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Item: Ayre MX-r 300 watt Location: WA Price:$4000 ono Item Condition: Very Good Reason for selling: Surplus Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal(all fees to be paid by buyer), COD Only Extra Info: All original packing and accessories.Note this is only a single mono (300 watt @ 8ohms) Pictures: Will come later

Item: Stereoknight M-100 (100watt+ per side into 8ohms, or 200+watt per side into 4ohms - your choice) fully balanced design valve monoblocks WITH octet PrimaLuna KT-88s Location: Melbourne, Australia (inner northern suburbs) Price: $4200 ONO Item Condition: Almost perfect Reason for selling: Sidegrading (very reluctant sale) Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, bank transfer. Pickup preferred (thus a buyer picking up will be given preference). Extra Info: Here are a very hard to come by matching pair (sequential serials) of StereoKnight M-100 valve (tube) monoblocks. I had originally purchased them off a gentleman here in Victoria, and since then they have been lovingly and sparingly used, as well as upgraded and some expense. They are in near perfect condition. They have solid aluminium cases (I've never seen a build quality like them - really!), and there are only the odd tiny marks. I have tried my best to photograph all aspects of them. Information can be somewhat difficult to track down, however for those in the know, these are built by the man now responsible for Audio Music (AM AUDIO) - Mr.Fang. I am very happy to say that he is easy to contact and will provide any information and support needed. He stands by his products, and they are massively over-engineered, so should last a lifetime! Here are some links to have a look at. Note that the StereoKnight site is no longer active, as the company is now Audio Music (AM), and most reviews and spec's are relating to the M-75 monoblocks. Advertised here are the much upgraded M-100's, which as I understand it were produced only towards the end of StereoKnight's reign. Some of you will likely be aware that these all were (and AM still are) distributed in Australia via Greg Osborn here in Melbourne. http://www.osbornloudspeakers.com.au/ http://www.audioreference.co.nz/brand/am-audio http://www.am-hiend.com/index.html And here is a review of the (lesser) M-75's (please note the spec's on the ones I have for sale here are different): http://www.dagogo.com/stereoknight-m75-mono-block-amplifier-review Also note that I have added a full octet of select PrimaLuna KT-88 power tubes (4 per side). These retail at $175 each (thus full set = $1400). http://magentaaudio.com.au/product/primaluna-kt88-tube-silver-label/ I bought these tubes off a fellow member, at which time they had very little use (he changed to KT-120's as I recall). Note that, having discussed with Mr.Fang, you could use KT-120's in these beasts, making over 120 watts per side. Wow. Not that you'll need more power........Note that the newer Tung-sol KT-150's won't work in these according to Mr Fang (but now we're just getting greedy!). These beasts, irrespective, will most certainly lend themselves to tube rolling, given how madly revealing they are! At night, they look like two small cities all lit up. Really cool. NOTE: I am also happy to do a deal on the full set of KT88's (and some other spares) I replaced which could be used as spares (Electron Tube KT94). Just ask! Here are the specs from the web (for the lesser M-75's): http://www.stereoknight.com/M-75.html Specifications (note that these have much upgraded spec's. Please contact Mr.Fang via AM Audio for specifics). Tubes: 1 X 6H30, 2 X 6922 4 X KT88 Power output: 2×75W (8? ULTRALINEAR); 2x 140W (4? ULTRALINEAR) Input: 1 x RCA, 1 x XLR Frequency response: 10Hz?60kHz THD: 1%(1kHz) Input sensitivity: 2 V Input impedance: 50 K? Output impedance: 8?, 4? S/N ratio: > 90 dB Dimensions: 500×330×240mm Net weight: 29Kg x 2 Power consumption: 550W maximum Full balance design. High grade 600W EI type power transformer, extra wide band C-core output transformer (StereoKnight signature). High end components (Nichicon and Hovland capacitor), parts (StereoKnight designed heavy duty gold-plated binding post) and wire (TEFLON insulated wire and Japan made POCC rectangular solid core copper wire) all the way. ZERO-NEGATIVE-FEEDBACK technology. ZERO noise: dead silence background. MOSFET voltage stabilization. High control power (75WPC or 140W at 4?), capable of driving a wide range of loudspeakers. Easily accessible individual output tube bias measurement and adjustment points on side