Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 10, 2020 21:42:04 GMT
After weeks of delays, i managed to get down to see Angus. I had been planning a visit for one particular reason. A strobe for my SP10. Since i took ownership of it a couple of years ago, the strobe had never worked and it had bugged me ever since.
FFW to today and i finally got there after a few false starts.
Today though, Angus and I had an ulterior motive. You see, a week or so ago, Angus had in his possession a HA103-SEL, which was to be shipped to Drew. Angus was asked to check it out and see what he thought and report back his findings. Unfortunately, those findings were never reported due to the HA103-SEL completely disappointing the crowd. JohnG and Clive (forum members elsewhere) had been assessing the merits of JohnG’s Ogura’d Kontrapunkt, Angus’s upgraded Ortofon Vienna, a Vienna’d Kb and the HA103-SEL was to be compared to them.
Angus called me and described the HA as flat, 1 dimensional and had no bass.
I was dumbstruck. That was definitely not the performance I was getting here, and it certainly wasn't the impression that had been left on Jimbo!
We natterd for a while about what had been in place in the system whilst they were listening. I wrongly assumed the Avalon (Angus’s prototype MC phonostage) had been in. Instead, he was using a high level Ortofon SUT into the MM section of the Sansui Au-D11.
I immediately identified that the SUT must have killed the HA. I have heard this system many times to know the Sansui has a decent phonostage and I have heard things sound great through it. Angus disappeared off the phone and tried it directly into the Sansui’s MC section. A vast improvement occurred, but I knew there was more to be had.
I travelled armed with the HA103-SEL, Bigbottle MK3 and my cables (even though Angus already has SPotfire) You can never have too many options i thought.
Upon arrival, i was played a track via a Vienna’d Kb. However, I didn't know what we were using at the time.
My heart sank…..It sounded flat, lean and lifeless. The attack on cymbals was missing, there was no impact or dynamism and i was sat there secretly thinking “my god, if this is the Vienna, the HA will eat it alive”
Angus dropped the bombshell that it was a VKb.
I was relieved. I dodged a bullet. When my Kb died, i felt grief. Pure and simple. I thought i had lost out on a great upgrade and now i would never know what i was missing. Turns out i wasn't missing much!
I was stunned at how bad it was in all honesty.
Angus swapped in the Vienna.
“Ah, time to hear the good stuff” I thought…….
But no...the Vienna, whilst being better, it wasn't BETTER.
“What is happening” i thought.
I recalled Angus telling me that he had bought a Zavfino Mahone tonearm cable, as he was out of ideas as to what was causing hum issues in his Avalon. He wanted to try a shop bought cable, just in case my funky cable ideas were to blame.
I asked what cables Angus was using and sure enough, the Zavfino Mahone was in. We swiftly removed it and put in my BBA Splitter box and Spotfire Interconnects.
We played the same track again, same volume etc and Crikey o’ Riley, did things improve or what!
Gone was the flat soundstage, sibilance, toneless vocals and utter bullshit lack of impact and dynamism. In came drama, attack, decay and best of all soundstage depth, width and height.
I looked and Angus, and he at me…..that's the way that I want it to stay, I always want it to be that way….in the words of The Kinks.
The Zavfino Mahone killed the sound. It wasn't even a close contest. The Spotfire chewed it up and spat it out. Never to return to Angus’s system. And rightly so.
Now I'd fixed Angus’s self inflicted cable faux pax, it was time to see what the BB3 could offer over the Sansui’s phonostage. We removed the SUT and used the MC input for the BB3.
Angus said that it shouldn't be hard to beat a phonostage in an amplifier from the 80’s and he's right, but the vast improvement once we started listening was something of an eye opener. For once, IMO, the term night and day is truly applicable here. The goal wasn’t to demo how good the BB3 was, it was to demonstrate the need for Angus to get a proper phonostage in his system. The Avalon will do that, i am 100% confident. It just needed a nudge...I am the first customer after all!
For a devout SS man, even Angus lavished praise on the BB3. His comment was “Yep……….that was good”
Now that may not seem like much, but Angus doesn't even waste oxygen commenting on Valve gear, so this was in fact a monumental occasion.
