Thoughts on new ET3 SE

[Rayooo]

Just enlist the services of: Joe's Master Breaker Inner Service,
I've been enjoying pretty much instant gratification since yesterday.

[joeinid]

Originally Posted by Rayooo

Just enlist the services of: Joe's Master Breaker Inner Service,
I've been enjoying pretty much instant gratification since yesterday.

Sure, rub it in. At least it went to a super nice guy!

[Littlebunny]

Too busy to really be on the forum today but just wanted to post a 'mishap'.

I was changing volume today with the remote, and the unit locked up on me. The display changed into a series of dashes. Anyway, I unplugged it, replugged it, and it seems to alive again. Boy oh boy.

[joeinid]

I think you may have triggered a theater input "EPL". It will pass whatever is on those inputs unadulterated.

[sandbites]

Hi littlebunny i too am on the crossroads to on whether i'll get e CJ or a Mcintosh tube preamp. Did you compare this CJ of yours to a MC tube or a solid state preamp? Ive been shamelessly fence-sitting on what pre-amp to get

[Rayooo]

Originally Posted by Littlebunny

Too busy to really be on the forum today but just wanted to post a 'mishap'.

I was changing volume today with the remote, and the unit locked up on me. The display changed into a series of dashes. Anyway, I unplugged it, replugged it, and it seems to alive again. Boy oh boy.

Those dashes pop up as the teflon caps pass break-in milestones. they'll pop up every 100 or so hours or so for first 10,000 hours, then on 500 hour intervals up through 233,000 hours at which point it's fully broken in.

...something tells me I'll be the only one laughing at my poor attempt at humor.

Or it could be what Joe said.

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by Rayooo

Those dashes pop up as the teflon caps pass break-in milestones. they'll pop up every 100 or so hours or so for first 10,000 hours, then on 500 hour intervals up through 233,000 hours at which point it's fully broken in.

...something tells me I'll be the only one laughing at my poor attempt at humor.

Actually, I had a pretty good laugh at that one too.

[joeinid]

That's funny, I never kept my gear long enough the see the dashes. Ha!

[Myles B. Astor]

Originally Posted by Rayooo

Those dashes pop up as the teflon caps pass break-in milestones. they'll pop up every 100 or so hours or so for first 10,000 hours, then on 500 hour intervals up through 233,000 hours at which point it's fully broken in.

...something tells me I'll be the only one laughing at my poor attempt at humor.

Or it could be what Joe said.

Good one!

[Littlebunny]

You guys! I think we have to do a study on how many CJ customers go insane during the break-in period. I'm guessing 'a lot'...

Well sandbites, at this very moment, the CJ isn't doing very well. But, of course, it hasn't broken-in yet. I think it's a conspiracy of some kind.

I'm sad to report that I've removed the CJ from my main system to have it break-in on its lonesome in another system: I've been getting complaints about the, ahem, new sound.

Anyway, the good news is that the CJ absolutely kills the McIntosh in its rendering of vocals (especially female vocals). However, the McIntosh has some kind of bass 'presence' and richness that the CJ doesn't have (as yet). The bad news is that this quality is quite addicting.

I've complicated matters by using a tube buffer with my solid-state McIntosh preamp. I stick a 'Little Dot MkII headphone/preamp' in between the Mc preamp and amp. Sacrilege, I know. This little experiment had the effect of rendering the rather flat McIntosh soundstage enormous, and in 3D. It's quite amazing. Right now, the CJ soundstage is flat and constricted by comparison.

Overall, the CJ is a bit warmer than the Mc. However, the Mc preamp sounds more relaxed and effortless. I feel a little 'uptight' with the CJ. Perhaps because of the CJ sounding slightly anaemic in the mid-bass. Note, though, that the CJ has moments of sounding fantastic: it is still breaking in.

If I've confused you completely, forgive me: I'm utterly confused. I'm rooting for the CJ to maul the McIntosh, but that hasn't happened as yet. I may add that I think I know why people live with Mc gear happily ever after: the robust, effortless Mc sound is tough to give up.