Here is a quick comparison of 12AX7 and 5751 tubes in my Diva Audio M7 tube pre-amp.
For those unfamiliar with the Diva Audio M7, it is a fairly popular tube pre-amp designed and built in Singapore by Mr. T.S. Lim. It is based on the Marantz 7 circuit and uses 3 12AX7 tubes.
Here are the observations of rolling the first tube position. Electroharmonix 12AX7 gold is used in the second tube position while the RCA 5751 blackplate (double mica) is used in the third tube position,
1. GE JAN 12AX7WA (1986 date code)
The tonal balance is dense with decent midrange and treble detail. However, dynamics seem a bit flat.
2. Golden Dragon 12AX7
The tonal balance is lightweight. A bit of a paradox, but the tube avoids brightness despite quite a lot of treble extension. Midrange and treble seemed smoothed out but the highs seem to go a lot further. I say it it a paradox to me, because this kind of extended response usually results in a fairly bright presentation. The lightweight sound probably comes from the lack of bass. This tube was a lot better than what I expected.
3. Sylvania 5751 gold pin (tripe mica)
My favourite tube of the lot. A lot of detail with both extended bass and treble. Very good air with good control of sibilance. Tonal balance is close to neutral.
4. RCA 5751 blackplate (double mica)
Dark tonal balance. Very smooth and creamy but compared to the other tubes, some midrange and treble detail is lost. I suppose its quite ideal in bright systems, but match with care. That being said, I've had very good results for this tube in other equipment.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Anthony Gallo speakers
I had an opportunity to audition Anthony Gallo speakers at the local dealer recently, having been tasked to help a friend set-up a home theater system. Having an unobtrusive and stylish design was important, so the cute little spheres from Anthony Gallo seemed to be worth checking out.
The local dealer is econ-av and they have a small showroom on the first floor of Adelphi Shopping Center. You can have a look at www.roundsound.com to see the full range of Anthony Gallo.
I auditioned the Nucleus Micro, Micro Ti and the A'Diva Ti. The setup used for the Nucleus Micro and the rest were different (the Nucleus Micro was ceiling mounted) so comparisons may be due to mounting.
All 3 setups were auditioned with both hometheater and music.
First up was the Nucleus Micro. Based on looks alone, I would have chosen this. The cute little spheres come in very funky colors including bronze, glossy red and yellow.
As all 5 channels use identical spheres, steering is excellent with the panning between channels being seamless. Imaging is also quite good. Surprisingly the speakers sound more than decent with music and seem to go fairly low for their size (I estimate about 100 Hz). The dealer switched off the subwoofer and they actually sounded quite OK.
We switched over to the Nucleus Micro Ti. I didn't like it and it sounded too forward, crispy (not in a good way) with a noticeable tilt at the top end.
Finally, we listened to the A'Diva Ti. Very nice. Much of the quality of the Nucleus Micro while showing a noticeable improvement in weight and extension (the A'Diva is physically larger).
One thing I noticed is that the center channel sounds very small in comparison. Having listened to multiple driver center speakers my whole life, the dialogue seems in comparison to be less "centered" to the screen and lacking in depth. Having said that, I seldom hear conventional home theater speaker sets with such even panning from left to right.
Finally comes the sticker shock. These cute speakers sell for $2,000 for the 5.1 set (Nucleus Micro in plain finishes). Extra for exotic finishes. The Nucleus Micro is $2,800 while the A'Diva is $3,800. The matching subwoofers included in this package seem a bit small and it may make sense to pair the satellites with another active sub.
Pity. They really are cute and perform competently. The large markup over the U.S. price will make them hard to swallow for the local audiophile / videophile. Worth checking out if aesthetics are very important to you and you don't mind the premium.
There is an interesting product which looks quite similar from Orb Audio (www.orbaudio.com) which are priced more competitively. They are only available direct over the internet so comparisons will be difficult.
The local dealer is econ-av and they have a small showroom on the first floor of Adelphi Shopping Center. You can have a look at www.roundsound.com to see the full range of Anthony Gallo.
I auditioned the Nucleus Micro, Micro Ti and the A'Diva Ti. The setup used for the Nucleus Micro and the rest were different (the Nucleus Micro was ceiling mounted) so comparisons may be due to mounting.
All 3 setups were auditioned with both hometheater and music.
First up was the Nucleus Micro. Based on looks alone, I would have chosen this. The cute little spheres come in very funky colors including bronze, glossy red and yellow.
As all 5 channels use identical spheres, steering is excellent with the panning between channels being seamless. Imaging is also quite good. Surprisingly the speakers sound more than decent with music and seem to go fairly low for their size (I estimate about 100 Hz). The dealer switched off the subwoofer and they actually sounded quite OK.
We switched over to the Nucleus Micro Ti. I didn't like it and it sounded too forward, crispy (not in a good way) with a noticeable tilt at the top end.
Finally, we listened to the A'Diva Ti. Very nice. Much of the quality of the Nucleus Micro while showing a noticeable improvement in weight and extension (the A'Diva is physically larger).