We surmised that the VKb that we felt sounded drab and lifeless, was likely to be a far better performer via the BB3, as the increase in the performance of the Vienna was so substantial. I was relieved. The Kb was not to blame….what a relief. We didn’t get a chance to retry it unfortunately but i do know that the guy getting this VKb has a Vivant.
Don't worry stevew, your VKb is gonna sound great through it!
We played a couple of tracks to reassess what the BB3 was doing and then we put in the HA103-SEL
Listening to the HA through Angus’s system was as much of a joy there as it is at home. Tonally, I felt it was richer than the OV and this really benefited the bottom end. Whilst it didn't stray into “warm and rosy” it was distinctly denser in tone. Sounding more powerful and full bodied. The OV definitely sounded the most neutral of the two.
Angus commented that the HA wasn’t quite as detailed as the OV in the LF. Compared to the HA, the OV didn't deliver quite the grandiose weight in the low notes of the piano. The piano sounded a bit bigger via the HA but i accept the OV was probably more detailed...slightly…..maybe lol
Soundstage again was pretty different. I felt the spatial cues from the recording and the attack and decay seemed to be clearer and audible for longer via the HA.
When we played a track with a bit of verve, the OV came alive. It provided that little bit of urgency the HA doesn't quite have and drums etc sounded a little snappier and tighter. Details from the OV and HA seem to be very much on a par. They are both vivid imagers and create an expansive soundstage.
Channel separation seemed a bit more obvious on the HA but i may have imagined that. It’s not like there was a vast difference and we had been swapping in and out of the hotspot a fair bit.
There was one point where we listened to “Wish you were here” and for the first time ever, i realised that in the opening of the song, a nylon string guitar was in use for a section of it. In fact, Gilmore goes from a 12 string to a 6 string nylon to a 6 string metal in that section. I hadn’t heard this before. The cartridge that was in…...the HA
There was also a moment in the track “Walking in Memphis” by Marc Cohen, where he sings “But, Boy you've got a chance in Memphis”
I hadn't heard the “But,” bit either. When i did, it was the HA that was playing.
The biggest thing was clarity. The veil that can sometimes be present was absolutely nowhere to be seen. These two cartridges are big hitters in the world of analogue. The OV has been my reference cartridge for 3 years. I haven't heard anything, on any system that got close to it.
Today, i knew that had changed.
The HA went 12 rounds with the OV....
My last words to Angus on the comparisons we did were…
“I wouldn’t like to pick a winner”
So i won’t. I will just say that the HA is a phenomenal cartridge that I am proud to own. It is the equal of Vienna, but they present things differently. I am afraid it's all about your favoured approach. If i were to be offered the swap for an OV, i don't think i’d take it, as i am sure Angus wouldn't take the HA if he was offered the same. How can you pick a winner lol
Big thanks to Angus for the work he has done and hosting me for about 6 hours lol
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Post by hammer on Mar 10, 2020 22:30:37 GMT
Top write up as usual☺
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Post by da2222 on Mar 10, 2020 22:36:07 GMT
Thanks for the detailed write up Oliver, very interesting indeed!
I'm slightly confused by the comment below as Angus was very positive indeed about the HA103-SEL before it was sent off to me a week ago. Are timelines getting mixed up perhaps as it is in complete contrast with the info I received?!
"Today though, Angus and I had an ulterior motive. You see, a week back, angus had in his possession a HA103-SEL, which was to be shipped to Drew. Angus was asked to check it out and see what he thought and report back his findings. Unfortunately, those findings were never reported due to the HA103-SEL completely disappointing the crowd. JohnG and Clive (forum members elsewhere) had been assessing the merits of JohnG’s Ogura’d Kontrapunkt, Angus’s upgraded Ortofon Vienna, a Vienna’d Kb and the HA103-SEL was to be compared to them. Angus called me and described the HA as flat, 1 dimensional and had no bass."
