What's your setup/configuration look like?
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AlanB
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CptKaos
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EddNog
Senior Contributor
He was lickin’ his ass when I took the picWhat on earth happened to that poor cats head and tail?
Today, I put the Nuforce STA200 in the office system. This sucker is insane, it has a gain of 34db... by comparison the Parasound Z that I drive for the woofers is at max 30 db and you can hear the mistmatch. I might have to put in the Dayton Audio DSP for low end gain.
One issue with so much gain, is that noise up front gets amplified. The system is very quiet, but I get thumps when I switch the gain in the Nitsch. This is an amp that MUST be turned on after the front end and and off before anything else.
As usual, the main speakers are running wideband.
The sound of the STA200 is excellent. This is a very high bandwidth solid state amp.... brother of the late Job225, son of Goldmund.
Driving the little Foxtex, it really "fixes" the shoutiness when they play loud. The soundstage is not as good as the Pass Sony VFET though. The upper midrange is more "palpable" and the treble is extended. Bass is very good, very controlled. The Fostex go a lot lower. I've never heard this Fostex with such shimmering treble. There is a bit of harshness to the voices, but that could be that the amp has not yet warmed.
My experience with "fast" amps, like the old Sansui G7500, is that they present a very light sound. The follow the signal very well and their midrange and bass are very clean, with no overhang. This amp definitely is like that.
My daughter's reaction was "crisp". She's very correct. The piano with the class A VFET, SIT, FET and with the good old class AB Svetlana 6550s, is richer.. the additional negative 2nd harmonic add a touch of "sugar" that makes it very realistic and pleasant sounding. The STA200 is low distortion - must be German-Swiss - and very clear ... "crisp".
( Ignore Amir at ISF ).
Example, Supertramp, Even In The Quietest Moments, 10:53, there is a sequence of cymbal strikes... Also, Babaji, 4:00.. in the Sony VFET they are set further back into the soundstage, more into the background of the music. With the Nuforce, they are up and front, metallic and clear as a bell (pun).
Which is right? Which is correct? Who cares? It's fun. I think the Sony VFET has a sound to die for, but it is a little dark but the STA200 has real good articulation of the music signal.
If the Nuforce is a Porsche 911, the Sony is the back seat of a Maybach 61.
BTW, you can see the Whammy headphone amp in there. I needed a place to put it.
Now, I wonder if I can find another STA200 or... a Job 225. I saw some on eBay a while back... no way... way overpriced...
One issue with so much gain, is that noise up front gets amplified. The system is very quiet, but I get thumps when I switch the gain in the Nitsch. This is an amp that MUST be turned on after the front end and and off before anything else.
As usual, the main speakers are running wideband.
The sound of the STA200 is excellent. This is a very high bandwidth solid state amp.... brother of the late Job225, son of Goldmund.
Driving the little Foxtex, it really "fixes" the shoutiness when they play loud. The soundstage is not as good as the Pass Sony VFET though. The upper midrange is more "palpable" and the treble is extended. Bass is very good, very controlled. The Fostex go a lot lower. I've never heard this Fostex with such shimmering treble. There is a bit of harshness to the voices, but that could be that the amp has not yet warmed.
My experience with "fast" amps, like the old Sansui G7500, is that they present a very light sound. The follow the signal very well and their midrange and bass are very clean, with no overhang. This amp definitely is like that.
My daughter's reaction was "crisp". She's very correct. The piano with the class A VFET, SIT, FET and with the good old class AB Svetlana 6550s, is richer.. the additional negative 2nd harmonic add a touch of "sugar" that makes it very realistic and pleasant sounding. The STA200 is low distortion - must be German-Swiss - and very clear ... "crisp".
( Ignore Amir at ISF ).
Example, Supertramp, Even In The Quietest Moments, 10:53, there is a sequence of cymbal strikes... Also, Babaji, 4:00.. in the Sony VFET they are set further back into the soundstage, more into the background of the music. With the Nuforce, they are up and front, metallic and clear as a bell (pun).
Which is right? Which is correct? Who cares? It's fun. I think the Sony VFET has a sound to die for, but it is a little dark but the STA200 has real good articulation of the music signal.
If the Nuforce is a Porsche 911, the Sony is the back seat of a Maybach 61.
BTW, you can see the Whammy headphone amp in there. I needed a place to put it.
Now, I wonder if I can find another STA200 or... a Job 225. I saw some on eBay a while back... no way... way overpriced...
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While I (over) think my next essential purchase, the Fiio K13 is making a guest appearance in my office setup.
You can't see it properly, but it's playing Headphones by Radio Killer.
You might think that having the speakers partially obscured by the monitors would not be ideal.
Well, maybe it does have an impact, but the ultra / vibelink combo still sounds great!
You can't see it properly, but it's playing Headphones by Radio Killer.
You might think that having the speakers partially obscured by the monitors would not be ideal.
Well, maybe it does have an impact, but the ultra / vibelink combo still sounds great!
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Shame on you... you have empty space in your shelves.... need more equipment, more cables, more shoes!
You paid for those cables, the AC outlets... show them off! More wires, more boxes, more lights, more switches, more knobs, more displays, that's the name of the game. Like my old Home Theater set up in the 30 years ago... a seven foot stack of Sony ES that required a cheat sheet to operate.
