Monday, December 8, 2014

Sony battery cell operating Portable LP Player PS-F5


I have seen this at Audiotronics, a folk brought this showing me. He is doing the repair on it.

Nice and Funny piece of Adult's Toy, Sony was having a lot of innovation!

HK Snob

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Wilson Benesch ACT 1.0 Table and ACT 2.0 tone Arm, plus Ortofon Jubilee MC Cartridge for sale



Take note on this review
http://www.furious.com/perfect/vinyl54.html


HK Snob

Saturday, August 9, 2014

HK Hi Fi Show 2014 at Convention Centre 8~10 Aug


The two barbecue stoves on the floor ain't cheap!

clearaudio turntable, it does not look like Stattment.




The Buk Missile one at each side is a powerful show piece in the Room. I Like the ATC monitor



Does this Chinese made Turntable looks like the one on top of this post?


 Disappointing Audio Note likely not a good set-up. The Weak point is the Loudspeaker.


Ortofon integrated Amp, cheapo China made offer.



 Good to see the Koetsu Jade Cartridge, List Price USD$10,000




 EMT cartridge, isn't cheap at all.

 Happy to see Kiseki Purpleheart cartridge



The Hi Fi Show is huge, a lot of Participants, But I did not see Audio Space, Probably Peter is busy with his own issues. Many youth come to the shop for the handphone,  Hi End Head phone up to a USD$5,000, what a price, does it worth!? I have tried yet.

Many Turn Tables are there, many people does not understand why?  I know as the CD and MP3 does not able to provide that Analogue feeling we want to get.
Hi End Audio makers cannot just focus on the hi end customer, they have switched to the mid-low end demand on loudspeaker and mini system.

Hi End Audio maker produces super mammoth like Balder’s mono block each has a output stage of 10 pieces of 300B.
Glad to see a lot like 20% of Analague Products in the show, a lot of Analogue Players Ortofon, Koetsu, EMT, Kiseki, SME, Clearaudio, EAR are in the show…

I found that the “Royal ballet” LP is there on sales, Mono is HKD$28,000. Stereo (Later release) is HKD$18,000! And I met the Shanling booth Boss, Ms. Lee and Kuen, (Audiotronics) Mrs. Lee told me ; Hey, you LP is now selling at HKD$28,000, the time I sold you was just HKD$7,000!”
True, Simon Lee sold me that Album 8 years ago at HKD$7,000. Well, that isn’t small amount of money at that time… However, this is the Gem of the Classic Music, to be a LP collector, I think I need to keep that.
HK Snob
Watch Fever
HK Kong Tsaan

Saturday, July 19, 2014

HK Snob's Audio System



The latest Set-up
Lyra Helicon MC cartridge
Ittok III arm
Linn LP12 Turn table
John Curl SCG1 Head Amp
Haden Broadman 33.3 Phono Amp  (Telefunken 803SX2)
Audio Space 3.1 Pre-amp (TelefunKen 803Sx2, Telefunken 802S x2)
Audio Space 300B Push Pull Power Amp (Telefunken 803S x2, 802X4, Audio Space 300BX4)
B&W 805S loudspeaker
So far I am happy with the performance, may need the new Haden Broadman new Gold version of Phono Amp as an upgrade….!
HK Watch Fever
HK Snob

Sunday, April 27, 2014

UK Lancashire 33.3 Phono, a beautiful example of expressing "Less is More!"


The Lancashire 33.3 is mounted on top of 4 isolated, under operation!




Two 12AX7 on the left, power regulator for heater mounted on the centre of the chassis and 5 smoothing power capacitors and a nothing more... no wire at all.





Two Telefunken ECC803S are being used valued HKD$8,000
                                              

This is an UK hand Made Phono Unit. “33.3”
Right price, right design with simple is best concept, isolated power supply. Limited edition gramophone / pick up preamplifier. The '33.3 Limited Edition' Limited to just 33 examples, this Moving Magnet phono stage has been designed for the absolute best sound quality per £. It is designed and built in Lancashire, and boasts some sound enhancing features.

Obviously all valve (2x ECC83 double triode Class A operation). Each channel is assembled on it's own individual board, mono construction if you like. The shortest signal path possible, with no need for internal wire or connections, maximizing low level detail and lowering distortion.

A separate power supply is included, minimizing hum field and power supply induced noise. All components are high tolerance and very carefully selected. All are handmade, and all are subject to 100 hour burn in and test. The design was to make longevity and low noise a priority over absolute gain. Unlike some of our competitors, the sound quality of the '33.3' will not deteriorate with age. The circuit uses active RIAA equalization, again using the highest tolerance matched components throughout.