One thing I noticed is that the center channel sounds very small in comparison. Having listened to multiple driver center speakers my whole life, the dialogue seems in comparison to be less "centered" to the screen and lacking in depth. Having said that, I seldom hear conventional home theater speaker sets with such even panning from left to right.
Finally comes the sticker shock. These cute speakers sell for $2,000 for the 5.1 set (Nucleus Micro in plain finishes). Extra for exotic finishes. The Nucleus Micro is $2,800 while the A'Diva is $3,800. The matching subwoofers included in this package seem a bit small and it may make sense to pair the satellites with another active sub.
Pity. They really are cute and perform competently. The large markup over the U.S. price will make them hard to swallow for the local audiophile / videophile. Worth checking out if aesthetics are very important to you and you don't mind the premium.
There is an interesting product which looks quite similar from Orb Audio (www.orbaudio.com) which are priced more competitively. They are only available direct over the internet so comparisons will be difficult.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Trends Audio TA10.1 – Switched mode vs. linear power supply
Introduction
The cute little Trends TA10.1 is a cheerful and useful little amp. Based on a Tripath chipset, it delivers 5 watts per channel and is perfect for a small bedroom, kitchen or office setup.
Used within its power limitations, it will not be embarrassed by amps many times its price. The Trends in particular is very modification friendly and my set has an upgraded potentiometer from Panasonic and Auricap coupling capacitors.
The stock power supply provided by the local distributor here in Singapore, Audio Trio, is a Chinese made switching power supply rated at 12V, 3A. Its hardly generates any heat, is light and compact.
Other users have reported varying degrees of success at using alternative power supplies, particularly units with higher maximum current rating, or linear power supplies.
Here is a comparison with a JVC linear power supply (bought from Koba Electronics at Peoples Park, Chinatown) rated at 12V, 2A. Heavy as a brick, it runs fairly warm and for some diabolical reason has the shortest DC jack cable I’ve ever seen.
Stock supply
There is nothing particularly wrong with the stock supply and performance seems relatively well rounded, with an attractively high amount of detail level. Instruments in jazz tracks like the saxophone, drumset etc, are well separated and precisely located in the soundstage. High frequencies are particularly airy with a shimmering feel.
If there is one criticism, the overall balance is relatively lightweight and bright, as the high frequency sparkle is not matched with a solid bass. Interestingly though, the bass is very tight and well controlled, but lacking in extension.
JVC linear power supply
The anti-thesis of the stock supply, the JVC linear power supply imparts a much darker presentation. Instruments do not pop out like the stock supply and image size tends to be larger but somewhat imprecise. Where the JVC stands out is the much heftier bass which has more impact and tilts the balance towards the warm side. The overall detail level seems lower and the sense of air around instruments is hard to discern.
Conclusion
Both power supplies have their place. Much like day and night, it is really up to individual taste whether you like a cool shimmering balance, or a dark and rich presentation. I was somewhat surprised by the differences as the reports I have read from other audiophiles suggested that the linear power supply was the way to go. Not quite a clear choice to me.
The cute little Trends TA10.1 is a cheerful and useful little amp. Based on a Tripath chipset, it delivers 5 watts per channel and is perfect for a small bedroom, kitchen or office setup.
Used within its power limitations, it will not be embarrassed by amps many times its price. The Trends in particular is very modification friendly and my set has an upgraded potentiometer from Panasonic and Auricap coupling capacitors.
The stock power supply provided by the local distributor here in Singapore, Audio Trio, is a Chinese made switching power supply rated at 12V, 3A. Its hardly generates any heat, is light and compact.
Other users have reported varying degrees of success at using alternative power supplies, particularly units with higher maximum current rating, or linear power supplies.
Here is a comparison with a JVC linear power supply (bought from Koba Electronics at Peoples Park, Chinatown) rated at 12V, 2A. Heavy as a brick, it runs fairly warm and for some diabolical reason has the shortest DC jack cable I’ve ever seen.
Stock supply
There is nothing particularly wrong with the stock supply and performance seems relatively well rounded, with an attractively high amount of detail level. Instruments in jazz tracks like the saxophone, drumset etc, are well separated and precisely located in the soundstage. High frequencies are particularly airy with a shimmering feel.
If there is one criticism, the overall balance is relatively lightweight and bright, as the high frequency sparkle is not matched with a solid bass. Interestingly though, the bass is very tight and well controlled, but lacking in extension.
JVC linear power supply
The anti-thesis of the stock supply, the JVC linear power supply imparts a much darker presentation. Instruments do not pop out like the stock supply and image size tends to be larger but somewhat imprecise. Where the JVC stands out is the much heftier bass which has more impact and tilts the balance towards the warm side. The overall detail level seems lower and the sense of air around instruments is hard to discern.
Conclusion
Both power supplies have their place. Much like day and night, it is really up to individual taste whether you like a cool shimmering balance, or a dark and rich presentation. I was somewhat surprised by the differences as the reports I have read from other audiophiles suggested that the linear power supply was the way to go. Not quite a clear choice to me.
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