Current System
My current system varies from time to time; however, I am happy with things at the moment so, if you check here regularly, you will see this set up used for the foreseeable future.
The Soul-Mate Pre-amp
The ‘Soul Mate’ was the latest addition to the Tube Distinctions product range, and it was the first product to benefit from the all-new ‘hyper regulators’ designed specifically for the Soul Series. It is directly coupled throughout, non-inverting and is exceptionally linear and quiet. There are five stereo inputs on the standard production model, all line level and two outputs per channel for bi-amping.
California Audio Labs Tempest II Special Edition
I have had many CD players in my system over the years, some have lasted weeks, some months, and some have proven themselves worthy Keepers. For a few years now i have been using this remarkable player that was first launched in the late 1980’s, yes, you read correctly, it was arguably the first true Hi End CD player, suposedly built for the serious Music lover of the time. The Tempest II is a two box unit, ie; CD player, and separate power supply, The unit is quite unique in many ways, one major attribute in my opinion comes from its analogue stage which is an all triode pure Class-A design, using multiple E88CC/6DJ8 small signal valves, with no overall negative feedback, and neither transistors nor integrated circuits contaminate the signal path. Other circuit details included passive de-emphasis, the elimination of gain stages for a further reduction of noise-induced distortion, separate power supplies for the digital and analog sections, and a Class-A triode current-to-voltage converter.
Arguably Digital Audio has moved on quite considerably since this player was launched back in 1988/89 However, the main reason this player still takes pride of place in my systems today is down to how it portrays music, with an almost effortless presentation, huge soundstage, and with an Analogue quality about it that is; in my opinion; very difficult to match to this day!
The Michelle Gyro Deck
A recent addition to my system, I have always admired the aesthetics and build quality of Michelle Turntables, However; up until recently I had never had any personal hands on experience of these mechanical marvels, therefore; when an opportunity arose to acquire this early version, from a previous customer’ at an offer I couldn’t refuse, here we are! Having completely disassembled to clean and check everything was in order; I was somewhat surprised by its overall mechanical condition, it having had many years of use. Safe to say; after careful reassembly and setting up, it continues to perform as it was intended…
Cranfield Rock Turntable
This is the original Rock turntable, developed at Cranfield University [hence the name] I was already using one loaned to me by a friend of mine for a few years, when an elderly gentleman upon reading through my site contacted me, and offered me this one. Of course i grabbed it with both hands!!! When it comes to describing its strengths in musical terms, the main observations that were immediate to me was its solidity, and power in the bass, it also has a kind of effortless musicality about it that just encourages you to keep playing record after record…
DECCA Uni pivot Arm and DECCA Gold Cartridge
Further description of the Gyro Deck, this one came fitted with an original DECCA Uni pivot Arm, and DECCA Gold Cartridge, which again; I had no personal experience of either, however; after a rather frustratingly difficult undertaking of repairing the arm wiring [anyone with experience of these arms will understand only too well] I was finally able to set it up, along with the cartridge, and spin a disk, the first thing that was apparent with the DECCA cartridge and Arm combination’ was its sheer agility and attack, in comparison to the moving magnet and moving coil cartridges I was used to, which made for a rather exciting listening experience, but without the fatigue that some might expect from such a set up, its early days, but from what I have experienced so far with this Deck, Arm, and Cartridge combination, I think its another keeper!
Oracle Audio CD 2500 MKIV Player
I was always a fan of Oracles Vinyl spinners, so it should be no surprise that I eventually ventured down the road of sampling one of their latest Digital creations in the form of the Oracle Audio CD 2500 MKIV. The breath taking beauty and build quality of these players have long since been established, however; it took me a while to get to grips with its sonic presentation, and therefore to really appreciate its strengths as far musical replay and performance. Fast forward a few years, and after spending quite a few hours listening with this machine, analyzing its performance on a wide variety of music, and therefore gaining much more of an insight into its true capabilities, I can finally say; I get it…
Needless to say; this player has now fully established its place as a long standing member of my system.
The Soul Power-Amps
This is the ‘Soul’ single-ended, pure class A, hybrid amplifier (of which the first prototype was reviewed by Roy Gregory, editor of Hi Fi Plus magazine, 2003) and took just under 4 years of design and development for the final production versions. The amps pictured are a mirror pair of 30 watt mono-blocks, and are part of a set of three red Soul power amps [the other being a stereo 15 watt version] built originally to power the creative speaker designs of Overkill Audio, [2004] featured in the High-End show at Heathrow, They now reside in my own system.
The Big Copper Amp
The only one of this design that Tube Distinctions built, being a 100 watt version of the original copper series, it was initially requested/commissioned around 1998/9 by the then well known speaker drive unit manufacturer Bandor, where it would accompany them to the Hi-end show in Germany, and given the task of powering some of their latest creations in speaker drive unit and cabinet designs, unfortunately due to disagreements within the company they didn’t make it to the show, hence this Beauty never left the UK, and has remained with me ever since! Over the years it has undergone some major changes in circuitry to further improve its performance etc, and I am pleased to say’ it is now once again part of my main system.
Tannoy Kensington SE
These speakers have also stood the test of time in my system, over the last 10 years or so they have proven to have been a very worthwhile inclusion, their strength’s are well documented by reviewers and customers worldwide. With a sensitivity of around 93db they are an excellent choice for systems based around well designed valve amplification. With careful positioning and the correct choice of amplification and cabling, the kensingtons have the potential to leave you hanging on the edge of your seat!