· Compact size: 29 wide x 17 deep x 11 tall (CM)
· Optimized for Moving Magnet (S&B M.C. step-up transformers fitted on request)
· Active RIAA Equalization curve
· 2x Class "A" Twin Triode Valves
· External Power Supply
· Hand Made in Lancashire
· Limited to just 33... mine is “No. 13”

I am having serious audition now using my current equipment
LP12 Turntable+ Ittok III tone arm + Lyra Helicon MC cartridge
John Curl Vendetta Research Symmetrical Cascode Pre-pre-amp hand made by John Curl.
This Lancashire The '33.3 Limited Edition' Phono  Amplifier. (12AX7 x2)
Audio Space Line 3.1 line Amplifier (12AX7 x2, 12 AU7X2)
Audio Space WE300B push Pull Power Amplifier (12AX7x2, 12AU7x2, 300B x4)
B & W 805S loudspeaker


I have been carefully listened for one day, and this is a line of High definition, highly accurate, clear, musical and yet we can tell detail of individual organs position,

Speed is high and I am sure you don't feel this is the “Tube Amplifier that gives you a slow and bloomy picture of the music!”

The Violin is has texture of a Violin, exactly the size of a Violin, and not the Viola or micro Violin!

These are the testing LPs, and I am here to announce the true essence of music is not being to judge by weight, size of the complexity of the circuitry…

Honesty, I studied Electronics and one should know the shortest audio path could give you less loss in signal and higher gain in S/N ratio!
This 33.3 demonstrate the true spirit of “ Less is more!” mentioning about the price! WOW, it is the price of your power cable only.

I am not bluffing, if you had gust and not money, well, I can borrow mine or I can refer you to buy this

Likely the best best High End Phono Amplifier money can buy…
Of course, I used TELEFUNKEN 803S on all stages all amplifiers… that is to be considered,,, as I feel nothing can beat ECC803S tubes, only that I cannot afford to put all…
But it is like Opium (though I have not yet tried Opium), you will addicted to it…I believe.
Come and open your ears to listen…


Testing records
Listen to this Scottish Fantasia, how Campoli plays his Violin Corrrectly!
An expensive LP that is about now HKD$3,000!


Listen to the true natual voice of Tsrai Chin when she was fresh in singing back in 1973
I like the last song on Side A; "Mysterious Girl"


Ruggiero plays The Four Season using 14 rare Stradivari Instruments that worth US$20M!
a MCA LP.

Listen to Rossine : William Tell Overture -Finale on No.1 on side A and Dubussy :Clair De Lune to see how quiet the music baclkground is though the LP quality is not too good.
Contact me if you re interested in trying this Amplifier!
HK Snob
Watch Fever






Thursday, March 6, 2014

Harbeth HL Compact Cross-over board and Louspeaker set-up






HL Compact has been serving me more then 3 years, It was built in 1990.
I can rate this as an easy listening, multi-purpose Loudspeaker, it is quite easy to be driven by my WE300X2 Amp.

HK Snob

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Sony Professionl walkman DC6 and Stax Headphone







Stax Electrostatic head phone and Walkman DC6 is likely a matched couple for me.
This is somewhat having some warm and nice tune of the notes dig out from the deep groove of the musical imprint on the Vinyl.
The bass is true, quite tight and clear, don’t mix up with muddled bass. It is easy to listen. It is light and open ear design phone.
Look at the electronics of the stax main board, they used Japan Toshiba chip, SMT technology. the Volume is a good quality one. Well, one thing not too good is power consumption, two 2A battery cells can last for about 4 hours.

As there is a DC DC convertor that convert DC 3V to about DC 170 volts I guess to generate the Hi Voltage to drive the membrane.
Walkman DC 6 is a treasure, needless to say.
It could give you a light easy relaxed way to the analogue music.

HK Snob

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Mar Kee Hi Fi and Audio Shop "Watch Out!" When you Visit this Shop, I had a bad experience!


Right opposite Mar kee Fi Hi Audio at Ap Liu Street No. 257 (Kwai Lam Street MTR Exit C)

I had bad experinece ih this shop, I bought a audio equipment and found that there is some issue that CANNOT produce the music, I asked for exchange by calling them next morning!

Answer is NO!
I asked for Return- NO!
I asked for Upgrade to a more expenisve goods - NO!

Being buying audio quipment for 30 years, this is my first time to meet this BAD EXPERIENCE!

This is my bad experience, and I hope you will not be the NEXT One

: (    !

HK Snob

Sony Walkman WM-DC2




This is a Sony DC-2, the most compact with highest audio Quality WalkMan Ever made!
HK Snob