Dynamic yet smooth mids and highs -- truely involves the listener more so than other cdp's.

Transport and shell seems somewhat flimsy.

Like the rest, I took the plunge and ordered the unit sound unheard and hoped I wasn't throwing $75 out the window should I need to return it (the US distributor, Upscale Audio, charges a 15% restocking fee which IMO is only fair). After about a 50 hour break-in period, I gathered up my favorite cds and sat down to hear what all the fuss was about.

The first thing I noticed was the sheer dynamics that the cd allowed to come through. Lyle Lovett's "Joshua Judges Ruth" has a few excellent tracks to illustrate the subtle details of a recording and the Ah! Tjoeb does an oustanding job of bringing these forward in a way that really captures the listener's attention and involvement in the music. While I did like the Planet, I felt it contained a slight misty or foggy quality to its sound which I guess could be construed as warmth. The Arcam was very nice in this regard but the difference in cost between it and the Tjoeb was too much to warrant consideration given the minor differences between the two.

The other quality that I truly enjoyed was the way that the tube output allowed the highs to sound detailed but without any harsh stridency. I found that I could increase my volume level considerably with this player before hearing some of that upper-end stridency found in other players. The mids were equally smooth and detailed and contained that same dynamic sound that brought you into the music. Low end was good but I wouldn't consider it to be a product strength.

All in all a great product and one in which I believe is worth a $75 risk (albeit small due to this player's oustanding performance).

Associated equipment:

Bryston B60R
B&W CDM1
ACI Titan sub
DH Labs BL-II interconnects

Similar Products Used:

Arcam 7, Rega Planet, Denon DCM320

soft musical sound, never edgy. Good soundstage with small Jazz-combo's

Lack of deep tight bass, lack of dynamics and drive.
built quality.

The AH! Tjoeb99 is absolutely the best cd-player you can buy at it's price. No doubt about that. You'll never find a player as musical as this one for the same amount of money.
But the people who produce and sell the Tjoebs, like eveybody to believe this player can compete with players of two grand. To my opinion this is absolutely not true.
The sound of the Tjoeb is very soft, but not "analogue" like many people say. Turntable sounds very different.
Cd-players of $2000 and less have much better bass control, dynamics and precission. The soundstage with small combo's is good, but the stage collapses completely with bands and orchestras. The total sound is light, without the body instruments really. But what do we expect of a modified Marantz cd-38 cd-player?
Cause there's more then just the output-stage. Like a good stable non-resonance cd-drive, DA-converters, copper anti-magnetic/electric shields etc.
It's a good player but not a top player by far.

But there's another, more important reason, why people should think twice before buying a Tjoeb.

The salesmen try to create a hype, and have managed to do so, to sell as much players as they can. Especially the people that sell Tjoebs in Holland(Beek), only care about their sales-ratings. In the "complete guide to high-end audio" is said that one should built up a relationship with a good retailer on trust who will guide you to the best possible high-end rig to your liking.
Well as long as you buy all the equipment those Tjoeb-sellers recommand you, everythings is fine. But don't ever
say you're not satified or heard something better elsewhere or don't buy what they recommand. Because from then on you're not welcome anymore and you can forget any service needed on your previous bought products. Futhermore they tell everybody who wants to hear, how unreliable your are and that you can't listen etc.
It's not my style to make this public. But I think it's my duty to warn other audiophiles for these people.
Be aware.

Similar Products Used:

Rega Planet

Terrific Sound, Great Value

Case, power cord

I have tried various CD combinations using various DAC's and Anti-Jitter Devices, continually buying various components and trying to get that smooth analog sound. I have never been happy with the sound of digital, until now.
I bought the AH! Tjoeb from Upscale Audio a couple of months ago. This CD Player is a Marantz cd-38 that has been tremendously improved by the AH! factory in Holland. It includes a tube output stage using 6922 output tubes and a improved power supply. For complete details, pull up www.upscaleaudio.com and click on the AH! link. I recommend getting all the options including the AC Noise Killer, SuperCrystal and Amperex 7308 tube upgrade.
I have been a vinyl fan for years and have a vinyl setup consisting of a VPI turntable using a JMW Memorial Tonearm with a Benz Ruby 2 Cartridge going through a Cary Tube phono stage to my integrated tube amp. This is what I used as a benchmark for comparing the AH! Tjoeb CD Player with.
Please keep in mind that that the AH! Tjoeb needs a period of time for breaking in before it starts sounding good.
At first, I was disappointed and I started trying various combinations of cables I had on hand. I also tried running the Tjoeb through a sound enhancer but was still not satisfied. Then, I was looking around Audiogon and found some Nordost Blue Heaven cables which made all the difference in the world. Please, please - use a good quality cable with this player. Kevin Deal at Upscale Audio offers a discount on cables when buying the Ah! Tjoeb player. Another terrific cable that I tried later with the player is the Silver Audio Hyacinth.
I started A-B comparing the Tjoeb with my Analog setup and was simply amazed at how close this player sounds to analog. I have some of the same albums on CD so it was pretty easy to go back and forth in almost real time. Voices are not glaring, like they usually are with digital. Cymbals sound like they should. I like Jazz music and classic rock and they never sounded better. The highs are fluid and female voices sound terrific.
I'm also using the Marigo Audio Lab Crossbow CD Mat and recommend this product for use with the Tjoeb Player.
Given that my analog gear set me back better than $5,000 and how close the AH! Tjoeb sounds like analog, I heartily give 5 stars to the Tjoeb. Its cost, with the upgrades is around $600.00. It is definitely worth the price and more.
Also, I would like to thank Kevin Deal at Upscale Audio for having great products. Kevin probably knows more about tubes than anyone else does. If you have any tube needs, Kevin is the 5 star person to talk with. Kevin, thanks for your patience with me in the past and to all, I recommend Upscale Audio for all of your audio needs.

