Croft Integrated

[davedotco]

Evening Matt, how's the tooth.....

The line level integrated is 'supposed' to be pretty close to the basic pre-power, not heard either of the pre-powers in recent times though.

The sound had that quality about it, you know the thing I have talked about the before, the qualty of the Electros, the Sugden and a handful of others. Not as explicitly so as some of the more expensive examples but exceptional for the money, and a hell of a lot more interesting than anything else for similar or less money.

Bump the budget up to £2500-3000 or so and it is very possible, modded Connect, V-Dac, Croft and maybe even a pair of Venere 1.5s. Getting interesting but also pushing the budget.

Anyway this system remains largely academic, Mrs DDC's whale watching expedition is still on for early march, so no budget.

(With apologies for going off topic)

Thanks, Dave, the tooth (or lack thereof) is feeling much better today.

Interesting you should mention Sugden. I've just bought a second-hand A21a. Recently serviced by Sugden, or so I'm told. It should arrive early next week. This will be going to the holiday cottage.

Segueing back onto topic: second-hand Crofts do occasionally appear on PFM and the 'Wam. Presumably a full service by His Glennness wouldn't be outrageously expensive.

:cheers:

Matt

Nice thoughts, but when I said no budget, I meant no budget.

This is a serious trip, Mrs DDC is having to dig deep into her Gucci to pull this one off and I'm not going to rock the boat.

 

[Macspur]

I still love my 25 pre and & 7 series power. I initially bought the pre as line level only because i already had the separate RIAA and had it built with just one volume pot.

In the end i sold the RIAA and had Glenn fit the phono stage into the pre and to me it sounded even better! I'm going to upgrade the pre to the R version when funds allow.

All in all I love my Croft gear and well worth an audition.

Cheers, Ed

Hi Ed,

Glad you're still enjoying your set up so much... hear good things about the R series.

Mac

www.macsmusic.blogbubble.net

 

[Macspur]

Mmm . . . I still have my Croft integrated up stairs, should have sold it but could not bear to let it go. Almost 12 months ago, I moved on to a full blown valve amp KT88 and all that . . . The move has been a journey of pleasure, dismay and frustration. In frustration, I'm seriously considering doing a 180 degree! Glen will upgrade my intigrated to as far as is possible for not to much money. I will then do a direct A/B comparison, see just how far, if any, the 'full valve' jobby is ahead? This has all been brought about by the constant upgrading of the TT, to a point where I'm not sure what needs to be done next. One is very mindful of just how obliging the basic Croft was in the early days of the TT upgrades, it simply opened the window so that I could hear the 'music', have I done it an injustice? The TT is a much more sophisticated performer these days, the old chestnut, 'quality in quality out' as put out by Linn, still holds true in my book. I also have a good friend in the trade who has the full range of Croft amps, I'm even considering a total system revamp??? Even the 23 year old speakers may come in for scrutiny? . . . as I say, 180 . . . !? CJSF

Hi CJ,

A whole revamp hey! Looking forward to following your adventure as ever.

Mac

www.macsmusic.blogbubble.net

 

[CJSF]

I still love my 25 pre and & 7 series power. I initially bought the pre as line level only because i already had the separate RIAA and had it built with just one volume pot.

In the end i sold the RIAA and had Glenn fit the phono stage into the pre and to me it sounded even better! I'm going to upgrade the pre to the R version when funds allow.

All in all I love my Croft gear and well worth an audition.

Cheers, Ed

Hi Ed,

Glad you're still enjoying your set up so much... hear good things about the R series.

Mac

www.macsmusic.blogbubble.net

Hi Macspur, when I say a whole revamp, thats 'electronics', no more turn table games, as I say, may be the speakers as well?

Problem is I know how it all sounds, speakers, cables, interconects, to me these, plus the TT are the heart of my system, my window od sound. So first see what the amp is doing, see where a change here will point.

There is an issue with valves for me, they change with time, the latest valve I changed were great after 50 hours, now as I push well past that point they are changing again, not to my liking.. So then does one start chasing ones tail again? I have a number of options by going back to previous valves, becomes mix-and-match, I never wanted to do the 'rolling' (changing) in the first place . . . curiosity and all that, wanting the best? I'm begining to see it as 'differant'?

