Akitika GT-102 LM3886 NTE7197

Alert: Akitika GT-102 Available Again for Limited Time

Long term readers know that I used this amp almost on a daily basis during 2020 and 2021. Should you search "Akitika" (upper left corner search box), you shall find many entries and pics.

You will find all the important details in the proper GT-102 Review. Our own mrgoodsound had also used it before to his approval.

The amplifier is available as a kit and assembled for a reasonable sum.

For the last year, Akitika GT-102 was not available because TI could not supply the coveted LM3886. As a past customer, I receive Akitika newsletters, and I was surprised that some became available. I have enclosed the newsletter below. Now, it's a limited run, so act fast if you want one!

GT102, GT102-Z4, GT104, and GT108 are in stock for immediate shipment

I’ve finally caught up with parts shortages. That means for a limited time, I will have GT104 and GT108 kits in stock for immediate shipment.

More amazingly, I have a limited number of GT102 and GT102-Z4 kits in stock. Given TI’s inability to deliver LM3886’s, how did this happen? One of my customers mentioned that they had used NTE7197 in place of the LM3886. NTE makes repair parts for consumer electronics, and they list the 7197 as the replacement for the LM3886.

But, is a 7197 really a good replacement for an LM3886? Here’s what I found out:

· The data sheet is a copy of the LM3886 part.

· The pinout is exactly the same.

· I built a pair of amplifier modules with 7197’s, and their measurements looked just like the LM3886.

· My suspicion was that NTE private labeled a bunch of LM3886’s. I put that question to NTE, and received a response from a VP that yes, the 7197 was an LM3886 made by TI that was labeled with the NTE part number and logo.

Given this good news, is there a downside? Yes, but just a few:

· I purchased everything NTE had in stock, which wasn’t all that many.

· They were expensive…not crazy high, but I will have to charge a $25 premium, so a GT-102 kit and the Z4 kits will be $424 plus $26 shipping (lower 48 states).

Total quantities are limited, and I will fill the earliest orders first. I’ll also try to post and block the website from accepting additional orders as soon as possible when stock runs out.

If you’re looking for a GT102, at GT102-Z4, a GT104, or a GT108, I urge you to order now.
https://www.akitika.com/akitikastore.html

Elekit TU-875 Aiyima A08 Pro

Letter from Hong Kong (22-14): ELO finds his Preamp, Elekit TU-875

Who would be interested in a review of a long-discontinued preamp which was sold mostly as a kit? But I think the point is, sometimes you need to look high and low for the right equation and missing link to complete your journey of searching for the perfect system. Therefore, I'm always open to new "old" ideas to improve my overall setup. While my icOn4 passive AVC preamp is very good, I somehow feel it does not have synergy with the Aiyima A08 Pro. Like I said before, this time I'm looking for a tube amp to smooth the edges of A08 Pro. Of the four preamps in consideration, TU-875 is the cheapest of the four (remaining three are the Nagra PLP, Shindo Claret and Lab12 Pre). So, if it works out, I would have picked up a sonic bargain!

"Can I get both Fish and Bear's Paw at the same time?" Let's go find out!!!

Elekit TU-875 Prelude - Benchmarking its Performance
Apart from listening to live performances, home and shop visits are also very important experiences that HiFi and music lovers must gain in order to gauge how your system stands among other great setups! See my latest visit report.

So, I have been to some home visits and showrooms with really great sound, and that is excellent to benchmark the system that I have at home. Otherwise, I will be non-objectively indulging myself and bluffing on how good the sound quality of my own setup is, like a frog at the bottom of the well LOL.

After a few weeks of listening and continuous tweaking, the sound of my TU-875 had improved leaps and bounds. When I first hooked it up, the sound already instantly gained some smoothness and analytical power. However, there was still a layer of haze masking the music. I suspected that the Gotham GAC4 may be the culprit (and it would soon be replaced by the "Studer" interconnects; see below; I had my fingers crossed that it could clear out the mist).

However, before the cable arrived, several things, though small tweaks, that I have implemented over the last few weeks proved highly effective and had unexpectedly huge impact in improving the overall sound quality!

• 1) I hooked up the Subwoofer!! I had thought I had hooked it up with my 47 lab flimsy cable, but IT WAS NOT!!! I immediately replaced it with my Grimm TPR and voila, the image solidified, haze lifted and noise floor was lowered too, with addition of an extra layer of refinement along the way (which is exactly what the addition of subwoofer will offer).

• 2) I hooked up my DIY ground box with similar magnitude of improvement! (P.S. I took my ground box to my friend CW's place to try out and the results was positive. Overall music involvement and PRAT had improved markedly. CW ended up later adding a KOJO Crystal ground box that also resulted in marked sound improvement. I just wonder how my DIY will fare with his KOJO~)

• 3) I pulled out the 2 tubes for the phono circuit as recommended by DJ, then I turned up the volume and immediately I thought there's difference but was not really sure what that was - another Snake oil? After turning on the unit cold with only one tube plugged in for the line stage, sound did not change much and I mumbled to myself whether I should tell DJ that there's no change at all. However, after half an hour, the sound seemed to have transformed. Voices became more pronounced, emotionally involving and different shades of singing was beautifully portrayed in front of me. Imaging was now more nailed to the center as well.

• 4) I replaced all I.C. to "Studer" IC, which I'll talk about later.

• 5) enter the Luna power cable along with the Studer cable. It was hooked up to the 220/110V transformer powering the TU-875.