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Post by electronumpty on Mar 10, 2020 22:49:59 GMT
“but Angus doesn't even waste oxygen commenting on Valve gear"
love it!  Great write up. |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 10, 2020 22:52:48 GMT
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 10, 2020 22:55:29 GMT
Thanks for the detailed write up Oliver, very interesting indeed! I'm slightly confused by the comment below as Angus was very positive indeed about the HA103-SEL before it was sent off to me a week ago. Are timelines getting mixed up perhaps as it is in complete contrast with the info I received?! "Today though, Angus and I had an ulterior motive. You see, a week back, angus had in his possession a HA103-SEL, which was to be shipped to Drew. Angus was asked to check it out and see what he thought and report back his findings. Unfortunately, those findings were never reported due to the HA103-SEL completely disappointing the crowd. JohnG and Clive (forum members elsewhere) had been assessing the merits of JohnG’s Ogura’d Kontrapunkt, Angus’s upgraded Ortofon Vienna, a Vienna’d Kb and the HA103-SEL was to be compared to them. Angus called me and described the HA as flat, 1 dimensional and had no bass." No, I think the confusion is my shortening the timeline. Angus initially couldn't get the cart to sound anything like I was reporting. Once he removed the SUT he heard the potential. I think that's probably why you got positivity about the cart |
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Post by jimbo on Mar 11, 2020 6:48:17 GMT
Just read this whilst eating breakfast and it made me smile because I felt i was there at the bake off. 
Great write up Oli, the day must have been a bit of a roller coaster trying to get the best set up to allow the HA103 to shine however a) I am not surprised as all MC cartridges can be a bit of an issue to get the optimised set up and b) the BB3 did the business.
Haha I was wrong the HA103 was not the out right winner but I can imagine that the differences were all down to presentation although it seems some of the acoustic information you were picking up for the HA103 were not as easily heard via the Vienna?
I would imagine the HA103 was also slightly fuller bodied/richer to the Vienna? Just a hunch.
Having heard the HA103 so explicitly on Saturday and what it does I would not hesitate buying this MC cartridge as it really did impress in all areas, however I would also need the BB3 to do it justice!
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 11, 2020 8:41:55 GMT
Just read this whilst eating breakfast and it made me smile because I felt i was there at the bake off.
Great write up Oli, the day must have been a bit of a roller coaster trying to get the best set up to allow the HA103 to shine however a) I am not surprised as all MC cartridges can be a bit of an issue to get the optimised set up and b) the BB3 did the business.
Haha I was wrong the HA103 was not the out right winner but I can imagine that the differences were all down to presentation although it seems some of the acoustic information you were picking up for the HA103 were not as easily heard via the Vienna?
I would imagine the HA103 was also slightly fuller bodied/richer to the Vienna? Just a hunch.
Having heard the HA103 so explicitly on Saturday and what it does I would not hesitate buying this MC cartridge as it really did impress in all areas, however I would also need the BB3 to do it justice! Thanks Jim. Yes, It was a bit of a rollercoaster but im glad we ironed out the wrinkles pretty quickly. The big thing was to get the SUT out and the Zavfino Mahone cable out of the way. Honestly, that cable was cack. People raving about it online but it really killed the sound. I know the SUT is of the highest quality but I just dont like them. I've tried loads of them but have always preferred Headamps and as the BB3 doesn't need either, it took another variable out of the equation. The Avalon is built with MM/MC too, so Angus has moved toward relegating the SUT which Is the right direction afaic With the BB3 in, both carts performed superbly and it is definitely a case of, choose your flavour. All I can say about detail is that some things stood out more with the HA. That's not to say the Vienna didnt do the same detail, just that it was more obvious via the HA....at times. Again, it could just be the tonal balance of the cart highlighting certain things, like the OV sounding betterbin the LF detail in Angus's view. Like i said, it was very difficult to pick a winner. Also, Angus's system is quite different to mine and if we were to do the same bakeoff here, it may be a totally different experience. I think the BB3 and HA brought a more natural sound to Angus's system than his Sansui phonostage and the Vienna, but my system is different and I can imagine the OV showing me the HA is quite warm in mine. It's all about what's the best match to the other components in the chain. RD2 will happen at mine, and I'll follow up. I will keep searching for a Vienna as I would like to spend time with one here. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 11, 2020 8:42:26 GMT
Is there a big price difference between the two cartridges, if so, does this highlight the law of dininishing returns?
