nothing fancy. bendix 6106 rectifier, electro-harmonix 6SN7, sovtek KT66 regulators. i'm interested in trying out the different NOS 6SN7 out there, but presently would rather invest money into other areas of my system. |
Kgturner,
What tubes have you settled into with your Chardonnay? |
previous to the chardonnay, i owned:
acoustic research sp-16l
pass labs x2.5
aragon soundstage (when 2-channel and ht were integrated)
ead theatermaster encore (when 2-channel and ht were integrated) |
I'm new Chardonnay owner and new to Audiogon. As I have tried to follow this thread, I'm wondering ..What preamp/benchmark did you all own prior to the purchase of your Supratek? |
My Sauv has been in Customs since last Friday (6 days).
DHL called and said because the declared value was >$2K, they could not "vouch" for it and needed proof of my SSN.
I faxed the card on Tuesday with contact info, and today they called and said it was "illegible". I assure you, it was COMPLETELY legible. I still have the fax confirm.
So, it was scanned and emailed today. What a pain in the ass. |
tom:
i think part of the issue is that power cables connected to the speakers are unshielded and one power cable on the right mablec is unshielded as well. hopefully i'll win the lottery soon and be able to purchase the remaing 3 purist audio power cords i need. : ) |
Kgturner,
If the buzz is coming through both speakers at the same sound level, then I don't see how it would be a problem with the amps. Each amp would have to have the same problem. Not much chance of that. You may be right about your speakers being so efficient causing the problem. My speakers are only 88db. I think the problem could be solved by sending the Malbecs to me! |
Kgturner,
Thanks for the write up regarding the Malbecs. Just a thought about your buzzing problem if you think that the efficiency of the speaker made it possible for you to hear the noise floor of the amps, why not connect an attenuator pad (with settings of 3, 6 and 9 dB or fine points in between on the positive leg of the output)with about 10 Watts power rating to be safe and see if it still persist? Since we are not concern about the sound quality at this point but to isolate the problem, the exercise will decrease the efficiency of the speakers as you increase the attenuation and you can monitor the buzzing sound if it gets affected by the change.
regards |
slowhand:
yes the buzzing comes from both speakers. it may possible be i'm hearing the noise floor of the amp, but i'm not really sure. i've been emailing kevin covi back and forth as he and i are at a loss for the reason for the buzz. like i said, it might just be due to the 99 dB efficiency of my speakers. |
Hello Kgturner,
Thanks very much for the first impressions of the Malbecs. Man I wish I lived closer to you and I would bring the Berning down for a head to head comparison. Many of the improvements that you pointed out are the same as I heard from the use of the Silent Running Audio iso base when it is under the Berning or when it is under the Cortese. I heard more impact to the music, more space between instruments, small things that were previously hidden now clearly in their own space. This is very interesting. I have ordered the iso bases for the Cortese and it's power supply. I will post my findings when I get them.
Please keep us posted on your progress.
Does the buzzing come from both speakers? |
I finaly took a look under the hood of my Chardonnay.I decided to change the feet for some Bright Star Isonodes, so first I open up the power supply, did some damping and Deoxit spray the power switch, made it feel much better, not as dry and cheap.
Then on to the preamp, as I opened it I was pleased to see two huge Auricaps looking at me. Everything looks nicely soldered with silver solder.
I bypassed the HT switch, which I don't plan on ever using. I did make it easily reversable incase the next owner needs it however.
Everything looks good, all quality parts, nicely laid out.
However there was one surprise that I am not sure how I feel about, those big silver domes were empty.
Now I do not remember reading anywhere that said they had something inside, but I figured they were transformer housing of some sort. So I was really surprised to see that they are just two empty cans, I guess for cosmetics.
Thats the only conclusion I could come to, or maybe they are tuned to some special frequency, as they do ring when you tap them.
Are the ones on the higher models empty too?
Just curious. |
yes, the KT88 tubes buzzed as well. i don't think it's my cheap interconnects as the tweeter continues to buzz even when the cables are unplugged. |
Kgturner, have you tried with the KT88s? Do you get the buzzing with KT88 also? |
the sixpacs are effectively a cary amplifier so they exhibit much of the same sonic characteristics as other cary amps. syrupy is the best way i can describe it. the malbecs are much more dynamic by comparison. of course, it's hard to make an accurate comparison as all my other amps were used on the gershman speakers while i'm using the malbecs on a new and relatively unfamiliar speaker (dB99 SE). |
Thank you for the first review of the Malbec, Kgturner.
