BillyChau Posted December 28, 2024 Posted December 28, 2024 Has anyone used the musical paradise MP-701 MK3 preamp? Are there any recommended capacitors and tubes? Thank you
Johan1958 Posted January 3 Posted January 3 (edited) Hi, I am a big fan from the Austrian Juergen alias Iammad on YT. If you are new to tube rolling check out this video: Please share your opinion and your decisions then. Edited January 3 by Johan1958 2 1
jean-michel Posted January 6 Posted January 6 I have received my MP-701 Mk3 recently with the Vcap ODAM 2,2pF 400vdc option I have to point out that mine was delivered with an power supply filtering cap of 2,2pF 600 vdc from Obbligato as Garry experienced an out of stock issue from the usual cap from Bennic. I’m still in a burning/ breaking period; by the way I am wondering if the time letting the preamp on can be counted as breaking time or should I count when tan audio signal is processed? I am already in an upgrading process : I have ordered 3 Sovtek 6h30pi-eb as input tubes; 1 Sophia Electric 274b Aqua Blue mk2 as rectifier tube and one Mundorf Mcap Supreme Gold Silver Oil 3,3pF 1000 vdc cap to replace the Obbligato Gold, will come back with extended reviews later. 1
jean-michel Posted January 6 Posted January 6 On 3/1/2025 at 2:30 PM, Johan1958 said: Hi, I am a big fan from the Austrian Juergen alias Iammad on YT. If you are new to tube rolling check out this video: Please share your opinion and your decisions then. This video is the reason why I opened my eyes on the MP-701 Mk2 and ordered the Mk3…I love the concept enabling us to tailor the sound according to our taste. Regards JM 1
muon* Posted January 7 Posted January 7 @jean-michel You need to have a signal present into the pre amp. 1
Johan1958 Posted January 8 Posted January 8 11 hours ago, BillyChau said: Can I use e88cc for v2 and v3, and 6sn7 for v4? Yes you can but pls. read the MP-701 manual as you would need some adapters. I have tried E88CC for v2 and v3 and 6H30Pi for v4 and E88CC for v2 and v3 and 6H1N for v4 but for my system it didn't work well with mixed tubes. This is my actual system and setting now: STREAMER: Eversolo DMP-A8 DAC: Weiss DAC204 with extra linear power supply 9V PREAMP: MP-701 MK3 --V1 Linlai 274B from BTB --V2,V3,V4 JJ E88CC selected/matched from BTB --2x Mundorf Mcap Supreme Evo Alu Oil 1.5 uF from BTB AMPLIFIER: FM300A SPEAKER: Wharfedale Elysian4 As the Elysian4 delivers really full and rich bass I could get best results with 1.5 uF caps and above tubes only. Have played around with other tube combinations like 6N23P, 6H30Pi, 6H1N which are also good in some ways, but the E88CC brought the best strong kicking dry bass and don't boom and I can hear the higher frequencies more clear. All other settings had little too much and boomy bass but with that it sounds smooth, warm and detailed almost perfect for me. BTB also has ready sets for the MP-701 MK2 / MK3 https://btb-elektronik.de/suche/?searchterm=musical+paradise 1
BillyChau Posted January 9 Author Posted January 9 12 hours ago, Johan1958 said: Yes you can but pls. read the MP-701 manual as you would need some adapters. I have tried E88CC for v2 and v3 and 6H30Pi for v4 and E88CC for v2 and v3 and 6H1N for v4 but for my system it didn't work well with mixed tubes. This is my actual system and setting now: STREAMER: Eversolo DMP-A8 DAC: Weiss DAC204 with extra linear power supply 9V PREAMP: MP-701 MK3 --V1 Linlai 274B from BTB --V2,V3,V4 JJ E88CC selected/matched from BTB --2x Mundorf Mcap Supreme Evo Alu Oil 1.5 uF from BTB AMPLIFIER: FM300A SPEAKER: Wharfedale Elysian4 As the Elysian4 delivers really full and rich bass I could get best results with 1.5 uF caps and above tubes only. Have played around with other tube combinations like 6N23P, 6H30Pi, 6H1N which are also good in some ways, but the E88CC brought the best strong kicking dry bass and don't boom and I can hear the higher frequencies more clear. All other settings had little too much and boomy bass but with that it sounds smooth, warm and detailed almost perfect for me. BTB also has ready sets for the MP-701 MK2 / MK3 https://btb-elektronik.de/suche/?searchterm=musical+paradise Thank you for your detailed explanation. Is it better to use a 1.5uf capacitor instead of a 2.2uf capacitor?
Johan1958 Posted January 9 Posted January 9 3 hours ago, BillyChau said: Thank you for your detailed explanation. Is it better to use a 1.5uf capacitor instead of a 2.2uf capacitor? I think it depends on your system and other components which you are using.
MichaelHiFi Posted January 30 Posted January 30 Yesterday, I had taken delivery of the MP701 MK3. I've spent considerable time on the MK2 thread noting many upgrade paths to this flexible preamp. I'm always tinkering with my system and this preamp really fir my style. I have considered an AudioNote kit pre but we've spent so much money on audio in the last two years, this seemed a logical buy. I don't have unrealistic expectations for a $1250 preamp (with the cap upgrade), and not to say that $1250 is "cheap", but in this particular system, a cumulation of 60 years of upgrades, it's a bargain, and it will be competing for one of our systems against the Acoustic Invader preamp, also, a bargain. That being said, over the decades, I learned that caps, tubes, wires, isolation and a good basic design can better much costlier gear, so here I am. I would love to post pics of both the Acoustic Invader and the MP701 MK 3 'insides' but fear I would break some forum rule. Maybe someone can enlighten me? I started out with the factory upgraded caps, the Vcap Odams 2.2uf. Staring out, I placed the MP directly on the granite shelf, where I would typically start with maple but early on it's the KISS principle. Iso-acoustic footers sit next to the MP waiting their turn. Power cord is a Oyaide Black Mamba plugged into a Puritan PSM-156 power conditioner. An hour out of the box (well packed box, thank you MP), the sound had the usual grainy, confused "I'm brand new" sound to it. Three hours into it, we (my wife and I) noted images were standing more alone and the space between them darker. That's a very good sign so early on. Competition: The acoustic Invader is a balanced JFET preamplifier purchased at $1700 with shipping. It serves us well but my reference system needed an additional preamp due to some changes I made, so I had removed (stolen really) my "upstairs wife's system" Acoustic Invader preamp, thus the MP 701 purchase. Who knows what pre we will be fighting over... Here's a couple of pics of where the MP701 MK 3 sits in action. 2
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