TBT '96-'97: JE Labs Project Pics

I'll start the new decade with scanned negatives of my DIY Audio projects from the mid to late 90s. Most of these pictures were taken either with my Pentax K1000 or Leica M3 + Rigid 50mm Summicron, loaded with either Agfa Vista or Kodak Plus X, processed by a local lab. I didn't know how to develop film yet back then. 😉 

ca. '96

My last Dyna PAS hack

This Dyna PAS 2 chassis sports an RCA phono circuit with Ni-Cad batteries for cathode bias. Check out those wonderful (then) anti-high-end paper in oil caps from Jensen, Facon and Icar. Too bad they get leaky after a couple of years.

Yup, that's an octal socket in the line stage for the mighty 6SN7!

Under the hood of the outboard power supply is a choke for the B+ for better filtration. Connection to the main preamp is via an octal plug/socket.

By this time I was already a firm believer in tube rectification. I retained the original PAS transformer for B+ supply duty only and relegated DC filament duty to another power transformer.

JE Labs Stereo "Classic" SE300B with Audio Note UK 2.5K OPTs

A Thorens TD124 + a (then) newly-acquired ($60!) Grace G540L tonearm + Grado 8MZ on my very first laminated plywood plinth project. All these components are still in service.

The original Simple 45

ca. '97

JE Labs Stereo SE2A3 with Tango U808 OPTs

JE Labs Classic SE300B mono-block with Audio Note UK 3K OPT

I briefly owned a pair of AES/Soliloquy 5.2 TQWT speakers. Coming from Spendor LS3/5As, these sounded lean and weren't more efficient either - probably in the high 80s rather than the claimed low 90s.😏

Fortunately, I snagged a pair of Altec 755Cs at a hamfest and quickly whipped out a pair of small open baffles. I was hooked!

The Altec 755Cs in open baffles based on dimensions published by Stereo Sound "Tube Kingdom" Issue No. 3/1996. And yes, I added a Garrard 301 to my system!

I got my Garrard 301 in the early summer of '97 along with the Altec 755Cs. 

This was the block diagram of my system before the end of the millennium as a featured "Home-brewer" in Sound Practices.  I can't believe 20 years went by so quickly!

Preview for 2020

 I've become so busy the last few months and wasn't able to upload as much as I intended to. So here's what's in the pipeline for the coming year.

My one and only...

The JP757A - a John Piro (re)creation, amongst others...

Revisit MM/MI phono cartridges

American Classics 

'68 G401

DIY tube DAC

Tonearms are like violin bows

my camera adventures

2019 Index

January: dynakit ST35 + Listening Room: Northstar CD  transport/ Zanden NOS DAC/JE Labs preamp and amp/GIP Monitor 1s

February: Topping D30 vs. Xiang Sheng DAC 01a + Altec 32 Horn Nomenclature

March: JLH 1969 Class A amp aka Nobsound NS-02g + Ikea Knarrevik

April: Altec 753C + Hashimoto H-203S from Kasuga Wireless

May: Philippine Triode Festival + J-Rob Visit/Dr. Bae Silbatone 755 cabinet

June: My FM Tuners + Thrift Store CD players

July: Darling Amp, JE Labs Style + Western Electric KS12027 Horn

August: Multi-bit DACs from yesterday and today + JE Labs Flea Market

September: DIY amps/Folding medium format RF cameras + Fuji X-E1 R.I.P. :(
October: Magnavox CDB465 mods/TDA1541 DAC kit/Arcam Delta Black Box DAC + Manila Hi-Fi Show
November: JEL playground aka hifi set up 2
December: Preview for 2020 + 2019 Index

Happy Holidays and a Great New Year to Everyone!

JE Labs Audio Playground AKA System No. 2

 My main system has remained pretty constant for over 20 years, except for a couple of milestones. However, the same can't be said about my audio playground which sits beside my home office, in which the only thing constant is change. 😉

 Testing a few flea market/thrift store finds: a Kenwood KT880D tuner, a Sony DVP NS900V, a Magnavox CD2000, comparing a pair of Electro-Voice Sonocaster portable speakers vs. Lafayette SK98s, revisiting a Rek O Kut L34 + S160 tonearm + Shure M3D 

The power amp is my JEL Simple 45 with Tamura F475s driven by the JEL Loctal Preamp.

Trying a pair of Sansui T-104 horn tweeters on top of Altec 755Cs in Altec 618 cabinets, Denon DP1250 + Rega R200 tonearm + Audio-Technica AT3600L, comparing the Scott LT110B vs. the Kenwood KT880D vs. the Yamaha T-2

A JEL Loctal Preamp drives the JEL Simple 46 amp with Noguchi PMF 10WS OPTs.

Since I blogged about the Altec 755A in Dr. Bae/Silbatone cabinets, this system has remained pretty consistent with a Gates CB77 + Fidelity Research FR54 + DL103 + Shure MC transformers or a moving permalloy Nagaoka MP10 serving LPs + the JEL Loctal Preamp  and JEL Simple 46 or Dyna ST35 doing preamp/amp duties.

This system also served as a cross reference for the  CD/DAC mods, Multi-bit DACs, Thrift Store CD players, Darling Amp, JEL Style, FM Tuner reviews, amongst others that I blogged about this past year.

At the end of summer, the boss decided that it was time to mitigate the flooding problem during heavy rain and snow in the lower level of our home. 

Since this entailed removing the drywall in the hifi man cave, everything had to be stored or relocated and dust-proofed. 

