Click pics to enlarge. Note the sectioned Horns and well as the woofer enclosures (Altec A5) have the Baffles enlarged all around. In front are the beautifully restored 64B loudspeakers hugging the Ballantyne monsters. In front on the floor a pair of Pilotone KT66 (unheard).
Written in Shenzhen
Part I, Jan 28th in Chaiwan, equipment galore.
Part III, Jan 29th, later on, chez moi, SET amps
In Part I, I chronicled our gathering in Chaiwan. I got back to my old house around 11 pm, and promptly fired up 4 amps in succession, much like before (here), and listened to 3 am and then slept on the sofa. The next day I went for early yumcha, and then it was another day arranged by icefox! To me, this day was one of the best ever!
January 29, Kwai Chung to start
82C 6L6 PP Amp driven by BA2 6J7 Preamp (right) we heard first on the 64B Loudspeakers. Sound was very good indeed. Interestingly, Taimonsing tries his best to keep to the original (e.g., as depicted in brochures and catalogues), so in these gear as well as others mentioned below there are a lot of metal tubes. In this setup, all metal 6J7 and 6L6. Likely stock formation and certainly very cheap tubes. As the amp is sort of a Western Electric era equivalent WE124, one day I'd love to hear it with other tubes, including WE310B and WE350B. Too bad my small crop are all in NYC. Another thought is that I have always preferred the glass tubes to metal tubes, so personally that's what I'd do, but I agree with Taimonsing that it's a trade-off: usually the metal tubes sound richer but the glass tubes are airier.
Sony CDP-3000/CDS-3000 1984 legendary Sony (see this French site), not to be confused with the later cheap CDP-X3000. This is Sony's own 16-bit, very rare. The host played some CDs. Very good sound, and I've always been a fan of Sony's earlier CDPs.
In Part I, I chronicled our gathering in Chaiwan. I got back to my old house around 11 pm, and promptly fired up 4 amps in succession, much like before (here), and listened to 3 am and then slept on the sofa. The next day I went for early yumcha, and then it was another day arranged by icefox! To me, this day was one of the best ever!
January 29, Kwai Chung to start
I met icefox around 11 am in a Kwai Chung shopping mall and then took a short ride in a mini van to Taimonsing's place. Like Chaiwan, this area has a lot of Industrial Buildings (cheaper too) and so a lot of HiFi Nuts. This gentleman was a photographer (no longer, but facebook) as well as a crazy hobbyist/practitioner in many areas (see Instagram), including Caudex Plants, of which I must confess my ignorance - my first encounter! The shop/company is called Plants of Gods. Quite well known, apparently, even in China (just search plants of gods in 小红书). See pics at bottom.
I must say I was really gun-ho for this meeting as the host is a seasoned RCA collector. Not the tubes, but the very rare gear. It proved to be one of the biggest eye-openers! The place is not nearly as large as the 2 Chaiwan fellows I profiled in Part I, and it was literally exploding at the seams. stuffed to the T with old machine. ,We talked about the relative negligence of RCA (as compared to WE). But I have always been a fan. Many years ago, my now-deceased friend Edward took a really old RCA Preamp to my home and I was impressed by the sound. WE era stuff that should be as well known as Brook. The Preamp interestingly has some kind of suspension for the tubes, I suppose to combat microphonics. And the huge PS could be used for WE etc. And then I've known about some RCA amps, including 45 PP. Of course, I've always been a fan of their tubes too!
Taimonsing demonstrated so much in such a short time that it's impossible to write much in detail, nor to not commit errors. I have never heard of most of the stuff encountered, let alone have heard them! As Taimonsing said, info on these RCA stuff are very scanty and piecemeal at best, so it's doubly surprising that he has amassed such a collection!
64B Loudspeaker We started with this horn. It sounded fabulous! Here is a useful thread talking about this cabinet (make sure you read the attached leaflets). See bottom also for some pics of the cabinets before restoration! Then we listened to:
PG105 Horn System comprises MI1425 horn and MI1433 Woofer. The latter is housed in an Altec A5 cabinet and is Field Coil, here powered by solid state PS. Augmented by 302 Tweeter. A bigger and more powerful, if somewhat darker horn sound. More below.
