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  #11  
Old 02-29-2016, 03:25 AM
Randy Myers Randy Myers is offline
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I talked with EJ about this today at our audio club meeting. He said that the mkII amps are considerably better than the ST250, ST500, and ST1000. Some pretty substantial improvements. Also, and unfortunately, the 125 WPC versions never sold well. People get in the WPC race and want the higher power, so the 500s have traditionally been very good sellers. He also said that the level control are similar to the lower versions but just extend to a much higher volume level. Therefore there won't be any issues with with lack of control at lower volumes like I was concerned with. I hope that I explained it in an understandable way. He is much better at explaining this than I am ...
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  #12  
Old 02-29-2016, 11:27 PM
chops-tube chops-tube is offline
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I'm sure the Mk II amps are better, and they should be considering the age difference. I must admit though, this old ST250 is not too shabby. I really like what it does in my system.

I know EJ is a very busy man, and I would love to email him to ask him for his views on this amp. But because he is so busy, I won't bother him with such a question.
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  #13  
Old 03-01-2016, 12:00 AM
Randy Myers Randy Myers is offline
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I would drop them a line. I would be surprised if someone did not get back to you.

So is your brother going to let you keep it?
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  #14  
Old 03-02-2016, 01:02 AM
chops-tube chops-tube is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Randy Myers View Post
I would drop them a line. I would be surprised if someone did not get back to you.

So is your brother going to let you keep it?
I just might send them an email, just for the heck of it.

As for my brother, I have yet to speak to him about it. Our schedules don't align to well most of the time. With that said however, he loves blasting his stereo (one of the pleasures of living in a house) and the Odyssey does have more power. He's also always liked my amp and the way it sounded in my system. Hopefully he's witnessed similar results in his system.

Either way, I just ordered a pair of Wireworld Oasis 7's with XLR's from Ivan last night, and they'll be here tomorrow afternoon.
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  #15  
Old 03-02-2016, 02:23 AM
Randy Myers Randy Myers is offline
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Nice!

This Goldmund amp is so dam good that I think I might have to hold tight for the time being
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  #16  
Old 03-02-2016, 10:00 PM
chops-tube chops-tube is offline
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I'm pretty certain I'm sold on this little ST250 amp.

I got my cables in today from Ivan and I got them hooked up in between all of the running around I did today. I literally just got home about 30 minutes ago.

I did both sets of cables at the same time, the Oasis XLR's from the Halo to the W4S amp, and the 12 inch Ultraviolet USB from the Recovery to the Halo. They've been running for 5 hours and everything does sound better. More open, wider, deeper stage, more tactile, more refined overall.

W4S says that their amps benefit from running through the balanced inputs, and they weren't kidding!

The treble is really something to be heard. I'm listening to "Dead Can Dance - Anastasis" right now, and there's so much added detail and space in the upper region, yet it's still delicate, silky smooth and sweet.

I'm really enjoying this. This is a very good thing to come home to, especially after a day like today.
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  #17  
Old 03-02-2016, 10:37 PM
Randy Myers Randy Myers is offline
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Yea really... sorry about your laptop by the way... I have noticed that the W4S equipment seems to be very open with a fantastic sound stage. No wonder they like to connect it up with KEF!

I think my DAC is getting there but I think it still has some time to go before it is completely broken in.

I would not mind trying a W4S amplifier at some point, but then I would have to pick up another set of XLR cables since the Goldmund only has RCA inputs ....

I do believe that this little Job has the same type of tendencies as the W4S, and is therefore a good match! The one small issue is that it has a very high input gain so the Rothwell Attenuators are almost a requirement. I rarely get to the 30s on the volume control which goes up to 80. I guesstimate that I have never even taken the pre-amp out of passive mode into active.

Congrats on the equipment... hopefully your brother will like your amp and want to let you keep the W4S!

For what it is worth, which is probably not much since you like the ST250 so much, but EJ did say if you like the ST250 you will be blown away by the new amps.

Last edited by Randy Myers; 03-02-2016 at 10:45 PM.
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  #18  
Old 03-03-2016, 12:28 AM
chops-tube chops-tube is offline
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Thanks. It seems that everything these days is built to be disposable. They last a year or two and that's it. My last laptop lasted me 6 years almost. This one barely lasted a year or so. It's crazy. I just hope I can dig into that hard drive and get the info off of it.

You know, the way you and W4S keeps going on about KEF speakers, I'm going to end up with a pair of white LS50's one day. The only KEF's I've ever heard were a repaired pair of 104/2's. That was nearly 20 years ago, but I remember that I was rather impressed with them.

