Search found 296 matches

by Wildcat
Sun Feb 25, 2024 3:43 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: AXpona 2023
Replies: 39
Views: 9301

Re: AXpona 2023

We're lucky at these US audio shows--there isn't an issue with photographing equipment, as the press usually photographs most everything anyway. AXPONA even has a disclaimer saying that we should expect photographs or video will be taken where we might appear in them. With a press pass, that opens t...
by Wildcat
Wed Feb 21, 2024 11:51 am
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: AXpona 2023
Replies: 39
Views: 9301

AXPONA 2024

I'm possibly heading to AXPONA 2024. (Depends on my better half's surgery, whether or not she moves it up at all.) Due to room cost and availability (a story in itself), I'm only staying over Friday and Saturday nights--Marriott's prices have more than doubled since 2019. (The room I got in 2019 wit...
by Wildcat
Thu Nov 30, 2023 11:20 am
Forum: Non-CJ Products-Audio
Topic: Aus Hifi Show, tunes down unda
Replies: 9
Views: 5612

Re: Aus Hifi Show, tunes down unda

At the US shows, vinyl is a little more prevalent in exhibitor rooms but otherwise, nearly all of the rooms offer streaming, whether it's from their own hard drive of selections or via Qobuz (who was a sponsor at AXPONA this year). C-J barely makes an appearance at AXPONA--the company itself has nev...
by Wildcat
Thu Nov 30, 2023 11:14 am
Forum: Non-CJ Products-Audio
Topic: Interconnects Needed, Recommendations?
Replies: 9
Views: 3218

Re: Interconnects Needed, Recommendations?

Personally I like Cardas. Great people with a wide range, honestly described. Agreed, and some cable buyers don't realize that Cardas also produces copper for other high-end cable manufacturers. So their actual copper wire is in others' products, although (wisely) they won't say which ones. I had a...
by Wildcat
Thu Nov 30, 2023 12:17 am
Forum: Amplifiers
Topic: Premier 11 v. Classic 120
Replies: 12
Views: 5937

Re: Premier 11 v. Classic 120

The power difference is only about 2.5dB between the two amps, which is an audible change but it's not nearly doubling the subjective loudness. It's still interesting to compare different amplifier designs though! 👍 I thought of finding a Premier 140 or a pair of Premier 12s but even there, that's o...
by Wildcat
Tue Nov 28, 2023 2:52 pm
Forum: Amplifiers
Topic: Premier 11 v. Classic 120
Replies: 12
Views: 5937

Re: Premier 11 v. Classic 120

I don't plan to (and actually, can't afford to) replace my Premier 11 with anything else. But I do notice at audio shows that the modern tube amps sound a lot like (or maybe too much like) solid state amps--I don't hear the same attraction with those as I do the Premier 11. (Granted, this is with un...
by Wildcat
Tue Nov 28, 2023 2:47 pm
Forum: Amplifiers
Topic: Premier 12 Cover Modification
Replies: 26
Views: 10080

Re: Premier 12 Cover Modification

I can't listen at high levels anymore myself, so I appreciate the sound I get from my KT120s. With tinnitus, actually, listening at higher volumes only causes the ringing in the ears to pulse loudly with the music, so it's too uncomfortable to turn it up. Some days are worse than others. I'm pretty ...
by Wildcat
Mon Nov 27, 2023 8:03 pm
Forum: Preamps
Topic: ET3 On The Way...
Replies: 20
Views: 12831

Re: ET3 On The Way...

There is a modification to change the Premier 11 to use EL34 tubes (I believe it was called the Premier 11 XS) but that would only cut the power in half. But I did have a very similar problem using the EV-1 phono stage with my PV14L and Premier 11--at one or two on the preamp, even with ~91dB/2.83v ...
by Wildcat
Mon Nov 27, 2023 7:51 pm
Forum: Amplifiers
Topic: Premier 12 Cover Modification
Replies: 26
Views: 10080

Re: Premier 12 Cover Modification

I have similarly found that I like the KT120 over the 6550 tubes that were in the amp when I purchased it. I find that with all of my other system improvements, I can now just sit and enjoy music and not worry about the equipment. 👍
by Wildcat
Mon Nov 27, 2023 9:45 am
Forum: Amplifiers
Topic: Premier 12 Cover Modification
Replies: 26
Views: 10080

