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Inspire by Dennis Had Enjoying Vacuum Tube Audio

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  #4531  
Old 05-27-2018, 11:50 AM
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Dan thanks for that info. I didn't renew my annual subscriber status and now understand why I couldn't find the AA Marketplace. I'll renew shortly.
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  #4532  
Old 06-01-2018, 03:01 PM
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Default Another trip to the Toy Factory

I wanted to check in here and follow up on my latest trip to Cary. As you may know, Dennis and I ordered Proac DT8s, two pair, that were sent to his shop, which is 4 hours from my house. A good excuse for a visit. Took a couple weeks to get free but I was able to get over there a week ago Wednesday. I got to see Dennis and Tony (Staitwire) and was hoping to meet up with Allan (Analog (Addict) but sadly he was working. Next time.

Went directly to the 'Toy Factory' to get the speakers. Tony was there. He was nice enough to carry them to the car. Thanks Tony. Also there was the new LP-3a with three gas regulators arrayed behind the usual 6sn7 complement. Black on black with glow tubes. I should have taken a picture.

That taken care of, Dennis had us over to his house to listen to his new Proacs. He got the rosewood, me the cherry btw. I think there is a pict here of his sitting just outside of his Tannoys. Dennis had a few Inspires amps for us to audition and Tony had one of his that had just been completely rewired with D’s latest 'Universal' circuit design. Also on deck was Allan's 71a PSE. We started with Dennis' Universal prototype, a triode strapped pentode with new custom opts. Analog posted picts a short time back. NOS GE 6f6g output tubes installed. I did not make note of the rectifier or driver tubes. Honestly, I was mostly focused on the Proacs. We listened to an acoustic guitar duo Dennis had seen there recently. Good stuff. I wish I could recall who they were. I find my visits with Dennis to be a bit of an overload. No way to absorb all the details. Anyway, the new circuit is quite nice. Sadly, as I reflect, I have still not heard the Triode Hot Rod so I cannot comment on any differences/similarities. As I said, I was focusing on the Proacs. Listening in the sweet spot. Off axis. Sounded good, really good. The 6f6s in triode push 2 watts as I understand. The SPL of these Proacs was impressive at rated 90db/ as I recall. The sound was full but mellow. Everything was present that was supposed to be. Crisp and clear. Dennis commented the 6f6 to be good for late night listening when the world is quieter. I see that.

Dennis had one of his new mono block prototypes there. A PSE version of the Universal if I understand correctly. We swapped out the right channel for this one. A bit more drive and control but hard for my ears to fully delineate with only one channel. Really nice amp though. Look forward to the finished products.

On to Tony's amp. Tony's was much the same. Possibly a little more refined sound. Discussion yielded that Tony had different coupling caps. I would also attribute it to the PST and many parts including said caps as having some serious playing time on them already. Years of playing time. For those of you with relatively new Inspire equipment, they truly do get better and better with playing time. Somewhere during auditioning these two amps we swapped in some KT-88s for 8 watts/ch. A bit more control and volume but I'm still not a fan of that tube. I have yet to hear a set up that I thought the kt-88s benefitted. Just one mans opinion. We ended with Soviet 6f6s tubes. A perfectly good version of the 6f6. I have 10 on order from the Ukraine I was so impressed.

Next up was Allan's PSE 71a, a true SET. Now that is a lot of glass. Beautiful work getting it all in. I would like to see the underside. Tony mentioned 100+ holes in the chassis. I don't have a lot of experience with Triodes but I can say this one does have that triode sublime magic that so many like. I get it. Intoxicating with a lot of tracks. I have heard Allan say he likes to have it sound like Diana Krall is sitting in his lap. This amp does provide that intimacy and seduction, especially with the female voice. A jazz track yielded some very realistic horns.

An aside. The preamp for all this was an Inspire LP-1 (small chassis) upgraded to the 3a circuit. Old school Inspire populated with 9 pin Soviet tubes. I felt like a real insider as Dennis mentioned it was just like mine. I also learned that they did powder coat some pearl white chassis back then. Not all were sprayed with a rattle can. I was told how to tell the difference. Since, I confirmed that my KT amp is a spray job and my LP is a PC job. The color difference is very subtle. In 4 years I had not noticed it before.

When learning I would visit Dennis ' house earlier in the week for a listening session I knew right off I was going on to have to compare the lightly broken in Proacs with his Tannoys. When else would I get the opportunity? I abruptly segwayed the conversation with an elephant in the room reference. Well, 2 elephants. Those Tannoys do have a presence. Dennis was nice enough to humor me but prefaced that the Tannoys are 5 times the price. I was playing with fire here. I have a new pair of dt8s out in the car, unboxed, and I am comparing them to the Tannoys at 5x$. Would I be going home with a touch of buyers remorse? The Tannoys were better no doubt. We didn't listen long but the quality of that sound reproduction was of a very high order. A detailed speaker to say the least. Clinical and precise. The only fault I could see was that they needed more room to breath. Sorry Dennis. IMHO those babies need a bigger listening room. I could draw up some plans for an addition if you want. Just kidding of course. In the end though, the Proacs were everything I could expect at around $3k and I was leave very excited to get mine home and hook them up.

