A New 'Project' - Monitor Audio System R252.

Its December, finally I am doing something that I have put on hold for quite sometime. Elsewhere I have posted that the Monitor Audio is my second set of speakers I bought way back in 1982 when I was in Dublin. I was using it for awhile but upgraded to the amazing RTL3. It was used by my son until I gave him a pair of Missions!. So this set was put and kept aside for quite awhile.. about 5 years and survived an extensive major renovations to the house. And the reason why there is water damage to the speakers.

Chipboard and water don't mix! The water will be absorbed and the chips start to expand and rot... the affected area will be the bottom of the speakers and the back and sides. I have one side badly soiled. The drivers are fortunately still intact and plays beautifully when I tested it last Saturday. The sounds reminded me the good old times when I was in Dublin which prompted me to restore the speakers for old times sake.

I have taken some pictures and will document this process until completed. This is a preliminary posting, via a program found in Google Play... God bless Android! Till the next update...

A good read. Transport Bit Accuracy: Two Theories Explaining the Sonic Differences Between CD Transports

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/transport-bit-accuracy-two-theories-explaining-the-sonic-differences-between-cd-transports-1/

FET-ISHIZATOR

What the heck is that?

Here:

http://lampizator.eu/LAMPIZATOR/FETISHIZATOR/fetishizator.html

I'm toying with that idea now... :P

Stereo sub... a new finding (to me at least!)

Just sharing...

http://kenrockwell.com/audio/stereo-subwoofers.htm

New toy..

Just acquired a phono preamp last saturday. Managed to ops check for 5 minutes. Works flawlessly. Details coming up!

Nil updates.. my apologies..

I did not realised till I checked days ago that there were no postings in 2012 and its November!!!

The reasons being, I was busy with a new job and bigger responsibilities, not bigger paycheck!

Then a new job with a bigger paycheck! Still nil time for the hobby.

Came renovations of the house, major! 6 months staying in a rented flat till completed. It is about to be completed with my own lab/workshop and a dedicated audio 'room'! Definitely worth the wait, yessss!

Thank you for dropping by. Will update with pictures... ;)

Cheers!

A gamble that paid off- An old gem found.

I recently acquired my very first 'commercial' power amp. The reason being, first it's being made by 'Technics', it's a 'classic' or may be antique as it was part of a system that was launched with my favaourite singer album way back in 1980 if I am not mistaken! It may also serves as a reference to my DIY power amps.. hehe.

It was sold by a nice chap through mudah .com. I did not even test the unit at his place as he assures that if it is not working I can return the unit. I however insisted that the unit be power up. Once I saw the red power LED lit up followed by a faint click of the speakers protection relays, the deal was sealed.

The unit now sits right at the bottom of my 5-tier audio rack. Signals are controlled by another gem that I got which is a Yamaha AV amp in pre-amp mode. The most neutral and natural preamp I ever heard. More on this later. Sources are my usual DIYed CD Transport mentioned earlier and the superb Behringer Ultramatch PRO SRC 2496 DAC.


Due to this set up, my existing reference and favourite Technics SU-A900 MK2 has been taken out temporarily, giving this new line up to prove it's 'worth'. Honestly I got it cheap... ;)

Findings.

Eventhough the power amp is rated at a 'puny' 40Watts per channel it can really drives my RTL3 floorstander at a very loud levels! The most striking characteristics that I found is that the details of low end bass at lowish volumes are excellent! Full bodied, powerful and fullfilling, the kind of bass that satisfies a 'basshead' like me. Due to this new found characteristics, I have been doing a lot of late night listenings with much enjoyment without the higher volumes of day listenings!

So for those with a small listening room and a 'lil bright sound system, this power amp if you could lay your hands on, might just be the ticket in getting that 'sound' that has been eluding you if you know what I mean!

Close up of the gem - the SE-A808

Sitting 'quietly' and 'unobstructively' at the lower most tier of the audio rack..

DIY CD Transport in a new casing..

It has been a while since I last post!

Had a few projects completed by not much time to update.

