Engström Monica Mk3 line preamplifier Page 2

The earlier Monica used Russian 6H30Pi double-triode tubes. "Because a lot of the tubes we bought we could no longer match, we switched to new old stock E182CC and sometimes 5687WB, depending upon what we can find. These tubes have nearly the same data as 6H30Pi but are of better quality." Today, the 5687WB tubes are preferred because they're less microphonic than the others. My review sample of the Mk3 Monica uses four NOS 5687WB preamp tubes.

The power supply unit uses ECC83 and 6080WC tubes, one each, newly manufactured by JJ Electronic.

According to Lars, the Monica, which employs Teflon and tin foil capacitors, is a rarely used design included in a booklet from Glassware, a company that makes software for tube amplifiers. "It uses two totem poles in a balanced configuration, with four triode elements in each channel. A totem pole is a kind of push-pull circuit where a single common voltage feeds two tubes. It's a good circuit, with low distortion, high gain, high input impedance, and low output impedance. It is so sensitive to load that it requires a step-down transformer. The load on the amplifier is mainly the result of an internal resistor, and the outside load doesn't affect the amplifier very much.

"Nothing is really new, but the way you put it together creates a unique mix. I don't think the design has been used because it's pretty special and difficult to execute properly. It's a dream circuit that requires quite an even load."

322eng.3

No negative feedback is employed. "An amplifier should have low output impedance," Lars wrote. "This is important to be able to drive loudspeakers or for a preamplifier to drive cables. Low output impedance can be obtained with negative feedback. While negative feedback may look good theoretically, it requires infinite amplification, bandwidth and dynamics. This is not possible. In reality, negative feedback blurs the transients. Instead, we use tubes with low inner resistance." When ordering, customers can specify either 6dB or 12dB (balanced) of gain. (Single-ended gain is 6dB lower.)

When queried about design goals, Lars replied that Engström prefers more of a Scandinavian or German sound that is "detailed, airy, flowing transparent, and very vivid. It needs to be very fast and controlled, not romantic. We prefer to listen to dynamic recordings. None of our products are designed for listening to hi-fi effects; they need to create a musical sensation, with a rightness of tone. I like to almost forget about the music and merge with the flow so the room and everything disappears a little bit and the sound becomes transparent and vibrant. I listen less with my ears and more with my body. I can feel when it's right."

Setup
The Monica Mk3 arrived in a single, easily dismantled wooden crate held together securely by removable plastic clamps. The Monika Mk3 comes with tubes installed. The quality of the tube sockets, I was told, ensures that the tubes never fall out during transport.

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Timo gave the okay to plug the Monica Mk3 into the AudioQuest Niagara 7000 power conditioner, which I use with all components unless a manufacturer suggests otherwise. Timo also gave the go-ahead to support the preamp with either the attached ball bearing feet or footers of my choice. After experimentation, I used, under the Monica's analog preamp chassis, the same Wilson Pedestals I use under the D'Agostino and darTZeel preamps. I separated the preamp chassis from its power supply chassis sufficiently to prevent noise contamination. Interconnects were balanced Nordost Odin 2 between the dCS Rossini DAC, preamps, and D'Agostino Progression M550 monoblocks; power cables were also Nordost Odin 2.

Oopsie
Upon delivery, the Monica Mk3 emitted a hum through my speakers, loud enough to make quiet listening impossible. Working with Editor-in-Chief Jim Austin, I tried everything to reduce the hum: cheater plugs, flipped ground switches, new cables, careful placement—even new amplifiers. Following a Zoom conversation with the Engströms, a replacement Monica was sent. The new unit was much quieter. I proceeded with the review with confidence.

Smiling
I proceeded with joy, because everything I heard through the Monica Mk3 elicited from me an affirming yes! Rather than sounding overtly tubey, as in warm, sweet, and mushy, Ms. Monica sounded neutral, color-saturated, and fast. Bass was excellent, and soundstaging was wide, deep, and airy. The only overt indicator that the Monica Mk3 was a tube product lay in the subtle glow and luscious ripeness of its sound.