Preview/TBA:

• 6) To use a better 220V SMPS to replace the stock unit (TBA)

• 7) Upgrade my Luna Gris speaker cable to Orange, a step up from Gris (TBA)

• 8) A network switch with a proper LPS (TBA but initial experience is rather mixed)

• 9) UMI transformer signal isolation device (will directly compare it with Rayaudio's) (TBA)

Overall Sound of Elekit BEFORE including one extra pair of Studer cable into the mix
How would I describe the sound of this little unit? Sound is very refined and smooth. Instruments has body and shimmer; bass is good but has slightly less slam compared with using BT on Aiyima A08 Pro standalone. It has great analytical power, yet not cool and sterile. It's musical, with microdynamics which paints a colourful picture of instruments; in particular, vocals have lots of decay and attenuation. It's not lean at all, yet not bloated, just the right perfect body instead of needle-like imaging. Soundstage is very open, natural and extended to both sides to the wall as well as to ceiling. Music is slightly set backward compare with A08 pro standalone.

Timbre is accurate, better than A08 Pro standalone.

Strings are delicate with nice portrayal of hairpin turns. Acoustic Guitar plucking is solid, with good body, quickness, tenacity and roundness, as well as attack. Bass guitar with attack, authority and sufficient body that is life size. Drums are quick, decisive, with good timing and body, bass slam and PRAT is tad behind A08 Pro alone but still very respectable.

Vocal is where this preamp really excels. It is top notch, capable of capturing all the shadings, techniques and tonal colours delivered by the singer. I am not talking about the breathing or swallowing of saliva (which are just by-products), rather the singer's skills and emotions that is being conveyed to the listener. The rise and fall of singer's voice is parabolic instead of straight-line; starts and stops and change of tone and speed are far more pronounced, such that the whole thing is more emotionally involved. You can actually hear the performers directly sing deep into your heart. Some apparently sing less emotionally or more technically than the others, and it is easier to pick this up with TU-875. I always use this analogy: great equipment will give you Celine Dion's voice while lesser equipment will give you a bar singer's or an ailing Celine's performance. With due respect, some bar singers are still very good, but it's still just not Celine Dion at her best! just found out about the sad news of her "Stiff person disease". Just wish she can overcome it and keep singing for us and for herself!

During the course of replay, you feel the ebb and flow of it, and there's also a synergy among the musicians as if they are playing for and against each other and trying to feed off the energy from each other. That makes you want to keep listening without fatigue as you hear unity in performance.

I have been comparing the music playback through Bluetooth from A08 Pro to A08 Pro /TU-875/ WEA. I must say nowadays music reproduction quality from Bluetooth has improved leaps and bounds and it is not trailing too far behind WiFi streaming! Without intensive and careful auditioning between the two, I could, and I swear that I can live happily with the standalone A08 Pro playing BT music from my LGTV as well as BT from my laptop playing Tidal music - and this is after intensely comparing both options.

Enter the extra pair of Studer IC
Alas, I finally received the Studer IC. I ordered a total of 7m in bulk, and that converts to 3 pairs of 1m IC, 2 pair of 0.25m pairs IC (for use with Rayaudio's signal Tx isolation). I had already been using a pair of Studer IC between my WEA and TU-875. The extra pair was used between TU-875 and A-08 Pro.

The sound has literally further transformed and has reached another whole new level, no shxt!!! At the same time Kwong has also made a pair of the Studer IC for himself and hooked it between his Audionet ART CDP and Amp and has experienced the same Audio Nirvana (slightly LOL?)

What has actually happened? As soon as I hooked up the cable, I was immediately drawn into the music. The wholeness, coherence and sheer musicality just forced me into the world of the musicians, and that makes you forget to analyse the virtues of the cable. "This is MUSIC", the cable is trying to tell me - enjoy and stop criticising.

When I finally came back to Earth, I started to analyse what has happened (I'm a damn engineer anyway). First of all, this cable completely trounced my GAC4 in every way.

It's smooth, organic, musical; notes seem to connect seamlessly as a whole; body fleshes up without being bloated, and with finesse. You pick up the subtle changes from fff to ff to f, or ppp to pp to p; treble notes seem to sustain in the air and feel ethereal. Harmonics is so rich and in abundance; extension on both ends is great; bass has plumpness, and pluckiness; especially with double bass, the sappiness, speed and transients are there and approaching that of the A08 Pro standalone performance. Sound is exciting, yet not even a bit fatiguing when playing music at a respectable level; engaging and involving with PRAT with no signs of digital glare and edges! Imaging and detail retrieval are top class; you can pick up so many instrumental details even at ppp that was never heard before.

Addition of the Luna Gris power cord has further improved everything, though not as dramatic as the Studer.

Up to this point, I really think I am very close to getting both fish and bear's paw...

Sparkler Audio S503 CDP vs WEA
Well, there was one more thing I could try. I wanted to see how my Sparkler Audio CDP will fare through my Elekit with my newly acquired Luna Gris Cable and Studer cables.

Unfortunately, with all the better cables and Elekit TU-875, WEA still sounds much better than the Sparkler S503. With due respect, S503 ia a very nice CD player already. But I think it's about time to consider converting all my CDs into NAS... Been talking to Dom Tu of iAngel, who carries Innous/Plixir/47 Lab/Sparkler Audio in HK; he is trying to get me a old Zen Mini MkII streamer/CD ripper to try out~

Two modes of listening : A-08 Pro vs A-08 Pro/TU-875
Now, the PRAT of A08 Pro/TU-875 is 80% of the A08 Pro standalone. The A08 Pro standalone provides the extra slam and fun that is so thrilling and exciting to listen. So, if I ever want that last bit of slam and fun, I will switch to Bluetooth mode and play music through my TV or Tidal and Youtube through my Laptop!

When I want ultimate hifi mode, I would stick with the combo instead of A08 Pro standalone. I ended up listening with the A08 Pro/TU-875 combo 90% of the time!

