[rajacat]

Hi Rashiki ~

If you ordered the Magic 5B SE Triplex Line Preamplifier from Lloyd may I suggest you get the
full "upgrade" that Lloyd offers... if that is the preamp you want then mention my version to Lloyd
and he will tell you what I had done to mine... a bit expensive compared to the standard version...
but what I am hearing now is superb... beyond any expectation I had. It does not get better than this.

Warmest Regards ~ Richard

Hi Richard,

Do you have any more details about  the "upgrade"? I'm curious if he upgraded the resisters to Audio Note tantalums and/or changed the caps.

Thanks,

Raj

[-Richard-]

Hi Rajacat ~

The upgrades Lloyd helped me to be aware of as influencing the Magic 5 with very noticeable
sonic improvements... above and beyond the "standard" unit... will probably not apply to the
preamp you ordered.

However here they are: 10 A–N Tantalum film resistors
I supplied Lloyd with 2 1uF/600V V-caps for SRPP circuit
12-6V selector switch for SRPP supply 12sx7GTs
3 150uF/300 V Black Gate electrolytic capacitors.

I purchased the Magic 5 after Dr. Steven Rayle... an audio afficionado extraordinaire...
sent me his for an in-home demonstration... Steven made it quite clear that having
2 circuits... a classic common-cathode + cathode-follower (CF), and a shunt-regulated push-pull
(SRPP) circuit... both of which are proven classic tube circuits... would allow me to
alternate my choices according to the criteria of different music and depending on how
the music was engineered... this is proving to be a fantastic option that I am learning to
appreciate over time... well Steven was right (he has 1000 batting average in all things audio)
and I am extremely glad I have 2 different circuits to play with... besides that I can use
3 different tubes with at least one circuit expanding my options still further.

Lloyd did a few things to make the power supply more effective as well.

Both circuits are just breaking in... I have perhaps 120 hours on the preamp so far... and both
circuits are just beginning to open up... as they open up (those Black Gate take 400 hours
according to the good doctor) what I and Deb are hearing with the Korneff 45 SET amplifier
is spectacular.

Keep in mind that Steven feels that the Magic 5 sounds more dynamic than the Ultra 4A SE...
he owns both... and here it is a synergy issue to be sure... my Open Baffle speakers crave
dynamics... they come alive and move into the hyper-space zone with that kind of stimulation...
while maintaining an eerie holographic composure. So "smooth" is not a quality this system
needs... while dynamics plays this system and Deb's and my listening aesthetic perfectly.

Warmest Regards ~ Richard

[rajacat]

Richard,

Thank you for the detailed reply.

I've owned my Mapletree Line 3A for about two years. The great thing about Lloyd's preamps is that they have point to point wiring and an  open chassis which permits relatively easy upgrades. I'm beginning to think that instead of periodic gear rolling, I might be better off just exchanging stock components for premium ones. I noticed that V-caps ($$$) are part of your upgrade. From what I have gathered these Teflon caps are a sea change in cap performance and alone will noticeably improve SQ. Hmm... I wonder if the less pricey PIO V-caps would be a good upgrade?The A-N tantalum resistors might be a good place for me to start.

I'm powering my Omega Hemp Bi/Dipoles with 2 stock Trends 10.1 biamping and biwiring the speakers in dipole mode. Did you ever try the dipole configuration when you owned the Omegas? I found that they have better separation and clarity when used as dipoles and when biamped with the awesome little Trends the separation and holographic imaging is very impressive. For detail freaks my present setup is the cat's meow.The Trends can be improved substantially when battery powered and with cap upgrades and wiring changes. So this is the path I'm on now. Upgrade Trends>upgrade Mapletree> more acoustical treatments. Of course, I'm never completely satisfied . I just more and better of everything while operating under a moderate budget.

I was curious about the Magic 5 but came across my Line 3A used for a very good price. Presently, I have no complaints about the dynamics of my system but that might be due to the Trends or ignorance.

Best regards,

Raj







 

[-Richard-]

Hi Rajacat ~

Alas I did not go for the teflon caps... I was not entirely certain I wanted the supposed "transparency"
that this ridiculously priced cap is said to impart to the music.

I went for the less expensive: V-Cap Oil Impregnated Metallized Polypropylene capacitor.

Yes I read the gushing spilled ink, hyperbole and exhaustive use of audio adjectives surrounding
the teflon cap... the greatest cap in the history of the universe and so on.

Perhaps it is worth it on strictly performance terms.

I have recently discovered I am really interested in a very plump sound... rich in harmonics...
the richer the better... warm and sensuous... the Teflon cap promises neutrality... I am not a
particularly neutral chap... having jumped off the audio fence several years ago... so extremely
rich harmonics and sensuous liquid warmth is what I have and I could not be happier.
And enough detail to hear everything the musicians and singers wanted us to hear.

At the level that we audio circle members are operating... controlling the tone is a must.
I mean shaping the sound we hear should be our goal... why else spend so much time and
money in this pursuit... it is all facsimile in any case... why not shape the sound to fit our
individual audio sound aesthetics? In my case I am very interested in what Deb loves to hear...
and anything that allows the 50's jazz singers that Deb loves to come to life and be viscerally
present in our living space goes over very well with her.

Warmest Regards ~ Richard

[rajacat]

Richard,

I hear you about wanting a very sensuous and rich tone. I want it all. Both the rich tones and the details such as the tapping of the guitarist foot and the intake of the singer breath. To me the details add to the ambiance which helps to create the illusion of a live performance. I also like space between the instruments/singers and a sense of their placement on the stage. I'm sure that the performers don't intend that the listener hear their feet tapping and the breathing but nevertheless it is part of the live event.

--Raj

[-Richard-]

Hi Rajacat ~

I could not agree more!!!!!

What I meant by referring to audible details, as what the musicians and singers want us to hear,
is that I am not particulary interested in hyper-detail... meaning more detail than one would
hear at a live concert in an intimate space... that I find distracting musically.

But then I do go and listen to live performances of classical music in Santa Barbara during
the summer... when highly talented students from all over the world perform for free in a lovely
intimate concert space at the Santa Barbara museum... so my ear is highly tuned to
live unamplified music in real spaces with all the ambient reverberant sound intact.

And that is what I am interested in duplicating... with a bit more warmth thrown into the sonic
picture.

Warmest Regards ~ Richard

[-Richard-]

Hi ChairGuy ~

I lived very happily with my Magnapan's for a few years... I can say that I learned to appreciate
the need for utter transparency with these amazingly designed and reasonably priced magical
speakers... they give more for the money than any non DIY speakers I have ever heard...
the transparency of Quads but with more acceleration and presence.

I moded mine just like yours... it takes enormous time and effort to accomplish those mods.

This is a very good price for what you are getting... and everyone tells me that this particular
model of Maggies is superb!!!!!!! Vinnie Rossi used this model for quite some time to help
him to fine tune his amplifiers.

If you are wondering what all the hoopla is all about surrounding the Maggies, I suggest you
purchase these and find out... owning the Maggies is a real education of the potential of well
designed audio to deliver the sonic goods.

Warmest Regards ~ Richard