The cheapest Stereophile Class-A product!

95bcwh · « **on:** 20 Mar 2006, 10:11 pm »

Anyone tried this?
http://www.musicalfidelity.com/mf/en/Products/SmallX/SX10V3

Only $399, use it between CDP and power amp, or between preamp and power amp.

But watch out for the risk of blowing your amp though:
http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/archive/index.php/t-40904.html

Tweaker · « **Reply #1 on:** 21 Mar 2006, 12:08 am »

I tried one in my system and it didn't do much at all. Certainly didn't add any tube sound. Sent it back for a refund. Space Tech Labs makes tube buffers that might be a better alternative if one wants to add some vacuum tube magic to the signal.

mcrespo71 · « **Reply #2 on:** 21 Mar 2006, 02:26 am »

What's the obsession with all the Stereophile Class A products?

Tweaker · « **Reply #3 on:** 21 Mar 2006, 03:15 am »

Stereophile is like a Bible. The reviewers are like Gods. The Class A products have been anointed thusly and are what every human being on this planet should be striving to obtain. Do you think God listens to DeCapos?! No, he has a pair of Wilson Audio Specialties MAXX Series 2 speakers.
Obsessed? Nobody here is obsessed. You're just jealous. You don't have anything on the Class A list, do you?. No, you don't. Not a single thing and it is eating you alive with envy at those who do. I don't either. But I will! Oh yes, someday, I will. Then my life will be complete. Untill of course it gets dropped of off the list. Yes, they'll drop it off of the list sooner or later, the lousy bastards. God, how I despise them.

95bcwh · « **Reply #4 on:** 21 Mar 2006, 03:27 am »

I'm not obsessed, instead I'm a skeptic. I'm just trying to collect evidence (opinions) whether these class-A stuff are really what the reviewers hyped them to be.

On the other hand I do feel jealous about the reviewers having the opportunities to listen to these mega expensive products.

doorman · « **Reply #5 on:** 21 Mar 2006, 03:50 am »

"Cast a cold eye,
On life, on death, ( and Stere*phile recommended components)
Horseman, pass by"

(With apologies to W B Yeats!)

Jon L · « **Reply #6 on:** 21 Mar 2006, 03:53 am »

Quote from: Tweaker

Stereophile is like a Bible. The reviewers are like Gods. The Class A products have been anointed thusly and are what every human being on this planet should be striving to obtain. Do you think God listens to DeCapos?! No, he has a pair of Wilson Audio Specialties MAXX Series 2 speakers.
Obsessed? Nobody here is obsessed. You're just jealous. You don't have anything on the Class A list, do you?. No, you don't. Not a single thing and it is eating you alive with envy at those who do. I don't either. But I ...

ROTFLOL

Thankfully, the power of Stereophile Recommended List has declined over the years with the advent of Webzines, which have problems of their own.

As far as this MF product, it could almost be thought of as a unity-gain preamp without any controls or knobs. A similar product was SCE (Source Components Electronic) "Harmonic Recovery System" unit, which was solid state, which I still have around here.

The whole point is to optimize the interface between source and amp by providing easy-to-drive high input impedance load to the source and to provide strong drive (low ouput impedance) to the amp. If you stick this in a traditional system with active preamp without taking the preamp out, it's a good thing it doesn't seem to do much.

When you stick it in a system with passive preamps or CDP-direct AND the system is not particularly passive-friendly, then these devices will make a bigger difference, resulting in more weight and dynamics. The downside is the need for an extra run of interconnects, which should really be minimized or eliminated somewhow for these things to work well.

mcrespo71 · « **Reply #7 on:** 21 Mar 2006, 04:00 am »

Quote from: 95bcwh

I'm not obsessed, instead I'm a skeptic. I'm just trying to collect evidence (opinions) whether these class-A stuff are really what the reviewers hyped them to be.

On the other hand I do feel jealous about the reviewers having the opportunities to listen to these mega expensive products.

Some of them totally are amazing- MBL, Wilson Max II- but I don't think they are good values. You need to hear them for yourself, though.

Michael

ajayrav · « **Reply #8 on:** 21 Mar 2006, 04:13 am »

I recently tried the the X10v3 in my system and really liked what it did. It made the sound fuller and more 3D for me. I'm keeping it since it makes a perceptible difference for me in my system. Your mileage may vary and so it is best to try it out in your system and see if it makes a difference. If it doesn't, send it right back as others in this thread have. My system consists of a Marantz sa8260 (also a Stereophile class A component, hee hee), Marantz DV 7600 Universal player, Marantz SR8400 receiver and ACI Sapphire XL speakers. All cabling is AudioQuest. Hope this helps...In the end let your ears do the decision making. After all, he who pays the piper calls the tune......

Tweaker · « **Reply #9 on:** 21 Mar 2006, 04:31 am »

I agree with ajayrav in that you should try it out for yourself. Music Direct has a generous return policy and even though it did little for my system there are many who swear by it.. I would still recommend Space-Techs tube buffers as I suspect they might give better results, especially if looking to add some tube sound to the system. The Musical Fidelity won't.
It also seems as though adding one between a passive and an amp kind of defeats the purpose of why I think most people have a passive. However, I think one could put together an excellent minimilist active preamp by combing a passive and a tube buffer, or a solid state buffer like Van Alstine makes.

http://www.space-tech-lab.com/BufferPage.html

ajayrav · « **Reply #10 on:** 21 Mar 2006, 07:06 pm »

Hey Tweaker,

Do you suppose part of the reason you didn't see much of a difference with the X10 was because you already had tubes in your system? I'm assuming the AVA amp is a hybrid. From what I have gleaned, the V3 doesn't 'overdo the tube sweetness' like the original X10 did- Whatever that means. Thus its effects are more subtle and may not be that discernible in a non-solid state system. Just a thought....

Tweaker · « **Reply #11 on:** 21 Mar 2006, 08:01 pm »

ajayrav,
My amps are solid state.
I did hear a slight widening in sound stage but nothing worth spending $400.00 on. There are quite a few posts over at the Audio Asylum about the X10 and many agree with my assesment that the one thing it doesn't do is add any tube sound. It is very neutral and did not do anything bad. It just didn't do anything good enough to make me want to keep it. Now, it could be that I didn't have it long enough to break in. I kept it only about one week and someone said it takes about 100 hours to break in.