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LC
Dear Andrew,
I assume you have already read the list of components Richard has published in his article on Ethernet Audio and his subsequent tests here. In any case, good integrated streamers can be the Andover Audio Songbird Internet Music Streamer ($149.00), the Arylic S50 Pro+ (200$) we've recently reviewed, or the AUDIOPHONICS DAC I with Sabre ES9038Q2M DAC (180$). Of course, any of these should be a vast upgrade, and could bring some extra spark and verve to the sound of your system.
Hope this helped somehow,
Lucio Cadeddu

Hello TNT-Audio team,
regarding your article Solid State Power Amplifier Supply I would like to ask you the following: in a 100 watt power amp, with an 8 ohm load and a +–40 volt supply, I calculated the current to be 5 amps. Multiplying 5 amps times 40 volts gives me 200 watts. If we divide 5 amps by 2 x 2.5 amps, then we get 2.5 times 40, exactly 100 watts.
In the second part of your article you indicate the following "50W/8 Ohms = 28.3 V peak / 3.53 Amperes peak" - here I assume you meant half of this current, namely 1.765 amperes, because if 1.765 amperes is multiplied by 28.3 volts receives, the power of 50 watts. My question is this - in my case will I have 2x40 volts and 2x5 amps, or 2x40 volts and 2x2.5 amps?
My second question is this, when the transformer power is multiplied by 1.4 for max power, does that mean the calculated current will also be multiplied by 1.4?
Sincerely,
Thmr - E-mail: thmrtdrv (at) gmail.com

GP
Hello,
I have not really understood your first question, but I am afraid you are mixing up peak and RMS values. The calculation, assuming the audio signal is a sinusois, that is a pure tone, as Dejan implicitly does, are these:

• RMS Voltage: Vrms [Voltage rms] = Vpk [Voltage pk] / sqrt(2)
• Peak Voltage: Vpk [Voltage pk] = Vrms [Voltage rms] * sqrt(2)
• RMS Current: Irms [Ampere rms]= Ipk [Ampere pk] / sqrt(2)
• Peak Current: Ipk [Ampere pk] = Irms [Ampere rms] * sqrt(2)
• Power W [Watt] = Vpk [Voltage pk] * Ipk [Ampere pk] / 2 = Vrms [Voltage rms] * Irms [Ampere rms]

Suggestion for good (DIY) power supply for Creek headamp?
Dear TNT team: I recently acquired a used Creek OBH-11 headamp, which unfortunately came with a generic power supply.
Do you know of a suitable good power supply (24V, 0.5A), DIY also possible?
Thank you very, very much indeed!
Kind regards,
Dr. Magnus - E-mail: magnusbosse (at) gmail.com

LC
Dear Magnus,
you have so many options! Normally, audiophiles would choose a regulated linear PSU, for example like this one, from Audiophonics. It is just a circuit, you have to place it inside a box and add cables. If you're into DIY, that could be a good choice. It is a very strong 5A PSU. Consider that you need 24 volts, and that increasing current capability (amperes) is generally the thing to do. A possible alternative is choosing a finished product like this BRZHiFi PSU or this one from ZeroZone, just to name two Chinese brands that make good HiFi components (we've already reviewed ZeroZone power amps and BRZHiFi preamps). Other good linear PSU are available from Kert, Mouser, ZG and similar brands, although these are for general use. I believe that even a good switching PSU could perform well.
Hope this helped somehow,
Lucio Cadeddu

Amp recommendation for studio monitoring
Ciao TNT Audio, I hope this is the right email to write to.
I discovered your website reading the review of the Yamaha AX-592 which I enjoyed as I had had the opportunity to listen to the amp and the sonics and capabilities of the system were very well descripted.
I am writing now to ask a question regarding amps in the hopes that you could help me with some ideas or recommendations. I'm trying to find the most portable, low cost amp to drive a set of Auratone 5C speakers that are to be used for mixing music in a studio environment.
It could be a hifi amp that is linear, accurate and responsive dinamically but possibly on the warmer/not fatiguing side. I think a sound similar to the mentioned Yamaha could work very well, but in a more portable, light weighted case that could maybe fit a backpack.
It can be something new like the Class-D or Class-T that are around Amazon, or something used in the Italian market. There is the new Auratone A2-30 amp that is specifically done for this but is around 350/400eur, so I hope I can find something cheaper.
Thanks a lot,
Ignacio - E-mail: etchegaray.ignacio (at) gmail.com

LC
Dear Ignacio,
the most recent Class D integrated amps are the ones to consider: small, lightweight, powerful, good sounding and inexpensive! Your Auratne speakers are quite an easy load and fairy sensitive, so I belieeve anything abve 20 watts per channel would do. I've recently reviewed the Loxjie A10, the Nobsound F900S, the Topping MX3 and the Topping PA3. The best bang for the buck of this lot is the Nobsound, then the Loxjie, the PA3 and the MX3.
The Nobsound sounds very good for the money, but it is very small and a real pain in the neck to use. The Loxjie is an easier to use amp, and has an extra coolness factor (see pic below). The PA3 seems discontinued now, and the new PA5 is much more expensive. You can try to source a PA3 on the second-hand market. The MX3 is a do_it_all amp, you have to evaluate if you need all its extra features. The bass and treble controls, for example, might be useful in a studio environment. Up to you to choose!
Hope this helped somehow,
Lucio Cadeddu

