Hmm. Thanks Tvad. I hadn't considered that. I suppose, if Emmanuel entered the info, that would generate a tracking # automatically. 5 more days, can't wait. Hope I'm not letting my expectations be too high.
relax. BTW, I was underwhelmed when i plugged my brand new unit into my system. The thing takes TIME to break in, so be patient. Also, follow Emmanuel's recommendation for breaking it in, and dont tweak it (Power cords, tubes, etc) for 1 month! all good things come to those who wait!
Oldpet, send Emmanuel an eMail and he will sort out the mystery. On the other hand, it would not be the first time that UPS gives a package the grand tour of the nation, before deciding to route it finally to its intended destination. Having said that, UPS is not as bad as the US postal service. Three years ago I sent a Christmas present by US mail from Austin (Tx) to Milano (Italy). It took just over three months. Reason is that prior to finally routing the package to Milan, my nephew's toys were sent all the way to Manila in the Philippines, where the box was opened, fully inspected, repackaged, then sent on its way to Milan.
Guido - :-D Got it yesterday! It arrived in good shape. Whew! As I type this it has been burning in for 31 hours. Not sure where to begin talking about it. The build quality? Unbelievable! Yes it's heavy. When you open the top, you can't help but be impressed at the absence of cricuit boards. Point to point soldering all the way! Meticulously done I might add.
The sound? The first moment I heard it (forget about waiting for a listen) The power of the unit struck me. There was a visceral quality to the music. Keep in mind, up till now I've been strictly SS. It definitely likes the Krell. :-) The sounds created were clean and clear. The Sound stage was a bit narrow in the first hour of its life, but what is to be expected at that point. Since then, stage has definitely grown. Immages are clearly taking their places in space. Highs? Beautiful already. Bass? About as good as my SS set up. With the promise of deeper and more defined bass on the way. That says alot for a 1 day old TUBE pre! I could go on. No syrupy sweet sound! Thats a good thing to me. I suppose if one wanted 'sweet', various tubes would do that trick. Only AFTER the break in though - as requested by Emmanuel :-) Natural is the word that comes to mind. Well balanced, nothing over emphasized. But the thing that actually blows me away about this whole process - almost more than the preamp itself - is the fact that today 3/25, I recieved 3 emails from Emmanuel himself. WOW! He is truly interested in me and my unit, and how it works within my system. AMAZING! He has given me tips and advice as to, what to do during break in, and what to expect during the process. I'm sure I made the right choice in this endless sea of audio gear. Quality/Performance/Support - what else can you ask for? I'm impressed by the unit and by the MAN - Emmanuel Go. Believe me - It takes ALOT to impress me. I'm happy to answer any questions to the best of my ability that you or anyone else has.
I just noticed someone is selling a FS here on Agon. Why would they want to? I would jump on it knowing what i know now. :-)
well done Paul! I am sure you will have many audio revelations with your new toy, and welcome to tubes.
After a month or so, do look into an upgraded power cord (electraglide, shunyata elrod come to mind), do look at platform/isolation system (Aurios), and since there is so much info here to guide you, do look at NOS tubes. In the meanwhile, enjoy that thing and once agian, welcome to the club of happy FS owners.
As to ther person selling his, he may be looking to upgrade up the FS line - who knows....
Congrats Paul. Make certain to follow Emmanuel's advice ... break in from the wall and stock for 30 days... and like Art suggested, a good powercord goes a long way on this preamp! I would highly recommend an Electraglide powercord, the "entry level" Mini Khan Plus can be had used for about $500 here on the 'Gon and does wonders, improved by the Ultra Khan II, as well as the Epiphany... depends on the cash outlay you want to spend.
After that you may want to look into NOS tubes, and there are threads on various tubes and the "house" sound they give in that preamp that are really quite accurate.
All in all, do follow the 30 day break in as you will "learn" the stock sound of the preamp, which will be hard to imagine it could improve at about 25 days... but it only gets better. :)
Artg & Audiofankj - Thanks for the support. Making the decision was the hardest part of all. I just didn't want to make a mistake. I sure I didn't. :-) Still waiting for the bass to break loose. I't only been 4+ days though. :-) So the breakin continues for a month? Is that 24/7 playing all the way? Thanks guys.
One of the OA2's in my FS went out, so when I ordered replacements from New Sensor yesterday, I also ordered a pair of the EH Gold Pin 6922, which Emmanuel suggested I try. Not NOS and less than $30. I forget if this tube has been discussed here. Has anyone tried it?
By the way, the only reason I knew that the OA2 went out is that I happened to peak through the side vents and did not see the blue glow on one side. Of course, it *seemed* like things weren't sounding quite right, but the preamp definitely still worked even without the functioning regulator tube.
I asked emmanuel about "upgraded" OA2 tubes. He kind of poo poo'd the idea. apparently its a binary thing: it works or it's out, without any real difference in the sound of different OA's. Dan makes a good point, however, need to periodically look into that puppy to make sure the OA2's are on (easier at night), they have a cool blue glow.
Yeah, the $75 minimum was a shocker. So I ordered two sets of OA2's (in case I keep the First Sound forever) plus the EH 6922's and thereby met the minimum. But there must be another source for OA2's, and Music Direct sells the EH tubes for less than New Sensor does. I just wanted to get it over with. Emmanuel recommended the Russian OA2's that New Sensor sells on the basis of reliability (not sonics) vs. other OA2's.
