Yuth has been working on a project to update Le Amp 2. As everyone reading this will know, oil prices have gone up while the US dollar has gone down in value. This has affected businesses which import parts from all over the world - ours inclusive. Most of the customers who ordered Le Amp 2 ordered two units for stereo at a time. Our low price included shipping. The problem was that with increasing costs and higher shipping costs, Le Amp 2 was simply priced too low. We have decided to build a stereo amp that is essentially two monoblocks built into one case. Doing this will save us money on the case and shipping. I hope we have some photos very soon.
Customer comments:
nOrh is quite proud of the performance we offer for our very
inexpensive but high quality components. The SE 9 has been selling now
for three years. It has proven to be a very reliable, cost effective
and high quality audio component. The SE 9 is quite unique in that
it is designed as a high-end component - not a cheap tube amp. There
are many cheap tube amps out there. Most of them use no-name Chinese
tubes, plastic sockets, cheap components and low quality volume
controls.
The SE 9 uses Electro Harmonix tubes, ceramic sockets, platinum coated
switches, Alps volume control, high build quality, hand wound
transformers and quality components.
The price of the SE 9 combined with the nOrh 3.0s is about the same
price as a department store mini component system.
I use my SE 9 in my office constantly. I spend most of my day in
front of a computer. While I am working, I like to listen
to music or streaming raid. The SE 9 is a great amplifier
to put in an office or study. It is an ideal amplifier for a dorm or
small apartment.
Until recently, our new ACA 2b (pronounced ACA tube), was pretty much
ignored. Recently, we have been getting more orders with a lot of
rave comments. The ACA 2b is a great preamp even though it is one of
the least expensive preamps available. The ACA 2b has fantastic
drive and not a hint of harshness. Many people write us that
music they once thought was harsh, now sounds smooth because the ACA 2b
is so transparent.
ACA 2b
I've ordered an aca2b preamp some weeks ago and I want to give you some positive feedback on it. The amp sounds great! I think it sounds much better than the German, English, Swiss and American $$$-gear I've bought over the last 15 years.
I've changed the Sovtek tubes and installed JJ e88cc tubes which are cheaper than the Sovteks, here in europe. These tubes improve everything of the aca2b (deeper and wider soundstage, deeper bass and they bring much(!) more detail). I don't know if they are available in Bangkok, but you should try them (and sell your aca2b with these tubes).
There's just one thing I don't like on the aca2b: there are only 3 inputs. In my opinion 5 or 6 would be better (and so much more expensive in the production).
Now I'm waiting for a norh poweramp which will fit the aca2b. :-) Personally I would prefer a push-pull design with ~15w of power.
Regards,
Martin Krauhs
SE 9
Dear Namphung, Mr. M.C.Barnes,
Last Thursday I received the tube amplifier. I am very pleased with the way you have handled the forwarding: two working days from Thailand to The Netherlands, excellent service from UPS.
I was even more pleased when I first connected the SE 9 to my home system only for testing. The amplifier will be used in the study on a pair of small speakers which I will design/built the coming months, it's a hobby. Key words will be: high efficiency and flat impedance in a small package at an attractive price. The whole set will be a gift for my wife's birthday.
I connected the SE 9 to a pair of Magnepan MG 1.6 which I use in the living room. These magnetostatic speakers have low efficiency (1 Watt for 86 dB), but a tube friendly overall impedance of 4 Ohms. I didn't believe my ears: although it won't play very loud, the sound was full and rich, also on low levels. Compared to my transistor amplifier (Arcam FJM A32, 2 x 150 Watts/4 Ohm) the sound was more "fluid". That is quite an achievement considering that the Arcam costs about four times more than the SE 9 and has a good name for sound quality.
Imaging was fabulous and the sound did not come from the speakers, but seemed to come from the entire room. A dipole system with a good amplifier is something special! Again I must thank you for producing such sound and built-quality against a reasonable price. If I sell the Arcam one day, I seriously consider a SE 18 as the amplifier for the living room.
With friendly regards,
Andre Kamperman
From Last Month
Namphung (photo taken with Nikon DX70)
I wrote an article a few months ago about my new Nikon DX70 camera. As great as this camera is, it is just a bit to big to carry with me all the time. Here in Bangkok, traffic is quite bad. I have started riding a bicycle back and forth to the factory and office. It is a bit challenging to carry the DX70 while riding a bike. Recently, my wife bought the Nikon Coolpix 5200. The Nikon Coolpix is probably the best compact digital camera on the market. When I decided I needed a small camera, I went to a local photo store to buy the Coolpix 5200. The store was out of the Nikons, but I was determined to buy a new camera.
