This review will cover three pairs of bronze plate 5687 tubes that I’ve used in my Modwright/Music Hall CD25 player.

Let me start out by saying that while I am familiar with various tubes in the 5687/7044/7119 family, my level of exposure is nowhere near the degree to which I’ve used tubes in the 6DJ8/7DJ8/6922/7308 family nor the 6550/KT88 family and their variants.  There is never a guarantee that one person’s experiences, system, and opinions will match up with yours and therefore readers should take any review with a grain of salt.  And in this case, a salt shaker might be more appropriate.

The Players

Included in this short survey are the following 5687 tubes:  RCA, Sylvania and Tung-Sol.  All of them are of the so-called bronze plate variety although the construction of each differ.

CDs Used in Comparison

American Acoustic, Eric Tingstad & Nancy Rumbel

Boccherini String Quintets, Ensemble 415

Body Rhythm, Marion Meadows

Dream Walk, Keiko Matsui

Miami Vice, Various

Narada Collection 3, Various

Twelve Tribes, Richard Souther

Vivladi’s Cello, Yo-Yo Ma with Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra

 

The reviews are presented in the same order in which the three bronze plate types were auditioned.

 

Tung-Sol

One of the pair is a 1960 JTL 5687 (6017, measured 128/125) other vintage is unknown 5687WA (322KW3, measured 108/106), square getter, noticeably bronze plates, double mica.

Tung-Sol Bronze Plate 5687 Pair                                                              Pair Close-Up
          

Getter Ring Close-Up                                                                            Plate Close-Up
     

 Listening Impressions:

• Excellent bass
• Detail and tonal balance is excellent
• Very black background
• Reference level sound stage
• Excellent to reference level inner detail and dynamics
• Switch in power cords from BC68 to Venom3 easily told with little less bass, more treble, images less dense, slapped percussion has more of the “skin” sound”, cymbals more prominent but also “whiter”.
• Sharp but natural transients.
• Organic and typically musical T-S sound.

 

 

Sylvania Gold Brand

Vintage unknown (both are 226 JAF, triple mica, square getter, gold pin).  Plates are not nearly as bronze as the RCA brand.

Sylvania Gold Brand Bronze Plate 5687 Pair                                              Square Getter Ring
      

Gold Pins

Listening Impressions:

• Bass is tight/taught/articulate and easy to follow with string vibration clearly apparent.
• Wooden blocks pop rather than thud.
• Less rich than T-S.
• Extremely natural sounding piano with plenty of sparkle.
• Excellent to reference level transients.
• Sound stage height extends beyond the top of the speakers.
• Brushed and struck cymbal work is superior to T-S.
• Decay is reference level.
• Almost sounds like a 7044 in terms of overall clarity but more refined.
• Clearly hear the skin and body on drums.
• Dynamics are excellent to near reference level.
• The music just seems faster:  excellent PRAT.

 

RCA

Vintage unknown, double mica, very small O-ring getter.  Plates are easily seen as bronze.

RCA Bronze Plate 5687 Pair                                                                   RCA Bronze Plate 5687 Close-Up
     

Very Small O-ring Getter
 

Listening Impressions:

• Like the Sylvania, not as rich sounding as the T-S.
• Equal, or, superior to the T-S in terms of sound stage with pinpoint imaging.
• Nicely extended treble with reference level quality.
• Cymbal brushwork perhaps superior to Sylvania.
• The most dynamic of the three under review.
• Bass response is articulate but perhaps not quite as forceful as Sylvania.
• Inner detail is reference level and you can hear the guitar strings bending at times.
• The overall sound, at times, is almost solid state in character but with the refinement typically associated with tubes.

 

After listening to these three bronze plate 5687s, I’ve come to the conclusion that I prefer their sound qualities over the black plate 5687 variety.  My order of ranking from most liked is the RCA, Sylvania and then Tung-Sol although I could live quite contentedly with any of them.  Highly recommended.

 

This is the first installment on the Mapleshade Vivilink Plus HDMI cable. 

The Vivilink replaced a 2M Wireworld Chroma 6 cable connecting my Oppo BDP-95 universal player to my Samsung LN46D550 46” LCD TV.  The Samsung is a competent, although not outstanding performer.  The Chroma 6 HDMI cable, on the other hand, has been well reviewed by such sources as What HiFi, where it has received a five star rating and is considered a short list cable within its price category.  A 2M length of the Chroma 6 currently retails for $69.

The Vivilink Plus comes well, if simply, packed and arrived on my doorstep within two days of its order via UPS.  Mapleshade has obviously not spent anything extra on the packaging and, as a matter of fact, the shipping carton was a recycled Amazon box.