I've been running my new FS for 8+ days now. It's only been shut down to discharge the caps, as Emmanuel recommends. I've noticed that this unit NEVER, becomes even slightly warm. Does this translate to being very kind to the tubes in the pre? Just curious. Thanks guys pt
paul - after the month of play, there are many tube options to consider, as has been outlined extensively here. the 7308's and 6922's are designed for looong life, the 6DJ8's somewhat less. i havent had mine long enough to weigh in on how the FS itself affects tube life.
Mine never gets warm either, not at all. some of that might be the power supply living in another box.....
Yes, as I can recall I do believe the break-in recommended from Emmanuel was 30 days of play. I personally did the 24/7 as it was the stock tubes and have a dedicated listening room, so keeping the system on at night doesn't affect others ability to sleep. The discharging of the caps does seem to help speed up the process as Emmanuel will tell you. Just remember to make sure the unit is also unplugged as well as turned off (if I remember correctly - lol has been some time). I think it may have been mostly broken in around 3 weeks or so when I started swapping stuff around, was impatient. Then I put it back to the stock power cord and such to wait that extra week, figured another few days won't hurt me. For when you are done, the unit does breathe easier and appreciated a good power cord, as well as NOS tubes take the performance to the next level. Hang in there.
Thanks men. This really does feel like being a member of a club. :-) It's funny how something like audio gear can bring people from all around the country together.
I'll be patient and I'll keep you posted. BTW - I already picked up a Mini Khan power cord for after break in! :-)
Question....According to Emmanual, (and the owners manual) the break in period for an FS is 2 weeks. But alot of you fellow FS owners advise a month, before Tube and power cord experimentation. Any reason for this?
BTW - Yes the power cord was expensive. If it doesn't make a difference in my system....it will be up for sale. :-)
Ok Fellas....What are the signs of a tube going bad? I am getting a distortion in the upper frequencies in the right channel of my new FS Pres. Deluxe MkII. It has happened within th past two days. Certain High pitches (piano music, flute/piccolo) Cause a slight fuzziness in the sound. It also sometimes sounds as though, a single note is seperating into 2 pitches. I've ruled out the speakers - swapped them and it still does it. Ruled out the source - 2 different scources do the same thing. When I play my HT preamp (Lexicon MC8) on the same music, the distortion goes away. :-( Besides a tube, going bad, I don't know what else it could be. Do any of you fellow FS owners have any Ideas? Any thoughts would be appreciated.
It must come as no surprise, but my system is in flux again.
I sold the First Sound, and may end up with the FS Paramount - but not 100% certain. I am using this oppty to revisit tubed linestages. Part of the deal is my new source, and the wiring upgrade on my Berning amp have exposed the limitations of the Presence Deluxe MK II. I need more transparency, a quieter background, and even more dynamic impact. As such, i'm about to go into serious debt, since we all know that you need to spend stupid $$ to significantly better the FS PDII.
Anyway, to help fund said upgrade, i've been selling someother stuff. power conditioner, power cords, and Im thinking about selling the 1960 Amperex "Pinched Waist" 6922's that I spent a small fortune to acquire (ok, I'll come out and say it - embarassingly, I spent $500 for the new set, which might have 100 hrs total on them).
If any of you are interested in this ULTIMATE tube for the FS, email me an offer. If not, i doubt I'll post a classified since tube selling is such a hassle. I would just keep them around in case I ever need another reference 6922.....
Drubin How did your EH 6922 GPs work out? I sent back the first set I got because they distorted the upper frequencies badly. Well - I got the replacement tubes today - THEY'RE WORSE! Back they go! This time for a refund. I suppose I have to cross the EH tubes off my shopping list, for good. :-(
Anyone else having EH 6922 GP problems? Just curious.
I have collected a few NOS tubes already: 7308 PQ /white/US, and a Holland pair. 6922 USN-CEP. 6922 PQ/white/US. Pinched waists? Don't think so. I'm not gonna spend $500 for a pair of tubes, just on sheer principle. :-) So I'm set with NOS tubes. I just wanted to try some current production tubes. As the price of NOS climbs, I thought, current production is at least worth a shot. The EH tubes didn't work at all in the FS. Nothing lost, except for a couple of dollars to send them back.
Ei Elites, is another story though. They work. And for $9.00 per tube, you might be surprised. ;-)
Thanks for the words of wisdom men. It is appreciated. :-) p
hi dan. i tried it (the extreme version) across my entire system (pc, ic, tube pins etc). At first things were bright and forward, but with continued use, that feature resolved and i was left with increased clarity, articulation, and speed - yet i dont think any harshness or glare was introduced. Like every other maneuver that increases these aspects, the system should be "up for" increased exposure and transparency. Overall i think well balanced systems would benefit more than those with underlying tendency towards stridency - "more is not always more." As i recall, your system with the FS (and rowland was it?) would not have this issue....
Having said all that, overall i did hear a real benefit. whether it was $149's worth or not is a case by case individual decison, but I would say yes for me. They offer a money back guarantee, so it might be worth a spin.
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