Pundit
Post by simonb on Sept 8, 2022 16:28:59 GMT 12
NEW RELEASE; Wand EV Battery Supply This coming weekend at UK Live HiFi Show, is the formal release of the new Wand EV Battery supply. Though it is so new that I don't have any formal photos. The prototypes that have been sculling around for the last 6-12 months are not so pretty being built into Stistima lunchboxes. The Show unit has a MDF chassis as the ply ones will be run in the next few days, so they will be available in a few weeks. The formal blurb / info is pasted below; The Wand EV Battery Supply is designed to get the best out of the already low noise floor of the Wand 14-4 Turntable and Wand EQ Phono stage. As a battery supply The Wand EV provides a silent stable electrical basis for both these products while also having the capability providing big momentary currents to maximise dynamics of the system. A bit like the acceleration of an EV car. Specifications; • ~8 hours running time when fully charged (Overnight charging) • One EV can run Wand 14-4 Turntable & EQ Phono Stage at the same time. • Allows direct comparison between battery and mains power supplies. • Can be used totally independently from the mains. • Mains supply allows you to continue to listen to music while charging. • 24V Sealed Lead-Acid Battery (Centre positive) • May be shipped without special arrangements as there is no risk of fire. • Plywood case designed to visually match Wand 14-4 turntable and Wand EQ Phono stage. (A double sized Wand EQ phono case). • Hand-made in Aotearoa / New Zealand. • Dimensions; 210w x 255d x 48h • Weight; ~3.6kg (unit) • Price TBA but approximately 75% of Wand EQ 
Simon Brown
Design Build Listen Ltd,
Makers of The Wand Analogue Products
Distributor of Hana Cartridges
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Post by michaelw on Sept 9, 2022 11:08:40 GMT 12
Great stuff.
I'm ancient enough to remember battery powered Mission and DNM amplifiers from the 80s, and more recently the US Sutherland battery powered phono preamps.
Any reason to stick with a lead-acid battery and not some high tech Li-On or solid state ?
What's battery life like ?
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Pundit
Post by simonb on Sept 9, 2022 21:11:33 GMT 12
Gel Cell (non leaking) Lead-Acid mostly because it works well and doesn't spontaneously combust! This means you can ship it round the world and people can take it on planes without getting it confiscated. I did a little bit of forum browsing and didn't see any great evidence that high tech batteries were clearly better for sound. Mostly the gains are in size, weight speed of charge with Li-On. Bit of a moot point as to which is less bad environmentally too.... Life should be ok/good because the charging rate is slow (overnight). Crudely, the faster the charge, the shorter the life. The charging circuit limits current and goes into trickle mode as it gets full which helps too. The thing that interests me is that the gain is not so much overtly in noise, given both the phono and turntable are pretty good on noise floor. I'm speculating the increase in transient attack etc is due to low source impedance (but it could be the reduction in unnoticed grunge is letting you hear the leading edges) I figure the very stable nature of a pure DC voltage helps the turntable controller too.
Simon Brown
Design Build Listen Ltd,
Makers of The Wand Analogue Products
Distributor of Hana Cartridges
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Pundit
Post by simonb on Sept 9, 2022 21:23:55 GMT 12
PS; Sadly the UK HiFi Live Show was cancelled/ postponed due to the demise of QEII. Pretty rough on my UK Distributor who was halfway down the M1 from Scotland with a truckful of gear at the time.... (Glad I wasn't enroute from NZ) But The EV will be on demo at another Show near Birmingham in about a month. (And I will get some units out round NZ soon)
Simon Brown
Design Build Listen Ltd,
Makers of The Wand Analogue Products
Distributor of Hana Cartridges
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Post by Citroen on Jan 16, 2023 15:00:00 GMT 12
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Pundit
Post by simonb on Jan 16, 2023 17:39:08 GMT 12
Thanks for posting that! I'd been a bit slack on doing it but pleased with review (Indicative that he is hanging on to it)
Simon Brown
Design Build Listen Ltd,
Makers of The Wand Analogue Products
Distributor of Hana Cartridges
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Pundit
Post by bruise on Jan 18, 2023 21:44:18 GMT 12
Positive review for 14.4 Turntable and Wand arm in the January issue of the HiFi+ magazine.
Another feather in your feathery cap Simon!
Someone less technophobic than me can add a link.
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Pundit
Post by simonb on Jan 19, 2023 10:32:20 GMT 12
Thanks for posting that! (Won't be able to do a link unless they put it up on their site but we can all watch...) I was understandably pleased with Chris Franklins conclusion; "So is it worth the money? Absolutely, it is. I would wholeheartedly recommend this turntable and arm combo. It is well made, beautifully finished and turned in an excellent performance. I would rate it as one of the very strongest contenders at the price." Note that was pretty much the base model in terms of arms and no EV, so more potential yet...
