Croft

johanjongstra

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Johan Jongstra
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Hey Johan,

Haven’t been here for a while, so a late reply. I’m a fellow Dutchman, but living in the UK. I too have a 25/7 combo (soon to be upgraded) and a Metrum DAC, bought at Audiomaat,
Hello basa, nice to see a fellow Dutchman here. For the sake of this forum, best that we keep talking in English :) We have another similarity... Audiomaat.... I bought the preamp with him, some cabling and since this weekend an Innuos, Zen mini MK3 streamer...
Since my Thores is beautiful restored by Hanze audio in Zwolle, i am very happy with my RIAA. I changed the TAD's that were in it when I bought it to the standard JJ ECC's. The sound is powerful, well balanced. For now I am very satisfied with the Vinyl sound. BTW: this Innuous streamer/server is great too.
Basa: happy to have a listening session when you are in Tilburg one day...
 

johanjongstra

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Sep 3, 2021
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Johan Jongstra
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Please tell us more. :)
Well.. that’s because I’ve been living in mainland Europe up til 7 years ago, so most of my kit has schuko plugs. They’re great and are unfused, but you can plug them in two ways, right. So in Europe it’s a big thing to find the polarity of your units so you put the plug in the ‘right’ way. Has to do with leak current. If all plugs are plugged right, it makes a real difference, have one wrong and the whole effect is gone. I have been too lazy to do this for the last few years, since I setup my kit in the new home. It involves measuring leaking current, both ways with a multimeter, using a ungrounded extension cord on every component. Done now and all I can say is that it gives a more ‘revealing’ sound, more space, placement and finesse.
with UK plugs you don’t have this issue, assuming they’re all wired correctly AND the internal wiring of your individual components is done correctly too.
the Mark Grants, gave me yet more finesse and a wider soundscape/better placement of instruments. I did use a couple of kettle cables before, so that was very lo-fi. I never thought it would make a difference, but it did. Relatively cheap upgrade at £65 a piece. Having said all this, I’m still on 9m of speaker cable of £5/m… wonder if I should upgrade that next, although I rather wait until next move and I can put my components closer to my speakers!

bastiaan
I wonder if with the UK plugs you don't find a difference. I found that the 7 mono's were phase different than the 25R and RIAA (i can't remember exactly which two were different). In Holland the solution is simple by turning the powerplug to get the phase right. But if you can't turn UK plugs, you would have a negative effect, right?
 

John (big)

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I wonder if with the UK plugs you don't find a difference. I found that the 7 mono's were phase different than the 25R and RIAA (i can't remember exactly which two were different). In Holland the solution is simple by turning the powerplug to get the phase right. But if you can't turn UK plugs, you would have a negative effect, right?
I have a distant recollection of one of the forums I'm on a suggestions that some Croft amps inverted/reversed phase.
 
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Sotosound

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Aug 27, 2014
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Ian
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I have a distant recollection of one of the forums I'm on a suggestions that some Croft amps inverted/reversed phase.
I understand that Croft separates such as the Micro 25 preamp and Series 7 power amp both invert phase.

Use them both together, however, and the result is a correct phase signal going to the loudspeakers.
 
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Ian

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I understand that Croft separates such as the Micro 25 preamp and Series 7 power amp both invert phase.

Use them both together, however, and the result is a correct phase signal going to the loudspeakers.
Indeed, GC confirmed this to me some time ago.
 
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UncleMeat

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Hi, new member here just saying hello. I'm hoping to find out a bit more about tube rolling whilst here.
Below is a list of my setup and a picture of my Crofts.

In - Tweaked Lenco GL75, Linn Ittok, Ortofon Cadenza Black
Through - Croft Micro 25 RS LS, Croft R monoblocks, RIAA R. Ortofon ST-80 SE SUT.
Along - Tellurium Q Ultra Black cables
Out - Harbeth SHL5 Plus XD's

bank-of-crofts.jpg
 
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The Bish

The Bish
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Jul 3, 2020
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Sutton Coldfield
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Nathan
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Hi, new member here just saying hello. I'm hoping to find out a bit more about tube rolling whilst here.
Below is a list of my setup and a picture of my Crofts.

In - Tweaked Lenco GL75, Linn Ittok, Ortofon Cadenza Black
Through - Croft Micro 25 RS LS, Croft R monoblocks, RIAA R. Ortofon ST-80 SE SUT.
Along - Tellurium Q Ultra Black cables
Out - Harbeth SHL5 Plus XD's

bank-of-crofts.jpg
Beautiful setup! Welcome to the Croft appreciation club. Fire away on the tube / valve questions.
 

UncleMeat

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Ok so my Tube rolling question is - The tubes in my Pre have already been upgraded by the previous owner and sound great.

Where do I go next? The 7R mono's or the RIAA R?

If its the mono's which I believe have 2 x valves in each do I change both?
The RIAA R has 5 x valves in. Which ones do I change. The 3 on the left or the 2 on the right. Or all of them?

Sorry for the newbie question but we all have to start somewhere :)
 

Ian

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Ian
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Ok so my Tube rolling question is - The tubes in my Pre have already been upgraded by the previous owner and sound great.

Where do I go next? The 7R mono's or the RIAA R?

If its the mono's which I believe have 2 x valves in each do I change both?
The RIAA R has 5 x valves in. Which ones do I change. The 3 on the left or the 2 on the right. Or all of them?

