Red Wine Audio Signature 30.2
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 805 Registered: Jul-07 | I just closed the deal on a used RWA Signature 30.2. I'll need to wait until it ships up from state-side, so it'll be a couple of weeks at least before I see it. I heard one of these last summer for the first time with a pair of Omega speakers and was very very impressed. Absolute black background, wonderful midrange, and the best I had ever heard at pacing the music......driving the beat emphatically when the music called for it, and letting it ebb and flow perfectly when that was needed. I found someone online with my speakers mated to one so I'm pretty comfortable with that fit, although until I get them hooked up and listen to them I won't know for sure. Although, the match with the Omega speakers was so good I may give that a try later in the year. I can't remember what model it was, but I think I could figure it out if I went to the Omega site. |
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Platinum Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 12070 Registered: Feb-05 | Congrats on the new amp. I've heard very good things about Red Wine Audio. |
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 806 Registered: Jul-07 | Thanks Art. When reading about speakers that seem to mate very well to the 30.2, DeVore eights and nines come up often....along with Omega. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittIrvington, New York USA Post Number: 3666 Registered: May-05 | I've heard nothing but great things about the Red Wine gear. Its something I'd like to hear. Vinnie Rossi (RWA's owner) is moving his factory to about 90 minutes away from my house. He's going to have a listening room, and its pretty tempting to go hear some of his stuff. I really like the idea of battery powered gear I'm also interested in his DAC. It sounds like something I'd be into, but I don't think it has any re-clocking/jitter reduction which could make a not too good match with my Apple TV. I'm very interested in hearing your thoughts once you get everything up and running. |
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 810 Registered: Jul-07 | Definitely worth checking out once Vinnie is situationed Stu. I'll let you know my impressions of the Signature 30.2 once I have it in place. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3630 Registered: Feb-07 | Very cool Chris! You gonna be driving your Sierras with the RW? I'd be very interested in your impressions when you get it. The 30.2 is battery powered, correct? |
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 814 Registered: Jul-07 | It'll be the Sierra's for now David, but speakers will be next. I've been thinking about this for some time, and didn't want to make a move that would only be an incremental improvement over either the VA amp, or the Sierra's. I wanted to move to something that gets me where I want to be, and then settle there for a good long time. I think the RWA 30.2 will be it for amplification, unless it sounds decidedly different in my home than it did in the place I heard it originally. It was the first time in a very long time I was shaking my head in disbelief. The sound out of that little black box just blew me away. I can't wait until mine arrives. I have a few options I'm weighing for speakers. Zu, WLM, and Omega are at the top of the list. But the Sierra's will do just fine for now. Yes, the 30.2 is battery powered. http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/redwine8/302.html |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3631 Registered: Feb-07 | That's a good plan Chris. Incremental upgrades can get expensive over the long term. Are you still liking the CIA gear? |
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Gold Member Username: My_rantzGold CoastAustralia Post Number: 2915 Registered: Nov-05 | Congrats Chris - looks very interesting. Look forward to your comments once it's in use. |
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 815 Registered: Jul-07 | "Are you still liking the CIA gear?" I haven't listened to my CIA Dac for months. Ever since the Minimax showed up it hasn't been used much. I'm going to get a permanent computer based setup going at some point, and I'll either use the VDA-2, or sell it and get a USB Dac.....depending on how things work out. It's a nice piece and well worth the $600. There's not a large difference between it and the Minimax, it's just that the Minimax has this ease about it, and tonally it's richer than the VDA-2....more dimensional....if that makes any sense. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3634 Registered: Feb-07 | OK, now I remember! I forgot about the Minimax. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3648 Registered: Feb-07 | What's the ETA on the RA Chris? |