On to the last amp of the day. Dennis' coppertone PSE v2 with the glow tubes. He said while hooking it up that he had not listened to it for a while. It was a bit dusty. I guess he has been focusing on his SET Hot Rod and Universal for a time. The output tubes were a quad of the USSR 6f6s (st shape btw) Again I do not recall the driver and rectifier. This was the first and only SEP amp we played. The others were all triode wired pentodes or Allan's true triode. With the 6f6s we would have a full 4 watts SEP. Tony remarked a few days ago here, "WOW". I think we were all a bit blown away. From realistic horns in the Jazz piece to... well to use a DH expression HOLY CRAP. Those horns were right there in the living room. Smiles all around. Maybe a jaw or two agape. Laughter. I might have had a tear. My plan is to have my Proacs driven by my PSE. Sadly it was time to go out to lunch. Session over. Damn good times though.

Always the question, Inspire SET or SEP? Of course system dependent, blah blah blah. In my mind though, at least for me, it comes down to the music you listen to and the time and way you listen to it. If predominantly you are sipping wine on a quiet evening and want it to feel like Billy Holiday is whispering in your ear the triode strapped Inspires are truly magical. Now if you are drinking several beers and throw in Gov't Mule's Telstar Sessions the SEPs will just knock your socks off. Truly sounds like you are in the studio like the engineer saying, "that was F___ING AWESOME". I suggest if you are like me and listen both ways you need both types.

One other aside. As we have concluded here, SPL measurements as stated by manufacturers are worthless. As I said the DT8s are rated 90db/1watt @ 1 meter. Primarily we were driving with tubes providing 2-5 watts. With all the listening we did we did not get above 1/3 volume except with Allan's 1.5 watts where we got to 12:00 on the dial, briefly. Nothing was earsplitting but to talk we did have to turn down the volume. These Proacs at 90db are much louder than other speakers I have at 96db rating and others higher. I don't care weather one is lowballing or the other over exaggerating. The problem is that it leaves us all with useless reference points. When I first saw the DT8s in the Proac website. I contacted Dennis to ask if my PSE would drive them figuring I would need the whole 24 watts with GL KT-77s to make them sing. Dennis assured they would be fine and made arrangements for his own pair. What better recommendation. After our session I am confident that 2 watts is plenty. Go figure. My reference points are worthless.

Enough for now. I will post more about the Proac DT8s over on the other AF thread devoted to Inspire-speaker pairings as I get them broken in.



Scott
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  #4533  
Old 06-01-2018, 03:09 PM
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  #4534  
Old 06-01-2018, 09:29 PM
Rosco65 Rosco65 is offline
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Great post Scott. I own one of the very first PSE’s made (KT88, but I can use any tube. I’m using GL KT77’s), so new I sent it back to Dennis to be upgraded to the IIPS before even listening to it.

The 24wpc PSE with GL KT77’s is one of the best amps I have ever heard for the type of music I listen to and the sound I like. I think of it as a tube version of a Firstwatt J2. It is definitely a tube amp but doesn’t sound tubey. Granted, I’m running the stock German and Danish caps. I’m sure if I could squeeze in some Jupiters it would give me a slightly more romantic sound.
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  #4535  
Old 06-02-2018, 12:07 AM
Comzee Comzee is offline
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Originally Posted by FloridaBoy View Post
Have you tried the Pope's with a 5U4g?
Nope, I haven't even used the 6v6 Pope's really since I bought them over a year ago.

On the topic of 5u4g rectifiers tho, I still love my USAF (United Electric Company) 596, still the best 5u4 type I've tried.


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Originally Posted by Rosco65 View Post
I’m sure if I could squeeze in some Jupiters it would give me a slightly more romantic sound.
Been thinking about upgrading the coupling caps in my kt88 Firebottle with Jupiters for awhile now.

I own an iha1 and another tube amp I both upgraded to the Jupiter copper foil paper, both heavily benefited from this decision. My kt88 Firebottle is using Jantzen right now, while I do actually really like those too, Jupiters might be better. Jantz are more open and airy, and as you said Jupiters are a bit more romantic, but I think overall they're just slightly better too.

The Jupiters "beeswax" I wouldn't recommend, just their copper foil paper.
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  #4536  
Old 06-02-2018, 10:08 AM
Rosco65 Rosco65 is offline
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Originally Posted by Comzee View Post

Been thinking about upgrading the coupling caps in my kt88 Firebottle with Jupiters for awhile now.

I own an iha1 and another tube amp I both upgraded to the Jupiter copper foil paper, both heavily benefited from this decision. My kt88 Firebottle is using Jantzen right now, while I do actually really like those too, Jupiters might be better. Jantz are more open and airy, and as you said Jupiters are a

The Jupiters "beeswax" I wouldn't recommend, just their copper foil paper.
I have to be very careful with system matching. The factory component choice from Dennis does not romanticize the sound. However, other components that might be in my ultimate signal chain do. I’m using a DBAudiolabs Tranquility SE NOS DAC that is very smooth, and I’m about to make a switch from Omega single driver speakers to Altec two-ways with my PSE amp. The 802D/32A altec combination is already pretty laid back, and I don’t want to lose any air.

