FT: EC Studio (230V)

Discussion in 'Closed (Archived) Sales' started by songmic, Jan 25, 2017.

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  1. songmic

    songmic Gear cycler East Asia edition

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    Due to an unexpected financial issue that will inevitably hit me by the end of this winter, it is with a heavy heart that I've decided to let go of my EC Studio. I don't think I need to repeat what I said about this amp over and over again. You can refer to my other posts, especially my shoot-out thread, for my opinions. But if you're too lazy to, I'll just briefly summarize it here.

    1. It is overall the best headphone amp I've heard to date.
    2. It is NOT a tubey sounding amp at all, but very transparent and neutral without the typical warmth of classic tube amps. It is the opposite of amps like EC BA, DNA Stratus, or practically every amp made by Woo Audio (though most Woo Audio amps don't hold a candle to the former two)
    3. Therefore, it pairs best with warmer headphones like the HD650. Some treble-heads seem to find Studio/HD800 acceptable, though.
    4. In fact, Studio/HD650 is the best amp/headphone combo I've heard to date, period. To my ears, it beats ZDS/Utopia, Studio/Utopia, BHSE/SR-009 or SR-007MKI, and everything else.
    5. In other words, an end-game amp which I thought I would never sell had I not been in a financial pickle.

    I'm the second owner, it has been used for a little over a year since its original purchase by the first owner, and is in excellent condition overall. It comes with the Penny & Giles RF15 potentiometer upgrade, and with the dual packaging, the first buyer paid $7.4K + shipping for this amp new. I'm willing to sell it for a bit less than how much I paid as the second owner.

    Note that this does not include the price of 2A3 tubes, which are not included in the base price of Studio and needs to be purchased separately. Right now I have a matched pair of EML 2A3-Mesh and another matched pair of Shuguang Nature Sound 2A3C-T tubes, please inquire if you're interested in them. With Studio it is possible--even recommended in the manual--to mix-n'-match 2 different pairs of tube for each channel. FWIW, I also have a matched pair of Zenith EY500 tubes, which are very rare and a noticeable upgrade over the stock Russian Svetlana 6D22S rectifiers.

    HOWEVER, as selling the Studio will leave me with nothing to listen to, I won't sell it for 100% cash but accept trade with the following gears I'm interested in. Note that for DAC's or amps, I will only accept those made for 220-240V (i.e. non-American voltage, or European/Asian voltage) use. Since my Studio is also 220-240V, I believe this trade will appeal more to European/Asian than American members of this community.

    1. Sonic Frontiers SFD-1 MKII or SFD-2 MKII
    2. EC Black Widow V2 (production version, NOT the dual-chassis prototype, 220-240V)
    3. EC Zana Deux Super (latest iteration with upgraded caps, 220-240V)
    4. EC Balancing Act (latest iteration with Cinemag transformers, 220-240V)
    5. DNA Stratus (S/N #30 or higher, with choke upgrade, 220-240V)
    6. Focal Utopia
    7. Reference Sounds Code-X
    8. Or anything that may pique my interest (preferably a gear of excellent reputation that is OOP, rare, has a long lead time, or expensive if bought new)... ask away!

    Please send me a PM if you're interested in making an offer. Unlike my usual sales, I won't sell it to anyone on a first-come, first-served basis; I will decide depending on which gear you're willing to trade, for how much, and ceteris paribus, whether you are a Friend.
     
    Last edited: Jan 25, 2017
  2. zonto

    zonto Friend

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    Sorry to hear @songmic. Good luck with everything!
     
  3. MisterRogers

    MisterRogers Ethernet Nervosa

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    Yea, sorry to hear @songmic. Its painful to have to let go of this amp.
     
  4. manatworks

    manatworks Friend

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    Oh man, so sorry to hear that. I wish i have $$$$ to go for it tho!!!!
     
  5. Rotijon

    Rotijon Friend

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    f**k i want it, but i have nothing to trade :(
     
  6. jowls

    jowls Never shitposts (please) - Friend

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    I feel your pain. GLWS.
     
  7. No_One411

    No_One411 Fired by Jude

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    TWO BOXES?! Good man.

    On a more serious note, good luck with the sale.
     
  8. shipsupt

    shipsupt Admin

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    Cash is king... make a $$ offer!
     
  9. Smitty

    Smitty Too good for bad vodka - Friend

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    Damn it man, I need two more months until I get my bonus, stop tempting me! I really wish I had put aside money for when a random Studio to pops up...
     
  10. IceUul

    IceUul Friend

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    Same here, always missing these deals... in various reasons.

    I hope this Studio is not goint to US, then will be one 230v Studio less on this planet.
     
  11. Xecuter

    Xecuter Brush and floss your amp twice a day

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    Hey I'm Interested in the EML mesh pair and the Zenith. Are they still available?

    Al
     
  12. songmic

    songmic Gear cycler East Asia edition

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    Please send me a PM. I may have an offer for you.
     
  13. songmic

    songmic Gear cycler East Asia edition

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    @shipsupt Sold! Please feel free to close this thread.
     
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