savoy014

Introduction As luck would have it, a kind soul lent me a Nagra BPS phono stage for a week to conduct an analog workshop for a small group. The BPS was handed over to me in a small plastic flightcase, which was a refreshing change from the equipment I have had to handle recently (which could double up as weights in the gym !) Description The Nagra BPS is slightly larger than the palm of my hand, and operates from a single 9V battery. It has a variety of loading and gain options, which should make it easy to mate with a variety of cartridges. MC gain is partly accomplished using in-house wound transformers. The top cover of the BPS removes easily using the supplied hex key, giving access to various jumpers and the loading board. A separate hatch allows you to swop the 9V battery easily without having to open the top cover.  The front panel has a single toggle switch with three positions, "on", "off" and "test" (for battery life). The rear panel has two pair...

Anyone notice Sony's PS-HX500 turntable launched at CES 2016 ? The good news is that the PS-HX500 is expected to hit our shores next month.  Pricing is to be confirmed. Here is Sony's official press release and pictures. It's really great that major companies are back into the vinyl market.  PRESS RELEASE (SINGAPORE,  6  June  2016)  As  the  global  resurgence  in  vinyl  continues,  Sony has announced a new premium turntable that enables vinyl owners to enjoy their favourite tracks in outstanding quality, even when on the move. In a world first, the Sony PS-HX500 allows you to convert  your  vinyl  collection  into  High-Resolution Audio  quality  digital  files  (equivalent  to  DSD quality) so that you can enjoy their unique sound wherever you may be.  High quality sound detail Made  for  music  lovers,  every  area  of  the ...

Espresso anyone ? Introduction Mizik is a new company helmed by Javier Guandalajara. Javier is best known for his products sold by Wadax. Unfortunately, Wadax products are priced beyond the reach of most audiophiles, and thankfully, that is where Mizik steps in. Mizik's product range consists of two products at the moment, a DAC cum preamplifier (the dPlay) and a phono-stage cum A/D converter (the dVin). I understand that Mizik should be ready with the dStream soon, a streamer/server product. At the heart of Mizik is it's MusIC process - a patented Wadax process. To quote Mizik verbatim, "All audio circuits are susceptible to parasitic error mechanisms, mechanical and electrical effects that distort and alter the musical signal passing through them. To make matters worse, these distortions differ depending on the size and nature of the signal and effect not just resolution and information, but time and phase relationships within the music. The result is a loss of det...

Photos from official website Introduction The Okki Nokki record cleaning machine is probably one of the most affordable vacuum based record cleaning machines on the market. Locally, it costs a shade under S$ 900. The Okki Nokki has a bi-directional motor (a useful function to brush the grooves of the record in both directions), and comes supplied with a small battle of record cleaning concentrate, and a goat's hair brush. Operation The Okki Nokki is quite idiot proof to operate. Two switches control the unit. The top switch toggles between clockwise and anti-clockwise rotation. The bottom switch controls the vacuum. The vacuum motor has a useful automatic shut-off feature in case the reservoir becomes full. A visit to the kitchen sink, pull out the tube behind the unit, and drain the dirty fluid out. With a bit of practice, you can apply the cleaning fluid, brush the surface over a few revolutions in both directions, and vacuum up the dirty fluid, all in about a minute a side. The ...

Day 1 Toying with the idea of buying a new turntable to complement my existing one (Bluenote Piccolo / Rega RB300 / Ortofon MC15II). The present turntable sits in my bedroom system and it would be nice to be able to spin my records in my main setup. The present setup is decent but not awe inspiring. A frantic search on the internet ensues. A list of suspects is formed, Rega, Pro-ject, etc. Day 4 A visit to the Pro-ject dealer, House of Turntables is made during lunch. The friendly duo at the House of Turntables  let me listen to the Pro-ject RPM 5.1 with Denon DL-160, as well as the Pro-ject 2 xperience Acryl with the Sumiko Blackbird. Both setups are mindblowing and definitely better than my Bluenote (I believe the MC15II is on its last legs). Payment is made for the 2 xperience as well as the Pro-ject Phono Box SE II and Speed Box II, and following that, is 5 excruciating days of waiting. Day 8 An evening trip is made to Ikea to buy a chopping board to use as ...