Acquired a Harman Kardon HD7225A that is not working anymore and suddenly remembered that my DIY CD Transport is badly needing a new case! Spent about 2 hours 'transplanting' the HK's innards with the DIY stuffs... Here's some of the work done:

 Top cover removed. Just a mainboard and transport mechanism. Hoping to use the existing transformer/power supply with the DIYed transport but...

 The transformer was 'built' into the mainboard with all the necessary rectifying circuits and regulation.. hmmm

 Transport mechanism removed! Several screws and quick disconnect cables..

 Front fascia removed too! Thought of using my own panel but later changed my mind. Too much work and I'd rather preserved the HK's look..

 Two major assenblies out of the casing, placed on the top cover.

 Top cover reinstalled to measure front fascia dimensions..
(This is before I change my mind..)

 The CDROM positioned to check for cd tray clearances..

 First power up, to check the new display from the CDROM controller.

 Whats inside. Just the CDROM, CD Controller and the 12V/5V power supply. This is temporary. Will install a linear PSU.

 Close up of the CDROM controller and the IDE cable connecting to the CDROM.

 Testing the transport, digital signal feeding the Behringer Ultramatch Pro DAC.

So far superb! Will finalise the work next weekend. ;)

5687.. status

After few hours of ‘burning in’ this is what I found.

The microphony of the tube is very tube dependent! I have bought two sets of the 5687 tubes by Tungsol and so far have experienced less ‘microphony’ in one than the other one!

Somehow AC heaters induces more hum, as such DC heating is more favourable.

I have stopped playing with it and waiting for the dual 50uF+50uF which was originally specified to arrived. There is this low AC humming which I suspect coming from the B+ voltage as I have used a substitute caps of 20uF instead of the 50uF originally specified. I was desperate and need to get it running before deciding to get the expensive stuffs or not. The dual cap was bought from ebay and could take anything form 7-14 days to arrive. Item was bought last week..

Till then..

PASS F5

Had the opportunity awhile back to audition the infamous F5, 25W+25W pure Class A power amp in my system. It's DIYed by a fellow forummer. I bought the PCBs.. wonder if I should build one.
Here the pix:

Verdict:
If you're looking for a kickass Class A 'heat' monster, this is it! For Class A purist only. Should be able to satisfy full range lovers. Unfortunately at higher than 'normal' listening levels, my RTL3 is gasping for more 'air'..the 'thirst' that only the Technics that I have can satisfy... 'nuff said.

The good news and some 'bad' news..

Okay, the good news is, I have completed the tube preamp, hurrah!!! That was about a a week ago.
It was worth the wait (and the agony of waiting)! The preamp was connected to a discrete 40 watter (nicked name,D'Bomb) and the sound is simply marvellous albeit some issue which is irritating me right now.

One, I have humming issues, then buzzing then 'crackling' issues.. After much googling and reading more about tube amp designs.. I managed to solve the buzzing by opting to use DC heater as opposed to AC heaters. BTW, I have read and done all the do's and don'ts about tube amps building thingy, like wires crossing at 90 degrees etc.
The humming and 'crackling' although very soft and only audible when I am not playing anything, it is just 'psychological annoying'... Since I used some 'alternate' (read cheap and what is avail.) parts to what was being specified in the original design, now that I have heard how good it is and believing that there is a potential for it to become 'better'), I think it's worthwhile to invest in quality/premium parts and I have decided to buy the 'good stuffs' online.. I also found the TUNGSOL 5687 is kinda 'microphony' and it is known for that! There are other drop in replacement for this 5687 but I would not do it till further listening. Since this is my first tube project, I just want to have some experience and maybe moving on to other popular tubes. More updates later..

The casing used (like a metal pizza box) was bought cheaply from a manufacturer excess stock meant for something else.. hehe

Pic shown the preamp during the 'wet-run'. Speakers used was the Gale 3030 floorstander and I could not believe the amount of good solid bass coming out!

A quickie- yes a short update

Its been awhile, I know. I have eventually received the last components about two weeks ago. They're the hard to find, 7 pin mini sockets! Now I actually have ALL the required parts including the casing for the preamp but whats holding me?
After looking at the project writeup and inputs from DIYers that had built the preamp, it looks like I have to use a good grade audio caps for the amp if I want it to perform.. it's gonna costs for sure but might as well do it right, right?
Hence I decided to hold it out a little bit longer till I acquire those parts...

