New Shanling A3000 integrated Amp...

[Davemcc]

No. As entertaining as it would be, I'm going to sell it on Ebay and get a couple of hundred bucks instead of the entertainment. Maybe I should have videotaped a sledge hammer destruction and posted on You Tube.

I'll pledge $5.00 toward the destruction video. Anybody else?

 

[omegaspeedy]

Yes I got one to.

Hi Brett B. I did in fact purchase the A-3000 and the CD-3000. They are awesome bits of kit and run my Dynaudio Contour S1.4's beautifully. very un-Fatiguing whilst still detailed and exciting! I love this setup and can't believe that I own this gear for the price I payed. Watch out some of the big US and UK brands! Hows your amp going, have you played with different valves yet? What speakers and cables are you running?

James.

 

[omegaspeedy]

Try some Ei 6DJ8EG tubes! they are great.

 

[omegaspeedy]

Also change the pre-out cables supplied with some good ones, I use Audioquest 0.5m Columbia PR's.

James.

 

[omegaspeedy]

Its like a ghost town in here! whats up?

 

[Brett A]

Hi Brett B. I did in fact purchase the A-3000 and the CD-3000. They are awesome bits of kit and run my Dynaudio Contour S1.4's beautifully. very un-Fatiguing whilst still detailed and exciting! I love this setup and can't believe that I own this gear for the price I payed. Watch out some of the big US and UK brands! Hows your amp going, have you played with different valves yet? What speakers and cables are you running?

James.

My amp is powering a pair of B&W 683 floorstanders. The digital front end is a Rotel RCD 1070 hooked up with a pair of Siltech New York ICs (wonderful cables, btw)

I am building my system incrementally and speaker cables are the weak point. I am still using a pair of braided DIY CAT 5 cables. I am currently looking for a reasonably priced pair of bi-wires.

I am still running the original EH6922 tubes and pre-out jumpers. ( I was wondering about the jumpers)

I found that the amp benefited greatly from an AC cord upgrade. I’m using an Audioquest NRG-2. Have you upgraded your AC cable?

 

[wire]

I’ve had it in my two-channel system only for about six weeks, so it’s still burning in. I think the short answer to what I love about it is depth, space, and detail.

The longer answer: I find it produces a massive, deep soundstage with enough space around the instruments to practically walk through. The imaging is clear and detailed without ever being edgy or uncomfortable to the ears.

The thing really is built like a tank, with no obvious cheap parts or hasty assembly.

Nothings is perfect, and there are two things I can mention about this amp, one I is general about high power and/or gear that involves tubes: It hisses. Not loud enough to hear from the couch, only from within 18” of the mids-tweeters. The other is that the motor that drives the volume knob from the remote creates a slight RF buzz through the speakers. Again, this cannot be heard form the listening spot, but it’s there none-the–less.
Also, the sound has benefited greatly from an AC cord upgrade.

In the process of finding an integrated I could live with, I took home a Music Hall Maven (receiver), Cambridge Audio Azure 740A, and a Krell KAV400xi and the Shanling which was measuable better in my system than all the others. I was actually hesitant to buy the it because of its physical size (it’s become the centerpiece of my living room). But in the end, I realized I was buying for sound.

I too was curious about the MF 3.5, but did not want to buy one used and unheard. I'm still curious about MF integrates.

I’ve noticed a lot of web sites list an A 300. I can’t figure out why, I suspect it might be some kind of gray market activity. The manufacturer as well as the retail shops sell A-3000’s, not A-300’s. I chose to buy mine from real people at a real store where I’ll be sure to get a real guarantee.

If anyone starts an A-3000 owners club, I’ll be the first member.

Two-channel system: Rotel RCD 1070 > Siltech New York ICs> Shanling a3000 integrated w/AQ NRG 2 power cord>DIY cat5 speaker cable> B&W 683 floorstanders. Dedicated AC outlet, room acoustic and vibration treatments involved.
I have photos and info on Audio Asylum also as Brett A.

I am a Big 2 channel fan , definetly , i love soundstage . (look at my equipment ) .
Most here listen to music on there recievers in 5.1 or more and forget how good it sounds in 2 channel without a sub ( but again with most recievers you will need the help of the sub ) .
Good to here , there are still some hardcore 2 channel ppl. out there .

