Tube or Transistor Amplifier is Better?

I find this website is very good in telling us what is the best choice for you: Tube or Amplifier

go and browse

http://kenrockwell.com/audio/why-tubes-sound-better.htm

HK Snob

The System

Koestsu Rosewood MC cartridge

Wilson Benesch ART turn table and ART tone arm

John Curl SCG1 Phono Amp  and original Standalone PS

Broadman Haden 33.3 Phono Amp (No.13/33) (Mullard 12AXT square Getter Frosted Glass X2 )

Audio Space line amp ( Mullard 12AX7 square getter x2, Mullard 12AU7 frosted glass)

Audio Space WB300B power amp (Raytheon gold pin 7729X2. Telefunken, Telefunken ECC802S x4)

Harbeth HL Compact Loudspeaker

Sound OK, I am satisfied!

HK Snob

Wilson Benesch Original Turn table

 

 

Wilson Benesch made a reputation for itself as one of the world's advance manufacturers of analog playback gear, first with its innovative turntable, then with its unique—some said "impossible"—ACT One tonearm (now replaced by the 2.0). Both make use of composite carbon-fiber technology. (ACT stands for Advanced Composite Technology.)  I am using this Turn table for all my Vinyl Records. 

Why use carbon-fiber laminate in place of metal? It's said to absorb resonant energy instead of passing it on, or reflecting it back, to other materials with which it comes into contact. According to W-B, carbon-fiber composite is extremely stiff—stronger than titanium, with only half the mass of aluminum. Of course, like any material, a carbon-fiber laminate does have a resonant frequency—a relatively high one, which W-B says can be more easily controlled with careful damping. The resonant frequency of such a composite depends on the amount and orientation of the carbon-fiber cloth material and the resins used to hold it in place.

The original W-B turntable that I am using uses a sub-chassis of honeycombed Nomex to which a carbon-fiber skin is laminated—much like the body of a racing car. That, combined with other sophisticated innovations, brings its price up to about $3300 (not including arm). The original 'table has garnered extremely positive reviews worldwide. Domestically, it is available only in combination with the $2995 ACT 2 arm for $6295.

Now W-B enters the "mid-budget" arena with the Circle turntable—a totally new, quite unique and compact design that sells for $1995 fitted with a Rega RB300 arm, or $2995 with W-B's new ACT 0.5 arm (the combination reviewed here).

 

HK Snob

Analog Makes Sense

HK Hi Fi Fever

My Third Home Audio

This is  my audio set-up in my hotel,
SAE 220 power amplifier, 100W per channel, clean sound, the fins of the Machine is Cold, never get hot!
Yamaha C2 Control , a very high end circuitry and neat arrangement of the Electronics, FET, IC and Transistor  

A Pick up at Department store for a Beringer Monitor Loudspeaker.

I borrow a Pioneer CD Player from the hotel, as I still do the upgrade gradually, that is the fun of set-up of an Audio system.

It helps me to bring me into a comfortable listening environment when I come back from Work.

Manila Snob

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

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

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

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

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