A visit with the ATN95HE stylus

The Audio-Technica AT-95E cartridge is a budget best-buy. For only $49, it has a great sound that works well for entry-level turntables. With my Dual CS5000, I've put many hours on my AT-95E and enjoyed every moment. But (and there are always caveats at this price range), overall detail and treble extension is certainly lacking compared to more expensive offerings. The sound was very "midrangey" and a little muffled up on top. It is, however, a great tracker and does well with inner-groove distortion.

Since my cartridge was getting a little worn from use, I decided it was time for an upgrade. At only $59.95, I decided to just replace the stylus with LP Gear's AT95HE. The whole cartridge is also available. This "hyperelliptical diamond stylus mounted on a thin-wall Zualam tubular cantilever" was an easy swap since I just had to pull the old stylus out and replace it with the new one. The new cantilever/diamond is more delicate looking and should (in theory) track better too.

The great midrange character of the original is still evident, but treble extension is now much, much better. Perhaps it is just the effect of the treble extension, but detail and transparency has been bumped up a notch. There is an overall refinement to the sound that starts to knock on the door of true audiophile quality.

Overall, a great upgrade to an already great budget cartridge. Very recommended!


Second System:
Audio Research SP-7 preamplifier
Mitsubishi DA-A10 amplifier
Dual CS-5000 turntable with Audio-Technica AT95E cartridge
Pioneer DVD-V7400 DVD player
KEF Q60 speakers
various budget cables

A Visit with the Mitsubishi DA-A10

The Mitsubishi DA-A10 is a classic solid-state amplifier boasting some heavy industrial looks, dual mono power supply, input level controls and screw-type binding posts. Produced from the late 70s to the early 80s, the DA-A10 has a certain aesthetic appeal that I've always found desirable. Perhaps it is the McIntosh-like power transformers, black metalwork and the large can capacitors. Rated at 100WPC into 8 ohms and only 130WPC into 4 ohms, this amplifier isn't exactly a high-current powerhouse, but it certainly has more power than the other amplifiers in my second system setup.

With the recent addition of the Audio Research SP-7 preamplifier, I decided to buy another budget amplifier until I could score the right matching ARC amplifier. As soon as I saw the Mitsubishi amplifier on Audiogon, I pulled the trigger and had it in my sweaty paws within a few days. Unpacking the box revealed a heavy well-made amplifier that has a certain menace. Upon first seeing this beast, my mother-in-law even started asking questions about it. This is rare since my stereo hobby is mostly ignored by my in-laws.

So how does this amplifier sound? For the year, surprisingly good. Not to knock early solid-state, but the real golden era of SS amplification didn't really seem to take off until Krell, Levinson and Threshold started going. I won't even try to compare this amplifier to my Threshold S/500, but in my second system the Mitsubishi DA-A10 has a nice even-handed tone, great bass response and non-fatiguing treble. It's a great match with the Audio Research SP-7, getting more bass and dynamics out of my KEF Q60s than I ever imagined they could do. The sound is very smooth but not in old tubey way - just musical and engaging.

It runs really cool too with the heatsinks getting just barely warm at all. Of course these heatsinks are huge and I imagine there isn't much Class A power coming out of the output transistors.

Due to the age of this amplifier, I will at some point have to go through and replace some power supply capacitors. But right now I'm enjoying this little beast.



Second System:
Audio Research SP-7
Dynaco ST-80 refurbished or Adcom GFA-535
Dual CS-5000 turntable with Audio-Technica AT95E cartridge
Pioneer DVD-V7400 DVD player
KEF Q60 speakers
various budget cables
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A Visit with the Audio Research SP-7

Audio Research is a company that is known, along with Conrad-Johnson, for keeping the vacuum tube flame alive during the 70s and 80s. Back then there weren't many competitors in the lonely market of new audiophile tube gear - in the United States you had to go vintage, which many of my friends did, or spend the big money and buy an ARC or C-J piece. All of that has changed with the sudden rush of the Internet-90s and the increasing popularity of tube gear.

The Audio Research SP-7 was an odd duck - it's solid-state and is historically sandwiched between the famed SP-6 and SP-8 tubed preamplifiers. Audio Research was looking to expand their market share and offer something to the solid-state aficionado. But it would appear that this move did not have much success as their solid-state gear back then never sold in great numbers. And that is hardly surprising considering the near-religious mania of many vacuum tube listeners. It's either tubes or the highway - I know since I used to be in that camp myself. With Threshold and the Audio Sector phono stage, my views have softened in this matter since a good design is still good no matter what the technology is.

So how good is the Audio Research SP-7? Let's find out.

We've been remodeling our living room with a new, more modern look. I decided some different gear for my second system was in order - something that would fit the blond Ikea Expedit shelves I use to store my records. I selected an Audio Research SP-7 available on Audiogon almost solely on the looks and their renowned reliability. It didn't hurt that I've always admired my friend's SP-8.

The SP-7 is full-function preamplifier with a moving-magnet phono stage, tape outs, heavy duty case and controls that inspire confidence with their quality movement. Inside there are a bevy of capacitors and transistors on a thick PCB, all supporting the 'mysterious' potted Audio Research Analogue Modules. These are rumored to be op-amps made from discrete components, but I haven't found any conclusive evidence yet.

Hooking up the SP-7 to my second system, I found the sound to be much better than the Adcom GTP-400 or the Dynaco PAT-4. Bass with the KEF Q60s seemed to go lower and the overall sound was very clean, detailed and fast. Definitely not tubey at all but the sound was way less grainy than the other SS gear. It was a really good match with my Dual turntable.

