Looks good to me. The hard wiring goes a long way to creating a quality sound.

that is one of the most useful websites i have seen. that stuff is cool and at those prices, i might just buy an amp to experiment.
thanks for the heads up.

tom collins

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that is one of the most useful websites i have seen. that stuff is cool and at those prices, i might just buy an amp to experiment.
thanks for the heads up.

tom collins

One of the great things to do with such gear, is minor upgrades, like buffer and bypass caps in the signal coupling and power supplies..and the odd power resistor, and then the RCA jacks. I'm not saying these items are deficent compared to other gear you might buy, but that easy access to the innards makes it quite simple to do, and such things are quite efficient when it comes to a notable increase in sonic fidelity. The low entry price makes fooling with the innards the right direction to go in, as well.

All one has to do is note the high number of Chinese origin items that have been modified, for sale on audiogon.

Tube devices are simple with low parts counts..so when you replace a part, you are returned an immediate and notable increase in sonic quality.

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Tube devices are simple with low parts counts..so when you replace a part, you are returned an immediate and notable increase in sonic quality.

I'm always amazed at this. I can understand a "difference" in sonics but why is it always assumed or reported there will be or is an improvement?

Modding something is no guarantee of improved performance. I would be more inclined to think the amount of modded units for sale on Audiogon is an indication of this.

How come we never hear....Dude, I changed those caps and the thing sounded like crap!

RG

uhmm..cuz the guy took the crappy caps out-and put something better in? Seems quite logical to me. Don't assume the world is all negative, sometimes it's positive too.

After all, the whole point of removing functioning part(s) in a given piece of working audio gear is to put something better in it's place.

True that modding something is no guarantee, but the vast majority of those folks that modify gear very quickly figure out what works - and what does not.

There are things that I know,and things that I know not. So, in essence, I can say that you can put $100k turntables and $200k amplifiers, and $200k speakers in front of me, and I can easily improve them. In all seriousness, yes. And I can build something I consider to be 'perfect'... and the next guy might be able to improve it. Such is life. We can't know everything-at least I suspect that.

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After all, the whole point of removing functioning part(s) in a given piece of working audio gear is to put something better in it's place.

Like having replacement parts in my garage before my latest car was even delivered.

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So, in essence, I can say that you can put $100k turntables and $200k amplifiers, and $200k speakers in front of me, and I can easily improve them.

I hope not easily.

While I accept your general proposition, why is it that those that modify gear very quickly figure out what works - and what does not - but the original designers of expensive items do not so learn?

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After all, the whole point of removing functioning part(s) in a given piece of working audio gear is to put something better in it's place.

Like having replacement parts in my garage before my latest car was even delivered.

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So, in essence, I can say that you can put $100k turntables and $200k amplifiers, and $200k speakers in front of me, and I can easily improve them.

I hope not easily.

While I accept your general proposition, why is it that those that modify gear very quickly figure out what works - and what does not - but the original designers of expensive items do not so learn?

On anything but the highest of the highest end, there are cost restraints and 'judgment calls' during the iteration process. Thus room for improvement at minimal additional expenditure is available to the end user..or in this case..the modifier.

I specialize in many an area that is critical to the base function of furthering high end, and can thus make a useful contribution, for the larger part of the gear that is out there. In truth, I've never met an item of high end audio that I was not capable of improving in some fashion. Some might think that such an attitude is just Ken circling his own ass with 'glory be's' and similar self affected nervosa, but I've also been fair and said I don't know everything, which is the boat all of us are in..and that some will have capacity to improve anything I produce, for the very same reasons. All I can hope for is that the reader does not confuse wide eyed and straightforward honesty with ego.

To pull off a modification or change in gear at the highest level that does create an obvious improvement -does require an extensive knowledge of 'what exactly is going on in there' that many folks don't have, so I'm not telling folks to take the best gear in the world and pull it apart, no. On the other hand, it is a very well known situation for this point to exist. For example, Mike Elliot (I'm not speaking for him,and I'm going from memory as well) stated on his new site that for all the hoopla over new items and circuits, that there really isn't anything much new under the sun, just intelligent changes made in the known parameters. His point was that his circuits (and that of others) in older gear are just as valid as anything produced today. Then the parts quality and other concerns need be addressed. Which can be done to older gear, if done by someone who knows what they are doing. It is then obvious that newer and even brand new gear can be futzed with to produce something better than the original.

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On anything but the highest of the highest end, there are cost restraints and 'judgment calls' during the iteration process. Thus room for improvement at minimal additional expenditure is available to the end user..or in this case..the modifier.

This is exactly my point.

"$100k turntables and $200k amplifiers, and $200k speakers" are the "highest of the highest end".

I would not expect that you, or anyone else, could "easily improve them."