Similar Products Used:

Marantz cd67-se, MSB Link DAC, Theta TLC

Overall musical qualities ... very pleasing to the ears ... lifelike soundstage that draws me into the music.
Tremendous value for the money spent.
Easy to upgrade and tweak the sound to my liking.

Light flimsy case that 'probably' vibrates ... but even this can be tweaked with a little ingenuity.

This is my 2nd review ... my first review was on 5/1/00.
The reason for this 2nd review is because of 3 modifications that I have since made to the Ah! Tjoeb.

The mods in sequence:

(1) Replaced the 4 big round damping feet with 4 ceramic cones under the case (so far, I have not attached them to the bottom of the case ... it is just sitting freely on the cones). Cost: $35.
This mod tightened the focus ... especially in the lower frequency range ... and put a little more air around each instrument.

(2) Replaced the 2 original Philips ECG 6922 tubes in the analog output stage with 2 Siemens E188CC 7308. Cost: $80.
This mod changed the overall sound for the better. The high end is softer but yet better defined; the mids are sweeter and more life-like in the voices; the bottom end is more controlled and quicker ... much better defined than with the original tubes. And the dynamics of the music is improved ... with excellent definition.
This is the best mod I have experienced to date ... and a must mod!
I bought these fine tubes from Kevin Deal (Upscale Audio) upon his recommendation ... and they were just as he described them.
I have also tried the Russian Sovtek 6N1P tubes, which a friend sent me to try. These are very inexpensive tubes, and they improve the overall sound as compared to the original Philips tubes, but they are not quite as life-like in the mid range ... voices ... as the Siemens.
Let me repeat again ... this is a must mod for the Ah! Tjoeb! Whatever you do ... replace the tubes! You might want to try several other types of tubes ... like the Amperex ... to fine tune the Ah! Tjoeb with your system ... but the Siemens are going to be hard to beat! Ah so!

(3) I replaced the stock light weight power cord with a home-made one. I used a 5 feet length of AudioQuest Indigo speaker cable. It has 4 pure solid long grained copper conducters of different guages in the hot and ground sides ... each conductor is encased in Teflon. I put a hospital grade plug on the downstream end of the AQ ... twisting all four of the conductors together on each termination.
Instead of using a plug on the power supply end, I just hot wired the AQ inside the Ah! Tjoeb just like the original was connected. To take the original cable out, you must use a small screw driver in the adjacent release slot above the input hole to release the catch that holds the wire in place.
Since the twisted bundle of 4 conductors for both hot and ground are quite large in guage, they won't fit in the rather small holes on the power input terminal block. So, for the time being, I skinned 2 of the 4 conductors longer than the other 2, and then wrapped the shorter 2 around the longer 2. Then I was able to squeeze the longer 2 conductors into the small catch ... again using a screw driver to open it.
Now ... what did this mod do? Right behind the Siemens tubes, this made a very significant difference in the overall sound quality. It literally cleaned up the "grunge"! It cleaned up the air around the instruments and vocalists. And it improved the dynamics ... and tightened the focus. I don't see how a good line conditioner could have improved the sound any better than this ... but, I am not saying a line conditioner would not still help ... I would have to try one first to believe it would or could. Replacing the lightweight zip power cord is a must mod also!
There might be better power cords than the one I made ... but I would also have to hear it to believe it.
Cost: the hospital plug was $11. The AQ Indigo was a left-over ... I had 2 six feet pieces that I had purchase by the foot last year and since replaced with AQ Midnight speaker cables ... but I don't remember what it cost. You surely could purchase a 5 or 6 feet piece for less than a $100 ... I would think. Since good power cords are going for $250. and on up ... this would be relatively cheap.

[Caution: please be careful that the power cord termination inside the Ah! Tjoeb is secure! Don't fry the machine! Ah so!]

