What did you do to your stereo rig today?

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  • Geoff4rfc
    Geoff4rfc Posts: 3,053
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    pitdogg2 wrote: »
    The cable I used is a Canare L-4.5CHD
    That is great cable IF it has the Canare RCA's, I've made many cables from it over the years.

    It's from Blue Jeans cables and they advertise using Canare connectors on it.
    Marantz AV10-Emotiva ERC3-Denafrips Venus-Panasonic UB820-AudioQuest Power Quest 707-Emotiva DR3, DR2, XPA2, XPA6-Focal Kanta No2, Sopra Center-PolkAudio RTiA9, RTiA3, LSiM 702F/X-Epik Empire-SVS SB5000-11.3
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  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 5,835
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    Did a another make-shift SDA test. Think I've found my next build.
    Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
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  • billbillw
    billbillw Posts: 8,278
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    billbillw wrote: »
    After a listening session last night was interrupted by the sound of some very slight distortion in my left channel (at very high volumes, >90dB), I started to do some troubleshooting today. 1st thought was mostly likely a bad amp module in the ST-500. They are 15+ years old now.
    At one point, you could buy replacements from PartsExpress, but they no longer stock them. B&O still sells them directly though at the price of $329. I was initially just going to swap left/right speaker cables to see if the problem followed the amp channel, and then reverse the cables from the preamp to further test, but I decided to take the amp out, pull off the cover (which requires removal of 26 screws) and verify which amp modules mine had since there was some production variation by W4S.
    After pulling the cover and confirming my amp has the original 500ASP ICEpower boards, I decided it would be be more useful, for troubleshooting, if I swapped the boards from one side to the other. That would also tell me if one of the input buffer boards might have gone bad or if it was the amp module. If the distortion stayed in the left, it could be the buffer board, the preamp, or the speaker, but not the amp module.
    Swapped the boards, reassembled, and partially screwed the cover back on. Put it back in for testing and dang it, but I could not reproduce the distortion I was hearing last night, even with the same tracks playing at the same volume level. Bizarre and frustrating. Hopefully it was just from a somewhat oxidized connection somewhere in the circuit, and me swapping boards/cables cured it for now. The amplifier had been sitting without any cables being attached/reattached for more than 2 years, so who knows. I suspect my next few listening sessions will be more analytical and stressful until I rule out any remaining issue. Gotta love the hobby.

    In hindsight, listening to one of the same recordings on a different system, this is actually a recording that has all kinds of strange artifacts sounds that come across as distortion if you are really listening closely. This what got me second guessing if there was a problem.
    18mc2qr7hxmh.jpg
    It is a great recording with superb dynamics, but it might also have you saying "what was that? Did I heard something that sounded like a blown speaker or amp?"
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  • billbillw
    billbillw Posts: 8,278
    edited February 6
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    BTW, this is what my sound dB app was picking up with that album, set at what I consider a reasonable listening session.
    x8k0sbvrenf7.jpg
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  • Tony M
    Tony M Posts: 12,016
    edited February 6
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    I demo'd some of my systems for an old acquaintance for a couple of hours.

    He loved the B&W CM10s but LOVED the TRITON ONEs more. His jaw dropped when he heard those ONEs. :D
    Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.

    “Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.”
    --Mark Twain.

    “If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.” - Steven Wright
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  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 3,443
    edited February 8
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    Tonight, I've been cleaning, and thoroughly enjoying, this Harman Kardon 430 from my dad's collection. Not everything he 'collected' was gold, but this HK 430 sure was.
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    different lighting
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    It has cleaned up very well, and I got lucky that the scratchiness in the volume pot was remedied with a quick spray of DeOxit. I removed the knobs and faceplate for proper cleaning/scrubbing; results were great. The sheet-metal chassis cover has an outer vinyl coating, which makes it very durable; a quick scrub-and-rinse of the cover got things sorted, although there are still a few tiny gouged scrapes in the vinyl coating. On the clear acrylic faceplate, before cleaning, I noticed the below numbers written in crayon/wax/pencil. I'm assuming $4.84 was the price my dad paid for this receiver at a thrift store :lol:
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    "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
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  • audioluvr
    audioluvr Posts: 6,079
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    Or when it was donated?
    Gustard X26 Pro DAC
    Belles 21A Pre Upgraded with Mundorf Supremes
    B&K M200 Sonata monoblocks refreshed and upgraded
    Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
    Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
    Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)