I can now play both music that requires huge dynamic, slam and directness as well as music that is more delicate and demanding of delicate emotions with the A08 Pro/TU-875 combo!

For readers with a budget, you can play Tidal through Bluetooth from standalone A08 Pro and it is of really respectable quality. But if you want ultimate music Nirvana, acquire the A08 Pro/TU-875 combo! It's still dirt cheap anyway. (Editor: this is not practical for most people, as the Elekit TU-875 is likely only available in Japan second hand. HK readers are more fortunate in that they can use third party companies to bid/buy from Japan)

Final Thoughts
Ultimately, A08 Pro/TU875 is the definite winner in terms of sheer musicality, genuine vocal portrayal and deep emotional involvement (as with details, soundstaging, background darkness and quickness). But, that said, I can still easily live with with A08 Pro alone should I not have come across the TU-875 ! A08 Pro does have a slight edge of PRAT and slam in music, plus a bit of coarseness and edge to music which I think is FUN sometimes.

But I do treasure highly the finesse, refinement and musical involvement that A08 Pro/TU875 provides. There is no listening fatigue, and with this combo and I can listen for hours and not get tired of the lovely music it can produce.

The miniscule combo of Elekit TU-875/ Aiyima A08 Pro / Wattson Emerson Analog, all roughly palm-size, with total weight of less than 5 lbs, pumps out volume and quality of music that is unheard of in my years of experience! Cost wise, the amp/pre costs at $450USD and represents a colossal bargain in today HiFi world that demands thousands, if not tens of thousands, of dollars for a decent system.

How does my current system stand against the sounds of previous home and shop visits? I can comfortably say that it does not shy away from any of these systems at all. In my early days when I started the HiFi journey, I always felt depressed and lacked motivation to hear my system at home after showroom visits that sounded so spectacular. But not with my current setup, which can stand up against these multi-thousand dollar setups comfortably without feeling inferior in terms of music performance!

Currently, I feel that any further improvement will be icing on the cake instead of a complete upgrade. Having said that, I always welcome surprises but, for now, I will revert to my most treasured and ultimate mode, that is, music enjoying mode!

Of course, I still having high expectations from the Luna Orange, UMI unit, dedicated PS and Bonn N8 network switch that can impact to my current setup! Stay tuned!!

Music used for assessing the system
Numerous Youtube videos from Blue Note Tokyo, Bob James and Tiny Desk Concerts etc

Tidal Music
Far too good - John Smith - uncanny voice with foot tapping solo guitar. Great lyrics.
Rainbow - Kacey Musgraves - uplifting. Hope and positivity through her voice, lyrics and songs.
Blue Orchids - Bill Charlap - amazing attack on piano notes and soothing jazz tunes.
Two Lonely People - Susana Wong - duo sing with one heart; not a usual fan of hers but this one is exception.
Welchester Lady - Bob James - as usual so tuneful and fun.
So What (Live) - Michel Petrucciani - High energy and piano attacks that shockingly knocks on my head!
Where Breathing Starts - Tord Gustavsen - slow ballad that emotionally feels like gently adrift on a slow boat.
The Sky - Allan Taylor - great effect, soundstage; crisp guitar and uncanny voice.
My Favorite Things - Youn Sun Nah - amazing and realistic voice with single, cymbal-like percussion instrument.
When I think of Angels - Eivor - such touching and genuine voice that caresses your heart
One Wish (Trio Version) - Hiroshima - slow version which is preferred to original one; and the Koto plucking is so realistic and beautiful!
My Foolish Heart/ Spain - Chick Corea Trio - scintillating performance. They play together as one, with fire and passion (both A-08 Pro/TU-875 and A-08 Pro standalone options are good)
Bali Run - Fourplay - A-08 Pro standalone has slight edge, but with TU-875, you hear more details.
Bei Shan Wang Hai Li Bu Kai (Live) - Kay Tse - Guitars, sax and drums and dreamy vocals - highly recommended.
Elephant on Ice Skates - Brian Bromberg - showcasing the tenacity of the lightning-fast bass guitar, which has great body!
Volver, volver - Buika -showcasing the dynamic range of her vocals; so much emotions!
Paris - Cy Leo - World champion harmonica artist has such everchanging shades and tones to get you emotionally involved. A must.
The ship is at the Landing - Krut Reiersrud - Twanging of guitars is so fun to hear (both versions are worth listening)

RIP 余師傅 陳楊

R.I.P. 余師傅

無人不認識的余師傅往生了！ 

我第一次聽到他的名字是 ‘92 打後，我剛回歸香港之際。那個時候，正值香港發燒巔峰年代，發現幾個醫學院同事都熱愛古典音樂而玩音響（在醫生里非常普遍）。他們沒有玩非常貴價的東西，但都是好東西。他們帶我去了海運大廈別超（Excel）和金弦 （Golden String），香港的兩個大代理，而在前者我第一次見到了余師傅，也得悉我同事們都是他顧客，跟他挺熟也聽他意見。同事A用的是 ARC SP9/Classic30 推 LS3/5A，B 用的是 ARC LS5/V35 推 Sonus faber Electa Amator I， 聲音都好。 A君那時用的 Marantz CD72，價廉物美；B 君更不得了，是 Micromega Duo 一套; 兩者都是1-bit 典範。那個時候，我沒有那麼發燒，所以這些同事都推進了我對音響的認知和愛好。可惜這兩位同事都已經走了，只能緬懷這一段經歷。

往後，走自己的路，多數單打，買二手和古董，沒有什麼和大代理打交道。燒到通頂。再次和余師傅見面幾乎20年後。那個時候，因為JCR33的飲茶團，拜訪了非常多代理和燒友，真正開始知道余師傅。另外，遲相識的師弟和余師傅是老表，故在他家見過幾次，上圖也是在師弟家拍攝的，余師傅正在調唱盤。後期，余師傅在Jadis時，也見了幾次。

