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Announcements / Re: New site
« Last post by stevenvalve on September 10, 2016, 04:02:40 PM »No idea, never been there, but should have. I just don't read other forums any more
Recent Posts
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Announcements / Re: New site
« Last post by vitavoxdude on September 10, 2016, 11:08:10 AM »Site no longer reachable..................
Any comment for this thread?
Any comment for this thread?
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Tubes / Re: Valve dealers to avoid
« Last post by vitavoxdude on August 29, 2016, 09:16:13 PM »Watford valves - UK
Add them to the list of do not buy through, they walk away from dud valves despite saying they are matched.
V
Add them to the list of do not buy through, they walk away from dud valves despite saying they are matched.
V
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Other DACs / Re: Interesting clocks
« Last post by brenden on August 27, 2016, 10:56:33 PM »Thanks Terry , I am looking positively to the future so its not all bad .
I still have music.
I think film capacitors have come of age in recent years .
As for the perfect cap ,closest thing imo is the Duelund and the Jupiter . Not sure if these will be improved apon in any meaningful way .in the near future .
I use duelund for coupling and jupiter for bypassing .. both give fantastic results .
There is a gap in availability of high end caps in the pf range which is a shame but I was lucky enough to source
what i need from new old stock .
I still have music.
I think film capacitors have come of age in recent years .
As for the perfect cap ,closest thing imo is the Duelund and the Jupiter . Not sure if these will be improved apon in any meaningful way .in the near future .
I use duelund for coupling and jupiter for bypassing .. both give fantastic results .
There is a gap in availability of high end caps in the pf range which is a shame but I was lucky enough to source
what i need from new old stock .
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Other DACs / Re: Interesting clocks
« Last post by zenelectro on August 25, 2016, 11:35:05 PM »Yep .
You can switch the audio off when u are tired .
My ex partner didnt have an off switch . Hopefully I can find some more time to catch up with some of you in the future.
And when you ave found the perfect cap please start making them - haha.
PS - sorry about your split I hope things work out for future.
cheers
Terry
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Vinyl / Turntable mats
« Last post by vitavoxdude on August 15, 2016, 09:17:56 PM »Well my Hologram acoustics turntable platter mats arrived last week so I mounted them on a Garrard 401. Talk about an improvement. Low level information is much easier to hear and the additional space and ease was most welcome. A stand out product for those who are into the black stuff and a wise investment that does not empty the piggy bank.
See www.hologramacoustics.com
V
See www.hologramacoustics.com
V
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Other DACs / Re: Interesting clocks
« Last post by brenden on August 14, 2016, 04:08:03 PM »Yep .
You can switch the audio off when u are tired .
My ex partner didnt have an off switch . Hopefully I can find some more time to catch up with some of you in the future.
You can switch the audio off when u are tired .
My ex partner didnt have an off switch . Hopefully I can find some more time to catch up with some of you in the future.
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Other DACs / Re: Interesting clocks
« Last post by gamve on August 14, 2016, 09:15:59 AM »Auido - Divorce. 
Audio - Divorce. Audio - Divorce.
Audio wins every time
Audio - Divorce. Audio - Divorce. Audio wins every time
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Other DACs / Re: Interesting clocks
« Last post by brenden on August 14, 2016, 12:59:15 AM »Thanks for the feedback Rawl . Its much appreciated.
I take an unconventional approach to my modifying .I look to every single component in the CD player or amp as a distortion generator Then I search for a superior lower distortion replacement. In most cases thats not too hard .Back in the 90s I was using clocks hooked up to batteries etc ,stuff that I never heard of anyone else doing .All the local guys thought I was nuts. It soon became clear that everything makes a difference .I experiment a lot with caps ,wire ,resistors ,circuit improvements and diodes etc.I know what works ,through thousands of experiments .Not having any formal electronic engineering training has been a hinderance in some ways ,but a blessing in others . I may not have tried many things that are suppose to make no difference.I have been at odds with posters on some other forums who cant open theiir minds to trying superior parts that can dramatically reduce distortion in audio gear .
Capacitors appear to be the weakest link musically so i have centred most of my study around different construction and materials and how they affect the sound quality. over the past few years I have been accumulating hard to find caps to rebuild my gear and now have an enviable parts box full of the best parts ever produced .
