On a Desert Island Part 1

It’s the old desert island question: If you were on a desert island, what would you take with you? I could ask you that question but I need a “twist” to make it interesting. Something like, oh, let’s say, a budget. So the new question is, “If you were on a desert island, and had a budget of $1500, what audio components would you take with you?”

Hmmm. Interesting question – because now I have to consider my tastes, bias, the kind of music I listen to, etc – and what can I fit in. I need to start with the hardest component first and work my way back – that is the speaker.

There are speakers from a Chinese manufacturer called BL Audio that fit the bill. They are called the BL Audio Muge. They image like a son of gun and are fussy about the midrange. Drive them incorrectly, and you get a nasal quality. Drive them too hard and you get congestion. Drive them just right, - look out. Total cost for the speakers are: $650.

Oops, just used a big hunk of my spare change. Next would be an amp. I do not need something powerful, so the BADA DC-222 is out. What a pity, with new tubes, it sounds like some of the amps we have for sale costing $1000. Next would be the Ming DA EL34 amplifier. Still too powerful – plus, its push on the midrange bloom is great for Quads, Vandersteens and B&Ws, but not for these puppies. I need something a little delicate in the midrange, yet detailed enough to bring out the speakers qualities, tonally accurate in the high end yet forceful in the lower registers. Plus, I need something where tube life is at a premium. The Shuguang 208B EL84 amplifier is perfect. It has a delicate high end whose detail extends into the midrange. Its forcefulness in the lower registers will add detail and presence to the midrange. Tube life will be great, plus it can take a lot of abuse that a desert island will give. Cost is $530. A total of $1180. I have$320 to spend on a CD player.

Not going to do it. I can’t find a CD player for $320 that will work with this system. I need one that is going to compliment – one that has detail in the lower registers and not too bright, garish or pushy on the top end – particularly the upper midrange and – I do not want CDs sounding like CDs. The MHZS Audio CD 33 is perfect for this and highly underrated for its quality (just Google it, if you do not believe me). This will give me what I need. Plus the up sampling flexibility is something I can tailor to my CDs to get the sound I want. Its cost is $530 – which brings me to $1710. I will just have to go to the island people and request the extra $210 that’s all there is to it.

So there you have it, and there it is – my desert island system under $2k. The BL Audio Muge, the Shuguang 208B EL84 amplifier and the MHZS CD 33. I think I can live with these components for a long, long time.

All the best,

Vic

The sound of Chips........

I was going to start with something really, well annoying: Chips Ahoy!, Goodbye Mr. Chips, Fish & Chips - well you get the picture.

What this BLOG is really all about is that converter chips, no matter what the DAC, have a certain sound. I'll walk through them with you.


Analogue Devices.

These DACs, found in DIYEDEN and the Lite DAC AM, DACs 39, DAC 68 and the Lite CD 15 CD player, have what we call a very "British" sound. Viz., the bass is often lean, kind of shy on the dynamics, wonderful lush tube-like mids, soft rolled off "Mullard" like highs. If configured right, you will get some "air" and "space" around instruments. The DAC AM modified does this as does the DAC 68. I never heard a bad CD through analogue devices chip (1852, 1853, specifically) Like wise, I never heard a great CD sound "great".

Burr Brown

Lets include the PCM 1704UK and the PCM1732. The DAC 60, DAC 60 modified, the DAC 62, the BADA CD player, the Shuguang CD Player and the DAC 38 all have this chip. This chip must be tamed otherwise it can sound quite garish in the highs. The HDCD rendition is absolutely stunning and worth getting one of these players if you can make a commitment to HDCD Discs. They have a more "American Sound" - the bass is deep and dynamic, the mids are detailed and trasparent. Properly configured, the chips can pull instruments away from each other and can image like a son of a gun. The DAC 62 and other folks who modify the DAC (Sonic Craft et. al) modify the DAC 60 and obtain this. The highs, if tamed are articulate. If the AD1853 is used for vocals and orchestra, the PCM1704UK can be used for rock, jazz.

Delta Sigma CS Series.

Found in the DOGE CD player and Musiland MD10. This so, far maybe the best of the bunch in terms of imaging, spatial coherence and midrange detail. Absolutely stunning in the DOGE and very nice in the Muisiland. The bass, however, needs work. It can be slightly fat as in the Doge to too pronounced below 60Hz and non-existent above 100 Hz as in the Musiland. In other words, the Doge is slightly bloated and the Musiland slightly lean. You will have to ask about this when you order or audition a digital device with a DS CS series chip.

That is it for now......

All the best,

Vic

Tube-a-docious......Random musings about tubes.

1. ELectro Harmonix and Sovtek are not the same tubes. They are both owned by New Sensor, but are made in completely different factories with different specs.
2. The Sovtek tubes are inexpensive, the Electro Harmonix are not. Never pay the same for the same tube.
3. The Sovtek 12AX7LPS is a good 12AX7 tube for the money, you heard it here first.
4. The JJ 6922 is the only non-NOS tube worth considering.
5. All Chinese tubes are bad --- WRONG!! The Shuguang KT-88 derivatives, KT-98, KT-100 are great tubes. The Shuguang 6550 is a GE clone - try one of these, you Citation freaks. The Shuguang 12AX7 and EL84 are great tubes
6. Some Chinese tubes are bad --- RIGHT!!! The tubes that Ming Da and Xian Sheng sometimes provide - Chinese tubes without any markings, should be changed right away.
7. The Winged C 6550 is probably the best 6550 you have ever heard.
8. The rumors surrounding the EH 6550 and KT88 are true - they are great tubes.
9. Groove tubes has a 12AX7 that is a Mullard clone and this is the best 12AX7 you ever heard.
10. The Groove Tubes 12AT7 is also great.
11. Dollar for dollar, you cannot go wrong with a JJ tube
12. Much ado about EI tubes. They were not that great. They are now gone. Don't pay the premium
13. Valve Art tubes are the best of Shuguang tubes.

That's all folks - please send me you comments. I know that I pissed someone off here.

All the best,

Vic

Can't Listen to Anything Else

I just took a listen to the DOGE CD player. Now I can't listen to anything else. What to do?

I also do not know what gives this thing its magic. Apparently, if I am to understand the design, there are not any semiconductors after the conversion circuit. If this is true, then all filtering and amplifying of the signal is done through tubes.

Its true, the drawer (Phillips) is shoddy, but the rest of the thing is built like a tank. What I heard was uncanny: Images thrown to left and right of each speaker, a detailed high end and are you ready for this, a detailed low end very detailed. I am now rediscovering my disks. Truly, truly remarkable.

What I listened to over the holidays.........

I had some wonderful music that produced rich vocals and musical timbre. A great album for musical quality was "Christmas with the Rat Pack" on Capital, John Prime, "The Missing Years", and Dire Straits, "Brothers in Arms" what great music, what a gift.

The Deano vocals are the best on the Rat Pack. Unfortunately, Frank's numbers are a bit too distorted for my tastes. Sammy, is well , just Ok.

I listened on a pair of Infinity Kappas, Acoustats and Infinity 360s. Equipment used was the incredible DOGE 6 CD player, a new top loading CD Player from MHZS called the CD 88 with 4 tubes, the Ming DA EL34 amp and a new amp from DOGE the 6130.

Had a great holiday, hope yours was the same.

All the best,

Vic