I fancy an ART-1000, but at €5k it is worth more than my entire system and that would just be silly.
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Post by firebottle on Mar 11, 2020 8:46:20 GMT
FFW to today and i finally got there after a few false starts.
Glad you finally made it for all our education and enjoyment.
I was relieved. I dodged a bullet. Khama eh?
.. the Zavfino Mahone was in. What on earth have they done wrong on that cable? Very disappointing.
... and utter bullshit lack of impact and dynamism. That made me laugh.
For a devout SS man, even Angus lavished praise on the BB3. His comment was “Yep……….that was good”
Now that may not seem like much, but Angus doesn't even waste oxygen commenting on Valve gear, so this was in fact a monumental occasion. YES!
Big thanks to Angus for the work he has done and hosting me for about 6 hours lol . Top man.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 11, 2020 8:55:59 GMT
Is there a big price difference between the two cartridges, if so, does this highlight the law of dininishing returns? I fancy an ART-1000, but at €5k it is worth more than my entire system and that would just be silly. Well the Ortofon Vienna was €2800 when it was released BUT that was because there were only 300 made and they were exclusively for the German Market. It will have made the price a little higher than usual in this situation compared with a widely released cart. The Kb was €2k when new and the HA is vastly ahead in terms of performance. The HA103-SEL is €1895 and hand made in very low numbers. I genuinely think that both cartridges are worth every penny of their price and i do not regret spending the money. (I did not pay €1895 for the cart. This must be remembered) They do things that the kind of cartridges the likes of us end up with, just dont do. Now is a £2.5k cart, five times better than a £500? Absolutely not, but neither is anything else out there in Hifi land. It's all about whether YOU think the spend is worth it when you hear it. |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 11, 2020 8:56:42 GMT
FFW to today and i finally got there after a few false starts.
Glad you finally made it for all our education and enjoyment.
I was relieved. I dodged a bullet. Khama eh?
.. the Zavfino Mahone was in. What on earth have they done wrong on that cable? Very disappointing.
... and utter bullshit lack of impact and dynamism. That made me laugh.
For a devout SS man, even Angus lavished praise on the BB3. His comment was “Yep……….that was good”
Now that may not seem like much, but Angus doesn't even waste oxygen commenting on Valve gear, so this was in fact a monumental occasion. YES!
Big thanks to Angus for the work he has done and hosting me for about 6 hours lol . Top man.
Is there a post in there Alan? lol |
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Post by firebottle on Mar 11, 2020 9:00:57 GMT
Can't you read the red lettering? I commented within your post. I'll edit it.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 11, 2020 9:10:22 GMT
Can't you read the red lettering? I commented within your post. I'll edit it. Its tapatalk mate, doesn't do fancy things like that lol |
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Post by firebottle on Mar 11, 2020 9:37:12 GMT
Edited original reply.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 11, 2020 10:01:38 GMT
FFW to today and i finally got there after a few false starts.
Glad you finally made it for all our education and enjoyment.
I was relieved. I dodged a bullet. Khama eh?
.. the Zavfino Mahone was in. What on earth have they done wrong on that cable? Very disappointing.
... and utter bullshit lack of impact and dynamism. That made me laugh.
For a devout SS man, even Angus lavished praise on the BB3. His comment was “Yep……….that was good”
Now that may not seem like much, but Angus doesn't even waste oxygen commenting on Valve gear, so this was in fact a monumental occasion. YES!
Big thanks to Angus for the work he has done and hosting me for about 6 hours lol . Top man.
