[michaelvv]

Hi budx3385.
 
Great to hear that you are so satisfied with the Shuguang 2a3c-t. According to all the POST regards this tube I could
find, and that's quite few, your have the most inspiring.
I suppose you have the same set, so reliability should not be an issue.
 
Are you listening to a wider range of different music, on these tubes  ??
 
Or is your music taste more into certain catagories ???
 
Which brand of driver tube, are you Using. I Like the OLD STOCK way better than the new (Tung-sol TJ Full Music) I have listened to. 
 
Excuse me, but I'm very curious
 

 
PS! A picture of my 2a3 AMP from my friend, he is a danish tube builder. Without any coupling caps (DC) in the signal path.
 
/Michael.

 

[magiccabbage]

  Hi budx3385.
 
Great to hear that you are so satisfied with the Shuguang 2a3c-t. According to all the POST regards this tube I could
find, and that's quite few, your have the most inspiring.
I suppose you have the same set, so reliability should not be an issue.
 
Are you listening to a wider range of different music, on these tubes  ??
 
Or is your music taste more into certain catagories ???
 
Which brand of driver tube, are you Using. I Like the OLD STOCK way better than the new (Tung-sol TJ Full Music) I have listened to. 
 
Excuse me, but I'm very curious
 

 
PS! A picture of my 2a3 AMP from my friend, he is a danish tube builder. Without any coupling caps (DC) in the signal path.
 
/Michael.

Wow that is one of the nicest amps that i have ever seen. Where did you get that from? Is it a DIY build. Does he have a website??

 

[Frihed89]

Yes, the HD800s have improved.  The horrible sound i first heard was probably due to the substitution of new coupling caps in the Stratus.  I was told that they would take many, many hours to break in.  I was not a big believer in break in before this experience because all of my previous experience seemed to indicate that the changes were small, if audible.  In this case, the changes have been very audible.and the improvements marked.  But, based on discussions with other equipment owners who have substituted these same caps into amplifiers as coupling caps, I am told that i still have several hundred hours to go!
 
Since the most heavily affected area by the break in has been the treble and soundstage (channel separation), I hesitate to comment further, except to say - again - that there have been large improvements from a very poor beginning.
 
The PIO caps that Donald uses are excellent.  I liked everything about them, but "time never sleeps" and i was daring (or foolish) enough to take the plunge with another set of caps.  Had I the known what I would experience, I might have tried simply to upgrade to a better Jensen PIO, since I think PIO caps are just what this amp needs and that the silver impregnated mylar in oil caps that i substituted are perhaps too "linear" for my liking, but only time will tell.  
 
Finally, I want to add that this experience has in no way limited my appreciation of the K-701s (also Moon cabled, but a long time ago). These are excellent headphones on all the classical music i listen to, from Baroque and modern string quartets, to Mozart, to Sibelius and Bruckner symphonies.  They also do a fantastic job with male baritone pop vocals - which I love - Leonard Cohen, Bill Callahan, Howie Gelb, etc., and with all kinds of solo guitar music from Tony Rice to Julian Bream.   
 
If you try to outguess Donald on components, be careful.  While he emphasizes that he had to accept certain tradeoffs between sound quality and cost in his component selection, my experience is that he didn't compromise that much on sound quality.   

 

[michaelvv]

Hi magiccabbage.
..
 
Yes but unfortunately only in danish : http://www.audio-classic.dk/
 
/Michael

 

[Frihed89]

  Hi magiccabbage.
..
 
Yes but unfortunately only in danish : http://www.audio-classic.dk/
 
/Michael

I just took a quick look.  He has some interesting stuff for reasonable (in Denmark) prices.  If he is willing to export, then take off the danish moms (which is 25%!), but add the shipping.  (For a 20kg amp that would be $250-$265).  The exchange rate is about 5.6DKK/USD.  Best to call. You can be sure he speaks English.  Denmark is +6 hours from east coast time, +9 from the west coast.  Skype is your friend.

 

[michaelvv]

  I just took a quick look.  He has some interesting stuff for reasonable (in Denmark) prices.  If he is willing to export, then take off the danish moms (which is 25%!), but add the shipping.  (For a 20kg amp that would be $250-$265).  The exchange rate is about 5.6DKK/USD.  Best to call. You can be sure he speaks English.  Denmark is +6 hours from east coast time, +9 from the west coast.  Skype is your friend.

 
Hi...
 
He has customers in Norway, Sweden so why not other EU countries.
I mention it for him, and he was quite positive.
 
I've had added some better components from Hifi Collective, RCA, tube Sockets and Posts.
 
He's quite flexible in this way.
 
Just expect some delivery time, ca 2 month, because they are all hand build.
 
/Michael.

 

[Frihed89]

I see magiccabbage is in Ireland.  I'm not sure how that works with the high danish VAT (moms).  The shipping will be much less.

 

[michaelvv]

  I see magiccabbage is in Ireland.  I'm not sure how that works with the high danish VAT (moms).  The shipping will be much less.

 
Hi...
 
Not sure regards the VAT ( moms ), and I can see the shipping price with POST Denmark is 670 Kr for up to 20 Kg.
Which is ca 120 USD. Quite expensive but of cause we're in Denmark...
 
/Michael

 

[michaelvv]

  I see magiccabbage is in Ireland.  I'm not sure how that works with the high danish VAT (moms).  The shipping will be much less.

 
Hi Again.
 
Sales to private persons, not companies, shall pay VAT ( moms ).
Checked it on this danish webpage. Link here : http://startvaekst.dk/moms-ved-handel-i-eu
 
/Michael.

 

[Audio Jester]

Does anyone use TH900's with their Stratus? Do they pair well?

 

[froger]

Does anyone use TH900's with their Stratus? Do they pair well?

I remember reading about Donald enjoying the pairing so much that he bought the TH900 shortly after hearing them.

 

[Audioclyde]

Talked with Donald this morning and my Stratus is finished and on its way; supposed to be here on Friday.  I'm no longer dreading the cold, dreary weather that is supposed to find its way to Oklahoma this weekend!!
 
Randy

 

[magiccabbage]

  Talked with Donald this morning and my Stratus is finished and on its way; supposed to be here on Friday.  I'm no longer dreading the cold, dreary weather that is supposed to find its way to Oklahoma this weekend!!
 
Randy

lucky man! do me a favor and take loads of pictures please? There are practically no pics of this amp. Probably less than 60 on the web.  

 

[santacore]

  Talked with Donald this morning and my Stratus is finished and on its way; supposed to be here on Friday.  I'm no longer dreading the cold, dreary weather that is supposed to find its way to Oklahoma this weekend!!
 
Randy

Thing will warm up nicely soon. Welcome to the club!

 

[cradon]

  Talked with Donald this morning and my Stratus is finished and on its way; supposed to be here on Friday.  I'm no longer dreading the cold, dreary weather that is supposed to find its way to Oklahoma this weekend!!
 
Randy

Sweet! Mine should be any day as well.