#2141
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I get the feeling that the lip-3a in the upgraded version of the lip-2. The lip-27a is a whole different animal. |
#2142
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That makes sense. The 3 6FM7's in the LP-2 are the equivalent of 3 6SN7's and 3 6SL7's. I don't have the circuit, but my instincts tell me that two of the three tubes are shared by both channels. This could be easily changed by subbing in a pair of 6SN7's and one 6SL7 (or vice versa). The sockets would have to be rewired, but would appear to have the benefit of being closer to a dual mono layout. It still gives one additional stage compared to the LP-27a, but maybe that is beneficial and maybe not.
I don't find the LP-27a to be finicky, but from a long-term perspective it is probably best to limit the market for something relying on antique tubes. I get the impression that Dennis started his retirement business as a hobby, but that demand and his natural business instincts have turned it into a cottage business. As such, we can see an evolution of his designs. Casework has gotten better, and he appears to be moving toward using tubes that are in current production rather than cheap, overlooked vintage tubes (e.g., 6FM7 and 6GC7). He's also sensing the desire for higher performance passive components (capacitors) and has been slowly moving the Inspire line upmarket. All of these are the marks of a businessman creating a sustainable model. That being said, I've laid in my own stash of 80 rectifiers, 27 and 56 tubes. They are cheap enough and if I ever sell the LP-27a they will add value to the sale. |
#2143
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I rather think it depends on what he feels like or is making today. I'd been watching these amps for a while and e-mailed him last year and attached a link to a KT88 amp. He responded with 'you have to get the amp I am just finishing'. SE triode wired 20 watt tranny's...so I did. He did use a UX4 rectifier socket for 5Z3/type 80 tubes. Not sure why he chose those rectifiers. No regrets. I believe that once you find the tube compliment that works best your rig you will have excellent sound with these amps. There is always some other amp etc. to wonder about...I am trying to resist. Last edited by FloridaBoy; 08-28-2016 at 01:25 PM. |
#2144
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I'm in the same boat. I have an LP-27a, KT-88HO (15 watt, 9-pin), and am about to receive a PSE amp. I also have a custom-built 4 watt 421a SE amp, two pair of Omega single-driver loudspeakers and a custom Altec 414/802/32A speaker. I have three very good dacs and a middle of the road TT. This is aside from vintage solid state rig and a pretty good HT rig. I officially have more equipment than I can accommodate but have to resist the urge to find something "better".
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#2145
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#2146
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Mine has the 20 watt output transformers, but is pentode wired to produce 17 wpc with KT88. Standard tube set of KT88, 6SN7, and 5AR4/GZ34 rectifier. I mix/match several output tube types and rectifiers, but always stay with 6SN7 driver tubes. Was told that if I use 5U4G rectifiers that I will get 15 wpc with KT88. |
#2147
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Rosco,
I had a respected dealer tell me that the chase ends when you say so. Forums can induce audio nervosa. Imagine that ? Personally, I'm done with gear and to get the most out of what I have I need to work on the room. I have had 'better' gear but the price to performance ratio of the Inspire combo is IMHO unbeatable. I'm just enjoying music again. |
#2148
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#2149
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FWIW: Pure Audio i20 dock
I bought one of these 5 years ago. It's still $99 and the best bang for the buck
audio toy I've ever had. It only works with Apple. Presently, I'm using my old iPhone 4s as a dedicated source. It sounds extremely good and uses standard RCA IC's. I use Spotify and Tune In Radio. Excerpt from a review comparing to a Wadia unit from 2011: Having said that I decided to take out the Wadia and connect the Pure i20. Since the i20 has a far more superior DAC (the Wadia uses a standard Sigma Tel 16-bit DAC) and is actually a pure digital interface, I would expect virtually no floor noise. Using interconnects provided by Moon Audio (Silver Dragon), as I figured, no floor noise on the analog stage while connecting into the digital portion to the Little Dot DAC am using a SEAS coaxial digital interconnect with WBT RCA locking connectors. Using a 4th generation iPod touch with IOS-4 and the application FLAC Player and the source material purchased from HD-Tracks, I was able to test both the analog output stage and digital transport feature of the Pure i20. Treating the Pure i20 as a player I have noticed that when playing the FLAC files (24-bit at 96-KHz) the sound stage was very three-dimensional. Very musical with virtually no jitter artifacts. This is quite an impressive feat for a digital dock costing half the price of the Wadia. Appearances though, the Wadia defeats the Pure, but I only care about music reproduction and without any modification, the Pure i20 does a much better job. It will not rival the Krell KID, but for those who are seeking a great listening experience, then by all means go for the Pure i20 over the Wadia. |
#2150
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So many Inspire design alternatives makes me wonder if, in the end, it is worth it. This can be interpreted as if all the multiple configurations end up sounding basically the same, turning emphasis to complementing sound quality areas in our systems.
Once you get an Inspire design, preamp and amp, focus on the other most essential areas for significant improvement: Room conditions, Quality of the source and Quality and characteristics of the loudspeakers/Subwoofers. Dialing-up our particular unit versions with the right tube combinations should do it in the amplification department. I know I had tremendous benefits by upgrading DAC and implementing diffusors. Otherwise, it becomes as the 'detergent of the month' (super!, new!, improved!, etc.) YMMV Last edited by Musica Amantem; 08-28-2016 at 03:11 PM. |
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