322eng.Brandenburgs

I began with one of the most colorful issues I reviewed in 2021, the Akademie für Alte Musik's Harmonia Mundi recording of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos (24/192 WAV). The soundstage was ideally wide, the sound beautiful and believably warm, the essential foundation provided by period-instrument cellos and basses full and firm. In the 5th concerto, the recorder sounded heavenly, surrounded by air.

322eng.aucoin

Jumping several centuries, I turned to the Boston Modern Orchestra Project's recording of Matthew Aucoin: Orphic Moments (24/44.1 FLAC, BMOP/Sound, Qobuz), which I reviewed for the March issue, and cued up Exodus for Tony, a searing setting of James Merrill's elegy to his friend who died of AIDS. The Engström nailed the low rumbles at the start of the piece and sang eloquently in all octaves.

322eng.Chesky-Mass

I wasn't in a mournful mood, but curiosity led me to the prerelease stereo files of David Chesky's Excommunication Mass (24/48 WAV). I chose "Matthew 2:1 Open the Gates for Him," a tribute to the late Matthew Shepard, the University of Wyoming student who lost his life to anti-LGBTQ violence in 1998 at the age of 21. Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano J'Nai Bridges's gospel-like delivery was touching; trumpet soloist Hugo Moreno and the uncredited bass soloist were equally eloquent. In "Ally 1:7 Sing to Your World," the emotion in Brandie Inez Sutton's wonderful soprano bathed me in sadness. The Monica Mk3 does not hold back on emotion.

322eng.United-Strings

On another recording I reviewed for the March 2022 issue, the United Strings of Europe's Renewal (24/192 FLAC, BIS-2549), I renewed my love affair with the wonderfully innocent and pure soprano voice of Ruby Hughes. On Osvaldo Golijov's Three Songs for Soprano and String Orchestra, the Monica Mk3 extracted every iota of loveliness from Hughes's marvelous instrument. Ideal dynamics flattered the sound of cello and bass just as much, and strings sang as if only beauty mattered. It came as no surprise that veteran soprano Sandrine Piau sounded gorgeous on "Piangerò la sorte mia" from Handel's Giulio Cesare in Egitto, from Enchantress (24/96 WAV, Alpha 765). If any artist could convince me that there's a way to sing this aria other than the way Beverly Sills recorded it for RCA Victor more than 50 years ago, it's Piau (footnote 5).

Thanks to the Qobuz Stereophile playlist assembled by my fellow writers, I ended up on Martin Garrix's Animals (16/44.1 FLAC, Tidal/Qobuz). Bass on this club track sounded fabulous. Ever one for contrasts, I turned to my latest earworm, the great Cecilia Bartoli's irresistible 2013 performance of Mozart's "Non temer, amato bene," on Unreleased (24/96 WAV, Decca 485 2093), and sat mesmerized by the eloquence of Maxim Vengerov's meaty violin obligato and the presentation's uncanny depth and marvelous dynamics. Then I played it again and whistled my brains out over Mozart's brilliance.

I would have liked to have remained forever in a state of bliss, but a glance at the day's headlines led me to Pt. 1 of Dialog: Ich und Du from January's Recording of the Month, Sofia Gubaidulina's Dialog: Ich und du, The Wrath of God, The Light of the End (24/96 WAV, DG), performed by the Gewandhausorchester under Andris Nelsons. Vadim Repin's violin sounded gorgeous, the background black, and knockout percussion fast, sharp, and correct in timbre.