    There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus
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  • HzTweaker
    HzTweaker Posts: 1,136
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    Listened to the rig this morning for a couple of hours before bed. I mostly ran through some of my favorite tracks of various sample rates including standard CDs and flac files from 44.1- 96khz (and 192k detuned to 96k). I did this for two reasons, one because I wanted to start a list of reference tracks to compare the pre's dac and the new K13's and just because I wanted to listen to some jams lol.

    The Fiio K13 dac arrived today while I was in bed. I should have everything to integrate it into the system by this weekend! This will allow me to spend plenty of time to listen to the stock pre's dac for a couple more days. Not like I'm not familiar with how it already sounds. I mean I've had this pre in this config. for ten years now. I can't wait to start comparing the two units.
    2ch rig: Speakers: LSi9s with VR3's Fortress mods Preamplifier: Parasound P5 DAC: Fiio K13 Amplifier: Parasound A23 CDP: Pioneer DV-563A Cables: Wireworld Equinox 7 XLR ICs, Wireworld Ultraviolet 7 USB, AudioQuest Q2s, AudioQuest NRG X(preamp)

    Standby: Magnepan LRS w/Magna Riser stands
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  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,432
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    Very nice. Will you have any DAC's for sale when you are finished?
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  • HzTweaker
    HzTweaker Posts: 1,136
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    Conradicles wrote: »
    Very nice. Will you have any DAC's for sale when you are finished?

    Only if the K13 doesn't beat the Burr-Brown PCM1798 in the preamp.
    2ch rig: Speakers: LSi9s with VR3's Fortress mods Preamplifier: Parasound P5 DAC: Fiio K13 Amplifier: Parasound A23 CDP: Pioneer DV-563A Cables: Wireworld Equinox 7 XLR ICs, Wireworld Ultraviolet 7 USB, AudioQuest Q2s, AudioQuest NRG X(preamp)

    Standby: Magnepan LRS w/Magna Riser stands
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  • billbillw
    billbillw Posts: 8,278
    edited February 22
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    Today, I busted out some old gear to test a pair of SDA-2B that fell into my lap thanks to a very generous friend. Unfortunately my 2ch amp is not common ground, so I have to use a lowly Yamaha RX-595 receiver.
    This is the first time I've listened to a pair of SDA since I sold my pair of modded 1C back on 2010. I'm enjoying them! They put out better bass than I was expecting for this big room.
    hrp2cknya8ug.jpg

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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 35,562
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    Conradicles wrote: »
    Got the harbeths into the man cave for a few days...w2jc76x219xa.jpg

    That's not nearly grubby enough looking to be a man cave...
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  • skipshot12
    skipshot12 Posts: 2,154
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    Had a couple of Wild Turkey's and turn her on for a listen.
    That was it, carry on...
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  • VSAT88
    VSAT88 Posts: 1,383
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    marvda1 wrote: »
    That amp might void your home owners insurance. :D
    Not if he did it right....

    x0z9puawuyjs.jpg
    efw475e5bm9f.jpg

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  • VSAT88
    VSAT88 Posts: 1,383
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    jdjohn wrote: »
    marvda1 wrote: »
    That amp might void your home owners insurance. :D
    Nah man. I re-worked this one with the White Oak Audio upgrade kit here:https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/193610/phase-linear-400-re-work It still amazes how good this amp sounds. The EE MiniMax BBA adds a nice tube component to the front-end.

