AudioSceptic
Major Contributor
It's clear that Mr. Fidler doesn't rush things to market; it has to be right. This will sell loads to people also considering products like the Pro-Ject Box ones.
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Classic Audio MC Pro Phonostage Review
- Thread starter amirm
- Start date
New video review on this one: It's a pretty good subjective analysis and also includes audible demonstrations of the noise floor in-situ with a cartridge connected, as well as LF XFEED on groove noise.
I'm really dragging my feet on the Spartan 20, to be honest, as it's chaotic enough at the moment as it is and lots of people want one. I've got them all ready to go but don't really want to release them until things calm down a bit, which I'm hoping can be achieved with a bit of reluctance/refusal of some sales. I can only do about 70 hours of high-quality work every week!
I'm really dragging my feet on the Spartan 20, to be honest, as it's chaotic enough at the moment as it is and lots of people want one. I've got them all ready to go but don't really want to release them until things calm down a bit, which I'm hoping can be achieved with a bit of reluctance/refusal of some sales. I can only do about 70 hours of high-quality work every week!
Growth has challenges! Pretty soon, you’ll be recruiting an old colleague to help with production.
For a second, I thought it was a turntable!
Old colleague pictured above!
AudioSceptic
Major Contributor
Just double the price, a proven way of adjusting demand to match production.
Only kidding ;-)
I don't think I could do that and look myself in the eye, to be honest. I'd really rather offer a fair price for no-nonsense people, who are my target audience after all. At the moment I just ask for details of what people are using and if they're experiencing any issues in the setup, which gives me a good idea of whether it's wise to proceed. 'Audiophile' cables correlate strongly with various hum and RFI issues. About half of the time I'm saying no, or at least being dissuasive, especially if someone already has hum or is using a Rega turntable (notorious for hum issues as there's no ground wire/shielding drain).
A lot of people want me to inherit their preexisting setup problem, such as turntable mis-wiring, and fix it them for them as a consequence the sale, which I don't think is particularly fair and always results in a wild goose chase. I just get the return and undo the sale ASAP in this situation now and leave it there. Doubtless some people are not very satisfied with my lack cooperation in this regard, but to be honest that's probably just as well. Maybe it sounds a bit harsh, but I'd rather make a smaller number of people who already have a proper setup very happy with the product.
Until I get new premises, I'm just going to be controlling the flow so I don't end up making boards all day and generating revenue that I don't need or want while depleting the stock that I need to tide me over to the next iteration. If I start rushing things to chase unnecessary financial conditions, then there could be quality issues and problems with consistency. I want to mainly focus on maintaining quality and heading towards my own in-house version of SMT; something quite interesting in and of itself with its own new challenges!
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AudioSceptic
Major Contributor
Thanks for the detailed and interesting reply. I really, really was joking!
Will SMT result in more compact products, an increase in quality, or perhaps both?
I'm a great believer in supporting makers of quality stuff, fairly priced. We've got a stupid number of LPs but never play them anymore as we now have it all and more in digital on our NAS, otherwise an order would be on its way! I'll link to reviews here any chance I get.
morillon
Major Contributor
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reasonably if we simply consider theorical the range of the instruments of the orchestra or the normal piano etc. and putting aside the pipes of the largest organs...it is indeed relevant to cut under 27hz...
but I imagine this being done in a very vigorous to be really useful... right?
but I imagine this being done in a very vigorous to be really useful... right?
I sort of knew that, but it's a question that's worth an answer, whether or not made in jest.Thanks for the detailed and interesting reply. I really, really was joking!
Will SMT result in more compact products, an increase in quality, or perhaps both?
I'm a great believer in supporting makers of quality stuff, fairly priced. We've got a stupid number of LPs but never play them anymore as we now have it all and more in digital on our NAS, otherwise an order would be on its way! I'll link to reviews here any chance I get.
I'm hoping to improve crosstalk, RIAA accuracy and general magnetic immunity further with SMT MELF layouts. Through-hole metal film resistors actually represent the best value as parts alone in terms of their performance, but that changes when you start to include the time it takes to fit them. With SMT MELF thin film types, we can parallel relatively low cost 1% tolerance parts to give ourselves a much better statistical average for critical values.
NJM/JRC/Nisshinbo have an 80 series of amplifier ICs in the vein of the 5532 and 2068 that are showing improved performance as well. These are only available in SOP8 and other SMT packages.
A point that's well worth making is that SMT chip resistors seem to be highly unsuitable for audio. I've measured significant distortion that increases with the resistance value, not only on the very low cost 'thick film' Ruthenium types, but also on 'thin film' types as well. This is absent on MELF SMT resistors as it is on their through-hole equivalents. Helical is the way to go by the looks of things!
JP
Major Contributor
Wise.
The majority of my LP's are not available upon any other format. Some are also on RTR.Thanks for the detailed and interesting reply. I really, really was joking!
Will SMT result in more compact products, an increase in quality, or perhaps both?
I'm a great believer in supporting makers of quality stuff, fairly priced. We've got a stupid number of LPs but never play them anymore as we now have it all and more in digital on our NAS, otherwise an order would be on its way! I'll link to reviews here any chance I get.
So...
AudioSceptic
Major Contributor
That might be unusual for anyone who kept all LP's - but for any one who replaced LPs with digital where possible it would be the reason those LPs were kept.
AudioSceptic
Major Contributor
Yes, of course!
I have records from the year that my father was born in 1927 forward to perhaps the 1990's and a few things newer on LP.
I also have about 100 CD's.
Some of the things are of the more popular rock & roll but many are German, Austrian & Italian folk music from my mother's side of my family (she is Austrian, her father (obviously my grandfather) was Italian.
I also have home movies dating from my grandparents 1929 Snow Skiing wedding in the Austrian Alps up to the mid 1960's.
Right!
Like this in the APT/Holman Preamplifier (1978-1979):
Within 0.5 dB at 20 Hz, -3 dB at 15 Hz and > -30 dB at 5 Hz.
Of which I have 2.
When turned on (from a switch on the back of the preamp) I believe (I may be wrong [my wife tells me that I have been wrong before]) that it affects the output of anything coming into the preamp, not just the phono section.
As to my TT Rumble (-82 DB), I think that I have other things to worry about that are more of a problem.
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AudioSceptic
Major Contributor
See the posts by DSJR and Frank Dernie in this page <https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...c-audio-mc-pro-phonostage-review.47139/page-3>
WDeranged
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A couple of weeks ago I replaced my Zen Phono with the Spartan 15. My only hopes were a little extra clarity and less intrusive pops. I pretty much got them both. Everything is a bit more coherent than the Zen and some pops have definitely been pushed into the background. I assume those particular transient spikes were too much for the Zen.
The mono summed bass feature is surprisingly effective. It noticeably dips the deepest roar from the stylus and solidifies the centre image of bass notes. It was a pleasant surprise as I was sceptical.
I have to add how good the Zen was for the money. Tonally it's very similar to the Spartan 15. A really nice, balanced, dynamic sound. It's just the Spartan does all the same stuff but better.
The mono summed bass feature is surprisingly effective. It noticeably dips the deepest roar from the stylus and solidifies the centre image of bass notes. It was a pleasant surprise as I was sceptical.
I have to add how good the Zen was for the money. Tonally it's very similar to the Spartan 15. A really nice, balanced, dynamic sound. It's just the Spartan does all the same stuff but better.
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