Lest I get too mired in misery over the human condition, it was on to "Bubbles" (footnote 6), the sense-tickling electronic opening track from Yosi Horikawa's 18-minute EP, Wandering (16/44.1 FLAC, Tidal/Qobuz). "Bubbles" begins with the astoundingly realistic sounds of various balls bouncing and rolling on a clear surface. Imagine yourself trapped in a pinball machine and taking exquisite pleasure in having your brain cells scrambled for five minutes and 47 seconds. To soothe what was left of my consciousness, I headed to Rhiannon Giddens's "Calling Me Home" from They're Calling Me Home (24/96 MQA, Tidal, footnote 7) and enjoyed the soulful strength and beauty of her indomitable voice.

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Comparisons
I began to turn equipment off and on, switch cabling, and listen to many of the same tracks on the D'Agostino Momentum HD and darTZeel NHB-18NS preamps. The darTZeel accommodates balanced interconnects, but the designer favors, first, the company's 50 ohm, impedance-matched, BNC-terminated Zeel interconnects and after that the single-ended variety.

Every time I switched out preamps, the differences were consistent. Through my Wilson Alexia 2s, the D'Agostino Momentum HD was the quietest. The darTZeel emitted a soft hiss through the Alexia 2s, and with the Engström a slight hum was audible from the listening position 12' away.

The D'Agostino Momentum HD preamp offers a soundstage that's just as wide and deep as the Engström Monica Mk3's, its attack as fast, its timbre as convincing, its bass at least as strong. But it has a lovely softness at its musical core, more pastels than primary colors.

The darTZeel preamp is something else entirely. Its ability to resolve low-level detail is in a class of its own. Don't even ask how frighteningly real those bouncing balls sound in "Bubbles" or how tempting it is to speculate on the size and composition of each of those different-sounding spheres. Images are more forward than with the Engström and D'Agostino preamps, with less of an airy concert hall halo. The presentation is up close and personal. If you enjoy hearing details that only fine mikes and engineering can capture, the darTZeel can offer a pathway to bliss.

As for the Monica, its tonal saturation and completeness sounded 100% right. Time and again, it offered pleasure upon pleasure. Which preamp is best is a matter of taste and associated components.

Conclusion
Engström's Monica Mk3 preamplifier is as complete a musical instrument as I've ever welcomed to my music room. It doesn't hit you over the head with its strengths; rather, it unfailingly seduces with the inherent rightness of its sound and presentation. Every time I played music through the Monica Mk3, I felt so satisfied as to affirm to myself that, if the responsibility of reviewing for a source as trusted as Stereophile did not impel me to perform an aural dissection in every review, I could easily curl up before the Monica and find myself transported into bliss. It's an expensive class act, but a class act it is.


Footnote 5: Note to self: Thanks to prompting from Jim Austin, it's time to listen to the entire album before packing up the Monica Mk3 and shipping it to John Atkinson for measurement.

Footnote 6: Thank you, Steve Zettel.

Footnote 7: Thank you, Jim Austin.

COMPANY INFO
Engström & Engström AB
US distributor: Musical Artisans
8335 N. Keeler Ave.
Skokie, IL 60076
ARTICLE CONTENTS

COMMENTS
latinaudio's picture

Hi Jason, thanks for a wonderful review.I´m not in the camp of objectivist vs subjectivist nor in the camp of cheap vs expensive, but 60.000$ and a loud hum forced the manufacturer to send you a new unit? Oooops, what kind of value do we have here? And in the end, for a "mere" 20.000$ less the Momentum sounded as or better than the Engstrom? Thanks again, some people will save enough to buy a new car to drive to the record store :)

Jack L's picture

Hi

Yes, who really NEEDS to burn 60 grands to own a LINEamp ??
Maybe some rich & naives ?

Technically, CD/DVD/DAC/servers/phono-preamp/tuner/tape deck/TV, etc deliver output voltage (2Vrms++) high enough & impedance low enough
to drive any power amps to their max rated output powers.

So why bother to spend good money to get a lineamp? To show off peeres like owning an artifact ?

Technically, any active electronics in the signal path is a harmonic & phase distortion, noise or even hum generator, affecting the music signals going thru it.

