Too big of a soundstage. Instruments are placed too far back than they should. Not neutral , if you are looking for neutrality, but great if you like some coloration. Soundstage is so big that you could loose some detail within the music.

I know I am comparing against an old 1986 technology CD player.Guess what? The Mcintosh MCD 7000 is very neutral. If anyone gets a chance please pick up an MCD 7000 , they run about $300, and put it up against your best. You will be very suprised on what you will hear. Please try and A/B the two products on high quality recordings. Somebody did there homework at McIntosh. The Marantz is great , but I thought it would blow my Mac out of the water, but it did not! Both players have very good skills, but one does not clearly do better than the other. Is this DAC business a bunch of hype??

Similar Products Used:

McIntosh MCD7000

looks cheap

At fist I owned a Technics cd-player, a very cheap one and I had no idea about hifi (very little and I still do. I went to the hifi-shop and marcel and his colleges helpt me in a proffesional way, even if you have low-budget. No problem, thanks to them I bought a second-hand AH!tjoeb '99
with no extra's. I plugged it in my PM-8000 Marantz amp
and I let it play for about 3 days( they put new Tubes in for me) After that I had to listen to all my cd's again and discouvered a whole new listening experience. I never beleived the difference untill I heard it. What a sound it plays twice as loud as with my old cd-player.The sound melts in your ears and it is only getting better.Get it!

System:
Marantz PM-8000
AH!-Tjoeb'99
QLN Qubic 122
AH!B>B BI speaker-cable
VLS-connectioncable

Similar Products Used:

none

resolution, imaging, musicality,

ugly

I am a cheap audio enthusiast who lives in a football-crazy, non audiophile corner of the world (Norman OK). The internet is my friend. my current system consists of the Ah! Tjoeb99 with the supercrystal and noisekiller and stock tubes plugged directly into the Decware Zen SV83-c tube amp driving a pair of Klipsch RF-3 speakers, with Decware custom inter-connects and Kimber speaker wire. All of these products were purchased recklessly over the internet without being auditioned.

This cheapskate system ($1,600 total)is so money!! and the Ah! Tjoeb is a big part. It and the speakers arrived before the Zen amp so I hooked them up to my Denon SS integrated amp. I was stunned. The music didn't sound like it was coming out of the speakers, but rather both in front and behind them. there was detail i'd never heard before in my favorite CD's, the fun of listening to music had gone up by a factor of 10!! I was so happy, I thought I would probably end up returning the Zen amp. However, when it arrived and interacted with the Ah! Tjoeb.... it was magic for me. A deeper, wider, soundstage, even more clarity, a more musical, exhilirating, sound. These 3 components just sound so damn good together.

I am totally sold on the Ah! Tjoeb99, and can testify to its great synergy with the Decware Zen amp, though it made a huge difference in my music even with my old SS amp. For value the Ah! Tjoeb is beyond 5 stars, overall probably 4.75 or so, but here I can only give it a 5 on each. I am also very happy with the vendor, upscale audio. The owner answered my questions, offered me options without pressure and made the process enjoyable.

I am sure there is better gear in the world than mine, but its so amazing and gratifying to put together a fantastic system, for such low prices that sounds so so so good.

Similar Products Used:

First tube cd player

great sound at remarkable price

not enough snob appeal(?)

I've just bought my second Ah!. So impressed with the first, I upgraded the CD player in my second system, which is used for the pool. Simply called Kevin Deal, left him a message and it was taken care of. I can't think of a better value/performance product.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha, naim, arcam, rega

Damn sweet sounding mucic maker for the price. A wolf in sheeps clothing.

The sheeps clothing.

Well, it’s time. Don’t know exactly how long I have been using the Tjoeb, at least 2-3 months, but I honestly like it more and more as the days go by. I, unlike most, it appears, plugged the sucker in and started listening right out of the box (like I was going to wait for the thing to burn in before I listened, get real). Out of the box it didn’t sound bad, either. Not great, sure, but a whole hell of a lot better than the Yamaha changer that was my other option at the time. I let it go in my absence for a good 50-60 hours straight, with occasion to check in on its progress every 15 hours, or so. What really blew me away is that the changes as it limbered up and began to feel at home were not gradual at all. At somewhere between 25 and 30 hours there was a sudden and truly remarkable improvement. And then another just past the 50ish mark. Honest (though maybe it was sleep deprivation…) there were two moments where the little monster decided it didn’t need to hold its breath any more, relaxed, and started breathing deep. Certainly, do not be disappointed if it is not all that you hoped for right out of the box. It gets a LOT better.
I was looking for a cheaper CD player, as I had just finished the last installment in an otherwise long and stupidly expensive upgrade path. I wanted something that wouldn’t short change any of the rest of the gear while spending as close to minimum $$ as possible. I read, and read, and listened, and listened, and then read some more. When I came upon the Tjoeb, I decided I just had to try it out. What the hell, right? Kevin (kudos) at Upscale Audio got the job done without any fuss, and I was in business. Best part, it does the rest of the equipment proud and, even with all the upgrades, the final bill came in at a factor of 3 to 7 times less than any other component in the system. THAT made me happy.
It is, without a doubt, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. There is no real point in echoing all of its praises from below--they are for real, well deserved, and shared. My one criticism, however, is the sheep’s clothing. The Marantz basis for this sonic gem is genuinely unspecial. That said, it sounds good enough that it could come in lime green and I would still consider having one…
Ok, enough of the prattle, if anyone’s gotten this far, the reason I was hoping to post is to ask for some advice and/or encourage some sharing. One of the beautiful things about this wonder is that it is designed to be mucked with. I would like to ask those with more mucking experience (and possibly more success) than I for advice. (The last pair of speakers I built ran great for a few months, blew up at a party, and then got tossed from a fifth story window…so much for my resume). So, for you folks who have dampened, rewired, replaced, upgraded, revamped, what have you with success -- please share. Either put’em here or e-mail me peterdehaven@hotmail.com. I sure would appreciate it.

