Hi, a new member here

[yern]

Audio enthusiast here from S. Fl.

 

[Gary D]

Hi yern,

Welcome!

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Were you "yerning" for someplace to talk audio? You found it! Welcome.

Tim

 

[yern]

LOL, I'm more like yerning to learn more about my D70 Mk.II. I was in audio in the '90s then sold everything. The only relic left was my Audio Research D70. I haven't even heard how it sounds. I gained it from a trade and just stored it for about 12 years. I will be using it not for speakers but for powering a pair of headphones.

 

[abby]

Hello, new member here and very excited to find out the best of the best!!!! Thanks!

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Hello, new member here and very excited to find out the best of the best!!!! Thanks!

Ahhh....well we haven't quite agreed on that, abby, but the discussion is lively. Welcome!

Tim

 

[DaveyF]

LOL, I'm more like yerning to learn more about my D70 Mk.II. I was in audio in the '90s then sold everything. The only relic left was my Audio Research D70. I haven't even heard how it sounds. I gained it from a trade and just stored it for about 12 years. I will be using it not for speakers but for powering a pair of headphones.

Hi yern, welcome to a very interesting and informative forum.
I too own an ARC D70Mk2... which I think VERY highly of. My a'phile group and I have listened to this amp and AB'ed it against several other highly respected current contenders, only to see the D70Mk2 hold off almost all competitors. The amp needs to be set up correctly, to include good tubes and the correct biasing; ( which is best left to a tech, IMO) and once this is done you will have one of the great classics in ampdom, again IMHO

 

[mep]

A D-70 to drive a pair of headphones? Isn't that like using a tractor trailer to tow your push mower around town? And yeah, I owned the D-70 MKII also. In fact Davey and I share a few components that we have owned. I believe that Davey still has his CAT SL-1 Signature preamp which I used to own as well. Except for my Ampex 350s, I have recently parted ways with tubes. It remains to be seen if it stays that way.

 

[FrantzM]

A D-70 to drive a pair of headphones? Isn't that like using a tractor trailer to tow your push mower around town? And yeah, I owned the D-70 MKII also. In fact Davey and I share a few components that we have owned. I believe that Davey still has his CAT SL-1 Signature preamp which I used to own as well. Except for my Ampex 350s, I have recently parted ways with tubes. It remains to be seen if it stays that way.

Up to a point .. The HE planar headphones are making minced meat of my Luxman headphone amplifier.. It is clearly laboring ...Word is that such headphones require almost as much power as medium to high efficiency speaker, say 95 dB ...
Welcome people.. You have found a place to discuss about the best of everything

 

[karma]

HI yern,
I'm relatively new here myself. I had been looking for a forum that mostly talked about high end audio. I think I have found it here. Lots of knowledge on these pages.

Welcome aboard.

Sparky

 

[Steve Williams]

Thanks Sparky

It's guys like you and everyone else that imparts the knowledge.

 

[DaveyF]

A D-70 to drive a pair of headphones? Isn't that like using a tractor trailer to tow your push mower around town? And yeah, I owned the D-70 MKII also. In fact Davey and I share a few components that we have owned. I believe that Davey still has his CAT SL-1 Signature preamp which I used to own as well. Except for my Ampex 350s, I have recently parted ways with tubes. It remains to be seen if it stays that way.

LOL, have to agree with Mark (mep) about using the amp with headphones. Mark's correct, i still use, and am happy with, my CAT SL 1 Sig with rolled in tubes. It's a shame that most owners of the SL1 have never really heard what it can do when you roll in tubes..
BTW, if you get the tube thing correct, I think that the different presentation that tubes in the system will give you is hard to discount. Which is why I utilize both tubes and ss. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses ....BUT they sure aren't the same
I'll wager Mark will come to this same conclusion

 

[mep]

Davey-You are a brave man for rolling in tubes in the CAT SL1 Signature. There is a reason most people let Ken select the tubes and its called noise. Noise is the enemy and I have boxes of NOS to die for tubes that are all noisey as hell.

 

[DaveyF]

Mark, not really that brave

I had some very good advise from Kevin Deal at Upscale about the compatability of various tubes.
Kevin really knows his stuff, IMHO.

I always think that 'shooting blind' with regards to tube rolling isn't really that smart an idea.

 

[Steve Williams]

Kevin is one of the best for tubes

 

[mep]

I have dealt with Uncle Kevin for years. He was pretty much my "go to" guy for tubes and he has bled my wallet many times. I have now been through a 12 step program for tube lovers and have gotten over my addiction to them. For the here and now, I have crossed over to the dark side of SS and my SNR has gone way up and my angst about tubes going south is at an all time low.