I'd need to take the Cable apart and see what they use but it marketed as OCC copper, but as we know, not all OCC is equal. It seems like a very small gauge cable and the plugs were nasty. They reminded me of the AT plugs of old that were manufactured like a coaxial plug for TVs. The fit and finish was very tidy, but it's all style and no substance. I'm vehemently serious about the performance. I built a Mogami tonearm cable, years ago, cost about £35 in parts, and it would have beaten the b'jesus out of the Mahone. The Mahone was like the equivalent of writing on a chalk board, compared to the Spotfire which was like watching a hologram message off star wars. |
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Post by stevew on Mar 11, 2020 10:12:45 GMT
An interesting write up, but I had to go through it twice to try and get a grip on what had happened. On first read it was with a rising sense of anxiety - especially when you said you had dodged a bullet on the modified kB.
So having got to grips with timelines it’s good to hear your view that the Vivant and the upgraded kB (Viennetta??! Lol) will be ok.
I’ll have to judge for myself .. but it’s a salutary lesson for me to take the Vivant with me to Angus’s place - and the tonearm cable I’m currently using. In fact I’ve got a couple to try.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 11, 2020 10:35:31 GMT
An interesting write up, but I had to go through it twice to try and get a grip on what had happened. On first read it was with a rising sense of anxiety - especially when you said you had dodged a bullet on the modified kB. So having got to grips with timelines it’s good to hear your view that the Vivant and the upgraded kB (Viennetta??! Lol) will be ok. I’ll have to judge for myself .. but it’s a salutary lesson for me to take the Vivant with me to Angus’s place - and the tonearm cable I’m currently using. In fact I’ve got a couple to try. Hi Steve, I thought you may be stricken with anxiety during that write up, but rest assured, when the Bigbottle went in, everything was A OK. I am under no illusions, to say you will be absolutely fine with the Vivant and the VKb, as I would have heard if the Zavfino Mahone wasnt in the system. Do not worry, The Spotfire showed where the issue was and it wasnt with the cartridges. Angus has Spotfire cabling and has reintroduced his cables to the system so dont worry. Relax! |
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Post by stevew on Mar 11, 2020 12:53:48 GMT
Cheers Oli
Anxiety is always a tad relative!
Funny how Zavfino Mahone is so well reviewed.
Also shows how system dependent all components are.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 11, 2020 13:45:20 GMT
Cheers Oli Anxiety is always a tad relative! Funny how Zavfino Mahone is so well reviewed. Also shows how system dependent all components are. I think theres an element of where people are starting from, to be honest. If you are coming from bell wire then I suppose the Mahone could be seen, in some way, by someone, as an improvement but that's not the case here. I dislike the "system dependant" phrase that gets thrown at things that people cant explain. Obviously there is an arguement that if your system cannot present the differences between the gear when you swap it in and out, you are on a hiding to nothing. However I think its actually more accurate to describe it as "listener dependant" IMO, it's more about what the listener wants from their system and the system they use will be a huge indicator of that. I know who is listening to gear I respect and by default I know who opinions I trust. That's the secret to this hobby matey, sorting the Wheat from the Chaff |
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Post by dsjr on Mar 11, 2020 14:48:27 GMT
Who else except Oli here knows anything at all about the phono stage, cartridge and cables used. A lot of time went into typing it all up, but to the likes of me it's meaningless as I haven't an effin' clue about the gear used and had never heard of the phono stage or interconnects.. if others know the stuff used, perhaps they could share their own experiences?
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 11, 2020 14:59:41 GMT
"Who else except Oli here knows anything at all about the phono stage, cartridge and cables used. A lot of time went into typing it all up, but to the likes of me it's meaningless as I haven't an effin' clue about the gear used and had never heard of the phono stage or interconnects.. if others know the stuff used, perhaps they could share their own experiences"
There been a loan offer for every bit of gear I make, and you never participated in any of it. No excuse, loans were free, as the Doc would have said. You could have had a free listen!
I've invited you here multiple times, to see why I keep banging on about this obscure gear, you really should have a trip over to us.
Most of the guys talking on my Blog or on a review I've shared, have heard the kit I talk about, or have expressed an interest or even joined this forum because of it, except for the Angus owned stuff, but how many people have heard a Vienna? Not many, I'll give you that.
All I can talk about is the stuff I hear and as i ain't interested in LP12s, Harbeths, Naim or NVA, I suppose most of my rambling wont be on the radar of most people, but I think its interesting to read about stuff that you haven't heard of. It may just pop up in a google search for someone who has shown an I interest in something a little off the beaten path.