A full description of the Vivilink may be found via the above link.  In brief, Mapleshade feels that the problem with most HDMI cables is that the insulation and wire gauge used in other cables are too thick and that there is a resulting deleterious effect on video quality.  As an aside, they also feel that audio quality is best served when an HDMI cable is used only to convey the video portion of the signal and the audio is fed to your system via separate RCA connections.  This happens to be the way my system is configured.  The Plus version of the Vivilink cable receives additional treatment over the standard $125 version which is said to further improve performance.

The Vivilink is rather delicate, some might say flimsy, but that is the result of their inherent design.  Therefore, care should be taken when installing the cable.  Additionally, the Vivilink (and the Chroma 6), is directional and the red banded connector should be hooked up to your TV (or receiver) and the unmarked end connects to the source.  Mapleshade also warns that the cable should not be draped over anything made of plastic and if it’s necessary to cross interconnects or power cords, the cables should meet at least a 45 degree angle to minimize interference.  Finally, they recommend 100 to 200 hours of break-in before the cable is at peak performance.

                                   Mapleshade Vivilink Carton                                                                    Simple Packaging
     

                                       Unwrapped                                                                                        Target Connector
     

                                   Source Connector                                                                                 Ribbon Close-Up
     

                                       Instructions

 

Still to come, initial impressions.

 

NB:  Just a reminder, if you mouse over any of the photos and single click, it will open a new window with the same photograph.  If you then single click the photo in the newly opened window, it will present you with a larger and therefore more detailed photo.

 

 

 

The subject of today’s review is a pair of Philips Miniwatt SQ E182CC/7119 used in my Modwright/Music Hall CD-25 disc player.  The tubes were made in the Heerlen plant in the 4^th and 5^th weeks of July, 1963 (ID3 Δ3G4 and Δ3G5).  The 7119s have laddered grey plates, a large halo getter ring and copper posts.  They were purchased on May 11, 2006 from an E-bay auction for $31 and were NIB (new in original box).  Tubes of this manufacture can still be found from online vendors and at auction.

                                         Review Pair                                                                                        Closer View
     

                                   Large Halo Ring Getter                                                                           Copper Posts
     

                                          Date Code (1)                                                                                     Date Code (2)
     

 

The subject tubes replaced a pair of IBM-labelled GE 7044 tubes and much of the notes concerning their sound are in comparison to them.

 

Listening Impressions

• Leading edge transients when listening to Narada Collection #3 are not quite as sharp.
• The oboe in the track Homeland from the cited Narada album is beautiful – with rich overtones.
• Reference-level sound stage width populated by larger images spread widely.  Depth and height as evidenced on the Time Out CD is very good to excellent.
• Percussion is excellent and borderline reference-level.
• When listening to the Breathless CD, by Kenny G, you can hear the breathy reedlike quality to the saxophone.
• Bass lines on the eponymous Fourplay album is reasonably taut but not the best I’ve heard this CD sound.
• Inner detail/timbre is as good as it gets on my system.  On A Shout Towards Noon by Leo Kottke, it’s sometimes quite obvious that he’s playing a 12-string, hollow body guitar.

 

I’ve commented previously that I find the Philips/Amperex 7119 tubes to be the Goldilocks in this family.  Not quite the sound staging ability of the 5687 variant exemplified by Tung-Sol and not quite the absolute detail of the 7044 type, but it manages to capture most of both.  Very much recommended. 

 

N.B.:  This review is compiled from listening notes when both the Premier 16LS2 preamplifier and Premier 140 amplifier by conrad-johnson were part of my system.  Tubes used in the 16LS2 were six Telefunken (made by Siemens) PCC88/7DJ8 and the Premier 140 was running a Telefunken PCC88/7DJ8 input tube, a pair of Sovtek 6H30π-EB phase splitters, and eight vintage Genalex Gold Lion KT88s.

This installment should bring us up-to-date on the changes made to my system over the previous month's time.

Interconnect Changes

XLO Signature 1.1 ==> Shunyata Antares  ==> XLO Signature 1.1
While the 1.5M XLO Signature 1 interconnect on my BDP-95 was enjoying a brief vacation on the West Coast for an audiodharma Cable Cooker treatment, I switched in a 1M Shunyata Antares IC in its place.  The Antares has been one of my favorites for the last couple of years and excels at sound staging and conveying the music's emotional content.  Upon hooking-up the Antares I noticed that transients were not quite as sharp and clear as with the XLO S1.1 although the bass was more prominent and the mid-range more fleshed-out.  Images, also, were more rounded and solid, less two-dimensional.  To use a tubular analogy, the XLO S1.1 are like a Siemens 6922 while the Antares is more in the vein of an Amperex Bugle Boy 6DJ8.  The treble range was handled more ably, however, by the XLO interconnect. 

