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Upgraded McCormack DNA-1 or Dennis Had Inspire SEP?

It’s make or break time. I need to make a decision about which direction I need to take regarding my next amplifier. I’m coming from a Jolida Fusion 3502P that I’ve spent the last year searching for the best tube combinations.

Do I keep the McCormack DNA-1 I just bought and save up to have it upgraded, or do I sell it and buy a new Insipre amp from Mr. Had? 

I have a pair of Klipsch Cornwalls, Better Cables silver serpent interconnects, high quality copper speaker cables, and I’m feeding them with a Marantz preamp, through which I feed almost all my music via Amazon/Heos.

Discuss. 

Thanks in advance.

jsbw

Showing 4 responses by decooney

decooney
2,326 posts
 

 

@jsbw "But...I need...more."

 

 

@jsbw, before jumping ship altogether, which [if any] of the optional Jolida upgrades did you have installed for your Fusion 3502P tube amp?

 

https://www.jolida.com/upgrades/upgrading-your-equipment

  • Upgrade I: Resistor, diode, capacitor and tube upgrade.
  • Upgrade II: WBT Speaker Post, Cardas Input Jacks
  • Upgrade III: Addition of bybee rails. Please note that not all units can have the bybee rail installed.
  • Upgrade IV: Changing internal wire to ultra high grade signal wire.
  • Upgrade V: Use of Hi End Capacitors eiither in the output stage or the coupling cap stage or both. Regarding the placement of hi grade capacitors, we primarily use Rike oil and paper capacitors, Audyn True Copper Capacitors. Call for pricing if the capacitors are not either Rike or Audyn.

 

I’ve heard upgrades II, V on the Jolida and I’m a former DH SEP Hot Rod amp owner, fwiw. Upgrades I through V on the Jolida is worth the price of admission. Add PSVANE KT88 output tubes and good matched NOS small signal tubes, and it sounds nice!

decooney
2,326 posts
 

It's probably safe to say more than a few of us have sold amps we later regretted. And, not trying others would be a miss too, so it all works out in the end.  🤜  🤛

decooney
2,326 posts
 

@jsbw

 My new Dennis Had Inspire arrived today.Holy SH!T this was the absolute right choice

@charles1dad 

Congratulations and welcome to the wonderful sounding genre of low power tube amplifiers.

Fasten your seatbelt, or prepare to watch for different routes ahead.  Amazingly, the circuit design will change again for yet a whole new-better-wow version of "slinging solder" coming out soon,  out with the old and in with the new. Nope!  

It's unreal how many new circuits and variations can be discovered and different rectifier tubes to try with a small simple SEP tube amp :) Hopefully not to get on that rotating treadmill and just enjoy it. It takes a good preamp to make that amp sound its best. My inspire went to a new happy owner, enjoy!   

 

decooney
2,326 posts
 

@jsbw "after a bit of tube rolling"...

 

Nah, really? 🤣 That was my only frustration with my prior Inspire and a pile of sets of different tubes leftover. i.e. With my tube dac, along came a list of tubes and rankings with helpful listening reviews of each to decide which ocean to go fish. DH and his loyal followers could help a little more with a similar list to save folks some money and mystery. It's all speaker-dependent with that amp with little margin for error. An upgraded McCormick would be nice to have around and rotate in once in a while, imo. Enjoy, happy listening!  

 

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