Out of curiosity, how do they compare to the AES Sixpacs you previously owned? |
i must preface all my following comments by saying that my system has been Âdown since i placed the deposit for my malbecs in june of 2006. my system has been through some major changes. i sold my art audio carissa (16 watt SET) which I was using with a pair of gershman avant garde rx-20 speakers. the gershmanÂs are fabulous speakers, but they do not lend themselves to tube amplification. previous to the carissa, my amplifier merry-go-round consisted of a pair of cary audio slm-200 monoblocks, plinius sa-102, aes sixpacs, aragon palladium II monoblocks, and an aragon 8008BB.
after selling the carissa, i found a race horse deal on a pair of von schweikert dB99 SE speakers (my "affordable" dream speakers). so, i sold the gershman's and purchased the dB99 SE. since i had sold the carissa, i had no "high-end" amplifier, so i made due by powering the dB99 SE with a denon AVR-3806 receiver.
i received the email from mick on 12-11-06 and sent the money later that day. the malbecs shipped on 12-18-06. the malbecs were separated in shipping and one arrived on 12-20-06 and the other on 12-21-06. unfortunately, one of the malbecs had an intermittent hiss/pop. i shipped it to kevin covi in new york for repair on 12-29-06. kevin informed me that the malbec had a bad screen resistor and he was able to quickly repair the malbec. kevin shipped the malbec on 1-08-07 i received the repaired malbec on 1-11-07.
iÂve tried to allow the mablecs to burn in some over the weekend. i received two quads of EH EL34 tubes on friday. the malbecs have been playing non-stop for close the 48 hours. the fit and finish is quintessential supratek (first rate). though separated by almost 2 years, the chrome/piano black mablecs perfectly match my chardonnay. but you haven't read this far to hear what they look like.
the malbecs allow for adjustment of damping factor (left front knob), volume (right front knob), and negative feedback (on back) (all of which you can adjust "on the fly"). the chardonnay allows for multiple levels of gain adjustment. the dB99 SE also allows for adjustment of the bass level and ambience tweeter level. so, as you can see, my system is rife for fiddling and tweaking. i'm still toying around though i feel i've found a good balance. some more fine tuning will be necessary, obviously.
in my listening sessions, i played several CD's. among them, tool: 10,00 days, tweaker: 2 a.m. wakeup call, john butler trio: sunset by the sea, pink floyd: dark side of the moon. with the exception of the john butler trio CD, i have listened to these CD's probably 20+ times or more. cliched or not, it is still the truth that i am hearing things on these CD's that i've never heard before. layers have been peeled away to reveal subtle nuances and sounds that i never realized were there before. sure there had always been there hiding in the background, muddled by all the other instruments. now, they are more forward and present within the soundstage. there is more space between instruments and they can be easily located within the soundstage rather than just a wall of sound being thrown up at you.
the music flows out of the speakers with amazing dynamics and liquidity. the soundstage is centrally locked and very focused. the soundstage extends in all directions from the speaker though it's outward extension isn't as wide as it's height or depth. the sound is decidedly supratek. very musical. very alive. very different. the malbecs sound nothing like my cary audio amps, which were very syrupy and sweet. the cary's were excellent amplifiers, but the bass presentation was somewhat sluggish on my gershman's. the malbecs haven't exhibited much of tube romanticism that i've heard in other tube amplifiers. that is to say, they are not warm or sluggish. they are slightly more forward and very resolving, but not at the expense of being lean. when cranked beyond sane levels, there is no hint of compression. the music maintains it's texture and coherency even while it's running you out of the room.
praise without criticism is worthless in my opinion. the only fault i can find in the malbecs is a buzzing sound that comes from the tweeter. the buzz appears to be inversely coupled to the amount of negative feedback selected. the less negative feedback, the louder the buzz. this buzz is not mechanical noise inside the amp. the amp chassis is dead silent. granted, the buzz could be a function of the uber-cheap cables i'm currently using and/or the high efficiency of my speakers and/or the distance between myself and the speaker. it's only noticeable on quiet passages, but i find that it does detract from the listening experience even at low levels. hopefully, i will be able to resolve the buzzing issue i have in the coming months.
though my impressions are cursory, i really believe the malbecs are something special and (buzzing aside) i cannot see myself purchasing another amplifier. i guess if i had to make a comparison, the malbecs sound like they took the best attributes of the carissa and the plinius amplifiers i had previously owned. anywho...i hope this little micro-review is somewhat beneficial to those of you looking to purchase the malbecs.
my system consists of:
supratek chardonnay
supratek malbec monoblocks
von schweikert dB99 SE
47 labs shigaraki transport
47 labs shigaraki DAC
pure power battery power supply
exactpower EP-15A
purist audio design musaeus IC (DAC to chardonnay)
purist audio design musaeus PC (EP-15A to outlet, chardonnay to EP-15A, malbec to EP-15A)
signal cable classic speaker cables
mish-mosh of other crappy cables (used between DAC and transport / chardonnay and malbec) |
Another vote for the Chenin here!
