Thx Adamaley and James for your input.  I never turn off my DAC either (unless I’m changing output tubes) and instead use the remote standby button once done for the day.  As Dynagrid is also nearing completion and I am trying to make up my mind, I wanted to research what, if any, changes, I’d need to incorporate in my start-up routine if I decided to pull the trigger on either solution.  A large part of why I’ve continued to shy away from the STR (in addition to the QC issues), is the added complexity of the start-up (and shutdown) sequence.

After what I consider a stupid amount of communication I was finally able to cancel my LNBH ordered in August and get a refund. I don’t anticipate ever doing business with this company again.

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Thanks for this. Worked like a charm.

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I get your point. The manual leaves a lot to be desired, TBF. How are others doing their startup process?

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I'm certainly not going to tell you to disregard AL's manual, but to me it makes a lot more sense to warmup both the STR and component to which it is attached before putting the STR in engage, or operate in my case. JMO/FWIW and all that.

Also FWIW "quote" is the button that looks kinda like a sheet of paper with an arrow pointing to the right. On the top row of buttons 8th from the right, below the Subject line. You have to copy and paste the text you actually want quoted.

When you turn on the DAC, is that what lights up the tubes? If so I'm curious why you wouldn't do that before you engage the STR.

@CAJames

I'm following the steps on page 2 of the STR-1002 manual Al supplied. I'm open to being corrected. I wouldn't want to be doing and promoting the wrong process.

@CAJames

For some reason, I still don't have the option to quote/or simply can't figure it out, but here goes.

I thought the delta would be minimal, and for $300, I didn't have too much to lose.

I had recently come to terms with the fact that using at least one 845 was a must because the scale - soundstage and image size - can't be replicated by any other tube. Not a 4B32, 805, 8020, DCX4/5000, etc. Having only the Linlai 845 (provided by Al), I had no option but to stick with it although it doesn't bring much else to the table, has some etchiness to it, but at least it's tonally pleasant.

I had been using it in my preamp STR, but never as a pair because that seemed to magnify its shortcomings too much so I always needed to tamper it with some other model of tube. This tended to be a 300b or 5U4G variant most of the time.

I paired the RCA 845 with the Linlai 845 in my Preamp STR first. Then later determined its effect in the DAC was magnitudes better for the overall sound. I will classify this as transformational akin to first trying the STR itself.

Tube Depot has two pairs of RCA 845s as of yesterday because I was looking for backups and the 3 I ordered are coming from scattered sources overseas with long shipping times. I decided against buying them because #FINANCIALDISCIPLINE  ;D

When you turn on the DAC, is that what lights up the tubes? If so I'm curious why you wouldn't do that before you engage the STR.

Art Pepper "The Hollywood All-Star Sessions," disc 3

I always have the power on in the back of the DAC. My sequence is as follows (Both power and engage on STR are in off position when not listening to music):

1. Turn STR power on - wait for a minute - longer if using gas/transmitter tubes

2. Turn engage switch on

3. Turn DAC on with remote/front switch

To turn off:

1. Turn off DAC with remote/front switch

2. Turn off engage switch on STR

3. Turn off power on STR

Hopefully, I've been doing things the correct way  :D

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Dang. I've been looking off and on for a US made 845 but they were all stupid expensive. If you like it better than the 4B32 that is high praise indeed. Thanks largely to you the 4B32 has put all my 10V DHTs back in the tube caddy. That includes RCA 805s and Elrog 845s that I thought were the last tubes I was going to buy.

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I'm not exactly sure how the DAC works but the STR has a standby mode. So in general what you do is power up the STR (in standby) and the DAC/AMP in "operate" mode. The STR won't pass high voltage until you switch from standby to operate so until then only the heaters for you component are on. This way all the tubes warmup then when you're ready to listen you switch the STR to operate, your tubes get high voltage after everything is nice and warm and you're ready to listen. This is essentially soft start on steroids.

I believe the Dynagrid works the same way.

I never turn the power off in the back of my Pacific.

A better morning.

Starting off with Joshua Redman "Words Fall Short" Blue Note cd

I like this one a lot.

Adamaley (and any others who are using their STR’s with Lampi DACs with VC and Standby button on remote)—I was curious whether you turn off your DACs completely (from the back), or let it be on standby mode with the STR attached.  

In other words. would the sequence be—-turn STR on, and then flip the DAC to ‘on mode’ OR does the use of the STR necessitate that the DAC must always be completely powered off?

I have tried a stupid number of tubes in my two STR-1002s. I recently got lucky on an eBay auction for an RCA 845 for $300. Wow! This is beyond incredible. Voluminous solidity with resolution for days. I couldn't believe what I was hearing with it in the STR rectifying my Preamp, but once I put it in the STR on my DAC, I was flabbergasted. Reach in and touch realism from a single tube. Impeccable bass control and fantastic mids. I have it paired with an RCA 805.