chassis. Detachable IEC power cord, high quality gold-plated StereoKnight custom binding posts and RCA jacks. Full high quality aluminum alloy body construction, power meter in faceplate and acrylic enclosure cover design: sturdy built with art. I have been using these amps as follows: Pre - Wyred4Sound STP-SE Power - Stereoknight M-100 valve monoblocks (via XLR in true balanced configuration) - I preferred ~100+W into 8ohms compared to ~200+W into 4ohms, but other systems will vary. speakers - Osborn Epitome (approx 90dB efficiency) sources - various, including hi-res digital and vinyl I must say these amps are truly extraordinary. I've never heard more beautiful bass. They simply don't suffer from slow or muddy bass. They are glorious in this sense. Clarity is superb, and separation and soundstage blows me away. If you're a jazz fan, I'd look no further (your favourite female vocal will make you shiver. Start with a quality vinyl pressing of "What's New?" by Helen Merrill and you'll melt. Having said that, I have a very eclectic taste in music (from jazz to classical to indie rock to heavy metal to 60's rock and back again....) and these amps produce it all with aplomb! Anyone looking for high-powered (and yes, we're talking up to over 200wpc fully balanced into 4ohms if preferred!!), these are hard to pass up. They'll drive almost anything easily. For those in the know, any audiophile tube amps producing this sort of drive usually cost well over the price of these! They really do respond to a truly balanced end-to-end setup, so fire up that balanced Preamp and invest in some quality XLR cables (I preferred a copper/silver mix to all silver, however (as always) each system and ear is different)!! I have all the original boxing and packaging. I worry about posting, even with proper factory packaging, but can do if needed. Tubes may need to be removed and padded up). You will need to get your own power cords (although I can throw in some cheapies, however I'd recommend something to match their quality). I have been very loving of them. They have always been allowed to warm up prior to use (they really come on song after about an hour ideally). They will definitely benefit from a couple of heavy & solid isolation platforms to sit on. They certainly sound a whole lot better (especially mid range) with the PrimaLuna (silver edition) tubes, compared to the set of KT94's that came with them. All my gear runs off a power conditioner. Please note that the power output needle on (I seem to recall the right channel) one amp does not work. It was not working when I got them (I am the second owner), and does not affect sound of course. I have not looked into getting it fixed, however I am sure this could easily be done. I may get the opportunity to have it looked at next week if time permits. You'll note the little doors on the sides of each amp. They come off with an allen key (supplied), and you need a basic multimeter (I'll throw in with the sale) in order to bias each tube. There is a bias screw next to each corresponding power tube (see pics). It's really easy, and according to Mr.Fang you can decide your output preferences. These amps can produce a lot more power, but it's up to the listener what their preferences are. Notably, the PrimaLunas went in and needed very little (if any) bias adjusting (ie. a matched Octet!). http://www.primaluna-usa.com/tube-rolling These amps go very easy on tubes (if standard biasing is applied), so they should last ages. These monsters are big and heavy and beautiful: - around 30kg each - packaging adds 2kg each - size (each in cm) is 46w, 22h, 30w - colour is silver aluminium with clear perspex lids I will happily arrange for an audition only for those truly intending to buy (amps are currently not in use). I live in inner-north of Melbourne. Price will be formalised before this happens (I don't want to spend ages working through critical listening, only for someone to try to lowball me. I am sure you all understand (and I will negotiate on price if required and reasonable), but it's happened too many times before). I am always very light-on for time (it took me 3 months after having stored the amps to get around to this ad!), so please do your own research. Price is negotiable, however it reflects age, condition, use, rarity and a $1400 tube set! Don't let them pass you by if you've been thinking of high powered tubes but the prices have held you back. Given this sort of quality and the bliss into which you will plunge, they represent tube heaven at this price range in my opinion. Happy listening! Mat

