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One area where the 402Au really opened up in that first week was in the bass. The Moscode was no wimp; in fact, it was superb at throwing its weight around. "Little…
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The 402Au does require some warmup and run-in. Like many tube components, its sound opened up as the tubes warmed and the caps saturated. After about 20 minutes, the amp sounded noticeably more relaxed and open. The 402Au also took a few hundred hours of run-in to fully open up. Unlike some components I've auditioned, it never sounded "broken-in," it just kept sounding better over the first week or so.
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-channel, solid-state power amplifier with tubed input stage and MOSFET output stage. Tube complement: choice of 6H30Pi, 6GU7, 6DJ8, 6922, 6FQ7, 5814, 7730, or 12AU7 (2 each required). Tubes supplied: two 6H30Pi, two 6GU7. Maximum output power: 200Wpc into 8 ohms (23dBW), +300Wpc into 4 ohms (21.8dBW), both channels operating. Frequency response: 5Hz–100kHz ±0.25dB, –3dB at 230kHz. Voltage gain (tube dependent): ca 30–33dB. THD at full output (tube dependent; value with 6H30Pi tube for V101 & 201 position in the circuit): <0.15% at full…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital Source: Ayre Acoustics C-5xeMP universal player.
Preamplifier: Aesthetix Calypso.
Power Amplifiers: Moscode 401HR, Parasound Halo JC 1.
Loudspeakers: Klipsch Palladium P-39F, Thiel CS3.7.
Cables: Interconnect: Shunyata Research, Stealth Metacarbon. Speaker: Shunyata Research, Stealth Dream. AC: Shunyata Research Hydra, King Cobra, Anaconda.
Accessories: Ayre Acoustics Myrtle Blocks, Furutech RDP panels, RealTraps Mini & Mondo Traps.—Wes Phillips
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I measured the Moscode 402Au using Stereophile's loaner sample of the top-of-the-line Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It" and www.ap.com). Before performing any tests on an amplifier, I run it for 60 minutes at one-third its specified power into 8 ohms, which is thermally the worst case for an amplifier with a class-B or -AB output stage. The Moscode 402Au got very hot during this period, with its shrouded heatsinks way too hot to touch and the chassis overall reaching around 122°F (50°C). It kept working, however, and after an hour…
In an ideal world, I'd have every phono section I've reviewed in the past 16 years on hand to compare with these three and with all that arrive in the future. But because I have a life, I don't, and I wouldn't even if I could, though some readers (and one retailer) have insisted that that's the only way that I could possibly be of any use to them. Ha! And for those who are concerned that I've neglected the Manley Steelhead, not so! It's still my reference.
The dual-mono vacuum-tube Lamm LP2, a single black box featuring switchable moving-magnet (MM) and moving-coil (MC) inputs,…
Art Dudley wrote about the Lamm LP2 Deluxe in September 2009 (Vol.32 No.9):
Lamm's recent introduction of the LL2.1 brought with it the opportunity for Stereophile to listen once again to the company's analog stalwart, the LP2 Deluxe phono preamplifier, which Mikey Fremer wrote about in his December 2002 "Analog Corner" column. The LP2 Deluxe is itself unchanged, although the price has gone up: from $6690 in 2002 to $7290 in 2009. (As with the LL2.1, Lamm's phono preamp is also available in a non-Deluxe version, for a few hundred dollars less.)
The rear panel of the…
Sidebar: Specifications
Description: Tubed phono preamplifier with MM and transformer-coupled MC inputs. Tube complement: two 5842 miniature triodes. Gain: 38dB (MM), 58dB (MC). Input impedance: 47k ohms (MM), 40 ohms (MC). Output impedance: 3.5k ohms.
Dimensions: 4.5" x 19" x 15.25" (inc. handles) H x W x D. Weight: 41.5 lbs.
Price: $6800 (2002), $7290 (2009).
Manufacturer: Lamm Industries, Inc., 2621 E. 24th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11235. Tel: (718) 368-0181. Fax: (718) 368-0140. Web: www.lammindustries.com.
Phiaton is the brand name used by the South Korean Cresyn Company. Wes Phillips reviewed Phiaton's conventional closed-back Moderna MS 400 headphones in January 2009 and was as impressed by the sound quality as he was by their appearance. The PS 200 ($249), the only in-ear headphone sold by Phiaton, also has a striking appearance: the black rear face, which is all someone sitting next to you in the subway will see, resembles the turbine blades of a fan-jet engine. There are two balanced-armature drive-units, with a passive crossover network.
The 48" cable is a little long for…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: In-ear headphones. Drive-unit: dual balanced armatures with passive crossover. Frequency range: 8Hz–30kHz. Sensitivity: 95dB SPL. Impedance: 39 ohms. Maximum input power : 30mW. Features: padded travel case, 3 pairs silicone eartips in 3 different sizes, adapter for airplane-seat outlets.
Dimensions: Weight: 0.176 oz (5.9gm) without cord. Cable length: 48" (1220mm).
Finish: Black and silver.
Serial Number Of Unit Reviewed: None found.
Price: $249. Approximate number of dealers: online only. Warranty: 30-day satisfaction or money back, 1…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital Sources: Apple iPod, iPod Touch; Ray Samuels Emmeline Hornet & The Tomahawk portable headphone amplifiers; Benchmark DAC1 D/A converter–headphone amplifier driven by S/PDIF optical output of MacBook laptop, or by dual-core Pentium PC using a Bel Canto USB Link 24/96 to convert USB datastream to S/PDIF, both computers running iTunes.
Headphones: Sennheiser HD650, Ultimate Ears UE-5c.—John Atkinson