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First post, apologies for the noob. Recently purchased a Rega Fono MM preamp second hand and have been loving it. Was advised that a lot of the hifi community chose to leave the Rega Fono (and pre-amps in general) powered on 24/7 as it allows for on the spot listening without warm up etc etc. and apparently this doesn't harm the pre-amp as the circuits don't heat up enough to cause any degeneration or damage or risk of over heating. Q: is this advisable for longevity of the product? How many of you do this? Is this generally a good/bad idea and why? Thanks in advance

Hi guys, I've had a pretty keen interest on Conrad Johnson gear over the past couple of months and I'm wondering if there are any owners here on SNA that would be happy to give some insights into their gear. Special interest goes to Premier gear. 2's, 4's, 8's, 12's etc. I know this gear is extremely rare in Australia and I'm resigned to idea that any responses may be minimal. Look forward to reading the contributions. Thanks!

Hi gang. I'm continuing on my steep learning curve procrastination.....I mean.....research. I am setting up new gear, and plan to integrate my old Pro-ject 6.1 tt into the new system. I currently use a modest little Creek phono stage. My new setup can potentially be totally balanced front to back. No, this is not a debate about single ended vs balanced post! Rather, I am interested in advice on how to get the best out of the turntable connections (and no, it's not a post about placement, vibration isolation either!). I have a pre with balanced XLR in and out. I have true balanced XLR in Monoblock valve power amps. One set of balanced inputs to pre will be taken by a dac, leaving one spare. So (whew) this is the question. If one runs RCA leads from tt (as it is currently), are these technically carrying a balanced signal? If so, then I assume if up I use/build a phono stage that can keep a balanced signal to pre, then we still have a true balanced signal? Or, does the tt need rewiring for XLR outs? Or, does it not make a difference? Or......? Ideas?

Would anyone have experiences with the Kondo Audio Note Japan M7 preamp (valve version 1) they can share?

I have been hassled by the issue of cartridge loading. I heard lots of stories and myths and read lots of articles that all seemed to be BS. So I did bunch of measurements and study and wrote a simple 2 page explanation of what I found, how it works, and what to do. What was a key takeaway is the the loading is like a very complex tone and phase control, it changes the timbre of the cartridge. Here it is, Learn, grow, enjoy. Regards, Barry Cartridge Loading Paper.pdf

Dr. Google didn't return any reviews on this pre - Plinius Kaitaki. Have you heard/own it? What are your thoughts on it? Cheers SMB

Hi all. I am looking at maybe making a passive preamp/attenuator, and was wondering where the best place to get a good quality cabinet to house it all is? I intend to surround it in a nice timber at some stage, so it's more about the general quality. I imagine I'll eventually put a front and sides in timber, possibly with cutouts around the various controls. I've seen many on eBay and so on, but no nothing about what exactly to look for once I know the side I need. Cheers, Mat

Anyone tried one of these? http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/291688461131?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT I'm curious and a couple of searches didn't seem to get me anywhere so I thought I would ask.

In regards to pre-amps and DAVE I had an interesting little scenario I was hoping to get some advice on: I have the Chord DAVE and Vitus Amp (RI300). I find the sound via my Wilson Audio WP6 to be clean & sharp with good attack. Transparency and resolution are to die for. Incredible dynamics and rich detail. Not analytical but it clearly lacks the analogue sounding darker “punch/impact” which I sometimes find a bit too much. However my main issue with this combination is that I feel the soundstage really expands vertically to the point where music seems to be too distant sometimes and can get lost. <Compared to Metrum Pavane as DAC which offers more density due to a more analogue sounding tone as well as reducing soundstage/ dynamics to a large extent>. I am hoping to marry the DAVE to a tube pre-amp. I like the characteristics of a SS so want to stick with the Vitus. What would you guys recommend in terms of preamp between DAVE and Vitus? In terms of my tube preferences, I really enjoy the 300B sound – Mainly because of the magical mids and the general body and weight added to each note. Now I have heard the DAVE plugged straight into tube power amps loses a lot of its signature sound – soundstage and the wonderful DAVE sound in general so I am not sure I want to head down that path especially considering Vitus is the amp for me. I have also heard DAVE plugged into a high end 300B Tube amp (WA5LE with Takatsuki 300B and 274 tubes) but the main issue here has been the treble spikes which makes it unlistenable to me. I don’t think DAVE likes 300B – but I really don’t know whether this is the case or not. Given these experiences I was hoping maybe a tube preamplifier will be the perfect union allowing me to keep the best of the 300B experience and the DAVE experience without producing the treble side effects that a 300B power amp and DAVE have produced for me in the past. What do you guys think? Would you have any suggestions about which tube preamplifier to trial? One idea I had was to just get the WA5LE modded so that it can act as a pre amp as well. OR just to get a Manley Neoclassical 300B> Since I know the WA5LE works with my current tubes without blowing them (Takatsukis are pretty dear) I would prefer to keep that amp, but not sure whether that is a valid reason and not sure how to confirm whether Takatsukis would work without issue in the Manley amp. The other reason why WA5 mod is better for me is because less equipment can do more (as the rectifier tubes are pretty dear too and it’s just more economical to keep just the one amp and one set of tubes). Thanks!

I read previously that changing the rectifier valve on the Supratek power supply unit can make significant changes in sound quality. In particular, a NOS Bendix 6106 will tighten up the bass. In my case, the standard rectifier and another I tried ( NOS Mullard EZ34) provided deep bass, but it was not as tight as I would like. Well the difference with the Bendix 6106 is profound, in that the bass is as tight as one could hope for ( as tight as a decent solid state setup - and I am using all valves). I have the Supratek Cabernet Dual, and even dialling up the separate bass feed ( I use 6H30's for bass and 101d's for mid-high frequencies through 4 monoblock power amps), the bass became more pronounced but still very tight. So before fiddling with power amps and speakers to optimise bass response, the culprit could well be the choice of rectifier valve in the Supratek preamp.