Re: Premier 12 Cover Modification

Hola Roberto! I never considered using KT150s as I felt it would be a waste of money due to these amps not making full use of their power. Even the KT120 is underutilized but I am hoping that not pushing these to their maximum will help extend their lives. I almost considered having my Premier 11 mo...
by Wildcat
Sun Oct 22, 2023 3:38 pm
Forum: Preamps
Topic: EV1 Phono changing dip switches
Replies: 9
Views: 2111

Re: EV1 Phono changing dip switches

I just don't see a lot of phono preamps set up to do that on the fly. Even if the dip switches are external, they are almost always put on the back or underneath the unit which makes access difficult. With my Phonomena, I first have to move the phono stage out a little, and the feet tend to stick t...
by Wildcat
Sat Oct 21, 2023 7:54 pm
Forum: Preamps
Topic: EV1 Phono changing dip switches
Replies: 9
Views: 2111

Re: EV1 Phono changing dip switches

That is actually my dilemma. I would like to switch between a few cartridges, even a dedicated cartridge for 78 RPM records (as I have some I want to archive). The Dynavector I'd like to use for certain types of recordings (it's a lower-output moving coil), and the Nagaoka for others. My 78 RPM cart...
by Wildcat
Sat Oct 21, 2023 4:23 pm
Forum: DIY, mods, tweaks
Topic: CAV 50 capacitors upgrade
Replies: 15
Views: 2837

Re: CAV 50 capacitors upgrade

It looks like the link you provided above is not actually "WD40" but simply the company that makes "WD40" and this is their contact cleaner. Yep, that's it. WD40 has gone beyond their original W ater D isplacement product and has a whole line of chemicals now. I was using their ...
by Wildcat
Sat Oct 21, 2023 4:12 pm
Forum: Preamps
Topic: EV1 Phono changing dip switches
Replies: 9
Views: 2111

Re: EV1 Phono changing dip switches

I have a love/hate relationship with the EV1. My biggest issue is that it has too much gain for MM carts and overloads the PV14's input. (If I want to listen quietly, I can't turn it down low enough and/or there are large steps in volume control adjustments.) I somewhat cured that with proper attenu...
by Wildcat
Tue Oct 10, 2023 11:04 am
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Vacation Picture - show us where have you been
Replies: 75
Views: 56451

Re: Vacation Picture - show us where have you been

It's true. We had our Gilded Age during the final quarter of the 19th Century when the ultra-rich of the time built the American equivalent of castles and mansions along the Hudson Valley, Providence/Newport RI and in California but at this point they're primarily museums. No one lives there anymor...
by Wildcat
Sun Sep 10, 2023 6:36 pm
Forum: Non-CJ Products-Audio
Topic: Air Lens available
Replies: 11
Views: 2667

Re: Air Lens available

First world problems, and all that... 😁
by Wildcat
Sun Sep 10, 2023 2:10 pm
Forum: Non-CJ Products-Audio
Topic: Air Lens available
Replies: 11
Views: 2667

Re: Air Lens available

This NUC isn't that old, and they have current generations available as well. I built it later in the Win10 era. And it worked great on Win11 up until recently. I'm almost wondering if some OS or driver upgrade or bug fix caused this--highly possible. I think the 23H2 upgrade is coming a month from ...
by Wildcat
Sun Sep 10, 2023 1:36 pm
Forum: Non-CJ Products-Audio
Topic: Air Lens available
Replies: 11
Views: 2667

Re: Air Lens available

The NUC has WiFi and Bluetooth if I'm not mistaken, but I use neither one. On my main computer, I actually deactivated the on-board Ethernet and video in the BIOS, so they are completely out of the loop. I don't even think I've been into the BIOS on the NUC--it has worked fine up until a few months ...
by Wildcat
Sun Sep 10, 2023 12:48 pm
Forum: Non-CJ Products-Audio
Topic: Air Lens available
Replies: 11
Views: 2667

Re: Air Lens available

The system interrupts issue came up on this computer only over the past few months. But my main/work computer had long ongoing issues with it which I temporarily solved by disabling the virtual Ethernet switches (for Hyper-V). I don't have Hyper-V on the Intel NUC that is running Roon Server, but th...
by Wildcat
Sun Sep 10, 2023 11:14 am
Forum: Non-CJ Products-Audio
Topic: Air Lens available
Replies: 11
Views: 2667

Re: Air Lens available

So far I've only listened to files from my NAS, but Qobuz is in the mix as well. I may have a few minutes this afternoon to give it a listen but otherwise, I'll be able to give it a true workout during the coming week. I almost went a slightly different route by purchasing a Denafrips Hermes, as it ...