Upon returning from its spa treatment and after settling in, the XLO S1.1 produced a sound that was not quite as prominent in the bass as the Antares but was tighter.  Strings now had more "bite" without any stridency.

 

Power Cord Changes

Original Taipan Alpha ==> Blue Circle BC 68 ==> Original Taipan Alpha
I had been running my Quad 989 speakers with a pair of Taipan Alpha power cords and decided to re-introduce what I'd been formerly using, the BC 68 power cord/conditioners.  The change was in some ways similar to the switch from the XLO S1.1 to the the Antares.  Transients were a bit duller, bass more prominent, sound staging better, and picture quality improved when watching cable or playing video discs or streaming video over the BDP-95.  The improvement in video quality is a side effect of the BC 86 Noise Hounds that are incorporated into the BC 68 power cords.  Each one carries the equivalent of two Noise Hounds and it most definitely has a positive impact on the video quality of components that are plugged into the same electrical circuit.

Eventually, however, I switched back to the original Taipan Alpha's on the Quad speakers for the same reason I ultimately prefer the XLO cables over the Shunyata:  more air, detail and treble.  I did put one of the BC 68's on my Music Hall CD 25 and it's remained there ever since.  It replaced a Shunyata Venom3 power cord and seems to have a more even frquency response in this particular application.  It also has some, although not all, of the video benefit returning to the scene.

 

Switched Taipan Alpha Helix from BDP-95 ==> CA200 and Original Taipan Alpha from CA200 ==> BDP-95 
Based on a suggestion from my West Coast audio advisor, I switched power cords between my Universal/Blu-Ray player and integrated amp.  Quite honestly, I didn't think it would work well, but as usual, his suggestion was right on the money.  The CA200's sound became smoother without losing any detail while the BDP-95 was more detailed without becoming etched or strident.  I don't know how he does it.

 

Another Megamount

Music Hall CD 25 
I placed a Megamount over the drawer mechanism of the modified CD 25 player and the results weren't as noticeable as they'd been when I had done the same to the Guardian Pro 6.  The sound stage may be a bit wider but I haven't noticed any real change in frequency response or timbre.  This may be due to the fact that the CD 25 had a good deal of vibration damping material applied to its innards as part of the modifications done by ModWright.

 

Router Connections

Wireless ==> Ethernet ==> Wireless 
Although I was quite enamored with the AudioQuest Forest Ethernet RJ45/E interconnect when I first hooked it up to my BDP-95 player, the bloom eventually wore-off of the rose and I went back to wirelessly connecting the two.  As a sanity check, I once again went to a wired connection and determined in short order that while the wired connection did have some benefits, I ultimately preferred the more detailed wireless connection.

  

CA200 as Preamp and the Return of the Premier 140

The final and remaining change has been the re-introduction of the Premier 140 into the sonic equation.  I'm using the CA200 just as a preamp connected to the amplifier via a Nordost Red Dawn cable and the 140 is connected to the Guardian Pro 6 via an original Taipan Alpha power cord.

Since the Megamounts are pulling duty as weights on the Guardian and the CD 25, I'm using some ebony footers under the amplifier.

Group Shot                                                                                         Pair of Footers
     

As almost always, there are pluses and minuses to this change.  The sound stage has become more enveloping with better defined images and there is a humanity to the sound that I've never been able to achieve with purely solid state equipment.  On the downside, detail is marginally not as good, upper treble is slightly depressed, and the deepest bass is not as authoritative.

 

But until the bug hits me again, that's the way it's going to be.

The story continues.

Year of the Snake

We recently ushered in the Chinese New Year on February 10th:  the Year of the Snake.  Depending on the scholar, that's the year 4711, or 4710, or 4650.  You pays your money and you takes your choice.  Judging from the number of new power cords that have made their way into my system, I celebrated early this year.

Caveat Emptor

The Shunyata Guardian Pro 6 was purchased as a package deal that included a 20A DiamondBack Platinum power cord and the power conditioner sounded darn good with the DiamondBack.  Never leaving well enough alone, I decided to try an original version Shunyata Taipan Alpha cord in its place.  All-in-all, I'm happy that I did.  To sum-up the changes once the original Taipan replaced the DiamondBack:  an across the board improvement in dynamics, clarity, soundstaging and frequency response.  The change was not subtle.

