Japanese Audio???

[RoadRunner6]

RR6, it's common knowledge that Krell began going to China, I said that way back in JohnMichael's post when he was looking at the s300i. So much for your gotcha.

Sorry, Mr. P, but that wasn't directed to you at all and it wasn't a gotcha. I simply was talking to all here in general about Krell and then asked you if you recognized the remote because I knew you owned the ERC-1. I figured someone would play down this by denying that the amp was made in the same factory as other brands.

[RGA]

i think with the issue of build quality one has to separate the internal from the external - plenty of amplifiers - and other gear - add a lot od superfluous weight to the case which has absolutely nothing to do with the internal parts of an amplifier - McIntosh makes a heavier amplifier than a given Audio Note but in terms of the quality of parts inside - it's not even remotely a close contest - Audio Note uses more expensive exotic materials from soldering materials to wiring, to transformers etc.

If you think about it the name badge on the front of any piece of gear is second to the internals. Audio Note does not waste money on the casing which is irrelevant and that is why in most cases the top of the line unit looks exactly the same as the entry level model - they simply have a few different cases and it's the inside that is changed.

I would agree that AN is not the best "built" stuff in their price bracket though - and that is because they don't seem to put a lot of their drving effort into things related to casework - so they are susceptable to transport damage and silver solder is a softer metal which does lead to separation more than other types. Moreover, their connectors while very high quality also build up dirt and need to be cleaned or they lose connectivity - more-so than others.

I am not really for the idea of buying an AN dac and sticking into a Krell Dynaudio system - it's just not what AN had in mind and frankly I don't think one can actually "hear" what AN sounds like in a system like that - that's not a knock on Dynaudio or Krell - it's reality - They were never designed with those kinds of speakers or amplifiers in mind and in some cases there is an audible mismatch of input impedances especially if the DAC was the previous generation to the new filterless varieties.

It's not that I dislike Krell - I just feel that way about virtually every expensive Solid State amplifier on the market. After certain price points regardless of the name on the front I find that you can get better sound from a tube amp. $500 - 4k on a SS amp ok - beyond that I'd buy a tube amp. If the speaker needs that much power - it's probably not a very good loudspeaker - or will be bettered by a speaker that does not require that much power.

[Feanor]

i think with the issue of build quality one has to separate the internal from the external - plenty of amplifiers - and other gear - add a lot od superfluous weight to the case which has absolutely nothing to do with the internal parts of an amplifier - McIntosh makes a heavier amplifier than a given Audio Note but in terms of the quality of parts inside - it's not even remotely a close contest - Audio Note uses more expensive exotic materials from soldering materials to wiring, to transformers etc.
....

I am not really for the idea of buying an AN dac and sticking into a Krell Dynaudio system - it's just not what AN had in mind and frankly I don't think one can actually "hear" what AN sounds like in a system like that - that's not a knock on Dynaudio or Krell - it's reality - They were never designed with those kinds of speakers or amplifiers in mind and in some cases there is an audible mismatch of input impedances especially if the DAC was the previous generation to the new filterless varieties.
....

RGA, your relentless shilining for AN is getting old. As an aspiring semi-pro reviewer you at least ought to pretend to be objective.

"Impedance mismatches" are avoided by proper design, that is, high input impedance + low output impedance. Period.

[RGA]

Being objective is merely telling it like you hear it. As for McIntosh - I have looked inside compared to what's inside a competing AN unit - Seems objective to me - maybe you would agree if A) you ever bothered to listen and B you ever bothered to look. Assuming I am not being objective when I have heard both, seen both, and made an assessment. It seems like YOU are not being objective - just attacking without any actual experience.

[Feanor]

Being objective is merely telling it like you hear it. As for McIntosh - I have looked inside compared to what's inside a competing AN unit - Seems objective to me - maybe you would agree if A) you ever bothered to listen and B you ever bothered to look. Assuming I am not being objective when I have heard both, seen both, and made an assessment. It seems like YOU are not being objective - just attacking without any actual experience.

Yeah well, and to what extent is your judgement as the superiority of the AN's internal components anything more than subjective? Because a capacitor says "Audio Note" on it, does that make it better? Last I heard you were not an electrical engineer.

[Mr Peabody]

Sorry RR6 for misunderstanding.

RGA, I used an EAD transport with the AN DAC and it did sound great with the Krell amp and Dyn speakers.

Frenchmon, you found me using the word "crap" but not in the context you were referring to. First of all the sentence does not show me calling anything that. Secondly, I was referring to listening to what the sales people were saying. Brush up on the reading comp.

[Mr Peabody]

It seems like a lame excuse Marantz gave for not following through on the delivery of the tube gear. They make it sound like China is the only place to get tubes. Where do the U.S. and European manufacturers get their quality tubes from?

[frenchmon]

It seems like a lame excuse Marantz gave for not following through on the delivery of the tube gear. They make it sound like China is the only place to get tubes. Where do the U.S. and European manufacturers get their quality tubes from?

Thats a good question.