Boy ... I tell you ... this CD player is more fun to work and tinker with than a barrel of monkeys! And it is most rewarding! This is a very good musical component! I could live with it in any system in any price range ... and totally enjoy the musical experience!

I have found a great combination in my present system ... and I highly recommend each of these components ... because it takes the right combination to produce the right soundstage in the right room. No one piece does it!

My audio system:
Ah! Tjoeb CD Player (modified)
Audio Research Model 100.2 Solid State Power Amp
Magneplanar MG12/QR Speakers
AudioQuest Lapis Interconnects
AudioQuest Midnight Speaker Cables

Similar Products Used:

Rega Planet; NAD Silver Series; Rotel 985.

Astounding clarity. Fantastic speed and pace.

Flimsy chassis

Right out of the box the Tjoeb sounds much better than my old player does. I thought some breaking in would be required before I heard a difference. Not so. The first disc I played was the Sony 20-bit version of Miles Davis' Kind of Blue. I was stunned at the bite and attack of the horns. This disc clearly showed me what component was lacking in my system. I was not happy with the sound of my setup for many years. But when the Tjoeb was inserted into my system I knew it was my CD-player (Nakamichi CD-Player2 $1200) that was the weak link. Because of the AH! Tjoeb I have a new confidence in the other components in my system.
The big revelation came when I inserted the Pure Silver Sound PSS Quartet Cables between the Tjoeb and the preamp. This is the Deal(!) most audiophiles have been searching for. Do yourself a favor and check out this player.

Speakers: Vandersteen 2c
Pre-amp: conrad-johnson PV-1
Power amp: SUMO The Nine
Interconnects: Pure Silver Sound PSS Quartet
Speaker Cables: TARA Space & Time TFA Return
CD-Player: AH! Tjoeb w/AC Noise Killer,SuperCrystal & Amperex 7308 tube upgrade (This is Important!)

And by the way, Kevin Deal of Upscale Audio is the best I have ever dealt with in Customer Service for any product I have ever purchased. How many of you have ever had a dealer call you to let you know that your purchase had been shipped? Not many I suppose. They don't come along like this very often.

Liquid & warm

That stupid click!

You'll certainly see lots of buy-this-thing reviews below. I'm just adding another. I've had the unit approx. a week (left on as suggested by Upscale Audio). I got the full upgrade package -- though when I asked Kevin at Upscale whether the tube upgrade was a must-have, he said he thought highly of the standard tubes -- this impressed me.

Transaction was smooth as silk and I got the player via 2-day FedEx.

Straight out of the box it was certainly good but not such a huge jump up from my Denon 360. Sounded rather more tube-y than I was expecting -- I mean, it's only a tube buffer stage, right?

After a couple days I did some extended listening and maybe I'm just easily influenced by others' comments (see all the reviews below) but the player sounded considerably better to me -- more dynamic especially. Couple days later, a six hour session that was just magnificent. Orchestral congestion on loud passages had been ameliorated to a large extent. Hey, this thing's good!

I can't claim familiarity with the current crop of players in this price range but I feel that this is excellent value for money. It makes music. It makes you want to listen to yet another disc. So read through the raves below and then get thee hence to www.upscaleaudio.com.

My system, which I love: I'm running the player directly into the Decware Zen single-ended triode tube amp (see my review in the amp section if you want)into The Horn single-driver horn-loaded spkrs. Audioquest Jade interconnects, Radio Shack buck-a-foot spkr. cable -- I'm purchasing new cables from KLJ and DH Labs & we'll see if things improve still further.

Oh, about that click. It makes a click sound when you start playing or if you switch between tracks. A minor annoyance, but unnecessary I would think. As far as the stars go I stand behind the value five stars. Overall rating please take with a little grain of salt since I'm not exactly conversant with state-of-the-art players. But reading others' comments, especially as compared w/Rega which is a company I very much like, makes me feel OK about possibly being a tad overenthusiastic.

Similar Products Used:

Rotel

Does exactly what is suppose to do.

None noted

I received my Ah Tjoeb '99 from Kevin at www.upscaleaudio.com on Thursday before Memorial Day weekend. Installed it in my system and turned it on for it's burn in period. My system is simple, NAD 7000 receiver, small Energy speakers and a Klipsh subwoffer but we love music and have it on for 3-4 hours a day. We were thinking it was time to change speakers to improve our sound but when our old CD player died our direction changed. The Ah Tjoeb '99 made this a truely memorial weekend with non stop fun going back through all our favorite CDs. I can't improve on what other are able to describe relative to this players sound quality. What I can say is this player makes our CD collection seem new and fresh. I have noticed that I enjoy pushing the volume level up a notch or two which really makes things come alive but still listening remains very comfortable. This player will make anyone's system sound better.
I would like to also comment on Kevin's dedication, I made my call at 7am California time expecting to get an answering machine. Instead Kevin answered the phone and my questions and he took my order. Great service.