However, there was a lesson I learned from this E-bay purchase and that was to pay attention to not only what the seller is saying and showing you in the advertisement but perhaps more importantly, what isn't being said or shown.  The original Taipan power cord that I purchased for $299 (including shipping) was to all intents and purposes, a functioning Taipan power cord and visually was a Taipan in all respects except for one.  Shunyata always includes a barrel on the power cord which has the model name and serial number on one side and the person who actually constructed the cord on the other.  For the original, clear jacketed version of the Taipan, this barrel is always white in color.

What I didn't notice or pay attention to in the ad was that for this particular cord, the barrel was a greyish-blue color.  And once the power cord arrived, I didn't initially notice that it also read "Copperhead" instead of Taipan.  In all other respects, the power cord in question is an original model Taipan including the male and female connectors and the actual cable itself reads "Taipan".  A call to Richard (who is the nicest person) at Shunyata revealed the following story.

Reverse of Copperhead Badge

Just before discontinuing the original model Copperhead power cords, Shunyata ran out of the cable they had always used.  Coincidentally, they were also discontinuing the original model Taipan Alphas and were preparing to introduce the Taipan Alpha Helix power cord.  So, for the final Copperhead production run of 500 to 1,000 power cords (Richard didn't remember the exact number), Shunyata used the original Taipan Alpha cable for the Copperhead production run.  Their customers were receiving a real bargain since, in fact, although they were purchasing a Copperhead cord at the retail price of $400, they were in fact getting a Taipan power cord which retailed for $600 - $650.  And that's what I had purchased from the Ebay seller.

I find it interesting that in one of the photo's supplied, the seller shows the reverse side of the badge which shows the maker's name and not the obverse side with the model name and serial number.  In defense of the seller, he did offer to refund my purchase price.  However, he never did respond to my e-mail recapping what I had learned nor has he ever left feedback for the transaction.

I realize this is a long-winded recounting and isn't intended as an ad hominem towards the seller.  But it was an educational experience for me and that's why I'm sharing it with you.  

During my discussion with Richard, I reported to him that for a number of reasons, I preferred the CA200 plugged into the Guardian Pro 6 as opposed to Shunyata's Hydra 8 power conditioner.  He replied that the Guardian Pro was a stripped-down version of the Hydra with simpler, more direct wiring and circuitry and that Shunyata recommends using the Guardian Pro over the Hydra for power amplifiers for just that reason.  Needless to say, I was pleased that what my ears reported is what the manufacturer also relates to be the case.

 

More to follow.

 

Well, it's been over a month since my last entry, so let's start to catch up.

Shunyata Guardian Pro 6 with DiamondBack 20A Power Cord

The following is based on connecting the conrad-johnson CA200 to the Guardian using the DiamondBack power cord that was purchased together with the conditioner.

• Listening to disc 2 of the American Acoustic CD, the sound is richer and smoother.  This is also the case with Bach Works for Solo Violin by Lara St. John where there's none of the occasional stridency I'd heard previously and the acoustic is clearer.  
• Dynamics do not appear to be limited in any way, which was not the case when I'd previously plugged power amplifiers into Shunyata's Hydra 8 power conditioner.  In fact, the Guardian seems to convey all the advantages of the Hydra without any of the latter's downside. 
• The sound stage is wider and projects a little more into the room - which is something I like although not everyone's preference.

Conclusion so far, the CA200 is a better performer when plugged into the Guardian Pro 6.

 

Footers, Mounting Changes, and Vibration Control

BDR Pucks 
Up to this point, the Guardian was placed on the floor directly upon the nylon carpeting in my apartment.  I then placed three #4 Black Diamond Racing pucks under the Guardian to elevate it a bit off of the carpeting.  If there were any changes to the sound, I didn't notice them.

Rack Mounting
The Guardian had been positioned face-down so that its electrical outlets were facing up.  I then mounted it on my Sanus Rack without the BDR Pucks, on its four rubber feet and facing out so the outlets were directly accessible from the rear.  There was a small, but noticeable, increase in detail and air around the musical instruments.  Listening to Bach's Oboe Concertos on the Naxos label, the presentation continued to be light and airy but no longer sounded tipped-up in frequency.  A definite improvement.  Differences in the presentation of CDs between my Oppo BDP-95 and modified Music Hall CD-25 were clearly delineated.

Vibration Control 
A six pound Mapleshade Megamount brass footer was placed on top of the Guardian in order to more securely couple it the the rack shelf.  The SACD of Getz/Gilberto never sounded clearer to the extent that I noticed, for the first time I think, distortion on the master tape that would occasionally pop through.  Two additional results of placing the brass weight on the Guardian were an increased purity of tone coupled with a wider sound stage.

 

More to follow.