After comparing the cameras that were available at the store, I decided to buy the Pentax Optio S5i. The Optio S5i is one of the smallest cameras I ever owned. I was willing to accept some loss of image quality to have a camera that I could literally take everywhere. I am posting photos taken with my new camera on this month's web page. The camera is very much recommended. I still think the Coolpix takes better photos but the Pentax Optio takes very impressive photos. In fact, the photos I am taking with the Pentax are consistently better than the photos I was taking three years ago with my "top-of-the-line" Sony digital camera I bought for $1,000.00.
The photos this month were taken on the Pentax Optio S5i
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Most of the rest of the photos on this page were taken with the Pentax S5i. The camera is small enough to fit in your shirt pocket. I have yet to run the battery down taking photos. The camera comes with a very convenient to use docking device that allows you to charge the camera without taking the battery out of the camera. The Pentax Optio S5i is one of the smallest digital cameras around and for its performance and features, the Optio S5i is quite a bargain.
Speakers
There are two combinations of equipment I recommend most. Both of these are based on the SE 9. I have use a SE 9 with my computer and a pair of nOrh 3.0s. I use this combination more than I have ever used any audio system. That is because I am chained to my computer almost all day long. I am absolutely pleased with my nOrh 3.0 and nOrh SE 9 combination. People with a bit more space or want to play their system a bit louder should consider our Classic 6.1. The Classic 6.1 is a very efficient loudspeaker.
The Classic 6.1 looks and sounds better than just about any speaker available in its price range. When combined with the SE 9, you have an ultra inexpensive high-end system that will please based on both looks and sound.
Red nOrh 3.0s
Classic 6.1s shown without grill
The Classic 6.1s have a sensitivity rating of 90dB. They drivers are both from Vifa. The sound is ultra smooth and accurate. Many loudspeakers in this range, particularly efficient loudspeakers, tend to be strident. Classic 6.1s are never strident. The Classic 6.1s are ideal for home theater use because they play very loud, even with modestly powered receivers. The Classic 6.1s are carved from solid wood logs and have a beautiful hand crafted look that simply isn't available from other loudspeaker vendors who use contact paper over chip board for loudspeakers in this price range.
Teak 4.1 Center
I use the nOrh 4.1 as my center speaker in my main system. The 4.1 looks like artwork on my TV and its shape is quite practical. nOrh loudspeakers are designed to eliminate parallel surfaces. We use natural impedances to reduce the energy inside of the speaker so that we don't have to stuff them with foam, wool or fiber. The sound is more dynamic and natural. The 4.1 Center uses one of the world's finest and most expensive woods, real Teak.
SM 6.9 (left) and Classic 6.1 (right)
Music
I bought Miss Abair's CD, "Wish You were Here", at the show and I have enjoyed it very much. Several people who have heard the CD playing have asked about it and have also bought the CD. Ms Abair's style is easy generally light jazz with a bit of blues and funk added in. Miss Abair's vocals are quite suited for pop music but without the digital enhancements that are now very commonly required with less gifted vocalists. Mindi Abair's "Wish You Were Here" features great melodies, great rifts, great vocals and great fun.
Mindi Abair
Pan, Namphung and Mindi Abair
ACA 2b
The ACA 2b is beautiful to look at and sounds great
The ACA 2b is a high-end preamp that costs less than almost any preamp available. The ACA 2b is a beautiful product, with excellent build quality and outstanding sound.
High quality Alps volume control and platinum coated switches
The ACA 2b uses a platinum coated switch. The volume control is made by Alps and there ACA 2b has three inputs and and a record output. Furthermore, there are two amp outputs.
Unexpected inputs and output for a preamp in this price range
The ACA 2b is still only $395.00 USD shipped to North America. Please contact us from other regions to check on shipping charges. The ACA 2b is the best preamplifier in this price range. The ACA 2b has plenty of drive to power long cables. The ACA 2b works with both tube and solid state amplifiers. Here is your chance to buy a tube preamp for the price of some passive preamps.
For those of you who still listen to LPs or have an LP collection, we have a phono preamp that you can add for only $295.00 USD. However, a better deal is to go with the SE 18. The SE 18 has an active preamp, integrated RIAA (phono) equalization and 18 watts of Single Ended Power.
Sincerely,
Michael C. Barnes
nOrh Loudspeaker Company, Ltd.