Hi, I need to run only one speaker but I'm worried if connecting only one speaker (using only one channel) to the amplifier is ok or not. I get monoblock power amplifier which seems to safer to me but I still have to connect/use only one channel of preamp. Can anyone explain the effect to amplifier when I use only one channel of Integrated amplifier or preamplifier?

Item: 3 x Vincent SP997 monoblocks Price: $1200for all 3, rrp is $999ea Location: Perth Condition: used, 1 recently repaired as the standby feature wasn't working Reason for selling: I've upgraded Payment method: prefer COD as I don't have the original boxes Contact: James 0401808920

Item: Two Bryston 7B SST2 mono amplifiers plus Bryston BP26 pre-amplifier with MPS2 power supply Location: Castle Hill Price: $10,000 Item Condition: Exellent Payment Method: Card, Cash or EFT Extra Info: the client owned this system for 8 months and upgraded to a Chord reference system. Pictures:

Item: Manley Labs Mahi-Mahi monoblock power amplifiers Location: Castle Hill NSW Price: $2,500 Item Condition: Excellent (see below) Reason for selling: Trade In Payment Method: Cash, All major card's excluding Diners, Paypal or Direct Deposit Extra Info: Extremely well looked after as you can see from the pictures very little dust! Pictures: Specifications: Input Tube: 1 x 12AT7EH large plate Eletcro-Harmonix Russian Driver Tube: 1 x 6414 JAN NOS GE or Raytheon branded Output Tubes: 8 x EL84 Ships with Russian NOS EL84M (aka 6Pi14Pi-EB) We are out of Ei 6BQ5. Output Tube Quiescent Standing Current: 25mA Set Bias for 250mVDC measured across each 10 Ohm cathode resistor Input Impedance: 110 kOhm Negative Feedback: MIN= 3dB; STD=6dB; MAX=10dB of global NFB Gain: TRIODE/UL FB MIN: 30.7 dB 32.1 dB FB STD: 28.5 dB 29.1 dB FB MAX: 26.1 dB 27.1 dB Input Sensitivity for Maximum Output Power: defined as input voltage required in order to produce maximum power output reaching 1.5% THD @ 1KHz TRIODE/UL FB MIN: 175mV 155mV FB STD: 312mV 340mV FB MAX: 480mV 566mV Input Sensitivity for 1W into 8 Ohms: 61mV 53mV Maximum Output Power: defined as power output reaching 1.5% THD @ 1KHz into 5 Ohms: TRIODE UL FB MIN: 18W 20W FB STD: 27W 42W FB MAX: 28W 46W into 8 Ohms: TRIODE UL FB MIN: 14W 24W FB STD: 24W 40W FB MAX: 25W 41W Signal to Noise Ratio Ref. 1W: Typically 82 dB A-WGT 20-20K Noise Floor: Typically 150µV = -74dBu A-WGT Noise Floor: Typically 650µV = -62dBu unweighted Will Scratch Your Floor: Use coins under pointed feet to avoid marring cabinetry. Try $2 coins if you are in upper tax brackets. The bargain performer would be 5c pieces. Paper currency does not function as well. Dynamic Range: 83dB THD+Noise @ 5W: less than 0.15% Frequency Response at full power UL mode w/MAX NFB: 20 Hz to 20 kHz FLAT Frequency Response at 5W into 5 Ohms: 10 Hz to 30 kHz FLAT, -3.75dB @ 100KHz Recommended Speaker Load: Optimized for 5 Ohms Output Impedance: TRIODE / UL FB MIN: 2.43 Ohms TRIODE; 3.10 Ohms UL FB STD: 1.47 Ohms TRIODE; 1.67 Ohms UL FB MAX: 0.90 Ohms TRIODE; 0.95 Ohms UL Damping Factor: TRIODE / UL FB MIN: 3.29 TRIODE; 2.58 UL FB STD: 5.45 TRIODE; 4.78 UL FB MAX: 8.90 TRIODE; 8.43 UL Power Consumption (idle): 102 Watts Maximum Power Consumption (at Full Power): 168 Watts Operating Mains Voltage: 220-240VAC Mains Fuse 220-240VAC operation: MDA 1.5 Amp SLO-BLO Ceramic Time-Delay fuse B+ Fuse: MDA 400 mA SLO-BLO Ceramic Time-Delay fuse Badge Illumination: LED illumination Dimensions: 127 x 254 x 279mm (HxWxD) Shipping weight each: 8.2kg $2,500 the pair Contact Sydney Hi-Fi Castle Hill 02 9899 9079 Shop 7 19 Victoria Avenue Castle Hill