    

 

This installment will be the introduction to the Shunyata Guardian Pro 6 power conditioner and Diamondback Platinum 20A power cord.  These components will be used in conjunction, at least initially, with my conrad-johnson CA200 control amplifier.  Interested readers are directed to the following for my thoughts, so far, on the CA200:  Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

Although I have been pleased with the CA200's sonic performance, there has been a problem with blown fuses.  When I first set-up the CA200, I installed four fast blow 6.3A HiFi-Tuning 32 mm Gold fuses in the unit's B+ and B- rails and a 20 mm Supreme 6.3A slow blow fuse in the IEC/mains connection. Immediately upon powering-up the CA200, the Supreme fuse popped.  Subsequently, I've lost the two stock glass 20 mm fuses as well, in one case when going from a cold start to standby and in the other from standby to the on position.

Although I've found the HiFi-Tuning fuses to be superior so far in the applications I've used them (see the Fuse Directionality, Part 1, and Part 2 installments) they do have two negative aspects:  they are expensive and when the fuse blows, you cannot tell that fact by mere visual inspection.

CA200 Stock Fuses                                                                              Three Blown Fuses (from left to right) and Functional Stock Fuse
     

In an attempt to prevent sacrificing any further fuses, I've purchased a used Shunyata Guardian Pro 6 power conditioner together with a Diamondback Platinum 20A power cord.  All of Shunyata's power conditioners require a 20 Amp connection.  The 12 gauge Diamondback appears to be a cross between a scaled down version of Shunyata's original 10 gauge Taipan power cord with the connectors from a Venom.  Although in the case of the Diamondback, the contacts are gold-plated.  The Guardian Pro 6 retails, when new, for $795 and the Diamondback Platinum 20 Amp power cord for $275 to $325, although one retailer (Music Direct) is currently selling them for $125.  

Diamondback Platinum Clamshell Casing                                                 Diamondback Platinum Power Cord
     

Gold Plated Male Plug                                                                           20 Amp Female Connector
     

Diamondback Platinum Cable Close-Up

In a subsequent installment, I will describe the features of the Guardian Pro 6 and compare/contrast them with Shunyata's Hydra 8 power conditioner.  For now, a physical description will suffice.  The Guardian Pro 6, as its name suggests, is a six outlet (Shunyata's own SR-Z1 model), slim quadrupedal design that may be rack mounted, or placed either on a shelf, or on the floor.  I've positioned it face down on the floor.

Guardian Pro 6 Front View                                                                     Rear View
     

Bottom View                                                                                       20 Amp IEC and Power Switch
          

Rear Right

 

 

More to follow.

  

The CA200 now has 222 hours of playing time accumulated and, during this period, quite a few changes were made to my system.  I’ve broken a number of audiophile rules in the process, including making more than one change at a time, but, life is short.

This installment covers those changes and the trials and tribulations experienced along the way.

 

HiFi-Tuning Fuses

12/19/2012:  at the 73 hour mark, a small (20mm) slow blow HiFi-Tuning Supreme T6.3A fuse was inserted into the drawer under the mains/IEC receptacle.   Four large (32mm) fast blow 6.3A HiFi-Tuning Gold fuses replaced the stock glass body B-/B+ rail fuses.

Immediately upon reconnecting the power cord, the Supreme fuse popped and the unit failed to power-up.  Although I realized it was the mains/IEC fuse that had blown, this highlights an issue with HiFi-Tuning fuses, in particular, and aftermarket fuses that use opaque bodies, in general:  you cannot determine by looking at the fuse that it has failed.  It is immediately apparent that a glass body fuse has failed when you look at it because you can see that the metal wire is broken and the fuse has a silver flashing on its sides similar to the getter flashing on a vacuum tube.  Opaque body tubes look exactly the same whether they are intact or have failed.

After replacing the failed fuse with the original fuse, I proceeded with the audition.  Right from the get-go, detail was better, bass was both stronger and more taut, and the sound stage projected more into the listening room.  Spoken voice was more clear and singers more realistically in the room due to the increased detail.  Throat and mouth sounds predominate over chest.  It’s easy to distinguish individual male and female voices within a chorus.  Dynamics also improved.  The overall sound is slightly smoother while simultaneously extracting more detail than before:  a win/win situation.

There was none of the midrange predominance I find when the fuses are oriented in what is for me the “improper direction” and so I’ve left the B-rail fuses as they are pointing outwards (towards the fuse end-cap).

The mains fuse has continued to be problematic and has blown three times in total.  As a result, I’ve only used the glass type fuses as they cost less than a dollar.  If I’m able to isolate the cause, I may attempt another Supreme fuse.

