Warmth

Cheap remote

I was on the hunt for a CD player, not too pricy but good. Rotel came to mind, Cambridge and of course the Sony. But there is one thing that they all had in common, they all sounded like CD players. Maybe more buttons or better circuitry but the sound is basically the same.
People, this CD player has a Burr Brown dicoder the same one as in Rotel, it has a qulity Philips laser, but most important, it has two tubes on the output. This does the trick and separates it from all the CD players in its price range. As all of us know, tubes produce a warmer more realistic sound which is rarely found in CD players, exept the pricy ones about 1500 hundred and up. Thus you pay 450 bucks for something that sounds similar to l500 hundred. Plus the tec support is great, these people actually care about every customer. Upgrade your cables and enjoy.

Soundstaging, natural sounding analog feel, musical, not tiring.

Clicking sound between tracks, gets into trouble during complicated passages

The main problem with this player — its sound is so natural and musical — is that I now have a hard time with the harshness and flatness of others. I do find listening to most cd players tiring after a while now. I mean the Tjoeb soundstaging is so open and relaxed! With good recordings especially, the presence is amazing. Vocals litterally breathe, strings, brass, percussion have depth and richness. Like other proud owners of a Tjoeb, I tested it against other players worth two to three times more, and each time, despite its shortcomings, the Tjoeb came out a winner thanks to the tube magic. Highly recommended.

depth and width of soundstage, natural sounding, amazing detail.

none so far.

I waited for 2 weeks before writing this review because the Ah Tjoeb took quite some time to burn-in and there was something else that's wrong with my system. I figured it out some days ago and it's my speakers' positions. Ah Tjoeb's soundstage is wide and deep that I have to readjust them. Now that everything's right, I have nothing more to expect from my system.

This CDP is an amazing improvement from my old Marantz. Gone the days when I could not listen to my old CD63SE for more than 30 min. because the CD63SE simply screams, the highs are too harsh and I got headaches from that. Like others have stated, this CDP really excels with strings. I especially love the way acoustic guitar sounds with Ah Tjoeb.

I know that my base of comparison isn't a good one since I only had a Marantz CD63SE to compare it with. Still, voicing constructive opinion is better than nothing at all and this product deserves plenty.

Along with the unit, I also ordered a pair of Amperex 7308 tubes. Expensive considering the price of $80.00 a pair, but to me its worth it. Tighter base and sweeter midrange.

I'd also like to extend my thanks to Kevin at www.upscaleaudio.com for importing Ah Tjoeb into the US and making it much easier and faster for many of us in the US for purchasing quality audio components at affordable price.

Associated equipment:
Ah! Tjoeb '99 CDP
Kimber Silver Streak RCA
Arcam Alpha 7 Amp.
Silver Sonic T-14 Speaker Cable
Totem One Speakers
Atlantis Reference stands

Similar Products Used:

Marantz CD63SE
Marantz CD63SE

Sound

Flimsy feeling transport; Not the most versatile remote

First off, Kevin entices us to write these reviews with a promise of a Tee shirt. I would have wirtten this anyway.
This is a great sounding unit. The highs on my system (Adcom separates, ProAc 1SC speakers, Velodyne 1000FSR sub, and Marantz 63 SE CDP) were annoying and fatiguing. In talking with salespeople, I was told that I coulnd't really do better within my $500 budget.
I was intrigued by this product and the web promotion. I got it last night, and immediately noticed the change I was hoping for. No more fatigue, no shrillness. There was also better soundstaging and more precise bass.
This is obviously before break in so it will only get better. I am not an expert but I am very pleased and this was a wise investment.
I think that this promotion by upscale audio via this sight is great. It is saving all of us lots of $, and alsois nice to have an 'underground' product.
So, my advice is to give it a try. I don't think that all these positive reviews are hype.

Similar Products Used:

Marantz 63 SE, Cambridge Audio 300, 500, used high end Cal

Bass extension, Sweetness, Midrange, lack of harshness, can sound a LITTLE muddy with the wrong CDs (maybe that's because of my cheapo Denon surround reciever), can play CD-R discs (go philips transports!)

I've noticed a rolloff in very high frequencies when compared to my Pioneer DV515 DVD Player - maybe it's the brightness of the Pioneer. I don't really care about that, though. Lacks that groovy blue LCD of the Wadia's :))

I got the fully upgraded player from De Hifiwinkel when i visited Holland. Herman told me to run it for about 40 hours as a break in peroid.

After running it, here's my impression:

a. the Bass extension is really really good compared to my Pioneer. Bass notes seem to appear at last.
b. The listening is much less fatiguing.
c. There is absolutley no harshness, at least not as much as i'm used to. I've only noticed the smoothness of it after comparing it to the Pioneer.
e. the guitars became much more realistic (see a.) and much smoother.
f. vocals became much more pleasent and present.