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 822 Registered: Jul-07 | I'm hoping mid next week. So far in 1 week it's managed to go from Tempe, AZ to Latham, NY. I'm hoping Latham is a transition point across the border, so perhaps next I'll see it clear customs.....in a day or two....or 5. It was sent via UPS so I'm curious as to how badly I'll get soaked by UPS and their sometimes out-of-whack brokerage and VAT fees. Usually I ask for USPS, as the customs and taxes seem to be less but the last USPS delivery never got to me. Still. Ever. So, I decided not to go that route again. Neither USPS or Canada Post could tell me (or the sender) where the heck that package was. Luckily the vendor refunded my money (4 months later). |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3649 Registered: Feb-07 | Hopefully you don't get soaked too badly by UPS. I ordered my McIntosh CDP from Arizona and they sent it UPS (and from what I recall, Latham NY was the crossing point). It sat in customs for a few days, but when it arrived I only paid about 200 CDN in UPS raping fees. Then again, the McIntosh is made in the USA and covered under NAFTA, so a lot of it was just tax I guess. |
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 823 Registered: Jul-07 | Latham should be the last stop before getting to whatever border crossing point it arrives at. Since its a used unit, not new, hopefully they'll take it easy on me. $200 on a Mc isn't bad really. I paid that on my Sierra's. I don't think it's a mathematical exercise. I swear they just spin a wheel. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3650 Registered: Feb-07 | I think you're right man. $200 on a 2k CDP wasn't bad at all. I was expecting a lot worse. And yeah, I think I paid more than that on my Sierras. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittIrvington, New York USA Post Number: 3689 Registered: May-05 | I used to work at the Latham, NY UPS loading tractor trailers. It's a suburb of Albany, which is no where near the Canadian border. Its about 3.5 hours away from Quebec and 5 hours to Ontario. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3651 Registered: Feb-07 | Do you know where they cross Stu? |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 14590 Registered: Dec-04 | It may actually go to Montreal via Burlington, Vermont. UPS has a big damage and pillaging center there at Mirabel, with International customs billers and agents, each of which was fired as weather prognosticators for having an accuracy rate lower than Buck Martinez's batting average in 1982. And the Canadian Gov't wasn't hiring. Thus UPS. Also see Angry Andy in the delivery van. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3652 Registered: Feb-07 | "Damage and Pillaging Center"? Does it say that on the sign out front? |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittIrvington, New York USA Post Number: 3690 Registered: May-05 | I think the Canadian bound stuff goes through Syracuse, NY for stuff coming from Northeastern USA. 'Cuse is one of the biggest UPS hubs in the country. We used to get sick of hearing how much more they worked than us. Latham is one of the busiest in the country too. Where they cross is speculation. I think the Canadian stuff went on the Syracuse truck, but I'm not sure. It was 16 years ago. I'm pretty sure the Canadian stuff didn't get loaded into the Burlington truck, which was the next one over to one of the trucks I loaded at one point. The guy who loaded that truck was a real piece of work. Great guy, so long as he was on your side. While I miss the characters I worked with, I don't miss that job at all, except the 2 times we went on strike. Imagine about 200 college age guys BBQing every night from 5-10 PM. We were required to stay outside during our normal shift times and picket. The only problem was the building is about a mile from the main street with no visibility. The strikes were justified though - We got mandatory assistance for lifting packages over 60 lbs. The previous limit was 100 lbs. While 60 lbs doesn't seem to bad to lift alone, try loading 50 in a row. It wasn't uncommon to have 100 packages that weighed 99 lbs in a row. People were getting hurt pretty consistently. The second strike was when they cut drivers' hours to 35/ week so they didn't have to pay them full time benefits like health insurance. I miss unions. Not ones that take advantage - there's way too many of those - but ones that stand up for employees and don't try to take advantage of the company. Now back to that Red Wine gear... |
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 824 Registered: Jul-07 | And the winner is....Lachine, QC. Waiting for brokerage clearance. For some reason this puts the package in an "Exception" status, which didn't give me the warm and fuzzies when I first checked the status. I was worried Angry Andy had struck again. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3653 Registered: Feb-07 | My McIntosh was in "Exception" status for a couple of days while waiting to clear customs. I eventually cleared without me having to do anything. |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 2987 Registered: Jun-07 | lol We bring stuff up through UPS Trade Direct in Clayton NY. Custom free. About 50-60 big pieces every week. Usually if its sitting in Exception, like David said, it will sit for 2-4 days. I would love to hear some Red Wine Audio. Congrats Chris, great buy man. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittIrvington, New York USA Post Number: 3691 Registered: May-05 | Whatever happened to NAFTA? Isn't made in USA stuff supposed to be able to go to Canada (and Mexico) without duties, tariffs, etc. and vice-versa? I understand clearing customs to verify what's being sent is legit. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3655 Registered: Feb-07 | We still have to pay taxes on the stuff. |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 2989 Registered: Jun-07 | Yup, Duty taxes. We have a UPS account through Clayton where we bring stuff across for free...weeeeee. Anything I buy from the States I just have them ship there then have work bring it up. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3656 Registered: Feb-07 | Good setup you got there Nick. Next time I order something hefty from the States I'm giving you a holler. |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 2990 Registered: Jun-07 | lol sounds fine by me David. I will drive it down to hear the Totems.  |
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 826 Registered: Jul-07 | Delivery date now says today (19th), with a status of "On Time". It would be sweet if it showed up here today but I won't hold my breath. |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 2991 Registered: Jun-07 | I hope you get it today Chris. Very nice piece. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3657 Registered: Feb-07 | You waiting at home today? |
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 827 Registered: Jul-07 | No, I'm getting it delivered here at work. I live out in a very rural area, so it's a day or two quicker to have it delivered here in Halifax.....where they can actually find me. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3658 Registered: Feb-07 | Good plan. Nothing sucks like coming home and finding that slip on your door - and having to wait another day. One time I went to the Fed-Ex depot at the airport and did all the customs stuff myself instead of waiting. Won't ever do that again. |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 2993 Registered: Jun-07 | LOL!!! |
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 829 Registered: Jul-07 | No joy today. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3659 Registered: Feb-07 | My condolences. |
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Platinum Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 12169 Registered: Feb-05 | Not good.... |
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Gold Member Username: My_rantzGold CoastAustralia Post Number: 2951 Registered: Nov-05 | Have a red wine tonight instead, Chris! Waiting is always the hard part. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3669 Registered: Feb-07 | What say Chris? How's the Red Wine? |
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Platinum Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 12214 Registered: Feb-05 | .........? |
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 833 Registered: Jul-07 | UPS changes the re-scheduled delivery date nightly, so of course this morning it again says it's scheduled for delivery today. However the latest scan says it was in Dieppe, NB last evening...which is only a few hours away. As long as it's here for the weekend, undamaged, I'll be happy. |
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Platinum Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 12216 Registered: Feb-05 | Waiting is hell ain't it? I'm waiting on my Clearaudio now... |
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 834 Registered: Jul-07 | Just delivered. I'll be able to set it up tonight when I get home. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3677 Registered: Feb-07 | Awesome! |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 14621 Registered: Dec-04 | looking forward to thoughts and impressions, CH |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 14638 Registered: Dec-04 | Chris, where is the news? I tried to PM you, but it failed? jmacaulay3@hotmail.com email me |
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Gold Member Username: My_rantzGold CoastAustralia Post Number: 2976 Registered: Nov-05 | He can't pull himself away from it. |
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 835 Registered: Jul-07 | Sorry for the delay with an update. I've been swamped with work and have only had a couple of hours to listen to the RWA amp. So far there is little to fault as it's veeerry smooth, composed, absolutely no grain or glare, and of course a dead black background. That blackness allows an amazing amount of detail to emerge without the least hint of a tipped up treble or upper midrange. At first it does seem as if the treble is rolled off a bit, but when you listen carefully you can hear cymbals and other high frequency instruments perfectly....it's just made available so effortlessly. It actually takes a bit to get your head around what you're hearing. Very different presentation to my VA tube amp. This amp doesn't WOW me with the Sierra's though like it did with the Omega's. It just doesn't have the same life and energy. Truth is though that the speed of the Omega's is a totally different presentation than that of a 2-way standmount with long-throw woofer that the Sierra's is. It's not a surprise to me at all, and expected that a speaker change would be required to get the most out of the amp. Synergy's the thing, as always. Nuck, I sent you a PM. |
