[Review] Bent Audio "NOH" pre-amp

Michael

System looks good - and tidy.

I havn't saw that style of rack before - any further details ?

 

Will, thanks for the comments. The rack is a DIY ripoff of the IsoBlue rack which is fairly highly thought of allthough I decided on it purely on aesthetic and practicality grounds rather than any potential sonic benefit. I say DIY, but actually I got the design and then got a local carpenter to make it for me. Mine's made of beech wood rather than the Ash that IsoBlue uses....so that probably ruins the sound quality

Michael.

 

There's a good review of the Music First transformer passive in this months HFN. It uses the same transformers and switches as the NOH so is pretty much the same thing but in a different box. They seem to like it...a lot

Michael.

 

Michael, never believe what you read in the mags! After all, look at what they say in reviews about cables.

 

Well, in this months HFN John Crabbe is dissing cables (see my other thread) and KK talks about "cable bullshit" But anyway, as I said before, the only good reviews are ones that praise kit (or kit similar to) that I own

Michael.

 

Absolutely Michael - all goes to help us believe we are right doesn't it

 

Sadly, the NOH preamp is no longer available. I was looking at the site as I'm toying with the idea of building myself an integrated amp using a transformer-based volume control, and would have liked remote volume control.

Anybody have an idea where I could turn to?

 

Try S&B and they should point you to where you can purchase the TX's

 

Hi Markus,

You could look at DIYHIFI for the bits and bobs. They also make a transformer preamp called the Django.

http://www.diyhifisupply.com/diyhs_sb_transformers.htm

http://www.diyhifisupply.com/diyhs_django.htm

I emailed S&B with regards to prices of the transformers & MC transformers. I asked if sales were dealt through themselves or an agent. I got an email back from Jonathan Billington just giving me the cost. He didn't say they did or didn't sell direct. Or did he say who the agents are.

For the transformers used in the passive the price is £135 +VAT each. I emailed him in may of this year. Worth dropping them a email. They are $550 a pair from DIYHIFI.

SCIDB

 

Hi,

JB is not the most sociable individual, I guess I can answer that.

1) There is currently no UK Agency for S&B, I MAY snag this one, with a few other agencies for the UK for DIY stuff for 3D Sonics, IF I feel I have eaten enough BSE infected beef.... ;-)

2) There are agencies for Central Europe/Germany (Stein Music), North America (Bent Audio), Asia/Pacifica (DIY HiFisupply) and there is also someone in Scandinavia whose detail I have forgotten.

3) JB prefers to sell through agencies and does not accept credit cards, however he will sell directly for the UK and anywhere where is no distribution, however most of the time I suspect you are better off buying through the distributors who are better set up to give support for the DIY crowd, unless you are in the UK (possibly even then).

I hope that helps to clarify.

If you MUST have a remote with a TVC, I would suggest making up a certain set of logic and to use 24 Reed relais per channel to select the taps. Ultimatly fairly trivial to do (Get a binary 5 Bit counter, use BCD to 16 Decoders, 2 pcs and a suitable basic remote control kit). Reed relais are at any extent better switches than anythings else out there.

Getting things right with stepper motors and the the like can be trickey.

Ciao T

 

S & B sell direct from uckfeild E Sussex

Stuart

 

The stepper motor on my NOH seems to work fine, but I'm glad that John Chapman (of Bent Audio) fitted it and I didn't have to. Incidentally, it seems that the NOH is merely having a hiatus and production is not permanently halted.

Michael.