No audiophile type people have heard my system since I started up after a hiatus .It sounded horrible at the beginning ,,but after a couple of hundred changes its been transformed .
I now have a system I am proud of . Full of warmth dynamics ,timbral beauty ,separation ,ease ,density,detail .and still more to go . After divorce I will be moving to a mates place in October so not sure how my audio aspirations will pan out in the near future .All my audio gear goes with me
Happy days .
I take an unconventional approach to my modifying .I look to every single component in the CD player or amp as a distortion generator Then I search for a superior lower distortion replacement. In most cases thats not too hard .Back in the 90s I was using clocks hooked up to batteries etc ,stuff that I never heard of anyone else doing .All the local guys thought I was nuts. It soon became clear that everything makes a difference .I experiment a lot with caps ,wire ,resistors ,circuit improvements and diodes etc.I know what works ,through thousands of experiments .Not having any formal electronic engineering training has been a hinderance in some ways ,but a blessing in others . I may not have tried many things that are suppose to make no difference.I have been at odds with posters on some other forums who cant open theiir minds to trying superior parts that can dramatically reduce distortion in audio gear .
Capacitors appear to be the weakest link musically so i have centred most of my study around different construction and materials and how they affect the sound quality. over the past few years I have been accumulating hard to find caps to rebuild my gear and now have an enviable parts box full of the best parts ever produced .
No audiophile type people have heard my system since I started up after a hiatus .It sounded horrible at the beginning ,,but after a couple of hundred changes its been transformed .
I now have a system I am proud of . Full of warmth dynamics ,timbral beauty ,separation ,ease ,density,detail .and still more to go . After divorce I will be moving to a mates place in October so not sure how my audio aspirations will pan out in the near future .All my audio gear goes with me
Happy days .10
Other DACs / Re: Interesting clocks
« Last post by rawl99 on August 13, 2016, 08:25:12 AM »Hi Terry .The digital caps i was referring to are in the decoder board .
I agree the decoder board in the 94 is s bit of a mess as are the grounds, and the way they attached the dac board was sub optimal .
The reduction in distortion by replacing the mylar caps on the decoder board was easily as much as replacing a cheap cap in an audio circuit .
In fact ,it really surprised me .This isnt about flavours .My sole aim is to reduce typical distortions in every possible area of the circuits by using the very best engineered and lowest distortion parts available.
I have found that mylar caps anywhere in the circuit will stop a piece of equipment from reaching its true potential
With your cautions noted about ceramic caps in some sensitive circuits,my experience in replacing them so far has been overwhelmingly positive . The valab clocks are cheap ,so if there was a problem its easily replacable.
I suppose you could say i am trying areas that many dont consider to be worthwhile ,and I know some would say its digital and it cant make a difference ,but i say "lets just try it to see what happens ".Thats part of the fun .The discovery.
Brenden,
Your experiences appear to consistently mirror ours so keep up the great work Sir.
Anybody that says 'it's digital so it can't/won't make a difference' imo has just drunk the marketing cool-ade and should
either experiment with modifications to some nice sounding gear or stick with the uber-high-spec commercial designs and
leave us delusional fools to tinker away into oblivion and insanity. I am pretty certain that the designers of higher
quality digital gear do not work with the 'it can't make a difference' pov when they are designing so it boggles my
mind why quite a few of the consumers and the ' knowledgeable' engineering types adopt this dogmatic viewpoint.
My very simple question is: " if it can't make a difference how in the heck do companies like dcs etc sell a $20k "master oscillator"
type of device. Either it makes a diff or it doesn't.
Thank the lord that One of the most talented digital guys I know ( T) does not operate with this mindset.
The unbelievers could optionally go and collect stamps.
Apparently under blind test conditions the outcomes change radically. That is not my personal experience
and I am pretty sure it is not Marios either. We all know that SteveG is of pretty much the same viewpoint.
I have done more blind tests than I care to demonstrate my ability to pick the differences, and now I am quite happy to
trust what I am hearing. Much more time efficient.
I can most very easily "prove" that " it's digital so it can't make a difference" is right, or wrong, depending upon
my choice of equipment upon which to demonstrate said claim. I am sure you know exactly what I am saying.
Cheers
C