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Gold Member Username: My_rantzGold CoastAustralia Post Number: 2982 Registered: Nov-05 | Good write up. Sounds nice, Chris. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3682 Registered: Feb-07 | Good stuff Chris. I'm glad you're happy with it. I suspected the Sierras wouldn't be a winning combo with this amp. They're relatively low sensitivity and seem to like a lot of power. I'm driving mine with a 3B and they sing with that. Please post some pics when you get a chance! |
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Platinum Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 12250 Registered: Feb-05 | Interesting so far, Chris. Looking forward to more updates. |
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 843 Registered: Jul-07 | Although I still haven't had a lot of time in front of the amp, I've got enough to get a pretty good read on it. The first listen or two wasn't all that helpful, as the amp had not been used in a while (not sure how long) and then had been in transit during the winter. I left it in it's box after delivery until I got it home, and even after 7 hours sitting indoors, it was still pretty cold when I unpacked it. I left it for another couple of hours before plugging it in and letting the batteries top up. When I first turned it on and later played the first few tunes, it was entirely unimpressive. It improved a bit after an hour or so, but still rather closed in sounding. The next evening was much better, and after the first extended listen on Friday night it was sounding terrific. I chalked up the slow start to the unit sitting idle. I also confused the issue a bit by swapping power cords to the Minimax cdp. I thought that my more expensive Black Sand cable that I was using with my tube amp would be better on the cdp than the Audio Limits cable that I was currently using with it. Wrong. Once I switched back things really started to sing. I have to say first that the Vista Audio amp it replaces is a flat out bargain. That became even more clear the more I listened to the RWA amp at 3 times its price. For its $900 price tag, and with another $200 thrown in to upgrade the tubes, you get very good results. There may be integrated amps in that price range that out do it, but I haven't heard them. It has grunt, gets the midrange right, and particularly with the acoustic, jazz, folk, and lighter pop/rock material, it has very few (and minor) nits to pick. The new WLM amps are built by the same company, and they are extremely well reviewed.....but of course the price is triple. When compared against the RWA amp, the differences are in two main areas. The first is transparency. The RWA amp opens up another layer of detail, but at the same time is less forward. The VA amp could be a touch forward on some material. Not so with the Red Wine amp. This amp just seems to open up a window to the recording. It's more like a barrier is removed than the recording is pushed to you. I haven't had the opportunity to have a listening session of more than a couple of hours yet, but I expect you could listen all day long without ever getting that "I've had enough" feeling. The second main improvement is in overall refinement. Tonally it gets things more right. No glare, no ambiguity, zero grain. Harmonically rich tones from piano, saxophone, vibes, cymbals, trumpet....all instruments that can uncover weak spots in your equipment or setup. The music flows effortlessly. I'm not quite getting the speed I want but until I replace the Sierra's that is about what I expected. The Sierra's do many things well, and a few things very well, but their main fault in my books is they lack the speed that is demanded to portray all the subtleties of the music, and to get leading edges right from top to bottom of the frequency spectrum. I couldn't quite put my finger on that until I heard a speaker that excelled in that department. It's the part that makes the music entirely real and believable. Now the trick will be to find a speaker that keeps all of the Sierra's good points, and then adds this element. Any suggestions are welcomed. I've got a shortlist in mind but I doubt I've considered all options. Functionally the amp is about as easy to operate as it gets. It has two controls. One to turn it on/off, and one for volume. That's it. Luckily mine also has the remote control for volume control so I've enjoyed that (my VA amp doesn't have a remote). When you turn it on you hear a little "click" as it disconnects from the grid. When you turn it off the "charge" light glows if you've had the amp on for more than an hour or so. Now, the fact that it has only one input is likely an issue for some, but long term I can get a preamp and use the 30.2 as a power amp, so that's not a concern for me. Another nice bonus is you don't need to worry about a fancy power cord, since it has a special SMART charger which charges the internal batteries when the unit is off. No other power cord can be used. All in all I'm a happy camper. I never would have spent the money for a new one, so I'm grateful to have found one in near perfect condition for a very good price. |
