The end of Mana Audio

[cliffpatte]

John

I think ECS put "some amplifier" into production. Whether it was the Stealth I doubt. Even JW said there were differences.

Cliff

 

[Andrew C!]

Amazon?

 

[dcathro]

John

I think ECS put "some amplifier" into production. Whether it was the Stealth I doubt. Even JW said there were differences.

Cliff

It is essentially the same amplifier. As I understand it, ECS had always been the developers of the amp, whilst it was being marketed under the Mana name.

Dave

 

[Alex S]

The casework was/is much less monumental than the Stealths that actually had cases. There were/are minor differences to the internals which were/are stenuously denied/accepted/denied/accepted.

 

[Markus S]

It's called "production engineering". Apparently the original cases were much too costly to produce in quantity. Given that an amp case usually contributes 30-50% of an amp's production costs, it makes a lot of sense to not go overboard on the case. Particularly as the case's contribution to the sound is not that large, compared to spending the same money on the power supply etc.

For the Stealth, I understand that the cosmetics of the case (laser cut name etc.) were particularly expensive without contributing to the sonics at all.

 

[Mike Sae]

Just get the case done in China.

(PS I'm not kidding)

 

[James]

Paving slabs do not "ring". Glass rings. You also need something that is rigid. Paving slabs are pretty rigid, although slate is probably better.

Cliff, anything solid is capable of resonating. It's only the frequencies and Q that differ.

Glass is a super cooled liquid, which means its constantly in motion and rings audibly at its resonant frequency.

The supercooled state of glass is a red herring. The fact is glass rings only when physically struck. If this same piece of glass is perfectly supported at three or four corners and loaded with some mass, any vibration passed onto it quickly dissipates either to the support system or into the mass it is supporting. Think tuning fork and you'll get closer to understanding how glass or any other solid material resonates.

I don't suppose you have a windowless listening room, do you? How on earth do you put up with the resonance of those huge sheets of glass?

James

 

[Bob McC]

In some parts of Rochdale you will find windows with tape across them. This is not a throw back to the blitz but an anti resonance strategy!

 

[Alex S]

If its Tony, is he taping all his valves up too?

 

[Tony L]

Not me, that kind of thing goes on down the cheap end of the street.

Tony.

 

[James]

In some parts of Rochdale you will find windows with tape across them. This is not a throw back to the blitz but an anti resonance strategy!

Good god, might as well live in an anechoic chamber if the hifi can't make music in a domestic environment. Sheesh!

James

 

[Basil]

"the cheap end of the street."

Wasn't that a Van Morrison song?

 

[kasperhauser]

{in Chevy Chase voice:}
"This just in... Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead..."

 

[lordsummit]

I thought for one minute Tony Bob was talking about me. I've more chance of sneaking Victoria Coren in through the front door than I have of taping the windows up

 

[sastusbulbas]

Out of curiosity , what equipment supports are people using which they found to perform better than Mana ?

And what Mana did some of you use ? and how did it perform in your system ?

Steve

 

[Bob McC]

Comparative reviews?
Good God man you'll be expecting objectivity next!

 

[Robert]

Out of curiosity , what equipment supports are people using which they found to perform better than Mana ?

And what Mana did some of you use ? and how did it perform in your system ?

Steve

Good old Sound Org floor stands and wall supports.
Sturdy, light and they hold the equipment at the right height.

Perfect for the job in other words

Couldn't care less how they compare to Mana.

 

[James]

Out of curiosity , what equipment supports are people using which they found to perform better than Mana ?

And what Mana did some of you use ? and how did it perform in your system ?

I'm utterly convinced that an LP12 is transformed by Mana. I have a Mana Ref Wall Shelf to prove it. Previously I had Sound Org and a custom-made stand. No contest, it was truly night and day.

I'm somewhat convinced that some CD-Ps are affected by Mana. I had a CDS-II that sounded pants on the floor, little better on top of a Mana 5-tier stand, and quite a bit better on a solitary Mana Sound Table. OTOH, my Densen B-400XS sounds sublime on either the Sound Table or on the 5-tier stand.

I'm not convinced that amplifiers care about Mana. A pair of NAP135s and a pair of Densen B-350s sounded the same on the floor as they did on Mana.

The jury is out on preamps, but that's only because I can't be faffed trying to verify the Mana Effect any more.

James

 

[tones]

Out of curiosity , what equipment supports are people using which they found to perform better than Mana ?

Small experience, but I found that any bit of solid furniture performs just as well as Mana

And what Mana did some of you use ?

Sound Frame

and how did it perform in your system ?

It did precisely nothing for anything placed thereon (including an LP12).

 

[sastusbulbas]

Interesting so far,

One person couldnt care less how Mana compare's to his Sound Organisation supports.
Says it all,
No need for him to be taking part in the Mana debate.

Another tried a Mana sound frame and heard no difference with his LP12.

One person has used a few Mana items and seems to be quite positive about them.

Tones,
May I ask what equipment, speakers and speaker cable were you using at the time you used the Mana sound frame ? and how long you used a sound frame and what you sat it on ?

James,
What speakers and cables were you using ?