porchlight1

Responses from porchlight1

Need a tube power amp to go with Sonic Frontiers SFL-1 Signature hybrid pre-amp
My vote is for a McIntosh MC275. Used, it should be within your budget. I had a MkII, the Gordon Gow Commemorative edition for over 20 years and at 75 WPC (though routinely measures at 90 WPC) drove various pairs of Martin-Logan electrostats with ... 
Outer Vinyl Sleeves, is it a good idea?
baylinor: +1.                             I have been sliding my outer sleeves over the open end of the album cover since I was a kid in high school in the 70’s.  Even then I noticed dust collecting on the vinyl near the open end and your (our?) s... 
Decent backup cartridge
Dekay+1. The Ortofon 2M Blue is an excellent upgrade to the Red.  I own both a 2M Bronze and a Blue as backups and I actually prefer the Blue with its more relaxed sound as compared to the Bronze and tracks just as well.  As Dekay pointed out, you... 
Thorens TD124 “Mk1”/Mk2 plinth
Lots of responses covering the TD-124 platters.  Does anyone have any concerns about the thin metal outer platter only making contact with the sub platter with 6 or 8 thin rubber discs?  The reason I point this out is that the sadly ignored Thoren... 
Adding an extra 1ft to premium speaker cables
Though I’ve been in the OP’s position before, I agree with others that the best solution would be to sell your present cables and invest that amount in a nice set of cables of the proper length, hook ‘em up, let them cook a bit and call it a day. ... 
Tube preamplifier lifespan
I still use a McIntosh C20 stereo vacuum tube preamp from the late ‘50s in my office.  First Mac pre with a glass faceplate and the last with a vacuum tube rectifier.  It’s still 100% original:  tubes, caps, incandescent bulbs.  Never needed to cl... 
Best amplification for Magico S3 newer version on your experience
I imagine your Magico dealer has multiple amps comparable to the CH, Solution, etc. level amps and would be tickled to death to lend you one which would allow you to compare them to your very-capable Luxman.  My guess is that your Luxman will do e... 
My Favorite Tweaks, What is yours?
The only significant “tweak” (if you can call it that) that made a truly game changing improvement in my system is a wall shelf for my turntable, preferably mounted to the studs on an outside wall.  Of course, this precludes turntables that are 40... 
Tube Pre-amp Suggestions.
To all the respondents recommending and/or using 6SN7 based vacuum tube preamplifiers:  try a set of Sylvania triangle plate 6SN7’s made in the late 1940’s and early 50’s. Something special, and in my experience, low microphonics (not always a giv... 
To Battery Or Not To Battery (12 Volt)
I do location recording of orchestras, bands, choirs, etc. and don’t want to be running long cables across the floor of a church or auditorium.  Trip hazard!!  So a Tascam SD-20M was a solution.  Much better than those hand-held portable recorders... 
B&W 802D1 - How can I tame the brightness?
I’m gonna get trashed for this, but damn, it works!   The 802’s are equipped to biwire.  Single wire them instead, using the woofer input, the lower pair.  Connect a jumper between the upper binding post ground (minus, or black) and the lower bind... 
Which amplifier
Here’s a reviewer, one of the very few in whose ears I trust, that actually reviewed the amplifier, the class A Luxman L-550AxII, with a pair of modern Cornwalls. https://youtu.be/t_bVWoMlfR4?si=ua_Dm0uLsbcwcSk8 FWIW Happy Easter!  
Aleph 3 safe to operate?
From the owners manual of the Aleph 3, easily found on line:  “the turn-on AC draw will peak (half-cycle) at roughly 50 amps on a 120 volt system”. Also: “The amp will draw 250 watts from the wall at all times” And:  “In fifteen years the electr... 
SUT Interconnects
WBC (Worlds Best Cables) offers a line of low capacitance cables called PRO LO-CAP in a variety of lengths from .5 foot up to 100 foot. Capacitance is rated at 14pf per foot, 46.5pF per meter; 99.99% OFC 22 gauge center conductor; 99.99% OFC 97% s... 
Considering a New Tube Pre-amp
Ever consider the Luxman CL-38uC?  All tube (8), remote  (volume and mute only), balanced input, tape loop, switchable tone (with 3 turnover settings each), balance, mono switch and very low output impedance. It does have an excellent MM/MC (with ...