Recently, I've been thinking something was missing, either it's due to HF hearing loss, or perhaps what was needed was to increase the resistance in the HF circuit of my custom crossovers for my 12" Tannoy HPD's.

islandmandan December 10, 2015 21:41

I've installed a Goldpoint selector switch in my Transcendent Sounds GG preamp, The cheap one provided in the kit had an intermittent contact problem.

Now the knobs match. It's good to have quality parts in a bargain piece of equipment, all the ones I've done on this preamp makes it sound very, very, good.

Regards,
Dan

islandmandan October 02, 2015 19:31

Dan -- Thanks for comments on the Dyna XXII MK2 cart. Mine's hanging in there, but I'm anticipating a change in the next year or so. Good to hear yours held out for so long and tolerated the Soundsmith rebuild so well. Maybe I'm just itching for a change? I'm running the Dyna through the Mac C2300 MC phono stage and wondering whether that could be a weak link, although lots of people like it just fine. Hmm . . .

Cheers,
Jim

goheelz August 26, 2015 22:14

Hello Goheelz,

The stylus on the XX2MKII lasted many years. Eight, if I remember correctly, and being used a few days a week, a few hours at a time. Many hours, I would think.

The ruby cantilever and stylus made this cartridge sound much better than it did when new. The only drawback is the amount of time it takes for Peter to get to it. Mine was gone for the better part of three months, before getting it back. Peter made a good cartridge into a great one, so the time and money were well worth it.

At the time I inquired, Dynavector wanted around $800 for a retip, making the Soundsmith service a bargain.

Regards,
Dan

islandmandan August 08, 2015 19:48

Curious as to how many hours you got from the Dynavector XX2MK2 before retipping. Mine is pretty well used, but I'm not sure where it is ready for replacement. And how was your experience with the sound smith retip? Comparable to the original Dyna sound or?

Thanks,
Jim

goheelz August 07, 2015 22:10

Thanks Jet and Dave,

I seem to forever be up against the "outer limits" of my abilities in much of what I attempt, which adds to the satisfaction when things go right, and the agony when they go wrong...

Not enough to keep me from trying, though.

Regards,
Dan

islandmandan August 01, 2015 18:42

Congratulations, Dan. After repair or replacement of several such parts in my project SCD-1 I feel your pain and share the pleasure of a satisfying resolution. I'm trying to keep the lid tight on my K-01X for as long as possible out of fear of reliving such traumas.

dgarretson July 31, 2015 21:39

Dan, my hat is off to your diy skills. I would not have attempted what you tried. Much admiration!! Jet

jetrexpro July 31, 2015 21:38

System edited: After much wailing and gnashing of teeth, I was able to finally get my Esoteric DV 60 up and running. It all started when I replaced the optics in the transport, and thereafter, the audio worked fine, but not the video. I found I had bent and broken some pins on the flexible cable connector on the video board. I tried reconnecting the cable after removing the broken pins, and neither the audio or video would work. Next came the task of selecting the right replacement connector among the 13,000 to choose from. After six tries, I managed to get the right parts in, and solder the new terminal onto the video board. Kudos to Digi-key's tech support, without whom I'd never have found the correct part. At this point, I thought all was lost, as I kept getting TRAY ERROR! message on the display. I figured something was misaligned in the tray, so I took the transport apart, and reassembled it, and everything works perfectly now. What a great relief! A new video board was over $500, so I couldn't be more pleased, now that the ordeal is over. I really appreciate this player, even more so now that everything works. Regards, Dan

islandmandan July 31, 2015 20:07

Jet, I thought you would like this cable. It's a stiff cable to work with, but when you need a long power cable, as I did (I built two twelve footers for my Class D amps) they really do a good job of keeping the cable shielded from RFI/EMI.

Thanks for letting me know, and happy listening!

