Mike's system

[gusgranite]

I am becoming a fan of simple architecture. Anything point to point wiring by hand no PCBs. Simple signal paths with hand selected parts. Tubes in any type of preamp. My ears hear electronic haze in most anything else. Although I haven't heard everything. The more I listen the more I become sensitive to anything artificial sounding.

Darrin - what you say totally makes sense. Are there specific makes/models you have in mind?

Gus

 

[Mike]

Darrin - I don't disagree. My Cary SET amps are a real head shaker - especially given the fact you can find them new for $6500/pair. 50 watt SET. Spend a few hundred more on the specific Cary upgrades, grab some killer 845 or 211 tubes, some killer 300b tubes and wow. Everything for under $10k.

My Cary amps aren't going anywhere.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Dpod4]

Darrin - I don't disagree. My Cary SET amps are a real head shaker - especially given the fact you can find them new for $6500/pair. 50 watt SET. Spend a few hundred more on the specific Cary upgrades, grab some killer 845 or 211 tubes, some killer 300b tubes and wow. Everything for under $10k.

My Cary amps aren't going anywhere.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's what I'm talking about! [emoji106][emoji106]

 

[Dpod4]

Darrin - what you say totally makes sense. Are there specific makes/models you have in mind?

Gus

My Air Tight gear has won me over on this front. I think Shindo is the same way. And kondo? Anything without a lot of circuitry and electronics.

 

[gusgranite]

My Air Tight gear has won me over on this front. I think Shindo is the same way. And kondo? Anything without a lot of circuitry and electronics.

Darrin - much appreciated! Man, I'm learning so much on this fine forum...

Mike - thanks for taking us on your audio journey.

Gus

 

[allvinyl]

I may die waiting. "Two more weeks".

Have you seen this Nick? 6moons audio industry features: Delays...

Doesn't give me a warm-fuzzy...

John

 

[KeithR]

Curious how well the Carys work well considering this:

"However, the speaker asks the partnering amplifier for a lot of current capability, its impedance (fig.1) dropping to 3 ohms and below for much of the upper bass and midrange. And the combination of 4.4 ohms impedance magnitude and –48 capacitive phase angle at 55Hz will give lesser amplifiers conniptions."

like most 845s, the Cary isn't optimal past perhaps 15 watts. i'm curious how and if higher powered amps work better on the Strads...

 

[Mike]

Keith - the Cary's sound fantastic. I wouldn't consider them "lesser amplifiers". The 50 watts per channel SET Cary's are incredible. The Hegel sounds great too. The Pass XS150's will sound even better.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[KeithR]

they really aren't 50 watts though Mike. they have 10%+ distortion at those levels. that's marketing speak.

just looked at the Stereophile measurements- they really should be run less than 10 watts for optimal sound.

 

[Mike]

they really aren't 50 watts though Mike. they have 10%+ distortion at those levels. that's marketing speak.

just looked at the Stereophile measurements- they really should be run less than 10 watts for optimal sound.

I doubt I'm using 10 watts even.

 

[mep]

The other problem with the Cary amps that use the 211/845 tube is the tube socket. There have been numerous issues with those tube sockets that cause the amps not to work and requires the replacement of the tube sockets.

 

[Mike]

The other problem with the Cary amps that use the 211/845 tube is the tube socket. There have been numerous issues with those tube sockets that cause the amps not to work and requires the replacement of the tube sockets.

Never read about one problem as that relates to the 805AE's....an amp they've been building for 20 years by the way.

Can you send me some links to these "numerous" socket problems?

I remember one guy having a problem with his 211AE amp....but even Cary said they had never seen it before.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[mep]

I'm pretty sure the 211 and 805 amps used the same tube sockets as they were in production at the same time. There was a thread about this on another forum that I won't mention and a friend of mine has owned a pair of the 211 amps for over 10 years and he had the problem.

 

[Mike]

I'm pretty sure the 211 and 805 amps used the same tube sockets as they were in production at the same time. There was a thread about this on another forum that I won't mention and a friend of mine has owned a pair of the 211 amps for over 10 years and he had the problem.

Yes, I remember that. But that's just one guy and with the 211 FE amp...a different amp. To be fair, I wouldn't call that numerous. Even Cary said they had never seen it before.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Mike]

they really aren't 50 watts though Mike. they have 10%+ distortion at those levels. that's marketing speak.

just looked at the Stereophile measurements- they really should be run less than 10 watts for optimal sound.

Keith - those measurements are from 1995 and the amp I have has upgraded parts. I would be interested to see now they measure today.

But remember about measurements....they only tell part of the story.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[asindc]

Keith - those measurements are from 1995 and the amp I have has upgraded parts. I would be interested to see now they measure today.

But remember about measurements....they only tell part of the story.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

There you go, Mike, listening with your ears.

 

[Myles B. Astor]

I heard the original 805 many, many years ago. A friend used them on his Quad 63s and the sound for the day was very good if not just a little dark. Smooth as a baby's skin.

Was there also an SE edition?

 

[Mike]

I don't think so Myles, but Cary offers upgrades now - which I don't believe they did in the past.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mike]

There you go, Mike, listening with your ears.

Quick story: a few years ago, my friend sent me specs on "Amp 1" and "Amp 2". He said "pick one based on the specs". I picked Amp 1...because the specs for Amp 2 weren't very good. He said "you just picked my Kenwood car stereo over Lamm M1.2 Reference monos." Point taken.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[radioactive]

Boulder 2000 series amps are pure class A also

Mike...if you are worried about the heat from the Pass amps, you will have the same issue with all "true" class A amps, so if you consider the Pass, Accuphase, and BSC amps, then you may want to consider putting in an extra quiet split AC unit in there to cool that room down when the amps are in use.

The list of world class SS pre/amp combos have largely been enumerated: Ayre KX-R/MX-R Twenty, D'Ag combo, Constellation, Soulution, Naim, Hegel, etc...

The ones I would add to that list: Vitus (Class A and Class A/B for the amps and their pre and phono pres have gotten stellar reviews), Simaudio Moon Evolution series (line and phono pres and stereo/mono amps in the 800 series models), and Luxman (pre and Class A amps are phenomenal).

I have not heard the Vitus but I have heard the Simaudio and Luxman gear (various models) and they are awesome. Some pics/links for your perusal....

Simaudio:

850 Pre: Preamplifiers MOON Evolution | Simaudio

Reviews:
Simaudio Moon Evolution 850P line preamplifier | Stereophile.com
Simaudio MOON 850P Evolution Preamplifier ? Reviews | TONEAudio MAGAZINE
Simaudio MOON 850P Evolution Preamplifier ? Reviews | TONEAudio MAGAZINE

Pics:

880M Mono Amps: Power Amplifiers MOON Evolution | Simaudio

Reviews:
Simaudio Moon Evolution 880M monoblock power amplifier | Stereophile.com

Pics:

I won't go over the 810P phono because I am presuming you are going to stick with the Ref 2SE but the 810P was positively reviewed by Fremer.

Luxman:

C-800F: On a Higher Note :: C-800f Control Amplifier
M-800A Class A Mono Amps: On a Higher Note :: M-800A Pure A Stereo Amplifier (heard these with C-800F...scary good!

Reviews:

luxman 800


Pics:

Hope I have provided you with a few additional things to think about. I have not gone down the road of providing you links/reviews/pics for Vitus because I havenot heard personally but everything I have read suggests excellent gear as well. Of course the Simaudio is Class AB and the Luxman is Class A. Enjoy.