I simply had to bite the bullet and purchase three more RCA 845s, and just be done with it.  There's no substitute for quality when it comes to the STR. I'm realizing it'll take you as far as you tell it to and never ask questions. I'm my book, it's a component, not an accessory.

One of Mozart's imperishable masterpieces is the String Quintet in C Major, K 515. Even though it is written for 5 string parts it strikes me as at least as symphonic as a lot of symphonies. And the Auryn Quartett (plus viola) play it with both the seriousness it deserves, and the sense of fun that is an essential feature of all chamber music.



On CD

All is sold except I still have 2 matched quads of NOS Tesla E34L tubes for $220 per quad.

Thanks Dan!

Susannah McCorkle "No More Blues" Concord cd

Bass – John Goldsby
Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Ken Peplowski
Drums – Terry Clarke
Guitar – Bucky Pizzarelli or Emily Remler
Piano – Dave Frishberg

Oops... see above

The moment some of us have been for! Sarah, in a cherry base. The ice don't even do it justice! For good measure, also a pair of Anniversary Amps in walnut...

Nels Cline "Lovers" Blue Note 2 cd set, disc 1

Thanks for the comments and additional feedback.

@Macfly4 - Is the hum noticable from your listening chair? Is it noticeable during quiet moments in the track? I can deal with a little bit of hum as long as is isn't audible during playback. That is one of the pros for the Rachael, given the upgrades made to handle highly efficient speakers above 100db. Idk....the UFO25 just calls to me...

@JOMAN - absolutely agree with you. I use the Blu-ray player as a budget option right now since it isn't getting any use. A transport upgrade is definitely on my list.

@Bluzrover- it will be interesting to take a look at the signal chain once everything is in place. A lot to consider

Armando Peraza "Wild Thing" Skye/Muzak lp facsimile cd



Recorded June 24, 25, 1968 at Century Sound, New York

Arranged By – Gary McFarland, Mike Abene
Baritone Saxophone – Sol Schilinger
Bass – Bobby Rodriguez
Bass – Chuck Rainey
Congas, Bongos – Armando Peraza
Drums – Donald MacDonald
Flute – Johnny Pacheco
Flute, Alto Saxophone – Sadao Watanabe
Percussion – Cal Tjader, Tommy Lopez
Piano – Chick Corea
Piano, Electric Piano – Mike Abene
Producer – Cal Tjader, Gary McFarland
Trombone – Garnett Brown

For pics, this is near the top of the Frequently Asked Questions page:

https://www.decware.com/cgi-bin/yabb22/YaBB.pl?num=1541104731

How do I upload images?

I took possession of the MK5 in December 2024 new from Decware. I love this AMP, true piece of art. Selling to cover some upcoming expenses. Sale price includes shipping to Decware for warranty transfer. AMP is currently located in Denver Colorado if anyone is interested in local pickup. Includes Gold Lion KT66s and Anniversary 2 mods. AMP has a total use of roughly 200-300 hours. Sale price $4,800
upload images

Bunny Berigan "1936-1937" Chronogical Classics cd

Congrats! I bet it sounds amazing!

Joe Locke "Sound Tracks – Jazz Versions Of Timeless Songs From The Cinema" Video Arts cd Japan

Joe Locke with Billy Childs, Rufus Reid, and Gene Jackson

Can someone get this uselessness banned...

Feeling a little funky this cold morning and wanting to wake up a bit more. . . . Starting off with Joshua Redman "Freedom in the Groove" on Warner Bros. cd.

Hard for me to believe that it has been almost 30 years since this came out. . . I can remember buying it at Tower Records Austin.

Joshua Redman – tenor, soprano & alto saxophone
Peter Bernstein – electric guitar
Peter Martin – piano
Chris Thomas – acoustic bass
Brian Blade – drums



I think this was the first release I bought with the great drummer Brian Blade.

^^^What he said.

Listening to the last 3 Beethoven Sonatas from my favorite sonata set: Friedrich Gulda. Gulda is admittedly a departure from my usual "favorite" pianists like Ivan Moravec or Murray Perahia because he is manicly precise and almost severe with his measured interpretations. But it sure works for Beethoven (and Bach). YMMV.



On CD

LOL

Oh tell me more about this snake game.
I lay awake at night trying to figure out how to fill my empty days and all of a sudden, out of the blue, Timothy Williams shows me the way to obliterate boredom from my life!

No more days of silly research into things that interest me, now I can sit in front of a computer and play a game! No more need to build speakers or furniture and track sawdust into my home. Just sit in front of my computer and play a serpent based game. Oh the joy!
I can stop the silly task of riding my exercise bicycle or doing any kind of workout since all I will need is my mouse and keyboard, simplicity in the making!
I can only dream of being the biggest snake in the game! A guy can dream can't he?

