H-Cat?

[miklorsmith]

Way cool Rich, that's dedication.  I hope the stuff trips your trigger and I also hope you can add it to the system without having to sell your great tube stuff.  Like the vinyl guys, tube guys gotta look out for each other.   

[richidoo]

Well, just back from the mission. It was successful in that I heard what I went to hear, the amp and preamp are indeed very good. I could hear some of the detail and correct tone that I was looking for, and excellent soundstaging. Any more than that was impossible to ascertain through the rest of the system. Huge folded horn speakers and room acoustics were too big an obstacle to hear the finesse and magic that people are raving about. But I did get to hear them and it is positive enough to go to next step, hearing them at my home. The dealer is willing to bring them to a Triangle Audio Society G2G so I will get a proper audition, not this weekend, but maybe the next, in a couple months or so.  Plus there is home trial period after purchase. We'll see if we get that far.

FYI: HCat pre and amp will be demonstrated at RMAF in the Lotus Group room, playing on Feastrex speakers. I wish I knew that yesterday    Should be a big improvement over last year's exhibit, which was still pretty good.

Mike, I love my tubes, but of course they are not perfect. I am looking for that clean, low mass tube sound (or better) without the tube livability nuisances and cost.  I think these might be able to deliver that. As I listened longer my brain adjusted somewhat to the distortion and I could hear some things the electronics were doing that were very nice indeed. Fast clear, powerful, lightning attack, ballsy firm bass, but as close to perfect tone on strings and vocals as I could tell. Pretty neat!
Rich

[miklorsmith]

Fun, as always I look forward to future dispatches.

[richidoo]

me too!!

Will do.

[Wolfman]

Rich-thanks for the info,I'm glad they sounded good enough for you to take the next step.
As far as RMAF,I believe Colorado dealer Steve Chang might be doing another listening session after hours with the Spectron/Sp Tech set up again. Very revealing,you might get hold of him if you're going(sorry,I can't remember if you went last year).
Good luck in your search.

[richidoo]

Thanks wolfman, I will contact Steve. Now THAT would be a revealling audition! Also looking forward to hearing the latest Spectron amp in several demos.

[EricH]

I heard the HCAT preamp a few years ago. I could not hear the doppler affect, But that just may mean my ears are not as good as others

[richidoo]

I am not sure if I heard it when I changed the setting. It was hard to hear subtle details on the dealers speakers.

[Norm]

Hi, I was made aware of this thread. Several things in reaction to what has been said here. First, because Joe Cohen was having problems with an AM station which changed with volume level when he was auditioning the H-Cat amp, it will not be at the RMAF. The H-Cat P12R may be in his suite. Second, the difficulty in getting a review sample is under-capitalization. Three, Doppler correction has nothing to do with feedback. Four, Steve Chang, I don't think is in the country nor will he be at the RMAF and I know has no amp. Five, the amp outshines the line stage but heavily benefits from being used with it. Six, the WTC after a long breakin of at least four weeks has one perfect setting, unfortunately it is not the same for different cds, but when it is right you have magic.

[opnly bafld]

because Joe Cohen was having problems with an AM station which changed with volume level when he was auditioning the H-Cat amp

RF form a poorly designed switching power supply?

[richidoo]

Hi Norm,
Thanks for the 123456 update I am not surprised H-Cat will not appear at RMAF. I feel like I'm on safari stalking the elusive beast. Can you answer some other questions?

Is the amp chassis earthed? I was told that the ground terminal of the power inlet is not connected to anything inside the amp. This deserves clarification because the consumer will assume he has a safety ground with the presence of the IEC power inlet. The choice to ground or cheat should be left with the homeowner / parent.

Warrantee is not mentioned on the website, nor is home audition policy which was recently removed from the website.

A higher priority placed on sales would bring the needed capital. Even I was thwarted, and that is quite a feat.

[Norm]

Rich, I have just learned that the prototype that you heard was indeed ungrounded as is mine but that further production amps will have a chassis ground. Apparently, legal issues prevail. You can, of course, use a cheater to lift it.

I don't know about the warranty . You would have to have ask the dealer. He was quick to repair a problem I had with an early P-12 line stage and seems willing to give my amp a ground, which I could do myself, of course.

I do agree that were more units out there, to dealers or among users, he would have more income. He does now have access to a production facility. I think he needs to get another current review as well as an appearance at a show.

[richidoo]

Thanks for the quick followup response Norm! I will keep my ears peeled for a proper audition.
Rich

[Norm]

Rich, was that at Dennis' not proper? He said you loved the amp.

[richidoo]

Norm, sorry to take so long to respond, my AN cookies got screwed up again, so I missed a bunch of new posts. Then RMAF delayed it further.

Rich, was that at Dennis' not proper? He said you loved the amp.

Yes at Dennis' but I never said I loved the amp. I might have loved it if I could have heard it. That was not possible through his DIY single driver horn speakers and untreated room acoustic. What I could hear by listening past the severe distortion was promising, enough to make me want to hear it for real. We discussed the speaker problem in some detail during the visit and again later on the phone. I requested a home audition while it was in NC, but it was not granted. My offer to host a meet at my house was accepted, but I cancelled when I learned that the amp was not grounded. I wished I knew that (and more) before I drove for the audition.

I would love to hear the H-Cat electronics sometime in a real audition, preferably in my own home. Maybe you know another H-Cat dealer in the US with a demo system capable of revealling the H-Cat's potential?
Thanks
Rich