Splunders
Well-Known Member
I've been lusting after Pass and First Watt amps this past year. Which model is that? Also, is that a dynalab tuner? Those always look like fun
Let's See What Makes Your Vinyl Spin!
- Thread starter AnthonyI
- Start date
POGunter
Well-Known Member
Mix of old and new. Here is the list. Main components are:
Turntable - VPI Classic 3 (5yrs old)
Cartridge- Soundsmith
Phono Preamp - Pass Labs XP17 (<1yr)
Preamp - Audio Research LS—15 (25+ yrs old)
CD player - Audio Research CD-1 (25+ yrs old)
Power Amp - X250.8 (<1yr)
Tuner - Dynalab FT-101 (about 30 yrs old)
Speakers - Dunlavy SC-IV (25+ )
Surround Processor - Audio Research SDP1 (25+)
Surround Amp - Marantz MM7025 (10yrs)
Surround Speakers - Dunlavy SC-l (25+)
All Pass Labs are super nice. I followed the company since the early days. Owning them is a real privilege and bucket list goal. The X250.8 made the Dunlavys sound like new speakers. The front meter is designed to show when the amp leaves Class A. It rarely moves into AB. Sound is very clean and detailed. Great bass definition. Placement of instruments in soundstage. No harshness at all.
Really like the tuner. Works perfect. Lost my antenna to a storm late last yr. Got to get a new one.
The surround proc is kind of unique in that it runs off a separate feed from the preamp. So, there is no effect on the primary front stereo channels at all. They remain pure.
Splunders
Well-Known Member
Looks like you have nearly 100% USA made gear. I'm trying to do that as much as I can. (I know lots of parts are foreign on USA assembled audio gear) Did you pick up the older stuff second hand or are these things you've had their whole lives? I totally agree about the pass stuff being bucket list level. I would love to own an xa25 someday. That's cool to hear they reinvigorated your speakers! I'd also love multiple amps set up at once too. The xa25 and a full tube amp - just mess around and flip back and forth, find their strong suits. Same thing with preamps. Someday maybe.
POGunter
Well-Known Member
Bought it all new. I just don’t change components very often.
. Good components last a long time. My old power amp was a Canadian Classe CA-200 pushing 30yrs. Still works fine but I got impatient when the Pass went on annual sale. It was time.I am generally trying to stay with American audiophile companies for the main components but that doesn’t mean there aren’t equally great other options out there.
It was a real toss up whether to get a tubed power amp. I went back and forth. In the end I went solid state again. I really have been following Nelson Pass since the Threshold days. Very reputable company. But, my compromise/plan is to stay with a tubed preamp when the AR eventually gets replaced.
Three months after I got the Pass Power Amp my Audio Research 25+ yr old tubed phono preamp started making a buzzing sound. It quickly got worse. Not the tubes. Tried that. Audio Research can still repair it. I still hope to get it repaired but it was hard to justify 1) the repair cost and 2) the 30+ day wait with no vinyl.
So, I brought my wife into the music room and turned it on. She just looked at me and said “sounds like you need a new one”. Ended up getting a solid buy on the store demo Pass unit. It has a lot of flexibility on cartridge setting options for the future and sounds great.
AudioAce
Well-Known Member
Its been months without listening to records and it was driving me crazy. I realised that if i was gonna get something, i should get something good.
Behold
The Marantz 2252b. This thing is a beaut. Cost a pretty penny but was well worth it for sure. Only thing wrong with it is one of the lights burned out but besides that it has been well taken care of! Everything off of it is original.
Behold
The Marantz 2252b. This thing is a beaut. Cost a pretty penny but was well worth it for sure. Only thing wrong with it is one of the lights burned out but besides that it has been well taken care of! Everything off of it is original.
dhodo
Well-Known Member
I've played with the idea of building a DIY Pass Amp. Ever heard any of those?Bought it all new. I just don’t change components very often.
I am generally trying to stay with American audiophile companies for the main components but that doesn’t mean there aren’t equally great other options out there.
It was a real toss up whether to get a tubed power amp. I went back and forth. In the end I went solid state again. I really have been following Nelson Pass since the Threshold days. Very reputable company. But, my compromise/plan is to stay with a tubed preamp when the AR eventually gets replaced.
Three months after I got the Pass Power Amp my Audio Research 25+ yr old tubed phono preamp started making a buzzing sound. It quickly got worse. Not the tubes. Tried that. Audio Research can still repair it. I still hope to get it repaired but it was hard to justify 1) the repair cost and 2) the 30+ day wait with no vinyl.
So, I brought my wife into the music room and turned it on. She just looked at me and said “sounds like you need a new one”. Ended up getting a solid buy on the store demo Pass unit. It has a lot of flexibility on cartridge setting options for the future and sounds great.
Not in the budget at the moment but it seems like it might be a good way to get some great components for relatively cheap.
Not sure which one(s) I'd pick.
LeeVing
Well-Known Member
Very nice...really makes me want to get my 2245 fixed. Need to find a tech locally to do it, and I'm not sure there are any....at least any that don't have a months long wait list.
OnTheRoad
Active Member
I know QRXrestore.com is in your state - not sure where you're at compared to Eugene though.
High Rant District
Active Member
I went to a local (Portland) shop that was highly recommended for repairing older gear and he couldn't track down the problem with an old Marantz of mine. Unless it's a really TOTL model, I think the cost of repairs - especially sending it away - exceeds the value for a lot of older gear, unless the gear is sentimental to you.
Ed Selley
Active Member
Hello gang. It's been too long. After 18 months living in a glorified (and not terribly glorified, it has to be said) shed, I have purchased a house and while some aspects of the decor are work in progress, the audio side is doing OK.