Some (minor) flaws:

a. a slight rolloff in the VERY high frequency range. Tubes fault?
b. some coloration. As this coloration is positive and there's very little of it, and as i understand it's evident in most of tube based equipment, it's not really a flaw
c. I would have complain about the lack of Toslink (optical) output, but as Coax is the de-facto standard and i can get a coax-to-toslink convertor, i would not
d. The lack of LCD dimmer - considering that the Marantz IS a cheap player, i'll pass
e. Clicks between tracks

Although the Pioneer is not a very good example as it's a cheap DVD player, it handles CDs rather well for it's price... so forgive me for the comparision :)

There is not really much to say after taking the unit's price into account - No one expects it to perform like a 3000$+ Wadia or Naim, or even like 2000$+ units. I won't make claims that it does perform at such levels, both because others have already made such and i do not have the necessary first hand familarity with those high end players. After all, 500$ should sound like a 500$ and this one SURE sounds much better than a 500$ CD player. it was never meant to compete in the 2000$+ range (again, i'm not claiming it is not able to, in fact, i believe it can provide a good fight for some). How the hell can you go wrong with this CD player? and even if it doesn't sound like a 2000$ player, think about all the 1500$ that you will be able to spend on a better amp, preamp or speakers. Now it's all clear, AH? :))

YOU CAN'T DO ANY BETTER. go AH!

Next on the line, a Valve amp?

Similar Products Used:

Not much

Beautiful analog sound

Nothing

What can I say that hasn't already been said. This Cd player really made my NHT 2.5i's sing. I never thought the NHTs could have such a beautiful midrange. The highs are oh so smooth and extended and the bass is right on. I found the Pure Silver Sound Pss Quartet interconnects to be a perfect match For the Ah Tjoeb. I might add they are a steal at $139. for a 1 meter pair. Check them out at www. puresilversound.com. On the Ah Tjoeb I got all the options including the Amperex 7308 tubes. Kevin at Upscale Audio was very helpful in answering all my questions and I urge you to call him @ 909-931-9686. In closing I would also like to thank the Ah factory for helping me to step into the world of audiophile sound. Buy this CD player you won't regrete it.

Similar Products Used:

Cambridge Audio CD-6

Cost per sound

Cabinet, remote

I bought the AH from reading the write-ups at this website. I had just reviewed the parasound and the classe .5 at a price four times the cost of the AH. I didn't really want to spend that much money on a CD player especially if I could get one that sounded close to the parasound and the classe at alot less money.

When I first got the AH I was incredibly disappointed. It took about three weeks to a month to come around. I bought it from Herman in Holland with the super cystal and the A/C noise killer. I have tweeted it pretty much to the max, A/C cord MIT Z cord,Vibrapod isolaters. Did not see any need to turn down the adjustable output voltage. I also bought the amperex 7308. Big difference in detail and imaging. Highly recommended. This CD player is sounding just about as good or as good as the fairly high-end players mentioned above. I'm pretty happy. Are there better CD players out there? There's no doubt in my mind. Are there better CD players out there for the money? No way!!

Associated equipment:

Bryston B-60
PSB Strata Golds
SWG. silver interconnects
Taralab RSC 1000 bi-wire speaker cable
The AH Tjoeb 1999 with all the stuff

Similar Products Used:

parasound 2000 CEC TL-5100Z Classe .5

clarity and warmth, detail

none discovered yet

Have been an enthusiast for years with hopes of graduating to audiophile. Spent a good amount of time with all of the units listed (already had a Yamaha I was looking to replace) and found that the Tjoeb was too hard to pass up, for what I was looking for. Established it as a strong competitor immediately and did A/B comparisons with the Naim unit, priced as around $2K. naim would edge out the tjoeb overall, but for $1400 more, couldn't see enough real benefit. great performer, even better value. I love it. Wish I could give it more than a 5 for value.

Similar Products Used:

