Where Have All the Serious Audiophiles Gone?

[Wes]

I'm thinking of buying an Accuphase just for the looks and the knob feel.

Does that make me a real audiophile?

 

[MSTARK]

I'd love to buy a pair of Crimson monoblocks.

Martin

For Canadians on cold winter nights, I recommend these (900s):

 

[Doodski]

For Canadians on cold winter nights, I recommend these (900s):
View attachment 77676

I've seen amps like that at the Vegas CES. The rooms where nice and warm even from outside in the hallway and the scent of wafting cognac was wafting too. You're right way up here in Edmonton we see some -35 Celcius temps (-31 F) plus some stiff winds every winter. I have a selection of down jackets for the various conditions encountered here.

 

[MSTARK]

I've seen amps like that at the Vegas CES. The rooms where nice and warm even from outside in the hallway and the scent of wafting cognac was wafting too. You're right way up here in Edmonton we see some -35 Celcius temps (-31 F) plus some stuff winds every winter. I have a selection of down jackets for the various conditions encountered here.

Winter in Canada is no joke.
You deserve to treat yourself with something warm and cozy.

 

[BillG]

Anyone want one of these? Are you serious? More info here.

Tube amps have never appealed to me, although I can understand why they do to others. They're noisy, fragile, inefficient, and run hot.

 

[polmuaddib]

I understand the appeal of tubes. I had an Audio Research smaller tube power amp. It is funny because you know there is distrotion present, but midrange really sounds wonderful. It feels "true", even though you know it is adding something to the sound. I sold it because the bass was inadequate. No punch, nothing. I couldn't live with it. And the thought of having to replace the tubes.....
But I get why people love them. If it sounded bad, nobody would buy them. Who cares about distortion if the sound is nice. It is all about the illusion, anyway. However you get there.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

There are lots of very expensive amps that I see that are more extreme than this. They say that it's essentially the power of bridged MC275s.

My system is almost entirely tube based but my speakers are extremely efficient at about 105 db. At that efficiency only a few watts are needed; 40 watts for the woofer and 2 1/2 Watts for the tweeter horns.

 

[MSTARK]

There are lots of very expensive amps that I see that are more extreme than this. They say that it's essentially the power of bridged MC275s.

My system is almost entirely tube based but my speakers are extremely efficient at about 105 db. At that efficiency only a few watts are needed; 40 watts for the woofer and 2 1/2 Watts for the tweeter horns.

What amps/pre are you using?

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

What amps/pre are you using?

The preamp is one of my own designs using 12 ax7 tubes. The electronic crossover is also one of my designs and that uses opamps it's 24db per octave linkwitz Riley. The low-frequency amp is a Macintosh 240 and the high frequency amp is a 300b tube amp kit which carry put out several years ago. I use 2A3 tubes in it and have done significant modification to this amp. I have four 18in JBL subwoofers re-tuned for 12 Hertz which are running in stereo. these are driven by 1000 watt soundcraft solid state amps. The room is 6000 square feet with a cathedral ceiling.

 

[SIY]

The preamp is one of my own designs using 12 ax7 tubes.

Care to comment about the circuit? 12AX7 is a supremely linear tube when used correctly, but it's one of the most difficult to do circuits with it that realize its potential.

 

[MSTARK]

The preamp is one of my own designs using 12 ax7 tubes. The electronic crossover is also one of my designs and that uses opamps it's 24db per octave linkwitz Riley. The low-frequency amp is a Macintosh 240 and the high frequency amp is a 300b tube amp kit which carry put out several years ago. I use 2A3 tubes in it and have done significant modification to this amp. I have four 18in JBL subwoofers re-tuned for 12 Hertz which are running in stereo. these are driven by 1000 watt soundcraft solid state amps. The room is 6000 square feet with a cathedral ceiling.

I would love to hear that sound.
6000sqf is enormous space to fill with sound and retain dynamic headroom.
To be honest, I am a little jealous. lol
But I can appreciate dedication to achieve this “little” audio nirvana. Bravo!

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

Care to comment about the circuit? 12AX7 is a supremely linear tube when used correctly, but it's one of the most difficult to do circuits with it that realize its potential.

This preamp was built probably 30 years ago. I'd have to try to dig out the schematics if they still exist. I know the power supply is pretty elaborate, well filtered and external to the preamp. The pot is motorized with control done in an old-school way with wires to the listening seat. I think the 12 ax 7s are buffered at their outputs buy a couple transistors in class a - mps 10s/ mps 60 if I remember correctly.

 

[RayDunzl]

The room is 6000 square feet with a cathedral ceiling.

That's huge.

Did, perchance, you mean cubic feet?

A 6,000 sq ft banquet room:

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

That's huge.

Did, perchance, you mean cubic feet?

Yes you're right I meant cubic feet. The cathedral ceiling peaks at about 12 ft.

 

[MSTARK]

Yes you're right I meant cubic feet. The cathedral ceiling peaks at about 12 ft.

Lol OK. That’s more relatable to us, the ordinary human kind.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

Lol OK. That’s more relatable to us, the ordinary human kind.

But it is a dedicated listening room and in theory I could have banquets in there... Very small ones

 

[MSTARK]

But it is a dedicated listening room and in theory I could have banquets in there... Very small ones

With those 4 18” subs turned ON , eating peas of my plate could be challenging tho. .....

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

With those 4 18” subs turned ON , eating peas of my plate could be challenging tho. .....

It's a feature, not a bug.

 

[JeffS7444]

But being a McIntosh, will it's owner get to experience the joys of repeated service calls and explaining to his less-enlightened buddies that "it's the price of owning a 'thoroughbred'"? And what's an audiophile to do when there's not so much as a bias pot to be fussed over?

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

But being a McIntosh, will it's owner get to experience the joys of repeated service calls and explaining to his less-enlightened buddies that "it's the price of owning a 'thoroughbred'"? And what's an audiophile to do when there's not so much as a bias pot to be fussed over?

I don't know about this new amp, but my MC240 has been as reliable as a hammer despite being manufactured in 1962 (it came with its original tubes which still worked - I changed all of them out just because). When I bought it from its original owner in the early 90s, I replaced the filter caps and the rectifier / capacitor in the bias supply. I do think those green LEDs under the tubes is kinda silly looking though, and I just have an aversion to microprocessors / microcontrollers in a component which is supposed to evoke "vintage" - despite the fact that I make my living in part by programming microcontrollers.