DaVa FC-A1 a field coil contender

I had the EMIA Ag SUT here......

I am a big fan of the EMIA sliver autoformer that I use here- I think it is a game changer. The RADA precious one SUT with silver primary/ copper secondary housed in solid brass is amazing for the DaVa.
 
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Darius posted this today


Now i have 4 different sut’s.
1.Silver(very harmonic and trasparent sound,but to much bright)
2.Standard copper wired(full body without brightnes,less harmonic and less transparent comparing to silver.
3.Silver-copper mix on primary,secondary copper.(Transparent like silver,not bright like silver,very good sound.
4.Burned copper without enamel.(Transparent and harmonic like silver,not bright,deep like copper, winner in all sounding picture including musicality.(bloody job to wind nude wires)”
It is pretty cool that Darius is willing to give a critical analysis of his own versions of SUT.

I do think the whole idea of 'silver brightness' is being challenged by Slagle and others. I have been demoing a silver wound cartridge that is anything but bright for example. So it comes down to each instance, how and with what etc.

Imho :)
 
It is pretty cool that Darius is willing to give a critical analysis of his own versions of SUT.

I do think the whole idea of 'silver brightness' is being challenged by Slagle and others. I have been demoing a silver wound cartridge that is anything but bright for example. So it comes down to each instance, how and with what etc.

Imho :)
100% agree...or as a true audiophile and forget my fixed income trader background....120% :oops:
 
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I have the Precious One Silver primary/ Copper Secondary

It is amazing
I have the same one. Haven't tried it yet. Going to pair with Ortofon SPU 90th Anniversary I just bought.
 
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It is pretty cool that Darius is willing to give a critical analysis of his own versions of SUT.

I do think the whole idea of 'silver brightness' is being challenged by Slagle and others. I have been demoing a silver wound cartridge that is anything but bright for example. So it comes down to each instance, how and with what etc.

Imho :)
Yes he is talking about his own and not generalising
 
I have the same one. Haven't tried it yet. Going to pair with Ortofon SPU 90th Anniversary I just bought.
The 1:40 Rada Precious SUT should be great with your SPU 90th Anniversary, but @ 0.3mV nominal cart output, be careful that your phono is happy with the resultant high-ish input level!

The Rada phono has proven great with same sut and 0.28mV carts ( for example ) but some phono's might overload....
 
The 1:40 Rada Precious SUT should be great with your SPU 90th Anniversary, but @ 0.3mV nominal cart output, be careful that your phono is happy with the resultant high-ish input level!

The Rada phono has proven great with same sut and 0.28mV carts ( for example ) but some phono's might overload....
So, I guess with my RADA phono and SUT, 0.3 mV of SPU shouldn’t be much different from 0.28mV you referenced?
 
So, I guess with my RADA phono and SUT, 0.3 mV of SPU shouldn’t be much different from 0.28mV you referenced?
With Rada Phono it *should* be fine, as I know 0.28mV into 1:40 has worked very well in a specific instance, but is also pushing towards limits. As a rule I usually stay under 0.3mV in this case.

With so much step up gain the small difference is a difference. Like adding close to another mV to the input...

Cart outputs are also sometimes a bit generalized and as always proof is in the trying :) especially since you have it all there!

Is yours a first gen Precious One or a Mk2? Just curious shouldn't change the equation.
 
Understand that this is a lot of gain in total, since the Precious One is a pretty high gain 'mm' stage; which can be amazing in certain contexts but it's not textbook haha
 
You have to worry about attenuation as well at HF given the gain of this RADA transformer. The field coil cartridge seems more immune to being affected.
 
Is yours a first gen Precious One or a Mk2? Just curious shouldn't change the equation.

I did not know there was a Mk2---- I had to wait a long time for mine as his first batch was long sold out and he had wind new transformers. Mine was delivered late Q1 this year. I am assuming Mk2 but not sure.
 
With Rada Phono it *should* be fine, as I know 0.28mV into 1:40 has worked very well in a specific instance, but is also pushing towards limits. As a rule I usually stay under 0.3mV in this case.

With so much step up gain the small difference is a difference. Like adding close to another mV to the input...

Cart outputs are also sometimes a bit generalized and as always proof is in the trying :) especially since you have it all there!

Is yours a first gen Precious One or a Mk2? Just curious shouldn't change the equation.
Erik
Not sure if it’s MkII, but you probably should know better
Best
Ilia
With Rada Phono it *should* be fine, as I know 0.28mV into 1:40 has worked very well in a specific instance, but is also pushing towards limits. As a rule I usually stay under 0.3mV in this case.

With so much step up gain the small difference is a difference. Like adding close to another mV to the input...

Cart outputs are also sometimes a bit generalized and as always proof is in the trying :) especially since you have it all there!

Is yours a first gen Precious One or a Mk2? Just curious shouldn't change the equation.
 
