Voltron

I thought you said you weren't going to be posting any more neurotic questions about your source hunt . . . ? So, I cannot see how taking down an ad after selling the item is an indication of any foul play. If the seller had some feedback and seemed reasonable, then sit back and wait for the package. If you have a question, send the guy an email. Oh, and this is a small forum so you don't need to start new threads all the time about the same subject. You could have asked this question in your "Capitole izing" thread and still get a response.

Cool. Where did you buy it? I am considering this same lens used.

Looks fantastic and easy to navigate. Nice work Indra!

Hope you have had a fabulous birthday so far. Happy listening and have a nice scotch or two! Cheers!

For Eddie Current, the only option you have identified that is a current production option is the Zana Deux, and as Nate points out it is unclear whether there is a current, current run. The ZD is a very nice amp, but I don't think it comes close to the 307A. It is not as flexible, it is not balanced, it does not reach the resolution and detail and transparency that are easily rendered by the 307A. I have always thought of the ZD as a somewhat soft focus, warm style of amp that emphasizes musicality at a cost. I thought of the SP MPX3 in its original 6SN7 stock model in much the same way. The HD-2 was made once for JP#s and has not been repeated and I don't think it could be because Craig does not have the NOS Tango transformers he used in it. As for the TTVJ/Millett 307A amp being bright, I disagree entirely. It is detailed (as Dusty predicted one might say) but it is not bright or etched or edgy at all. Source is going to dictate sound more than the amp as it is currently configured, and your Exemplar Denon source should be pretty warm on its own. Plus, there are tube-rolling options that could have an impact on the overall sound. I enjoyed my time with the 307A immensely and listened to it almost exclusively over my SP SDS-XLR except when comparing the amps. There have also been impressions from 4N6 and Riceboy who were comparing the 307A to the B52, which is a warm and "big sounding" amp. I am not sure where 4N6 came out, but I think the B52 is on its way out. Speaking of the comparison, the SDS is a very "involving" amp and when you switch from one presentation to the other you could react as JP#s did by saying there is a different level of the "suck you in" factor. The SDS is a the better sounding amp overall to my ears and tastes, but it is also a one-off, two-box quite special amp that cost more than double the 307A. It also sounds pretty bad in single-ended mode. That cannot be said for the 307A that sounded great with single-ended cans and some have even used it with IEMs. Looking at the market right now, and for the foreseeable future, I cannot imagine a better option than the 307A if the price tag is within reach. Just my opinions, and I am not saying any of it to diss the other amp makers mentioned: I own 1 SP amp, 2 Eddie Current amps, 1 Moth amp (Craig's former company), and both an amp and a phono stage by RSA.

Last I recall, you had not heard a SinglePower electrostatic amp so how do you know what it sounds like? Based solely on looking at pics of the internals? There are many issues here, but your overreaching claims about what is and is not worth X dollars has no relevance.

I cannot imagine sending him my SDS for any reason. I would rather have somebody local work on it if there is a problem. I have considered having him make mono block speaker amps and a true preamp in the past, but that will not happen at all most likely and certainly not until he has gotten his head out of his ass and above water. I like him and love his work, but this shit is out of control.

Yay! Stax for Nate in 2008! Yay!

That sounds amazing, Indra. Nice day/night, indeed, especially if your dad is a Neil fan.

Hey Spritzer, my ED-1 pics are crap so I am going to send it to Justin so that he can take some pics and he claims he will trace out the circuit for you uber-geeks. At the risk of embarrassing myself, however, here are some lame pics with a lens that was ill-suited to the task:

Either source will work fine with either amp. The BHSE takes analog input only, just like most amplifiers, so the only issues are price, availability, and preference. I know nothing about the Krells but some people, Justin included, really like them. I have heard the modded Denons and think they are a great price to performance option. Great performance and a good synergy with either of those amps from my experience with both of them.

Before the cynics bog down your thread, Rob, how does the Raven sound?

3 computer-controlled precision motors. The Absolute Sound article gushed so much about this table that I became obsessed briefly. The single motor that Rob N has costs about $5K so it is not off the charts. The AC is more like $12-15K.

There is no fail in this beauty:

DustyCalifornia: Thank you for your thoughtful and informative threads and posts. I appreciate your contributions to the community. Can you please inform us as to the current state of affairs in regards to the group buy? Have final decisions been made on design? shirt colors? ink colors? Thank you. Tommy T-Shirt

Op-amps = bad. I got it.

I'm not deaf, but I am dumb. Why simpler?

That is another good suggestion. I will think of more.

I think the Meridians sound good (not good price to performance ratio, tho), but I thought you had a balanced dac with a transport already. Why not try it out? On the other side of the ledger, I really do believe that the 307A is VERY revealing of your source so if you are going to spend that much for an amp and your current source is lacking, then you had better get a better source. The various modded Denon 2910/3910 etc are a really good value and the ones with a tube output stage would mate nicely with the TTVJ. I would err on the warmer side -- which is one reason I think Todd likes the G08 for it. Something too cold and sterile is not going to complement the 307A because the amp will not warm it up. The APL 3910 mod that tkam and spritzer have, or one of the others like guzziguy has, are some good options to consider. They are on audiogon most times and APL will mod one if you have patience...

Nope, but that does make the cake funnier to me

Nice work Terry! I forgot about you promising those pics. My favorite is bigguy in the background lit by the glow of his lappy. Cool stuff, that film.

Welcome to HeadCase barmar, and feel free to hang around. Well, did you order the 307A yet? I have one in my main rig right now but I don't own it at the moment. You will love it and working with Todd is great as well. I have balanced K701s also, and I am guessing you will love them on the the TTVJ/Millett Monster. I will add my 2 cents that you should listen to the Equinox 650s with fresh ears and an open mind because they sound clear and amazing on the 307A. One more tip, take off the earpads, remove the foam disc sitting between you and the drivers and put the pads back on for another listen. If you like the improvement, then take off the pads again, put in a piece of nylon (cut up stockings is what I used) or speaker cloth if you have it and put the pads back on. Simple, cheap and effective tweak, imho. Tell us when you order the Monster and don't be shy with the pics when it arrives!

I remember you posted that one pic of your b-day cake:

I'm so jealous Vincent! My wife pointed out the article in the NYTimes about the reunion show. She asked if it brought back good memories because we saw them a couple times in the 80s, and I told her you were going to be there. We both hope they will play some more shows and get out this way. There is some rumor of recording new songs also, which would be cool. For my part, on the 5th of July I was in Santa Barbara for a wedding while my wife's cousin watched our kids. When we went to pick them up, they were all at a neighbor's house for a little backyard party. We went in and had a beer while a collection of party-goers sat around playing guitars, hand drums, and singing. The cousin, who is younger than we are, said a couple of the people playing, including the home owner, were professional musicians. She said "have you ever heard of Toad the Wet Sprocket?" Turns out we were at Glen Phillips' house and he was the one playing guitar with his back facing us at that moment. My wife and I were big fans of Toad, have all their records, saw them live years ago, and have several of Glen's solo records. It was cool hanging out while they played Gram Parsons, Beatles, and other tunes. Didn't manage to meet him because they never stopped playing but had a good time and probably avoided that awkward "I'm a big fan dufus" conversation anyway.