 

 

Mapleshade Megamount Brass Footers

12/21/2012:  after 107 hours of playing time, three Megamounts were installed under the CA200.  They remained in place for only 4 ½ hours for two reasons.  First they raised the CA200 too close, in my opinion, to the shelf above and I became concerned about possible airflow blockage although this was probably more than compensated for by the increased breathing room under the CA200.  The second, and primary, reason was the fact that, overall, I preferred how the CA200 sounded without them.

Images were denser and the sound stage projected more into the listening room (something I prefer) but still less than the Premier 16LS2/140 configuration.  The overall sound was slightly softer with less of a leading edge to transients.  This is the only amplifier where this has happened when using the Megamounts.  Both the Premier 11A and Premier 140 have benefited from the Megamounts both in terms of a more airy presentation, as was seen with the CA200, but also with an improvement in transient response, which was just the opposite, as stated, with the CA200.  Both the 11A at 54 pounds and the 140 at 85 pounds are considerably heavier than the CA200, 42% and 124% respectively, and the Megamounts may just be too much support for the CA200.  This hypothesis runs contrary to Pierre Sprey’s comments but it is the only reason I can think of to explain their less-than-stellar performance in this application.

 

 

Shunyata Hydra Model 8

12/22/2012:  at the 128 hour mark, I plugged the CA200 into the Hydra Model 8 power conditioner (see Parts 1 and 2 for background information on the Hydra 8).  I tried this change for two reasons:  in hope that the power conditioner would prevent any further blown mains fuses and to note possible changes in the sound.

The CA200 was now less airy and the upper treble was diminished – both negatives in my book.  Although detail was still excellent, there was definitely less high frequency energy and as a result, the system sounded smoother and, in some ways, the CA200 now seemed more like the 16LS2/140 pairing.  Bass response was more extended but that may have been a psychoacoustic effect of the diminished upper treble. 

Similarly to the effect of the Megamounts, images were a bit denser, the sound stage projected a little more into the listening room and transients were softer.  My listening notes do not record the actual elapsed time, but within a few hours the CA200 was disconnected from the Hydra 8 and was back to being plugged straight into the wall outlet.  The change was immediate and positive:  the treble was once again crisp and extended.  The CA200 has remained this way since.

 

     

Cable and Power Cord Changes

12/22/2012:  later that day.  Fresh from their treatment on an audiodharma Cable Cooker, a Shunyata original model Taipan Alpha power cord was placed on the left channel Quad 989 speaker (so now both speakers were identically powered), a 1m XLO Signature 1.1 interconnect was placed on my cable TV box and a three foot Taipan Alpha Helix power cord replaced the stock cord on my Oppo BDP-95 Blu-Ray/universal player.  The Oritek X-2 interconnect that had been on the cable box was shifted to the Modwright/Music Hall CD-25 disc player.

The system was smoother (due to the Taipan Helix Alpha on the BDP-95) with a more well-defined central image (due to the matching pair of original Taipans on both 989 speakers).  Bass response was more prominent, dynamics better, decay a touch longer, and detail a shade diminished due to a slight (and I mean very small) lessening in transient sharpness.

 

 

Mapleshade Triplepoint Brass Footers

12/22/2012:  even later the same day.  The Megamounts had been, generally speaking, a failure but how would their smaller siblings, the Triplepoints, fare?  After placing them under the CA200, background/low-level details were immediately clearer.  The overall sound was more airy and clarity went from being excellent to reference level.  This was the effect I typically get when placing Mapleshade brass footers under a component.

 

 

Shunyata Hydra Model 8 Redux

12/24/2012:  150 hours of playing time have elapsed.  I disconnected all source components from the Hydra 8 in a fit of what can I do now?  My Samsung LCD-TV, the Oppo BDP-95, Olive O3HD, the Music Hall CD-25, and my cable box were now connected to a PS Audio power strip that’s plugged straight into the wall.  Previously, the PS Audio power strip had been connected to the Hydra 8.  Daisy chained to the PS Audio power strip is a cheap plastic power strip that has my Netgear router, modem, telephone, conrad-johnson PV-10A, and Clearaudio Concept turntable connected to it.

Will the madness end?  The immediate effect was an increase in “air” (although it may very well have been an electronic glaze/haze) and the concomitant diminishing of bass weight.  Musically, there is less slap on percussion and less sweetness (in a negative way) to the sound.  Increasing the volume setting over usual levels does add some weight to the bass, as would be expected.  Images are larger and more diffuse.  Certain sounds such as metal striking metal may be sharper but are also less realistic.   