Keith (or cheekyboy as he is known in these parts) has kindly sent me a Majestic preamp and 2 Proprius monoblocks as part of the Graham Slee loaner program. Loaner programs are great, as I'm discovering, you get to play with new toys for a few weeks for only the cost of the postage (both ways guys, best to get that out there now, both ways) and that is a no brain-er in my opinion. I haven't had the Slee gear for long enough to do a full write up yet I just thought I'd start on the process ahead of time and throw in a pic or two to keep the visual-ites amongst us happy. There they are, dwarfed by those two disc spinners of mine. The little Majestic is both a DAC and a pre and, as I have found out, has a massive amount of gain. I don't think I've taken the volume control past 8 o'clock yet, there just hasn't been a need. The two Proprius monoblocks are actually smaller than a carton of cigarettes (that's a carton, not a pack, they may be small but they aren't that small!). They are actually only slightly larger than their power supplies. My initial impressions are extremely positive, the sound quality is excellent and the musical capability of this system is in no way related to its physical size. I'll throw in a couple of shots of the Majestic because I think it deserves it, a DAC with six inputs hey, who would have thought. And a usb makes 7, almost forgot. I'll try to dig in and get to the details over the coming weekend, stay tuned.

Item: One pair of Perreaux Silhouette SX60M Monoblocks Location: Bowen Price: $850 (including postage to the eastern states, $870 to Tas and WA) Item Condition: Excellent Reason for selling: Trying to make some space and free up a little cash. Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, Direct Deposit Extra Info: Nice little monoblocks, 60wpc into 8 ohms and 75wpc into 4 so they are not powerhouses but they are quite respectable if used on speakers that are not too demanding. Both come in original packaging with original manuals and original performance printouts. Both come with power cords too but they are most likely not the original factory cords. Pictures:

I know sometimes it sounds like a bit of a cliché when people say "the picture does not do it justice" but in this case it is true. The system looks pretty good in the picture but the gloss and colour of the timber just does not come across. The Redgum stack looks 5 times better IRL. I wanted to start this review with a little background info since there isn't that much info out there regarding Redgum components (and I did a lot of googling!). For instance, I am willing to bet that while you can get a fair amount of info from the Redgum website about their choice of volume control (individual channel knobs or single knob) but did you know that you can adjust balance from the remote, and then reset the balance to 50/50 at the touch of a button? What about the fact that there is an info sheet stuck to the base of each piece of Redgum gear that includes not only the model number and year but also the name of the buyer and the details of any personal modifications they requested? So if you're buying second hand each piece of gear tells a story. My RGCD5ENR for instance was initially purchased by Tony Wright of Sydney and there is a note that he planned to remove the front panel prior to use. Now I don't know Tony, and I guess I'm not likely to, but having a name to assign to the player makes things a bit more personal. (I can deduce one or two things about Tony though, the first is that he obviously likes his music and doesn't mind paying for good gear, the second is that he is no fool, he has vibration dampened the case with two rows of blutak stuck to the underside of the top panel, cheap and effective, very nice!) I have said in the past that the design of the Redgum cd players is a little odd, using a cd rom as a spinner is pretty interesting cosmetically, philosophically and practically. I have to admit cosmetically it does make the player look a bit commonplace, it is a definite let down after that gorgeous timber faceplate. Philosophically it makes me wonder just how seriously I should take all the talk of other manufacturers regarding mechanism stability, cd clamps and custom error correction techniques when this player sounds damn good without any of the above. Practically I love the idea of a cheap and easily replaced mechanism, but the lack of a screen telling you what is happening is a bit of a bugger which is why I use my Consonance cd120 as a transport and the RGCD5ENR as a DAC. Another thing I wanted to mention, the RG175 mono-blocks have their AC power socket very close to their external heat sink so there is not enough room to use certain types of power cords. If your power cord has a thick, round plastic end just behind the three pin plug (as many expensive power cords do) then the heat sink renders it unusable. It isn't a big thing but it was certainly something I noticed as I couldn't use my custom power cords. I believe the newer model (since mine are 2007 vintage) has the heat sink mounted underneath so this is unlikely to be a concern. And last but not least, Redgum uses Philips remote codes, (as do Consonance and Myryad and many others) so I only need one remote even if I switch cd players. Yeah, I know it means nothing to most people out there but for me it leaves more room on the armrest for cd cases and chocolate wrappers and I really appreciate that. I'll get into the Pre and monoblock functionality next, and I'll put up a pic of that info sheet I mentioned. Edit: And here it is.

