[mhamel]

Skylab - Would you share some more impressions of the D7000 with the CSP-2? How is the low-end? I'll be ordering the D7000 in the next few weeks and will be looking for an amp to go along with it. I've been doing a ton of reading... narrowing choices down, but still going back-and-forth on a few things.

In addition to the D7000, it would be sharing time with my Beyers (DT990/250).

Thanks,
-Mike

 

[minimus]

So, my Singlepower Extreme epoch seems to be coming to a disappointing end. I sent it to Bolder Cable last September, was told by Wayne that he could either throw the amp out for me or he could rebuild it from scratch. I chose to have him rebuild it but it was returned to me with an annoying tube hiss that wasn't present when it left my hands. My rebuilt Singlepower is back at Bolder, where Wayne is trying to lower the noise floor, but his silence on the matter in the last few weeks has me worried that the tube hiss is here to stay and that the amp is really now best suited for high impedance headphones, not the DX1000s I use.

So now I am on the market for a new tube amp. I use the DX1000s exclusively and have narrowed my choices down to the CSP-2 and the Zana Deux. For some reason, Woo and RSA don't appeal to me, possibly because they seem expensive for what you get.

Aside from the fact that the Zana Deux is about three times more expensive than the CSP-2, does anyone have any thoughts on the relative merits of these two amps before I pull the trigger on one of them? Is the CSP-2, with proper NOS tubes, going to sound as great with the DX1000s as the Singlepower Extreme did in its glory days? Or should I just shell out the extra cash and hope the Zana Deux is as good with the DX1000s as everyone says it is with Sennheisers and Grados?

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Skylab]

Quote:

Originally Posted by markm1111 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I know its a little off topic, but as I am about to purchase a csp-2, I'd like to know where are the best places to by tubes from. I am in Australia, so currency conversion and shipping can make ebay not as attractive as an online store. Also, thanks Skylab for such a great thread and all of your other review threads - it has helped me enormously in working out what will best suit my needs

Thanks for your kind words

I can't help with where to get tubes in AUS, but you can get nice tubes at a great price from Antique Electronic Supply and Vacuum Tubes Radio Tubes - 5,000 different tubes in stock - Over 10 million tubes! - if you want the best of what either has to offer, you heed to call them, though.



Quote:

Originally Posted by mhamel /img/forum/go_quote.gif Skylab - Would you share some more impressions of the D7000 with the CSP-2? How is the low-end? I'll be ordering the D7000 in the next few weeks and will be looking for an amp to go along with it. I've been doing a ton of reading... narrowing choices down, but still going back-and-forth on a few things. In addition to the D7000, it would be sharing time with my Beyers (DT990/250). Thanks, -Mike

I know the CSP-2 really shouldn't be an ideal match for the D7000 due to the slightly high output impedance (it is specified as simply "less than 60 ohms"). But I find the CSP-2 and D7000 to sound excellent together. The low end is great (bot with my J$ Pads, not overpowering), and the mids don't seem even slightly recessed. The CSP-2 has a very extended treble but without any aggression, which suits the D7000 well.



Quote:

Originally Posted by minimus /img/forum/go_quote.gif So, my Singlepower Extreme epoch seems to be coming to a disappointing end. I sent it to Bolder Cable last September, was told by Wayne that he could either throw the amp out for me or he could rebuild it from scratch. I chose to have him rebuild it but it was returned to me with an annoying tube hiss that wasn't present when it left my hands. My rebuilt Singlepower is back at Bolder, where Wayne is trying to lower the noise floor, but his silence on the matter in the last few weeks has me worried that the tube hiss is here to stay and that the amp is really now best suited for high impedance headphones, not the DX1000s I use. So now I am on the market for a new tube amp. I use the DX1000s exclusively and have narrowed my choices down to the CSP-2 and the Zana Deux. For some reason, Woo and RSA don't appeal to me, possibly because they seem expensive for what you get. Aside from the fact that the Zana Deux is about three times more expensive than the CSP-2, does anyone have any thoughts on the relative merits of these two amps before I pull the trigger on one of them? Is the CSP-2, with proper NOS tubes, going to sound as great with the DX1000s as the Singlepower Extreme did in its glory days? Or should I just shell out the extra cash and hope the Zana Deux is as good with the DX1000s as everyone says it is with Sennheisers and Grados? Any advice would be appreciated.

I have never heard the Zana with the DX1000, and while I always thought the Zana sounded great when I heard it at meets, I did not think it sounded any better than the CSP-2, although this was hardly a conclusive or thorough comparison.

But what the CSP-2 really brings to the party is high-end tube sound at a reasonably price, IMO.

 

[tdogzthmn]

I heard this amp at a local meet-up and thought it sounded fantastic. I would like to know if anyone has tried it with a K702 and if it was an agreeable match. I think I am partial to the sound of tube amps and want a good one to pair with my K702.