Regards,
Dan

islandmandan June 25, 2015 19:08

Hi Dan, I built the Belden 83803 DIY power cables about three weeks ago and they have been burning in ever since on other equipment. I installed them into my amp Monday night and they sound very good. Very clean and present with less noise in the background. I like what I am hearing. Thanks for the tip! Regards Jet

jetrexpro June 25, 2015 13:00

At a later point in time from the post above, it dawned on me that the Etna cartridge is a Lyra, and the Dynavector cartridge I was trying to recall was an XV-1S. I guess I can blame Father Time for my memory lapse.

Yesterday, I received, and installed, the Class D Audio CDA 254 amp module. I wired it up appropriately, in bridged mono mode, in the same chassis with its matching module, and using the same power supply.

Remarkably, the sound they provided seemed identical to when I was using two separate amps in bridged mode using two separate power supplies.

I played a superb recording of Warren Vache` and Bill Charlap, "2gether", on the Nagel Heyer label. It's sound was the closest to live music I've heard yet on my system, with great clarity and power.

Part of the reason, of course, is the excellent DAC in my Primare SP 31 pre-pro, and great-sounding Esoteric DV 60 player.

I really am done now.

Best regards,
Dan

islandmandan June 16, 2015 19:32

Albert, I can't thank you enough for your kind remarks regarding my Garrard 401. It compares very favorably with a couple of friends systems, one of which has a Transrotor Fat Bob, Tri-Planer VII, and Dynavector cartridge, (the model escapes me, next one below the Etna). My other friend has Transrotor Fat Bob Reference, SME 309 arm, and again the cartridge model escapes me.

David, your places of navigation are beyond my ken, but I imagine they represent opposite ends of a spectrum. I think the only courage I display is to proudly announce to the audio world that such inexpensive components (such as in Class D Audio), on a forum that is highly representative of perfectionist audio aspirations, is on a par with, or perhaps better than, most of the quality makes of amps I have owned over these many years.

Thanks again, and best regards,
Dan

islandmandan June 11, 2015 02:52

Dan, your passage between Class D and 300B navigates the Scylla and Charybdis of audio and evidences courage.

Best,

Dave

dgarretson June 11, 2015 00:43

Dan,

Beautiful job on the turntable, requires a lot of work but the Garrard is among the uppermost level of tables that get dynamics and pace correct.

albertporter June 10, 2015 22:16

A month after converting one of my Class D Audio amps to three channel, it occurred to me I could convert my remaining amplifier into a 500 Watt stereo amp, simply by adding another CDA 254 amp module to it.

This will be very easy, I won't have to use any additional inputs and outputs, just wire one half of them to the new module.

Hearing my Tannoys with 500 Wpc with two CDA 254 amps bridged into mono is not something I will soon forget, and now, by just adding another module @ $162.22 (shipping included), I will be hearing them again with effortless power behind them.

This represents to me an extreme value, in the insane world of $200K components and speaker systems.

To quote Sam Tellig, when I'm listening after the mod, "I will laugh my evil laugh"; and enjoy the hell out of myself. Again, no ties to Cladd D Audio, just a happy user. And yes, I still love my SET 300B!

Regards,
Dan

islandmandan June 10, 2015 21:03

System edited: Just completed, converted one of my CDA 254 amps to three-channel by adding another CDA 254 amp module. Power supply is adequate to support the additional channel, and there are even terminals provided on the power supply board, making the conversion a cakewalk. The amp works flawlessly, my KEF Reference 100 center speaker is sounding the best it's sounded in over ten years of use, with 500 Watts on tap in bridged mode, and the surrounds are well served also. This just adds another dimension to how much of a bargain these remarkable amps are. I can now save my SET 300B for special occasions, without worrying about having to replace some very pricey tubes anytime soon. Regards, Dan

islandmandan May 16, 2015 21:43

System edited: I have just added the rebuilt (by Randy Vikan), Primare SP 31 preamp-processor, which has added significantly to my enjoyment of multi-channel high-res music, and television programming. All the caps were replaced, new video board, calibration and updates were done. The sound quality is superb, in either analog or using the DAC for Red Book CD listening. Dolby Digital Music mode is also very excellent for enhancing CD listening. Done For Now is the right category for my Virtual System. Regards, Dan

islandmandan May 05, 2015 22:07

Jet,I think you will find this wire will do a great job for you. It's a bit stiff to work with, but it's not as big as a garden hose (it doesn't need to be, with the foil and woven copper insulating layers).