Unless you have a super mega over to the max God smiled on it separate phono preamp already, why would one buy a Chardonnay instead of the Chenin if the only reason is that "you are not into vinyl" yet for a price difference of <$500 always intrigues me?
I have been using the Chenin for almost Three years now. The phono section for low/mid output MC (2.5 mV and below)is amazingly quiet and sounds very-very good. I have some other phono preamps use for MM and coupled with an SUT, it does not have the vivid presentation I can get from the Chenin even on modest MC carts. It will take a lot of system matching before the SUT/MM phono combo approaches what the Chenin phono section delivers in my experience.
Let's paint a scenario here.......
Supratek Chardonnay, Linestage only Price:$2000
Supratek Chenin, Linestage (identical in every way to the Chardonnay), with Phono (Low noise Hybrid FET inputs, with two all tube gain stages, individual gain adjustments per channel with preset (four)impedance loading settings), capable of amplifying cartridge output as low as 0.1 mV without the use of external SUT's. Price: $2400
Both are two box system that are tube rectified (5AR4/GZ34) and tube regulated (5881, KT-66, etc.).
What will you buy? Honestly?
Well $400 is a big chunk of money (for me) but assuming that you use the preamp for a year and then decided to sell it. I believe you can get better deal with the Chenin don't you think? Besides, the price difference comes up to a whopping $1.095 per day for a year between the two. If you use it for two years then its ~$0.55, and in three years...well, you get the picture!
Worried that the phono section will just "eat" tubes when not in use? I suggest to turn the gain pots of the phono section all the way down when not in use and get a set of tubes, the cheapest 6922 and 6c4 tubes you can source, as back up. That should set you back for about $50 max including shipping. These tubes together with the tubes that comes with the preamp should be good for the next, say, 3 1/2 years or so conservatively.
As they say, "you know a good deal if you see one"!
Believe me, this is....IT! |
Mike,
.
Here's another vote for getting a Chenin in lieu of the Chardonnay.
.
It is really a no-brainer decision.
.
The Chenin will be far easier to re-sell if and when the day comes that you decide to sell. Mick's phono sections are highly regarded and well sought after. You will increase the potential audience of buyers when selling a Chenin as compared with trying to move a Chardonnay and I am guessing you would probably get the $400.00 price differential or more back in your selling price.
.
There is always the distinct possibility that you end up doing Vinyl in addition to CD's and you would have an amazing pre-amp well far in excess of the additional $ 400.00 that you would pay out now. It would mean that you would not be forced to sell your Chardonnay and go through the hassle choosing, finding, and buying a pre-amp with a phono section. We almost always lose money when having to buy and sell another piece of equipment and buying the Chenin now would avoid all of the above.
.
My strong recommendation is to contact Mick and get him to build a Chenin for you.
.
Rgds,
Larry
. |
Agreed Slowhand, Mick is a vinyl junkie and his phonos are hard to beat at ANY price let alone $400!
Regards,
Steve. |
Hello Mike,
If you are using a Oracle TT, why did you order the Chardonnay instead of the Chenin (with the phono stage)? I continue to advise people to get Mick's preamps with the phono stage. His phono stage is amazing and well worth the extra money.
As for my speakers, I use Gallo Nucleus Reference 2's (the one's with the 2 stacked balls on the barcelona stands). The new Gallo reference 3's sound great too, but I prefer the reference 2's. You can do a lot better than your Polks these days.
Glad you have enjoyed the thread. I am sure you will enjoy your Supratek preamp, but as I said, You would be hard pressed to get a better phono preamp at any price. With the Chenin, you are getting a world class phono stage for $400!!!! |
Hi! Slowhand,
I've been reading these posts for a long time. I'm impressed with everyone's posts.
I've talked to Mick (just Recently)about ordering up a Chardonnay Tube Pre-amp & with all the equipment that I'm using, I'm going to need (5) inputs,(2) outputs,& a Tape monitor jack in the back side.
(Question): what type of speakers will go with Mick's Chardonnay Tube Pre-amp. I'm in the market for a good set of speakers. What do you use at home ?
I also have an Oracle Delphi Mark V Turntable, A Magnum Dynalab #102 FM Tuner & (2)Carver A-500X amps @270 watts a channel.Whew !!!
