Musical Fidelity X-10 Buffer

I recently bought a Musical Fidelity X-10 Buffer. What is the best place to connect it? Betwen the preamp and CD player, the amp and preamp?

Thank you very much.

Congrats it's a great valve buffer. I have the X10-D and i plugged it between the cdp and the preamp or amp.

I've made some mods in mine: http://soundt.18.forumer.com/index.php?showtopic=2290

If you want to mod yours, instead of Panasonic caps you can also try Elna caps. I find the Panasonics with great detail but the Elna's are a little more warm. The Epcos are a kind of caps with no "hey, i'm a cap..." signature. They are imo very good and very neutral.

BTW, what kind of valves are you using on you X10?

Thanks so much. I don't know anything about modifying equipment by myself, so I'll leave the gear as stock.

You're always welcome.

Well, I hooked up my buffer and... I'm not certain about the results. I need to A/B my system by unplugging the buffer and listening carefully. The music certainly sounds good, but is it possible that it could sound less detailed than before?

On the other hand, perhaps I need to upgrade my speakers.

The thing with buffers is that sometimes they work, i mean we can listen an upgrade in sound other times we can't....
It all depends imo with the synergy between all components in the hi-fi chain.
BTW, what is your setup?

how long has it burned in? i was under the impression that these things want about 50-100 hours on them.

i couldnt find anything but good in the sound that my GF tube buffer made.

Maybe it does need burning in, although I bought it used.

My amp is an Adcom 535. I have a Morrison E.L.A.D. pre-amp and an Arcam CD72 cd player, which is my only source. Speakers are Axiom M2i bookshelf speakers, not on stands.

First of all i must congratulate you because you have a very good system.

Since you bought the MF buffer used, i must advise you to find other valves. They're possible burn out.
Now, to do that you must take all the screw in the bottom than the screws in front - you must be very carefully because the front led - and then gently take the front panel and smoothly pull the pcb board from the frnt side.

The valves must be ECC88 or 6922 kind of valves. Originally they came with Philips ECC88.
From my own experience with this MF buffer, there a few valves you must consider. Always remember the synergy in your system.

Taking that in mind, the ones i like the most are:
NOS Telefunken ECC85 - the best of all. Just Awesome!!! They have everything...
NOS Siemens ECC85 - The second best. I have this ones in my setup.
NOS Sovtek 6H23p-EB - Almost like the other ones at a decent price...Great valves.
JJ Tesla E88CC -Great mids.
Philips PCC88 - Great high-mids.
JAN Philips 6922 - I have tried this ones but they just don't fit well in my system. That's the reason i put them in last.

Have fun.

Thanks Clint (love your films). I've just been putting the system together over the years. I also have an ACI Titan subwoofer, but it's not hooked up at the moment.

I am definitely not the person to do any work on my buffer. Maybe I can send it to you? Do the other tubes cost a lot?

Well, i can do it for you, no problem, but are you in Europe?
You can find the Russian valves (6H23p-EB) at a reasonable price in E-bay. They are indeed very good. You can try also looking for Telefunken or Siemens, but they are always hard to find and very expensive : http://store.tubedepot.com/nos-6aq8-t.html

Spain, huh? I'd love to be there, but I'm in Massachusetts.

Maybe you could send me photos of how to take the thing apart. Or maybe I'll just sell the buffer.

No problem, amigo.

First unscrew the back of the X-10 ( you have 3 screws) like this:





Than unscrew the front panel:



Gently hold the panel with your right hand for not strech the led wires:



With your left hand pull the pcb from the back to the front, holdding the front panel 'cause of the led wires. And that's it:



Than you can change the valves, and gently do the same all the way around.
Still becareful for the led wires and do not forget to connect the ground wire:



Hope this help.

Thank you so much for the photos. My buffer is v.3 and is not round, but I'm thinking the insides are generally the same.

Quite the opposite amigo.
All that i post before doesn't apply at all to your v.3 buffer!

The X-10v.3 is a completly different buffer! Musical Fidelity had made a very limited manufacturing of that unit. The new Mu-Vista tube is Musical Fidelity’s highest performance tube to date. It’s more linear and quieter, with better performance capabilities than either their highly regarded Nu-Vista or Tri-Vista 5703 tubes. I know very well that buffer, because a friend of mine has one.

The 6112 valve it has, is an ultra high performance twin triode. Originally, it was used by the US military for crucial low noise guidance and other missile functions. It is incredibly rugged and immune from microphony and other extraneous effects.
Also, and we hope this attribute is never needed; it's immune from electro-magnetic pulse (EMP) which occurs when a nuclear bomb explodes! As you would expect, the mu-Vista is super tough, super quiet, ultra reliable, incredibly linear and absolutely predictable.

From what i know, Musical Fidelity has not had a single Tri-Vistor 5703 tube fail anywhere in the world in any of their Tri-Vista products. The mu-Vista has similar levels of reliability, and why not? The tubes have been purchased direct from the US military and are genuine milspec, mil usage parts.

BTW, According to the X-10v3 owner's manual "This product has been designed so that it may be left on indefinitely, it may become warm to the touch - this is normal."

Here some specifications:

* Input impedance: 470K Ohms
* Output impedance: < 33 Ohms
* Total harmonic distortion: < 0.004% 10Hz to 20kHz
* Frequency response: 20Hz to 65kHz +0, - 0.5dB
* Crosstalk: Better than 80dB, 20Hz to 20kHz
* Signal / noise ratio (reference full output): Better than 93dB unweighted
* Better than 106dB 'A'-weighted
* Valve (tube) type: 6112 twin triode (two)
* Power requirement: 12 - 0 - 12 Volts AC 500mA (via mains adaptor supplied)
* Dimensions (approximate): 180mm (7.1 inches) wide
88.2mm (3.5 inches) high including feet
218mm (8.6 inches) deep including rear terminals
* Weight: Unit, net 2.5kg (5 lbs 8oz) un-boxed, Adaptor, net 0.45kg (1 lb)
Total packed 3.1kg (6lbs 13oz)

Now, about the 6112 valve, please note that these MIL Spec tubes if left on indefinitely have a 100,000 hour life span if my calculations are correct I figure 11.41 years.

Hope this helps.

Have fun.