Simon Brown
Design Build Listen Ltd,
Makers of The Wand Analogue Products
Distributor of Hana Cartridges
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Member
Post by mijoh on Jan 19, 2023 14:56:53 GMT 12
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Post by foveaux on Jan 19, 2023 15:06:29 GMT 12
Cheers mijoh. Simon's on a roll and getting well-deserved praise for his gear. An aside, I haven't looked through a HiFi mag for years, this mag/edition is very cool. thanks for posting.
"I see music as a lifetime affair." [Rory Gallagher]
"Free - I miss that band, but when I look back, we were very young" [Paul Rodgers]
862 posts
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Pundit
Post by simonb on Jan 19, 2023 15:28:08 GMT 12
Been lucky with reviews, though the UK economy is not encouraging actual sales. I do like HiFi+ for its layout etc, sadly I don't think paper copies are available in NZ. Anyone seen one in a shop? I'm sure I have enthused before about Resistormag but that is cool in a different way; www.resistormag.com/(I know I'm getting off thread here  )
Simon Brown
Design Build Listen Ltd,
Makers of The Wand Analogue Products
Distributor of Hana Cartridges
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Member
Post by mijoh on Jan 19, 2023 19:59:32 GMT 12
Cheers mijoh . Simon's on a roll and getting well-deserved praise for his gear. An aside, I haven't looked through a HiFi mag for years, this mag/edition is very cool. thanks for posting. At the risk of sounding like a salesman for Hi-Fi+, if you're interested you can get a 12 month online subscription for only about $28.00 ($2.30 per issue) pocketmags.com/au/hi-fi-plus-global-network-magazine
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Pundit
Post by simonb on Jan 20, 2023 9:52:42 GMT 12
Good thought, I probably should do that! Though I have yet to find an on-line magazine reader that works nicely (The Stereophile one was horrible IMHO)
Simon Brown
Design Build Listen Ltd,
Makers of The Wand Analogue Products
Distributor of Hana Cartridges
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Post by foveaux on Feb 27, 2023 16:38:39 GMT 12
 Complete Wand front end here in ZQN. (aside from Hana ML cartridge). I've been powering both the TT and Phono from the EV Battery Supply and can't see going back to mains direct to TT/Phono any time soon. Great sound indeed, ...something about a 'single make' front end that's special.
"I see music as a lifetime affair." [Rory Gallagher]
"Free - I miss that band, but when I look back, we were very young" [Paul Rodgers]
862 posts
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Post by Citroen on Feb 27, 2023 18:03:13 GMT 12
Battery supplied power just seems to make so much sense to me.
Strangely the Aura sounded better on mains! Go figure.
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Pundit
Post by simonb on Feb 27, 2023 19:15:26 GMT 12
Cliff, agree with both your puzzlement at the difference but also that it can have a surprisingly large difference. I speculate (but don't really know) it is due to; -Low source impedance of battery, able to dump big momentary currents (Like EV acceleration) -Elimination of noise you didn't realize was there, letting you hear the start and stop of notes easier -In the case of The Wand 14-4 there is a speed control circuit that refers to a voltage. A battery is a truely DC stable source (if very slowly dropping) A story on how these things can make a difference... ...at THE Show in LA a few Years ago with Gary Morrison, we were lucky enough to be able to borrow a Dohrmann Helex 1 (A $60K ? turntable). Les Davis who makes isolation footers is enthusiastic about his product and puts them under just about everything in a room (perhaps excluding coffee cups) put some under the power supply for the Helix 1.... .....(you can guess where this is heading).... ...and it was a noticeable improvement. Go figure...
Simon Brown
Design Build Listen Ltd,
Makers of The Wand Analogue Products
Distributor of Hana Cartridges
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Pundit
Post by bruise on May 8, 2023 11:50:43 GMT 12
The Wand wins a gong in the Hi Fi + Analogue awards 2023.
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Pundit
Post by simonb on May 8, 2023 13:04:27 GMT 12
Thanks Bruise! I always find out interesting stuff about my own products reading Dark Lantern! So do you mind spelling it our slightly more what the gong was? (Their review had said it was one of the best in the price bracket) Cheers Simon
Simon Brown
Design Build Listen Ltd,
Makers of The Wand Analogue Products
Distributor of Hana Cartridges
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Pundit
Post by bruise on May 8, 2023 16:20:57 GMT 12
Hi Simon, It was the Hi Fi + Analogue Awards for 2023 (page 112). This issue is a "Vinyl Special" celebrating 75 years of the LP.
The Wand arm won a Highly Commendable prize in the "aspirational" category, presumably that's got something to do with price.
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Pundit
Post by simonb on May 8, 2023 17:08:32 GMT 12
Nice! Thanks for that. Simon
Simon Brown
Design Build Listen Ltd,
Makers of The Wand Analogue Products
Distributor of Hana Cartridges
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Post by michaelw on May 8, 2023 17:09:18 GMT 12
Got that issue but not read yet  
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