That was the SB-V1000. They made the 3000 later with every input and output supporting S-video...
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castalla
Major Contributor
I thought it was all about the music
I'm into the ASR thing. Only use test tones and some measuring devices. Only a Western European would think this is about the music.
You take the input signal and split... drive half to an analog signal storage unit for delay... then drive the other half into audio components, use a calibrated microphone and then feed it to an analog comparator with the suitably delayed input signal. Make sure to do complete sets of frequency and time domains and then post it on ASR.
In the meantime, just dust and polish those components. Use windex carefully and only the gentlest soap on the cables. For connectors you must use organic denatured alcohol!
EddNog
Senior Contributor
A simpler way... keep a big jar nearby. Every hour of play, put in one dollar.
At around 1000 hours of play, you might have enough to retip the cartridge.
EddNog
Senior Contributor
Adonis enjoying some Jazz at the Pawnshop with me on a lazy Friday afternoon.
-Ed
I've thought about setting up a Schiit Syn with the Outlaw OWA4 wireless to a small pair of surround speakers in the back of the living room...
Jazz At The Pawnshop is one of those recordings where IMHO the audience sound could be successfully retrieved. I've got the Propius LP and CD. The LP is fantastic, one of those records that screams ( Do Not Record Me ) because as you upgrade the turntable/preamp you discover yet more information in those grooves. Why record a snapshot of your analog front and then ignore the upgrades?
Take Five...
Jazz At The Pawnshop is one of those recordings where IMHO the audience sound could be successfully retrieved. I've got the Propius LP and CD. The LP is fantastic, one of those records that screams ( Do Not Record Me ) because as you upgrade the turntable/preamp you discover yet more information in those grooves. Why record a snapshot of your analog front and then ignore the upgrades?
Take Five...
EddNog
Senior Contributor
The upgrades?
Right now in the bottom right corner you can see my interim setup, Topping P50 power supply feeding Audalytic DR70 streaming R-2R DAC. I am using the in-built Roon bridge. This setup is temporary until Apos ships and I receive my new Gustard R26 II streaming R-2R DAC, and then this DR70 will slide (back) into my headphone chain with a FiiO Darkside Pro power supply.
-Ed
Upgrades... getting my Lingo 4 installed today..... hopefully next week I'll be listening...
I've been rotating amps in the home office. I had the Nuforce STA200 for a week, sounds really good, but it has a crazy 35db gain so I couldn't match it to the subwoofer. So, I "slipped in" (*) the DIY XA252 MOSFET pucks ( sort of a DIY better PL XA25 ) and that sounds really good, but it generates heat like crazy.
I also swapped the Rolls crossover with a Dayton Audio DSP408. It has more gain than the Rolls but still not enough to get the subwoofers to play well with the STA200. Maybe I need another STA200 to drive the subwoofers?
(*) Ouch my back... that sucker is a dual mono in a 5U aluminum chassis... still weights like 60 lbs.
I've been rotating amps in the home office. I had the Nuforce STA200 for a week, sounds really good, but it has a crazy 35db gain so I couldn't match it to the subwoofer. So, I "slipped in" (*) the DIY XA252 MOSFET pucks ( sort of a DIY better PL XA25 ) and that sounds really good, but it generates heat like crazy.
I also swapped the Rolls crossover with a Dayton Audio DSP408. It has more gain than the Rolls but still not enough to get the subwoofers to play well with the STA200. Maybe I need another STA200 to drive the subwoofers?
(*) Ouch my back... that sucker is a dual mono in a 5U aluminum chassis... still weights like 60 lbs.
D
Deleted member 34890
Guest
Have fun! I've gone the Radikal 2 way for my Lady from Waterfoot
The Radikal was an eye opener.. It lowered the noise so much that I decided to go forward with the Keel and Ekos 2. Now upgrading from Lingo to Lingo 4. Also did the Ortofon Cadenza Black and got the Burson op amps for the preamp.
Oh... @EddNog Sorry to break this on you... in regards to your end game speakers...
www.ecoustics.com
The field coil driver is an interesting design.. let's see how much it costs. Audio Note is shipping one but it is EXPENSIVE...
https://www.audionote.co.uk/e-ltd-speakers
www.stereophile.com
Oh... @EddNog Sorry to break this on you... in regards to your end game speakers...
Andrew Jones Returns with Jones and Cerreta Speakers: New Brand to Debut at AXPONA 2026
Andrew Jones to debut Jones and Cerreta at AXPONA 2026 with MoFi Distribution but what is this field coil concentric floorstander and how much will it cost?
www.ecoustics.com
The field coil driver is an interesting design.. let's see how much it costs. Audio Note is shipping one but it is EXPENSIVE...
https://www.audionote.co.uk/e-ltd-speakers
Audio Note AN-E/SPx Ltd. Field Coil loudspeaker | Stereophile.com
Stemming from the foundation of Kondo Audio Note of Japan, Peter Qvortrup's Audio Note UK is, for many, a custodian of the definitive audio heritage. The debut of each Audio Note piece sparks obsession among adherents—ardor that outstrips mere fandom. My first high-end purchase, in the...
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D
Deleted member 34890
Guest
My Lorna Peebles today is Karousel / Keel / Radikal 2 / Urika / Ekos 2 / Kandid.
Work in progress
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