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 844 Registered: Jul-07 | One other interesting thing I forgot to mention. The amp warms up in about 3 songs. No need to power it on and wait for things to warm up to sound good. It sounds great right away, and doesn't get noticeably better after a song or two. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittIrvington, New York USA Post Number: 3708 Registered: May-05 | I'm glad its working out for you. I guess it was more than worth the wait. Vinnie Rossi is very active on the Red Wime forum on AudioCircle. If you need more inputs, I'm sure he's got a suggestion or two or may even be willing to put something together for you. I remember someone asked him about a headphone amp/DAC combo, and he made some. That's the kind of guy he seems to be. As far as speakers go, I really like my Audio Physic Yaras. Track down a dealer if you can. They may be what you're looking for. They're pretty easy to drive, which helps with your amp's 30 wpc rating. |
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Platinum Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 12277 Registered: Feb-05 | Nice write up, Chris. Nice comparison to the amp it replaced. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3709 Registered: Feb-07 | The Red Wine amp looks like it's designed for one purpose - to sound really, really good. The lack of multiple inputs for me would not be an issue. |
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Gold Member Username: My_rantzGold CoastAustralia Post Number: 2998 Registered: Nov-05 | It sounds great Chris - good write up. |
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 845 Registered: Jul-07 | David, the only issue with the one inputs for me at the moment is a brief cable swap when I want to spin a LP on the Rega. Not a big deal but I'd rather not have to do it. I'm thinking the Isabella pre with dac might be the ticket down the road. It would seem to make the most sense, although I've read at least two reviews of the Minimax pre paired with the 30.2 with excellent results. It would be significantly less expensive than the RWA piece, but no dac option. Stu, yes I've gone through many of the threads on the Audio Circle community for RWA and found many speaker suggestions. Vinnie sells the WLM gear now, so that's obviously something he thinks matches very well. Every other brand under the sun is mentioned in the speaker threads. People claim that everything from Hornshoppe horns to Harbeths to Gallos all work fine and dandy. The most common combinations though seem to be Omega, Devore Fidelity, and Zu. I've heard a set of Omega's and like them an awful lot. I've yet to hear anything from the Devore or Zu line. My room is smallish (12x14) and I don't play music loudly, so I don't want something that will overwhelm the room, or me. |
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Gold Member Username: My_rantzGold CoastAustralia Post Number: 3001 Registered: Nov-05 | If that's the case Chris, I'd definitely look at the Zu line - among others of course. Trouble is there are so many contenders including the above mentioned. The other thing is - is there a cable to satisfy both sources? |
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 846 Registered: Jul-07 | "The other thing is - is there a cable to satisfy both sources?" What I've been doing is unhooking the Zu cable from the cdp, and hooking up the Kimber lead from the phono amp. Of the two interconnects I preferred the Zu with the cdp, but I don't recall testing both to the phono amp. I think I just used the Kimber PBJ cable because it was the best cable I had that wasn't in use. I should really flip the Zu cable over sometime and see what is different (better or worse) compared to the Kimber with the TT. And yes, the Zu's are very high on my list. The next time I'm in the Toronto area, I'll be giving them a listen. Nuck pointed me to the dealer who carries them. From the many reviews I've read, they seem to align very well to what I'm looking for. But, until you've heard them for yourself..... I'm not in any hurry. Things sound plenty good as they are. All things in time. |
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Platinum Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 12280 Registered: Feb-05 | Other than from professional reviewers I've heard nothing but bad things about Zu speakers. I don't have any experience with them myself. If you have a small room and don't play music loudly I would recommend finding a used pair of DeVore Fidelity Gibbon 3's. Try not to pay more than you turn them around for, just in case they aren't your cup. John doesn't make these anymore but they are an excellent small standmount speaker. If you could afford it the 3XL is a fabulous speaker! |