一句話，有余師傅在，沒有不可能的，也沒有悶場！

下面友人 icefox  的話：

icefox selects this video as tribute (NPR Kanneh-Mason)

R.I.P. 陳楊 

香港人對他不熟悉，這個知名台灣作曲家音樂人和我差不多年齡，也就早一天去了。我非常欣賞他電影“桂花巷”的配樂（但電影很爛）。異常豐富的電子音樂溢出文化情操，但斷版多年。頭一曲是潘越雲用閩南語唱的，比她任何國語歌好聽。它占我喜歡的電影配樂頭三甲一席（其它兩個是 “悲情城市” 和 Until the End of the World)。

史特灵 LS3/5A 11 Ohm Taobao 12.12

所有图片点击放大。Click pics to enlarge. Chez Jules‘, atop Vitavox Horns, from L, Chartwell 15, Spendor 15 and Beydas. See below for more pics.
Letter from Shenzhen (22:17): 史特靈 LS3/5A, Part II, 11 Ohm

11.11 錯失良機，15 16 咪又執輸 11 15 本為連體 12.12 亡羊補牢

To Non-Chinese Readers: This extension of an article featuring a local clone LS3/5A is primarily for our Hong Kong and Asian readers. The Chinese products discussed here are not available outside the region. I let you know this to save you the bother of translating. I know for a fact that some readers in the West have tried to buy to no avail, as the courier used by the seller would not ship to the West due to regulatory reasons (there are many during Covid times).

有第一次就有第二次。上一次特地為香港及華人讀者們寫的中文文章事關淘寶雙十一（尤其史特靈），而寶貝暫時沒有賣到西方去的。這一次事關雙十二，佳日重臨；留意，史特靈 12.12 其實在 12.10 晚上 20:00 展開，希望大家抓緊。重要的是，我（及友人們）又聽了一個月，有些重要的心得。 

https://m.tb.cn/h.U8UjWgU?tk=gg95dWTehrn

史特靈 LS3/5A 11 Ohm

沒看過 Part I 前文的讀者，建議你先讀；看過的也不妨重溫。

上一次我寫的是我買的 15 ohm。聽了驚艷，就寫了文章。好像沒有交代過，挑選 15 而不是 11 只不過是因為“傳統智慧”，畢竟是隔山買牛，沒有聽過嘛！有好東西，當然發給兄弟，結果超乎我想像：我的圈子小，但友人們圈子大，居然以訛傳訛，在香港發揚光大！當然，這裡有一個齊娃娃效應，畢竟大家一齊玩開心D，但別忘記，我友人們（及他們的相識）都是老嫖，現代或古董典範器材（包括35）皆全，不少系統價值不菲，叫他們收貨是不容易的！而且不單止認同，聽說還有 CLS 靚聲之言！

前文到現在的一段時間，我了解到代理 HiFi Music 雖然不諳一切設計元素，但掌握的還是蠻多的。原來產商 Beydas 按照一對英國 bi-wire 11 ohm LS3/5A（應該是 Spendor) 先弄出來的是 11 ohm, 曰：聲音幾乎亂真。但考慮到迎合大眾（包括國內）口味，作了調整研發了 15 ohm。這裡我們進入了一個灰色地帶。當初 BBC 把 15 轉成 11 是基於多年來產生的單元差異和時代趨勢的元素。我估計 Beydas 無論 11 或 15，單元都是一樣的，只是分音和調聲不同，這個和 BBC 初心有一點出入。基於這個觀點，11 ohm 理論上該是更加靠近 BBC 的。也就是因為這樣，就身痕搞咗對 11 來聽。長話短說，哈！果然是兄弟，聲底相似；分別是有的，但出人意表。

構造 音箱都是甲板做的。除了分音器一些零件值不一樣，其它都是一模一樣的。值得一提的是，我得悉產商為了那幾隻牛（Autoformer，自藕變壓器）傷了不少腦筋。繞線多少半圈測出來的價值都不一樣；篩選困難。由於成本高昂，沒有利潤，暫時沒有意欲繼續生產，所以史特灵 LS3/5A 可能迅將成為絕唱。 

外觀 15 ohm 的木皮不是我們熟悉的那種黑檀木，而是帶木色斑馬紋的，不是每一個人都會覺得好看的。乍看還會懷疑是不是打印膠皮的，可是用手輕輕掃一下，就會感覺到應有的微凹凸感；我這裡暫時有兩對，木紋是不一樣的，大家可以放心，是真木皮。 11 ohm 就明顯是木皮，木紋也較深，可是像真木一樣，有木眼，紋有深淺，不愛天然參次的人要接受。我自己的感覺是真像木皮，而曝光久了喇叭會深色化而深淺的對比也會沒那麼明顯。據說香港朋友們似乎喜歡 11 ohm 的木色多些。 

聲音 聽了15幾個星期後，把11換上去，也聽了幾個星期 - 沒有任何衝動或需要把它拿下來，兩者都那麼動聽。寫15的文字可以全盤照用在11身上。當然，分別還是有的，我覺得：1）11 中低更像傳統 3/5A聲，婉轉一點，蔡琴會更磁性一點，小提琴也會更纏綿一些；2）15 高音會更開楊一點，聲底爽一些，古典爆棚控制力強一點，向現代英國復刻版靠齊; 3) 值得一提的是，友人留意到數據上（見前文）11 比 15下潛多 10Hz，但我聆聽的感覺是，低音雖然厚一點點，效果更多是反映在中頻（上述），人對音頻波動的反應是非常微妙的。對比如出一轍的聲底，這些分別不大，任何一對都把聯盟音響的Anubis 殺的片甲不留，愧對江東父老（話說回來，那些所謂父老不見也罷！）我很高興兩對都有。下面微信截圖裡我結集香港朋友們的反應，雖然由於系統差異細節上和我的經驗並不完全一致，但都是頂讚的，具參考價值。我們這些評語也多少顛覆了一般錯誤地認為 11 較薄而 15 較厚的觀點 - 像我和朋友 Jules 的 Chartwell 15 ohm 就都很爽聲的。 