 

[Brett A]

I am a Big 2 channel fan , definetly , i love soundstage . (look at my equipment ) .
Most here listen to music on there recievers in 5.1 or more and forget how good it sounds in 2 channel without a sub ( but again with most recievers you will need the help of the sub ) .
Good to here , there are still some hardcore 2 channel ppl. out there .

Everyone should have what they will enjoy most, but I think two channel is the right amount for music. Any more, and things begin to sound messy to me. (Movies are another matter)

 

[omegaspeedy]

Hi Brett A, yes i've put a new power cable on but I think I need to get a good one. The one I'm using was made up by myself out of some very heavey duty cable and a good set of plugs. Its definately better but I think a pro one would be even better. Definately replace those little white jumpers with a good set! it makes a big difference.

Cheers James.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I found that the amp benefited greatly from an AC cord upgrade. I’m using an Audioquest NRG-2. Have you upgraded your AC cable?

You mean the amp designer was incapable of designing the right power cord for his amp? I'd find another designer who can.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Its like a ghost town in here! whats up?

They don't like the mysticism here

 

[wire]

Any more, and things begin to sound messy to me. (Movies are another matter)

Hehe
Its called soundstage . I have 3 different type of Amps to power my 2 channel , they all have a different soundstage , they dont sound the same . You start playing with music in 5.1 or over , you seem to loose soundstage and to me also becomes to much .

 

[wire]

You mean the amp designer was incapable of designing the right power cord for his amp? I'd find another designer who can.

I use a computer power cord on my AV505 , seems to work fine on my 6.1 system .

 

[fmw]

Hehe
Its called soundstage . I have 3 different type of Amps to power my 2 channel , they all have a different soundstage , they dont sound the same . You start playing with music in 5.1 or over , you seem to loose soundstage and to me also becomes to much .

Unfortunately, amps don't have or produce a soundstage. They produce an amplified signal. What produces the soundstage are the speakers and their interaction with room acoustics. Most people feel that surround sound provides a wider and deeper soundstage. In fact that is exactly its purpose.

What causes you to hear differences in soundstage from an amplifier are beliefs and expectations, not measurable or objectively audible differences.

 

[Brett A]

You mean the amp designer was incapable of designing the right power cord for his amp? I'd find another designer who can.

Component designers don't design power cords.

 

[Brett A]

What causes you to hear differences in soundstage from an amplifier are beliefs and expectations, not measurable or objectively audible differences.

Are you serious?

 

[Brett A]

What causes you to hear differences in soundstage from an amplifier are beliefs and expectations, not measurable or objectively audible differences.

I mean to say, amps do indeed affect the sound stage, and that affect is often audible to a person with normal hearing capabilities. (depending of course on the amps being compared)

One could make the point that the only piece that produces a soundstage is the source component, everything else down the line only effects it (including the room). Choosing components and setting up the room is a process of dialing in a series of effects that pleases the individual and maximizes the potential of the equipment.

We do, after all, listen with our minds via our ears, and not through test equipment (Which we read with our brain via our eyes---a very different process indeed.)

 

[B3Nut]

If amplifiers affected the soundstage in reality (apart from being allowed to clip), this would be evident in double-blind testing. However, no differences in soundstage between properly-functioning amplifiers have ever been shown to exist in proper level-matched double-blind tests. The only "tests" in which this phenomenon appears is in sighted tests with no attempts at matching levels. Most alleged sonic differences perceived between components with flat response/below-audibility levels of distortion and noise is caused by mismatched levels or a clipping amplifier, this has been repeatedly demonstrated to be the case.

 

[Brett A]

I'd be interested to know how this informs your experience of listening. Does it result in you trusting measuring equipment more than your ears/brain?

 

[fmw]

I'd be interested to know how this informs your experience of listening. Does it result in you trusting measuring equipment more than your ears/brain?

You bet. The last thing you can trust is your ears/brain. They are affected too much by preferences and biases. The purpose of objective listening tests is to eliminate those biases and get down to the truth about audible differences.