My skeptical ears detect it. That's why I went without any active lineamp since day one decades back, enjoying bigtime my classical/pop music - closer to live perfomrance, IMO.

Unitl a few years back when I switched back from digital to vinyl as my prime music programme, I added an one-stage tube linestage (switcable from active to straight-line PASSIVE mode) to my home-brew tube phonostage, to boost up too low signal level of some vinyl recordings.

Of course, I only use quality tube: ECC82 (Mullard, made-in-Gt. Britain) for the linestage. Nothing else for better sound.

I always keep the linestage in passive mode whenever possible, particularly for many vinyl old recordings that were recorded at pretty high levels. Passive mode sounds sooo much more livelike, airy, detailed & transient-FAST than the active mode as evidenced by AB switching btween active & passive mode. Closer to live performance, period.

I am impressed by the $949 Schiit Feyer line amp which also comes with a straight-line passive mode !! This only show its desingers have done their auditon work properly with their musically awared ears, to have added the passive mode there.

Should I not be an audio DIYer, I would definitely go for Schiit Feyer lineamp for its passive mode option, price irrespective.

Listening is believing

Jack L

windansea's picture

I would expect zero hum or hiss from any preamp over $1K. My pre with 60-year old tubes has zero hum or hiss even if I crank it all the way, and that's 1200 watts through ribbons.

I didn't see any raves in this review. Just get a Shindo instead. Or Lamm or Audio Research or CJ.

MhtLion's picture

I usually don’t leave a negative comment, but I don’t think that is a good measured performance. In not a professional, but I think I know a thing or two about measurement. Such a measurement makes me believe this is a ‘fool’s toy. A toy for the fortunate but fool. Don't get me wrong. I'm more than sure this preamp sounds good and brings a lot of musical satisfaction. I never manufactured a preamp myself, but if I can sell 50 units for $60,000. Then, I will outsource a few engineers for the PCB and case design. Then, try a few different preamp layouts from the internet and play with the most expensive top quality parts. I'm more than sure such a preamp made by someone like me who knows a 'sh*t' - will sound pretty good for the ridiculous amount of money. There really aren't many bad-sounding pieces of equipment over $10k. If you use tried and true design and top quality parts - it pretty much sounds all good. And, some of them sounds particularly good in certain aspects but exhibit a clear mis-engineering in certain other aspects. Literally, anyone can produce a good-sounding preamp for $60k.

Jack L's picture

Hi

Be nice, my friend. Please do not insult whose rich & affordable as a "fool" !

Like we should not label those who love Italian fine dines as "fools" as they can afford quality food.

I would use "naive" to discrible those owners of 60-grand lineamps - taking the hefty price level as their only yardstick for quality music. The vendor who sold the lineamp hit the jackpot !

Jack L

MhtLion's picture

I did not mean to offend anyone. I did not think the readers here would have purchased it. Anyway, I have absolutely no objection to how people spend their money. Whether one puts 100k into a car, a small condo (which will be hard these days), or a diamond-decorated spoon, whatever brings joy to the beholder is good. Nor do I have beef whatsoever against people enjoying this preamp. It's just the measurement here seems to suggest that it's not a particularly well-engineered product for the money.

Jack L's picture

Hi

I see yr point.

Yet bench measurement alone won't tell you how good/bad it will sound.
It is what you hear that matters.

Likewise how come a tube amp that measures some 5% THD still sound so good to our ears vs a solid-state amp measured 0.001% THD ?

Likewise how come I don't mind paying much more for my vintage Telefunken ECC83s & British-made Mullard ECC82 for my phonostage & linestage ? All tubes of same model should measure same data, right?

Listening is believing

Jack L

Auditor's picture

Indeed, if the device sounds great, it's all that really matters. But in the case of this preamplifier, we're talking about a clearly audible problem: the thing hums!

But measurements can show problems that the buyer should know about even if they aren't clearly audible. In this case, the differences measured between the right and left channel seem to indicate the unit didn't go through the necessary QA before shipping. Engström should ensure their tubes are well matched. Especially at this price.