居然还有倒头椿

友人Jules 的發燒聖地，被 icefox 譽為”廟细五臟大“

推动有 PX-25 SET 和 Lectron Le Classe A

发廊里的发烧世界，早期 Cyrus 和 35 兄弟 JR149

笔者的 11 和 15。

庫存 因為上一輪的搶購，15 已經幾乎售馨。這是因為在不知底細下每個人開頭都會盲目追隨所謂 15 ohm 的傳奇（包括我），忽視了這其實是個單元完全不同的現代“復刻”！個人意見，趁價錢相怡，起碼趕緊納入一對 11 ohm才是上著。如前文所說，用現代英國復刻版幾乎十分一的價錢取到這樣亮眼的效果，還需要考慮嗎？不要忘記，上述香港朋友們都有英國舊裝，給這麼高的評價，不是偶然的。 

結論 史特靈不單止模擬 LS3/5A 異常到位，且低音線條靚，沒有很多舊 35 的拖泥帶水。如前，友人所說，全面性毋庸置疑。個人更敢說，堪與現代任何  LS3/5A  匹敵，是複刻 LS3/5A 的一個里程碑；兩萬上下的書架喇叭，沒有對手；更惶說，天價小喇叭，如 Magico, Borrensen 等，都沒有它那自然呈現的感染力！

附录：

1）想知道联盟音响的 Anubis 有多离谱，看这里。

2）我最近买的东西记录在这里，有的 12.12 可能会少许折扣。 

LS3/5A Union Audio Anubis Beydas Audio Stirling Falcon

Click pics to enlarge. Falcon Gold Badge on stands. On floor, AE2 SE, Anubis, Aosibao 6P1 amp and Chinese 300B monoblaocks. Preamp is Weiliang clone FM Acoustics next to the TT.

Review: Anubis “LS3/5A”, Part I, A Cautionary Tale

This is likely one of the hardest articles I have had to write. I stared at the blank page for quite a while, before deciding to just plunge on. There's no escape.

First, I had to own up to the fact that whatever good vibes I had initially did not withstand close scrutiny; second, this loudspeaker, as I gradually discovered, has one of the most peculiar responses I have ever encountered. It was not that I didn’t harbor any doubts early on, it was that I simply didn’t pay enough attention when I should have.

My Initial Reaction was documented here. See pics of the Taobao Page at bottom. It must be mentioned that, given my satisfaction with my heavily used main system in the study, the Anubis was only meant to serve just occasionally in the LR, in a more casual manner. I just placed them on top of a low TV cabinet, very close to the front wall. I picked it simply because it looks good and is the cheapest LS3/5A “clone” (little did I know how far it has strayed). It did completely trounce my leftover Sansui AV Rear Loudspeakers I was using before (easy feat really). However, in many ways, what I wrote about its balance still stands. Like the LS3/5A, it is quite pleasing and balanced in the vocal range and it does disperse widely, at least more than my previous Sansui (but more laterally than front to back, now I know). I wasn’t asking much of it.

I did feel, even from early on, that there is a somewhat congealed feeling about the sound 浓得化不开, and a certain lack of air. Changing loudspeaker cables and jumper wires did not significantly ameliorate that, but I wasn’t seriously concerned.

Meeting Falcon LS3/5A proved to be illuminating and perplexing (Top pic; I haven’t written this Home Visit up yet). About 3 months ago, my friend Honwo and I paid a rare visit to David (aka daiwok of Lencoheaven fame) in Dongguan. He was among the early adoptees of the Falcon. He built the (then available) kit himself (but did not apply the supplied bitumen) and upgraded to the Gold Badge Crossover. Now, this marked the first time I heard the Anubis in-room (in fact, half-way into the long axis), on proper stands. The host was using a Chinese 300B amp and I also brought my Aosibao 6P1 PSE amp (which I preferred on that occasion). The Anubis sounded better than in my LR, BUT whereas the Falcon threw a very deep soundstage behind, the Anubis was mostly confined to the loudspeaker plane/axis (the line linking the 2 loudspeakers), with not much behind. It was kinda like mono (but even good mono can go deeper)! No wonder the somewhat congealed feeling I had before! Very strange, an experience I have never had with any other loudspeaker. Honwo said the Anubis was forward, but I think that’s not quite the case - there is little real depth that the sound is mostly collapsed into a single vertical plane, so that the term forward even loses its meaning. The LS3/5A is famous for its imaging prowess, but the Anubis fails miserably in this department. That said, the perplexing part is that I did find the Gold Badge Falcon too lean in the midrange, and tonally (only) I preferred the Anubis. The contrast between the two was stark, to say the least!


Latest Incarnation of the Study. Sharp eyed readers will have noticed that I have now also the 11 ohm Beydas Stirling (on stands, with the 15 idle tot he fore). They are more similar than different, but the 11 is perhaps even closer to the LS3/5A. Article to come.