Similar Products Used:

NEC CD Player

Value for money

Same as other mid-class players

Yes, I've seen the hype of Tjoeb, and I've finally met someone who owned it, and I've compared it with my own Dynaco CDV-1 player.

Tjoeb gives about the same sound, but cost less then my "as-is-from factory" CDV-1. That's an advantage for Tjoeb. You do get value for money. But not more than that. I have been able to locate five major weak points in my CDV-1, which after modification outperforms many players of three times it's value. The mod's are:
1: IMMEDIATELY pull the wire from the output terminals to the CD drive board. It's the mute wire, which makes more trouble than it solves.
2: Place a stable oscillator. I don't buy such expensive units, I build a simple colpit's oscillator and use the original crystal. A bit of handy work and a few bucks for a handfull of components, that's all.
2: Improve the silly low-pass section.
3: Replace the big coupling capacitors. CDV-1 uses MKP types, now I have paper types. Tjoeb uses MKT types, which are even worse (and cheaper) than MKP.
4 :Replace the Burr-Brown OPA2604. This is a medium-class opamp. Not good for high end. Put instead AD827 and you will be amazed.

Note that these mods only make sense of you do all of them, apart from the clock, which makes sense without the others, but with less result, of coarse.

It is these mods that put my CDV-1 almost on the level of my vinyl, which I play through my tube-headamp, and then feed into my Stax Lamba with tube amp. Tjoeb never reaches this level. It's HARD to beat a good cartridge which is boosted to line level by only two triodes and zero feedback filtering. I spent lots of time to get CVD-1 almost there. And I think Tjoeb will also be able to make that level. But then it would be too much competition to other makes that are sold by the same dealer, isn't it? High end for a dime is possible, but once common known, how do you then sell all those multi-thousand-dollar goodies?

Well. I won't buy one, but I'll put the stars anyway. Tjoeb is certainly not too expensive, but could be much better at the same price. Overall rating not higher than my "as-is-CDV-1" It's certainly not that heaven that others let you believe.

Finally getting listenable CDP.Great value for the $$. Easy upgrade path.

Transport noise(slight)-not of any real importance

Just buy one......If you want an eminently listenable CD player. If you like glassy,etched & fatigueing,don't buy an AH!
Seriously,this may be the bargain of the century in digital replay. It slaps the Link Dac silly.Call Keven @ www.upscaleaudio.com and order one.Listen to it a few days and wonder why they don't slap a fancy faceplate on it, make it heavier and triple the price.My wife even stays in the room while the Tjoeb plays.
It is not the last thing when it comes to resolution ,in my system,but I don't feel I'm missing anything.It just makes music.And it is easy to tailor the sound with tube changes.Nice.

System:
Ah! Tjoeb with all options except I'm using Amperex Orange Globe 6DJ8s.Stock Phillips ECGs aren't bad- and are cheap/available
Vandersteen 3As
Conrad Johnson Premier 11 Amp
ARC LS3 (repacing soon with tubed preamp)
DIY ICs and bi-wire speaker cables

Similar Products Used:

Marantz CD63SE with MSB link DAC
Rega Planet
Rotel 971
Theta Gen-3 DAC

Overall pleasing sound, depth of soundstage, detail, highs are clear but not painful

Clicking noise between tracks, nearly unreadable display

Like many others on this list I purchased my player from Upscale Audio (www.upscaleaudio.com). Ordering was easy and pleasent. Out of the box, the unit was not bad, but did not meet the rave reviews I had read. However, after leaving the player running for 40 straight hours and listening again I am converted. Considering the relatively small investment I have in my system(Magnepan SMG, MIT interconnects, Esoteric speaker cables, Sony amplifier)I really did not expect that much from the new CD player. However, I now have a level of sound quality that I did not think possible with this system. Bass is defined and fast, midrange -- particularly on voices and wind instruments -- is liquid and nearly holographic in presentation, the highs are clear, defined, but never fatiguing. Cymbals seemed spring to life for the first time in my system. They are crisp, resonant, and present but not harsh. The player seems to cover all the bases.

Compared to a much more expensive Wadia based system my impression was that the Wadia did everything better, but not in a way that embarassed the performance of the Tjoeb player. I now imagine that I will upgrade every component in my system before even considering a cd-player upgrade. in fact, short of lottery winnings or industry format revolution, I cannot imagine trading this player in.

I purchased the Crystal upgrade and the Line noise killer options with this my Tjoeb player. While I have not heard the player without them, for the few extra dollars I would not want to risk losing any of the quality I am now experiencing.

Similar Products Used:

compared to Rotel, Sony, and Harmon Kardon . . . also Wadia