I could use some input from you guys,to replace my old Polk Audio Monitor 10's
Thanks, Mike |
That's great. I'm all attention. Thank you. |
maril555:
i should be able to get in a decent listening session this weekend so i'll try to post my initial impressions sunday night or so. |
Kgturner,
Could you post your early impressions at least, with an understanding the amps are still breaking- in.
I put a deposit on power amps, but still undecided b/w Malbec/Mondeuse. |
fyi:
my malbec is back from kevin covi. turns out it had a bad screen resistor. i'm letting the amps cook right now so i hope to be able to give some sort of mini-review/impressions within a month or so. i have two quads of EL34 coming in the mail as i'm not a huge fan of the KT88 sound which the malbecs came with. hopefully some other malbec owners can chime in as well once their amps arrive. |
that's what $400 for shipping will get you. i'm sure your shipping fee will be less since the preamps aren't as heavy as two monoblock amplifiers and they come in a single box (at least my chardonnay did). the quick shipping turnaround also has to do with how quickly the package can get through customs. i always give mick my SSN so it moves almost immediately through customs. at the worst, you should expect to receive it in 4 days. |
Australia to Ohio in two days? Well, that is bloody impressive. |
my malbecs were shipped on 12-18-06 and i received one on 12-20-06 and the other on 12-21-06 from what i recall. dhl managed to split the packages up in ohio. i live in mobile, alabama so you might be able to receive the sauvignon a day sooner. enjoy your new preamp. |
What is the current ship time to the US (midwest)?
Have been waiting for a week for my Sauvignon to ship now. I'm wondering how long it'll take once it goes. |
To clarify, I do not own the SRA that has been under my Berning. It belongs to a friend of mine. The reason I am getting one for my Cortese first is because the rock maple amp stand that I am using with brass pointed feet, is about 75% as good as the SRA. Don't get me wrong, I plan on getting one for the Berning too, but the Mapleshade brass cones under my Cortese are not even close to the sound I am getting from the SRA (keep in mind that the SRA I am using under the Cortese is NOT made for it), so things should only get better. I am sold on the SRA iso bases. I will eventually get one for my turntable and cd player. The reason I am starting with the preamp is because the Cortese is so amazing to start with and it affects the sound of both analog and digital. I hope to have the bases in a couple of weeks. I will post my results.
|
Hi folks, I have owned a cortese for 2 years and have been recently going through the isolation issue with DIY racks and isolation platforms. I removed feet from pre and PS added a solid hardwood 20mm base ( left the metal base by screw fixing it through the exisitng holes). I then separated it from the isolation base using a DIY version of a roller block - made a definite improvement in clarity and solidity.
Cheers,
Phil |
Hi Slowhand and Cello ,I went through the entire site of Silent Running Audio.It will be a thrill reading your evaluation. You have one for your Berning amp now and two more on order for your Cortese. No dought you plan on getting one for your turntable. I think that is where I am going to start.Cello you have the S.R.A. equiptment rack.Do you also have any of the platforms? Anyway in the next few weeks its sure going to be interesting reading the first impressions of the new Malbecs and a Mondeuse! Good Listening Mark |
Just spoke with Kevin Tellekamp at SRA. As Larry mentioned, Kevin does not feel it is necessary, nor does he recommend using anything in conjunction with the iso bases.
Just ordered mine for my Cortese. Should have them in a couple of weeks. I will let everyone know my impressions.
Larry, Kevin said to tell you hello. |
duettasigs:
the primary options that mick has availabe for his preamps is home theater bypass swith and remote volume control. the cabernet already comes with a pair of balanced inputs/outputs. if you've got something specific in mind, just email mick. i'm sure he can set up most anything you desire. |
Slowhand,
No could not swing it in time....I did get the Chardonnay and so far it's been a beauty! Even running the Phonomena as the phono section I have not been disappointed. My plan is to use it for about a year and then move up to the Cortese. |
I ordered a pair of Malbecs last week of October. Pablo. |
Hello
IÂm seriously considering ordering the Cabernet dual. Other than finish, what are some of the options available, I didnÂt find them listed on the web site. It will be in a cd only system, for now? Thanks in advance for any help. |
Thanks Rick000,
Please do let us know what your impressions are when you receive them. |
Hello All
Long time Audiogon Member
I have been just sitting back taking in knowledge from all the GREAT Audiogon members. THANKS!!
I have a Mondeuse on order in chrome & black to match my Cortese.
I put money down back in March when Mick was updating my Cortese.
I heard from Mick around Dec 11th,he was having trouble getting the chrome transformer covers,I guess other wise my are just about done.
I will let you know when I recieve them. |
from what i recall, ray ordered a pair as well. not sure if he got his in yet though. i emailed him earlier today so maybe we'll hear from him shortly. |
Anyone out there besides Kgturner that has Malbecs ordered? |
Hello Ooslik,
Were you able to change your order with Mick?