My kit rack is back and things are already busy. It supports 21 conditioned mains sockets (because you never know) and it's very (very) nice to be able to have more than one piece of test work on the go at once. I won't go into the kit much- most is review stuff and other stuff should be easy enough to recognise. Room is still a little sparse and thus live but I've been bequeathed another sofa which I should get before Christmas which will calm things down. One thing that isn't in the room are records because I'm trying to make best use of space so they've been moved to the dining room;
This picture makes my teeth itch a little. It would be much more visually satisfying to have filled the twelve block but I'm likely to be here for a while and this is arranged to allow space to grow. Art, lampshades and other niceties to follow. After resolving during my stay in the shed to have one, I have also added one more thing;
I have a bedroom system. It's digital only (my records are downstairs so I can't really see the point in adding a turntable) but I can now enjoy music without getting out of bed and very nice it is too.
My kit rack is back and things are already busy. It supports 21 conditioned mains sockets (because you never know) and it's very (very) nice to be able to have more than one piece of test work on the go at once. I won't go into the kit much- most is review stuff and other stuff should be easy enough to recognise. Room is still a little sparse and thus live but I've been bequeathed another sofa which I should get before Christmas which will calm things down. One thing that isn't in the room are records because I'm trying to make best use of space so they've been moved to the dining room;
This picture makes my teeth itch a little. It would be much more visually satisfying to have filled the twelve block but I'm likely to be here for a while and this is arranged to allow space to grow. Art, lampshades and other niceties to follow. After resolving during my stay in the shed to have one, I have also added one more thing;
I have a bedroom system. It's digital only (my records are downstairs so I can't really see the point in adding a turntable) but I can now enjoy music without getting out of bed and very nice it is too.
displayname
Well-Known Member
Congrats on the new space Ed! Hopefully you’ll get more settled soon, but it’s a great start that obviously still surpasses most systems. I’m sure you’ll have fun getting it dialed in as you work as well. Looking forward to more reviews soon!
uvwxVinyl
Well-Known Member
I had a great evening last night when I went over to a coworker's - the one who discovered I was crazy about records when I was picking up a square shaped package at our work reception. It's the first time I've really listened to an audiophile set up and I have to say I'm really impressed about how good music can sound. We demoed some of my records I brought along (AP John Lee Hooker's It serves you right to suffer, Durand Jones ST and The War on Drugs Lost in the dream) and then we used his Okki Nokki to before/after a record I know has sounded dirty - Radiohead's A Moon Shaped Pool. Everything sounded great and the cleaning made a big improvement.
He showed off some of his favourite records - he has a great collection including many rock bands from his teenage years, for example he still refers to Joy Division as an 'indie band'. I definitely need to get my hands on Nick Cave's Live at KCRW and Cash American IV. The test we did in particular with the Nick Cave CD vs the LP was particularly impressive. He also showed me "hillbilly" music from Saskatchewan 'The Dead South" - didn't matter what genre we threw on the sound was great!
Here are some pics of his set up. It's a clearaudio TT with an OM40 cart, I forget the name of the phono stage, a Unison Research "Simply Italy" tube amp, Spendor reference monitor speakeds. What i also found cool is that little box from Heed which runs the power to the TT so that you can switch the speed to 45 rpm without having to change the belt. Sorry for the poor pictures but I was trying really hard not to be a faboy at Disneyland.
Edit: right, and I walked away with Sutherland Ph3d which I get to demo at my leisure.
He showed off some of his favourite records - he has a great collection including many rock bands from his teenage years, for example he still refers to Joy Division as an 'indie band'. I definitely need to get my hands on Nick Cave's Live at KCRW and Cash American IV. The test we did in particular with the Nick Cave CD vs the LP was particularly impressive. He also showed me "hillbilly" music from Saskatchewan 'The Dead South" - didn't matter what genre we threw on the sound was great!
Here are some pics of his set up. It's a clearaudio TT with an OM40 cart, I forget the name of the phono stage, a Unison Research "Simply Italy" tube amp, Spendor reference monitor speakeds. What i also found cool is that little box from Heed which runs the power to the TT so that you can switch the speed to 45 rpm without having to change the belt. Sorry for the poor pictures but I was trying really hard not to be a faboy at Disneyland.
Edit: right, and I walked away with Sutherland Ph3d which I get to demo at my leisure.
Sounds like a great evening. Anyone who likes The Dead South is OK in my book!
displayname
Well-Known Member
Meeting up with people and learning about their set ups, preferences, and music has honestly been my favorite part of the audio hobby. Looks like you've made a great friend!
AnthonyI
Well-Known Member
Agreed, always looking for these opportunities around here.................hint, hint
Aelias
Active Member
Always nice to find more Dead South fans. Check them out live if you get a chance, they put on a great show.
LeeVing
Well-Known Member
Welcome back, Ed!
Tanqueray
Member
Very nice!!
LeeVing
Well-Known Member
Anyone else have a little box like this?
I got this one years ago at a Goodwill - it was only like 2 bucks and was at the register one day when I bought a stack of records.
It had an old Micro Seiki cart with a broken stylus in it - along with a couple cart tools. Couldn't do anything with the cart/stylus as it wasn't changeable. But I kept the box for my stash of random TT things.
I got this one years ago at a Goodwill - it was only like 2 bucks and was at the register one day when I bought a stack of records.
It had an old Micro Seiki cart with a broken stylus in it - along with a couple cart tools. Couldn't do anything with the cart/stylus as it wasn't changeable. But I kept the box for my stash of random TT things.