Sound quality A810 vs. A820

[TheAudioAssociation]

Can anyone chime in on the sound quality differences between these two Studer decks from a repro and record characteristic?

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[Bruce B]

I was going to respond to this, but I have not directly compared the 810 to the 820. I have compared the 810 to our A80RC machines though. My opinion is that the A80RC is sonically superior to the A820. The 820 has a more gentle transport system and operation flow, but more things that can go wrong as well. Hopefully Ki will chime in as well.

 

[TheAudioAssociation]

Hey Bruce!

Thanks for chiming in! Got the A80 Preview going today.... enjoying some great tunes! Only way to spend a Thanksgiving!

 

[Ki Choi]

Hi Eddie:

The A810 in portable configuration, it has its own place for taking up way less space than the A820 with decent sound. However, if you compare pure sonic performances of the two, A820 is indeed much better although both share all the same audio electronics. The power supply section is a bit different between the two models but not by much.

It is like comparing two different turntables connected to an exact same type phono preamps. If you can imagine the sonic differences from better mechanical stability and ridgity of one turntable to the other with everything else being the same, you can get the picture.

 

[jdza]

I have been anxiously following this,hoping Ki would reply.Thanks Ki!

This is similar to what I find with the older A80R and B62 Mk2.They both use identical audio electronics but sound different in the same way Ki describes - though the frumpy looking B62 does boogie woogie better than any machine I have heard.

After Ki has kindly sorted my A 810s MPU,I have been spending a lot of time with it. I have really started to admire the sonics of the 810.I find it more finicky than the older machines: It needs several hours after powering up to start sounding good,is quite sensitive to power,cabling and has to be set up exactly as the manual says (calibrate bass at 63Hz and not 100Hz etc). It sounds very "organised" , focused and "neat" when compared to the older machines. I now think this is due to Studer's phase compensating circuitry. Lovers of horn speakers will recognise this effect when moving mid drivers and tweeters to and fro until that magic moment when the time delay is correct and the sound "snaps into place"

 

[TheAudioAssociation]

Hi Eddie:

The A810 in portable configuration, it has its own place for taking up way less space than the A820 with decent sound. However, if you compare pure sonic performances of the two, A820 is indeed much better although both share all the same audio electronics. The power supply section is a bit different between the two models but not by much.

It is like comparing two different turntables connected to an exact same type phono preamps. If you can imagine the sonic differences from better mechanical stability and ridgity of one turntable to the other with everything else being the same, you can get the picture.

Hi Ki.... Thanks very much for the insight. It's kinda what I expected but wanted someone with your expertise to explain in detail how they differ sonically.