Re: Michell Gyrodec DIY AC PSU
Ciao, thanks for the answer about the DIY Michell Gyrodec PSU. Actually your kit is an improvement, the previous one was even faster, so maybe it has to do with mains voltage? Measured it to 234.
If it was 220 (maybe using a voltage regulator) would slow it down?? Is around 35.5rpm now.
One last thing about the belt(s). It used to have two belts for years (never checked rpm though), replaced them with one new. It is tighter, any idea how this affects the platter? One or two belts tighter or looser, when it goes faster or slower??
Grazie,
Dimi - E-mail: dimth (at) otenet.gr

LC
Dear Dimi,
your mains voltage is just fine and it can't affect turntable speed. I think you should investigate with belt tension and quality. There's a lot of discussion about quality control of Michell belts on the web. Moreover, you might find useful our recent article that compares different belts and even the use of two belts instead of one. A bit of scientific background and measurements is also included :-)
Hope this helped somehow,
Lucio Cadeddu

SPH Bearing review
Hi Roger, I believe it may have been better if you had used the same turntable to do your critique of Sien's bearing. After reading your review, I believe you may have been able to give a more accurate appraisal. I compared David Harrs' bearing to Siens 118mm bearing (David's bearing is a vast improvement on the original too). I compared only one record Cannonball Adderley's Somethin' Else and heard an enormous difference (Also with other records too, afterwards).
What was the difference(s) I could perceive you may ask? The first quantum change was the volume. After swapping from DH to SPH, for the same perceived volume, I turned it from 10.30 down to about 9.30. I couldn't believe a bearing could do that! It was wider soundstage between instruments and more tiny details especially with texture, dynamics and noises of the keys hitting the chassis of the sax, spittle in the mouthpiece etc, which didn't surprise me at all after turning down the volume.
Anyway, I hope you give it some thought. My gear:

• Lenco L75(220v50hz) standard chassis.
• Birch ply plinth.
• Silvernotearm L512 copper litz.
• ATVM95SH moving magnet stereo cartridge.
• B&W DM620i x2 stereo speakers.
• Luxman L505uX integrated stereo amplifier

RMcC
Thank you very much for sharing your personal experience on this topic.
In a perfect world scenario, it would have been better to use the same turntable for comparison purposes. However, in a perfect world that would also require switching back and forth between bearings very rapidly. I mean within a few seconds! There are numerous, highly reputable studies that have shown that acoustic memory is only reliable for seconds. It would take about 30 minutes to switch bearings and after that time lapse no comparison at a level of fine detail is possible. That of course, does not account for very major/obvious changes. In your case, you have described a "quantum change" in volume. That, of course, sounds like something that would survive 30 minutes of down time. As you say in your email, it's hard to believe that a bearing change can do that. I am unable to find any explanation for it.

My personal experiences over a period of many years of performing head-to-head comparisons of various audio components and music formats has taught me that it is indeed very difficult to identify very small changes. I use a Tracy Chapman album, Our Bright Future, in a lot of my comparisons. I know the first track, Sing for You, in great detail as I have played it over and over again for hours. There are several segments in this song that are excellent tests for dynamics, high frequency response, bass speed, slam etc. If the difference is big enough it is easy to spot, but as the differences get smaller, I find it very difficult, and sometimes impossible, to clearly identify a difference when doing a head-to-head comparison. In such cases a 30-minute time lapse would nullify any chances of detecting a difference.

It seems to me that the performance difference between a reasonably good, original, Lenco bearing, and a new aftermarket bearing could not possible be big enough to survive a long time lapse between tests. I certainly may be wrong on this; I am just offering another point of view.
Best regards,
Roger McCuaig

Michell Gyrodec DIY AC PSU
Hi, I've built your proposed DIY Michell Gyrodec PSU, plays fine, but platter goes a bit fast!
It has to do with mains, but anyway to slow it down a bit??? Maybe use a ups??
Thanks,
Dimi - E-mail: dimth (at) otenet.gr

LC
Dear Dimi,
considering we have not modified the original values of the Michell PSU, it is impossible that your turntable now spins faster. Either you did something wrong (wrong values, components, wiring) or your Gyrodec spins faster for other reasons, perhaps it was already faster than it should be. In any case, check the mains voltage and the frequency and, of course, the status of the belt. There MUST be another reason!
I hope this helped a bit,
Lucio Cadeddu

HK 630 phono stage
Hi,
I was reading your opinion on the HK 630 and, about the phono stage issue (mediocre), are you suggesting like: use a pre-amp and connect it to a line in?
I know its an article (I just saw it now) from 2000. 22 years ago. Never the less i had to try.
Thanks for your time,
Daniel - E-mail: danielvnobre (at) gmail.com

