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  #221  
Old 10-22-2016, 07:31 AM
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Last night, and especially this AM, I've had a feeling of audio emptiness (I called it melancholy in my tube thread). The realization has hit me that I'm now chasing sound, not listening to music. And I believe tube rolling is a factor in that. The last time I would say I listened to music or enjoyed a DVD w/o distraction was during the initial run with the JJ tubes. There are other factors at play, such as an unfriendly work schedule along with other responsibilities and demands on my time and energy, but as far as the system itself goes my tube rolling isn't helping me. Recently I put the Mullard tubes back into the 2300 and even now, though I like the Mullards pretty well and could see leaving them in for an extended period, I'm listening to the sound, and waiting for them to make a mistake, as it were. Maybe I need to put the JJs back in and see if that fixes my head; I was thinking about that last night.

Another thought has been that, with all the tube rolling and the tweaks I've done to try getting me to a point of rest as a result, maybe I should give deeper consideration to returning to a solid-state preamp and thereby eliminate some of the drama. I'd probably trade in the 2300 toward a C52 in that case, then sell off the modest tube collection I've accumulated. That would give me one sound to deal with (the C52's equalizer notwithstanding) and provide a psychological boost. There was no issue with the ARC LS3 I used from 1993 to 2013, which is solid-state and has no tone controls. Now that I think about it, this may be a psychological issue as much as an audio one; fixing my melancholy and mitigating my curiosity at the same time could be a real boost to getting back to a more fun place with my system (and maybe other areas of life, too).
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  #222  
Old 12-14-2016, 05:57 PM
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It is interesting that, since the change to a Transparent HPPC for the 2300, I've been paying less attention to the 2300 itself. Having been pleased by the sonic difference the HPPC made, I'm now not as concerned about other issues related to the preamp. Last night I was actually listening to music as much or more than sound. I might even explore an all-Transparent PC or IC setup, based upon what I've heard. Or a Kimber/Transparent combo of some kind, probably Kimber Hero ICs and Transparent HPPC PCs. The Premium is Transparent's next PC, at $600 for a 2m cord; pretty sure a 1m (for the preamp) would be the same.

Another piece to this is the recent acquisition of a Pioneer Elite BDP-88FD, and its cleaner sound over the 09FD I've been using. Turning the sampling rate down to 48kHz from 192kHz seemed to add a bit of weight to the sound, which was interesting. In none of that was I thinking about the 2300; the focus was on what other changes did for the sound. That may be a good sign.

I'm still curious about the C52, but have less urgency to hear one. If I get the chance while in Nashville I might; I'm headed there Saturday, Lord willing. Hi-Fi Buys would be the place to do that, and also to check out more Transparent stuff (not that I can't get it here, but Hi-Fi Buys is a nice store). It's easier to play with ICs and PCs that changing out tubes, so it could be that I've found a new area to experiment in.
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  #223  
Old 12-14-2016, 10:50 PM
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anyone having any preamp thoughts at all needs to go to the classifieds and look at the accuphase c-3850. It will change your sonic life.

Last edited by Weirdcuba; 12-14-2016 at 11:02 PM.
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  #224  
Old 12-23-2016, 03:13 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Weirdcuba View Post
anyone having any preamp thoughts at all needs to go to the classifieds and look at the accuphase c-3850. It will change your sonic life.
Accuphase gear has a strong reputation to be sure, but I want to exhaust my run with the 2300 before looking at other options. The C52 is the only exception to that right now. Besides, my wallet has an increasingly significant say in things like this, as well as other priorities and knowing that at some point I have to get off the audio treadmill.

I'll probably take a look at the Accuphase anyway, but I need to be blown away for my mind to be changed. Plus, it has to be affordable for me.
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  #225  
Old 12-25-2016, 03:58 PM
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Merry Christmas to all on this day. I believe Hanukkah is today as well. So Happy Hanukkah to those who observe.