On the main rig, I am using a low-output Denon DL-103R and was not able to check out the phono stage on the SP-7. That was handled by the Audio Sector phono stage while the SP-7 did linestage duties, temporarily replacing my beloved Threshold FET-10/HL. The FETs in the Threshold give a darker, almost tubey sound while the ARC had a brighter, more forward effect. The SP-7's treble was still good with no solid-state etchiness. The midrange was very detailed too. Depth and soundstaging was slightly more squashed than the Threshold while the bass for both was pretty much on par. In the end I was surprised how good the Audio Research SP-7 sounded considering the rather negative press these pieces get.

As far as looks and functionality goes, I couldn't ask for much more in this price segment. To further the looks of my second system, I'll be on the hunt for a matching Audio Research solid-state amplifier, so stay tuned.

Second System:
Dynaco PAT-4 refurbished or Adcom GTP-400 tuner preamplifier
Dynaco ST-80 refurbished or Adcom GFA-535
Dual CS-5000 turntable with Audio-Technica AT95E cartridge
Pioneer DVD-V7400 DVD player
KEF Q60 speakers
various budget cables

Main System:
Threshold FET-10HL linestage
Audio Sector Phono Stage
Threshold S500 amplifier
VPI HW19 MkIII turntable - Rega RB300 with Incognito wiring - Denon DL-103R
Magnepan 1.6/QR speakers with Sound Anchor Stands
Kimber 4PR/8PR Bi-wire with banana jacks
Cardas Cross and Cardas Quadlink 5C interconnects

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Review: Adcom GFA-535 amplifier

The Adcom GFA-535 is the little brother to the famed 545 and 555 amplifiers. It features true dual mono construction with each channel getting its own power transformer and power supply capacitors. With a simple design by the famed Nelson Pass, it features pretty much the same input/driver circuit as the big amplifiers and also has bi-polar output transistors. Rated at a conservative 60WPC, the original version has two sets of speaker output using twist connectors for bare wires. The small size makes it perfect for sitting on top or underneath a matching Adcom preamplifier.

For $125USD, I soon found an early version in my hands. It worked perfectly out of the box too. Adcom stuff seems to hold up fairly well and this has been a joy compared to some of my older pieces of gear.


Sonically, it drives my KEF Q60 speakers without any trouble at all. Bass is solid and only a faint touch of solid-state glare exists that smooths out with continued use. Oddly enough, the much more vintage Dynaco ST-80 sounds more colorful and tubey - perhaps it is the aged carbon composition resistors and electrolytic output coupling capacitors. The 535 having a much more leaner/modern sound. The Adcom also has more power in reserve and can handle more complex loads. So pick your poison and run with it. I can live with either amplifier for low powered solid-state, but the 535 wins out for its matching aesthetics with the GTP-400 preamplifier.


Second System:
Adcom GTP-400 tuner preamplifier
Dynaco ST-80 refurbished
Dual CS-5000 turntable with AT95E cartridge
Pioneer DVD-V7400 DVD player
KEF Q60 speakers
various budget cables


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Review: Adcom GTP-400 tuner preamplifier

Owning vintage gear from the hey-day of the 60s and 70s can be troublesome since switches, pots and electronic components can go bad. Replacing aged capacitors and resistors is an easy task, but finding the right fitting switch can be difficult. For that reason, basic amplifiers seem to age better than preamplifiers which can be noisy. With that in mind, I decided to replace my Dynaco PAT-4 preamplifier & AF-6 tuner combination with something a little more modern for family use.

Adcom has been around since the 1970s, starting as company that made phono cartridges. By the time the 80s rolled around, they were one of the go-to companies for budget solid-state gear. Several of their components made Stereophile's Recommended Component list and even to this day, my father runs the classic GFP-555 preamplifer and GFA-555 amplifier. During the early 90s, I owned the highly regarded GFP-565 which did not work out for me due to overall system imbalances - it just didn't sound right with my then Snell JIII speakers and a Harman-Kardon Citation V tube amplifier.

After much thought, I decided on purchasing an Adcom GTP-400 for a paltry $125. The GTP-400 is a basic preamplifier that also includes an AM/FM tuner and tone controls are included along with a MM phono preamplifier. The number of switches and knobs makes for a busy looking unit, but the simple black case and blue tuner LED lettering give it a conservative look. There is nothing flashy going on here, just stolid engineering.


Removing the Dynaco preamplifier and tuner was easy enough to do and I soon had the GTP-400 hooked up to sources and a Dynaco ST-80 amplifier. Now there is a strange pair! I have an Adcom GFA-535 coming soon and will report on that in due time.

At least on this low resolution system, sound differences between the Adcom and Dynaco are fairly minor. The strong character of the Dual CS-5000 & AT95E combination still shines through in all its analog glory, while the line section is smooth. I would never mistake the GTP-400 for a tube preamplifier since there isn't tons of depth or dimensionality to the sound. But dynamics and bass control are excellent, plus there is no hiss or hum to worry about. This is trouble free audio at a budget and is highly recommended for those looking to get into this crazy hobby.

A quick word on the tuner section - I'm no fan of digital tuners since they can skip over weaker signals. In comparison, an analog tuner can be fine-tuned with fine gradual turns of the knob. I would think of the GTP-400 as a preamplifier with the side-benefit of having a decent tuner - perfect for background music while cleaning or reading books.


Second System:
Dynaco PAT-4 modified
Dynaco AF-6 tuner
Dynaco ST-80 refurbished
Dual CS-5000 turntable with AT95E cartridge
Pioneer DVD-V7400 DVD player
KEF Q60 speakers
various budget cables


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