Also, I did offer to send you a BB3 PCB for free, so you could build it and have a listen....
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Post by firebottle on Mar 11, 2020 16:04:52 GMT
A bit harsh maybe Oli ...
I am of course a bit biased as I designed the BB3, but the one main goal was transparency and accuracy, ahh - that's two things ....plus to be able to be built at low cost, ahh again - that's three things.
Joking aside once the lid on transparency is prised up you begin to realise that there are much better performing cables than OFC copper and better performing plugs than gold plated brass.
Then there is the restriction of the commonly used Alps Blue pot, as used in many expensive amplifiers. There are better alternatives, cheap too.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 11, 2020 16:08:44 GMT
A bit harsh maybe Oli ... I am of course a bit biased as I designed the BB3, but the one main goal was transparency and accuracy, ahh - that's two things ....plus to be able to be built at low cost, ahh again - that's three things. Joking aside once the lid on transparency is prised up you begin to realise that there are much better performing cables than OFC copper and better performing plugs than gold plated brass. Then there is the restriction of the commonly used Alps Blue pot, as used in many expensive amplifiers. There are better alternatives, cheap too. Does it read harsh? I was laughing when I wrote it...I'll revisit.. Thanks for pointing that out, Al. EDIT: edited the post, Apologies dsjr if it didnt come across as intended. |
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Post by karma67 on Mar 11, 2020 16:56:18 GMT
Cheers Oli Anxiety is always a tad relative! Funny how Zavfino Mahone is so well reviewed. Also shows how system dependent all components are. I think theres an element of where people are starting from, to be honest. If you are coming from bell wire then I suppose the Mahone could be seen, in some way, by someone, as an improvement but that's not the case here. I dislike the "system dependant" phrase that gets thrown at things that people cant explain. Obviously there is an arguement that if your system cannot present the differences between the gear when you swap it in and out, you are on a hiding to nothing. However I think its actually more accurate to describe it as "listener dependant" IMO, it's more about what the listener wants from their system and the system they use will be a huge indicator of that. I know who is listening to gear I respect and by default I know who opinions I trust. That's the secret to this hobby matey, sorting the Wheat from the Chaff lol bell wire i have a spotfire tonearm cable and also the mahone cable,ive also tried all the usual suspects as well,what i find interesting is that angus didnt hear how 'bad' the mahone performed when he put it in his system?? as its occ wire used perhaps its the plugs holding it back? i cant compare again for a while but i certainly didnt think it sounded flat,i thought it was very similar to morgami 2459 which is far from sounding flat.
the whole subject on cables interests me as changes in gauge,dilectric etc can make a difference,how and why is the anoying bit that escapes me.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 11, 2020 17:50:27 GMT
I think theres an element of where people are starting from, to be honest. If you are coming from bell wire then I suppose the Mahone could be seen, in some way, by someone, as an improvement but that's not the case here. I dislike the "system dependant" phrase that gets thrown at things that people cant explain. Obviously there is an arguement that if your system cannot present the differences between the gear when you swap it in and out, you are on a hiding to nothing. However I think its actually more accurate to describe it as "listener dependant" IMO, it's more about what the listener wants from their system and the system they use will be a huge indicator of that. I know who is listening to gear I respect and by default I know who opinions I trust. That's the secret to this hobby matey, sorting the Wheat from the Chaff lol bell wire i have a spotfire tonearm cable and also the mahone cable,ive also tried all the usual suspects as well,what i find interesting is that angus didnt hear how 'bad' the mahone performed when he put it in his system?? as its occ wire used perhaps its the plugs holding it back? i cant compare again for a while but i certainly didnt think it sounded flat,i thought it was very similar to morgami 2459 which is far from sounding flat.
the whole subject on cables interests me as changes in gauge,dilectric etc can make a difference,how and why is the anoying bit that escapes me.
