Recent content by pantera_rapida

The PL pre-amp only has RCA.

Thanks. I have a better understanding of what's going on with the PL and power amps. Reminds me of the rabbit hole I had to go through for one of my turntables that had a cartridge that was less mV than my previous ones. I had to crank the volume on the (then Receiver) quite a bit and it...

Usually Normal, as I was of the impression this is a safer mode. I did use Lab once, I found the music did sound better.

In the case of the amps I tried none of them sounded great with the higher volume. Another issue I would guess is that the NAD bridged just put out more power and the sound is fuller. Although on paper the Aragon is 400w @ 4 ohms which I thought would have sounded the same.

Thanks to you both, helps me understand things better. If I'm looking at vintage or newish amps, what should I look for? As I mentioned, the only amp I've seen so far that has the ability to control gain is the A21+, which goes up to 31dB at Max. I wondered if the PL pre-amp has quite low...

I have a few questions around matching my tube pre-amp with different power amps, and also about running my amps bridged. Recently I purchased a (used) Primaluna Dialog Premium tube pre-amp. It works and sounds great, and I have it running through two NAD 2200 power amps (bridged). A bit later...

Has anyone heard a Aragon 4004 mkII vs an 8008bb with the same components (and speakers)? I've read mixed reviews of whether the 4004 sounded better or the 8008 did, but never done together.

I should mention I use them bridged using the Normal In (not Lab) with Soft Clipping 'On'.

Thanks for that info. I'm still looking to see if I can find anything newer to supplant them with, and if I don't I will most likely have them updated. I would like to A/B a Neurochrome 686 but haven't found anyone locally who has one, and I don' t have the skills/tools to build one myself.

Just an update since the last post. First is that I acquired a Primaluna Dialog Premium tube pre-amp. I was not prepared for the changes to the sound once I plugged it into my stereo. Up until then I'd used my 1976 Kenwood KR-9600 Receiver (fully recapped) which I thought sounded quite good...

Class G as in NAD 2200 power amps? I have a pair of those I use regularly. I was pondering whether to recap my 2200 power amps as they sound excellent with my current setup, but are about 40 years old. Or whether I'd be better off looking at a newer Class D amp? If possible I'd want to A/B...

With some prices for 23.5 models still in the $2-3000 price zone it makes sense to see where Class D amps are in that price range for similar power and performance. If anyone has actually listened to a 23.5 vs a new Class D I'd be curious to know the outcome.

I saw a Mark Levinson No. 23.5 power amp for sale and read up on it, reviews of that time (decades ago) are super positive about the power, performance and capability of this power amp. I got to wondering how the newest (2023/2024) Class D amps that are smaller, less costly (some of them) and...

I have an original pair of NAD 2200's that work great. In mono block configuration they sound better then any of my vintage mid-70's Receivers (even recapped ones) with 165 watts/side. With different pre-amps I've gained more detail, but the wide and deep mid-low end, not to mention the grit...

Nice. How were your results? Did they live up to your expectations? Is this build just a project for you?