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In Reply to: RE: Sony KSS-213Q laserhead posted by Wojciech on December 29, 2016 at 13:53:06
No kidding! What to do? Or buy one Sony and one Generic. Heavens, my OCD is showing!
Cheers!
Jonesy
"I know just enough to get into trouble. But not enough to get out of it."
Follow Ups:
I can only relate to the recent experience with Audio Note zero transport with that head. I bought it from the dealer with supposedly changed laser . After arrival it was skipping on a few CD's so I've sent it back. Dealer's technician supposedly went trough 6 of them to finally find one which performed satisfactory and played those CD's I put along in the shipping box. I played that transport for two weeks without a single glitch but didn't care for the sound . Old sony ES as a transport easily killed the Audio Note basic unit. I suspect it would kill even their closer to reference ones. So I sold the Audio Note. The guy who bought it , returned it after 2 weeks of continued use . Said it skipped twice randomly and he lost the confidence . Well I played the returned unit for a week without a single glitch again and again sold it. The new owner reported that the transport is skipping a lot randomly and he needs to take it to the shop. This time technician was able to adjust it to the satisfaction of the new owner. Sometimes changing laser heads is not a simple affair :)
This is weird because the AN units all use Philips and have for quite awhile - their old series did use the Sony mentioned in this thread (perhaps a reason that they switched!!!).
But the Philips L1210 currently used in the lower priced AN CD players and transports is the same one used in the "rugged" Bryston CD players.
And the upper units use the last really good transport available - the Philips Pro 2LF (CEC and VRDS every bit as good but long gone).
My Line Magnetic 215 uses the KSS and just before Christmas was skipping and would just stop and then continue. I pushed the eject button and the drawer came out with the disc still spinning - trying to decapitate me!
It's really hard to spend too much on a transport mechanism. Since all of them use cheap mechanisms in the $10-$20 range or something a better like the L1210 - the next jump up seems to be the $500ish Pro2LF.
And both of these have stopped production. Which is why Bryston likely stopped making a CD player because AN bought almost all the remaining stock.
When the Good metal Sony and others go - that's it - no more. You have to go to the places that hold stock.
The AN CD Two/II is pretty awesome though. Rock solid bass depth and pretty pristine sound. Give that one a good - Philips Pro-2LF. This is the one I am saving for - since it's one of the least expensive units on the market using this mechanism.
Though the Opera Consonance Droplet also uses it and I must say that is an impressive looking machine. Pictured above.
Price on it is $2,600 via Grant Fidelity which could be pretty great. I am now looking at a transport and it's GF and AN at the affordable range for the Philips Pro.
Also looking at Oppo's new 203 as a get me buy - mainly because it does everything including SACD. But I don't know how it will be as a transport.
Richard, yes it was an old Audio Note Zero from the beginning of the century,so 2000 something . Interesting though the guy who bought it had a AN two (II) transport (I assume from the first series also) and he said that skipping aside the two had very similar character with firmer bass and little more "air" on two. As we all know "air" is the most expensive in Audio...
I do hope that their new transports are MUCH better now.
I read somewhere that nobody really knows what makes a great transport truly great .
On the side , its very good that you bought regular AN E/Lexus you lucky dog :) My friend "imported" almost new hemp E/HE Spe and as much as I love AN speakers it really stinks in non SET setup. Even their lovely kit 4 6V6 PP doesn't cut it.
I think it's an unfortunate issue for all CD player makers that often when there is a problem it is the outsourced piece of gear that causes the issue. You rely on someone else's quality control which may be worse than your own. I saw that transport site which lists all CD players and the mechanisms uses - and AN switched from Sony KSS213 to Philips L1210.
Just before Christmas I bought Audio Note's top of the line non external crossover speakers. Alnico tweeter and woofer with their second best in speaker box silver cables
AN E/Spx Alnico HEMP. Traded my E/LX for the store's demonstrator model in poplar burl. This is the speaker version that their biggest dealer in Hong Kong requested be built. Hong Kong homes can't support all the added boxes with external crossovers the size of full on amps on top of monoblocks on top of 3-4 box preamps etc.
It's a pretty popular version as Steve Hoffman (famed mastering engineer) also has them. The Alnico is frankly stunning and raises the game for the treble response which is both just as integrated as always but has tremendous start stop action. My first over $20k product and I was worried but have not regretted it for a second.
Next up is a preamp and DAC. I heard the Shindo Vosne Romanee but I like the M3 and M6 better - richer bolder bigger and more bass weight. Just more exciting sound for less money. I liked Nagra - the ARC Ref 5 was pretty good also. Just system matching is more about the sum of the parts really than just the unit.
The Opera might be a good place for me to save a bit on the transport mechanism while adding a bit of a cool look to the rather plain AN gear. But resale value - the CD Two/II in ten years will probably fetch what I paid for it - Opera? Won't.
I agree on $$$ resale return . Well it's nice that you finally got top of the line (almost:) and have no regrets. Not all alnico speakers have that glorious harmonically rich sound. There was exactly the same speaker in macassar ebony on Audiogon for less than $10k and for a moment I thought "well maybe I'll shoot and email to my ole friend and AN nut Richard and we buy it together . I will take the ebony cab and his guts and send him alnico kit since that's what he is dreaming about and I can't afford it at the moment"
Alas before I was able to do that some Joe bought it -crap :0)
Happy New Year RGA and many pleasant moments with your stereo!
W
Thanks - I have been conversing with that very "some Joe" fellow who bought those Makassar speakers!
The speaker list price has risen dramatically since the first series of them as the price for the Alnico drivers has gone way way up. If the seller knew that he probably could have gotten a fair chunk more money. But hey the the new owner won't lose money on them. In the west - it's important to think about selling to the Asian market especially with a company like AN because 95% of their business is here.
I bought the AN J/Spe for $2500 back in 2004 and sold them in December for $2900. Just have to hold on to it for awhile.
The burl looks better in the room than the photos - but in general I like some of the other finishes like Indian Rosewood that reviewer (part time audiophile) Rafe Arnott has as well as Yew and the Makassar.
I just wish my CD player didn't die because I spent all the money on the speakers and can't yet afford the good transports. So I am looking at the Oppo but as a stand in. But that would seem to be throwing money away.
Many years ago I replaced a highly toted Mission CD Player with an entry level Sony ES. It was no contest. Laser assembly may have played a large part in that.
The Sony is gone now. A friend of mine is still using his bought at same time. That was mid eighties?
Cheers!
Jonesy
"I know just enough to get into trouble. But not enough to get out of it."
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