Jack L's picture

Hi

Yes & no.

Yes, bad QC could be a reason.

No, bad transit can also make it defective on arrival.

Jack L

MhtLion's picture

I respect your opinion, and I agree that good tube amps with 5% THD can sound like a dream. What I'm seeing in these measurements is not the THD, nor the harmonic distortion. After all, harmonic distortion is expected from tube equipment. What I'm seeing is the odd behaviors such as high-frequency noises, left vs right channel imbalance, and most importantly the possible RF interference. I spent some of my careers testing the signals of the backbones of the internet using industrial/scientific-grade testing devices. Of course, I cannot directly relay my experience to consumer audio. The science and technology of consumer audio for the most part lag a good 50 years compared to their industrial counterparts. I cannot nor should apply the rigorous signal testing standards to the consumer audio - there is just no need for it. That being said, when I see/read equipment possibly picking up the RF interference - I cannot avoid thinking the engineer behind the product may not have the necessary training when it comes to electrical engineering for signal processing. Setting the RF interference aside, I still think it has way too much high-frequency noise and too great of channel imbalance. The only positive thing I can say from the measurement is that the noise floor is surprisingly low for tube equipment.

Jack L's picture

Hi

YES, audio designers/builders nowadays should tackle RFI/EMI noises discretely due to WiFi, the prime source of "RF interference", is everwhere today.

RFI/EMI is airbborne. So effectively shielding is a must. No digital or pulse mode modulation power supply should be used in any analogue andio electronics, e.g. preamps, frquency equalizers & power amps.

Interior powerlines (hidden behind finished walls/ceiling/floors) are huge antenna loops for RFI/EMI noises. Any audios plugged into the wall AC outlets will receive RF noises as free bonus.

Just like drinking out of a sewer !!!

So powerline conditioners are indispensable to stop RF interferences getting into our audios. Yet NOT all power conditioners are angels as some of complex designs can affect the AC power currents passsing thru on top of hefty pricing - impair the music reproduced.

My very cost efficient way is having dedicated powerlines hooked up direct to the electric breaker panel to my audio rig. So such short & direct powerlines are isolated from the household powerline loops & therefore free with RFI/powerline noise contamination.

So no need of any bulky & costly complex power conditioners, which may possibly affect the sound as well.

So I only installed simple LCR inline poweline noise filters, each for each of the 4 dedicated powerlines (3 for analogue audio & one exclusively for digital audio - so NO more analogue-digital 'crosstalk'.

Such inline powerline noise filters (made in England) provide effective RF insertion loss up to 52dB @32MHz & 36dB @1,000MHz & well beyond ! I've purposedly chosen those simple LCR conditioners is to ensure they would NOT affect the produced music besides being very affordable.

Be RFI/EMI/powerline-noise smart !!!

Jack L

Auditor's picture

The last thing I want to have beside me when I'm trying to enjoy some music is my smartphone. I don't want screens and notifications to break my concentration; and I doubt I'm the only person who feels that way. It's a nice feature for those who don't mind having their phone close by. But seriously, to make that the only option?! (Other than getting up, that is.) For this price they could have thrown in a remote, too.

Jason Victor Serinus's picture

Roon and all other playback software I've ever used rely on apps controlled by phone, tablet, or computer. In my case, I finally called Apple and learned how to turn off notifications. Nothing flashes across my iPad screen any longer, and I hear no sounds from callers. Instead, I read liner notes on my pad, control sound, and take in music without disturbance.

Auditor's picture

I understand that most people now use mobile applications to control their music. However, there are still quite a few "dinosaurs" out there who only spin vinyls or CDs and who don't necessarily want to have to keep their phone close by just to turn the volume up or down without getting out of the armchair they're comfortably sitting in. It's a nifty feature that Engström have included, agreed. But I don't like the fact they don't also offer the possibility of having a traditional remote. It's nothing major but it's a minus.

windansea's picture

reminded of something Art Dudley once said of remotes, in Stereophile:
One of the best things about the Luxman preamp is something it doesn't have: a remote handset. I detest those things. Every time a review sample arrives with a remote handset, I feel like going for a drive and throwing it out the window the way Americans used to do with their lunch bags and soda cups before the TV commercial with the crying Indian. Caveat venditor.