At my sister's in Texas, awaiting dinner and the opportunity to sample the pumpkin cheesecake I ordered for dessert. I'm trusting I made a good choice.
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SOTA, Grado, SME, Van den Hul, Gingko turntable setup; Pioneer Elite LD, BDP; Sony OLED TV; Magnum Dynalab tuner, antenna; MIT S-video cable; Pangea HDMI cables; DVDO video processor; McIntosh SACD, preamp, power amps; Telefunken Black Diamond preamp tubes; Kimber IC; Transparent IC, PC, SC; Mirage speakers; PS Audio, Shunyata PC; Audio Additives RCA caps; Furman power conditioning; Sanus: racks

Last edited by prepress; 12-31-2016 at 07:55 AM.
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  #226  
Old 12-29-2016, 12:36 AM
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A used Mark Levinson No326s can be had for @5k and has good synergy with my MC-601's! Incredible bottom end, music coming out of total blackness, and great sense of air and depth around the instruments. I've been using for 2 years and loving it. Just bought the ARC DAC9 as a digital source and the combo lets the beauty of the ARC shine through!

Last edited by gadawg; 12-29-2016 at 12:37 AM. Reason: Additional Info
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  #227  
Old 02-18-2017, 10:41 AM
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Interesting (to me) thing. Those who live in/near NYC may know of Stereo Exchange. The store is moving and so has a clearance sale on. I noted they have the C52 in stock, and probably at a good price. The reason this is interesting is that I didn't call to reserve one and then run to the store to get it (at least, I haven't). While the state of my wallet is a factor surely, perhaps this really means that after the tweaking I've done with my setup the C2300's sound and it being a tube unit no longer matter. The focus is on the system's sound, not the ins and outs of one component. The more immediate concern appears now to be power cords and what changes they effect.
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  #228  
Old 02-20-2017, 01:42 PM
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I know some people attempt to use power cords as tone controls. I've found that to be a losing proposition.
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  #229  
Old 03-03-2017, 09:30 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mamrak1 View Post
I know some people attempt to use power cords as tone controls. I've found that to be a losing proposition.
In my case, this has been a long ride attempting to recapture some of the low-end punch I had with my previous preamp. I was going back and forth with tubes and, perhaps, getting nowhere. My only concern was what a particular tube did for the low end, and I still think the JJs are best for that of what I have. But I liked the Black Diamonds and the Mullards, too. Also the Psvanes, when they were here.

Seeing how the Transparent cords opened up and extended the low end some, I might be willing to try other tubes again. Maybe the Black Diamonds will go back in at some point. The 2300 is growing on me.
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SOTA, Grado, SME, Van den Hul, Gingko turntable setup; Pioneer Elite LD, BDP; Sony OLED TV; Magnum Dynalab tuner, antenna; MIT S-video cable; Pangea HDMI cables; DVDO video processor; McIntosh SACD, preamp, power amps; Telefunken Black Diamond preamp tubes; Kimber IC; Transparent IC, PC, SC; Mirage speakers; PS Audio, Shunyata PC; Audio Additives RCA caps; Furman power conditioning; Sanus: racks
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  #230  
Old 03-13-2017, 06:25 AM
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There is another point in the C2300's favor, as I take a good look at the C52 and C2600. I noted that their inputs and outputs seemed to be the same. Both have four RCA inputs as well as the phono section. I have five sources, so to have either preamp means giving up my phono preamp to use the C52/C2600's built-in one. Now, one reason I use an outboard phono preamp, despite the onboard Mac preamps being quite good, is the ground spades on my tonearm cable are too small for the 2300's connectors and don't fit properly; it looks like it's the same for the 52 and 2600. A small thing, but it tweaked me enough that I put my modest Aragon 47k back into the system after using the 2300's onboard phono for a short while. And in the short while I used the 2300's on-board phono, I didn't hear anything I thought dramatically different or better.

The 2300 has more inputs than either the 52 or 2600 (unbalanced, anyway). I like that, and even though I may not use them all, it's a plus in my book. So not using the on-board phono is a practical decision, ultimately, even though it means extra cabling in the system.
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SOTA, Grado, SME, Van den Hul, Gingko turntable setup; Pioneer Elite LD, BDP; Sony OLED TV; Magnum Dynalab tuner, antenna; MIT S-video cable; Pangea HDMI cables; DVDO video processor; McIntosh SACD, preamp, power amps; Telefunken Black Diamond preamp tubes; Kimber IC; Transparent IC, PC, SC; Mirage speakers; PS Audio, Shunyata PC; Audio Additives RCA caps; Furman power conditioning; Sanus: racks
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