Sorry for the newbie question but we all have to start somewhere :)
Hi, welcome. I went from 25r/7 to two box pre and 7 monos. Preferred the former and went back to it. This is just a personal take but I've solidly arrived at higher up in the chain may not be a preferred outcome.

Did the same with harb P3ESRs prefer the regular to the XD.

As for tube rolling, oh goodness, I've done it but it's frustrating.

Sorry, no negativity intended as such. But we can invest time and money and end up full circle 🤣
 
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UncleMeat

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Feb 23, 2022
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Hi, welcome. I went from 25r/7 to two box pre and 7 monos. Preferred the former and went back to it. This is just a personal take but I've solidly arrived at higher up in the chain may not be a preferred outcome.

Did the same with harb P3ESRs prefer the regular to the XD.

As for tube rolling, oh goodness, I've done it but it's frustrating.

Sorry, no negativity intended as such. But we can invest time and money and end up full circle 🤣
I much prefer the 7R mono's to my old 7R but hey that's just me :ROFLMAO:
 

The Bish

The Bish
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Jul 3, 2020
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Sutton Coldfield
AKA
Nathan
HiFi Trade?
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Ok so my Tube rolling question is - The tubes in my Pre have already been upgraded by the previous owner and sound great.

Where do I go next? The 7R mono's or the RIAA R?

If its the mono's which I believe have 2 x valves in each do I change both?
The RIAA R has 5 x valves in. Which ones do I change. The 3 on the left or the 2 on the right. Or all of them?

Sorry for the newbie question but we all have to start somewhere :)
In the RIAA R, change the 3 on the left, the 2 on the right are for the PSU and have less of an impact, The far left valve is the output (should be either a 12bh7 or 12AU7) and the 2 next to it are for the phono stage, should be ECC83. If it's a 12bh7a in the line stage I recommend a 50s RCA long black plate. For the phono stage ECC83 loads of choices, you can spend silly money on Mullards or Telefunkens, less expensive but still good are tungsrams, RCA or sylvania black plates from the 50s and early 60s, and at the bargain end Japanese Raytheons.
 
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UncleMeat

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In the RIAA R, change the 3 on the left, the 2 on the right are for the PSU and have less of an impact, The far left valve is the output (should be either a 12bh7 or 12AU7) and the 2 next to it are for the phono stage, should be ECC83. If it's a 12bh7a in the line stage I recommend a 50s RCA long black plate. For the phono stage ECC83 loads of choices, you can spend silly money on Mullards or Telefunkens, less expensive but still good are tungsrams, RCA or sylvania black plates from the 50s and early 60s, and at the bargain end Japanese Raytheons.
Thank you so much. That’s just the information I needed. I acquired some black plate RCA’s recently so let the rolling commence.
 
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The Bish

The Bish
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Nathan
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Here’s a couple of pics of what I’m hoping are my last Croft amps, for a while at least. firstly a 25 RLS with dual channel low gain line stage, upgraded PSU, PIO caps, and secondly a RIAA-R phono stage with upgraded PIO caps, resistors, and RCA sockets. Sounds excellent as expected. Valves are linestage: 2x RCA 12bh7 blackplate square dimpled getter, 2x Raytheon windmill getter 5751, and in the RIAA-R 1x CBS blackplate horseshoe getter, 2x Siemens Halske ECC83, and 2x Phillips in the PSU.

7ADEC7A4-43FD-4D5E-A6A9-0E435809486D.jpeg

20340ED2-786F-4506-9F81-3D6390187383.jpeg
 

basa71

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Apr 17, 2017
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Bastiaan
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Congrats Nathan, they look fantastic and I'm sure they'll sound equally impressive.
In my conquest to get my low end back, after the upgrade of my 25 to 25M made my system lacking in bass (M for Mongrel- Glenn's words- 25 with RSL line stage and R3 phono), I have sent my 7 to Glenn last week to upgrade to 7R spec. Unfortunately, one of the transformers needed for this upgrade is out of stock! Only to be delivered to Glenn at the end of March.. his offer: I can use his original 7R prototype until my 7R is ready to ship.. I am disappointed not having my 7R back yet, but excited to try out the 'Ur-7R' for a few weeks!
 
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The Bish

The Bish
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Sutton Coldfield
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Nathan
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Congrats Nathan, they look fantastic and I'm sure they'll sound equally impressive.
In my conquest to get my low end back, after the upgrade of my 25 to 25M made my system lacking in bass (M for Mongrel- Glenn's words- 25 with RSL line stage and R3 phono), I have sent my 7 to Glenn last week to upgrade to 7R spec. Unfortunately, one of the transformers needed for this upgrade is out of stock! Only to be delivered to Glenn at the end of March.. his offer: I can use his original 7R prototype until my 7R is ready to ship.. I am disappointed not having my 7R back yet, but excited to try out the 'Ur-7R' for a few weeks!

That 7R prototype will be cool Bastiaan!
 

UncleMeat

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Feb 23, 2022
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My Croft 7R monoblock amps are now tube rolled with 1950s black plate RCA's the same as the RIAA R above.
Everything sounds fantastic. I'm very happy.
My tube rolling has started and finished within a week. Nice and easy. Just the way I like it.
 
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