I just used some blue flex jacketing, and shrink tube on the ends. I guess you could ground the insulating layers if you wanted to, but I didn't bother, and there didn't seem to be any ill effects.

Regards,
Dan

islandmandan May 05, 2015 19:49

Hi Dan, I ordered 10ft of the Belden 83803 and will make two DIY AC line cables. Thanks again for the tip. regards Jet

jetrexpro May 05, 2015 15:40

Now that the trauma of having to replace a failed old pre-pro, and five-channel Adcom amp, with a rebuilt Primare SP 31 pre-pro, and Class D Audio CDA 254 driving the surrounds (still operating without a center channel), the multi-channel aspect of music listening is far better than with my previous preamps and amps.

The Primare took a bit of getting used to, the way it operates is different than any others I've had, but now that I am, I've found it to be a great sounding precision piece of gear, with an outstanding DAC.

I enjoy the diversity of having the choice of all-tube analog SET listening, and well done two-channel or multi-channel digital.

Plainly put, it's a good time to be me.

Regards,
Dan

islandmandan April 23, 2015 19:47

Dan,
You're in a very fine position in regards to your system and I'm glad you recognize this. You have two amplifiers that you can enjoy at anytime and that's to be admired. Which ever presentation you're in the mood for it's right there. Many folks are striving to reach what you have achieved.
Charles,

charles1dad April 17, 2015 19:29

The other night, I treated myself to an evening of all-tube listening, SET 300B amp, Grounded Grid preamp, and Modwright SWP 9.0 SE phono stage.

Source was my Garrard 401, Dynavector arm, and Dynavector XX2MKII cartridge. First up was Annie Lennox's new "Nostalgia", and the "Ellington's Masterpieces", Analog Productions.

I've been enjoying my new Esoteric DV 60 and the Class D Audio CDA 254 (two of them, bridged into mono, only 500 Wpc), not the 3000 Wpc recommended by Charles (sorry Charles, I couldn't help myself!)

So now I am reminded how great the SET 300B sounds. I am glad to have this capability, it's a pure pleasure to listen to.

I'm also glad to be able to do a great deal of enjoyable listening via the Class D amps, and not have to worry about replacing very expensive tubes anytime soon.

I am at the point now where my interest in the high-end audio pursuit is waning, due to the amount of pure enjoyment afforded me every day by my current system. A far cry from a few years ago, when I kind of knew what I wanted, but just didn't know how to achieve it.

It's been a rough couple of months, some of my older equipment finally quit on me (old Adcom multi-channel amp, old Fosgate pre-pro, and even my McIntosh MVP 871, which I repaired and sold, and replaced with the Esoteric DV 60.

Everything is getting back to normal, with no worries about equipment (hopefully) for a while, just happy listening.

Thanks and regards,
Dan

islandmandan April 17, 2015 18:41

Dan, Thanks for the info on the power chords I may do the same -Jet

jetrexpro March 19, 2015 22:57

Hi Ray,

As you know, audio involves a very circuitous path. With the SET, I bid on here on A'gon, and to my surprise, I won it. With new caps (Jupitor 720077 Beeswax), and new resitors (Kiwame carbon film), it turned out to be a great sounding amp.

Hearing my Tannoys with an SET 300B driving them, was a goal of mine, one the Audio Assemblage met, and met well, the other part of my goal there was to do it affordably.

What led me to Class D Audio was again, I was in a bit of a tight spot financially (new roof for the home, car breakdowns, etc.) I needed to sell some equipment, so the First Watt M2 had to go.

I like to have a back up amp that is solid state, and my curiosity led me to Class D. With their low prices, quality parts, and USA manufacture, I ordered a complete kit.

The first amp sounded so good, I decided I'd build another one, for bridged-mode operation. The rest, as they say, is history.

Thanks Ray, enjoy and regards,
Dan

islandmandan March 19, 2015 20:16