Audiophiles hifi appreciation thread old and new

Why isn't what you've got working? If it's got an output to some RCA jacks that should be all you need.

The Wiim stuff is hard to beat though. I have a mini into an old NAD amp and the only thing I miss is being able to group it on Google home (all the more expensive Wiim stuff would do that).

Definitely the Wiim instead of the Topping - it has Airplay2 connectivity (i.e. wifi), which is far better than Bluetooth.

I agree with @Scrabble though - if the Logitech Bluetooth job has RCA outputs then it should work with your amp.

Thanks all for your input. The Wiim will be the thing then I would guess. On the logitech, unless I was connecting it wrongly to the amp, I have no idea why it didn't work. I think I've lost it now anyway but might have a scrabble around. It seemed like the simple solution.

Apologies for dumb questions in the thread but am I right in assuming a DAC/streamer (such as the Wiim mini or something listed above) would plug from lineout via RCA in to the AUX jacks on the back of my p70 (pictured)? Just before I go and waste more money on the wrong thing

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Yeah it should, but should probably work in the CD / tuner inputs too. I'd try it in each one to make sure there's no issue with channels not working, and if you can try to run something you know works through those same channels to rule out faults in the amp

Thanks very much @andyfallsoff Sage advice. Much appreciated

. I'd try it in each one to make sure there's no issue with channels not working

And to check levels, as some old equipment was expecting 2V from a CD player and 150mV from Tuner/Aux

Thanks @gbj_tester There si some info on input here - is that sufficient (I don't actually know how to test for expected levels)

I tune my rear ports with a tight handful of drinking straws , you then slide the whole bunch in or out and listen what happens

is that sufficient

It's not definitive. I'd try the CD input first, and if it seems too quiet try the Aux.

Thank you @gbj_tester helpful as ever

https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/393142/#comment17252606

Selling this

Ok, my home audio upgrade quest continues; The gorgeous Ruark R410 isn't quite right, and a bit cheap. Brennan B2 looks great but multiroom I fear could be clunky with the various dongles it comes with, so I'm now thinking Wiim, based in part on positive chat about them in this thread, with storage. Questions:

1) Wiim accepts USB disk, could that be a 1TB hard drive? What UI is used to navigate the storage contents?
2) I want music in kitchen and lounge, is that going to require two Wiim devices?

If in the Apple eco-system, then a used Airport Express is a cheap no-brainer for streaming via Airplay.

https://uk.webuy.com/product-detail?id=snetappapexa1392&categoryName=wireless-routers&superCatName=computing&title=&queryID=35f05e0d501105528c2e30ec196aab78&position=1

Yes you’d need two.

And you’d use the app.

tldr: want nice tube-y sound in my living room for both turntable and digital inputs, sub £1000

..what tube (or hybrid) stereo amps / pre-amps are there sub 1000 that have a (proper) built in phono stage? I see a Magnat MA 700, an ugly Taga HTA-800, and not much else.
Most of the tube amps seem to be super high end / super powerful (and super expensive).

I have a sort-of basic Yamaha amp (AX-397) with a built-in phono stage (that's pretty decent actually), Canton speakers which are fairly nice. They already sound warm / "round".

The overall sound is good but I want it to be "better" - "bigger" (not necessary louder, I have neighbours), with more warmth, more spaciousness, more "life", also I want the digital inputs (mac / iphone) to sound "less digital" / "more analogue" - and I got the impression that incorporating tubes in the setup might help with all that.

Is this a worthwhile endeavour, given the limited budget?
Are there good (tube) preamps that I would use with my Yamaha, that allow digital sources and turntable to be connected?
Do I get a new stereo (tube / hybrid) amp instead of the Yamaha?
Do I get a mixer with tubes (and nice phono preamps something like a MasterSounds Valve - but cheaper)?
Would an Ecler Warm2 give me what I need (even though it doesn't actually have tubes)?

What other options do you know of?

Any thoughts / feedback appreciated, ta!