The Chinese “Stirling” 史特灵 (made by Beydas) then entered my life (here in Chinese; product unfortunately not available outside of Chinese speaking world; if u are in the west, don't even try, just to save your time), and it was a revelation. This is yet another LS3/5A clone I discovered recently but its performance completely destroyed the Anubis. Mind you, if I had not harbored doubts about the Anubis I’d not have taken another chance! It is not available outside China (including HK) and likely will end as a limited run with no future production in sight (this is inside news). The performance of the “Stirling” was so good that I finally bought a pair of stands for the study, which now permanently (if I can say that about my somewhat nomadic existence) includes a pair of the “Stirling” as reference! Of course, I did bring the Anubis in and it did throw a somewhat better soundstage than at daiwok’s, but let’s put it this way, the quasi-mono plane in front is still there and whatever there are in the soundstage behind are more dimly lit than should be. I then bought another pair of stands for the LR and the Anubis sounds better there too, but still not close to the “Stirling” (yes, I did bring the “Stirling’s” out to the LR too).

Reader Shawn P Weighs In Shawn was kind enough to write a blip on his perceptions. So as you know I'm not alone in my findings:

"First off, thanks for John’s invaluable suggestion on the Anubis positioning. I had no experience with any version of LS3/5a and John’s suggestion improved the sound stage enormously. Just about all aspects of the Anubis improved with his suggestion.

Regarding how the Anubis sound, vocal was great with the Anubis and I picked a good “vocal” CD for the first run and that was the main reason for the initial good impression. I enjoyed the entire CD.

I then tried a few CDs which had good balance between vocal and background (based on my regular speakers). Problems emerged, the vocal was still there but the background became distanced and confined. It sounded odd, simply put.

Instruments sounded sort of glued together. There was no weight or texture, as if the only information I had was that there were guitar, piano and bass at the background but they were not contributing to the music. It sounded odd.

I was eventually able to find a few CDs which had good balanced sound stage with Anubis but why were they so rare with Anubis? The speaker positioning was good, and I had listened to those CDs for many years.

Anubis did have nice vocal which stood out and perhaps why Anubis was a 霎眼嬌 for me. "

The Postmortem There is nothing much left (of the Anubis) after the above encounters - except to open it up (as a reader, likely Malaysian, suggests), AND plan to modify it (which is why there shall be a Part II, not any time soon though). Wow! Look at the pics!

Unlike what my Malaysian (I presume) reader commented on, the cabinets appear to be plywood (the ads said Russian Ply). Note the tell-tale chipping of the edge of the top layer in one of the pics. Except around the area of the binding posts, the cabinet has been treated with Bitumen. It should be noted that bitumen treatment was used in the original LS3/5, but I’m not sure of all subsequent A versions (the Falcon uses them). The woofer is Chinese. The tweeter is unidentified (the Taobao page says imported silk dome parts). The wires I’m not happy about, stiff and ungainly. The Crossover is on a Circuit Board (the copper traces are not robust either), and only 5 components as opposed to the 10++ ones of the original 15 and 11ohms! Values are erased. Careful reading of the TB page indicates this is second-order, whereas the original is probably third-order. Just contrast that with Beydas’ “Stirling” and you shall see the divide. Yes, just like what they mentioned on the TB page, the product is “in the spirit” of LS3/5A, not an attempt at replica. It’s funny that it seems to disparage those who do! Problem is, their "spirit" seems far astray of the BBC intentions.

The Anubis seems to have been around a while. The TB page credits (which turns out to discredit) HK veteran Wilmer (威马, whom older HK audiophiles will remember, but he was never a person of particular import) and a certain Ouyang from China. Combing the Chinese net yielded very little, but it does seem early on there was another participant named 小刀 (Chinese for dagger). Unfortunately, blind men could not re-construct the elephant that is LS3/5A. 这一次，三个臭皮匠，凑不出一个诸葛亮， 远尓！The Beydas “Stirling” in details of execution (like the expensive Autoformer laden crossover) and in sonics just completely put the Anubis to shame, and I’d love to know who’s behind!

Anubis is sold by Union Audio 联盟音响 of Guangzhou, who does a brisk business with “own-design” loudspeakers that kinda look like large ATC’s, sporting Eton woofers. They also made clone electronics, ranging from “McIntosh” to “Pass Lab”. Yes, I’ll pass. FYI, I actually did contact them early on in the hope of obtaining more info on the Anubis but, no, requests for crossover pics and response curves were not fulfilled.

I decided to write this mainly in English because I know Anubis has a dealer in Singapore (whose website is stuffed with the same hyperbole) and an older KS version is still sold on Aliexpress (here). Buyers beware. My experience should serve as a cautionary tale for you! A misstep for sure, but one that indirectly generated a real find (Beydas).

寄语香港及其它东南亚地区华人朋友：如果想买老翻35，切记我的经验，把联盟 Anubis 忘得干干净净。光有长相没有用的，打肿脸子充胖子，只是一个扶不起的阿斗。12.10 晚 8 点 淘宝 12.12 活动就会提早展开，抢一对 史特灵 是上着。内幕消息是贝达斯不想后续，所以可能成为绝唱。智者先行动为妙。短期内，在 12.12 前，我会另外写一篇关于 11 ohm 的文章，会包含我香港朋友的经验，到时见！

Anubis TB Page says Russian Plywood  

and Second Order Crossover

Claims about its Sonic Attributes, including imaging,

 are at odds with the listening experience

Claims that it will trounce other loudpseakers

 under 5K was repudiated by Beydas

Visits Western Electric 91E Sarone Hartley Neat Iota

Click pics to enlarge. Above, Sorane.

Letter from Hong Kong (22-13): ELO Auditions

During the period that I was chewing on what preamp I should get, I visited several setups worth writing about.

HiFi shop in Tim Chee Building [Footnote 1]
Superb Bluetooth Streamer, named Sarone, designed by an experienced HK designer [Footnote 2] using vintage W.E. parts and transformers, which is no slouch at all!