LC
Dear Daniel,
everything should be put into the right perspective: the HK630 is a fine entry-level integrated amplifier and, hence, it will be reasonably used in a low-budget HiFi system. Its phono stage might be bettered with an external phono preamp (to connect to any LINE level input) but everything else should be adequate, otherwise this kind of upgrade might be minimal or inaudible. If the cartridge, the turntable or the speakers aren't adequate, a better phono stage can't do much, actually. In any case...yes, you can purchase a better external phono stage and then upgrade the rest of your system accordingly. In my opinion, the first place to look for an upgrade is the cartridge, though.
Finally, yes, that article is 22 years old, but we're still here, alive and kickin' :-)
I hope this helped a bit,
Lucio Cadeddu

Polk Audio RT-2000p Review
I just read your review on these Polk udio speakers today (July 2022). I bought my pair around mid 2011 USED from a man undergoing a divorce. He offered these polk audio speakers for a down to earth price. I had been using them for about eleven years. They are solid performers and have given me some delicious and satisfying sound experience. Years after I bought mine, I looked for a detailed review and yours was the rare, most thorough without being overwhelmingly technical, that an ordinary mortal with a modicum of intelligence will be able to understand.
Just want to thank you for bringing kudos to these unbelievable and incomparable (for price) speakers.
In friendship,
Danilo - E-mail: daniloabadua (at) gmail.com

LC
Dear Dan, I'm glad you enjoyed my review so much...probably nearly as much as I did when writing it 21 years ago! Those speakers were incredible performers, indeed! Solid, entertaining, no-frills...just 100% music and fun! And with a price/ratio factor to die for. I wonder whether Polk make similar performers nowadays...if yes, I'd love to test them.
Thanks for your precious feedback!
Lucio Cadeddu

Super-tweeters
Hello Arvind,
I read only to day your TNT article about super tweeters on electrostatic panels with their stunning performances. I should test them for my Acoustat Monitor4 speakers.
Could you gently give me some indications about new ST you eventually tested after this review that you consider noteworthy for this purpose?
Which kind of crossover do you use and with which cut?
Thanks for your hospitality.
Best regards,
Massimo - E-mail: maxpalat (at) icloud.com

AK
Hello Massimo,
That was the last supertweeter I used on the electrostats, being the Dayton Audio AMTPRO-4, see here I've since disposed off the Quads and that supertweeter. I am now using these speakers, my DIY design.
Hope this helped somehow,
Arvind Kohli

MC transformers
Dear Lucio, a long time project of mine is a SUT that should be suitable for different MCs, from the DL103 to the FR-3MK2F and others. As far as I remember, there was a test on your page about different Lundahl transformers, which I would be interested in. Is that test still online somewhere? Or can you give a recommendation for a good sounding and variable transformer? Or is it always better to design each transformer for the special values of an exact cartridge?
Greetings from southern Bavaria,
Michael - E-mail: MichaelHelbing (at) gmx.de

LC
Dear Michael,
our review of different Lundahl transformers is still online, of course, as any other review published in this website since 1995. You might be interested in a comparison test of three different MC transformers: Tribute Audio, Jensen and Lebong Audio. This comparison test is rather old, being published in 2005, perhaps the products are still available as reviewed, or they might be different nowadays. Certainly, the Lebong Audio website is not available, perhaps the Company does no longer exist.
Hope this helped somehow,
Lucio Cadeddu

Nelson Pass clone
Hello Mark
I enjoyed your January review of the Breeze Audio Pass Clone.
Would it be possible to provide your supplier please?
Thank you
Chris - E-mail: ctmarrinan (at) outlook.com

MW
Hi Chris,
Thank you for your kind words, it makes it all worthwhile.
I bought the Breeze Audio clone of the Nelson Pass design through an ebay reseller. These Chinese clone amplifiers tend to be made in batches and therefore appear at random and sell out again, often fairly quickly. Regular searches of the usual online marketplaces soon throw up a selection of manufacturer's variations on published circuit designs (most recently there have been monoblock versions of a variation of this Nelson Pass circuit on various marketplaces) so it is worth searching regularly.
Good luck!
I hope this is helpful,
Mark Wheeler, The Old Scribe

Sonus Faber Quid
Hi!
I have a Sonus Faber Quid amp, among a lot of other hifi stuff. A hobby like any other. By taste naturally. Purchases, sales and exchanges always trying for something!
I saw on the net that you tested the Sonus Faber Quid! Where to get the electrical schematic to see if I can make an upgrade, if it makes sense, of course!
Regards,
Vitor - E-mail: vmmv59 (at) sapo.pt

LC
Dear Vitor,
the Sonus Faber Quid is a very fine and rare integrated amplifier, the first one (of two!) made by Sonus Faber, the other one being the Musica. It is becoming harder and harder to find so, for this reason, I do not recommend you to modify/tweak it, as this will completely destroy its value as a collectible piece of gear! It would be a crime, considering there are not many Quid amps left out there. As for schematics, I'm afraid I can't help you. And asking directly the manufacturer won't produce any result, I'm afraid. Leave it as is, eventually replace the power supply caps with similar components (and keep the original ones in a drawer, as one never knows). Just one tweak is allowed, since it is reversible: if not in use, unplug the phono board (it is not soldered). If in use, damp it with some Blu Tack.
Hope this helped somehow,
Lucio Cadeddu

