A wishlist of gear to be reviewed by Amir

[Xulonn]

After reading the review of the Niles SI-275 amplifier, a good, robust commercial product, I thought about OSD, an American (HQ in SoCal) company with the typical China-based manufacturing that I see pop up occasionally in my searches for things audio on the internet. Unfortunately, for 9 of the 10 product choices of their consumer amps listing at Amazon, 20% of the 103 review/ratings over a 10-year period are one-star, mostly for DOA and quickly dying products - and there are several such ratings in the past year.

However, one product on that page - the "OSD Audio 240W 5-Channel Home Theater Amplifier – Digital Class H System, XA5180" - for which the first rating was one year ago, has a separate review/ratings listing, with mostly 4 and 5 star, for both USA and international ratings. A couple of ASR members have posted that they own this amp and like it. The XA5180 is a 5-channel amplifier with balanced XLR plus unbalanced RCA inputs. It is an energy-efficient Class-H amp (a Class-AB variant that uses lower voltage rails unless a higher-level signal is sensed), and is rated for 120w/channel at 8Ω. At a price of $440 with free shipping and a 30 day return policy, it appears to be a good candidate for Amir to measure and review.

================================

But I'm not getting my hopes up for Amir to ever test their 234lb monster X11 amplifier with it's [email protected]Ω...

 

[tknx]

I think some of the OSD amps are the same as the Dayton MAs (which I use for unimportant whole house audio zones). They seem okay but I admit I haven't done any listening with them and I fully plan on building some 12 channel Hypex or Purifi amps to replace them eventually.

 

[Silly Valley]

With poor AVR LSI performance measurements and the growing interest in HT Bypass, I would like to see the Parasound P6 Pre and 200 Integrated which IMO have better HT Bypass function implementation than most products.

Parasound's approach includes bypass input for the 2 L,R channels as well as for the sub output from an AVR/Processor and adjustable analog bass management for those who are so inclined. The P6 functions in Bypass mode by default when powered off to simplify things. Also interested how the Class D Pascal amps in the integrated measure up. While the Dacs may not be top flight, I would accept 'good enough'. You can always add an outboard DAC but the functionality looks appealing. These units could help in simplifying HT Bypass and Bass management which with most other producst are going to require some sort of work around or additional boxes to implement correctly. The Hint 6 and 200 Pre take similar approaches.

 

[GeorgeWalk]

With poor AVR LSI performance measurements and the growing interest in HT Bypass, I would like to see the Parasound P6 Pre and 200 Integrated which IMO have better HT Bypass function implementation than most products.

Parasound's approach includes bypass input for the 2 L,R channels as well as for the sub output from an AVR/Processor and adjustable analog bass management for those who are so inclined. The P6 functions in Bypass mode by default when powered off to simplify things. Also interested how the Class D Pascal amps in the integrated measure up. While the Dacs may not be top flight, I would accept 'good enough'. You can always add an outboard DAC but the functionality looks appealing. These units could help in simplifying HT Bypass and Bass management which with most other producst are going to require some sort of work around or additional boxes to implement correctly. The Hint 6 and 200 Pre take similar approaches.

View attachment 54417



View attachment 54414

I vote for Parasound also. I have the 200 Pre and the 275 v2 amp.

 

[Reksos007]

Since i saw a review of Rhythmic subwoofer i wonder how they compare to BK electronic and Klipsch R-112SW. The Klipsch subwoofer is often for sale for 450 dollars in my area.

http://www.bkelec.com

 

[A800]

Behringer NX.

 

[sejarzo]

Behringer NX.

It seems as if no two folks can agree on the level of fan noise with these.

 

[Wes]

I'd like to see a review of DSP software and DACs with DSP that compares ease of use, and ability of each item to adjust speakers for room effects, cross-over issues, etc.

 

[sejarzo]

After reading the review of the Niles SI-275 amplifier, a good, robust commercial product, I thought about OSD, an American (HQ in SoCal) company with the typical China-based manufacturing that I see pop up occasionally in my searches for things audio on the internet. Unfortunately, for 9 of the 10 product choices of their consumer amps listing at Amazon, 20% of the 103 review/ratings over a 10-year period are one-star, mostly for DOA and quickly dying products - and there are several such ratings in the past year.

If you sign up for marketing emails from OSD Audio's own outlet you get 10% off your first order. A couple of weeks ago, they also sent out an email with a 15% off code (since expired) which would put that amp at $375, or $75 per channel. That site also has some attractive pricing on raw speaker cable, long RCA and HDMI cables, tv mounts, etc.

https://www.outdoorspeakerdepot.com/

 

[mhardy6647]

Oh. I shoulda put this here*. sorry!

https://www.svsound.com/products/pr...arge+or+Small?+And+$100+Off+PB-2000+Subwoofer

_________________
* as opposed to here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-be-a-fun-component-to-put-to-the-test.12265/ That thread can be deleted if y'all'd care to do so!

 

[mhardy6647]

Based on a quick search here* It doesn't look like @amirm has "tested" the (in)famous little FX Audio 6j1 preamplifier gizmo ("The $31 wonder" as some have dubbed it). I have a perverse fascination with weird, cheap Asian-sourced vacuum tube equipment like this little preamp -- but even I draw the line at wasting spending investing 31 US Smackers on one to try! I also wonder why these things use pentodes instead of triodes for amplification -- but, hey, that's just me.