 

[davidross]

Has anyone been using the ER 4S with the CSP2? At 100 ohms, the 4S' impedance is on the low side though not exceptionally low so I wonder whether this is a good match (I've become addicted to the ER 4 over several years of use and am now very much attracted to the CSP2).

 

[jdmoorman]

The ER4s works great with the CSP2 - the best my ER4s have ever sounded. Dreamy spacious detail. No hum - dead quiet in silent passages.

 

[dukja]

I am very interested in CSP-2 for my DT880/600. And happen to bump into another amp Trafomatic Experience Head One.

I wonder anyone may help on the comparison of these two. I prefer a little distant soundstage presentation.

Many thanks!

Edit: Kees just point out my mis-understanding. So CSP-2 is OTL and Trafomatic is OPT. Still, I wonder if anyone have heard both of these. thanks!

 

[dukja]

@Skylab

I would appreciate some comparison of CSP-2 and balanced Phoenix, especially on the soundstage presentation. I know it may not be fair comparison (SE vs bal). However, recently I realized that my preference on a little bit distant presentation. Phoenix's presentation is to my liking so I would like to use it as a reference line.

Also, how does the focusing (positioning of each instrument) capability of CSP-2 comparing to Phoenix?

Many thanks for your help!

 

[Skylab]

I definitely would NOT define the CSP-2 as having a distant presentation. The CSP-2 is not a "tubey" tube amp - and it has a vividness to the midrange that I find very appealing, but that is definitely not "distant". The Phoenix is a bit dark; the CSP-2 is neither dark not bright, but does have a very slight richness to mids that gives the sound a little lushness, and this is not something I personally equate with "distant". I don't really think of the Phoenix as sounding exactly distant either, but it does have a bit of a darkness to the sound, and as such I certainly wouldn't describe it as "forward" sounding.

I'm not sure if that really helped at all...

 

[dukja]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skylab /img/forum/go_quote.gif I definitely would NOT define the CSP-2 as having a distant presentation. The CSP-2 is not a "tubey" tube amp - and it has a vividness to the midrange that I find very appealing, but that is definitely not "distant". The Phoenix is a bit dark; the CSP-2 is neither dark not bright, but does have a very slight richness to mids that gives the sound a little lushness, and this is not something I personally equate with "distant". I don't really think of the Phoenix as sounding exactly distant either, but it does have a bit of a darkness to the sound, and as such I certainly wouldn't describe it as "forward" sounding. I'm not sure if that really helped at all...

Many thanks to your reply and impression, Skylab!

But I probably did not express my self well (maybe use the wrong term), so please bear with me.

The distance or position of the instruments was my question, not the frequency spectrum characteristic. For example, the saxophone may sound a little too close to me with my HP100 (do you call it forward?) and I found it is placed farther away from me with Phoenix, which I prefer (and I thought this is called "distant").

And does CSP-2 put the main/solo instruments closer to the listener (comparing to Phoenix)? Or does tube amp generally do so comparing to SS? This will help me to decide which next amp I will get.

I'll appreciate your or others' further comments.

 

[Skylab]

Well that is something I would have to listen to carefully side by side to determine, as I had not thought to compare the two in that way before, and unfortunately I am not able to do that currently. I will try to compare the two in that way at some point in the future, but maybe someone else can comment.

 

[dukja]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skylab /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well that is something I would have to listen to carefully side by side to determine, as I had not thought to compare the two in that way before, and unfortunately I am not able to do that currently. I will try to compare the two in that way at some point in the future, but maybe someone else can comment.

Thank you for your help. I'll wait until you have some chance.

HP100 is my home system and Phoenix is at my office. So it took me a while to realize that. It happened that saxophone in one song was a little too forward to me and triggered my intention to check.

 

[Duckman]

Skylab, I wonder if you might comment on the bass of the CSP2 through the T1. I'm fairly interested in trying this amp, but was just a bit doubtful when you mentioned that the bass of the CSP2 was a little less controlled than your Singlepower. The T1 seem to have a very slight bass emphasis, and I wondered if the two may not be perfectly suited.

BTW I also believe that, in all probability, my doubts are not justified

 

[Skylab]

I've used the T1 extensively with the CSP-2 and with my (modified/repaired) SP Extreme, and the bass presentation is pretty similar, actually. The CSP-2 sounds excellent with the T1 IMHO (using Mullard 2492's and a Sylvania 5Y3G).

 

[Duckman]

Thanks for that reassurance.

Would it be possible for someone to elaborate on the detail levels? My SPL Auditor gives a tremendous amount of ambient information and throws a very wide soundstage, which is excellent for acoustic recordings. I wonder how the CSP2 fares in this area.

I've noticed that those Mullards are around $130 each at tubedepot. Is that their real value?