It's been over a month since the retaining wall was sealed with waterproof coating. We've had a couple of strong rains and it's been dry so far. But we're in no hurry to replace the drywall. We want to make sure that it'll stay dry through the worst precipitation Mother Nature sends our way.

Meanwhile, even if I have a nice mono hi-fi in the living room, I miss stereophonic sound.

The boss was kind enough to allow the re-commissioning of the near-field system. To make unpacking simpler, I minimized the use of tube electronics. 

I'm currently DJ'ing between a Denon DP1250 + DA50 and a Sony TTS2500 + Grace G565 with various MM and MC cartridges. Line level sources include a Raspberry Pi 3B+/Volumio > Musical Fidelity V-Link USB to S/PDIF* > NOS'd Arcam Delta Black Box DAC and an NAD 4300 AM/FM tuner.

*I acquired this for less than half the cost of an Allo DigiOne and it sounds just as good!

A Realistic 32-1100A Stereo Mixer I found at a flea market for 10 bucks is doing preamp duty. It has provisions for three line level inputs or 2 x magnetic phono + 1 line level. I thought the magnetic phono inputs were pretty decent on this discrete transistorized unit (no op-amps) until I got another discrete solid-state Radio Shack product, the 42-2109 phono preamp. This unit produced a warmer, more vivid midrange with even better extension in the frequency extremes. 

To warm things up further, I inserted a pair of UTC A20 line level transformers between the Rat Shack Stereo Mixer and the Nobsound NS-02g. 

Belden 9497

The Belden 9497 speaker cables softened the slight edginess betraying the solid-state DNA of the JLH 1969 Class A amp clone and made the Altec 755Cs in Altec 618 cabinets sound snappy!

Judicious mixing and matching of yesteryears' solid-state audio components employing discrete circuitry with the line transformers and a cable tweak inserted in between, mimicked the musical experience I typically enjoy only from an all vacuum tube set up. It's akin to the Fuji Acros film simulation setting in my Fuji X-E3 camera. But there's still no substitute for the real thing. 😉

November Hi-Fi Show 2019

It's that time of the year again! 

more info

If you're in Manila, please join my friends on November 23-24! 

Magnavox CDB465 Mods > TDA1541 DAC Kit > Arcam Delta Black Box

Fuji X-E1 R.I.P. (Oct. 2013 - Aug. 2019)

After 6 years of great service, my beloved Fuji X-E1 died during our NYC trip. 😞

I miss its real camera ergonomics. Ideally, I'd like to have Fujifilm RF aesthetics, ergonomics + a full frame sensor. Perhaps a digital Leica M? 🤔

But my reality is a compromise. 😜

I'm just beginning to appreciate the benefits of a full frame sensor from this Sony device. 😊

Summer 2019 Amp Projects and 6X6 Folding Rangefinder Cameras

Radiotron SE2A3 with Noguchi PMF-15WS

Shot with an Ansco Super Speedex loaded with
Foma 100 and developed in Kodak HC110 dilution B

Ansco Super Speedex
more pics

JE Labs Simple 46 with Noguchi FM-6WS

Shot with a Super Fujica 6 loaded with
Foma 100 and developed in Kodak HC110 dilution B 

Super Fujica 6
more pics

Good light and happy listening!

JE Labs Flea Market

My boss told me we are running out of storage space and before I can acquire more audio toys, I have to free up some space.... 😜

Just like the olden days, I decided to revive the JE Labs Flea Market as an outlet for my surplus equipment and other goodies.

Multi-bit DACs from yesterday and today

Multi-bit DACs from yesterday and today

KS12027 Horn

The KS12027 horn perched on top of my repurposed Altec 861 cabinet loaded with an Altec 414A woofer should actually be residing inside a ~ 4 cubic foot slanted cabinet with a Western Electric WE713C compression driver  bolted to its throat + a WE728B 12" woofer = Western Electric WE757A monitor speaker system.

I was honored to host this KS12027 horn and provide more modest accommodations for a couple of weeks courtesy of my audio preservationist buddy John Piro.

He rescued this KS12027 horn with a damaged 0.7" aperture and repaired/modified it so that mere mortals like myself can sample its delights using a more pedestrian 1" exit Altec 802 compression driver. 

Mono Hi-Fi set up: Neat P58H + Calrad SV16 + GE RPX or DL102, JEL SE2A3 mono integrated amp with Hashimoto H-203S OPT.

All of my listening was done with the above set up.

Altec 414A + mod'ed KS12027 + 802 + GPA34852

From the moment I mounted the KS12027 + Altec 802 combo above the Altec 414A woofer, the first adjective that came to my mind and stuck for the rest of its stay was, natural! Just like its WE/Altec 32 and KS12024 relatives, this is also a horn that doesn't sound like a stereotypical horn. In fact, the articulation (attack and decay of notes) and overall presentation of harmonic overtones via the KS12027 is even more natural and realistic. It made the Altec 32A/32C and Azzolina KS12024 sound merely like very high quality Hi-Fi which mainstream audiophiles may find more appealing. These findings were echoed by my friend Ding during his recent visit to the man cave.

Altec 32C, KS12027, Azzolina KS12024

Even if I loved the KS12027 so much, I didn't want to get attached to something I may never be able to own. So this past weekend I met up with John at a ham fest and handed back this valuable piece of audio history. After giving him my rave report, which is hardly representative of what most audiophiles like nowadays, he was not dissuaded. He is still seriously considering reproducing them. 😎

Darling Amp, JE Labs Style