Belt for Mission 775S?
Hi Mark,
Just read your article on TNT-Audio about belts. Good stuff :-)
I have been having a difficult time finding an excellent belt for a Mission 775S, and wondered if you might have any ideas on where to source one? Thanks,
Kenji - E-mail: kenjijamesfuse (at) gmail.com

MW
Hi Kenji,
Thank you for your kind words. It is 30 years since I was in Victoria BC and I was there for photography and photo-art-therapy so I do not recall visiting any audio stores. It is a beautiful part of the world where I could happily live and rarely venture indoors to listen to music on my audio system, so it is no surprise that it has taken a while before seeking a replacement for your turntable belt!

I remember the Mission 775S and the SM version very well, hearing them compared head-to-head to a number of contemporatry belt drive & DD turntables of the day, including the ubiquitous Linn Sondek LP12 and Technics 150/SME, the Rotel belt drive and various Thorens, as it was a favourite at a local dealers. Having, around the same period realised the value of a motor power supply, when the pre Valhalla Linn was found lacking compared with a Thorens TD125 (both carrying SME) and how the tables were turned when the Valhalla arrived, I'd expect great things of the Mission 775S even now, if equipped with a suitable poser supply like the Vinyl Passion or the Hercules or similar outboard PSU.

To your question, I have trawled t'interweb and find only Musonic list a belt specifically for the Mission 775S. Musonic have long been suppliers of inexpensive replacement styli and accessories but I cannot vouch for the quality because I have not tried them. It might be worth looking at whether any of the Thakker belts are the correct size if the Musonic is not suitable.

If speed stability is an issue, it might be worth cleaning out the bearing and replacing the oil. The Mission, like many other turntables including the original Linn, has a PTFE sleeve. It also has a ball bearing riding on a shim so it should need wet lubrication. Your Old Scribe has been researching various lubricants in various turntable bearings and without pre-empting the results, sewing machine oil will be fine and is very pure. Synthetic will last longer but this is a turntable, not an aero engine so the difference is negligable.
I hope this is helpful,
Mark Wheeler, The Old Scribe

Pluto speaker
Aloha from Hawaii,
I know the Pluto speaker has been around for several years but I only recently found out about them. I loved your review and was wondering if you could point me in the direction of a company that produces these for sale. I read that a Chinese company does produce these but I'm hesitant to buy anything from an unknown Chinese manufacturer. My experience in the past was not very good ,and when the product arrived it was shipped in a cardboard box that looked like someone ran over several times. LOL.
Any insight would be appreciated.
Mahalo and aloha,
Kap - E-mail: kapps808 (at) gmail.com

LC
Dear Kap,
the official Pluto website seems no longer available but you can find some useful infos on finished versions of the Pluto speakers here at www.linkwitzlab.com. Morever, Madison Sound sells, for just 245$, a complete DIY kit which includes:

• 2x Tweeters - Aurasound NSW2-326-8AT 2" with Solder Tabs
• 2x Woofers - Seas Prestige L16RN-SL (H1480) 6" Aluminum Cone
• 2lbs Stuffing - Acousta-Stuf Complex Fiber Fill

Headphone Amps comparison test
Hi Bevan,
I've enjoyed reading your comparison - especially as I've been looking for alternatives to the Schiit Magni that is so hard to find here in Europe... I had just bought a used Objective2 (well home built from - I guess - a kit from Head 'n' HiFi).
And I found, let me say, a very slight veil over some music. Until I disconnected the power supply and ran it on its batteries. That veil was gone! I guess the accompanying (Chinese) 15 V AC supply isn't the best.
So I just thought that your slightly negative experience with vocals on your JDS Labs Objective 2 perhaps might have a similar reason?
With my best wishes,
Kristian - E-mail: wannebok (at) gmail.com

BV
Dear Kristian,
I am glad that you like the JDS Objective 2, it is a very good little amplifier. I was aware that the unit comes with batteries built in, although I have lent mine to a friend, so cannot try it with just battery power at this time. I have heard that some amps and DACs perform better on battery power, so it may well be that you get some benefit from using it on battery power alone.
I think that, on reflection, the difference between this amp and the others was a question of being able to power my planar magnetic headphones that I used for testing. A lot of planar magnetic headphones need a reasonable amount of current to be driven well, it is not just a question of power. The other amps probably had an advantage in that they could deliver more current to the headphones. This is more often a reflection of the quality of the transformer in the power supply.
When I used the JDS amp to drive my Meze 99, which are very efficient dynamic driver headphones, it performed great, even beating the headphone out of my PS Audio Sprout100 that had more power, but failed to control the bass well.
Amplifiers and transducers always need matching to get the best from them. For low impedance, dynamic driver headphones, the JDS Objective 2 is great value and can make them sound really good.
Enjoy.
Bevan Court

