[PFKMan23]

Quote:

Originally Posted by alex_cs sacd lover with the new SE's tht apparently autobias, is it as simple as putting in the regular tubes and the amp will adjust?

Yes.

 

[BrianS]

Stangs, just ask him what you ordered. He's honest.

 

[rshdhead]

I recieved MPX3 SE this morning, plugged the power in and waited for 1 hr. to warm up tubes. Then I briefly played some musics on it with GS1000.

RA1 seems more analytical and SE is more powerful in bass. If I boosted bass for RA1, then its bass is close to SE. Everything else is not obviously different to me. I will let it warm up more and have another set of tubes to try. I think tube rolling is simply the old way of EQ which sounds cheap today because it is virtually free. But EQ is way more sophisticated and powerful than swapping tubes.

My initial impression of SE is so so considering its price/size.

 

[sonance]

An honest first opinion - remember this amp isn't even broken in yet. Even if you don't prescribe to the benefits of burn-in, the real trick with superior performance in audio products is when you give yourself enough time to truly get used to the sound of a piece of equipment (say a week of frequent listening) and only then swap it out for a different component. That's when you really feel the difference. Constant swapping will just confuse, give one component some uninterrupted attention for a while, and then finally try the swap out. Big differences in the levels of highs / mids / lows are the first thing to stand out (basically EQ differences), but then smaller differences in detail, texture , tonality, instrument separation and soundstaging will start to emerge.

High end audio is all about the "little" things.

 

[luvdunhill]

rshdhead:

don't be disappointed if you find the tube rolling "EQ" effect very subtle

 

[rshdhead]

For a more than $2000 HP amp, I want to hear signicantly improvement over RA1 with simple and straight audition. It must be just as simple as SR80 vs RS1. Or at very least SR325 vs RS1. I want to enjoy musics instead of analyzing little differeces among amps. That is not my hobby.

However, it is a little too soon to say much. I will play with SE for a few more days and then decide to keep it or not.

 

[sacd lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rshdhead For a more than $2000 HP amp, I want to hear signicantly improvement over RA1 with simple and straight audition. It must be just as simple as SR80 vs RS1. Or at very least SR325 vs RS1. I want to enjoy musics instead of analyzing little differeces among amps. That is not my hobby. However, it is a little too soon to say much. I will play with SE for a few more days and then decide to keep it or not.

Just curious ... what are you using for your source?

 

[rshdhead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sacd lover Just curious ... what are you using for your source?

Mostly EMU1820M. occasionally Pioneer Elite 45A for SACD.

 

[augustwest]

". . . . the real trick with superior performance in audio products is when you give yourself enough time to truly get used to the sound of a piece of equipment (say a week of frequent listening) and only then swap it out for a different component. That's when you really feel the difference. Constant swapping will just confuse, give one component some uninterrupted attention for a while, and then finally try the swap out."

Heed this advice, it is spot on. Initial impressions can sometime be very deceiving.

happy listening, best wishes!

- augustwest

 

[tyrion]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rshdhead I recieved MPX3 SE this morning, plugged the power in and waited for 1 hr. to warm up tubes. Then I briefly played some musics on it with GS1000. RA1 seems more analytical and SE is more powerful in bass. If I boosted bass for RA1, then its bass is close to SE. Everything else is not obviously different to me. I will let it warm up more and have another set of tubes to try. I think tube rolling is simply the old way of EQ which sounds cheap today because it is virtually free. But EQ is way more sophisticated and powerful than swapping tubes. My initial impression of SE is so so considering its price/size.

You need to give it more time. The advice quoted by Augustwest is something to consider.

 

[rshdhead]

I have listened to RS1/GS1000/HD650 with MPX3 SLAM in the weekend intensively. 6SN7 is more balanced than 5687which enhances the lower freq. smoothly. Personally I like 6SN7 better.

There is a new DVD/CD from Yanni released a few days ago. The "standing in motion" was recomposed to a much more dramatical way as an "overture" in classical musics. Trumpet, violin and, horn sharply sound out at prefect time in turn. They used 120 channels to capture every sounds in the studio, and then mix together later on to produce such stunning, enchanting, and punching sound quality.

So I have used this DVD a lot of time to test MPX3 SLAM and compare with other amps that I have. SLAM makes GS1000/HD65 sound very very rich, powerful, detailed while each phone maintains their own signature. It seems a perfect amp. Then I switched to other amps(much cheaper). But sadly they sound similarly good too to me, except RA1 is somewhat weaker in power and not so rich but quite detailed. I have tested them in long term, changing amp for every 30 mins and short term at certain hot spot, less than a min.

I think I am hopless. My ears do not deserve such expensive amp.

 

[PaulDB]

Trust your own ears, and I'd do same to mine.

That said, did you give all the amps enough time for break-in? Did you take care to make sure your source/material is good enough (no offense).

It's quite possible some lower priced competitions can sound as good with SOME HEADPHONES. Me, I am quite happy with my MPX3 SE dual functioning as preamp/headamp. Build quality and endless tube rolling possibilities will give me years of musical enjoyment to come. I've been on and off affair with tubes, but only with SP amps I find a solidly happy marriage between tubes and power supply. And what an ever growing tube choice! I will embrace tubes for their souls, but that's just me.

 

[rshdhead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulDB Trust your own ears, and I'd do same to mine. That said, did you give all the amps enough time for break-in? Did you take care to make sure your source/material is good enough (no offense). It's quite possible some lower priced competitions can sound as good with SOME HEADPHONES. Me, I am quite happy with my MPX3 SE dual functioning as preamp/headamp. Build quality and endless tube rolling possibilities will give me years of musical enjoyment to come. I've been on and off affair with tubes, but only with SP amps I find a solidly happy marriage between tubes and power supply. And what an ever growing tube choice! I will embrace tubes for their souls, but that's just me.

My source is fine(EMU1820M/Pioneer Elite 45A). I can clearly hear difference between SR325/RS1 which are similar. What my humble expectation is just something like SR325 vs RS1. I dont expect difference from HD650 with MP3 vs real amp. I can more or less sense the sound quality from MPX3 SLAM is better. It is clear better than RA1 to me but not others(from $100 to $400 made in Taiwan). I guess RA1 is a little too old need to be updated.

 

[909]

Congrats to those new MPX3 owners. Such a great amp and dig that piano black high-gloss finish. During my time with the MPX3 (not the slam) I thought quality NOS tubes made a huge difference for the better. When I put in those two NOS 6SN7s Sylvanias and one black glass Ken-Rad the MPX3 really came to life. I assume the same holds true if you were to use/sample some NOS slam (5687s) tubes. sacd lover knows what's good and could point you in the right direction.

 

[Hi-Finthen]

The hype train is loosing some steam here ;-}