Nearly made a BIG mistake . . . !

[CJSF]

I've been listening to my Croft Hybryd Basic intigrated for a couple of months, great amp as I have said a number of times . . . but recently I have been feeling less than satisfied over the music presentation, 'less satisfied' is the only way I can describ it? I have been toying with the idea of having the amp rebuilt to the 'R' specification, make a considerable difereance, but finding £500 goes against the grain at the moment.

So, here we are, Christmas, sitting listening to plays, music and watching films. The Icon ST40 staring me in the face . . . 10 minuites and all was swaped over, what would be my reaction? It was definatly pleasurable, touching my weak spot for valves. I biased them after warm up, relaxed and listened. Warm, and easy to listen to, I then checked and biased then again, just to get the spot on feeling.

Sat back and listened again . . . different, power, authority, not quite so warm but still valve-like in presentation. Whats going on, the bias was not that far off the second time. The penny dropped, I had not switched back to 'triode mode', biasing is done in 'ultralinier mode'.

 

[plastic penguin]

CJ, are you saying you prefer the Icon to the Croft?

 

[CnoEvil]

CJ, are you saying you prefer the Icon to the Croft?

I predicted this at the time, so it doesn't come as a shock.

 

[plastic penguin]

CJ, are you saying you prefer the Icon to the Croft?

I predicted this at the time, so it doesn't come as a shock.

Mmm... nothing is ever cut and dried.

Same issue with the Electro. Wonderful with certain styles of music and not so with others.

 

[CJSF]

CJ, are you saying you prefer the Icon to the Croft?

I predicted this at the time, so it doesn't come as a shock.

Basicaly I took what I was told and used the Icom in triod mode, never thinking that ultralinier mode would suite me better. I feel miffed at 'my own stupidity' in not exploring all the options, its early days but I think I got it wrong . . . *pardon*

CJSF

Mmm... nothing is ever cut and dried.

Same issue with the Electro. Wonderful with certain styles of music and not so with others.

 

[drummerman]

Basicaly I took what I was told and used the Icom in triod mode, never thinking that ultralinier mode would suite me better. I feel miffed at 'my own stupidity' in not exploring all the options, its early days but I think I got it wrong . . . *pardon*

Mmmhh, yes I find it a little strange that you didn't try that option before.

You seem like a person that get's easily bored and a bit of a fiddler (by your own previous admission).

I just take a guess that you just can't make your mind up and get to wrapped up in all this 'experimenting' all the time.

You probably want it all (at different times, depending on mood).

Why not just keep it all and use them at different times, perhaps swapping every six months or so and enjoying music in between rather than constantly playing around? Put one of them in the loft or another more inaccessable place ...

Just a thought

 

[CJSF]

Basicaly I took what I was told and used the Icom in triod mode, never thinking that ultralinier mode would suite me better. I feel miffed at 'my own stupidity' in not exploring all the options, its early days but I think I got it wrong . . . *pardon*

Mmmhh, yes I find it a little strange that you didn't try that option before.

You seem like a person that get's easily bored and a bit of a fiddler (by your own previous admission).

I just take a guess that you just can't make your mind up and get to wrapped up in all this 'experimenting' all the time.

You probably want it all (at different times, depending on mood).

Why not just keep it all and use them at different times, perhaps swapping every six months or so and enjoying music in between rather than constantly playing around? Put one of them in the loft or another more inaccessable place ...

Just a thought

Mmm . . . some of that is right DM, bordom is not an issue with me, but I do fiddlen, not so much these days, the Croft has been in the system untouched for two or three months, the feeling of disatisfaction creeping up on me.

Yes, I am keeping all, I cant bear to part with the Croft in particular.

As far as not trying 'ulralinier mode' . . . doh. I am still recovering from my mental health issues spanning 20 years. New medication in the past couple of months has helped a lot, one is much more relaxed, this seems to reflect on my music listening as well?

'Ultralinier mode' is slightly more clinical, only very slightly, (it could be better described as crisp?) produces twice the power compared to Triode, and does not seem to roll the high frequancies off so quickly, all in all, well suited to my speakers and room.

CJSF

 

[stevebrock]

Very much depends on the Speakers Cliff, I have mine running in triode mode all the time with the Kudos, sounds a lot smoother - albeit my listening room is relatively small 5x4m - plenty enough power in triode.

 

[CJSF]

Very much depends on the Speakers Cliff, I have mine running in triode mode all the time with the Kudos, sounds a lot smoother - albeit my listening room is relatively small 5x4m - plenty enough power in triode.

Hi Steve, the ST40 ran OK in triode, but my PMC LB1 are low on effiency at 87db, I dont know how much of an effect 8m cable runs make, although my room is small at 12ft sq. That realy is the point Steve, most people like 'triode' so I'm told, so the instuctions say, I did not question it? I should have asked my self 'why' . . . To much in the hifi industry is 'this is best, dont question it'. I've spent my whole hifi life, since 1975, questoning the establishment, swimming against the tide, her I am, an old man and should know better than to take the norm as 100% correct?

Horses for courses, I like it as it is, as does Hazel, we particularly notice it on radio plays, much more natural and real voice? Musicaly, instument timbra and vocals are more naturaly textured and as I say the top, end soars better too. These are not night and day differances, indeed subtlety is the watch word in my system as a whole, rarly do I get changes that are that obvious these days.

Been on the gliding field all afternoon, so its cup-a-tea time and a catch up with what has been happening in Ambridge . . . *smile*

CJSF