A visit with the KAB EV-1 Record Cleaning Machine

(Picture from KAB)

In the past year my vinyl collection has grown by leaps and bounds so I finally pulled the trigger and bought a $159 KAB EV-1 record cleaning machine. There is nothing worse than finding some vintage treasure that has been marred by dust n' grime of years gone by. I decided to buy one because a friend of mine has a Nitty Gritty Model 1.0 and I was amazed how well it cleaned up a couple of old Frank Sinatra records of mine. Compared to the Nitty Gritty the KAB EV-1 comes in at a cheaper price point by having the user supply their own vacuum power instead of an installed motor. However I will note that the EV-1 is fairly cheap looking with a simple plastic housing, hose connection and manual turning. But what matters in the end is if it gets the job done. So after a quick perusal of the instruction sheet I hooked it up to an upright vacuum cleaner that has a hose attachment and got ready to clean some records.

The first record I tried to clean is a Japanese pressing of 'Haircuit 100 - Pelican West' that is very crackly when being played. Upon visual inspection the vinyl 'looked' clean but there is a constant light pop-pop-pop over the music that is very intrusive. After putting the record on the KAB I applied the cleaning liquid as instructed with the supplied applicator brush. I then turned the record over, switched on the vacuum and made 5-6 slow drying passes over the record. I then repeated the process for the second side. In theory the liquid and collected dust will be removed via the thin slotted opening on the top of the machine. Replaying the record had a dramatic change. The low-level pops were gone and the record definitely stepped up a grade in quality. It could have been my imagination, but the album seemed to have more clarity too.

Obviously the KAB doesn't fix scratches, but I was curious to see how it fared on my beat up copy of 'The Kinks - Lola versus Powerman'. After treatment the record was still noisy in places but was much quieter overall. I would say it jumped from a VG- to a VG+. A cleaning of a recently purchased 'The Hollies - Bus Stop' dramatically improved this 1966 era vinyl. Gone were the constant ticks and pops caused by deeply entrenched dust particles. After cleaning several more records, I always found an improvement of varying levels dependent on actual physical quality of the record, not on the amount of dust. A certain amount of crackles and pops will always exist in this medium, but the record cleaner goes a long way to reducing them.

I'm now of the opinion that anyone who collects records should own a vacuum record cleaner of some kind. Though the KAB EV-1 requires manual operation and is light enough that it needs to be well anchored (it works fine sitting on carpeting), it gets the job done. Highly recommended for the record collector who would rather spend his money on more records than a fancy cleaner.


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A Visit with the Dynavector 10X5 phono cartridge

I've been less than happy with my main system lately - it has been a tad dry, a bit flat sounding and not really as good as could be expected for the money. I thought of buying some new speakers, blaming my woes on the UREI 813A studio monitors. Perhaps a set of Magnepans? or Martin-Logans? would be the trick to get my stereo to really sing.

As chance would have it, I began discussing my audio problems with one of my good friends. The same guy who got me into this crazy hobby in the first place. He is running an Ortofon 2M Bronze and has been having a really hard time getting it to sound good on his system. I run the inferior 2M Blue and a light bulb went off in my head - perhaps the rest of my stereo was actually outpacing my cartridge. Part of the game of building a good stereo is juggling components and perhaps my Threshold FET-10/PC phono stage was just showing the weakness of my analog front end.

So with the idea of buying a new cart in my head, I began agonizing over which one to get. There are many choices in the ~$500 price range so I researched, read and came to the conclusion of buying a Dynavector DV-10X5. It has a high enough output where I wouldn't have to switch in my head amp and it is known to work well with the Rega RB300 tonearm. At $395 I wasn't expecting much but I was hoping for a bit better performance than my old cartridge.

Installing the 10X5 was an exercise in frustration - the top aluminum plate may not be one hundred percent lined up with the end of the plastic body. The design of the cartridge also makes it hard to see the needle lining up on protractor. Luckily my friend came over and helped me set it up as I'm fairly klutzy with my big hands. We dialed in the tracking force at 2.1gs, fired up the Threshold S/500 amplifier and gave it a listen.