5687 preamp progress...

Took deliveries of two major components:

 

The main power tranny.. specially ordered that took about 4 days.

  

One of the two 30H@100mA chokes that is required for the B+ supply. Took delivery about 2 days ago from my usual supplier..

The only thing I am short of now is the tube sockets, a 7 and 9 pin but a friend has a set and will get that soon from him.. Then I can start to build this long awaited project..

Cheers!

Cables,interconnects,plugs,sockets, do they make any difference?

This has been going on for ages! Some are a believer and spend a lot of 'mullahs' investing into the above tweaking and squeezing to get the last ounce/gram of 'perfection'.. I am not going to prove it or otherwise but of late I see no harm in  investing a few 'mullahs' just to see(hear) if there are differences.. I use differences here they may not amount to improvements at all! Any changes that satisfy my sonic needs will be classified as improvements..

I started awhile back by using/making my own speaker cables.. a really heavy gaged 14AWG conductor cables.. with a good high quality banana plugs I have compared with a commercial branded speaker cables.. I liked mine best!

I have made my own digital coax cables for my CD transport.. mini-to-mini cables for my headamp and headphones.. to name but a few.. but I want to draw your attention to my latest findings..


Based on some discussions in an audio thread in a local forum, I invested in a high quality MK 3-pin plug. The fuse is silver plated so are the fuse holders.. the wires in the plug are held by very solid binding posts!

I wasn't expecting much but the first half hour I begin to detect a very minor changes... microdynamics has 'improved' somewhat.. the low end is well rounded and the mid bass was really in focus! Midband/range is slightly projected and its kinda rough and edgy with a rough edge.. top end was some what well define but still within control.. as the minutes and hours ticked by, the rough edges has been trimmed somewhat.. I noticed the PRAT has somewhat picked up.. and I am not used to such a high speed.... I like my music slow and mellow..

Still in the mood of 'fine tuning', I took out the silver plated bussman fuse and replaced it with a 'no-name' fuse.. To my amazement, that has somewhat tamed the midband, polished and pushed back a little bit of the midband projection, still I am not satisfied... bear in mind, I am a bass head and liked my music relaxed.
The source of my music was my favourite CD: Sadao Watanabe- How's Everything. LIVE at Budokan. I have been listening to this album since 1980, and believe me I know every beat/note in every song! A SONY CD player was used feeding my DIY STK hybrid amp, powering my favourite speakers of all time, RTL3 made by TDL Electronics. A transmission line speakers that I am in love with and never looked back since!
Reviews here: RTL3 Review


I am going to give it a few hours to 'settle down' and may look into changing the 'normal' mains cable into something that was recommended in the threads..

Will update soon... Happy listening guys!

Vinyl deep cleaning, using woodglue - The process.

The woodglue is applied using the flexible spatula provided. I poured about 1/2 cup worth of woodglue and while the turntable is spinning, evenly spread out the glue as seen. Honestly it's kinda thick, I should be using less woodglue as this would aid faster drying/curing... since this is the first time, its okay.. we learn from experience.. ;)

The processed vinyl is place on a stand and left on the dining table with the ceiling fan switched on, to further expedite the drying process. Since this will take a few good hours dependent on the thickness of the woodclue, I did this just after dinner, anticipating that the woodglue should be dry in the morning... 

This is what I found in the morning! From apaque thick white covering it became 'hard' and translucent layer, ready to be peeled.. The trick here is to use your finger nails and pushed the layer at the edge, it should peel easily..

There you go, what did I tell ya?! Start peeling from the edge and work your way to the center... then work your way circumferentially... simple! ;)

As you can see the woodglue layer is very flexible, its neither soft or hard. Almost there and I can see that the vinyl surface has transformed.. like its brand new!!!

Voila! A spanking 'new' vinyl is in my hand ready to be tested/played! A quick test on the turntable revealed a much quiter surface noise, very minimal pops/crackles/etc... The stylus is left clean as opposed to be full of gooey/gunk/whatnots after a few turns..