Happy New Years to everyone!
Tom |
maril555:
the malbecs arrived last week just before x-mas. unfortunately, there was an intermittent pop/crackle in one of the amps. i discussed it with mick and we did not believe it was a tube issue. i've shipped the one crackling malbec to kevin covi in new york. he should have it by wednesday due to the holidays.
with just one malbec, i've decided to wait until the other one returns to do any serious listening as i want them to break in together. i have listened to the one malbec i have and it sounds very promising. however, with just one amp, i want to hold off any discussion of the sound until i receive the other malbec back and allow them time to break in properly.
not quite the report i'm sure everybody wanted, but that's where i stand. i will say that mick has been great throughout all the problems and he is super quick at replying to emails, often replying several times in the same day. |
Kgturner,
Did you get your Malbecs yet? |
Hi Slowhand and Cello, That hard rock maple alone works very well!I had a local wood mill make my equiptment stand. Its a three shelf butcher block vertical grain slabs 42" wide by 24" deep by 2" thick.The shelves are fixed in place with 1" doweling tapped through 4 by 4 legs.I need to get some adjustable feet for it to finish it off,can't use cones,we have soft wood plank floors.I will be in contact with Kevin in the new year.Slowhand you say it works is good enough for me. Larry thats interesting having the roller blocks cryoed .I bought cryoed bx wire and recepticals for dedicated lines a couple of years ago.Theres something to it alright.I'll let Kevin know you two sent me. Regards Mark |
Mark (Stiltskin),
.
I agree wholeheartedly....The grade 3 balls are as you said a surprise in what they do for the sonics .
.
See if you can get a set of your Rollerblocks and one set of the Grade 3 balls cryoed...
.
Cryoing the Rollerblocks and balls is a significantly bigger upgrade than using the grade 3 balls as compared to the stock grade 25 balls Tungsten Carbide.
.
Do let us know how you make out with the SRA stands (if you get them) and please tell Kevin I said hello (Larry from Miami, Florida). I think you will enjoy interacting with him. One hint....Kevin is wonderful at responding to emails and slow to respond to phone calls.
.
Rgds,
Larry
. |
Hi Mark (stiltskin),
My system also sets on 2 Canadian Rock Maple stands! And I have been using a 4" thick Mapleshade platform with tennis balls under it for may amp (which sets on the floor), but I recently pulled out the Rock Maple amp stand that came with my racks. It is coupled to the floor by heavy brass pointed cones. The sound of the amp is much better with this setup than it was with the 4"mapleshade. The SRA iso base is still best under the Berning amp. |
Hi Larry,Definitely I will be in touch with Kevin. I have two sets of Symposium roller blocks,series 2 and the series 3 balls.When first told about the series 3 balls acouple of years ago I scoffed at the cost.BULL SHIT.I borrowed some Symposium platforms including some more series 2 and one set of series 3....S.O.B....Talk about the hair on the nape of your neck. However I couldnt afford the platforms and more rollerblocks at the time,though I did buy one set of the series 3. My stuff is sitting directly on two inch thick Canadian hard rock maple stand and amp platforms. Some fine tuning with more platforms and isolation devices should bring some spooky magic to my system. Thanks guys |
.
Mark (Stiltskin),
.
I tried 3 different Symposium stands before buying the SRA's (now have 4). The Symposium stands did not function well in my system. They compressed the sound stage and sucked the air out when I tried them under my CD player and pre-amp.
.
The Symposium Rollerblocks on the other hand have been spectacular under everything (CD player, Amps, power supplies and pre-amps). I think everyone should buy one used set of Rollerblocks and try rolling them around under each piece you have and then buy more as is makes sense.
.
The SRA did great things for controlling base (tighter, more tuneful, and more punch). I think Kevin has done a tremendous job with his product designs (each one was custom built for each of my pieces). I would trust his judgment on where to start in your system and do one piece at a time based on how each piece benefits your system.
.
$ 600.00 seems like a significant amount to spend on a stand, but they are like upgrading a piece in your system and they never wear out. (as Slowhand suggested NOS tubes do).
.
Do get one set of used Rollerblocks to play with (this one is a no brainer for $ 250.00 approx). They come up for sale regularly on Audiogon. I will bet you buy more sets.
.
I would also try one SRA from Kevin Tellekamp. Good guy, knowledgeable, and great with advice. He wonÂt over sell you.
.
Good Luck .Happy New Year to All of you be safe on AmateurÂs Night.
.
Rgds,
Larry
. |
No, i play only linestage. Any idea? |