Erik
Not sure if it’s MkII, but you probably should know better
Best
Ilia
Haha I was so busy responding I didn't look at who was asking. I'm too young for a senior moment ;)

Anyway try it out. If the phono input is happy with input level then it's just down to if the SPU is happy with the load.

( which can possibly be raised by changing preamp input loading if SPU is not )
 
can you please clarify this statement
Further to my impressions - I was going to write a long analysis- but I will keep it short.

I would characterize the DaVa as incredibly expressive, almost dynamically unrestricted as far as analog is concerned. Remember I have the GFS here- whether you agree with its tonal character or not, the GFS is admittedly one of the most dynamic cartridges on the market.

Bass is powerful and defined with the DaVa. It is harmonically nuanced. It may not be the most detailed or insightful as say a Lyra Etna - but it is far more exciting. I can see where classical lovers will love this cartridge. I am not by any means a extensive classical music listener.

I had tried several SUTs with the DaVa and landed on the RADA silver/copper version. SUTs are an endless game and you really have to try several to see what works. I may get the new Allnic silver back in for the final comparison.

Right now the DaVa is my preferred fun choice. BTW the combination with the Klyne 7 series is killer. I will listen some more and connect it to the top of the line Allnic 8000 phono I have here once I get some appropriate interconnects and then do some more A-B with the Etsuro Gold.

The DaVa is not plug and play: SUT experiments , wiring, power supply, HUM- you have to work at it. If you're inclined, you will be rewarded.
 
Further to my impressions - I was going to write a long analysis- but I will keep it short.

I would characterize the DaVa as incredibly expressive, almost dynamically unrestricted as far as analog is concerned. Remember I have the GFS here- whether you agree with its tonal character or not, the GFS is admittedly one of the most dynamic cartridges on the market.

Bass is powerful and defined with the DaVa. It is harmonically nuanced. It may not be the most detailed or insightful as say a Lyra Etna - but it is far more exciting. I can see where classical lovers will love this cartridge. I am not by any means a extensive classical music listener.

I had tried several SUTs with the DaVa and landed on the RADA silver/copper version. SUTs are an endless game and you really have to try several to see what works. I may get the new Allnic silver back in for the final comparison.

Right now the DaVa is my preferred fun choice. BTW the combination with the Klyne 7 series is killer. I will listen some more and connect it to the top of the line Allnic 8000 phono I have here once I get some appropriate interconnects and then do some more A-B with the Etsuro Gold.

The DaVa is not plug and play: SUT experiments , wiring, power supply, HUM- you have to work at it. If you're inclined, you will be rewarded.

I agree with most of that. I additionally found it to be most nuanced in showing concert hall ambience, inflections, and highs it rides on that borderline where it can get edgy with wrong set up or certain records.

it is exciting, and macro impacts are high, so I think it is great for rock. At Mike’s we heard the led zep with it next to tape. The dynamic range is very high. Probably the only cartridge as detailed is the DS audio master but not musical

As for Etna, the only Lyra carts I find musical are the Lambda variety ( my experience is with atlas lambda not Etna lambda).

i agree with the SUT set up etc. based on feedback, many new users seem to not make sense of the sound for a while
 
I agree with most of that. I additionally found it to be most nuanced in showing concert hall ambience, inflections, and highs it rides on that borderline where it can get edgy with wrong set up or certain records.

it is exciting, and macro impacts are high, so I think it is great for rock. At Mike’s we heard the led zep with it next to tape. The dynamic range is very high. Probably the only cartridge as detailed is the DS audio master but not musical

As for Etna, the only Lyra carts I find musical are the Lambda variety ( my experience is with atlas lambda not Etna lambda).

i agree with the SUT set up etc. based on feedback, many new users seem to not make sense of the sound for a while
Agreed with rock. I put on Talking Heads "stop making sense" the other night and the drum intro threw against my chest.

On Lyra- I get where you are coming from, I ran an Atlas and Etna SL side by side and in the correct context they are incredible-but need careful system matching and can get to the hyper white side if not careful. In my set up with the Io the Atlas just worked extremely well.

I also had the Atlas Lambda here.

The Etna SL is actually an incredible performer and it is actually very difficult to beat on inner nuanced detail amongst just about any cartridge I have heard. I think it is somewhat of a masterpiece. It is dynamically not as expressive as I would have liked.

I also found , that my home brew damper diode tube power supply makes quite a positive difference with the DaVa over the stock Alibaba PS. The ability to adjust the voltage is a plus as you can get from harmonically nuanced to super dynamically expressive on a spectrum as you turn up the voltage from say 10v to 12v -- you gain dynamics and loose nuance as the voltage goes up. There is a balance for every recording and compromise to be had. I have a battery pack here and I am going to try that this weekend after I makeup and adapter for my current set up.
 

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My own design.. total overkill for the purpose about 10kg of iron in it.
Not shown is the circuit tag board floats above with the tube sockets attached- several iterations with PSU designer. Its part of the hobby for me.
 

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