Speaking of DAC's, I'm shocked at what the built-in DAC is capable of in the Halo. Even though everything in the system has changed, I think it sounds better than the Schiit Bifrost I had, and it was fully upgraded. I also think it sounds every bit as good if not better than the DAC in the Oppo 105D, which is supposed to be a top rated DAC.

The high gain on the Job amp would drive me crazy. That was kind of the same problem I had with the Musical Fidelity preamp I had for a while. About 3 little blips on the remote and the volume was fairly loud. Any louder and I would have been pissing off neighbors. Then again, those laser beam LED's on that preamp were annoying as well. The other issue of course is that a lot of volume potentiometers are not very balanced in their output at those low settings, which was one of the annoyances with the MF preamp as well. Where the setting was getting a bit too loud was also where both channels finally balanced out. It's a shame because I quite liked that preamp. Oh well. I'm much happier with the Halo, which I should have went with from the very beginning.

Yes, I'm sure I'd be impressed with the new amps, but what to do with all of that extra power?! LOL I think W4S is on their 2nd or 3rd revision of the input buffer boards in the new amps, and those boards are what give these amps that overall smooth sound to begin with. I'm sure there's plenty of great improvements on those new boards as well as the umpteenth revision on those B&O boards.
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  #19  
Old 03-03-2016, 02:59 AM
Randy Myers Randy Myers is offline
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I don't know much about their amps... I just have all kinds of confidence in EJ and crew. He told me that the control levels at lower volume is about the same as the old amps, just the new ones do go a lot higher.

The gain on the amp is a tad annoying but not terribly so. I have plenty of control at low levels, especially with the Rothwells inline. But it is oh so good sounding ...

Does the DAC you're using have DSD? I know some people say they don't hear a difference, but for me it is night and day better. PCM files are a tad harsher and just a bit muddier, to my ears. Not that they are bad, but I can tell immediately when I have a DSD on. This is the case on both the Teac and the W4S DAC...

I just looked it up.... unless I missed it I don't think it has DSD. If you ever get a chance to run DSD through the system I think you might be surprised...

BTW... KEF won me over back in my old days a long time ago. I had a pair of Reference 104aB speakers... they would eat up a cheap amp but oh did they sound good with a proper amp... (not talking quantity, but quality... I had a 25 WPC McIntosh tube amp that drove them fine... this photo is Audionics mono amps)....

I found this photo of my old system a while back... oh, btw, here is a photo of that TT... my favorite, and last TT ever....
Attached Images
File Type: jpg OldStereo.jpg (68.5 KB, 17 views)
File Type: jpg KM_TT.jpg (89.9 KB, 15 views)

Last edited by Randy Myers; 03-03-2016 at 03:26 AM.
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  #20  
Old 03-03-2016, 11:33 PM
chops-tube chops-tube is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Randy Myers View Post
I don't know much about their amps... I just have all kinds of confidence in EJ and crew. He told me that the control levels at lower volume is about the same as the old amps, just the new ones do go a lot higher.

The gain on the amp is a tad annoying but not terribly so. I have plenty of control at low levels, especially with the Rothwells inline. But it is oh so good sounding ...

Does the DAC you're using have DSD? I know some people say they don't hear a difference, but for me it is night and day better. PCM files are a tad harsher and just a bit muddier, to my ears. Not that they are bad, but I can tell immediately when I have a DSD on. This is the case on both the Teac and the W4S DAC...

I just looked it up.... unless I missed it I don't think it has DSD. If you ever get a chance to run DSD through the system I think you might be surprised...

BTW... KEF won me over back in my old days a long time ago. I had a pair of Reference 104aB speakers... they would eat up a cheap amp but oh did they sound good with a proper amp... (not talking quantity, but quality... I had a 25 WPC McIntosh tube amp that drove them fine... this photo is Audionics mono amps)....

I found this photo of my old system a while back... oh, btw, here is a photo of that TT... my favorite, and last TT ever....
As long as you have the gain under control with those Rothwell attenuators, you shouldn't have any worries then, which is a good thing of course.

No, the DAC in the P5 doesn't do DSD, but the one in the Halo Integrated does. In fact, it does all of the DSD (64, 128, 256). I wish they had put that DAC in the P5. Either way, the one in the P5 still sounds outstanding. It's a very impressive little performer. I still think I'm going to eventually get that Teac that you have, the UD-501, but that won't be for some time.

I often wondered what those old 104aB's sounded like. They still have a big following today. People love them!

That was a darn nice TT you had! Wow! What was it again? It's hard to believe you gave it up. Also, I think I spy a Nakamichi 680 or 681 ZX in that photo, as well as an old top-loading VCR! Now that's going back a few years... LOL
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