This is all I could find in my limited research. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tube_sound

History

Before the commercial introduction of transistors in the 1950s, electronic amplifiers used vacuum tubes (known in Great Britain as "valves"). By the 1960s, solid state (transistorized) amplification had become more common because of its smaller size, lighter weight, lower heat production, and improved reliability. Tube amplifiers have retained a loyal following amongst some audiophiles and musicians. Some tube designs command very high prices, and tube amplifiers have been going through a revival since Chinese and Russian markets have opened to global trade—tube production never went out of vogue in these countries. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tube_sound

frenchmon

[jrhymeammo]

This site needs more discussion like this, except for the whole "He said She said".

Hey P,
I have yet to be impressed (in a long run) by Marantz, and doubt I'll spend my money on their future products. But if I had tons of disposable income, I might consider this one to feed my curiosity.



I think Marantz's lame excuses is marketed and is called "HDAM". I'm not positive but Reference Audio Mods make an attempt to bypass their proprietary buffer stage. If so, I would like to bypass the HDAM of my SA8001, but it still may sound muddy after spending $1K+. I would rather spend my $1K+resale on a different CDP. But I should hold my comments until I receive my preamp tomorrow.

Has anyone mentioned phono cartridges made by Japanese?
Jeez bunch of digi-heads around here.

JRA

[blackraven]

jrhymeammo, Do you find the SA8001 muddy? I'm just curious, because I owned one for about 1 month with a Cambridge Audio 740c which IMO blew it out of the water in clarity, resolution. sound stage and detail. I eventually returned both and bought the 840c. I liked the warm analog sound of the marantz but the sound stage and detail won me over with the Cambridge units.

[jrhymeammo]

Yes I do. I've said it many times before, and have caught some vicious heat in the mix.

It's hard to explain, but it definitely sounds congested or even out of phase to my ears.
I don't think it has anything to do with their house sound. But if the HDAM is the culprit, then I seriously need to get a different player.

I will write another review in about a month or so.
JRA

[blackraven]

Yes I do. I've said it many times before, and have caught some vicious heat in the mix.

It's hard to explain, but it definitely sounds congested or even out of phase to my ears.
I don't think it has anything to do with their house sound. But if the HDAM is the culprit, then I seriously need to get a different player.

I will write another review in about a month or so.
JRA

I caught a little heat as well when I posted my thoughts on the 8001 and the 8003 which I also took home to audition. While I like the general tone of the 8001/8003, I felt that there was not enough air and sound stage. I feel that even this new Yamaha DVD-S1800 universal player sounds better on SACD than the Marantz but not std Cd. Stereophile however rated the SA8001 a class A I believe. My good friend has the 8001 and it matches well in his system with an Audio research tube preamp, Belle's Hot rod amp and his PSB Synchrony's but still lacks air and sound stage.

[blackraven]

Russia was still using tubes in their high performance Fulcrum jet fighters in the 1990's and may still be.

[E-Stat]

Russia was still using tubes in their high performance Fulcrum jet fighters in the 1990's and may still be.

And are light years behind the technology found in the F-22 Raptor. The 6C33 triodes used by Russian fighters in their radar systems, however, work quite well as amplifiers in a number of amplifiers from BAT, Joule Electra, etc.

rw

[blackraven]

Estat, It was just in the news that Russia now has a new Stealth fighter based on the F22 design. There was a video of it flying. They designed it with India no less.

[E-Stat]

Estat, It was just in the news that Russia now has a new Stealth fighter based on the F22 design. There was a video of it flying. They designed it with India no less.

Provide facts, not speculation. While they can emulate the physical shape, there is far more to the Raptor design that what you see. Which is clearly what the Russians have done previously with many SU and MiG designs.

rw

[blackraven]

Hey, I'm not saying its as good as the F-22 but who knows. It looks similar in shape.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,584241,00.html

[E-Stat]

Hey, I'm not saying its as good as the F-22 but who knows. It looks similar in shape.

I suggest you do a bit of research on the Raptor.

rw

[blackraven]

I've read all about it and have no doubt it is the best and most advanced plane in the world. But out technology somehow makes it into Russian and chinese hands.

[E-Stat]

I've read all about it and have no doubt it is the best and most advanced plane in the world. But out technology somehow makes it into Russian and chinese hands.

I repeat: provide facts, not speculation. The Russians and the Chinese don't know what they don't know.

rw

[blackraven]

Roflmao! I'm not laughing at you Estat, just at this pointless off topic discussion that I started.

[E-Stat]

Roflmao! I'm not laughing at you Estat, just at this pointless off topic discussion that I started.

And the lack of any data to support your discussion.

rw

[blackraven]

And the lack of any data to support your discussion.

rw

There's no way that I can and the same goes for you. No one knows the ins and outs of the plane except for the Russians and India and possibly U.S. intelligence. And I'm on your side, I seriously doubt that Russia and India have the tech to develop an equivalent plane to the F22 at present.

But I have been thinking about becoming a spy

[E-Stat]

There's no way that I can and the same goes for you.

Very good reason to not speculate. The performance envelope of the Raptor is well known.

rw

[Mr Peabody]

ARC also uses the 6H30 in several newer preamps, I have to wonder if that's what caused my perception of a decline in sound quality of some ARC or just a coincidence.