Even without any break-in, the Dynavector 10X5 shows itself to be a great performer. Music has color, vibrancy, dynamics and is now oh so much more fun to listen to. Listening to Supertramp's "Crime of the Century" revealed snarling guitars, deep rich bass and a wonderfully extended but clean treble. Instruments now had air around them and vocals had more definition. We listened to a few more discs - original pressings of Steely Dan, John Lee Hooker and Dire Straits - and reveled in the pure enjoyment of music. The 10X5 punches above it's price point with a quick detailed sound that doesn't get annoying. It is strange how the music sounds so fast but still has a warm natural rhythm and flow. From memory the overall sound reminds me of the original $99 Sumiko Blue Point of yore, but the 10X5 definitely has stronger bass and a more full bodied presence.

And for another point - part of building a great stereo system is understanding how the rest of your components match up together. A different sound may not always be a better sound - I'm sure buying a pair of Magnepans may have changed my system in many ways but still my UREI speakers continue to improve in sound as the rest of my system improves. They really are that revealing and any of their naysayers are probably hearing a deficiency somewhere else in their signal chain. The UREIs were just telling me the truth all along which is in the end is unsurprising considering what they were designed for.

I ended up trading my Ortofon 2M Blue away as I no longer had any need for it. Mind you, the 2M Blue isn't a bad cartridge - it just wasn't a good match for the rest of my system. In another, more budget system, the 2M Blue would be a star.

As for my next purchase, I see a Dynavector DV-20X in my future. But before that I'll concentrate on buying records, upgrading my cables and perhaps getting a better tonearm. Stay tuned!


System:
preamp: Threshold FET-10/HL
phono preamp: Threshold FET-10/PC
amplifier: Threshold S/500
analog: VPI HW19 MkIII - Rega RB300 with Incognito wiring
speakers: UREI 813A loudspeakers
speaker cable: Canare Quad
Interconnects: Cardas Crosslink and Belden 89259


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A visit with the KEF Q60 loudspeakers

When I first got into audio gear back in 1989, I started reading Stereophile magazine. Since I was only a poor college student, I could only dream of buying the gear they were reviewing. However I still remember reading about these KEF Q60 speakers back in 1991. I remember being intrigued by the Uni-Q driver and the strange looking port. The Uni-Q driver has the tweeter placed right in the middle of the woofer voice coil which makes them a great point source. I wanted a pair but never got 'em due to money and changing speaker interests. Fast forward eighteen years and I see a pair for sale on Ebay for $149. I immediately pull the trigger and get them three days afterwards. You gotta love the modern world.

The KEF Q60 loudspeaker use san 8" Uni-Q driver and is rated for 8 ohms / 90dB efficiency. This speaker is only rated for 100Ws of power and also features a large radius port on the bottom. The size is basically a 'large bookshelf' speaker, though it certainly would take a gigantic bookshelf to place these on, so I would recommend a pair of stands instead.

The Q60s went and replaced my pair of Q30 floorstanders with the 6.5" Uni-Q drivers. The Q30s, though nice, lacked bass and treble extension but were good enough for my second system. They were also fairly undynamic and created little soundstages with little instruments. I could immediately tell that both speakers have an extremely similar house sound - slightly warm and perhaps a touch rolled off on top, but in the end the Q60 is the better all-around speaker.Though the Q60s only uses an 8" driver they were better in the bass and treble department. Images are also larger, though certainly not in the big full range speaker department.

Treble is very smooth, though lacking in ultimate extension and detail. The Q60s bass is good, perhaps going to 50Hz before rolling sharply off. Of course I have them tucked close to the wall so I'm getting a little help there since the lower frequencies are perhaps just a wee overdone. The midrange, though certainly not in electrostat territory, is balanced and works well with vocals. Nothing seems to get terribly confused during complex music or loud passages though I certainly wouldn't call the Q60s a headbanger speaker. After all there is only so much a single 8" woofer can do. Soundstaging is very good for the price range and even listening off-axis is an involving experience.

Overall the KEF Q60s would make good budget or second system speakers - they are coherent, err on the side of omission and give you some sense of what audiophiledom is all about. This is a balanced speaker with no major faults that allows you to hear differences in recordings. Due to their relatively high efficiency and easy 8 ohm load, Q60s would also be suitable for lower powered tube or solid-state amplifiers.