As the system settled in, percussion, dynamics and clarity all improved.  The perceived extension in the mid- to upper-treble complimented the sound of early instruments.  As good as the system is performing I can’t help but feel that the music is lacking something that the Hydra 8 lends to the equation:  realism.  The system in its present configuration is more “high-fidelity” but less musical.  There is an emotional connection to the music that’s been broken.

 

 

CA200 as Preamplifier

12/27/2012:  170 hours playing time have elapsed.  I now get the brainstorm to try the CA200 as a preamplifier only.  I connect it via Nordost Red Dawn interconnects to the Premier 140 power amplifier  The 140 is not resting on the Megamounts (as it had during previous use) and is connected via the stock conrad-johnson power cord (not the original Taipan Alpha as it had been) to the wall outlet (as usual).  Due to a lack of available outlets, the CA200 is plugged in (via an original Taipan Alpha) to the cheap plastic power strip.  It’s still resting on the Triplepoints and continues to sport the Gold fuses for its B-rails.

Because the CA200 utilizes what is basically a passive preamp, I have to turn the volume level way up to get comparable sound levels out of the Premier 140.  Bear in mind that although the Teflon capacitors on the 140 are now fully run-in with over 1,300 hours on them, the amp has not been used in two weeks and the capacitors will need some time to “reform”.    

Initial impression is that the CA200/Premier 140 pairing is not as clear as the CA200 standalone.  However, even cold, with a suboptimal set-up and the capacitors still reforming, the sound is more organic than the CA200 alone and the sound stage is both wider and deeper, which is a hallmark of c-j’s tubed equipment. 

As more hours tick by, the sound coalesces and is richer, clarity improves and the sound stage begins to envelop me.  Bass response is superior in terms of extension but isn’t as taut.  Sound effects, such as the clinking of glasses, are superior to that of the standalone CA200.  Listening to HBO’s Game of Thrones, the introductory music is harmonically more complex and majestic.  However, I realize that while c-j’s Premier badge is well-deserved, the CA200’s merits, taken on their own, are still exemplary.      

 

Bach (intentional) to Square One

12/28/2012:  almost 181 hours have come and gone.  Everything is placed as it was:  the CA200 is once again standalone and plugged directly into the wall, everything else is either directly or indirectly via the PS Audio power strip plugged into the Hydra (Quad 989 speakers excepted).

During the reconfiguration, the CA200’s mains fuse has once again popped during power-up.  Sigh.  Although I have two of the stock 20mm T6.3A glass fuses on order from conrad-johnson, they still have not arrived.  I decide to venture out of my apartment in search of replacements.  The electrical gods smile on me, for a freakin’ change, and I find the exact same fuses as had come stock with the CA200 at the much-maligned Radio Shack for less than $4 for a four pack.  I hurry home and insert the fuse, power it up, and, Lord have mercy, nothing goes wrong.  Everything is good in Mudville.

First up, I play the Mstislav Rostropovich/Hugo Wolff Teldec recording of C.P.E. Bach, Vivaldi, Tartini: Cello Concertos via the BDP-95 from a copy ripped to my personal computer.  Parenthetically, as much as I like the AudioQuest Forest Ethernet cables (see Parts 1, 2, and 3 for the details), I prefer the sound of the BDP-95 wirelessly connected to my Netgear router.  The sound stage with the BDP-95 connected via the Forest is excellent, but for sound stage transparency and detail clarity, the wireless connection is superior, even if not quite as harmonically rich.  The bite on the cello’s string is sharp and the harmonics are richer than the system sans Hydra 8 power conditioner.

Further listening on the cable box (Game of Thrones and Straw Dogs), on the BDP-95 via Netflix (Lost Girl), and the Olive O3HD music server (Americas), cements the deal.  For the CA200 as a standalone, this is the optimal configuration so far.

 

For those of you still awake, I applaud your perseverance.

 

Still to come:  the CA200 back on the Triplepoints and a new player in this game, the Shunyata Guardian Pro 6  power conditioner, as a possible replacement for the PS Audio power strip, enters the fray.       

          

How does the CA200 sound?  Bear in mind this $6,500 control amplifier replaced $18,000 in c-j Premier level preamplifier and amplifier equipment.  Please see parts 1, 2, 3, and 4 regarding the Premier 16LS2 and parts 1 and 2 for the Premier 140.  The CA200 has its work cut out for it not only in the almost three times price differential but also because I feel that electrostatic speakers such as the Quad ESL-989s have a natural affinity, in my opinion, for tube-based equipment.

The following observations are based on 71 hours of playing time with the CA200 in stock condition with the exception of an original version Shunyata Taipan Alpha power cord connecting it directly to the wall outlet.  The sound of the CA200 changed over the course of settling-in with the major improvement being its bass response.

