or so amps I've owned over 50 years of swapping audio gear it's the most satisfying. The build quality is exceptional for the price and it sounds remarkably good, at least the equal of the Cary and Rogue amps I owned. I've owned two Peachtree products, the Decco, which I think was their first offering, and a couple of the deepBlue2 all-in-one units. The Decco was just okay sonically and I wasn't impressed with the build quality. Of course, their newer products may well be better and they do have a good reputation. I've found that the usual objections to dealing with tubes don't apply if you buy a well-made amp from a maker with a solid reputation and, most important, buy your tubes from one of the established, highly regarded tube dealers. The payoff, for me, is high and fooling around with tubes is actually enjoyable. |
Well after a lot of thought I just couldn't gamble on the P.A.so placed my order for the Cayin with KT88's as I have a Brand New Matched Quad of the Mullard EL34 reissues for comparison..Pretty cool that you can flip a switch & go back & forth & so easy to Bias now with everything right on the top plate & the new Biasing Meter right in the middle back... Now I just need to survive the next 2 weeks with only tv speakers and a small table top radio... |
Hi! congrats on making a choice on the replacement power. I will suggest, so there is no 'withdrawal' in your future a secondary yet different style amp should be a serious consideration now. well, not right now, but later this year sometime perhaps. a secondary unit is so beneficial in so many ways i feel it a MUST. at least eventually. somehow. some kind. those PT units seem popular enough getting a pre owned one might be just the ticket and yield contrast and a reserve for the main rig. it is or will be my guaranteed approach next time I'm up to bat looking for gear. BTW I heard a vewry nice mix with the Harbeth SL5s and a Luxman 509x recently. I gotta admit it was hard to find fault with that outfit. the SL were their latest versions of a commemorative or memorial itteration. loaded with SOTA guts, and some really incredible esthetic options. I so wanted to hear the 30s or 40s, but missed them somehow. again, congrats! |
Got the Cayin up and running for 2 days now.... Out of the box with about an hour on it I wasn’t a fan of the KT88 UL sound..It was like a fundamental shift in tone an octave or so down causing a slight darkness,like a deep orange sun about half set...I will say I have NEVER heard better bass not only in depth but resolution & tone.. Simple push of a button on the remote,strapping the KT88’s into Triode mode & the deep orange sun was still above the horizon in full glory,lifting the veil & opening up the midrange! To my ears the KT88 in Triode mode is just as sweet as the EL34 but IMO bass is not only deeper but has better texture,what I mean is a well mic’d bass you can hear deeply into the metal string as they are fingered & that is VERY hard to get on a home stereo.... Lastly the headphone circuit is UNREAL!!! With the Audeze LCD2Fazor’s I figure I’m about 85% of the way to what a $5000.00 dedicated head-fi rig gives you... Look for a full review in the near future... PS:I forgot..I just can’t fathom why most everyone says the Harbeths need power,don’t wake up until 100wpc & so on...20wpc.im my room is WAYYY more than needed,low volume listening is wonderful with great resolution at almost whisper levels...Maybe it’s the tubes? |
Harbeths need Current, not Power. Tube amps deliver solid current, and those KT88/6550 type tubes have way more bass control than EL34. Triode or Set adds warmth. My Rockports drop to 1.73ohm at 80hz, and my 22 watt Line Magnetic Class A SET tube amp drove them almost as hard as my 450watt Theta Citadel 1.5 monoblocks. Thanks for the followup! |