Well it’s been a long time in coming but it’s finally here. Part of the reason it took so long was that it’s difficult to start a project like this because that first amp is both evaluated and stipulated at the same time. So if I give amp number 1 a seven for its bass performance then I’m saying that it has very good bass performance and that every amp that follows will be compared to that level of bass that is now stipulated (ie: set in stone) as a seven. You could say that I’ve declared that level of bass as a seven rather than evaluated it as a seven. In a way you have to listen to several amps to get an idea of the level of variety you expect before that first amp can actually be evaluated. Anyway, I have managed to wrap my oblong noggin around the concept so here we go with the very first Power Amp entry. 1. Burson PP-160. This is an amp I quite enjoy listening to, I’ve described Burson gear in the past as sounding crisp, snappy and airy and this amp is no exception. I should probably add detailed to that list as the performance of this amp is very good. It is not an amp to puff up its chest and announce its presence so at times it does seem to be a bit lazy because when the music dies down the music really does die down, but when called on it gives an excellent performance with nicely extended, airy highs (with a very nice “twinkle†effect on the triangle and piano), snappy mids (with transients in between that are very pleasing to the ear) and nicely defined deep and clean bass. What’s more Burson gear tends to keep this sound across a wide range of components that it is paired with, I think it may be partly due to the fact that it has a very even representation of the entire frequency range (so it does not emphasize highs, mids or bass). The PP160 is a stereo power amp with 70 watts per channel into 8 ohms and only one RCA input. It does have a booster amp function so that a lowish (sub 25 watt) valve amp can be plugged into it via a pair of “speaker in†binding posts but mine has been disconnected internally so I can’t test that function out. Test Rig. The Burson was fed from a Consonance CD120 via LBP Parapiao ICs into a Burson PRE-160 and then via Ribbonflex ICs into the PP-160. Then via Ribbontek speaker cables into my Lenehan S2Rs on their matched stands. Power was fed to all source and preamp components via a Consonance PS1 power filter board and to the PP-160 via a PS3 power board. Detail Highlights. Highs: Nice twinkle on triangle and piano, less air than there was when used with the Osborns. 7.5 Mids: Good snap, not as crisp as on the Osborns, excellent transients and nice airy space in between each instrument. 7.0 Bass: Deep and clear with distinct impact, depth and decay evident on drum strikes. 7.5 Vocals: Accurate and clear with female vocals clear in top end. F: 7.0 M: 6.5 Average: 6.75 2D and 3D Soundstaging: 7.0 each, instruments nicely separated and placed within the stage. Overall Performance Integration: Doesn’t excite in the short term, but if you stick with it you come to realize just how capable this amp is. An excellent listening amp that does not over emphasize any one part of the performance. It took a swap to another amp to make me realize just how good this one actually is, an excellent listening amp but not really a party amp. I would describe it as subtly brilliant and I’m giving it an 8.0! Ability to Emote: 6.5 Let down by a slight dryness in the mids, it believes it is up to you to enjoy the music, not it to make you enjoy the music. Electric Guitar Test: 7.5 Very good, very accurate, if it just had a tiny bit of agro energy (and I mean a very, very small bit) it would be a 8.0. 80s Rock Test: Everything is as it should be, including the tape hiss in the background (which is a bit of a mixed blessing). 7.0 Total Score: 71.75 I think this was an excellent amp to start with, it sets the bar a bit high but why not, right? Pics will be added just as soon as I find the charger for the camera. Edit: And I did. At rest. And ready for action. And in the interest of full disclosure. I am a Burson fan, every piece of Burson gear I've heard has been what I would call "above average" in performance and very well built. I have made every effort to conduct this evaluation in a fair and impartial manner. Though not necessarily in a mature one. The chair in use was a recliner of acceptable comfort level with adjacent shelving that is frequently used as a drink stand. The air conditioner was not in use for the review and I suspect this is the reason that the ice in my Pepsi melted long before I was finished. My long haired cat was strangely absent for the review so it worked out well that the room heated up a little as my feet would have been a bit cold otherwise. Scale: 1 to 3 means a performance below par with one being somewhere in the vicinity of fingernails on a blackboard while a poorly tuned AM radio shrieks out static in the background and 3 being just bearable but still rather messy. 4 to 6 is average, listenable but nothing noteworthy, 4 being a bit messy or harsh and 6 being pretty good but nothing to write home about. 7 to 9 is better than you would expect them to be, with 7 being a good performance, 8 being an exceptional performance and 9 being the best you are ever likely to hear. And it is pretty damn unlikely that I will ever award a 10 because that would mean it is the best of the best of the best. (Add them all up for a final score out of 100, and remember from 30 to 60 you can go from an absolute stinker to an amp that is pretty good at what it does, anything above 60 is likely to be something worth investigating) Next up is a stalwart of the power amp industry, the Rotel RB1070 which have on loan from ellrots.