I think there was a lot changing all at once. He knew something wasnt right, but it hadnt dawned on him that the cable was the problem. As it was said, "its OCC Copper?" You need to fit a Hammond box to your Turntable and wire a few lengths of KaB Superflex to two RCA sockets and a ground post. Then run a pair of interconnects off the back of your turntable. I am 100% convinced it's the way to go as I have been using mine like that for months now |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 11, 2020 17:53:48 GMT
I think theres an element of where people are starting from, to be honest. If you are coming from bell wire then I suppose the Mahone could be seen, in some way, by someone, as an improvement but that's not the case here. I dislike the "system dependant" phrase that gets thrown at things that people cant explain. Obviously there is an arguement that if your system cannot present the differences between the gear when you swap it in and out, you are on a hiding to nothing. However I think its actually more accurate to describe it as "listener dependant" IMO, it's more about what the listener wants from their system and the system they use will be a huge indicator of that. I know who is listening to gear I respect and by default I know who opinions I trust. That's the secret to this hobby matey, sorting the Wheat from the Chaff lol bell wire i have a spotfire tonearm cable and also the mahone cable,ive also tried all the usual suspects as well,what i find interesting is that angus didnt hear how 'bad' the mahone performed when he put it in his system?? as its occ wire used perhaps its the plugs holding it back? i cant compare again for a while but i certainly didnt think it sounded flat,i thought it was very similar to morgami 2459 which is far from sounding flat.
the whole subject on cables interests me as changes in gauge,dilectric etc can make a difference,how and why is the anoying bit that escapes me.
Seeing as the Spotfire TA cable you have, hums..... Fancy an experiment? Send it to me, I'll fit a Hammond Box and a couple of RCAs etc and send it you back as a Bigbottle splitter box, then try interconnects on it. Compare it to the Mahone. Wont cost you anything other than postage and it's not like a humming arm cable is gonna get used? |
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Post by karma67 on Mar 11, 2020 18:15:10 GMT
lol bell wire i have a spotfire tonearm cable and also the mahone cable,ive also tried all the usual suspects as well,what i find interesting is that angus didnt hear how 'bad' the mahone performed when he put it in his system?? as its occ wire used perhaps its the plugs holding it back? i cant compare again for a while but i certainly didnt think it sounded flat,i thought it was very similar to morgami 2459 which is far from sounding flat.
the whole subject on cables interests me as changes in gauge,dilectric etc can make a difference,how and why is the anoying bit that escapes me.
Seeing as the Spotfire TA cable you have, hums..... Fancy an experiment? Send it to me, I'll fit a Hammond Box and a couple of RCAs etc and send it you back as a Bigbottle splitter box, then try interconnects on it. Compare it to the Mahone. Wont cost you anything other than postage and it's not like a humming arm cable is gonna get used? a great idea but i butchered it to use the wire inside my amp when i put the gold point in re the hammond box did you use a din from the tonearm to the box or re wire the arm with longer wire to go straight to the box?
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
The HiFi Bear/Audioaddicts/Bigbottle Owner
Posts: 16,400
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 11, 2020 18:19:12 GMT
Seeing as the Spotfire TA cable you have, hums..... Fancy an experiment? Send it to me, I'll fit a Hammond Box and a couple of RCAs etc and send it you back as a Bigbottle splitter box, then try interconnects on it. Compare it to the Mahone. Wont cost you anything other than postage and it's not like a humming arm cable is gonna get used? a great idea but i butchered it to use the wire inside my amp when i put the gold point in re the hammond box did you use a din from the tonearm to the box or re wire the arm with longer wire to go straight to the box?
So you haven't got a Spotfire Tonearm cable!!....fibber lol That's a shame, but a great result for your amp! Did you use the rest wherever possible? Yes, din to RCA sockets. I am very pleased with mine. |
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
The HiFi Bear/Audioaddicts/Bigbottle Owner
Posts: 16,400
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 11, 2020 18:27:59 GMT
karma67 Looks tidy, does a great job and allows you to try any interconnect on your TT. Full looms are now a real possibility. Cardas do one, it's about £300 lol Mine is flanges as I was going to screw it down but I have another one that's going on the underside of the plinth instead. Shielded cable and since using it I haven't need a ground attached to phonostage. Beautiful stuff. 
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