G'day everyone.This is my first post here.I took delivery of my Cabernet two days ago and am enjoying it immensely.I guess I am one of the lucky ones because I live near Supratek and Mick has been very patient and helpful in assisting me to decide which of the preamps I wanted.This task has not really been easy because I have had a chance to hear all of them and they are all superb in their own way.I decided on the Cabernet because I have always loved the sound of 300b valves.I am also using very light paper coned speakers which benefit from a slightly warmer sound.If I was using different speakers one of the other models may have been my choice.
Anyway I think it is nice to be part of a pretty lucky little club of people who, on the whole ,have come to Supratek because of musical enjoyment,not gatgetry or brand snobbery.
Mick is more passionate about music than anything else and his products are a testament to this.
Finally let me say that I did have to wait for my Cabernet,and that this can get frustrating.They really are worth this wait however.
JT |
Thanks for the welcome Stiltskin and Slowhand.
The first time I heard a Supratek preamp was a revelation.Most audiophiles seem to spend a lot of time effort and money "upgrading" without ever really improving the long term satisfaction that they get from their system.This especially applies to those pursueing perfect neutrality, which is a fiction.These are the same types who go to see a live performance and concentrate more on the venue acoustics than on the performance itself.
The word transcend is especially appropriate to Micks products because they can help audiophiles to forget about the componentry and just enjoy the music.The preamps are especially important in this role.The only other products I know with similar transcendence values are very good electrostatic speakers.
It sounds like a lot of people are anxious to hear about the new KT88 amps.I have only heard these briefly but was very impressed.I use push-pull amps myself and see no reason why they shouldn't sound just as good as SE if the design is right.I know that Mick is really pleased with these.Sometimes less is more.
JT |
I get some microphonics if I tap on the chasis but this settles down quickly and certainly does not intrude on the music.My speakers are 98db sensitivity so show up problems like this.I used to have a Lux power amp that had bad microphonics.I sold this and later discovered my power supply was running up to 266 volts when it was meant to be 240 volts-this may have been a cause.It might pay to get your power supply checked.I had mine lowered at the transformer.Also stevem60 has a type of 300b which he reckons has very low microphonics.I'll ask him to post info on this.
What 300b valves do you find sound best in the Cabernet?I have tried the TJ meshplate which sounds nice tonally but I think the EH has much more precise imaging and tighter bass.I remember comparing the EH and the Western Electric and I prefered the EH!.
Does tube rolling just involve dunking the tubes in liquid nitrogen or does it have to be done when the moon is right and with the tube in a special cow horn- bio dynamic style?I have access to liquid nitrogen.
JT |
Hi Kenji,The TJ does have a big bass but I am bi-amping so can attenuate it a bit.I have been listening to both the TJ and the EH and am starting to prefer the TJ-the mid is much nicer although the EH is very new and might free up in time.
Yet to try the PX4 or 45.
JT |
Kenji,thanks for the information.Sounds like I need to try some of the TJ PX4 at some stage.
I have a third set of speakers -open baffle[1964 Wharfedale above 250hz] and then crossing to titanium and ribbon tweeters around 3.5 k.Although the midrange is superbI was never really happy with the tweeters in these but with the Cabernet they are sounding really good-amazing!
It all makes you wonder if people are forever changing speakers when all they need is a really good pre.
Is anyone using Van den Hul the first inteconnects between CD and Cabernet? This carbon fibre cable seems to be a good match-certainly much better than silver or any of my copper cables.
JT |
I have to concurr with SteveM.I have tried TJ meshplate PX4s,EH 300Bs and TJ meshplate 300Bs in my Cabernet.The TJ 300Bs are vastly better.They have utterly amazing treble and a lovely double cream sort of richness without any loss in vibrancy.In a way they are the epitome of the 300B sound.
The EH 300Bs sound dull,dry and compressed by comparison.
JT |
Paulfolbrecht,
I had chance to compare the Sauvignon and the Cabernet.I ended up buying the Cabernet 300b because I have been using Gainclone type power amps which sound superb but are a quite cold sounding.[pehaps just neutral]
I really loved the Sauvignon though.It is arguably more neutral than the 300b Cabernet-incredibly dynamic,clear and open and superb value for money.If I had warmer sounding power amps I would have selected the Sauvignon and saved a fair bit of money.
Rest assured you have made a brilliant purchasing decision. |
Paulfobrecht,
I think I got the last of the 300b Cabernets.
I forgot to mention the speed of the Sauvignon.I used to use a Metaxas Marquis 2 preamp[SS] that was considered a reference point for speed[very short signal paths] but the Sauvignon was even faster,and in all other respects better.Most preamps,regardless of price or format sound smeared and sluggish by comparison,and yet many people have huge amounts of money tied up in systems without ever coming to understand how critical [and how scarce] a really good preamp is. |
When people mention reliability they need to realise that no product is likely to have a perfect record.
A recent discussion on another NG [aus hi fi] gave figures for Marantz amplifiers from the 1970s.Even the most reliable still had 0.5% failure rates.Other models had 63% and 100%!And this was from an era of Japanese production famous for its quality control.