NAD 2140 / 3140
Hello. Appreciate your NAD 3140 review. I have been gathering these for quite a while and the price is headed up, although I just bought on eBay a 3140 for just over $100 shipped. I think the 2140s last better due to heat as they are obviously less complex in the same box. I am using a 2140 and 3140, both bridged, in the home theater for mains music and serious movies. A second set is in my music studio room for alternative monitors. They push my vintage M&K SB1B's, Definitive ProTowers and Polk Monitor 10's very well. I have 3 more, but two are missing a channel. I will break down and recap a pair at some point.
The 3140 functions fully independently as a (wonderful) phono pre and tape monitor and I can use the 2 tape recording preouts to send phono to my modern Marantz AV receiver, and my vintage Nakamichi cassette deck to record my new expensive vinyl. I had the legendary 3020 brand new back in the day with my NAD 5120 turntable. Wish I kept it, although it would not come near the power the bridged 2140/3140s can make. At least I kept the cool NAD 5120 turntable and the Nak. Be well.
Thanks,
Phil - E-mail: pbyrdbarnes (at) gmail.com

LC
Dear Phil,
I'm glad you enjoyed my review of the old NAD, I certainly enjoyed all the time I spent listening to it and reviewing it for our Jurassik (S)Park! hall of fame. It is a brilliant amplifier, as was the smaller, sweeter 3020. Your NAD 5120 turntable is interesting, too, as was the 5025, made by Garrard for NAD. These turntables are mistakenly underrated.
As for recording vinyl on your Naka: my idea is that your vinyl collection will live longer than you (alas, that's life!), so play those as often as you desire, they will survive and age well, if you keep them clean and use a properly aligned good stylus. Do not save your LPs collection for the next owner...!
Thanks for the feedback!
Lucio Cadeddu

CD cleaning
Hi,
I see you recommend using Fabello, cleaning wood furniture spray silicone-based to clean your CD's, I'm in UK and having trouble finding its any other wood cleaning sprays you could recommend, that I can buy in the UK, love all the information on you TNT-Audio pages,
Hope you can help.
Yours,
Tony - E-mail: bird58 (at) btinternet.com

LC
Dear Phil,
there are many similar products in the market. You should be able to find, at any store near you, the following products: Old English (furniture polish), Pledge Classic, Parker & Bailey Wood Cleaner & Polish Spray and Lord Sheraton (which is silicone free).
Hope this helped somehow,
Lucio Cadeddu

A question about TNT Triple T Speaker Cable
Hello! I'm Kau, an audiophile who lives in Shanghai, China. I read this article [TNT Triple T] and I'm interested in this cable. I would like to ask a question about it. What brand of this was used in the article and what specific models were recommended?
I look forward to your reply, thank you.
Kau - E-mail: liujiayu727135804 (at) gmail.com

LC
Dear Kau,
glad to know you're interested in building your own cables using one of our free recipes. As for the Triple T, just use any UTP CAT 5 network cable, with 24 AWG solid copper conductors. The brand is irrelevant, they're all the same, more or less.
Do not forget to keep us updated with your findings! Feel free to send pics and listening notes.
Hope this helped somehow,
Lucio Cadeddu

Turntables capable of playing LPs and 78s
I read one of your articles with great interest. As you seem to be quite knowledgeable, I would like your opinion on some turntables to consider. First, while somewhat of an audiofile and technical nerd, I will probably never be considered a serious collector. Too many hobbies, not enough budget. I do collect old records, and appreciate good equipment.
Second, I am totally blind, so things that rely on touch controls, displays, or blinky lights for operation would be out.
Budget will be less than $1,000. If yo u could point out some starting points, I would be greatful. I don't mind manual operation if there is a separate lever to lift the arm.
Used to be a DJ, so got a lot of practice 40 years ago. Looking forward to some interesting suggestions.
Gary - E-mail: glee (at) bsu.edu

DH
Hello, Gary,
My apologies for being slow to get back to you, but I was waiting for some input from others, and it took time. Now I actually do have a suggestion or two. As to specific tables, I was thinking maybe a Dual 1219--old, but if properly serviced it has the advantages of being sturdy, offering fully automatic or manual operation, and having a little bit of speed variability. (How much that matters is a function of how far you want to go back with the records; it's not much of an issue for those after around 1930 but becomes important for those made before then.)
Our editor offered a different suggestion, the Thorens TD190-2, a fully automatic model that, as he pointed out, has the virtue of being current production and so not prone to needing an overhaul.
But then I got this advice from a friend, and it struck me as promising: try contacting Ward Marston, who is one of the two or three most respected names in restoration of historical recordings and who happens to be blind himself. I would expect he would have much better information at first hand than any of us here at TNT-Audio could offer by trying to think all the possible issues through. His record label's website www.marstonrecords.com has a contact phone number and also offers the e-mail address info (at) marstonrecords.com.
I hope this helps some, and I do wish you all the best in finding a turntable that will work for you.
David Hoehl