Newly designed W.E. 91E Amplifier [Footnote 3]! DJ and I agree that the front looks a bit tacky and overwhelmed. Sound wise, there's nothing to complain about.

In front of me, two huge wardrobes (Hartley 24" white cone bass woofers used) made me feel like I'm peeking/hearing music behind them; yet it did not lessen my enjoyment of the beautiful sound coming out of the system.

They were playing songs with limited dynamics. As good as the W.E. 300B is, it can only play through its strength, not with songs that require a high dynamic headroom. So, obviously, vocals with few instruments exceled in this setup and My Favorite Things by Youn Sun Nah sounded so real, nuanced and emotionally stimulating; notes of the single gong-like instrument (no clue what it is) was a real treat and I could have just sunken deep into the couch and listen non-stop!

Home Visit to CW with his Great Setup

The system is anchored upon the Soulution 330 Integrated Amp, partnered with Luxman D10X SACD/CD Player

This gorgeous looking Magico Mini speakers did not sound mini in any way!

The Nordost Odin Two power cord was re-purposed into 2 pairs of XLR cables and a pair of spk jumpers. The price may become more "affordable" yet it is still out of my reach; but it does play an extremely important part as veins of the system.

While we had to go through a few iterations and fine tuning, the final outcome was rewarding and fantastic! Spain by Chic Corea Trio was really scintillating. The overall system is quite coherent, with high quality bass with a lot of QQ bounciness and tenacity. However, sound is kept within 2 speakers and height of soundstage is still capped at about 4ft, which i think can be improved by further speaker placement. We tried my DIY earthbox on his Lux SACD player and, all of a sudden, the sound improvement was indeed significant. Music became more involving, cohesive and it seemed like the musicians were feeding from each other's energy - they formed a unity and I almost wanted to give a standing ovation after the performance!

Audition of Lab12 Pre (one of my previous targets) at local distributor

What caught my eyes/attention was the cute NEAT IOTA Xplorer speakers which though small in size managed to throw out a huge soundstage and deep bass with its down-firing bass woofer (one more hidden in isobarik form). Played through vinyl setup and Lab12 Pre/power combo, the sound was natural, musical, analog (of coz). Overall, very good result indeed!

P.S. I noticed there was a second hand selling at a very attractive price, and I highly recommended it to a friend. Suffice to say, he was mightily happy with the performance as it totally trounced two DIY efforts and his SS preamp (no surprise). I also managed to change some misconceptions of him - that "Old is always better than new ". More to follow/

All three systems performed really well and can serve as very good reference points to gauge the sound of my own system! As for the Elekit TU-875 that I ended up with, please wait for the next installment!

Editor's Footnotes: [1] Hong Kong has several buildings mostly devoted to HiFi stores selling new or used gear, and it's paradise (or trap) for the unintiated. Tim Chee is in Mong Kok, in an old district known for its population of audio stores and immortalized by HK filmmakers; [2] The designer is Ah Yip, famous for his Western Electric expertise. Indeed, I have met him several times and am impressed by his passion and, something not so commonly encountered, candor. Yes, calling garbage by its name, which is, you guess right, garbage (including ultra-expensive stuff). According to our priceless HK consultant, icefox, the Sarone debuted with the dealer of the super-expensive WE91E in the HK Audio Show not so long ago and, despite show conditions, sold quite a few! If you are not a BT follower, you might not believe: the theory is to just use the BT chip (short signal path) and do the rest in proprietary ultra-luxurious fashion, including use of WE sourced iron for transformers. Not cheap but according to my friends, sensational in results. I call this Extreme Bluetooth, and icefox has informed me of another formidable contender, Kinney, with MONSTROUS antennas! I hope to feature these in another article; [3] I'm not sure what to say about this, from my conservative viewpoint. It's not something I'd tackle but I'd like to hear it. Yes, I hate its looks. Below are what icefox sent me, review pages from Taiwan's Audio Art. Sorry, pdf only in Chinese (the pages were loaded in reverse, so start from the bottom; click to enlarge). Enjoy if you can.

Mid Trajectory 6J4/6P3P Preamp Beydas LS3/5A Clone Canare Belden BRZ FU50

Click pics to enlarge. 11 ohm Beydas LS3/5A on stands; 15 ohm in foreground. On "Finite Element" rack, from top, Aosibao 6P1 PSE,; BRZ FU-50 and APPLause 300B. Not the Rubber Shock-Absorbing Pads on the sides of the Aosibao and BRZ, in lieu of their own feet.

Letter from Shenzhen (22-16): Mid-Trajectory, In and Out of Audio Hell

Some months ago, my long-starved audio cravings were resurfaced, and I embarked on a New Trajectory (detailed here). Months went by, a few more amps and pairs of loudspeakers down the road (not to mention some more tubes and cables), before I asked myself whether it has been worth it. The answer is an emphatic yes, but some time ago there was a period of audio hell that I’d have preferred not to have gone through.

After the last report, I acquired a decent regulated SMPS (USD 33) and a Tube-Rectified Preamp (6Z5/6X5, 2x 6J4/EF84/6AU6 and 2x 6P3P/6V6; USD 94) and then for quite a while I didn’t buy anything, although I kept browsing Taobao. Damn it, it’s like Ebay (or Amazon), addicting for sure, but useful too (I even bought otherwise locally unavailable bagels - too soft and not very good).