As a sign-off, it seems traditional to list what it is you make it all go with, so why not.

Thiel 2.3
VTL 2.5
Bryston 4B-ST
With a grab-bag of Synergistic Research and Apature for the in-between bits

P.S. No, I don’t plan on throwing any of this most recent generation out of the window…

Tonality, bass reproduction, life-like midrange, huge soundstage, very dynamic.

Can get a wee bit grainy in the midrange at high volumes.

This is my system:

Arcam alpha 8 CDP
Electronic Tonalities Foreplay tube preamp, with anticipation upgrade.
B&K EX4420 balances stereo amp 200W/channel
Magnapan MMGs and REL Q100E sub
Nordost ICs and speaker cables

I have been heavily into this audiophile business for about a year, in which I have assembled my modest system. I was very interested to learn that the AH! had a tube output stage. One thing I have learned is that I have a preference for the tube sound. Adding the tube preamp to my system is by far the best upgrade I have ever made. All of the digital harshness just melted away, or so I thought. Eventually I started to notice it was still there, although at much lower levels. I determined that it was probably due to my CD player. After an extended search for a CD player that included all of the brands listed above, I stumbled across a few reviews of the Ah! Tjoeb 99. As you have probably read already the reviews are quit impressive, so I decided to give one a try. I called Kevin Deal at Upscale Audio and ordered one with all the option(super crystal, AC filter, digital out, and NOS amperex tubes), total approx $675. I was told that they had a one week return policy on the unit. It arrived within a week of my order and I immediately put a disk on repeat to begin the burn-in process, as I had heard that it needs around 50hrs to sound its best. The first comparison was with the Arcam alpha 8 I had in my system. Well, after 15 minutes of critical listening the Arcam was disconnected, it wasn't even a contest. The AH! was smoother in the midrange and highes, the overall tonality of acoustic instruments and voice were worlds better, the soundstage was wide and twice as deep, and the base reproduction was tight and substantial. Imaging was also improved, but just slightly.
So my next comparison would be with the Arcam alpha 9. I was considering this unit because of the upgrade capability of the Arcam alpha 8 that I owned. It would cost me $600 to upgrade to the 9, if the 9 was subtantially better than the AH! would probably be sent back. My friend and I, who is also into this audiophile stuff, had an extended listening session with the alpha 9 and the AH! We were both expecting the 9 to blow the AH! away, but we were surprised to find the players very comparable. We found that the vocals from the 9 were just as smooth as the AH!, but they were more forward in the soundstage. This is neither good or bad, just different. The AH! had substantially better bass reproduction. It was not only tighter, but more colorfull, more musical. Soundstage size, imaging, and detail were very similar, however the AH! was much more dynamic than the 9. In the end I found that the alpha 9 does very little wrong, however it wasn't nearly as musical or dynamic as the AH! After our conclusions had been made we asked his wife to sit down for a little single blind test. We had her listen to several tracks ranging from rock to jazz to classical. She consistently prefered the AH!, saying that the tonal quality of the instruments was more lifelike(she plays trumpet). She also stated that the AH! was more involving to her, probably due to better dynamics and bass reproduction. She was shocked to find out the the alpha 9 costs $1600, while the AH! that she prefered costs $675 fully loaded. Well after our conclusions were supported by her unbiased opinion, my decision was easy to make. I sold the arcam alpha 8 and I am using the money to put into upgrading my tube preamp.
This player is highly recomended for the price. It isn't the last word in CD playback, but it will hold its own with some of the more expensive models. If you crave the finer pieces of gear, but lack the funding as I do, I strongly suggest you try one of the AH! Tjoeb 99's out for yourself. I would be very surprised if you can find a player at it's price point(or a few higher for that matter) that sounds significantly better. If you do, let me know so I can audition one myself.

