2. amps-preamps
  3. 150745-121

can someone answer me this.....

i have done some extensive research and talked to quite a few people who own or have had this preamp.  I recently came into a conrad Johnson et 3 se, nt much clarity,the bass is muddy and the presentation is dark, ive read where some claim the system is to bright.  ive also read where its good to get a specific type of tube.  I don't want to do that just yet because im trying to learn the units characteristic.  I wonder if its not quite broken in yet.  maybe the impedance thing that Im just learning.  steve mccormck suggested that I try some after market power cord, that I ordered.  
assoc. equipment
McCormack dna 500
oppo 203
alon IV's
acoustic zen interconnects
I make my own speaker cables …..
no wires are touching, none are on the carpet or floor.....
kennesawjet
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,753 posts
 
Have you had the tubes tested? Bad tubes (weak) can cause exactly the problem you describe.
dsper
662 posts
 
I think checking the tubes is the first easy thing to consider or just buy some Gold Lion 6922's on eBay.

I have a DNA-500, and with my Conrad Johnson 17LS2, the sound is thin at the bottom end; so I went back to my PrimaLuna Dialogue Premium.

However, the ET is supposed to have a lower output impedance than the 17LS2 so, hopefully, it will not be a problem for you.

I would be interested in how you think the ET sounds with the DNA-500, once you have the clarity/muddiness figured out.

Thanks for listening,

Dsper
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
I make my own speaker cables


Oh dear. Sorry to be the one to red pill you, but there are no good DIY cables. Period. Whatever you spend on material will always buy you way better performance in a professionally designed product. Always. No exceptions. Not even close.

What you have right now might as well be lamp cord. No offense. It just is. Never heard any exceptions to this. A long time DIY'er one time compared his all-time best in my system. Even he had to admit it was handily trounced by some random thing I pulled out of my old cables drawer. About $75 from Synergistic, something like that.

You've got good components. Before doing anything else, get some good wire.
almarg's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
almarg
9,670 posts
 
Regarding impedance compatibility, the DNA-500 has a specified input impedance of only 10K, and the manual for the ET3 recommends a minimum load impedance of 20K. Based on some interior photos I found on the web it appears that both the ET3 and the ET3SE utilize 4 uF coupling capacitors at their outputs, so the 20K recommendation presumably applies to the ET3SE as well as to the ET3.

However, given that the impedance of a 4 uF capacitor at 20 Hz is 1990 ohms, and given that the output impedance of the preamp at frequencies above the deep bass region is undoubtedly far lower than that (the specified nominal output impedance is 100 ohms), while the resulting mismatch will produce a slight rolloff and a bit of phase shift in the bottom octave, that is unlikely to be the major contributor to the problem. More likely the single tube that is used in the unit (assuming the optional phono stage is not included) is the major culprit, as Ralph (Atmasphere) suggested. And if the optional phono stage is included, given that you are using a line-level source the single tube that is used in the preamp’s line section is what should be focused on.

Regards,
-- Al

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