Hi guys / girls Haven't been online for a long time now. Just too busy with work. Anyway - I decided to complete the set and purchase a Quad 22 preamp to go along with the ESL57 and the pair of Quad II's. So the Quad 22 - it's old - and I don't have a clue on how to use it. What are these PU adaptors? Why are the RCA inputs so crap? etc, etc. So I'm trying to figure out what are the modifications to do to the unit to make it sound great and to also make it easy to live with in todays standards. I've sent and email to Keith Snook - he seems to be the authority. Has anyone updated a Quad 22 unit or have any recommendations on what to do and who to take it to in Australia who can do the work? TIA Ken

Item: Parasound P5 Pre-amp Price Range: Depends on condition Item Condition: Used Extra Info: After a Parasound P5 pre-amp Let me know what you have, must be able to ship to the Gold Coast Just after a nice 2.1 Preamp, if you have others, let me know

Item: Pro-Ject Tube Box DS2 Phono Preamplifier Price Range: A reasonable figure Item Condition: Used or demo Extra Info: Looking for a new phono pre. I have my eye on this to sit in front of PS Audio Class D and Klipsch Forte III (and round off some edges with the tube stage). If you have something else you think might tickle my fancy I am happy to consider. Thanks:)

Item: Headphone amp valve. Price Range:Asking Item Condition: New or Used Extra Info: Prefer SUPER

I've decided to sell the power amp. Item: Rotel RC-1070 or RC-1090 Stereo Preamplifier (pref black, pref with remote) Price Range: Up to $200ish, but the lower the better. Item Condition: Used Location: Melbourne Extra Info: Basically I have an unused RB-991 power amp and I'd like to find a matching pre. At least, I'm toying with the idea and want to see what's out there. Really I'm open to any stereo preamp at all, but, as we all know, matchy is best. Alternatively, if you have the pre, and want to buy the RB-991 from me, I might be open to that, too. I'm just not a fan of orphaned components - either it gets a pre or it goes.

I'm looking for a basic preamp with MM phono stage, and at least 2 inputs. Must be in good working condition, budget $300. DIY stuff is fine too. Please send me a private message if you have one for sale. Thanks!

I've been looking for a good quality used phono stage MM & MC under $700. My initial target was the Bel Canto Phono 1 as I have mostly Bel Canto gear, but it appears that they are either not common, or people tend to hang on to them, not sure which. So I am expanding my range of choices. The cartridge will be either a; Ortofon 2M black, Garrott Bros p77 or a Audio Technica 95E. I've read just about every review there is for phone stages in my price range and cartridge requirements and am not sure which way to go. So there is the challenge. I've already got a NAD PP3 and whilst it certainly plays music I think the turntable/arm/cartridge combination would benefit from a more sophisticated phono stage. I live in Bathurst NSW, can pay either by Paypal or direct deposit and am always happy to pay for shipping. Have I forgotten anything? if I have let me know. So if you have a phono stage for sale that you think fits the bill, let me know the; manufacturer, model, condition and price and some pictures would also be nice I appreciate you checking out this post Thanks

Item: Audio Research LS5 MK2 Preamplifier Price Range: Please get in touch to discuss pricing Item Condition: Very Good Extra Info: Looking to try out a Valve Pre-amplifier in my system. Looking for a LS5 Mk2 that is in 240 volts, not really fussed about the colour Black or Silver will do. Currently using a BP26 with MPS2 Power Supply. Please don't forget to report your post as FOUND when possible. (You can now delete this text).

Item:NAC32.5 Price Range:Neg Item Condition: Used even Not working or damaged Extra Info:I can organise shipping. I am not a dealer but need a Pre-amp and PSU to go with my newly bought NAP250 CB. Exciting stuff! Please don't forget to report your post as FOUND when possible. (You can now delete this text).

Item: Dynavector P75 MkIII Phono Preamp Price Range: Let me know Item Condition: New or Used

Item: Volume Control or Preamp with XLR connectors Price Range: pm me Item Condition: Used Extra Info: Passive or Active (powered) Balanced connectors - XLR type inputs and outputs (not RCA) Stereo (2-channel) or more channels (3, 4 or 6 channels) For use to in home studio - so looking for a "utilitarian" unit rather than esoteric "high end" luxury.

Item: Cheap phono preamp Price Range: Cheaper the better Item Condition: Used Extra Info: I never used turntable and want to try one. Since I am not sure if I will be into turntable for a long term, want to try at a minimal budget if possible. I already arranged entry level turntable and just need phono preamp to match with. If you have any phono preamp that you want to unload, please send me a message. Thank you.

Item: MF A5cr pre amp Price Range: 1k to 1.5k Item Condition: Used Extra Info: Looking for an A5cr pre amp to match the power amp I have being delivered. I may be on the track of one, but would prefer to purchase here if anyone has one they don't need/want.

Item: Solid State or Tube Preamps with HT Bypass Price Range: $2.5K - $5K Item Condition: New or Used Extra Info: The preamp will need HT Bypass so it can integrate with the rest of my system. Phono stage is not required but I am open to models with built in phono stages. I am looking for something that will have good synergy with my speakers and power amp, which are: - Lenehan ML2 Plus R - Plinius SA 103

Item: Phono Premamp Price Range: preferrbaly under 200 Item Condition Used Extra Info: N/A In need of a decent budget phono preamp, thought id try my luck at second hand. can pick up around sydney Make an offer