Happy Listening,

Steve Moore

Similar Products Used:

Arcam alpha 8 and 9, Rega Planet, Denon, Yamaha.

Looks, did not found yet

average detail, hummy sound.

Based upon reviews at this site, me and my audiophile friends got hold of an Marantz CD38 modified to AH! Tjoeb 99.

We expected quit a lot as most reviews on the site are quiet impressive.

First we burned in the player for two full days and then audiophile listenings started.

Our main conclusions were as follows. Compared to the Marantz, the Tjoeb had a very lightweight sound and clearly missed the class. Compared to the Sony it missed the rest and detail and compared to the Dacmagic (equal price level) it missed fundament and dynamics.

In comparison to the more expensive players the difference is expected, but we cannot understand why there are reviews on the site that compare the Tjoeb with a CD-7 without noticing a mayor difference. When comparing it to the older but same price level CD15, the difference it unanimously huge.

But more striking, compared to the (famous) Cambridge Dacmagic 2i, all are in favour of the Cambridge. The sound is more detailed, far more dynamic, less noises and not less warm (despite no tube in the Dacmagic).

Similar Products Used:

Marantz CD-15, Sony CDP-X777ES and Cambridge Dacmagic 2i

Price, resolution, tonality of instruments

musically none, a kinda cheap cabinent.

I purchased my AH! Tjoeb99 CDP several weeks ago . It has all the options but the digital out. I had read reviews on this site and gotten advice from another satisfied Tjoeb owner so I thought I would give it a try. I am very glad I did.
I believe this CDP is able to reduce the harshness prevalent in so many CD's because it presents the instruments in such a life-like fashion. Stringed instruments are presented especially well. Violins actually sound like violins instead of a harsh noise that resembles a violin. Even my wife thinks there is a big difference now in the sound. If this was the only improvement over my Rotel I would be happy, but it is not.
Much of music is in the nuances and the Tjoeb has so much better resolution I am able to hear them without turning up the volume so loud. My ears and my family appreciate this. I am able to listen for longer stretches of music than before and when my time is up I still want more. Before, about an hour was all I could take of my system.
There are other good attributes of the Tjoeb but you can read the other reviews for them. I would stress to burn in the CDP for 70 hours before critical listening.
I would recommend the purchase of this CD player to almost anyone. The only caveat I would have is while the player sounds great, it is housed in a cheaper cabinet. If one wants the looks of an expensive CDP he should not buy this one. I personally think it's satisfactory.
Those people who want a great sounding CD player at a very attractive price should seriously consider buying an AH! Tjoeb99 from Kevin at Upscale Audio. Kevin is easy to deal with and he has a 7 day return policy . (I do not think you will use it)
My system is as follows.
AH! Tjoeb99 CDP
Audio Refinement Complete integrated amp
Snell type C "III' speakers
Audioquest CV-4 speaker cable
SWG silver interconnect

Similar Products Used:

Rotel RCD-950

Price and the ability to upgrade.

Not built as solidly as most equipment I have owned.

I purchased the AH! CD from Kevin at Upscale Audio. I
broke it in as recommended and then began to enjoy
the music. The tube output takes the harshness
and sharp edge of many cd's off the stage. The unit
has a remote with a volume control which can allow you
to plug directly into your power amp if you like. The
features are pretty much all and more than I would ever
use on a cd player. The sound though is the improvement
over my previous player. It seems that you hear more
of the music from top to bottom.

I bought the upgrade tubes and they really do sound
better to my ears than the stock tubes. I am
new to tube electronics and I am fascinated with
trying to tweek the unit to my liking with different
tube possibilities. I believe that is the strongest
aspect of the unit, getting to fiddle around with
the sound on a very good player for a very reasonable cost.

The customer service at Upscale Audio was excellent. They
took care of all questions and problems promptly. I would
recommend them highly.

My associated equipment includes:
Counterpoint SA20
Counterpoint SA3.1
Vandersteen 2C speakers

Similar Products Used:

NAD 5300 Monitor Series CD

Detail, bass, dynamics

none

When I decided I wasn't going to live another day without an audio system that gave me a feeling of being there, I visited an audiophile friend of mine. I praised his system and harped on about speakers and amps, but he insisted you first have to begin with the source. He had the AH Tjoeb 99. To make a believer out of me, he insisted I bring my CD player over and hook it up to his system and do a side by side. I was blown away! I had to have one. He recommended UPSCALE AUDIO at www.upscaleaudio.com, and the rest is incredible clarity and dynamics. I am sure there are CD players just as good and better then the AH Tjoeb, but after hearing the AH Tjoeb on his system, I wanted it on mine. This CD player is a sure bet, you can't go wrong. Kevin at UPSCALE AUDIO also gave me a deal on DH labs interconnects and speaker cable. Next I am going to get a tube amp to match, but for now I am mellow.
Nick

Similar Products Used:

onkyo