What we need to remember is that hard wired amplifiers have an excellent reputation for reliability compared to those using printed circuit boards-and even if a component or a solder joint fails it is a relatively cheap and easy thing to repair. |
Halogen lights[or their transformers?] in my house can cause hums.
Fortunately I only have them in an adjoining room and can turn them off.
Any number of experts wil tell you this should not happen but it does. |
Opus and Marril,
I think you should feel perfectly at ease making the statements you have.
Your experiences are clearly not typical though.So either there is something unusual going on with your systems' synergy or you hear differently to most people.
I wonder what interconnect cables you are using?.
It seems to me that very high resolution preamps like the Suprateks do not sound right with silver cables.Such cables do seem to have a glare to them and the Suprateks simply don't suit them in my experience.
Copper seems much better and if you really want to smooth things out and take away the "brightly lit" the Van den Hul carbon fibre cables[The First] -even just used between source and preamp-are probably your best solution.
These cables are not cheap but they bring an organic sound to systems without any loss of detail or imaging. |
Opuss88,
I think many people must trip up with cables that do not sound neutral.Such cables might sound good in one system but not another-and because they sounded good in that system the assumption that they will still sound good when you try a different component is a flawed one.
I tricked myself for a while into thinking that silver cables sound good but their appeal starts to wear thin when you realise they are just imposing a forced and unnatural presentation on your system.To me this presented as a sort of glare-although on some recordings this glare is not as noticeable.To use a visual analogy it is a bit like watching TV with the brightness and colour turned up too high.
I know that Mick Maloney hates silver cable.If you want to make the guy squirm in discomfort just sit him down in front of a system with siver interconnects.
And he is right of course.These things are changing the sound in a very unnatural way-which may not be a problem in a low resolution or coloured system -but that is still not an excuse for their acceptance. |
Kgtuner,
The internal wire might be silver coated copper but it is definitely not solid silver.I believe this cable is used due to its excellent soldering performance.
I once used a Glass Audio designed preamp that used solid silver internal cabling.It sounded horrible. |
I have a Supratek Cabernet preamp with Mundorf capacitors.
Has anyone tried swapping the Mundorfs for V Caps?
I love my preamp the way it is[TJ Meshplate 300b] but if the V Caps are better again I would be willing to try them.
Any suggestions or experience would be welcome. |
I am reporting on hearing the Monduese amplifiers.
I have always wanted a pair of Gale 401 chrome speakers for my second system.I am also a furniture designer and in my opinion they are the most lovely looking speakers ever built and very designer collectable.I remember hearing these in my youth powered by monster Accuphase power amps and Linn Sondek turntables.After many years of searching I managed to get a pair but they required a complete refurbishment including new woofer surrounds and spiders.I managed to get NOS midranges from Madisound and installed these too.
Now these have to be one of the most demanding of speakers to drive to their potential.They are low impedence and have highly damped sealed boxes.Many 200 watt RMS transistor amps really struggle to drive them.Furthermore they really don't sound that great with SS amps-which is what most people are forced to use.The bass quality in these when driven by such amps is exceptionally detailed and tight however.They are indeed famous for the quality and accuracy of their bass.
With a decent tube amp they can sound really magic though.They open up in a way that would make you doubt you are listening to the same speaker.Unfortunately the bass quality tends to suffer[the old story but magnified with these particular speakers].
With the Monduese they sound superb right across the sectrum.I have heard many Gales before but they have never sounded like what I heard with the Monduese.I would rank this as one of the very best sounds I have heard.They go from good to really great.
It beggars this question.If they can do this for a 30 year old speaker[albeit one of the best and most modern sounding of the vintage speakers],then what can they do for modern hi end speakers that are a difficult load ?
In am surely tempted to buy a pair of these and put the Gales in my "good" system with my Cabernet preamp. |
There is an excellent new review of the Sauvignon in Australian Hi Fi November/December edition.
Edgar Kramer is the reviewer and his review is spot on in my estimate.This bloke really knows how to listen.
Nice to see that they measure very well too.
Mr Kramer ends up buying the Sauvignon to use as his new reference. |
I can't see any broblems with glue-as long as it is the appropriate glue for the job.Adhesive technology has come a long way since the 50s-when,no doubt, it was unsafe to glue in components.
I use new technology adhesives in eveything I make and these have rendered obsolete older technoloqies involving fasteners. |
Fiddler,
I find all this very hard to believe.
Have you read articles on sonic memory?
More like the differences you are hearing are subjective or being influenced by your seating or head position. |
Jeffjazz and Fiddler,
Well I really have become a bit sceptical about these sorts of tweaks.
You can easily fool yourself into thinking these sorts of changes make a difference.The only way to be sure is to do an A/B comparison but even that is too subjective.
If you have to make physical changes which take more than about 20 seconds you cannot recall accurately the sound prior to the change.That is as long as our sonic memory lasts.
And as I said shifting your head position is likely to change what you hear so unless you have some sort of head clamp then you cannot asses changes properly either.
I own a Supratek Cabernet-the 300B version which I think was the pick of all of them-and I have heard them all. |
I have heard the new preamps.
Not sure of the model I heard as it was a prototype but Mick said it would be the new mid priced one [Syrah?]
I hate to say it but it sounded at least as good as my Cabernet. |
