FRANZ - Friends from AUS & NZ

Discussion in 'The Meeting Place' started by Garns, Oct 28, 2016.

?

Which of the following items would you be interested in for a loaner tour early 2017?

  1. Campfire Audio Lyra II

    21.7%
  2. Sony NW-A25 (with the Lyra)

    17.4%
  3. Hifiman HE-560

    30.4%
  4. Schiit Jotunheim

    43.5%
  5. Massdrop TH-X00

    21.7%
  6. Modi MB

    52.2%
Multiple votes are allowed.
  1. Garns

    Garns Friend

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    Welcome!

    How is the McChanson amp? I see he is a local builder, and the prices look very decent.
     
  2. alucart

    alucart Facebook Friend

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    Eric is a great chap to deal with - he invited me to his house in Burwood, Sydney to audition his wife's version of the amplifier I wanted, asked me pertinent questions (like the impedence of my headphones) and built it within a reasonable timeframe. Delivered it in sturdy packaging all the way to Melbourne, too!

    I bought the amp initially for the HD800 (basing the idea on a "poor man's" Manley 300B preamp), but found it to sound compressed and flat - even though Eric assured me the output impedence of 32 ohms would work with it...

    ...but interesting it works really well for the HD650 - the soundstage is blown wide and deep, not quite as HD800 as surprisingly close.

    Word of warning though - the stock tubes he includes (Psvane), while reasonably priced, do not do the amplifier justice. As Marvey suggested on the old Changstar website for the Woo WA5, I upgraded the GZ34 to a 274B rectifier. I later upgraded the Psvane 300B to the Gold Lions (and later to the GE replicas by Sophia Electric).
     
  3. alucart

    alucart Facebook Friend

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    I don't know if these image links will work, but here are some snapshots that Eric sent me of the amplifier during the building process - I hope that the more tech savvy can use these to decide on whether the build quality is good enough to pull the trigger on:



    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  4. Garns

    Garns Friend

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    Thanks, @alucart! Burwood is an easy train ride away for me, so I may head over there some day for a listen...
     
  5. Garns

    Garns Friend

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    Yes, absolutely.

    Seems like the basic possibility for loaner tours is:
    (1) we think up things we would be interested in that can be found locally; or
    (2) we look at loaner tours that are going on and suggest an extension down our way. Below GST threshold of $1000AUD this should be relatively cheap (though I don't know how NZ does it)

    EDIT: option (2) is apparently not an option (too much hassle with customs and so forth).

    So FRANZers, let me know if you'd be interested in general terms in trying to do this, and more specifically if you have any things you'd be interested in for (1). Any other Aussies and Kiwis on this forum (eg @drez, @nehcrow, @deniall83, @mawk, @Setzz, @murray), I'd love to hear from you too. Please do chime in if you have any thoughts.
     
    Last edited: Nov 24, 2016
  6. chakku

    chakku Friend

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    $400NZD is the GST threshold here. (Or $60 GST)
     
  7. Xecuter

    Xecuter Brush and floss your amp twice a day

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    I am really keen for be involved in this loaner. Things i really want to try in house before I buy would be hd6xx, modded hd800, he6, Yggdrasil and utopia.

    When my new amp comes in, I could loan my rag before I sell it. Also thinking of upgrading the sfd-1mkii SE+ and could run a short loaner to friends who want to hear this legendary DAC before I let it go. obviously postage of such big/heavy items is very prohibitive..
     
  8. chakku

    chakku Friend

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    Gifts over $110NZD will attract GST, which is less than the threshold anyway so I don't even know why they bother mentioning it.

    There may be a loophole where you can claim that the goods were paid for overseas but you haven't received them, since they WERE paid for overseas and tax was paid at the time, but you may have to have proof of purchaser identity as well.

    Ref:
    http://www.customs.govt.nz/inprivate/sendingitemstonz/giftsandbelongings/Pages/default.aspx
     
  9. Xecuter

    Xecuter Brush and floss your amp twice a day

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    if people are open to it you could do the following:

    If you want to be a part of the loaner you put up 100aud and obviously the postage costs.
    Marvs budget + the additional funds to get something like hd800S
    let it do the rounds and auction it to the people who were a part of the loaner
    If it doesn't hit a reserve we make, it's put on open market
    Once sold. Money owed goes back to HQ
    remainder is split between the invested loaners. Probably lose 10-15 each but makes it more worth while..

    This is just an idea.
    I would be happy to run this.
    Al
     
  10. JewBear

    JewBear Almost "Made"

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    Unfortunately I don't see any ways of loaners working cross country, unless someone happens to be traveling to NZ anyways. Does anyone cross the Tasman regularly?
     
  11. Garns

    Garns Friend

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    I agree, if we do this then we try and do it as a combined Aus/NZ thing. Unless it's over $1000 we would only need to cover GST one way. We could split that cost among the participants.

    That's a good list @MoatsArt. @Xecuter - your suggestions are certainly something to aim for but I agree with Nathan that we probably should start slowly! I.e., something low-medium value and easy to ship. I think headphones/IEMs is a good idea.

    Lyra II can be had new for $899 AUD from DWI Digital (who are fine, I've used them before), and we could resell afterwards for $600AUD. HE560 is $1249 new, but we could try and source one used, and we'd have to do the same with TH-X00.

    I think I favour the Lyra. Anyone else interested?
     
  12. jowls

    jowls Never shitposts (please) - Friend

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    Another vote for Lyra II. We could run a silent auction at the end of the loaner to recoup as much money as possible...
     
  13. el1x

    el1x New

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    I am very new here and to the world of headphone audio, however, i am interested in working toward being included in the program.

    I don't have an arsenal of gear behind me and most likely i've got items that everyone has heard already.
    I was fortunate enough to get in on the HD6XX drop, so i will have those in the new year to go with my recently acquired Bottlehead Crack. My current everyday cans are an AKG K712.

    My list would include items such as:
    Elear
    Jotunheim
    HE-560
    TH-X00/TH-610
     
    Last edited: Nov 25, 2016
  14. alucart

    alucart Facebook Friend

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  15. Sqveak

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    Sony NW-A25 is a good bet. Fantastic timbre. Clean and smooth. No digititus.
    The only negative I can think of is that it doesn't have the tightest or most present sounding bottom end at lower volumes.
     
  16. JewBear

    JewBear Almost "Made"

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    I can handle GST on the NZ side if I can get reimbursement via paypal or something. I propose we start after the holiday season though, in January. Also remember that as soon as the product gets used in Australia is depreciates considerably in value because it's now "used". So we'll have to factor that in to the declared value.
     
  17. chakku

    chakku Friend

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    Replace the dog/cat with a kiwi or kangaroo on the shirt.
     
  18. Sqveak

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    RRP is or was $279 here. It's the outgoing model.
    Several eBay sellers have stock for under $200.
    All local stock that I've found adheres strictly to Sony's pricing.
     
  19. Olor1n

    Olor1n Friend

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    Anyone here handy with a soldering iron?

    I have a stock HD650 cable re-terminated with a Neutrik NC4MX XLR plug. Nothing wrong with it sound-wise but I've always had issue with it clicking and locking onto the balanced outputs of Schiit amps - from the original Mjolnir to the Ragnarok and now the Jotunheim.

    Looking for someone to re-terminate this cable with a better XLR plug.
     
  20. JewBear

    JewBear Almost "Made"

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    Now that I think about it. It would imho be better to ship directly to NZ first. Once we use it in NZ it depreciates. Meaning, if the item is above $1000, say $1200 or $1400. It's very likely it will depreciate to less than $1000 after the NZ listeners. So only customs once then.
     

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