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 851 Registered: Jul-07 | Thanks for the advice. One speaker brand I can demo locally that may be a good fit is Reference 3a. Perhaps a pair of De Capo's. Only 1 capacitor as a high-pass xover to the tweeter. Very easy to drive. Certainly very well written up, although the Stereophile measurements weren't impressive. |
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Platinum Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 12290 Registered: Feb-05 | Easy to drive is the key to bliss with nearly any amp. The DeCapo's are well thought of in our hobby. |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 14685 Registered: Dec-04 | Measurements do not have ears. These are simple speakers that can really sing. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittIrvington, New York USA Post Number: 3711 Registered: May-05 | Zu speakers seem to be pretty polarizing. I haven't heard them personally. I have heard very good things from users, and not so good things too. I'd really like to hear a little bit about the differences between the Zu cables and Kimbers if possible. Which models are you using? |
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 853 Registered: Jul-07 | Stu, Kimbers are the PBJ's, Zu's are the Gede's. I found the Gede's better in almost every way when used with my old amp. I haven't tried the PBJ's on the same source with the RWA amp yet. I found the PBJ's a tad brittle or grainy in the treble, especially the top 3 octaves on a piano. The Gede's sweeten that up considerably, and also seemed generally more transparent. The Gede's also have threaded rca ends that really make a nice connection. When you want them off you can loosen them first so you're not reefing on the connectors on the amp to get the d@mn things off. The PBJ's are hard to remove....which probably means a good connection....I just don't like how hard they are to get off. |
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Platinum Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 12297 Registered: Feb-05 | The PBJ's are pretty much bottom of the line Kimber and they sound bottom of the line. Even the Timbre sounds markedly better. At the $100 buck level the Analysis Plus Oval One and vdH The Name are pretty good. The vdH grew on me after a while. |
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 910 Registered: Jul-07 | When I had found out that this amp had been unused for a while, I was wondering whether the batteries might fail me once I started using it again. Sure enough. Over the last couple of weeks I've been able to listen to less and less music before the amp clicks off. I checked in with Vinnie and he said it was the charger detecting the voltage dropping below critical and so it turns the unit off for charging. So I ordered a set of batteries for it on Monday and they arrived today. Pretty cheap @ $30 each. It took be only 30 minutes to desolder the old batteries and install the new ones. They are charging now. Life expectancy is 3-5 years assuming the charger is left attached at all times. Kind of like replacing tubes every so often. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3801 Registered: Feb-07 | So was it because the amp was left off with the charger not hooked up? |
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 911 Registered: Jul-07 | I guess. With the charger attached, it always trickle charges to keep the battery topped up. If you run the amp for a few hours the charge light comes on and it pumps the juice to the batteries to charge them back up, and then goes back into trickle charge mode (charge light goes out). If you leave lead acid batteries off of the charger, or worse still, with the charger attached and not plugged in, the batteries will slowly drain out. Lead acid batteries don't like being drained beyond a certain limit. It's hard on them, especially if they're older. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3942 Registered: Feb-07 | How's the Red Wine treating you these days Chris? |
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Platinum Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 12735 Registered: Feb-05 | Hopefully like a fine Pinot Noir... |
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Silver Member Username: HawkbillyNova Scotia Canada Post Number: 921 Registered: Jul-07 | Lovin' it Dave. The thing just flat out makes music. Incredible transparency, with an ease and musical honesty that makes it a joy to listen to. The more I listen to it (and the Lings together) the more I like it. I guess the ultimate compliment is that I've spent a fair amount of time lately shopping for new tunes, and zero time thinking about (or shopping for) new components. Great support from Vinnie to. If I ever had any issues with it, I have no doubt he'd look after me. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 3944 Registered: Feb-07 | Thats awesome Chris. That's when you know when you found a winner - when the urge to constantly upgrade goes away and you just listen to the music. |
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