[Ableza]

My favorite Tube tops...



You'll thank me for sparing you the Tube bottoms...

Don’t touch me there.

 

[corndog71]

So I got my Mani 2 and have listened to just a couple of albums so far. It sounds very good! Bass definition is excellent and one of the first things I noticed. I didnt need to flip any switches. I did find one minor manufacturing defect: The banana jack ground lug is loose. It just needs to be tightened on the inside. I have a Rega P25 which uses fancy Neutrik Profi connectors. These connect the ground first on the rca jacks when plugged in. This is a stock feature of the P25 along with low capacitance output cables and no separate ground lead. So the loose ground lug doesn’t apply to me but @Jason Stoddard may want to give someone a raised eyebrow. Regardless, I still give it a thumbs up.

I never had the previous Mani so I can’t compare there. Lately I’ve been using the built in phono preamp on my Bryston integrated amp. I paid an extra $400 for that option 22 years ago and at this point I think the Mani 2 sounds better. I’ve also had a U-turn Pluto phono preamp which I did not like. It sounded very dark and closed in and low-fi. For years I’ve also used a Bottlehead Reduction which I really liked until it mysteriously stopped working. Just haven’t gotten around to fixing it. I’ve been wanting a newer phono preamp for a while and the new and improved Mani 2 has scratched that itch for now.

 

[Luckyleo]

I used to listen to a show on late Saturday or Sunday nights in the early '70s. It was on KGB FM in San Diego and was called (I think) "Electric Space Bridge". Groovy. That and Doctor Demento muddled my mind ("Friendly Neighborhood Narco Agent" - I can still recall much of the lyric - UGH!) for a period of time. My headphones had volume/balance controlls on each side of them. I bought them from "Wright's World of Sound". They fell apart from over use. Or perhaps from me falling asleep with them on.

ORT

My favorite demented song from Sunday nights was "Pico and Sepulveda" by Felix Figueroa and his Orchestra!!!

 

[Paladin79]

So I got my Mani 2 and have listened to just a couple of albums so far. It sounds very good! Bass definition is excellent and one of the first things I noticed. I didnt need to flip any switches. I did find one minor manufacturing defect: The banana jack ground lug is loose. It just needs to be tightened on the inside. I have a Rega P25 which uses fancy Neutrik Profi connectors. These connect the ground first on the rca jacks when plugged in. This is a stock feature of the P25 along with low capacitance output cables and no separate ground lead. So the loose ground lug doesn’t apply to me but @Jason Stoddard may want to give someone a raised eyebrow. Regardless, I still give it a thumbs up.

I never had the previous Mani so I can’t compare there. Lately I’ve been using the built in phono preamp on my Bryston integrated amp. I paid an extra $400 for that option 22 years ago and at this point I think the Mani 2 sounds better. I’ve also had a U-turn Pluto phono preamp which I did not like. It sounded very dark and closed in and low-fi. For years I’ve also used a Bottlehead Reduction which I really liked until it mysteriously stopped working. Just haven’t gotten around to fixing it. I’ve been wanting a newer phono preamp for a while and the new and improved Mani 2 has scratched that itch for now.

The Neutrik Profi or Professional RCA connectors are the ones I prefer to use at home. I have used them for years without an issue. The ground ring is easily adjusted to keep the connector tight thus they stay in place very well.

 

[45longcolt]

My favorite demented song from Sunday nights was "Pico and Sepulveda" by Felix Figueroa and his Orchestra!!!

A vintage goodie, for sure. One of the good doctor's live-radio (KMET 94.7 Los Angeles, IIRC) co-hosts recorded a song about a music critic for the LA Times, Robert Hilburn. Wish I could find that somewhere. It would make no sense to a listener in Des Moines, but as a reader of Hilburn's often acidic reviews I found it hilarious.

 

[yonson]

Mani 2 came in a day early! The wall wart is GINORMOUS though and doesn't fit where the Mani 1 one did

 

[33na3rd]

Mani 2 came in a day early! The wall wart is GINORMOUS though and doesn't fit where the Mani 1 one did

Congrats!

Just got my shipping notification a couple of minutes ago!

 

[Ableza]

Mani 2 came in a day early! The wall wart is GINORMOUS though and doesn't fit where the Mani 1 one did

6-inch extension cords were made for this issue.

 

[ArmchairPhilosopher]

6-inch extension cords were made for this issue.

Hey, it's not the length of the extension cord that matters, it's how you use it.

I know, I'm a child. I'll show myself out…

 

[33na3rd]

Not trying to make anyone panic or suggest that you start hoarding, but folks on other sites are stocking up on certain tubes that are made only in Russia, like the 6N6P.

@Jason Stoddard , if this post is inappropriate please delete it.

 

[bcowen]

Not trying to make anyone panic or suggest that you start hoarding, but folks on other sites are stocking up on certain tubes that are made only in Russia, like the 6N6P.

@Jason Stoddard , if this post is inappropriate please delete it.

I already hoarded stashed up. "Surprising!" said nobody.

 

[macdonjh]

Not trying to make anyone panic or suggest that you start hoarding, but folks on other sites are stocking up on certain tubes that are made only in Russia, like the 6N6P.

@Jason Stoddard , if this post is inappropriate please delete it.

Does that make Putin the Baron Harkkonen of the audio world?

Among all his other faults.

 

[singlestack]

Does that make Putin the Baron Harkkonen of the audio world?

Among all his other faults.

He who controls the tubes, controls the universe!

 

[valiant66]

One gentleman said there was a huge difference in two identical cables I built for him, in a blind test he was right half the time.

Lol!
.

 

[valiant66]

LOL! I've seen those pop up from time to time for prices that are beyond crazy even by my standards. To each his/her own of course, but for that kind of money the tube would have to do a whole lot more than sound good. I won't go into specifics.

Is it that vacuum tubes suck?
.