However, I have the luxury of owning a couple Inspire amps as well as a LP-27a preamp. I’m thinking that I may need to keep the preamp and PSE neutral, while I can experiment with my Firebottle KT88 HO. It is one of the last nine-pin driver tube models and does not have the IIPS. This single-tube model is more sensitive to component choice due to the more conventional PS and would be more ideal for experimentation. I already have some choice tubes for this amp (including a ridiculously expensive U52 rectifier), so it is a good candidate for making something sound a bit more lush and romantic. It only has half the power of the PSE, but since my speakers are all 95dB or greater the 10 wpc I can get from the Firebottle HO is adequate, especially when I can always swap in the PSE when I need something with a little more guts.
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  #4537  
Old 06-02-2018, 02:08 PM
jimi55 jimi55 is offline
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[QUOTE=Comzee;917185]Nope, I haven't even used the 6v6 Pope's really since I bought them over a year ago.

On the topic of 5u4g rectifiers tho, I still love my USAF (United Electric Company) 596, still the best 5u4 type I've tried.



I have been trying to find a 596 to use in my Inspire Sweet 807 but have not had much luck. Still looking.
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  #4538  
Old 06-02-2018, 03:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Rosco65 View Post
I have to be very careful with system matching. The factory component choice from Dennis does not romanticize the sound. However, other components that might be in my ultimate signal chain do. I’m using a DBAudiolabs Tranquility SE NOS DAC that is very smooth, and I’m about to make a switch from Omega single driver speakers to Altec two-ways with my PSE amp. The 802D/32A altec combination is already pretty laid back, and I don’t want to lose any air.

However, I have the luxury of owning a couple Inspire amps as well as a LP-27a preamp. I’m thinking that I may need to keep the preamp and PSE neutral, while I can experiment with my Firebottle KT88 HO. It is one of the last nine-pin driver tube models and does not have the IIPS. This single-tube model is more sensitive to component choice due to the more conventional PS and would be more ideal for experimentation. I already have some choice tubes for this amp (including a ridiculously expensive U52 rectifier), so it is a good candidate for making something sound a bit more lush and romantic. It only has half the power of the PSE, but since my speakers are all 95dB or greater the 10 wpc I can get from the Firebottle HO is adequate, especially when I can always swap in the PSE when I need something with a little more guts.
I recently got some Dueland JAM caps. Not expensive. They are copper and tin foil oilers. Have not soldered them in yet. Good old Vitamin Q's or the Russian oilers are a good choice that won't break the bank. Louis at Omega gives the Jupiter copper foils a thumbs up. *I* would not call them romantic. All of these have tone in spades. Just different flavors.
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  #4539  
Old 06-02-2018, 03:15 PM
FloridaBoy FloridaBoy is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Comzee View Post
Nope, I haven't even used the 6v6 Pope's really since I bought them over a year ago.

On the topic of 5u4g rectifiers tho, I still love my USAF (United Electric Company) 596, still the best 5u4 type I've tried.




Been thinking about upgrading the coupling caps in my kt88 Firebottle with Jupiters for awhile now.

I own an iha1 and another tube amp I both upgraded to the Jupiter copper foil paper, both heavily benefited from this decision. My kt88 Firebottle is using Jantzen right now, while I do actually really like those too, Jupiters might be better. Jantz are more open and airy, and as you said Jupiters are a bit more romantic, but I think overall they're just slightly better too.

The Jupiters "beeswax" I wouldn't recommend, just their copper foil paper.
I put the Jupiter copper foil in my LP27a and one melted. They need space and the pre doesn't have it. The beeswax need LOTS of space.
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  #4540  
Old 06-02-2018, 03:40 PM
Rosco65 Rosco65 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FloridaBoy View Post
I recently got some Dueland JAM caps. Not expensive. They are copper and tin foil oilers. Have not soldered them in yet. Good old Vitamin Q's or the Russian oilers are a good choice that won't break the bank. Louis at Omega gives the Jupiter copper foils a thumbs up. *I* would not call them romantic. All of these have tone in spades. Just different flavors.
I had forgotten about the JAM caps. I think in the confines of the Inspire chassis they might be a better choice. I’m also resisting the urge to throw high dollar parts into amps, since a number of respected designers - Dennis and Nelson Pass included - feel that there is a maximum practical benefit for parts quality for each application. Dennis’ amps use very high quality parts but don’t stray into the ultra-fi zone. Nelson’s designs use high quality parts that are still fairly inexpensive (most of the cost of DIY versions of designs is in the metalwork).

My stock Mundorf/Jantzen caps of of much better quality than any other tube amp I have owned (my 421A amp uses NOS Jensen PIO, so they don’t count, and my old 45 SET was direct coupled), and it is likely I will only be adjusting the flavor of the sound rather than its essential character.
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