I think the guys who pay ca thousands for a Hickok 539C or the like are essentially guys who collect tube testers per se. You can certainly get a competent Hickok that measures transconductance for less than $500. Just recognize their limitations especially for testing power tubes, or step up and pay thousands for a modern digitized tester.
One Component You Would Never Change One Type You Would Return To
You are given an opportunity to revamp the system. Is there one component you would never change, and one you would want to return to?
For me my SOTA Cosmos Eclipse with Origin Live Agile tonearm is an end game table. It will not leave. I might put a different cartridge on it, and have been considering moving my Kiseki Blackheart to it. I would like to try the Audio Technica ART20 on it also.
What I would return to is SET amplification and tube preamp. I have loved the sound of SET gear, and left because speakers I bought meant I needed different amplification.
That is the rub. To return to SET I would need something other than my JBL 4365. They are expensive, large, and hard to sell. Also I would never get them back, as nice a shape as mine are or as affordable a price.
For SET I would need something like the Pure Audio open baffles. Or possibly a pair of Klipsch Belle where I would retrofit a modern horn like the Fastrax or something equivalent
What would yours be?
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That's a helluva component rack. This past year I changed from Naim Fraim to HRS EXR (two racks). One of the best upgrades I have done in recent years. Recently I added another EXR shelf to one of the racks. I also have R3X and M3X2 isolation bases. |
I just moved so just paid a huge capital tax gain bill, so money tight for awhile. But I need an isolation platform for my Audionet Humboldt. A wood platform would be 2-3k. Or can do a piece of panzerholz. |
@kennyc Your Audionet Humboldt is an integrated amp, right? Offhand, I would say a HRS R3X platform will serve you well. I cannot give an honest A/B assessment of how the R3X and M3X2 compare. I started with a 19" x 17" R3X for a Clearaudio Innovation Wood turntable. That was about 65 lbs, and I had it sitting on top of a Naim Fraim rack. That worked really quite well. HRS factory tuned the R3X for that specific turntable. Last year I upgraded to a Clearaudio Master Innovation turntable. That’s 145 lbs, and I did not want it sitting atop a Naim Fraim rack. I bought a HRS EXR rack to replace it. At the same time I also got a 21" x 19" M3X2 factory-tuned for the Master Innovation. I traded in my 19" x 17" R3X for a 21" x 19" version, and I use that for my Boulder 1108 phono-stage (38 lbs) sitting on the HRS EXR rack.. I never tried both R3X and M3X2 isolation bases with the same turntable before or after. The M3X2 works beautifully with the Master Innovation, but at 145 lbs I didn’t want to spare expense on isolation for it, especially in my 2nd floor room of a 98 year old house with springy wood floors. The R3X is a fine isolation base and I think that will likely serve you well for a electronic component. I really only went up to the M3X2 because I wanted something better for a turntable. |
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