Ive been and done it

Nice one!

These were the WAD monoblocks, right?
I thought they were very good myself. Very clear sounding. A lot of solid state people would like them in the right system I think.


Penance - why not try putting mattresses around the back and sides of the speakers (just as a test) - it might show if your problem is due/partially due to the room?

Chris

 

yeah, the wad ones, seriously impressed, I was nervous about the prices of 300bs, but they are 65 a pair from hong kong/USA, better than 80 or 150 quid each.!
Nervous too, as I had an audionote kit1 which was pretty mediocre, so I thought this single ended direct heated triode with zero feedback malarky was hyperbole, but the wads are absloutely amazing, I think, I will do a more considered listen, but I really think they are a breed apart.
didn't mean to hijack this thread

 

me neither!

But this is as good a point as any to wax lyrical about the TJ mesh-plates I got a week or 2 ago (about 120 quid each).

Seriously nice valves, if you want to step things up next time.

Beautiful things..... aubergine glass shape, mesh plate... mine are as below but gold pins and black bases.



Sorry penance, you can have your thread back now!!

 

NIce toobs

Mr Data, glad your happy with the 300B. Shame valves didnt work for me.

I moved the speakers a tad last night and it helped a fair amount. Bass is a lot tighter now, and boy can it kick the dyns into shape.
6 hour listening last night, so cant be bad.
As always with me, i have my second thoughts
I was also eyeing up an AVI lab series but it was another 400. I do wonder what it would of been like tho..

 

If what I heard today (with the new AE1's) is anything to go by, you did right to get the Rotel

 

Bottleneck is that one of your own pictures?

If so its stunning.

 

I must say, I have found the sound I have been seeking, and this is not a passing fad. I would encourage everyone to get one of these wad 300bs, it is absolutely the best amp I have ever heard.

I have always had reservations about 'hifi' something wasn't quite right, wasn't quite 'there'. If anyone recalls, I mentioned listening to a string quartet in a street, or a brass group, or nylon string guitar, and it struck me how 'rich' the sound was.
Something was missing from the hifi, I thought it could be cd. On some, vinyl did capture this better. I thought it could be moving coil speakers, electrostatics and horns somehow give more, valve amps give more in this area, <but the difference. It makes even good valve amps sound less good>, great on their own
, but I know what it is now, partly anyway.

Zero feedback, it really does come alive, feedback reduces gain along with noise, distortion, makes everything measure better.

But the wads have a feedback switch to add 9 dbs of feedback, reducing the forward gain by this amount. It does not affect power, just gain, the 2 are not the same.

And with it on, the strings go more metallic, coarser, flatter and lacking in vibrancy and life and body.

Switch feedback off, and it is so vibrant and alive its unreal. It really is a new dimension, less flat, more as it really is. To give privilaged people an idea, it is rather like the chord dac 64 in comparison to a regular dac, only the chord partly has this effect by an increase in volume. Even turned down, the 300bs do this.

I now just need the electrostatics, horns and hi end vinyl , AND posh mains, posh cables, ics, ........ad infinitum...and of course more music....these amps really are worth changing your speakers for.

 

Hi Gary, wish it was.. its a lovely digital pic isnt it?
I got it from the DIY hifisupply website.

Unfortunately I have no digital camera, and must rely on scanning pictures from my SLR.


Lt. Data -

Living Voice speakers sound very good with SET amps too. Available used from 800 quid upwards. Id admit bias here, but its a bias shared!

 

Another long listen yesterday, and some box swapping from Rotel back to Shearne.
Findings -

Rotel - way more clout, an instantly gripping listen and very enjoyable. Quite smooth and transients are way better than i had before.

Shearne - well here came the surprise, more top end detail, a lot more ambience and feeling of recording venue when listening with just the Shearne.

So the Rotel is a very enjoyable listen but it seems the Shearne does things the Rotel doesnt. For an instant rush and fast hard hitting music the Rotel wins hands down, but when being more critical the Shearne came out on top.
Now im not sure if this is a problem with useing the Shearne as pre, but tbh my experiance in this area lets me down and i dont have the option of trying anything else.

 

Pen you got mail! the rotel has quite a bit of feedback, and a mega monster PSU, both associated with the sound you describe, the shearne, probably a small psu and lowish feedback, classic descriptions.

must say bottle, I had both lvs at one time, the auditorium, which I loved great warmth and dynamics, and bass. I was made to sell it.

And the obxr which broke the bank, which at the time was too polite, but when I am stinking rich I would try again. Again, made to sell, but for cash reasons

 

I'll check mail when i get home

 

Bit more of a listen and discussion with Mrs P, we both feel it is a sideways move more than an upgrade.
I will mail the shop i got it from to see what else they have.
I think we are missing the detail, ambience, subtle nuance?? whatever it is, we miss it

Other i have seen are -
classe CAP101 int
classe CA101 power
Bow ZZ-1 int
ARC D130

any one heard any of those?
(this s/h buying is a hard way for home demo innit)

 

i heard the bow wizzard at last years heathrow and it sounded very nice to me. i believe the zz range is their top line stuff so i'd say definately have a listen to that if possible.
can't help with the others, sorry.
cheers


julian

 

loL, Bow has already been sold!

'ere we go again

 

So are you sending the rotel back?

Perhaps the trouble is that it offers shear amounts of power with little control, an athlete in high heels you might say?

 

Im in discussian with the shop by mail at the mo.
Although if i dont want it he has no choice
But yes, all power little finesse, very enjoyable but ultimatly lacking.
I am glad i tried it tho.....

 

Penance,

I agree with the other guys that you are gpoing way too fast here. That Rotel won't have fully burned in yet for a start, it's a huge thing and will take a long time. You are leaving it turned on all the time right?

 

Hi Paul

yea its been on for around 4 days now.
I think its about 18 Months old, so i would of thought it only needed to warm and not burn in?

 

Might be worth thinking of the S300? Of course, I would say that, but it might be what you're looking for. If you like, you could bring the shearne up to compare (since bringing the rotel could be a little back breaking... my room is upstairs).

 

Isaac
the S300 is on my list of replacements. Maybe i could get to you some time with the Dyns aswell if thats OK..