Like I said, this is the ultimate dream of mine, thank you so much you no good pile of shit!

Ever found yourself hypnotized by a swarm of colorful, ever-growing snakes, vying for dominance on a digital plain? Then you’ve likely stumbled upon Slither io, a deceptively simple, yet incredibly addictive online game. It's easy to pick up, but mastering the art of becoming the biggest snake on the server? That’s a whole different story. This article will guide you through the basics, the gameplay, and some sneaky tips to help you slither your way to the top.

Introduction: What's the Buzz About Slither io?

Slither io offers a pure, unadulterated dose of arcade-style fun. It’s a browser-based multiplayer game where you control a snake (or worm, if you prefer) and compete against other players worldwide. The goal? To grow as long as possible by consuming glowing pellets scattered across the map and, more importantly, the remains of fallen opponents.

The beauty of Slither io lies in its accessibility. There are no complicated rules, no elaborate storylines, and no lengthy tutorials. You simply jump in and start slithering. This simplicity, coupled with the thrill of competition, has made it a global phenomenon.

Gameplay: How to Slither and Survive

The core mechanics are straightforward:

Movement: Control your snake's direction using your mouse or touchpad. Your snake will follow your cursor, making it easy to navigate.
Eating: Consume the glowing pellets to increase your snake's length. These pellets are scattered randomly around the map, but bigger, brighter pellets appear when a player dies.
Boosting: You can temporarily boost your speed by holding down the left mouse button or clicking. However, boosting consumes your snake's length, so use it strategically.
Elimination: The only way to die is by running your head into another player's body. When this happens, your snake explodes into a pile of pellets, ripe for the taking.
The key to survival is avoiding collisions. As you grow, your turning radius becomes wider, making it harder to maneuver. This is where strategy and cunning come into play.

Tips and Tricks: From Tiny Worm to Terrifying Serpent

Becoming a dominant force in Slither io requires more than just luck. Here are some tips to elevate your gameplay:

Early Game Survival: When you're small, prioritize collecting the scattered pellets. Focus on survival and avoid risky maneuvers. Patience is key.
The Boost is Your Friend (Use Wisely): Boosting can be crucial for escaping dangerous situations or quickly intercepting pellets. However, overusing it will shrink your snake. Use short, controlled bursts rather than prolonged boosts.
Circling: Once you reach a decent size, start circling smaller snakes. This forces them to either run into your body or escape, potentially leading to their demise.
Trapping: When you encounter a smaller snake near the edge of the map, try to cut them off. Position your snake to block their path, forcing them into your body.
Defense is Offense: Avoid directly confronting larger snakes. Instead, observe their movements and wait for them to make a mistake. Use their size against them by cutting them off or exploiting their turning radius.
Pay Attention to the Map: Use the minimap in the bottom right corner to get a sense of the distribution of players and pellets. This will help you plan your routes and avoid dangerous areas.
Learn from Your Mistakes: Death is inevitable in Slither io. Don't get discouraged. Analyze your mistakes and learn from them. Each game is a learning opportunity.
Consider Skins: Some skins might offer a slight advantage, as they can be more or less visible against the background.
Conclusion: Embrace the Chaos

Slither io is a game that thrives on its simple premise and unpredictable gameplay. There's no guaranteed path to victory, and even the largest snakes can be taken down by a lucky smaller player. This constant threat of elimination is what keeps the game exciting and engaging.

I once spent hours tweaking my car audio system, trying to eliminate a persistent hum. Turns out, the ground wire was loose. I eventually Slither io figured it out, similar to finding the perfect tube combo.

"Eddie Condon Town Hall Concerts Vol. 2" Jazzology 2 cd set, disc 1

Love the tribute to Fats Waller episode.

Early jazz and Chicago Style jazz are comfort musical "food" for me. . . I'm leaning into that lately, need some comfort.

Emily Remler "East to Wes" Concord cd.

One of her best. Heck all the Concord are great.

I have those speakers, they are great with my UFO.

Moving along into the meat of things. Two of bobc's Zkit creations bridged powering the DJ subs, the Stoke DAC at over 60 hours with the Ocean caps, and 4Krow's upgraded C-9. Hearing some solid tunes from sub bass all the way up to shimmering highs. Captivating. Also foretelling of how important it is to boost the sub frequencies that inturn accentuate all of the above frequencies.

John Eliot Gardiner's 1990 recording Beethoven's towering Missa Solemnis was a major revelation. It showed that the "period performance" movement in general, and JEG in particular was ready to have a serious conversation about a work that is my personal favorite piece ever written, and one of the most profound and subtle creations of the human intellect.

