ET3 Upgrade

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JONTY
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ET3 Upgrade

Post by JONTY »

Can anybody tell me what the sonic difference is between the ET3 and ET3se Upgrade and if folks think it's worth the money to have the caps upgrade resistors ect i.e. Is it a noticeable improvement or subtle and what the differences are. I have the non upgraded ET3 with phono stage.
Thanks.
ronenash
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Re: ET3 Upgrade

Post by ronenash »

The upgrade is a very significant improvement. More detail, lower noise floor, larger and better defined soundstage. Its a very worthwhile improvement IMO. I have done this upgrade with my ET3 6 or so years ago when I still had my ET3. I later upgraded to the ACT2.
ronenash
----
Power:CJ ART150, Beard P100, McCormack DNA500, Krell FPB300
Pre:CJ ACT2.1, Pr14, Pr15
Analog:VPI Classic/Falcon/SoundSmith Denon 103R, Lenco L75 rebuild
Digital:J.River-->Chord 2Qude
Speakers:SF Amati Futura
JONTY
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Re: ET3 Upgrade

Post by JONTY »

Many thanks Ronenash,
Any other opinions greatly appreciated.
Big Dog RJ
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Re: ET3 Upgrade

Post by Big Dog RJ »

Yes mate, that's a definite! The SE version is a worthwhile upgrade and it will deliver better sonic performance in the long run.
Specially with pre-amplifiers, the SE upgrade is better parts overall, giving you a very high quality sound.

However, with regards to power amplifiers, the SE versions are a matter of preference. Mostly their output tubes are different, hence deliver a very different sound plus soundstage depth. Some may prefer the SE version and others, like myself, prefer the standard version with those output tubes being the preferred choice, regardless of other internal components being upgraded, such as capacitors, resistors and so on.

Preamps do make a difference in their SE versions and cj definitely knows how to upgrade their SE versions in preamps. When I listened to the standard GAT, I thought oh my golly! What a difference from the ACT2, and then when I listened to the GAT series 2, I thought I was smoking something..., just unbelievable!

If you can afford it, go for it! Just my 50cts...
Cheers mate, and hope you eventually settle for a wonderful SE upgrade.
RJ
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