New system
Hello Lucio. Thanks for helping in choosing my new stereo system. I'm looking for and amplifier and a pair of speakers. The listening room is small, 30 sqm. The listening seat is 2,5 meter / 3meter away from the speakers. My music is all kind of rock music (jazz rock /prog. rock / blues rock / country rock / psychedilic rock), Folk, Blues, Jazz, New Wave. And sometimes classical music. I want to spend, if necessary, 5,000€ or less, if possible. I also listen to vinyl on a Thorens TD 145 pick up. I want to upgrade my cd player. In this moment I have a Technics SL - PG3 compact disc player. The amplifier is a Sony TA-F 444 ES. Maybe it is good enough? My speakers in this moment are Mordaunt - Short. What do you think of these speakers?
Kind regards,
Joop - E-mail: joopcoolen (at) ziggo.nl

LC
Dear Joop,
considering you have a turntable, it is better to purchase an integrated amplifier equipped with a good sounding phono input. This could be a Rega Brio R, for example (approx. 900€). A perfect CD player to match could be the Rega Apollo R (±1000€). As for speakers, I assume you use floorstanding speakers. The room isn't small, as you say, so a floorstanding speaker should be a wise choice. Considering your budget and the 2,000€ spent for CD & amp pair, you might spend another 2,000/3,000€. Good loudspeakers you should consider in this price range, given that you seem to prefer rock music, could be chosen among these: Klipsch RP8000F, Triangle Australe Ez, Focal Jm-Lab Aria 948, Spendor A2, Rega RX5, KEF R5. There are many other alternatives, but you have to start from somewhere. Eventually, visit some local HiFi dealer and listen to what they have. Take all the time you need to understand your taste and the products that suit your taste better. As for the components in your system, put them in the second hand market, except the Thorens turntable.
Hope this helped somehow,
Lucio Cadeddu

New system
Hello Lucio. Thanks for helping in choosing my new stereo system. I'm looking for and amplifier and a pair of speakers. The listening room is small, 30 sqm. The listening seat is 2,5 meter / 3meter away from the speakers. My music is all kind of rock music (jazz rock /prog. rock / blues rock / country rock / psychedilic rock), Folk, Blues, Jazz, New Wave. And sometimes classical music. I want to spend, if necessary, 5,000€ or less, if possible. I also listen to vinyl on a Thorens TD 145 pick up. I want to upgrade my cd player. In this moment I have a Technics SL - PG3 compact disc player. The amplifier is a Sony TA-F 444 ES. Maybe it is good enough? My speakers in this moment are Mordaunt - Short. What do you think of these speakers?
Kind regards,
Joop - E-mail: joopcoolen (at) ziggo.nl

LC
Dear Joop,
considering you have a turntable, it is better to purchase an integrated amplifier equipped with a good sounding phono input. This could be a Rega Brio R, for example (approx. 900€). A perfect CD player to match could be the Rega Apollo R (±1000€). As for speakers, I assume you use floorstanding speakers. The room isn't small, as you say, so a floorstanding speaker should be a wise choice. Considering your budget and the 2,000€ spent for CD & amp pair, you might spend another 2,000/3,000€. Good loudspeakers you should consider in this price range, given that you seem to prefer rock music, could be chosen among these: Klipsch RP8000F, Triangle Australe Ez, Focal Jm-Lab Aria 948, Spendor A2, Rega RX5, KEF R5. There are many other alternatives, but you have to start from somewhere. Eventually, visit some local HiFi dealer and listen to what they have. Take all the time you need to understand your taste and the products that suit your taste better. As for the components in your system, put them in the second hand market, except the Thorens turntable.
Hope this helped somehow,
Lucio Cadeddu

Hidden HiFi treasure
Hi,
have you seen this before? The JBL rare amplifier PL100 made especially for the Hartsfield speaker (1959-60). There is no picture with amplifier and Hartsfield in a system from that time.
Chassis A is the tweeter amp and B is the bass amp.
sites.google.com/site/jblpl100/
Regards,
Nils - E-mail: ampzilla (at) telia.com

LC
Dear Nils,
thanks for your message! Unfortunately I do not know this set-up, and I assume it is something quite rare. If I understand well, these amplifiers never went in production! Do you own these? If yes, I guess they could be any vintage JBL collectors' dream!
Thanks for your feedback!
Lucio Cadeddu

Tisbury Domino
Hi Mark,
I hope I'm not bothering you. I've just read your amazing article on TNT about the Tisbury Domino phono preamp.
I want to upgrade my phono preamp (a basic TCC 750), my turntable is a Pioneer PL225D connected to a Yamaha RS202D. Would you recommend me to purchase the Tisbury or, at that price, is there something better?
I'm also thinking about an upgrade for my amplifier in the next future, something around 1000€, any recommendation?
Thanks in advance
Best
Fabio - E-mail: turco82 (at) gmail.com

MW
Hi Fabio
Thank you for the high praise, it makes it all worthwhile to know we can be helpful.
The Tisbury Domino is indeed a remarkable product at the price and I have compared it with the TCC equivalent which is also excellent value. With the Front End First mantra in mind, I would also check that your pickup cartridge and stylus are good too. Check carefully your turntable set-up too.

This reply has been delayed by my exploration of what you might buy for 1000€ and I suggest you have a look back through my colleagues' reviews. The speakers you drive and your performance priorities will affect what is the best use for your money. If you are happy to buy used items, you will get more for your money.