The Croft set up means the delicate 'signal in' is still handaled to best advantage by valves, there is less gain in 'rolling them' . . . so why bother? The output mosfet, either works or it dont! Purists will raise hands in horror, I even think this way with doubts in my 'open mind'. However, I'm fedup with all this pluging and unpluging, taking a gamble if a particulare valve will work better and being asked a kings ransom to take the gamble with no redress.

. . . ??? its time to re think, dust off the Croft and see where we have been . . .

All I want to do is relax and listen to music.

CJSF

 

[Macspur]

Even though I've never been down the valve path, I fully appreciate where you're coming from. It was exactly what you're experiencing always deterred me.

Sounds like you've got the TT side of things nicely settled so no point in any more tampering with that.

Just keep us updated

on how things go.

As your a chap of eclectic taste, feel free to drop into my blog and see if there's anything that takes your fancy... it's free to register and use thereafter.

Mac

www.macsmusic.blogbubble.net

 

[CJSF]

Here we go, Friday afternoon, quiet, no appointments or things to do today, tomorrow or Sunday.

Set to and go back on all the valve changes I have made, mix a few up that I have not tried and get the Croft down to see how far one has come, is it better or just different?

CJSF

 

[edplaysdrums42]

Keep us posted CJ

 

[edplaysdrums42]

Actually while i'm on and on the subject of Croft. I heard some PMC 23's recently and really liked them. Does anyone have any opinions of them and do you think the Croft 7 series power will be enough to drive them?

Thanks in advance

Ed

 

[bluedroog]

Aside from the driving issue I can imagine (and it is a guess mind) that they sound wonderful together. I own a Croft 25 pre-amp and demoed the PMC 22s. I liked much about the 22s but felt the top end was a little too lively and the bottom end lacked a bit of presence, I can imagine the sound signature you get from valves could tame the top end a little and I know in my system how much impact the Croft had with bass.

 

[CJSF]

Buckets of sweat, is it me, have I got the heating to high . . . or is it simply warm?

I do have to stand on my head and use a mirror to see which holes to plug into!!! Bit tight on space in my Victorian cottage.

Well I have gone back over the last few valve changes, mixed and matched a few, eventually decided the last change was a change to far. They sounded great for a week or so them went very analytically on me, loads of inner detail but lost the musicality, rather wooden is my best description.

I now have once again, the, warm, relaxed musical sound that I enjoy, by mixing some cheap Russian valves and a couple of vintage old stock valves, circa 1970, the combination seems to touch my spot, listening now to Jennifer Warnes 'The Well', an excellent album up there with 'Famous Blue Raincoat'.

How does the Croft shape up . . . in two words, very well. It obviously makes the best of my modified turntable, radio, spoken word and Spotify all sound excellent. Not quite keeping up with my full valve setup . . . but its not far behind. Loosing out most when music is delicate with inner detail, there just is not quite the fines.

However, the 'Croft 25P Integrated' is less than half the price of my valve amp and independent phono stage, in percentage terms its only a few points behind, value for money, its head and shoulders ahead!
CJSF

 

[edplaysdrums42]

Buckets of sweat, is it me, have I got the heating to high . . . or is it simply warm? I do have to stand on my head and use a mirror to see which holes to plug into!!! Bit tight on space in my Victorian cottage. Well I have gone back over the last few valve changes, mixed and matched a few, eventually decided the last change was a change to far. They sounded great for a week or so them went very analytically on me, loads of inner detail but lost the musicality, rather wooden is my best description. I now have once again, the, warm, relaxed musical sound that I enjoy, by mixing some cheap Russian valves and a couple of vintage old stock valves, circa 1970, the combination seems to touch my spot, listening now to Jennifer Warnes 'The Well', an excellent album up there with 'Famous Blue Raincoat'. How does the Croft shape up . . . in two words, very well. It obviously makes the best of my modified turntable, radio, spoken word and Spotify all sound excellent. Not quite keeping up with my full valve setup . . . but its not far behind. Loosing out most when music is delicate with inner detail, there just is not quite the fines. However, the 'Croft 25P Integrated' is less than half the price of my valve amp and independent phono stage, in percentage terms its only a few points behind, value for money, its head and shoulders ahead! CJSF

Nice one CJ, its good to know that you are going in the right direction as far as the set up goes. As for the Croft its a hell of an amp for the money.

Thanks for your input Bluedroog

Cheers, Ed