Copeland advice and info on them needed.

[speedy.steve]

I'm interested in upgrading from a Musical Fideity A3 CD player to a Copeland CDA289. I've heard one several times a couple of years ago now - very impressed.
Any views? Could I do even better for similar money?

I can't seem to Google much up about Copeland.
I found the reviews that are +ve, but wonder if they have a website or anyone has a list of dealers in the UK?

Other kit is a Triode Class A 20W tube amp and Proac D25's.

[UrbanT]

You may have better luck if you google the right name, I think its Copland you are looking for.

[speedy.steve]

Thank UrbanT. That did help. I got the reviews by searching on Copland A.... but for some reason wrote Copeland above...
I'll search on.

[alexs2]

Hi Steve...as you've found,all of the reviews and feedback on Copland gear have been pretty good,and the few bits that I've come across have also sounded very nice(amps only in my case).

There are however very few UK outlets,and that does make trying one very difficult,esp as I couldnt find any that stock the CD player you mentioned.

Exactly what sort of budget did you have in mind?.....a number of the Shanling CD players have come out very well recently,although the looks are an acquired taste,but may well match your triode amps and speakers very well sonically....which amp is that by the way?

You could also take a look at Meridian,but a lot also depends on what sort of sound you may be after.

[Nic Rhodes]

I'm a Copland fan. I also live in the district of Copeland so for a minute I thought there was another 'local'.

Re Shanling, off to demo the 80 again soon, very tempted....

[SKA.face]

Copland is superb kit,it's built like a tank also.I find they major on vocals,and the freq extremes a tad rolled off.Very refined and nonfatiging listen,will match well with valves.

[speedy.steve]

Thanks Guys.
That strengthens what I'm after.

I suppose budget iro £3K

Not heard of Shanling. Will check them out.

I like the sound of freq. extremes rolled off. Just what CD's need IMHO and my room is not exactly acoustically damped...

I can make in to London to audition sometime - Woking / London is very doable of course.

The amp is called the Son of Heffa. A project build. By our (then) local tube amp guru Dave Smith. No compromise amp. The website Heffa and Heffettes is unfortunately down at the moment.
You will get the general idea here

http://dsv.su.se/~oscar-ja/syst/

At the time of the build I merely copied others as they built, I am more mech eng/repair man than electrical - I can solder of course. I helped by deciding first how to mount the mains transformer in the chassis.
The cases were pro machined in Stockhom. I brought the cases and most of the transformers back from Sweden as special baggage on the many business trips I had over there.
Mine was the 2nd one to be commissioned. I have put many many happy hours on it. Two of my mates also built but as Dave moved away they attempted to finish theirs themselves. This resulted in a hum and only crackle out of one channel when we connected Phil's amp straight up to the national grid
Then I cajoled Steve C into getting his not working one from under the bed and the three of us (using mine as a working example) stoked life in the other two. All 3 now work

That was 2-3 years ago. After some running repairs and improvements on the PCB circuitry I have learnt a lot more about it.
It uses 2 6SN7's for preamp and 2 KT88's per channel.
I have found RCA or GE GTB's to be great and swapped the Svetlana KT88's out for Tesla's.
The heart of the amp is the Heffa Klump. A 12.5kg mains transformer.
The audio transformers are Lundahl's. It sounds much better than the orginal Heffa.
The aim with Heffa was to build a 10W amp for under £100.
The SoH is 20W and cost about £330. Still peanuts for what competes soundwise against £3000 amps.

[alexs2]

If thats your sound preference,you should find the Shanlings to your liking,and if you ever find one of the CDT-300s going used/ex-dem,be prepared to buy it....the sound of that is simply one of the best I've ever heard from CD,and with a valve output stage to die for also.

Your budget should give you an immense choice,which is going to be your main problem I would imagine,just getting to try all the possibles.

[speedy.steve]

See the update to the previous posting.

[alexs2]

I see the designer of that amp has a similar sense of humour to Nelson Pass when it comes to naming amps,if different in the choice of SS Vs Tubes.....they do look very nice though,as do those top-cap tubes.

Good to find more tube-a-holics.

[speedy.steve]

Alex,
Yeah, those top caps do look cool with the red HT lead's.

The SoH site is really good but not there at the moment.

I have most of the docs, diagrams and pics saved on HD, if you want I could send them to you.

The strangest remark I have had about my amp was from a friend of my wife's.
Whilst wittering away she suddenly said "what's that in the corner? Is it a very special collection of pepper pots".

I powered up the pepper pots and played them for her

[CJROSS]

Steve, there are a couple of hifi marques (ie all make systems) that I have heard that “blow me into the weeds” one is Copland (CD822/CTA-305/CPA-520) the other is Sugden (Masterclass CDP & Int). Beautiful fluid sounding companies ones that offer a real vibe of valves in a SS world. Copland wonderful outfit.

[speedy.steve]

Alex,
Forgot to say, Dave later got onto water called MOS stuff for fun, mostly built out of bits of an old telephone exchange. He used a large indoor fish tank (concreted in to the corner of his conservatory) as a water supply. Heated the water nicely for the fish apparently. I think there was an accident with this though...
Also he built really big monoblock tube stuff to drive huge electrostatics he had but when I last saw him he never got the hum out of them...
The tubes on these were over 9" tall"

Then there was something call 'Bastard'.
They are all on the heffa and the heffette site - hope it comes back on line...

[alexs2]

I think I know the tubes...either an old WE transmitting triode,or one of Ricardo Kron's recent creations....I'll find the links later.

[speedy.steve]

Well - time to update.
After the Bristol show and seeing the Copland CDA823 and the KT88 Valve amp CTA 405 Integrated Amplifier I am booked on a demo / test of the CDA823 back to back vs my Musical Fidelity A3.
The CDA823 uses a class A ouput stage so that is appropriate.

I have tried a NOS DAC but it was poor compared the MF A3.
The difference between the MF transport and a cheap DVD transport i also tried was not so great however.

The SoH amp is sounding better then ever following new (old stock tubes - Sylvania VT-231 - 1940's and National Union) 6SN7's. I've also upgrade the internal signal wiring and test homebrew interconnects that I like.
The amp and ProAc D25's are a great match - I just love the sound - Thought the smaller ProAc 140's sounded among the best at the show too.

So lets see if the CDA823 slays the A3.

I would like to hear Vincent's offerings too before I make my mind up.