Second System:
Dynaco PAS-3X modified
Dynaco AF-6 tuner
McIntosh MC250 amplifier
Hitachi L55 turntable
Pioneer DVD-V7400 cd player
various budget cables


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Bottlehead Seduction updates

I've replaced the .47uF Orange drops with AmpOhm tin foil and oil capacitors available from the Tube Store. I've also replace the .1uF Xicons with Auricaps. After many hours of break-in, I can strongly approve of the AmpOhm units - it has an extremely musical, almost laid back sound that makes you want to spin record after record. It is a good balance to strike with the more lean and forward sound of the 6DJ8 family of tubes.


Regarding tube rolling - I've also tried a pair of Voskhod 80s production 6N23Ps. Though not quite the same quality as the NOS Amperex/Mullard/Telefunken tubes, it has a fast sound that mates well with the AmpOhm oil capacitors.


For a budget tube phono stage, the Bottlehead Seduction is a musical revelation. Though it doesn't compete with my Threshold FET-10/PC in terms of overall detail and bandwidth, the Seduction is certainly no slouch either. Though it lacks the very ultimate in inner detail it is natural, musical and would be a great upgrade over most vintage tube phono units. Now if only it had a White Cathode Follower low impedance output, a regulated tube power supply and... oh, curses I just can't leave anything alone!


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A visit with the Threshold FET-10/PC phono preamplifier

The Threshold FET-10/PC is a standalone phono preamplifier that was meant to be partnered with the FET-10/HL linestage. With the use of internal dip switches it features adjustable gain for MM or MC cartridges and adjustable capacitance. Designed by the great Nelson Pass in the mid-80s, the 10/PC is a statement piece and the build quality certainly shows that - outboard power supplies, hand selected parts, a frickin' gold plated circuit board, and a RIAA curve that is within .25dB.

I bought my FET-10/PC via Ebay to match my FET-10/HL linestage. Upon receiving the phono stage, I opened up the case and like the linestage was amazed by the build quality. I read the manual and made sure to set the gain to 40dB to match my Ortofon 2M Blue MM cartridge.

How does the FET-10/PC sound? - so far it doesn't sound much like anything at all. It is very neutral, transparent and has excellent control over the sound coming from the Ortofon 2M Blue. Bass is very deep with excellent 'slam' and dynamics. The midrange has a bloom that is very natural and pleasing to the ear. No major faults come to mind - though a good tube unit may have a smidgen more body at the expense of detail. And the details! I heard little things on recordings that were just plain not there on my other phono preamplifiers.

In comparison it makes the Graham Slee Era Gold V sound ever so slightly artificial. The Bottlehead Seduction is just a little less detailed but perhaps a bit more musical.

I'm very impressed with the FET-10/PC and I'm certainly enjoying the complete Threshold amplification chain. Future cartridge purchases can only make the sound even better and this unit will be a good basis for my planned analog upgrades.


Setting up the FET-10/PC:
As for setting up the impedance and capacitance loading - with the top open and the front of the preamplifier facing you, locate the two red 8 position dip switches on the far left side. If a dip switch is set to the left, it is ON. If it switched to the right, it is OFF.

Resistance Loading:
#1 - 22 ohms
#2 - 47 ohms
#3 - 100 ohms
#4 - 1,000 ohms

1-4 OFF = 47k ohms (ie, MM cartridge)

Capacitance Loading:
#5 - 1,000 picofards
#6 - 250 picofarads
#7 - 150 picofarads
#8 - 100 picofarads

5-8 OFF = 50 picofarads


To set the gain, locate the two jumper sliders on the middle left of the board. These are colored blue and each cover two pins of a three gold plated prong.

For highest gain, each jumper slide is positioned towards the center of the preamplifer. In this case the exposed pins are those nearest to the front and back of the preamplifier.

For 20dB less gain, the jumpers are located away from each other and toward the back and front of the preamplifier. The exposed pins will be nearest to the center of the preamplifier.


System:
preamp: Threshold FET-10/HL
amplifier: Threshold S/500
analog: VPI HW19 MkIII - Rega RB300 with Incognito wiring - Ortofon 2M Blue
speakers: UREI 813A loudspeakers
phono preamp(s): Graham Slee Era Gold V phono and Bottlehead Seduction with C4S mods
speaker cable: Canare Quad
Interconnects: Cardas Crosslink and Belden

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