MI-4256 2A3 PP Amp driven by MI-4236 56 Preamp Pic at bottom. This came next, and we had switched to the PG105 System. A bit more open and excellent. Wow! Just the 4x Single Plate 2A3 cost quite a bit! My first encounter with the 56 tube in-situ! The 2A3 PP amp must be even earlier than my Brook 12A, given that its partnering Preamp uses such an early tube. Here, I'd like to say most 2A3 PP are just lovely. My Brook for sure (I should restore it), and then Humphrey's Brook Parallel PP. I once also heard an excellent DIY one on the Heath W5M (the power transformer must be replaced for higher current draw), and now this one. The only dud I heard was the Sun Audio monoblocks, which was just very plain, and I wonder why Gizmo had such regards for the 300B version (basically same amp).
Sound Sales 12/14 PX4 PP Amp (top of the rack). Now a very rare amp of the greatest merit! The sound was superbly clear and finely textured. Commendably, it has a great sense of rhythmic finesse! According to Pilotrol, our local vintage encyclopedist: "...Sound Sales Model 12/14是Sound Sales於1946推出的期艦Radio Console後級放大器，也是當年著名的Sound Sales Polyphonic Radiogram上所使用的後級放大器。被稱為Sound Sales Paraphase Amplifier的Sound Sales Model 12/14是Sound Sales於二次大戰後所生產過兩款以PX4輸出的機種之一。這個後級放大器當年主要配合Sound Sales Type T.C.或Sound Sales Type TC/1前級放大器一同使用..."(...1946 flagship used in the Polyphonic Radiogram...mostly used with Type TC/TC1 Preamp...) I was quite enamored of the sound, yet another example of DHT PP after the 2A3! Having heard the fabled Leak TL12.1 (indirectly heated Tetrode run as Triode) many times, I dare say this amp sounds even better, and I think icefox thinks so too. Once again, my long-time conviction is upheld (Ultralinear<<Tetrode/Pentode run as Triode (TL12.1)<<Direct-Heated Triode)! What a gem! Now, the man has a pair of PX25 amps too, which I'd love to hear, but I reckon the PX4 is better. I've actually heard quite a few DIY SE PX25 amps before, and they can be very good, but not superior to things like WE300B (not to mention even earlier tubes like 205D), 45, 71A etc. But I have never heard an original PP PX25.
Most DHT lovers concentrate on SE, but DHT PP is quite something. Years ago, I had an excellent Manley 300B amp which runs 2x 300B tubes that can be configured as PSE or PP - and I ended up preferring the PP! The WE 86 Amp is the paradigm, simply the best DHT PP as well as 300B amp I have heard (that includes the WE91A). The Brook 12A and RCA above are excellent, and now this fabulous Sound Sales! One day I'd like a session at Taimonsing for just DHT PP - RCA 45 and his PX25 amps included! In case readers need a reminder, here we are all talking about very old and some very expensive tubes, the real things, not modern replicas. A modern replica can be good, or good value, but the legendary old tubes are famous for a very good reason - believe me, it's not just lore, despite the laughable efforts of modern sellers and critics to persuade you that the new is just as good, or even better.
Ballantyne MX24 805 PP Amp The closing act! I have seen these before several times but never heard them. These behemoths are closing in on the order of WE212. A transmitting tube DHT PP for an astounding 200WPC, driven by 6B4G (octal 2A3)! It drove the large horns effortlessly of course. But I did wonder whether it was necessary to use so much power to drive them. These should be perfect amps to drive JBL big boxes, like the 43xx series, or perhaps the 66/67xxx series or what have you. Declaration: I believe in getting away with the least power that one can, provided one uses all kinds of music. The miraculous thing is, despite its enormous power, there was nothing coarse about the amps, not at all...in fact the opposite, quite smooth.
