We can talk here sleeper

Tweakers' Asylum

Tweaks for systems, rooms and Do It Yourself (DIY) help. FAQ.

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Sleeper I'm happy to give you a few tips that I have learned on getting the best sound from your audio research SP9 series pre amp.
I want to start by saying that I have learned over the years not to draw too may hard and fast conclusions in this hobby. I try to keep an open mind and be willing to look back and see that I may have made errors in the past about what I thought contributed what to the sound of a system. It's pretty complex in reality and difficult to fully understand.
With that being said there are first of all two simple things that are important to get the sest sound from this pre ampand you may already be doing them. The SP 9 absolutly needs to be left on basicly all the time. (This makes short dealer show room AB comarisons just about worthless other than being able to say if sound did in fact come out of the system)The sound is much better after the unit has been on for about two days.
Secondly this pre amp is VERY sensitive to vibration. Pay close attention to what it sits on. If I take my 9 off of the isolation system I have it set up on the sound changes a lot, and for the worse.
Do also buy a pair of Herbie's Hal-O dampers in addition to any other vibration management system you employ.
Only after these areas are properly addressed can you take it further. I would forget about spending a lot of money on NOS tubes. I find that Elecrto Harmonix EH6922 gold pins sound great in them. These are not expensive and are available from Music Direct and The Parts Connexion. I do think the gold pins sound better that the nickel plated EH6922 at least in this unit.
Do try these things before you spend a lot of money on another phono stage.
I have taken my 9 further and am willing to talk about what else I've done. Is the SP9 perfect? No. I never claimed it was.
Is it the junk that some would lead you to beleive? No.
Can it be improved. Yes it can just like just about every pre amp ever made can be.
Let me know sleeper if you are leaving yours turned on and if you have tried to address the vibration issue.

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Schiit Audio

Topic - We can talk here sleeper - Keith Lockwood 10:12:38 10/13/06 (2)

OK, I'll leave it on for a few days and do some critical listening and - sleeper 22:12:25 10/13/06 (1)

You are very welcome sleeper - Keith Lockwood 22:23:22 10/13/06 (0)

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