    Yes..... WOPL!
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  • VSAT88
    VSAT88 Posts: 1,383
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    marvda1 wrote: »
    That amp might void your home owners insurance. :D

    There are still "non believers in our midst." Those who do not believe have not accepted the White Oak Spirit. Those who have such as I have went through enough amplifiers and built enough themselves to know for a fact. When they hear, with their own two ears they will bow to Joe, the White Oak God. Period. You would not believe the amps I went through getting here. Crown(s), Conrad Johnson, MV-75A, Dynaco ST 70, Carver(s) out the yang,
    Fisher 500C (and others), Mcintosh MC -2205, Krell, KSA-150, B&K (just about all of them) 4420, 442, 202, M 200's, Kenwood Basic M2(s, multiple), Jolida JD 502, Adcom (multiples, just about all of them) with Brain Hoppes boards, GFA-565 Mono blocks. That only mentions a few. Does not mention even one of the receivers or integrated amplifiers. Only thing that gave the WOPL a bit of a run was an SAE 2300. Yeah, its that much better.... One White Oak Series II Phase Linear 700 complete with Dons DCP, Joes backplane and outputs, new meter LED boards, Power supply and class A mainboard and I sit around scratching my @ss now wondering why did I not just listen. All that money spent and all the time to restore all those amps. For no reason at all. Never could find the sound I actually wanted till now. Collected and restored equipment since 1980... Crazy.
    e4ofjhb28hbj.jpg
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  • skipshot12
    skipshot12 Posts: 2,154
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    Preach on brother...
    The 500 per is just a sweet asss bonus.

    Really wanting to try the Model One.
    Hard to believe a WOPL can be improved upon, it's that good, but the gurus @ Phoenix say it's so.
    Those in the know know.
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  • skipshot12
    skipshot12 Posts: 2,154
    edited February 24
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    More of that sweetness...
    3yr14ixh7zpx.png
    With these going back into rotation very soon...
    wi4flq6br0wj.png
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  • Geoff4rfc
    Geoff4rfc Posts: 3,053
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    cnw2e4ckckpw.png
    zpfbkrge0lly.png

    Arranged the DAC directly to the shelf. A nice symmetrical flow now.
    Marantz AV10-Emotiva ERC3-Denafrips Venus-Panasonic UB820-AudioQuest Power Quest 707-Emotiva DR3, DR2, XPA2, XPA6-Focal Kanta No2, Sopra Center-PolkAudio RTiA9, RTiA3, LSiM 702F/X-Epik Empire-SVS SB5000-11.3
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  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,432
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    This never made it to the SDA rig.... it's a nice match to my tuna:

    y8jywlwjo8h8.jpg
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  • skipshot12
    skipshot12 Posts: 2,154
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    Got the Krell in rotation replacing the Phase Linear 4000 II preamp.
    Huge difference, first thing is the noise coming from the speakers between songs, dead silent.
    Also, the Krell has a crazy beefy power supply, turning up the volume to 1/4 is a whole nother level than the PL 4000 at 1/4 volume.
    uzphr3dnid29.jpg
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  • invalid
    invalid Posts: 1,559
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    8k3hvoka6bsk.jpg

    Kt 170's in my hybrid amplifier
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 20,360
    edited February 27
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    nooshinjohn wrote: »
    It's crazy how much can be gained by taking steps to eliminate noise in the chain.

    Hmmm, where have I heard that before? Enjoy brother!

    Tom

    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • billbillw
    billbillw Posts: 8,278
    edited February 28
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    You are either delusional, or under the influence of something that affects your judgement. Are you trying to convince anyone that fiber will give a better "streaming experience" than any other Home Internet service? Just stop. That's complete BS. Do you think that those packets of data are getting injected with noise along the way? Nope. That's not how digital data works. If there is any random noise in the cabling for the home internet connection, that will be all filtered exactly the same way by all the other noise reduction hardware in the chain, regardless if you have cable, DSL, fiber, Starlink, or 5G Wireless. None of that noise makes it to the end processing. If your Internet speed is fast enough to sustain a data rate better than the data rate or the audio feed, you are good. FYI, high res 24/192 feed is less than 9Mbps. Faster than dialup, but slower than anything that is considered broadband Internet.
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 20,360
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    Bill, chill...

    Tom
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 20,360
    edited February 28
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    billbillw wrote: »
    <snip>. None of that noise makes it to the end processing. <snip>

    Uh-huh. I don't mean to be rude, but this statement is incorrect. There is SO much more to this...

    Tom

    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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