His second recording, from 2013 is even better.



On CD.

It burns white hot, but also glows with a soft inner light. And while the notorious acoustics of London's Barbican don't do it any favors, both the chorus and soloist sound phenomenal as they negotiate Beethoven's diabolical vocal parts.

Branford Marsalis "Belonging" Blue Note cd

Lennie Tristano "Volume 1 - 1945-1946 Complete Edition" Masters of Jazz Media7 cd

Emmett Carls Sextet, Lennie Tristano solo piano, Lennie Tristano trio.

Finally getting back to this excellent box set, second time listening to this disc 2. Great tunes, great sound, some great solos.

"Classic Decca Recordings ofBob Crosby And His Orchestra & The Bob Cats (1936-1942)" Mosaic Records 6 cd box set.

Mrs. CA is out of town, so it might get loud around here. Andre Previn's Los Angeles Alexander Nevsky was recorded by Telarc in Royce Hall at UCLA. Same as Zubin Mehta's (vastly underrated) LA Phil recordings for Decca in the 60s and 70s. And it sounds fantastic... if you play it loud enough to enjoy the quiet parts. It is also a terrific performance.



On CD

The chassis have arrived and look great.  They are stainless steel with our standard black powder coated finish.  I hope to put the first production model together this week.  

We have been listening to the DynaGrid Jr, exclusively for the past several weeks on the Sarah 300B and the UFO25.  I have been throwing New Old Stock 5U4's, the Decware 5U4's and some $400 Chinese 274B's by Linlai and PsVane at these amps for some time.  They all sound good.  I tend to favor the 274B in the Sarah, which is what we were listening to tonight.

I frequently use the Dynagrid and then go back to rectifier tubes in a spontaneous cycle.  We have had several concurrent Tuesday night sessions using the Dynagrid so tonight I removed it and re-installed the ACME 274B without telling anyone.  This is where it gets interesting.

The night started off sounding OK but not great.  I looked around and everyone was more or less digging it, so I blamed my cold for the sound.  It was good, but not one of those 'amazing' nights that are common around here.

As the night progressed we put the third album on and the band was fairly hard and complex.  It sounded a little dry and small and I thought this is going to be one of those LP's that doesn't do a lot for me.  The sound was off.  It needed help.  This kind of music doesn't work when it gets lean or dry or flattened or pinched or dehydrated.  Always blamed the recording since everything else sounded better... (foreshadowing)

It hit me that this would be a perfect LP to test the DynaGrid on and see if anyone can hear the difference.  So I cued the stylus off the record, and turned off the Sarah amp, pull the hot rectifier tube out with a cloth, inserted the DynaGrid, turned on the amplifier and then the Dynagrid.  It was basically almost a hot swap with the volume on the amplifier at 2:00.

I put the needle back down in the same place on the track and the difference was so obvious I didn't even have to ask.  It literally fixed the record.  Of the three we listened to, this one was definitely going to be the worse sounding one, and it went to the best sounding one.  I was surprised, as was everyone, that the difference was that big.  

With the original adjustable DynaGrid it was easy to attribute the improvement in sound to your adjustment of the knob and subsequent voltage drop.  With the DynaGrid Jr. there is no adjustment.  It just mimics the stock voltage drop of the rectifier tube.  So while increasing the voltage drop with the original model may add some sweetness, this time there was nothing but the design itself, a far more honest AB test.  

Anyway, this is about the third or fourth time I've made myself less than thrilled with the sound of the amplifier when running a stock rectifier tube,  even a $400 one.  Proof that everything is relative and you can't un hear things.

The best way I can describe the difference in sound between the $400 ACME 274B in a Sarah, which was one of the better sounding so far, and a DynaGrid Jr. in the Sarah, is like going from LP to a master tape.  The extra density, body, space, ease, dynamics, realism clearly demonstrates that rectifiers are a weak link in the chain.

If I build any more amplifiers, this will become the standard way it is rectified.  There isn't anything that is going to sound better, and the tube will probably last as long as the amplifier so you have double the juicy benefits of a tube rectifier without having to tube roll, or deal with arcing rectifier tubes.

I'll keep you posted.  Sarah has a list of the first 10 so we should be able to get those out this winter.

Steve  :)

Perhaps to some degree, but voltage drop and sag are easily misunderstood.  I know that the Dynagrid has less sag than a conventional rectifier tube which is a large part of what make it sound better.  It's a stiffer somewhat regulated supply with more headroom.  Certainly cleaner than a solid state or tube rectifier would be in an amplifier.

"Ben Pollack Volume 2," Jazz Oracle cd

Ben's groups work always lifts my mood.

Have you looked in the Head-Fi classifieds?