A word on the 805 tube. This is a popular thoriated transmitting tube for senior level DIY people (high voltage and top cap turn many off) as they are plentiful and reasonably priced, and in SE configuration with ample power to drive real world loudspeakers. Quite a few Chinese manufacturers have models using this tube, previously ASL and now Line Magnetic for sure. The top dog in SE is likely the very expensive Wavac MD-805 and EC-805. As a student of Wavac (and owner of 811 and 300B amps) I have certainly heard the MD805 (here). Even if I like the sound I still think the smaller powered tubes like 300B has more nuance (and this is old-stock 805 vs new stock 300B!). In my estimation, among transmitting triodes, in SE configuration it is likely better than the 811 (I have the Wavac MD-811), but not the 211 (I have the Ongaku) and 845 (I have the Unison Research Smart 845). WE 212 is another animal but, as yet, I don't believe I have heard that tube at its best. And so, my preference for lower powered Triodes remain. As for now, I have gone down the flea-powered route as far as the 0.7 wpc 71A (Oliver Sayes) and love it! My dream is to tackle the 0.5 wpc WE 205D, but I doubt it will materialize.
So far I have not mentioned the sources, and fascinating they are:
Kinney Bluetooth Player (right pic) With icefox's roaming crowd, Digital Playback is often just Bluetooth (albeit super-treated). In the last episode, we heard the Sarone. Here, its rival. The Kinney (name of the designer) is considerably cheaper, also built with the same philosophy and utilizing vintage parts. Unusually, it employs a fancy antenna! I have no complaint at all for the sound. I'd like a chance to listen more carefully.
Let's just say that, impressed as I was with the Bluetooth sound of both the Sarone and Kinney, endorsed by many big name players in our immediate circle (people I know, but have not remained in close contact with due to my absence in recent years from HK), I remain on the sideline, though imbued with curiosity. I myself am a strange phenomenon: in Shenzhen, I stream Tidal and NML (just USB out from laptop to DAC) from my desk; in HK, I have only borrowed wifi and play only CDs; in NYC now, I have little wifi either and play just LPs and CDs. During the pandemic, in NYC I had WiFi and first experienced Bluetooth because I sat far away from the audio station and did not want my laptop (I ain't a cellphone man) to be tethered to a cord, and I really got into it (chronicled here). But things changed. So, there I am.
Most of these are routed through a Music First TVC.
At some point, we also heard the Langevin 102 Preamp. His iteration is a little different from mine, but probably even better!
RCA Transcription Turntables Three RCA Transcription TTs with 16" platters sat on the left. See pics below. We heard several LPs. The mono Fairchild indeed played 葛蘭 卡門 very enjoyably!
Brief Thoughts
- 64B For me, this is complete in itself and fitting for the space. In fact, I said to host that, since I now lack a horn system in HK, should he want to unload, I'm game! :-) Of course, I doubt he will.
- PG105 Horn System This is a fascinating one. I don't think we have heard them at their absolute best, since the space is small. As it is, the bass needs to be fuller (also a problem with the A5 cabinet) but the Field Coil quality is fascinating, very different from our usual drivers and hard to describe. Here, it is a little distant but still quite tactile and focused. I was pretty satisfied except perhaps for the LP replay of the Shostakovich 13 (Haitink/Decca) where the soloist, chorus and orchestra seem to be inhabiting too much the same plane, when they need to spread out more. I'd love to hear these horns in a larger space.
- I'm already thinking about a second visit! So much goodies! And very accomplished and complex setups!
The Horn Loudspeaker System follows the PG-105 System (L column) except for the Woofer Cabinet
The Caudex Plants
From L to R: 70C with Alfred Borkland tonearm and EMT TSD cartridge (RCA BA1 as phonoamp); 70A with RCA MI-4875 Tonearm and Fairchild Cartridge (original Fairchild SUT and Pickering 130H phonoamp); 70D not heard. Note Cuban Cigars on front table.
Top of Rack, from L to R: unheard Supratek, Music First TVC, Sony CDP-3000 Control. Below right, Sony CDP-3000 mechanism; Below left, Langevin 102. Many step up transformers and phonoamps aurrounding them.
Side Profile of the Horn
Love the Dragon!
56 Preamp and 2A3 PP Amps
Views of the 64B during Restoration
小红書 search Plants of Gods
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