Which Brand Have You Owned for 20 Years?
- Thread starter Ron Resnick
- Start date
I'm sure the specs were very good for its time.
Mola Mola says the damping factor for the Kaluga amps is greater than 4,000. All the specs they list for the little wonders (7 kg per amp):
PERFORMANCE
400W/8 ohm, 700W/4 ohm, 1200W/2 ohmGain: 28dB
Unweighted Signal/Noise Ratio: 128dB
Distortion (THD, IMD): <0.003 % (all frequencies and power levels)
Input Impedance: 100kohm
Output Impedance: <0.003 ohm (DF>4000), all frequencies
Bandwidth: >50kHz
All of which looks great, but I follow my ears.
Not exactly … I have run several secondary vintage based systems over the years …Many disparate electronics and transducers … dedicated mono and two channel depending on predilection … The PYE PF91’s have a lovely midrange presentation and worked very well with Vitavox CN-191 , Tannoy Canterbury 12” Silver and Reds , a mono setup with a Hartsfield , etcetera .
I think I own a mic drop on this post
Two David hafler amps , I built them in high school . Kit form can't sell them just bugs me to do so . I just re capped them a few months back too.
Oh edit I also own the first Lafayette rec I bought in teens , almost done re capped on this
Two David hafler amps , I built them in high school . Kit form can't sell them just bugs me to do so . I just re capped them a few months back too.
Oh edit I also own the first Lafayette rec I bought in teens , almost done re capped on this
This is slightly embarrassing: I tended to accumulate in my youth.
I grew up in Reno, NV and ran off when I was 15 to Santa Cruz. I was working at Odyssey records and living in a huge unheated attic with one 'fourtet' AC plug. I bought a Pioneer QC 800A preamp and QM 400A amp and got my hands on 4 Large Advents that I stacked. I had a Pioneer PL-A45D turntable with a Stanton cartridge. I still have them all, except for the cartridge. Not high end, but it made me happy. (The Advents live at my bro in law's house.)
After that, I ran into a McIntosh C28 in 1977 and a couple of MC 2205 amps. I paired them with two pair of Acoustic Research AR 90 speakers that I also inverted. Used a Technics SL-1700 with a Grado cartridge of its time and an Akai GXC 570 D cassette deck. Fiddled around with a Dokorder 8140 reel to reel. All still in the family. My son uses the Dokorder and Akai for fun when he and his 'collective' are making recordings.
That gets me to around 1980, so I will stop there.
I grew up in Reno, NV and ran off when I was 15 to Santa Cruz. I was working at Odyssey records and living in a huge unheated attic with one 'fourtet' AC plug. I bought a Pioneer QC 800A preamp and QM 400A amp and got my hands on 4 Large Advents that I stacked. I had a Pioneer PL-A45D turntable with a Stanton cartridge. I still have them all, except for the cartridge. Not high end, but it made me happy. (The Advents live at my bro in law's house.)
After that, I ran into a McIntosh C28 in 1977 and a couple of MC 2205 amps. I paired them with two pair of Acoustic Research AR 90 speakers that I also inverted. Used a Technics SL-1700 with a Grado cartridge of its time and an Akai GXC 570 D cassette deck. Fiddled around with a Dokorder 8140 reel to reel. All still in the family. My son uses the Dokorder and Akai for fun when he and his 'collective' are making recordings.
That gets me to around 1980, so I will stop there.
The wood cover piece looks beautiful. I imagine this was a custom addition? And is it a notable sonic improvement?
Yes to both questions, the metal one before could vibrate at certain frequencies but the wood cover is really solid with very small rubber gaskets.
Interesting that I see you list two pair of Aragon amps. The company, of course has been sold once or twice since these were brought to market, and I just had the opportunity to audition their latest Iridium mono blocks. Quite good and close to pulling the trigger to replace my cherished Krell Duo 300 XD stereo amp.
Since you’ve had both Krell and Aragon, how would you compare?
Apogee Grand loudspeakers.
Tice Power Power Block III Signature
Sony XA7ES Transport.
They don't build them like these anymore!
Tice Power Power Block III Signature
Sony XA7ES Transport.
They don't build them like these anymore!
My first system was a Sansui AU-517 Integrated amp, and Bose 301 speakers with a Sansui TT And cassette deck. all bought in 1980. Had that setup for 25 years.
As for the next 20 years? The current system I have now should be my end game system, I am happy with what I am hearing. I will hand this system down to my son. I am 62 now.
We made a new plinth for the 208 that was machined of solid aluminum. The platter was damped as well.
I run one of these for about 30 years.
Zu speakers exclusively in two systems for 21 years and counting. Druid IV, Druid 5, Druid 6; Definition 2, Definition 4, Definition 6. Luxman PD-444 DD turntable. I have two of them; one for 48 years, the other for 46 years. Ortofon SPU for 30 years. Denon 103D, C and S for 50 years. Zu 103 for 20 years. Signet TK10L for 49 years. Stax SR-3 (added SR-5 a few years later) e-stat headphones + Stax SRA 3S tube headphone amp 55 years. Stax UA-70 tonearm 52 years. These exist in my systems today among more current items. Among prior owned components, Futterman H3aa mono power amps, Quad II amps, LS3/5a speakers, NYAL NCP-2 preamp reached the 20 years mark.
Phil
Phil
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