I hope this is helpful; happy Listening!

Mark, the Old Scribe
Mark Wheeler

Maverick DAC voltage regulators
Hi Mike,
I was so happy to see your review on TNT-Audio about the Maverick Audio DAC D2. I never found anything to replace and I ended up upgrading capacitors, resistors, diodes and even added a separate toroid away from main board for analogue circuit. I do have Sparkos discrete op amps since 2016 which I love. You're so right about the tube and solid state outputs and the difference is negligible. The airyness and very presence of dynamics thrills me to this day. Even a expensive Classé SSP 600 ($6000) couldn't beat it in stereo mode. I wanted to ask about your view on changing the supply voltage regulators to the op amp. Was there something you can share to help me, please?
Much appreciated
Thanks,
Thiru - E-mail: thiru.rajeurs (at) gmail.com

LC
Dear Thiru,
we're glad you enjoyed our review of the Maverick Audio DAC D2 & Sparkos Labs SS3602 Dual Op Amps. Unfortunately Mike does no longer write for us, so we are afraid we can't correctly reply to your query. For sure, better regulators could be another step-up in performance, as the Sparkos op-amps require a good quality voltage “supply”.
If you decide to try new voltage regulators (we reviewed many of these) please keep us updated about your findings!
Thanks for your feedabck!
Lucio Cadeddu

CD player choice
Hello Lucio,
I read your review of the JVC XL-Z 232 CD player. I wanna look further because you wrote this CD player had a few issues. I am looking for a second hand good CD player. Can you please help me with a brand/model which I have to look for. Maybe you can also say to me what is a reasonable price to pay for it in the second hand market. As for brand, I think JVC or Marantz or any other good cd player would be fine. Are there in second hand market better JVC CD players? I want to spent a few hundred euros.
Thank you very much.
Kind regards,
Joop - E-mail: joopcoolen (at) ziggo.nl

LC
Dear Joop,
forget about old JVC CD players, you can find much better sounding units nowadays, and not necessarily in the second hand market! Just to name some example: Cambridge Audio AX C25 or AX C35 (±230€ and 330€, respectively), NAD C538 (±400€), Rotel CD11 Tribute (±450€) and Marantz CD6007 (±450€). Consider that prices might vary wildly depending on Country. Which one should you choose? Well, it depends on the rest of your system. If if it extremely budget-oriented, take the least expensive player of this list and invest the saved money on better speakers, for example. Do not forget that sound quality differences among entry-level CD players (or digital sources of any kind) are negligible if the rest of the system is too “basic”.
Hope this helped somehow,
Lucio Cadeddu

TNT AirCoil Interconnects - Braiding
Hi Roger and Happy New year!
I have been reading your DIY article and I would like to try it out myself.
Could you share with me how you braid the cable?
Which cable connect to RCA signal pin and ground?
Thx,
Taka - E-mail: tklim118 (at) yahoo.co.jp

RMcC
Hi Taka,
Braiding the wires takes some patience and concentration. I start by putting the ends of the wires and the teflon tube in a vice to hold them while I braid. This of course squashes the first bit which has to be cut off at the end of the braiding process. Braiding two wires is quite easy, just cross over on top of the tube then under the tube and continue to the end. I alternate which wire goes on top of the other at each crossover. If you use 4 wires its the same process except that there are more crossovers to manage. With regards to which wire to connect to the pin and ground, it doesn't matter. The key is to connect the same one at both ends. I use an ohmmeter to check that I have the same conductor at both ends.
Enjoy your project,
Roger McCuaig

Thorens TD125 mkII restore
Hello TNT-Audio, I was reading your notes for TD125 mkII diy. I am working on same turntable that I got and was treated badly.
It has bent chassis and i was hopping you might know where to find replacement.
Best regards for the new year,
Idan - E-mail: idan_muller (at) hotmail.com

LC
Dear Idan,
I'm pretty sure you can find a TD125 chassis on the second-hand market, try Ebay and HiFishark. Otherwise you can ask someone with a lathe turner to build a new chassis for you. That could be expensive, but the TD125 is a very good turntable that deserves to be “saved”.
On the other hand, I'd be a bit worried about the general status of the turntable and tonearm. Considering the mechanical damage of the chassis, who knows how the rest of the turntable works? Inspect it carefully before proceeding any further.
Hope this helped somehow,
Lucio Cadeddu

On Lossless Streaming Wars
Hi Bevan! I've read with interest your article about the Streaming Wars. I am doing my first attempts in testing streaming services in my Hifi system but I am limited to a Macbook as a source, connected by toslink to a honest Project DacBox E. I know firewire to spdif would be better, in fact my Cambdridge D500SE hooked to the same Dac sounds better than Tidal's app on the Hifi tier (and maybe i should use Tidal through Roon or Audinirvana, etc).
Your reasoning about bitrates made me think.
It is clear mobile hardware cannot use higher bitrates. But is it just a problem of mobile devices (like sending music from the phone to the wireless earpods) or the available transcoding protocols affect the actual streaming from the internet? I am wondering if in my setup I had been using Tidal Hifi at a 1411 kbps bitrate through the optical connection (or would only via spdif?). In other words my doubt is: if Tidal or other services claim to offer CD quality at 16 bit / 44.1 khz, are they streaming actually at 1411 kbps? Or is it a codec problem (UPnP etc) and no one has a proper one for decent Hifi yet?
Thanks a lot for your attention and happy new year!
Pasquale - E-mail: pasrob (at) pm.me

