Ortofon Concorde Night Club E

fitted with an Ortofon cartridge, the tonearm of the Technics SL-1210 MK2 glides seamlessly along the grooves of the vinyl. the Night Club series, tried and tested for its ruggedness, is not only a popular DJ needle but is likewise good for home audio analog applications. the Concorde mounts directly to the tonearm, thus, eliminating the need for a headshell or constant calibration.

this photo was desaturated using Photoshop Elements 2.0 

vinyl is groovy

The attraction to the rituals and beauty that vinyl LPs have is what keeps me spinning the black disks thru my Technics SL-1210 MK2 turntable rather than the convenience offered by playing CDs in my NAD C-542 CD Player, a respectably good CD Player with 24-bit DAC and HDCD Decoder.

My obvious preference for the analog format is what keeps me photographing my old analog turntable and LPs, perhaps maybe because I’m sold out on the universal verdict and opinion that the finest sound quality currently available is from the analog microgroove record.

Consonance M99plus Integrated Vacuum Tube Amplifier

I'm not an avid fan of tube equipped gears until I auditioned the Consonance M99plus integrated vacuum tube amp. Tube amps are misconceived as expensive pieces of equipment and are available only to a privileged and moneyed audiophiles. Inasmuch as this amp had been mass-produced in China, they are reasonably priced to afford tube newbies like me to explore and experience the wonderfully magical sound of tubes. Thus, owning this competitively priced tube amp, sporting the Consonance brand, adds pride of ownership and brings tube quality sound within the budget of almost every music lover.

My preference and growing interest on tube audio was the result of my conclusion that CD sound can never approximate the analog sound of the resurrected vinyls. Be that as it may, a tube amp can nonetheless, give life to the clinical and harsh sound of most CD players, which can often sound smoother and more musical when played through a tube amplifier. This premise goes without saying that tube amps are the better amps if compared to solid state amps but since my musical preference is now leaning towards the quieter genre and more relaxing music, it necessarily follows that I have to follow the route that would put me closer to the music. Gone are the days when I crave for the slam-bang and kick-ass bass of a solid state amp. Now, my aural experience begins when I listen to the more soothing sound of tubes that occasionally brings shivers to the bone and spine-tingling sensation when playing some of my favorite CD tracks.

The m99plus features 4 Shuguang 6P3P output tubes (which can be replaced by 6L6s, KT-66s and 5881s), 2 Shuguang 6N8P driver tubes (which can be replaced by 6SN7s and VT-231s), 2 Electro-Harmonix 12AX7EH pre-amp tubes configured in a SRPP circuitry, 3 toroidal transformers, 3 gold plated line inputs, large high quality gold plated 5-way speaker binding posts in 8 ohms and 4 ohms tap, all housed in a massive metal chassis with wooded side panels, weighing almost 18 Kgs. The m99plus is a solid-state rectified amp and equipped with a solidly-built remote control allowing you to adjust the volume from a distance.

M99plus on mood light

shown on top of the rack is the fifth anniversary model, with volume and input selector. Due to reasonable input sensitivity, can be connected direct to CD source. If connected using a separate pre-amplifier the sonic result will be even better. The circuit composes of three stages: Sovtek 12AX7LPS (ECC83) as the first SRPP stage, followed by Shuguang 6N8P (6SN7) driver stage with Shuguang 6P3P (6L6GC/KT66/5881) as the final power stage in class push pull class AB configuration. This is a classical circuit and the sonic performance is very high due to the design of the output transformer, tube circuit optimization and years of experience in the development of the M100SE. Uses fixed bias design with external individual bias adjustment for each 6P3P.

Control Functions: Volume, Select, Power On/Off
Inputs: CD, Aux and Line in

Specifications:

OUTPUT IMPEDANCE: 4,8 ohms. (User selectable)
Output Power at 1 kHz for less than 1%THD: 25W x2
Bandwidth at - 3dB: 6Hz to 60kHz
Input Sensitivity for Rated Output: 180mV
Signal / noise: 90dB
Input interfaces: 3 groups (RCA)
Input Impedance: 50k
Consumption: 90W
Tubes: 6P3Px4, 6SN7x2, 12AX7x2
Dimension: 446 (L) x 264 (W) x 155(H) mm
Weigh: 17kg(Net); 21kg(Shipping)

 

mixed system

when i was new in the hobby, i was afflicted with an obsession they call SARS or short for "Severe Audiogears Replacement Syndrome" and this used to be my previous audio set up: a Consonance m99plus vacuum tube integrated amp, NAD C542 CD Player, NAD C352 solid state integrated amp and a Mordaunt-Short MS914 floorstanders.

starting over

the grainy effect was the result of applying the illustrator filter

front view

Ortofon Concorde Night Club E cartridge

side view

Technics SL-1210 MK2 Direct Drive Turntable fitted with Ortofon Concorde Night Club E cartridge

tilt view of a cartridge

the cartridge houses the stylus or the phonograph pick up needle coming into contact with the grooves of a vinyl record.

the LPs seen in the backdrop:

Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd
Ghost in the Machine - The Police
Cargo - Men At Work

spinning black disk

seen from a different angle

analog and tube audio

the analog source is the venerable and rugged Technics SL-1210 Mk2 direct drive turntable while the amplification is delegated to Opera Audio's Consonance M99plus 6L6GC integrated vacuum tube amp.

tweeter

the 25mm aluminum dome tweeter provides a silky smooth high frequencies extension up to its rated peak of 22khz and combined with the 16.5cm mid/bass driver, it delivers a real sense of scale and impressive low frequency power with midrange subtlety and clarity.

Mordaunt-Short MS914

floorstander with a 6.5" Continuous Profile Cone (CPC) mid/bass driver using an aluminum cone that does away with a dust cover or central pole to create a smoother pistonic movement at the low frequencies and better control on the high ranges in unison with its aluminum dome tweeter. a marvelous and vibrant sounding speaker.