 

Listening Impressions:

• There is a more polite and delicate flavor to the CA200’s sound with an overriding sense of clarity.  This is evidenced by low-level detail on familiar recordings becoming apparent for the first time.
• Bass response is less prominent but what is there is tight and tuneful with a "count the string's vibrations" quality.
• Spoken voice is clear and natural.  Singers, both male and female, have a strong presence in the listening room.
• Upper midrange and lower treble is more detailed giving transients sharper edges.
• Upper treble is more extended but non-fatiguing.
• The sound stage extends farther behind the plane of the speakers but does not project as much into the listening space.  There is more projection into the room as cumulative playing time increased although it never matches the diorama-like quality of the Premier configuration.
• Lateral separation is excellent but extends beyond the outside boundaries of the speakers significantly less often.

 

Future installments will cover the introduction of HiFi-Tuning aftermarket fuses and Mapleshade Megamount brass footers. 

 

Update 12/23/12:  I tried plugging the CA200 into the Hydra 8 power conditioner and did not like the results.  It sucked a good deal of the upper treble out of the presentation. Although I've found the Hydra to work well with source components and preamplifiers, this is the third attempt with an amplifier, the previous two being the conrad-johnson Premier 11A and Premier 140, and the change has been consistent.  There is an increase in richness/midrange texture and a slightly blacker background but at the expense of upper treble and presence. 

In an attempt to accomplish a number of goals, including simplifying my life, I recently purchased a used conrad-johnson CA200 control (integrated) amplifier.  This installment of my review will serve as an introduction to the unit and has quite a few photographs, as a result. 

conrad-johnson introduced the CA200 c. 2006 at which time it retailed for $6,500 and was billed as being one-half of their Premier 350 power amplifier housed in the casework of the Premier 18LS preamplifier.  The CA200 weighs-in at 38 pounds (less than half of my 85 pound Premier 140), measures 19" wide x 3.315" high x 15.5" deep, and is rated at 185 watts per channel @ 8 Ohms and 300 watts @ 4 Ohms, all at less than 1% THD and IMD.

First Opening                                                                                      WBT-0610 Banana Plugs, Remote, and Power Cord 
     

 

The reader is directed to the following online reviews for some additional impressions:  Tone Audio (Issue 4, 2006), Enjoy The Music (March, 2007), Audiogon Forum (November 26, 2007), Positive Feedback (Issue 32, 2007), The Abso!ute Sound (November 25, 2008).

The CA200 is described by conrad-johnson as a “control amplifier” due to the fact that it utilizes “a discrete stepped attenuator level control and input selector switches (all operable by remote control) to eliminate the need for a preamplifier. In fact, there is no line-stage integrated into the CA200 - hence the term “control amplifier”.”  So there.

Front View                                                                                          Front Right Display and Indicator LEDs
      

Front Right Access Buttons
 

Once the power cord is connected to an electrical outlet, the unit goes into standby mode.  You turn the CA200 on and off by depressing the Mute button, either on the front panel or the remote control, for a few seconds.  A slight thump/popping sound is heard on my speakers when powering up and sometimes when powering down.

The CA200 adds fins to the left side of the Premier 18LS's casework to dissipate heat.  I’ve never been able to get them anything more than warm to the touch.

Top View
 

As is the practice with all conrad-johnson designs, balanced operation is eschewed for the simpler single-ended approach.  Also, no global feedback is used.  c-j are firm believers in the dictum that less is more when it comes to circuitry.  The voltage gain stage utilizes MOSFETs (metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors) chosen for their tube-like transfer characteristics and bi-polar transistors, with their associated high damping factor, supply the output power.         

Five source components may be connected to the CA200 plus an external processor loop (this may be used as a sixth input) and there’s also a theater bypass with a unity gain setting if you so desire.  A preamplifier out connection is available for bi-amping, or, should you wish, to totally bypass the CA200’s amplifier section entirely.

Rear View                                                                                           RCA Connectors Close-Up
      

 

The rear left (as you face the back) of the unit contains the IEC receptacle with a mains fuse underneath in a drawer that can be popped open plus four B-rail fuses.  A future installment will cover the sonic impact of using HiFi-Tuning Gold (B-rails) and Supreme (mains) fuses in place of the stock, glass fuses.

IEC Receptacle, Mains Fuse Drawer and B-Rail Fuses
 

 

Finally, the rear right of the CA200 houses a single pair of five-way binding posts and the heat sinks.  Both the RCA connectors and the binding posts appear to be of good quality.

Five-Way Binding Posts