Naim, Yamaha and Rega Planet, Arcam Alpha 9

Well I’ve had my Tjoeb-99 CD player for almost 2 weeks now and I feel that I can now submit my review of it’s performance.
I will state that I like many other Tjoeb owners bought my unit sight unseen and sound unheard. Needless to say this made me a little nervous. I had never purchased a piece of audio gear that way before. I had read all the reviews and read up on it as much as I could, even contacted past reviewers to find out how they felt about the whole purchasing / owning affair. It was a risk, but one I felt I could take considering the raves not to mention the more than reasonable asking price.
The long and short of it is, I’m glad I did. I received my Tjoeb-99 two weeks after ordering; it would have come sooner but they were backed up with orders so it took a little longer. As soon as it arrived, I hooked it up and initiated the break in process. I was still nervous. The sound I heard coming out of the player was not what I expected. Frankly, it wasn’t that good. It sounded too bassy, the highs were muted, and it seemed to lack detail.
I was getting more nervous now. I had gone and bought a CD player that I had never heard from some place in Denmark, spent $ 60.00 on shipping, and it didn’t sound good. After several correspondences with Herman at DE’ HIFIWINKEL, (This guy knows what customer service is all about) I was persuaded to give it a chance.
As the break in process continued, I began researching what effect different tubes might have on improving the sound quality (This purchase was my first experience with tube equipment). My unit was shipped with Phillips 6922s.
My first suggestion, skip em. I collected recommendations from various sources for tubes to replace the Philips units and came up with a fair number. I won’t get into all that right now but I will say the tubes I selected as replacements were a pair of 6922 Amprex JAN USA NOS Gold Pins (1976) from Tube World in Sheboygan WI. (920-208-0353) for $85.00 pr. They arrived a day after they were ordered. How’s that for service!
In addition to ordering new tubes I plugged the unit directly into the wall socket. It had previously been plugged into the back of the tuner / Preamp in a switched outlet, which itself was in turn was plugged into a power strip. Just these 2 changes yielded big results. Not all at once, but gradually. After burning in for at least 30 hours the differences became readily apparent. Greater detail, better sound staging and focus, ample but controlled bass, just plain old better sound. The player itself is revealing. It’s overall character is not only dynamic but also warm and sweet. I’m having fun listening to my collection again.
Before I had changed the tubes out, I had thought about trying to tweak the sound through the selection of brighter interconnects. I currently have Kimber PBJ’s in the system but was going to replace these with Kimber Silver Streaks, a cable I know to be slightly more detailed and definitely brighter.
My second suggestion, swap out the tubes first! I had always liked the PBJ’s and with the way things stand now, I still do. The rest of my system is comprised of Adcom electronics: GTP 500 II tuner / preamp, (I had been using a) GCD 575 CD player, and a GFA 545 power amplifier. I currently use a Marigo Crossbow mat on the playing CD which seems to add to the mix. The interconnects are Kimber PBJ’s and the speaker wire is Kimber 4VS with “Post Master” spades. My speakers are of independent manufacture and are wonderful; check em out at www.vanlspeakerworks.com. They are called “Quartets” and I have only the head units on heavily weighted stands.
It may seem like I’m running on a bit but I want people to understand just where I am coming from with my opinions. Allot of people have offered their impressions on this unit but have said little if anything about what they are used to listening to music through. When I began my search for a replacement CD player I auditioned several reputable players. These included: the CAL Labs CL-15, Rotel 991, the Arcam Alpha 9, a Naim unit (their entry level one at $2,200.00) and a solid state piece from Metronome Technologie. These are priced from reasonably affordable, to what I consider to be very expensive. I believe in buying value, and this little player is big on value. I must echo what others have said so many times before me; You would be hard pressed indeed to beat the Tjoeb-99 for under... lets say $1,500 - $2,000.
Never mind the clicking, and don't get hung up on appearance, this little unit is a sleeper. I did notice one other quirk however. When using a CD mat, make sure the mat and disc mate together well or the transport may have a little difficulty reading the disc. (The Adcom player never had this problem; the difference between the Philips and Sony mechanisms I suppose)
I anxiously await further developments from the good folks at AH!, the power cord especially.
Anyway, I’m glad I stuck it out. This was minor gamble that paid big dividends. I’m sorry I panicked Herman!
To all those expecting miracles right out of the box, temper your expectations, but be prepared to be wowed when you get this player dialed in, you’ll be much happier if you do.
Overall rating for value and performance (because in this instance you can’t separate the two) 5 speakers.
You probably could find better out there, but how much are you willing to spend to get it?
Happy listening. And remember, change the tubes!

The most disarmingly NATURAL sounding CDP I've heard anywhere near its price range.

Looks cheap (it's based on an economy Marantz unit). Stock tube sockets are flimsy, easy to break.

The only way you can get one of these now is used, because this model has been discontinued for the Njoe Tjoeb 4000, which by most accounts is an excellent unit. Most of the folks selling these units are either upgrading to the Njoe Tjoeb 4000, or else to SACD. That ought to tell you something. There ISN'T anything that'll beat this unit, in this measly price range. So, if you score one used, you'll have a really good deal. The owner will probably have already done the mandatory tweaking-the tubes upgrade, the chassis dampening, upgrading the stock power cord, etc. But here's two you really would benefit from doing as well: 1.)Tjoeb Shoes. Herman van den Dungen did a lot of testing/trials to come up this tweak. These replace the stock cheapo plastic feet. They don't look like much, but I can tell you they have a major effect. The bass is quicker, tighter, images more focussed, the sound just sounds a lot more locked in. 2.)Beware the tube sockets of this unit! They're easy to break. I know, because I did it. I replaced them with better ones. No more probs. If 'twere me, I'd get one of these tweaked ones used for around $350.00, instead of a Njoe Tjoeb for $675.00, loaded. Either way, you can't go wrong.

Similar Products Used:

Heavily modded Rotel RCD 955, Rega Planet...but these aren't really "similar", are they?