@pmac posted a link to pink fish for a full AN set up
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Interesting perception. I find IOs a bit effeminate and slow in the bass department and lacking in dynamics a little. The very low output of IOs also puts me off, as you need to buy into the whole AN step-up thing as well, which usually costs as much as the cart. In my current abode step-ups seem to pick up hum really badly, due to the high voltage cabling on my property boundry, so I use solid state MC stages which appear to have no problems with hum.
I prefer Dynavector’s or Koetsu’s, both have different sounds and I guess it’s what you like. Which is why I have a collection of Dynavector’s and Koetsu’s, not IO’s.
So my advice is if you want a ‘nice’ cart, go listen to one you think is for you, as they don’t sound similar.
Yeah the problem with cartridges is they do sound different and tastes vary so recommendations are useful only to a point.
Unless you’ve heard an IO set up first hand and know that you absolutely must have it, then I would not buy a set up speculatively.
Agree what @ICHM says about DV and Koetsu - I like the DV sound but not so taken with Koetsu and therefore wouldn’t pay the premium for one.
Also with a cartridge you really need to decide how much you’re comfortable spending on one given that one drunken or careless moment and oops, you’re on the phone to your insurance company.
If you want to hear an Io1 and you are a sensible distance from Hove you would be very welcome to visit.
Tried loads over the years including a nice io which I miss but the Dynavector range is waaaay better vfm and sounds great
You should of course also get an Spu for those blues moments where nothing else will do
Thanks everyone
I think I’ll need to take some time to consider. My gut feeling is that an arm and cartridge will be first on the list. Don’t think I’m quite ready for Koetsu (or Io) ownership, so am leaning towards an AN arm (always fancied an SME, but not sure I could justify the cost now that prices have gone up) with something like an AT33 (I’ve heard the latter and liked it a lot - a more refined OC9 was my impression - and pretty good value, too). Once the arm and cart are sorted, I’ll go from there. I think it will hinge on how much I’d need to spend to better the H2s - that’s a complete unknown at this stage, but I enjoy messing about with speakers.
Does anyone here have any suggestions as to where one might go from H2s? I might just keep them after all. If I do, I might look at amps again. The Gato is a peach, but not the only game in town, of course.
Cheers
Central Audio have a NOS SME IV at about £1500 see here:
http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=199933
Partnered with a decent cartridge that would be a pretty good setup.
If your budget doesn’t all go on the front end, you could also speak to Paul Coupe at Reference Fidelity about your H2s. He has done a few pairs - new crossovers and tweeters /sometimes midrange drivers too. The obvious snag is that they would have to get to him in Gloucestershire and back, which may or may not be trivial, and you wouldn’t have them for a couple of weeks. If you’re up for some diy, he might send you a kit to install…
http://www.referencefidelitycomponents.co.uk/restoring-and-upgrading-impulse-h2-loudspeakers/
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Thanks Kevin - would love to hear an Io.
Unfortunately, I’m a long way from Hove though.
If I do decide to keep them, that might be worthwhile. I know Paul has quite a reputation.
My only reservation (probably unfounded) is that messing with the original recipe might lose some of the H2 magic.
Cheers
Martin
Not a bad price. That puts it in about the same territory as an AN Arm Three(?).
Auditioning tonearms won’t be easy, though - not many dealers up near me.
It occurs to me that this might be a good time to break my duck and hold a bake off…
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The original recipe wasn’t perfect - the tweeters were a bit forward and there’s more all round that can be squeezed out of them.
I threw a lot of money at my Ta’us which were at Scalford last year, and the only thing I think I’d replace them with is a lovely pair of Avantgarde Mezzo Duo’s. That will not be cheap!
Very childish…
but I chuckled
That’s good to know. I haven’t been in touch with Paul yet, but a chat could do no harm.
Cartridge & electronics. Are you set fast on the amplification. I only ask because they’ll be imparting a lot of character to the overall sound & if you like it then leave well alone. If not, try some alternatives. A bake off where people bring their old tat along is a good plan.
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I do like the Gato, but it was not bought with the H2s in mind (they came later). I do wonder if going back to tubes might be worth exploring - ironically, I’ve previously sold on AI 2nd Audios (a big regret, though they didn’t really sing with my speakers at the time), which might work rather well with the H2s(?). Alternatively, some decent Class A transistor watts perhaps. The Rank monos I swapped for the Gato (htm_1968 has them now) would also be an interesting proposition, I think.
If valves are to be considered, I’ll have to pray that my bad luck with tube amps comes to an end (seriously, a valve amp only has to look me in the face in order to go wrong).
I’d start with the RB300, send it to J7 or swap for an Audiomods. I’m not a fan of the AN, and believe my phrase of Zingy has been coined elsewhere.
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I think the issue with the AN arms is batch variability. Some sound OK others less so.