The effect of valve amps is subtle, not the transformation you might be led to expect. With my first one (obscure French built 60wpc power amp - bought for £600, original purchase price £5k - they depreciate like nothing else) the initial impression was that it seemed cleaner, more transparent and more detailed than its predecessor but that was because it was a leap in quality. The spacious 3D juicy thing didn’t really come about until I upgraded the rest of my kit to a quality that would resolve it.

So yes there’s a few integrated valve amps on eBay at that budget right now but there might not be a massive improvement, although it’s worth getting something future proof for when/if you upgrade your cartridge, phono stage etc.

The earlier on in your system you have valve amplification, the more of the 'valve sound' you'll introduce. However, a lot of that is very dependent on the circuitry and which valves you use. If you use old-style RIAA correction and tone controls on your phono stage (e.g. in a Mullard pre-amp), it'll have that classic sound. Likewise, if you use old fashioned capacitors you'll get more of an old timey sound to it because of the materials used and the relatively slack tolerances. Modern valves also sound quite different to old ones for the same reasons.

A 'bigger' sound with a valve amp normally only comes from good quality output transformers. Small, cheap transformers roll off quickly at the bottom end (losing bass) and saturate when dealing with full, complex signals. That results in a loss of detail at the top end. So bear that in mind if you're considering one of those cheaper Chinese valve amps, because they often have quite small output transformers.

Thank you very much for the insight, it's appreciated!
Will take a deeper look into this and read up a bit more on these things 👍

@Stevethecoffee - thank you very much as well ✌️
Yeah I kinda suspected the whole chain needs to be proper good to really get the "3D juicy thing" as you put it.

I'm kinda wondering if it's worth pursuing that goal at all when basically the middle price range is all that's gonna happen here..
..meaning I got this basic (£300) amp at the moment- willing to upgrade to something around £600-900 in the future, got a SL-1210 with a £200 cartridge right now, probably going to upgrade to a £300-400 one.. speakers are £1000 Canton's that most likely won't be upgrading any time soon..

So yeah, so far my hunch has been that the tube-y magic is only gonna happen with equipment 2-3 times as expensive (mostly because the tube amps are so hideously expensive) - but will check out the used market more, thanks for the heads up!

I liked my Rogue Sphinx v3. It had a tube pre and a solid state power section. But the tubes had to be replaced maybe 3 months after buying the amp because they developed such an insufferable hum. That kinda put my off tubes tbh. The amp was also a bit too bare bones for my needs, so I sold it. I got a Cambridge CXA61 instead - literally less than half the cost - and like it a fair bit more. I'm sure there's an amp out there that will be a dramatic improvement in sound without needing to go down the tube route. Does sound like the amp might be your weakest link though.

I dunno, sounds like you’ve got a good chance of getting some nice harmony with that system. I would look at an integrated amp, I don’t know how you can tell by looking, but there’s a chance the preamp and phono sections are tubified, giving you the goods.

Be careful with system matching if your speakers are warm. I would go for a cartridge that’s known for being neutral to bright. I had one system which was Pioneer PL12D, Quad IIs and big old Rogers LS7s and it was warm on top of warm on top of warm and it got pretty boring.

A couple of things I found when I was staring down the same rabbit hole. Amp power can be an issue with some speakers. Also speaker position is one area you can make a lot of gains in, especially the overall sense of power and 3d. It's worth using something like REW and a measurement mic to figure out the ideal speaker position.

SL-1210 can be a decent source. I'd be looking at

1) decent phono stage. look around for a good second hand one on the 'bay or hifi nerd fora. Trichord, Rega, Clearaudio etc

2) cartridge upgrade - probably a good MM would suit (bear in mind when choosing your phono stage as they need to be compatible). Ortofon, Nagaoka, Goldring etc

3) amp with some grunt to drive your speakers cleanly. Again, lots of great and robust solid state amps available second hand. Meridian, Cyrus, Sony ES, some of the older Linns might fall into budget.

oh and ideally place the turntable on a sturdy wall shelf, if it isn't already.

after that, if you still want that "valve sound" just dial in some harmonic distortion with DSP ;-)