JBL 4343 coming soon to Mumbai

[keith_correa]

Have done 60 hrs of run in. Recommended is 100 hrs. The amp is stunning. It’s right up there with some of the very best I have heard. Don’t get fooled by the 1700 GBP tag. It plays in a much much higher league. With the various amps I have tried with my JBL, this is the most balanced of all. The way the amp is shaping up, I think I have pretty much come to the end of my journey. Now to buy more vinyls and just sit back and enjoy the music

Prem, what phono stage are you using upstream of the Integrated R?

 

[prem]

Keith, its the built in phono of the EMT.

 

[prem]

Oldmonk, probably the best I have had in my house is Audio Artistry Beethoven speakers with a combination of Levinson and Rowland amps and Levinson transport and EAD 9000 Pro Mk 3 dac. Cabling was all Kimber Select. What I have now is not that good in bass but is probably a bit more musical and natural sounding which suits my musical preferences.

Audio Artistry Beethoven loudspeaker system

Audio Artistry's Beethoven is the banner model of the company's Composer series (footnote 1), which includes the entry-level Vivaldi as well as the Dvorak I reviewed in the April 1996 Stereophile (Vol.19 No.4, p.204). Like the Dvorak, the Beethoven is a four-piece, bi-amplified, dynamic dipole...

www.stereophile.com

 

[oldmonk]

Dear Sir

Once again your reply is insightful.. and my idea of pressing you for your choices was only so that we / the readers need to know that having a preference and expressing a choice in terms of a brand is fair game !

The AA Beethovens would be indeed something with 4 bass drivers a side !!

Sometimes we like the choices we make sometimes we move on - but in no case is the product bad - it just doesn't suit the ear sometimes..

Younger audiophiles in the same journey can have a lot to learn to be courageous to say what they think about certain equipment instead of being all mushy and diplomatic... you know diplomacy works mostly but sometimes frank conversations are better.

I notice that some people have a bias for some brands and associate adjectives / musical qualities with them sometimes unfairly !

I was once immersed for a few hours in an all Linn system and never noticed the time fly by.... now many people associate Linn and Naim having no soundstage etc etc... but to my ears the all Linn system with a Majik 140 fronting the same was wonderful !

There is also logic to system matching - either from the same brand / same range / same designer or different hardware from different sources with agreeable matching possibilities... its an interesting world ... this audio..

Sometimes its like accompanying your woman to a shop full of blouse matching material and to match the saree you know... sometimes it's better to buy the saree with blouse and some people like to mix and match !

Only when one gets them home than do we realize the full extent of the match.

On a lighter note - all blouses and sarees are good...

Have you ever experienced or owned a 1 brand system - all the source and electronics ? What was your impression ?

You may reply time and inclination permitting ! and if i have drifted away from your 4343 topic i will refrain from doing so.

 

[prem]

Oldmonk, the closest I have owned source and electronics from the same brand is Levinson. I had their 30.5 dac, 31.5 transport and their monoblocs. Pre was Rowland. Till 2012 i was only into digital. Around that time I moved totally from digital to vinyl. For source, I always prefer to buy brands which specialise in it. Levinson was a bit of an exception since it’s better known for amps. For digital it would be the likes of Esoteric, Lampizator, Weiss, EMM, MSB and for turntables it would be likes of EMT, Garrard, Lenco, SME and for amps it could be LAMM, Berning, Pass and the like.

 

[prem]

Anyone looking for an amp in the 40-75 watts range, do look up Croft Integrated R. It retails for 1700 GBP.

I have owned amps ranging from a lakh to 15 lakhs. The Croft is right up there with the very best I have owned or heard.

 

[mkprebou]

Anyone looking for an amp in the 40-75 watts range, do look up Croft Integrated R. It retails for 1700 GBP.

I have owned amps ranging from a lakh to 15 lakhs. The Croft is right up there with the very best I have owned or heard.

If you can the number will discuss in detail

 

[oldmonk]

If you can the number will discuss in detail

The number is 4343

 

[kbhuvi]

The number is 4343

Me thinks @mkprebou is asking for @prem 's cell number to discuss regarding the croft amp.

 

[prem]

I think he wanted my cell number. Have shared it with him

 

[prem]

The Croft Integrated R just gets better and better. I am shocked that you can get such good sound at such a reasonable cost.

 

[Dev.R]

This again and again proves that a simple system gives the most satisfying sound. It may not be the best but the fulfilment it gives is bliss.

 

[arj]

This again and again proves that a simple system gives the most satisfying sound. It may not be the best but the fulfilment it gives is bliss.

The snips I heard much earlier actually seems not just the fulfilment but also the resolution/transparency etc are also are at reference level. If it has improved even further then it is something I cannot even imagine in my experience !

 

[prem]

In the weekend, after long, gave the amp a good run. Today morning I had to get the speakers forward by nearly 9 cm to allow the bass to breathe. It’s sounding even better now.

 

[prem]

I was having a bit of a glare which is why I pulled the speakers 9 cm ahead. The glare reduced but over time I realised it was sounding a bit strained. So pushed the speakers back by 9 cm to its original position. The glare I figured was a result of the glass window behind my speakers. Used Franck Tchang rosewood cubes on the glass window pane to take care of that problem. Now it’s all sorted out.

 

[kbhuvi]

@prem

The Croft R is said to be very unforgiving to sources. One needs to feed it with a high quality source.

Are you using it with your EMT? Any experiments with mediocre sources such as cellphones or laptops? Please be kind enough to share your experience.

 

[prem]

Hi Kbhuvi, I have only used it with an EMT. No experience with any other source.

 

[kbhuvi]

Hi Kbhuvi, I have only used it with an EMT. No experience with any other source.

Hello prem. Thanks. Apologies for the absence of greetings in my previous post.

When you get a chance, please try other sources also and update here. If the Croft turns out to be a little forgiving, it has the potential to be a front runner at a fraction of the price commanded by big names.

 

[prem]

Kbhuvi, am only into vinyl

At any point, I only have one source at home. In the past it was a transport and dac. Now it’s a turntable. But if some member wants to come home and try a dac, I am fine with it.

And logically if your source or source material isn’t all that good, there’s no point spending big money on an amp or a speaker. I always put maximum money on the source and the source material.

And on a separate note, as you go up the ladder, amps normally become less forgiving. What surprised me was the Croft could even hang in there with the big boys. For the price, it’s difficult to beat.

 

[prem]

This is crazy. The bass opened up again. The speakers had to be pulled out 9 cm again. So the rosewood cubes are no longer necessary. Guys, if you buy this amp, give it a lot of time to break in.