Benz Micro LP Ebony

You sound like a dealer. Oh, you are one. Lulz.

 

Watcha...

 

Hiya Alex.

 

You are right branko is talking rubbish - the atc is not suitable for rock at all!

Seriously - branko is an idiot. I asked him about the kuzma airline but as soon as I mentioned I had already heard the air tangent I just got a load of abuse for no reason that he thought anyone who had even bothered to dem the AT was an idiot. You really shouldn't have given that guy your business. The fact that he is still around and that his sales techniques appear to have made him a wealthy man speaks volumes about hifi customers

If the Cambridge and the whest are both opamp designs then I would expect that they sound very similar irrespective of cost.

Rob - The wad has great drive and bass - better than the borbely. However the mid was a long way behind. A combination of the two would be near perfect. Perhaps your unit has come on since then? I am trying out the ps audio these days...

 

I just remember it (the WAD) being a little more forward in the mid which is just a tonal preference thing, but yes it has changed and the only components remaining the same are the step-up transformers. Could probably do with a fresh set of tubes actually, talking of which, the choice of tube pretty much tunes the thing to sound how you want within a small window.

The Cambridge uses low noise paralleled transistors at the front end and OP amps for the EQ and output stages.

The worst OP amp based design I've heard is the Trichord Dino which sounded thin, weedy and flat.

 

Cos there's only one way to skin a cat with an op-amp phonostage...

 

Steve from Selct Audio is the now the distributor of Benz.

www.selectaudio.co.uk

His website is rubbish but he a friendly chap and worth giving a call: 01900 813064

 

His sales patter turned me into a very reluctant customer, but I just couldn't pass up the deal on the LP at the price. I was tempted to tell him to stuff it up his jumper, though.

I agree with Robert's remarks about the Trichord Dino. I borrowed one from my local shop for a while, and it sounded very poor.

 

Yes the dino is a bit pants

As I recall the mid on the borb was much clearer, dynamic and more detailed and vital. Female vocal just really came alive but on the WAD sounded "in the box" and flat. The difference was as profound as the superiority of the WAD on rock. That may well have changed now of course, but it did seem quite flawed to me at the time even though it spurred me on to find a phono stage that combined the best of both. Still searching!

 

An Art Audio V1 phono stage sounded very good with the Benz cartridge. The Best phonostage I have listented to with the Benz was Coopees Allnic Phonostage.

 

Now has a lower noise PSU with better diodes, PIO coupling caps in the main unit and all the polyester caps in the EQ stage replaced with 0.1% Silva Mica caps.

I've also fitted a means of changing loading on the fly with a front mounted control. Works on the input transformer secondary winding and therefore transfers the correct impedance through to the primary for the cartridge. Much better than just shunting a resistor across the cartridge - certainly when transformers are used.

Might be worth another listen if you are still searching.

 

Indeed - last time I couldn't make do with the bass of the borbely or the mid of the wad but the combination of the two would have been ideal so I would be curious to hear it. I dont have a preamp any more though - both sources have volume control and go through the balanced switch to the crossovers.

 

Congratulations on finding a cartridge that you're happy with Bub. It's not uncommon for people to struggle with this especially given the difficulties in auditioning the possibles now. What did you do with the Transfiguration? Are you going to have it refurbished/

 

Hi Murray,

Thanks. I'll probably send the Transfig to Expert Stylus for retipping at some point. Then when the Benz gives up, I'll have a stopgap.

 

Makes alot of sense. How was it apparent that it was worn or tired? I think ESC just do retipping and do it very well but don't get into rebuilds etc if the suspension is knackered.

Did the Benz need the arm to be repositioned at all?

 

A gradual increase in surface noise. I think the suspension is OK.

Yes, the V had to be readjusted, but it's so easy, and quite good fun. Mr Bozic advised me to recheck VTA, etc. after 40 hrs, as the suspension "wears in", or whatever you call it.

 

If the Cambridge and the whest are both opamp designs then I would expect that they sound very similar irrespective of cost

True -except the whest is fully discrete on it's rear end and uses a hybrid filter section for RIAA. The Cambridge uses a low noise trannies for the input and thereafter it's pretty much like the trichord and evans lot - passive riaa but it's input stage really limits it as you can't use low output MCs with it. my spare whestTWO is capable of 72dB at a flick of a switch and is also discrete.

As for Cos there's only one way to skin a cat with an op-amp phonostage actually no there isn't. There are plenty of ways but the cheapest way to do it is to use a passive filter inbetween 2 gain stages a la trichord etc. There are plenty of other ways to do it. 47labs uses a hybrid riaa around a chip, Boulder uses a hybrid riaa around a discrete opamp ( a la whest), and various others use both active and passive around 2 or 3 opamps. Before you make a statement, find out first.

 

'Before you make a statement, find out first.'





Would this include your completely spurious statement, that Thomas Woschnicks new phono stage would not be going into production and that Thomas had told you that himself!

 

No not at all. I've known Thomas for about 3 years now and have shared many a coffee with him. Maybe he has decided otherwise...the man is allowed to changed his mind about his products.

 

Thats fine so as long as we both agree that your above post is no more than a figment ofyour over active imagination I am happy.