Now you're ready to do the other side!!!

Findings:

PROS:

Very effective in deep cleaning very dirty vinyls.. I found later if you were to initially wet the surface then apply the woodglue, it is more penetrative.. the woodglue that I used was water soluble...

You can also treat the vinyl with isophrophyl alcohol.. this is preferable if the surface is 'oily' and would aid the woodglue in going into the grooves...

CON:

Its a lengthy labourous process.

Labourous as the application need to be done manually and carefully. I suggest you try it out on old unuseable vinyls to get the hang of it before venturing on your precious vinyls.

Lengthy because it'll take a while for the woodglue to cure/dry, again depending on the amount being used and the type of woodglue being used. The one that I used take between 4-6 hours before it's 'peelable'...

Warning. Do this at your own risk. So far I had a 100% success rate and you should be able to. Good luck and have fun! I did...!

Happy New Year 2010!

New year resolution? Yeah right!

Here are kinda shortlist of what I am intending to do..

1. The 'lawn mower'(nick named by one of my forumer friend, thanks. Thats whats friends do...) aka know as Dunlop Systemdek will be getting the long awaited tonearm, offered by a close forumer friend. Its the RB300! After all these years (I remembered like 1988!) the Systemdek will be resurrected!

2. I have to find time and obviously the parts required to build up the tube preamp. Posted earlier I have bought 2 sets of tubes.. time to warm up the iron...

See? I told you it was short!.... LOL!

Happy New Year 2010!

Wishing everyone and may the new year bring joy, happiness and prosperity!

New toy: Spanking new ultra portable notebook!

Oh yeah! Got a new toy today, an ACER Aspire 1810TZ ultraportable notebook. There're 3 colours to choose from; a boring/usual black, superclean white and a groovy cool RED and I picked RED! ;)

My last notebook was bought more than 5 years ago and it's still serviceable except that by today's standard, it's too 'slow'..

Nice, isn't it?

I have been doing a lot of reading and research before decising on this. This is currently the 'Best value for money' for ultra portables.. Best part; It came with licensed Windows 7 Home Premium! Way to go ACER!

http://www.trustedreviews.com/laptops/review/2009/11/25/Acer-Aspire-Timeline-1810TZ---11-6in-Intel-CULV-Laptop/p1

Click the above link for a review..

Don't know if there would be any DIY projects before the year ends... we'll see.   

Finally, an oscilloscope!

Thats right! After searching around managed to get one, a 20Mz oscilloscope albeit an analogue one. Should suffice to cater my need for the time being and learning how to use one.. Digital would be good but I could not afford one just yet... BTW, its a secondhand unit..found through mudah.com.my
I have forgotten to mentioned that sometime last week,I got myself an audio generator. Also through mudah.com.my hence the need to get an oscilloscope! ;) 

Shown here the oscilloscope connected to the audio generator. Functional test for both units! This is the first time I fire up the audio generator to check for serviceability. Looks good, yes? :D

Close up of my latest 'toy'. It has two channels!

BTW, it did not came with any manuals.. but its easy enough to operate ;)

Deep cleaning the vinyls/LPs.. yes those black thin disc thingy!

I have been reading with interest a thread at audiokarma with regards to the above..
To cut a long reading short, some wood glue is applied over the vinyl surface.Once hardened, the flexi woodglue 'skin' is peeled off the vinyl leaving the surface spanking clean as all the gunks, gooey stuffs and what nots is lifted off by the hardened wood glue!
Over the weekend feeling experimental.. I did exactly that!
First, I head to the nearest and favourite hardware store and found this:

I picked this because it has to be applied manually.. other are tubed and need to use a pressurised applicator.. this is only a 'small job'. The word 'LATEX' somehow should serve the purpose as I did not want a hardened glue that I cannot peel off.. so far so good.. and it's affordable(read cheap!)

Reading the instructions, should served my intents and purposes.. Magic word here is 'WATER SOLUBLE'.. If things do go wrong.. I know its washable and would not damage my treasured vinyls...!
So far so good... 

To be continued... hang on!