Charles E Flynn's picture

https://www.sfcv.org/articles/review/our-enduring-love-pergolesis-stabat-mater

Jason Victor Serinus's picture

I think I missed it when it was initially posted. Another recording review is coming tomorrow.

Charles E Flynn's picture

There is a brief excerpt from this work at https://www.linnrecords.com/recording-pergolesi-stabat-mater-0 (track 4). Singing is heard only in the last few seconds, but "jaunty" does seem fitting.

romath's picture

A preamp is a control device, not a streamer where there's need for a screen to sort through multiple choices. Your 21st century comment is really off base.

Jason Victor Serinus's picture

By the way, who's on first?

jason

romath's picture

As a preamp, a mobile computing device shouldn't be necessary: what if the user doesn't have a server/streamer, but is playing via something like an Oppo, and just wants to control the volume? Contrary to the comments left above, the idea of having a separate remote control is not the mentality of a "20th century dinosaur," it's just practical (practicality is whose on first for me). Not designing in that possibility reminds me of a lot of the dashboard electronics now being put in vehicles, making things more complicated while claiming simplicity. To each their own sense of practicality. Oh, I didn't know "remote" had a homophone.

Btw, after reading Jim Austin's op-ed about live music and what we actually hear through our systems, your introduction of the three preamps as sounding dramatically different seems apropos.

tonykaz's picture

Comparing three Ultimate class & price products seems an overly indulgent luxury.

I listen to gear like this keeping them in mind as Operatic Voices. ( something like the Three Tenors performing on One Stage )

Getting tube gear to this level is easiest ( to me ), just get rid or replace the underperforming bits, audition as many tubes as can be found, replace as much as possible with silver, find a recording studio builder to supply good sounding wire, audition Capacitors and install a good Star Ground system.

Tubes will always win a big Comparison but tube performance deteriorates demanding a constant search & purchase system that can drive any audiophile insane. ( Tube hunting is a worthy hobby in & of itself )

Settling for acceptable sounding SolidState Gear is my lonnnnnnnnggg term solution.

Chasing or hunting Pavarotti levels of Audiophile performance is an endless expense, I guess that I've learned to live with the Michael Bolton level and I suspect most folks live with and are happy with the Sound Quality from their Televisions.

I've observed, over the decades, that people ( doctors & dentists ) who buy gear like this don't have the skill sets to keep their gear working properly or to get it to sound good, at all. This kind of stuff isn't 'Plug-n-Play'.

Nice little Snow Story that I counter with a March Swim in my Solar Heated Florida Pool ( weightless Nirvana )

Tony in Florida

Awsmone0's picture

Well as a doctor I spend a lot of time on set up, and happily maintain my equipment , and have a good set of soldering equipment and have built my own crossovers , and set up an active crossover system on my own
After 8 years in my current room I still find things to improve
Please keep your generalisations and profiling to yourself thanks

tonykaz's picture

Well, good on you for taking the time to detail your hobby.

You are not typical of my world where successfully educated folks usually don't have the time to focus on a hobby like sound ( or the inclination ), they typically own Airplanes and Golf Memberships.

I admire you for owning a Soldering Iron and would like you to mention which one you've settled on, I own quite a few but prefer a temperature controlled model designed for circuit repair.

As far as opinions go, your brief letter to me to keep my opinions to myself is itself an opinion ( in an opinion section of an opinion magazine ). The point of all this is to share opinions, isn't it ?

Thanks for taking the time to report on your personal experiences in sound reproduction gear & active crossover construction .