BC
Hi Pasquale,
I am glad that you found my article interesting.
First off, my experience is largely with PC's not Macs, but some of the things that you need to do are still similar. If you are on the CD tier, all the music being streamed from Tidal should be PCM, so it is not a protocol issue, but rather a software/OS issue.
There are a few things that you need to do. First, you need to check the streaming settings in the Tidal application. Click on the 3 dot menu (I believe it is in the top right hand of the screen from memory and then select Settings and then Streaming to manage your sound quality. I think that it defaults to 320kbps. Under the Wi-Fi selection, ensure that you have the CD/Lossless tier selected. That gets you CD quality coming into the Mac.
While you are still in the Streaming menu, look for the Sound Output and select the DAC and if possible select it as the output and if it lets you, select exclusive mode. I cannot remember if Apple lets you do this, but it is something that you can do on a Windows machine. As you are using Toslink, it may not let you do exclusive mode. In Windows, going into exclusive mode forces the stream to be bit-perfect - nothing is lost in the transmission.
You also need to head into the Audio Midi setup in Apple and you need to look at whether it is hardware encoding the stream. This allows you to adjust the volume with the Mac, but results in up/down sampling to a specific rate. It also stops the stream from being bit-perfect and can be an area that causes degradation to the sound quality. From reading the Apple support page, it looks like you can disable this, but you will have to control volume on your amp. If it does not let you select exclusive mode, make sure it is set to 16/44.1 and that the volume is at 100%.
The Tidal app should sound good, I would only suggest going to Roon if you are looking to use a separate streaming end point. This has the benefit of using a low power, low noise processer for streaming to the DAC that removes the OS limitations. It is also fairly expensive. I personally love it, but it is a larger investment in time and money and is not just about how it sounds. You can build a cost effective USB endpoint using a Raspberry Pi.
You will probably be better off spending the first years subscription of Roon on a newer USB DAC such as the Schiit Modi 3+ as USB has much lower jitter issues than Toslink. It will make more difference to the sound. There are also some nice, cost effect DACs from Topping, Audioquest and iFi in that price range if the Modi 3+ isn't available in your location.
I hope that this points you in the right direction and that you get great sound from your streaming.Hope this helped somehow,
Bevan Court

Old B&W speakers - your review of B&W DM4
Hi,
I enjoyed your review of the B&W DM 4 speakers. I own a pair of DM 11 speakers which I purchased new in the late 1970s, probably 1978. I'm curious if you have any information about them as my searches of the internet have failed to find much?
I have recently started listening to music again having ignored my CDs for years and am surprised how much I enjoy the DM11 when compared with some other small Tannoy or Castle speakers I own. To my failing ears the DM11 seem easier to listen to with the other speakers sounding brittle and lacking in bass.
Best wishes,
Simon - E-mail: smk (at) anvic.net

LC
Dear Simon,
your DM11's are slightly more recent (1978-1984) than the DM4's I reviewed. They use a TW26 dome tweeter and a classical B200 woofer. Here are some more detailed technical specifications:

• Acoustic Suspension
• Driver: 1 2.6-inch dome tweeter type TW26; 1 Bass / Mid driver Type 200/4 Bextrene cone
• Frequency Response: 60-20000Hz ±3dB
• Sensitivity: 87dB (1m / 1w)
• Nominal impedance: 8 ohm, min. 4.5 ohm
• Power: minimum 10Wrms - max 100Wrms
• Dimensions: 26 x 51 x 26 (WxHxD)
• Weight: 13 Kg. Each
• Protection with 2A overload fuse
• Sound absorbing padding inside the cabinet, in original sheep wool

Atoll DAC300
Hello Lucio,
I have just now read your 2019 review of the Atoll DAC300. I am new to Atoll, having just purchased the IN100 SE integrated amplifier, after auditioning it and giving time in my system.
I was interested in your impressions of the DAC300. Do you have a record of the associated components for your review? What I found interesting is your description of the forward presentation, with somewhat less than realistic imaging. I currently use an “ancient” but pleasant and competent Teac UD-301 DAC but contemplate replacing it in the next year or two. I also own a SET amp that betters the IN100 in certain respects, at least that is my judgment at present - the IN100 SE is not totally broken in yet, so a final comparison isn't possible.
Thanks for your time - I've enjoyed TNT since its founding.
Earl - E-mail: earl.dunbar (at) gmail.com

LC
Dear Earl,
if I were you, I'd choose a NuPrime DAC (just to suggest a brand) for the more "linear" presentation. I appreciated the Atoll DAC, though it is a bit forward sounding to completely suit my taste. Moreover, it is hard to compare the IN100 with a SET, as they are worlds apart.
Hope this helped somehow,
Lucio Cadeddu

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