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  1. howiebrou

    Wonderful Album Covers

    One of the plessures of playing records is yiu get some great album covers sometimes. I just received Music On Vinyl's Ennio Morricone Passion Themed double album and it's a beaut with rough glittery lips? Let's see your great artwork!
  2. howiebrou

    Using an external SUT with a phono amp with internal SUT

    Question: Should you ever use an external Step Up Transformer (SUT) (lets say it's matched with your cart) on a phono amp that uses internal SUTs to boost gain? (I.e. not a MM input). My understanding is that many phono amps use SUTs on their MC inputs but these are not necessarily matched to...
  3. howiebrou

    Tonearm cables with a large 'separation' between right and left rca plugs?

    I have a peculiar problem with a phonostage with right and left inputs at opposite ends of the phonostage meaning most cables will not fit as they tend to have a bridge or clamp of some sort holding the output ends near. Does anyone know of any off the shelf phono cables where this is the not...
  4. howiebrou

    Goebel Divin Noblesse Speakers in Da House!

    i thought it might be interesting for members to hear about something fun whilst many of us are cooped up with Covid-19 controlling our lives. Last week i had the pleasure of taking ownership of a pair of Goebel Diviin Noblesse Speakers together with a Robert Koda K15Ex preamp and two pairs of...
  5. howiebrou

    New Zealand Pressings

    For a country with what must have been then a relatively small population, there seem to be a few New Zealand classical pressings floating around from the 60s and 70s. Anyone have experience with them and are they any good?
  6. howiebrou

    RIP PETER Schreier

    https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/articles/3049--obituary-peter-schreier-1935-2019?utm_source=News-2020-01-03&utm_medium=email
  7. howiebrou

    SME exits the tonearm business!

    https://sme.co.uk/2019/12/03/sme-product-announcement/ 03 DEC SME PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT Posted at 14:44h in Uncategorized by Jake SME will exit the tonearm retail and OEM business with immediate effect shifting our focus on our core turntable and tonearm combination business. The decision to...
  8. howiebrou

    AIR TIGHT ATH-2 Reference SUT

    Anybody have experience with this SUT? I am on the lookout for a SUT. It has three inputs so it seems ideal for multiple tonearms. It also has a good range able to match those very low impedance cartridges like the MSL ones. Input Selector ? position ?Bypass: without gain, for MM cartridges...
  9. howiebrou

    DS Audio Vinyl Ionizer

    I saw this in action briefly this evening and with the same record playing turning it on and off definitely made a difference. Some of the crackles and sounds disappeared immediately and the voice was more pronounced as a result of the blacker backgrounds. Anyone have experience with this? I...
  10. howiebrou

    SME 3012R horizontal rca sockets

    I have just got hold of a SME 3012R-G but am running into trouble trying to fit the rca cables onto the Acoustic Signature Armboards because they are enclosed (see photo). Is it possible for me to loosen the socket so they point down? I don’t really want to use a 90 degree connector if possible...
  11. howiebrou

    EMT phono with or without Preamp?

    I just ordered an EMT JPA 66 Mk 2 phono amp today:). But interestingly the dealer asked me if wanted the R version(no preamp) or normal version with preamp? He told me that apart from the preamp difference the other difference is that on the nornal version the phono section output is only RCA...
  12. howiebrou

    Anyone know 'Converted into Sound' online shop?

    I came across a post from this company for sale of a pair of Sonus Faber Palladio Strads, a pair i used to own and really liked. https://www.convertedintosound.com/product-page/sonus-faber-stradivari-palladio Turns out the pair they are selling was actually my pair and the photo they show is...
  13. howiebrou

    Ikeda Cartridges esp 9Gss

    I saw a nice Ikeda 9Gss today which seems to be their top of line cartridge. Can anyone shed some light on their cartridges and what sort of tone arm would be suitable (apart from their own of course). Cheers Howie
  14. howiebrou

    HSE Audio Master Reference Phono Preamp 7

    Has anyone had any experience with this? Seems interesting. Three inputs and pretty good specs... file:///Users/howard/Downloads/Flyer_Phono_ENG_35.pdf Thanks howie
  15. howiebrou

    Nagra HD Amps

    Does anyone have experience with the Nagra HD mono blocks? To me they seem mismatched in price with the HD preamp and HD Dac. I don't mean it is cheap by any means (!) but it seems that most players with preamps in the price range of the Nagra preamp ($65k) seem to have mono blocks of a much...
  16. howiebrou

    Dartzeel Preamp Hiss

    I just got a Dartzeel Preamp tp demo at home with a pair of Analog Magic Apollo monoblocks. I swapped out another demo preamp from Synastec (which was silent) and the Dartzeel is a HUGE improvement. However, there is a loud audible hiss from the speakers, a little like tape hiss of old. It is...
  17. howiebrou

    Engstrom Eric

    Does anyone have experience with this piece? They look lovely but I can't really tell what they sound like based on the only review i can find on Mono & Stereo. https://www.monoandstereo.com/2018/11/engstrom-eric-tube-power-amplifiers.html I believe they powered the Gobel Divin Noblesse...
  18. howiebrou

    Speaker Hunt

    I know this is a very difficult question to answer but I was hoping to get folks’ suggestions of possible speakers to audition and make sure I didn’t miss anything accidentally. My current system is Sonus Faber Aida’s 1 driven by Kondo Kaguras and M1000 MK II with Avid Acutus, Clearaudio Master...
  19. howiebrou

    At last Clearaudio Master Innovation in the house!

    After several months of waiting, my Clearaudio Master Innovation with Thales Simplicity II and Anna Cartridge is ready. The CA dwarfs the Avid Acutus but time will tell as to what the strengths and weaknesses of each other are. One thing I have noticed is that the spindle on the CA is much...
  20. howiebrou

    EMT JPA Mk II

    Hi, Does anyone own this phono stage or have experience with it or the mark 1? There is very little user information on the web! Thanks howie
  21. howiebrou

    Video; Bjork's new single being pressed

    https://thevinylfactory.com/news/bjork-the-gate-pressed-vinyl/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=the%20cut&utm_campaign=the%20cut004&utm_content=bjorkstream&utm_source=The+Vinyl+Factory+%28website+subscribers%29&utm_campaign=709b1de005-The+Cut+%23004&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_556edcf20b-709b1de005-15...
  22. howiebrou

    What has happened to Finite Elemente?

    I can't seem to find their website anymore. Was trying to get another Master Reference Amp stand but they don't seem to be around any more. Some irate people on their FB page but again it's not up to date. Anybody know what happened?
  23. howiebrou

    Techdas Air Force 3 VS Clearaudio Master Innovation

    Which would you get and why? I am toying with the idea of one of these two. Not sure what their relative strengths and weaknesses would be though.
  24. howiebrou

    Phono Stages with 3-4 inputs

    I have used my Audio Research Phone 2 ref phonostage for a number of years but as I consider adding another arm to my Avid Acutus and possibly a new TT with one or two arms I might wish to trade in my AR for one with multiple inputs. Don't really want to roll phonostages! What good phonostages...
  25. howiebrou

    Sonus Faber House Sound

    Can anyone tell me how the SF house sound has changed since the Stradivaris. I have heard from many people that the house sound is now very different to what it used to be (i.e. lush, romantic, slightly thick) and it sounds more detailed, digital and Hi Fi-ish. In fact there SF dealers have told...

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