But came 11.11 (one of China’s Black Friday equivalents) I lost my “iron” control, as one thing begot another. The triggering product was Beydas Audio’s “Stirling” LS3/5A clone (USD 350; I wrote the review in Chinese because it is not sold to the west; don’t waste your time as I got to know the seller whose carrier just won’t ship loudspeakers to the west for regulatory reasons). I randomly bought the so-called 15 ohm version and it completely trounced the Anubis. Its performance made me decide to get a pair of 24” stands (USD 41) for occasional use in my Study, where the main systems reside. It has proved satisfying enough to stay. And so I upgraded to 28” stands (USD 46) to have the tweeters more level with my ears near-field. Yes, the taller stands sound better overall and the lower one is now perfect too in the listening room, where the sofa is lower and far away.

As mentioned in the link, I also bought the bi-wre Canare 4S10F loudspeaker cable (USD 2:50 per meter), which performed so well with my Sansui floorstanders that I subsequently also bought the single wire 2S9F+ (USD 1.40 per meter), which I also initially liked. Thinking of doing bi-wire experiments (on both my Sansui and “Stirling”) I also bought smaller gauge version of “old stock Belden 1309A” (USD 1.40 per meter). The parenthesis is because I think it is fake - the current 1309A does not look like this at all. Fully cognizant of this, I had previously bought the thicker one (USD 1.70 per meter; there's even a bi-wire one that I thought about), and it surprised me by its performance (I also like its softness). I mentioned to ELO that we should do a counterfeit cable article together as I suspect his beloved “Studer” is one too. I almost forgot, I also got a TDA-1305 DAC (USD 28) and despite its quirks it has supplanted my Meridian Explorer.

THAT was the simple part. Trouble arrived in the form of the BRZ HiFi FU-50 amp. There are 2 versions: I deliberately chose the pentode 6J8P/6SJ7/6米8 version over the double triode 6N8P/6SN7 version. This military tube shot to fame after someone described its triode operation as operating and sounding like 300B, earning it the nickname of “little 300B”. Readers with long memories may remember a vintage Manley (when it was still David) PP amp using this tube. I spotted that at Sound Glory in HK in the 90’s but the owner was reluctant to power it on (as he was with OTL amps too, so much for inspiring confidence). Hooked up to my efficient Sansui, it sounded incredibly snappy out of the box, but with the more inefficient LS3/5A clone its performance inevitably dropped a bit (true for most SET amps). I do think its DIY fame is fully deserved, and more.

At this point, I bought a bunch of tubes to upgrade all 3 of my amps as well as my preamp and that was a bit costly. I had from Day 1 deliberately shied away from expensive tube types (12AX7, 6922, 6SN7 etc, which I have aplenty in NYC and HK but not here) in my choice of amps and chose those tubes that are still fairly priced here, but it adds up, though I have to say tubes here in China can be reasonable if one chooses wisely.

Then came the 11 ohm version of the “Stirling”, which turns out to be at least as good as the 15 ohm version, and I reckon it is even closer to the sound of LS3/5A. I shall write another report on this before the approaching 12.12 (another TB Black Friday)(香港和华人朋友请留意，史特灵将于 12.10 日 20：00 展开特卖，请抓紧).

So Why Audio Hell? Well, aside from breaking in all the stuff, you can imagine the various comparisons I was forced to make. For the “Stirling”, 11 ohm vs 15 ohm - that was the easy part, as both are just superb and the differences are small. Worse, for the tubes I bought I had to test them out (there was 1 stud, for which I was immediately sent a replacement - good service!) and compare, in 3 amps. Tube Shootout has to be done occasionally, but it is not a gratifying thing doing all that A/B. And then comparing the cables too! Comparing the Canare with the "Belden" took quite a bit of time (I still favor the latter) Well, it’s been around 3 weeks and things have settled down a bit, and I have climbed out of that hole and resumed my regular music listening. This afternoon it’s Stravinsky (Bernstein/DG). It's nice to focus on the composer rather than a tube or cable!

Oh yes, How could I forget this! With 3 amps, I decided to get a Cheap Rack on cheap plastic wheels (USD 16). After assembly and re-installation, I was not pleased. Compared to my previous solid wood stool (see below), which can only support one amp, the sound is kind of dead (yes, it kinda "looks like" and surely sounds like the ultra-expensive and -underwhelming Finite Element, which over-damps and only benefits garbage ss amps). Likely resonance wreaking havoc. So, I bought USD 5 worth of Rubber Isolation Pads (likely used in cars etc) and that instantly restored liveliness. I shall change the wheels to sturdier ones soon too. All that took listening time! LR? What LR? I’ve been cooped up in my study day and night for 2 months! :-(

The Music In case you wonder what music I used for A/B, here they are. Hilary Hahn’s new album is notable for the Ginastera, not the Dvorak (DG). The recording is not top drawer, but I try to coax the gear to render the best. It is not easy in the Dvorak to open up the orchestral texture and retain Hahn’s tone (the rectifier tube also projects the soloist in different ways). Now, Hahn is rather plain in a way but her violin sound should have allure (I have heard her live), not easy to achieve. A far better recording is Hilde Frang’s superb Beethoven and Stravinsky (Warner); the latter should have plenty of vitality! And then both supple and subtle orchestral weight in Robert Trevino’s Ravel with the Basque National (Ondine). Lately, I have added an old favorite, the best recording of Rossini’s Overtures, bar none - Pierino Gamba/LSO, now seemingly only in a huge Decca box. As I emerged out of my self-induced coma, I still warm to the music, testament to the craft of the composers and performers!

There, a summary. Is that a lot of water under the bridge? Not that much really, but while it brought satisfaction it also brought ennui, and that has always been the audiophile's pact with the devil. Many of these items I shall report in detail later. Not a loser among them, even the Anubis after considering the price (it’s the Holiday Season, and we shall attempt to be kind)!

The Stool that made a mockery of Finite Element