I'd love to hear you opinions on Cramolin Contact cleaners for low voltage signal degradation prevention.

Tony in Florida

georgehifi's picture

Ya got that right! a "matched good quality" passive, will have better dynamic ability, less colouration, frequency response from DC to MHz+, and far better distortion figures than any of these can do.

AND AS A BONUS COST AROUND 1% OF THE PRICE!!!.

Cheers George

Awsmone0's picture

I think this review raises the thorny issue of what is an amplifying device for?

As preamplifier serves several function
To act as a volume control
A source switching device
To sufficiently amplify or reduce the volume to the amplifier
To act as a buffer between source and output without manifesting frequency response errors

I don’t think the aim of an amplifier is to editorialise the sound ?

Perhaps there should be a different section for products that editorialise the signal, given some manufacturers preference to use zero feedback and consequent measurement challenges

I note the lack of multitone testing in Stereophile measurements which would show real world impacts of poor IMD imho

tonykaz's picture

The Pre-amp is the 'Singing Voice' for the electrical transducer recreating the recorded music.
The Amplifier is the Megaphone
The Loudspeaker Transducer system and the room attempt to recreate the recorded experience

Of course this is a simplification of the complexity of each tiny piece's contribution or detraction from original sound quality.

Analog gear, in my decades of opinionating , strives to IMPROVE the sound quality of recorded music whilst Digital folks seem to crave accuracy of sound quality. ( I kinda prefer improving the SQ ).

Audiophiles and Stereophile readers have always seemed to be Underfinanced and under educated in all things Audio whilst Recording Studio Engineers are over-achievers in all things Audio.

We Civilian music lovers can be amazingly successful with the low price point gear like the little Schiits but still admire the fancy Blue Light Mac Gear our higher Caste love to show-off.

We all could probably duplicate systems that Bob Ludwig or Bob Katz describe building for their workings but they have vast experience, help from Manufacturers and the ability to commit a few hundred thousand dollars in their Studio + the Electronics that they tend to build themselves .

Stereophile Magazine is now bringing us wonderful reviews about the Streaming Technology that's replacing 33.3, tape, CDs, DVD, Blu-ray and most of the other devices that I now see on the shelves of Goodwill and Salvation Army.

We're in an Audiophile Revolution that will allow us to toss all our media into Waste Management's Vast Landfill system.

I didn't see this coming in 2011 at RMAF.

Tony in Florida

Jack L's picture

Bingo !

Jack L

Awsmone0's picture

Well Mr Tony from Florida

Don’t own a plane, a super yacht or a beachfront property ;) and I hate golf!
My favourite past time is music, actually trained as a professional musician at one stage , and hifi !!! Sorry to disappoint …… your profile
Contact cleaners is a bit left field but ….
Clearly clean contacts are important if they change impedance in impedance critical interfaces

I cannot recommend a specific brand, but have had great success with a simple trick of using a low abrasive/grit pad on important connections, of late I have had an interest In graphene as a contact enhancer, I have a few bottle of various contact enhancers in my cupboard but found the effects less than subtle and not overly desirable in my experience

As to soldering irons I use of course a temperature controlled iron, and lead free silver solder from Cardas if memory serves

I am unclear on your exposure to doctors, but perhaps your exposure and opinion is coloured and or biased, and that is an opinion imho lol
Funny but there are a number of doctors I know that also did engineering and or physics before medicine perhaps the practice and education in USA is different and less rounded ?

georgehifi's picture

Can you please name the " https://youtu.be/YTY26k0CA0I?t=5 " that made up this eyebrow raising "audiophile" phrase?

Cheers George

Anton's picture

I don't think I have ever said this before, but..."Not even if it were free."

Side note: which audiophile case is best for an iPhone being used to control the Hi Fi? I suppose we should expect one from Synergistic Research soon!

windansea's picture

Well,the case looks clean in a euro way, and the copper color does seem like the shade du jour.
But I wouldn't want this in my signal chain.

X