(EDIT: Ooops, I had a picture of the wrong gizmo initially -- this is das Ding an sich)

I imagine that this is no more, or no less, than a little purpose-built distortion box to add tube warmth and color to harsh, sterile digital (as some folks are wont to say) a la the plethora of cheap "tube buffers" that were popular a decade or so ago. Of course, a well-designed buffer should be about as neutral an electronic gizmo as can be devised, even if it uses a vacuum tube as its active element!

I'd be interested to see if my preconceived bias is accurate (I really do try to keep an open mind -- at least about some things!). I'd also be curious to see if tube rolling (as they say) might yield measurable differences in performance -- although I do believe all y'all have evaluated that particular tube hifi hobbyist trait previously with other components (??).

At any rate, thought it would be worth mentioning.
Thanks.
Carry on.



________________________________
* https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?search/1961828/&q=FX+Audio+6j1&o=relevance

 

[Veri]

Based on a quick search here* It doesn't look like @amirm has "tested" the (in)famous little FX Audio 6j1 preamplifier gizmo ("The $31 wonder" as some have dubbed it). I have a perverse fascination with weird, cheap Asian-sourced vacuum tube equipment like this little preamp -- but even I draw the line at wasting spending investing 31 US Smackers on one to try! I also wonder why these things use pentodes instead of triodes for amplification -- but, hey, that's just me.

(EDIT: Ooops, I had a picture of the wrong gizmo initially -- this is das Ding an sich)

View attachment 58965
View attachment 58963

I imagine that this is no more, or no less, than a little purpose-built distortion box to add tube warmth and color to harsh, sterile digital (as some folks are wont to say) a la the plethora of cheap "tube buffers" that were popular a decade or so ago. Of course, a well-designed buffer should be about as neutral an electronic gizmo as can be devised, even if it uses a vacuum tube as its active element!

I'd be interested to see if my preconceived bias is accurate (I really do try to keep an open mind -- at least about some things!). I'd also be curious to see if tube rolling (as they say) might yield measurable differences in performance -- although I do believe all y'all have evaluated that particular tube hifi hobbyist trait previously with other components (??).

At any rate, thought it would be worth mentioning.
Thanks.
Carry on.



________________________________
* https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?search/1961828/&q=FX+Audio+6j1&o=relevance

Would be funny to see its effect be audio-gd levels of horrific, with so many people on YouTube praising them..

 

[mhardy6647]

I suspect they're pretty grim -- I actually doubt that they sound all that great, euphonic distortion notwithstanding...
but (!) I don't know that.

 

[somebodyelse]

Would be funny to see its effect be audio-gd levels of horrific, with so many people on YouTube praising them..

I can see it now... "It's just like audio-gd but a fraction of the price!"

 

[mhardy6647]

oooh, oooh, oooh! I've got one to add to the wishlist!

So... I just got this e-mail ad from musicdirect pushing Bob Carver's unusual US made (and relatively inexpensive) little 75 wpc vacuum tube stereo amplifier (Carver Crimson 275). It has some interesting design wrinkles, leavened with some of Carver's standard-issue just a little too good to be true shtick.

https://www.bobcarvercorp.com/copy-of-crimson-raven
https://www.musicdirect.com/power-amp/Bob-Carver-275-Stereo-Tube-Amplifier

Sample prose, from the Carver Corp. website:

Our amplifiers simply do not run hot. Like their more expensive siblings, they are the coolest running tube type amplifiers in history allowing you to actually touch the tops of the mighty KT120's and never be burned! The internal temperature of our amplifiers is a bit warmer than the inside of your mouth, resulting in an indeterminate lifespan.

Due to the unique design, all the components in the amplifier undergo much less stress than in conventional designs. Due to the efficiency of the concept, our transformers can be lighter and despite Bob Carver specifying esoteric steel for their cores, it helps us sell a $4000 amplifier for under $3000. Transformers are traditionally the most expensive component so if there’s no compromise in performance, this is a genuine benefit.

Now, unfortunately, I am not in a position to buy one and have it drop-shipped to Washington State (well, I could -- but Mrs. H would likely keeeeel me; sorry!), so I doubt this particular wish will ever come true -- but still I thought it worthy of mention.

Full disclosure -- I did give serious consideration to buying one of these amps when it was introduced (at an attractive introductory price), but, after an extensive but somewhat odd discussion (including Carver's business partner) at another forum, I chickened out. I am still awfully intrigued by this amp, which, for better or worse, is quite a bit different than one's average 2 x 75 watt vacuum tube amplifier (e.g., McIntosh 275) in size, weight, and price.

Thanks for your attention & consideration!

 

[amirm]

It certainly looks good for a tube amp.

 

[Promit]

Behringer NX.

It seems as if no two folks can agree on the level of fan noise with these.

It's pretty loud. I wouldn't want to have one unless it was in a closed cabinet. Incidentally, Amir has one of mine so I expect you'll see measurements before too terribly long.

 

[A800]

It's pretty loud. I wouldn't want to have one unless it was in a closed cabinet. Incidentally, Amir has one of mine so I expect you'll see measurements before too terribly long.

Fan mod, no problem.
Great.

 

[Promit]

Fan mod, no problem.
Great.

Yeah... I'm about to find out if it can run a 12V Noctua or not.

 

[A800]

https://www.avsforum.com/forum/155-...nother-behringer-nx3000d-fan-swap-thread.html