Symphonic Line RG1MK3 in the house

It started with my post here in 'Misc Audio Deals of the Day'.
jdjohn wrote: »
Not sure, but within the definition of 'deal', maybe $2,000 is good for this Symphonic Line amp: https://nashville.craigslist.org/ele/d/symphonic-line-rg1-mk3-power/6715898595.html

Here's that Audio Note CD player: https://nashville.craigslist.org/ele/d/audio-note-an-cd31x-tube-cd/6715936969.html

And then this Audio Matiere preamp: https://nashville.craigslist.org/ele/d/audio-matiere-preamp/6712498185.html

All from the same seller. I've purchased from him before. I think he has a hookup with estate sales before things go public. He always has stuff he is flipping.
Well, after some encouragement from Trey @VR3 , I pursued it with the seller, and the deal happened today. I did a partial trade plus boot with the guy since we had dealt together before. We had a great chat today...my third purchase from him.

Here she is. You might notice a few smudges in this pic :D
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He also threw-in a DH Labs Encore power cord since he was in a good mood.
"This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
"Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon

Comments

  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,965
    Let me know if you ever want to sell that thing
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 2,987
    This thing runs a little warm...might need a checkup from Klaus.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,965
    symphonic is biased with the first few watts to be class A - it will run pretty warm, even idling
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 2,987
    Thanks, Trey...that makes sense. I want to take some nudie pics under the hood, but two of the top hex/allen screw heads are stripped out :s
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,965
    Oh, forgot to mention. These amps need to be left on continuously, it takes days from sitting a while to sound their best. You never turn them off unless you have to
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 2,987
    I believe it, and actually read about allowing it to 'charge' at Odyssey's website. Needless to say, it wasn't really blowing my skirt up when I first turned it on - sounded anemic with very little bass. After a couple of hours it started to settle-in nicely, although still a little recessed IMO. But to be fair, I couldn't really crank it up properly since it was getting late, and wifey was in bed. Then I turned it off due to the temp, and I wanted to crack it open anyway.

    It wasn't 'fry an egg on it' hot, but a very nice hand-warmer temp. I reckon this is my first foray into class A operating temps, except for maybe an old Mac receiver I have with a tube-driven tuner front-end.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 2,987
    DC offset seems tolerable at +5mV/-4mV
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
  • drumminman
    drumminman Posts: 3,396
    Would love to see under the hood when you get those hex screws sorted. I have some of Klaus' fine work myself, a fairly seriously hot rodded Stratos Stereo.
    "Science is suppose to explain observations not dismiss them as impossible" - Norm on AA; 2.3TL's w/sonicaps/mills/jantzen inductors, Gimpod's boards, Lg Solen SDA inductors, RD-0198's, MW's dynamatted, Armaflex speaker gaskets, H-nuts, brass spikes, Cardas CCGR BP's, upgraded IC Cable, Black Hole Damping Sheet strips, interior of cabinets sealed with Loctite Power Grab, AI-1 interface with 1000VA A-L transformer
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,965
    edited October 2018
    d71rupg2d9d3.png
    smvsqwbnzk25.jpg


    Should look like that, very different than what Klaus builds off of. His builds are the RG11

    o8uebeusm07a.jpg

    compared to what Klaus is doing --

    f47iipobt8sq.jpg

    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 2,987
    Of course Trey is correct re: the RG1 design - mine looks VERY similar to that first pic. I did finally get the final two hex screws out of the top cover. Right now, I'm enjoying the amp sans cover, but will soon pull it back out for some nudies.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,965
    How are you liking it after some warm up time?
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 2,987
    At mid- and high-volumes, it is quite nice...preferable. It does not excel at lower volumes, which is actually important for my situation.

    It really wants to show its stuff at higher volumes, and at those levels, it controls the playback between amp and speaker in a remarkable way - always in control, but always ready for more.

    But even at lower volumes, it is dependent on the recorded material. Sometimes it lets lower crescendos pass through, but at other times, it seems to keep them subdued.

    At any rate, this power amp is in control, no matter what the situation. I guess with the huge damping ratio, it is to be expected.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
  • drumminman
    drumminman Posts: 3,396
    Wonder how much it was used before you got it. Mine is pretty remarkable at all volumes and with a similar layout, i.e. stacked toroidals, 10 12,000mfd reference grade caps per channel, yada yada. It may just need to be played.
    "Science is suppose to explain observations not dismiss them as impossible" - Norm on AA; 2.3TL's w/sonicaps/mills/jantzen inductors, Gimpod's boards, Lg Solen SDA inductors, RD-0198's, MW's dynamatted, Armaflex speaker gaskets, H-nuts, brass spikes, Cardas CCGR BP's, upgraded IC Cable, Black Hole Damping Sheet strips, interior of cabinets sealed with Loctite Power Grab, AI-1 interface with 1000VA A-L transformer
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,965
    The Stratos extremes though are a whole other beast.

    I would say my current Odyssey piece sounds better at mid to high volumes, ie, really opens up. At lower volumes it sounds good but not quite as open if that makes sense

    we0di9z8ck26.jpg
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 2,987
    This certainly doesn't sound bad at lower volumes, but it's not going to shine, or I should say the music won't shine. Chamber music and small acoustic groups are fine since you can actually turn it up a bit anyway without waking the household. But naturally, big orchestral pieces and rock/pop groups are meant to be played at mid-volume or higher.

    Before this amp, I was using my PS Audio S300 class D amp. The class D is very forward, and even at lower volumes, it pushes the sound out at you with a very flat frequency curve. With this class A design in the first watts, it has a more typical low-volume curve that kind of needs the good ol' loudness button for a bump in the lows and highs. But give it a little more juice, and everything comes together as it should.

    I certainly don't want to overstate this. It's nothing new to say that you don't hear as much detail when listening at lower, late-night volumes.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon