Balanced Power Supply

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simon
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#181 Re: Balanced Power Supply

Post by simon »

Interesting. How would you say the AT33 compares with the 103SA and the Kontra B?
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#182 Re: Balanced Power Supply

Post by Neal »

The SA is the best of the 103s that I’ve heard. Much better than the R. But for me all the 103s lack fine detail and this is where the ‘33 is much better. It can be a bit bright and can sound ‘hard’ in that it has an extended response and it needs careful setup and loading to sound right, it does respond to running in and smoothes out over 50hrs use IME. The KB is just right and a favourite, great detail, body and smooth presentation.

The BMU has brought the best out of the ‘33 on the Lenco so much so I have no immediate desire to refit the KB, so in that sense the ‘33 is a winner for me.
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#183 Re: Balanced Power Supply

Post by Ant »

It could also be to do with the at33 compliance which is about 18 ish iirc, compared to the kontrapunkt which is around 10, matches the haddock abit better
I stuck my fairly low comp eroica L in the mayware and it was awful, stuck it in the modded rega and the rega was still meh, stuck it in the jvc robot arm and it sounds great. Put the high comp at150 sa in the mayware and its spot on, put it in the jvc with a lightweight headshell and its ok but the eroica is better.

At the moment there is an at440mlb in the jvc as I need mm gain to get sufficient volume out of it, and it is really nice but not quite up to eroica standard. But id rather have the extra volume. Mrs C uses the jvc all the time so its not strictly necessary that I get the absolute best out of it, compromise is fine. On the rare occasion that she isnt hogging the system and playing whatever it is she wants to, I use the lenco/mayware

I do have another low mass arm to play with, an audio technica at 1100. Plan for the 2018 project is to hack up an lenco L59 I got recently and nail it into a 2 arm plinth similar to the one i did for Richard for his G99. The arm across the back will be an acos lustre GST1 for the eroica, front arm the audio technica for the at150. And have the motor mounted on a separate 'pod'.

I was also thinking about building another bpsu specifically for the lenco as I wondered whether crap from the smps for the hothead was sat on the secondary, and wether that crap was audible......
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Mike H
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#184 Re: Balanced Power Supply

Post by Mike H »

I'm wondering whether the audible differences are due to it being a balanced supply, or simply because it's isolated from the mains?
 
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pre65
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#185 Re: Balanced Power Supply

Post by pre65 »

It's nice to see some of those transformers in use. :)

Must try my breadboarded version again before too long.

Last time Andrew I and myself could hear no difference, but not tried it with the 401.
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#186 Re: Balanced Power Supply

Post by Neal »

Mike H wrote: Wed Feb 21, 2018 11:58 am I'm wondering whether the audible differences are due to it being a balanced supply, or simply because it's isolated from the mains?
I was running my Lenco on a bucking transformer earlier Mike, to drop the voltage a bit ~20v as we have high mains here especially with the solar panels on sunny days, so I think its definitely the balanced mains...
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#187 Re: Balanced Power Supply

Post by Neal »

On another note anybody know where I can get a pair of toroidal mounting kits for these beasts? IE: top plate, bolt and neoprene washer without having to buy 10 from RS?
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#188 Re: Balanced Power Supply

Post by Ant »

I used a couple of 100mm diameter nitrile o rings meant for old style hoover belts and cut a circle out of ply with a 4" holesaw. Stuck a roofing bolt through the circle and put a threaded insert in the base of the box for it to screw into, one big o ring under the tx, one on top and then fixed it down with the circle as the top clamp and the bolt.
Easy peasy
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Mike H
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#189 Re: Balanced Power Supply

Post by Mike H »

Can get nitrile sheets various thicknesses from eBay, aluminium sheet too, make yer own...
 
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simon
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#190 Re: Balanced Power Supply

Post by simon »

Thanks Neal, an interesting comparison. I should revisit sometime but when I compared a long time ago I preferred my 103 pro to my KB - it was everything the KB was but better, the KB sounded a bit thin and weedy in comparison. But it wasn't exactly a scientific comparison, and it was probably 8 or 9 years ago.

It's a long way back to Japan for another 103 pro (if they're still available?) so the AT33 is an interesting alternative.
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#191 Re: Balanced Power Supply

Post by simon »

Does it have to be nitrile? I picked up some neoprene sheet for just this purpose - any reason not to use it?
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#192 Re: Balanced Power Supply

Post by Ant »

No, I just happened to end up with nitrile o rings. Neoprene would do the job the same
You still using the kontra b on the lenco simon? It did sound good in the ekos
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#193 Re: Balanced Power Supply

Post by Neal »

Your description of the KB Simon bares no resemblance to my experience...

Edit, I will add the 33 is very revealing, if you like that euphoric midrange of the 103 and thought the KB lean then you might well be disappointed
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#194 Re: Balanced Power Supply

Post by simon »

Yes KB in the Lenco still. But it's downstairs in the lounge which is musicless since 300BXLS-gate...

The 'problem' with comparing carts is there are so many variables and interactions. Makes it difficult to do scientific comparisons.
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#195 Re: Balanced Power Supply

Post by IslandPink »

Neal wrote: Wed Feb 21, 2018 8:13 pm if you like that euphoric midrange of the 103
I won't argue at all about the Kontra B being a very good cartridge but the 103 midrange is NOT euphonic , it is TRUE. This is the point about the 103's and the SPU, the midrange is as clean and transparent as anything out there - I've has the a Koestsu and the Dyna XX-2 II and the ZYX Airy R-1000 in the system. The R-1000 is the best cart I've ever had in the system ( 2 weeks loan ) and the midrange was identical to the 103R .
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