Vincent SV-237 Your Thoughts Plus A Couple Of Questions

[Iceman32]

Iceman - congrats on the SV-237!! I was really happy to see that you came back and updated this thread. I'm even happier hearing how much you seem to be loving it After all, that is what is it really about! If I ever owned an audio store, I would carry Vincent Audio without question. Not only did I love it, but everyone that I had into my listening room seemed to love it as well. Two of my audio buddies now own the SV-236MK - if the SV237 is even better, you've found yourself a keeper for a very long time.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, I thought Vincent had addressed the remote volume control - reading your post it seems that may not be the case. I also considered it a minor issue, but would have loved to see it improved.

One of these days I'm going to get around to giving Usher a listen - if you ever see a pair in the pearl white finish, let me know! Such an elegant/unique look.

Congrats again on the new Vincent and enjoy!! I would LOVE to see a picture of your setup - if you get a moment, post a few - here is some inspiration for you...

You have a beautiful setup, livestrong.

Thanks for the congrats.

Right now I don't have things setup the way I want, I've got wires all over the place and haven't had time to straighten it up or put the amp in it's proper place so I took a quick pic. Just an FYI, the Audiolab M-DAC does not sit on top of the Usher, it's just there now for this quick picture. I just placed it on top for this pic with some protection to not damage the Usher. There is an Onkyo 818 that strictly does video for me, an Oppo BDP-95 and also a Squeezebox Touch.

 

[livestrong]

I'm excited for you, Iceman - thanks for taking a pic. I'm sure you'll get it straightened out in good time

 

[slippers-on]

You have a beautiful setup, livestrong.

Thanks for the congrats.

Right now I don't have things setup the way I want, I've got wires all over the place and haven't had time to straighten it up or put the amp in it's proper place so I took a quick pic. Just an FYI, the Audiolab M-DAC does not sit on top of the Usher, it's just there now for this quick picture. I just placed it on top for this pic with some protection to not damage the Usher. There is an Onkyo 818 that strictly does video for me, an Oppo BDP-95 and also a Squeezebox Touch.

Yes sir...that amps a nice one...makes sweet music! The tube in that window....it comes stocked with a cheap Chinese tube....I gave my dealer a Mullard and he loved it. Some people seem to think that tube is just for looks..not so

 

[BackStage]

Iceman, It's been over a year since you've posted on this topic. I'm looking at buying an sv 237 and wondering if you are still enjoying the amp and what changes (if any) you have made?

 

[livestrong]

Iceman, It's been over a year since you've posted on this topic. I'm looking at buying an sv 237 and wondering if you are still enjoying the amp and what changes (if any) you have made?

I'm not Iceman, but I'll take a shot at answering your question since it has been a year and a half since my last post to this thread.

I currently own the Vincent SV-237. I have now owned the SV-236, SV-236MK, and SV-237 - multiple times. To say I'm a bit of an audio addict would be an understatement. The Vincent SV-236MKII was the first integrated amp that I fell in love with a number of years ago now. I have since owned a very long list of other integrateds - here is a sampling of some that I've owned: Cambridge Audio 840A, Rega Brio R, Teac AI-3000, Esoteric AI-10, Pathos ClassicOne MKIII, Peachtree Nova, NuPrime IDA-8, NuPrime IDA-16, McIntosh MAC6700, and BMC C1. I've had a lot of fun with each of these integrateds and I loved some more than others. But I found myself continuing to come back to the Vincent time and time again - to my ears, it just sounds so good.

You won't hear me use some of the cliche phrases like the Vincent "blows them all out of the water" or "wipes the floor with them" - it simply moves me more than the others did. Perhaps with one exception - the BMC C1, but at more than 3 times the price, it better! Still, I find myself drawn to the Vincent. And it's worth mentioning that I have a tendency to get bored with things - so that says a lot about my longstanding affection for the Vincent.

Here are a couple shots of the Vincent playing around in recents months!

 

[BackStage]

I'm not Iceman, but I'll take a shot at answering your question since it has been a year and a half since my last post to this thread.

I currently own the Vincent SV-237. I have now owned the SV-236, SV-236MKII, and SV-237 - multiple times. To say I'm a bit of an audio addict would be an understatement. The Vincent SV-236MKII was the first integrated amp that I fell in love with a number of years ago now. I have since owned a very long list of other integrateds - here is a sampling of some that I've owned: Cambridge Audio 840A, Rega Brio R, Teac AI-3000, Esoteric AI-10, Pathos ClassicOne MKIII, Peachtree Nova, NuPrime IDA-8, NuPrime IDA-16, McIntosh MAC6700, and BMC C1. I've had a lot of fun with each of these integrateds and I loved some more than others. But I found myself continuing to come back to the Vincent time and time again - to my ears, it just sounds so good.

You won't hear me use some of the cliche phrases like the Vincent "blows them all out of the water" or "wipes the floor with them" - it simply moves me more than the others did. Perhaps with one exception - the BMC C1, but at more than 3 times the price, it better! Still, I find myself drawn to the Vincent. And it's worth mentioning that I have a tendency to get bored with things - so that says a lot about my longstanding affection for the Vincent.

Here are a couple shots of the Vincent playing around in recents months!

Thank you for the insight. As an owner all the Vincent SV amp Could you possibly elaborate on the sound difference or improve features between the sv 236 MK and sv 237? I'm Currently waiting on delivery for a used 236 MK II my question is, is the sv 237 that much better?

 

[BackStage]

Oops, I ment I am waiting for the SV MK not the MK II.

 

[livestrong]

The MK/MKII are the same - I should actually correct my post as I believe it is officially called the MK.

Since I use a NuPrime DAC-10 as my DAC, I don't use the DAC in the SV-237. That is one of the obvious major differences. The remote volume control on the SV-237 is better - meaning, it isn't as sensitive as the SV-236MK. With the SV-236MK volume control, it can be a bit touchy going up or down in larger increments. That is about the only thing from a functionality perspective.

As for the sound - if you don't care about the volume control or the onboard DAC, the SV-236MK is a fantastic way to save a some money on a nice used unit. For some reason, the SV-236MK seems like it has a bit more grunt than the SV-237 - it just seems to have what feels like limitless headroom. It never seems like it's even breaking a sweat and one the flip side, low level listening is absolutely some of the best that I've heard! I think you made a great purchase with the SV-236MK - take the money you saved and put it into other parts of your system.

Speaking of your system - can you tell us a little more about what the rest of your system consists of? Congrats on the incoming Vincent - can't wait to see some pics and hear how you like it!

 

[BackStage]

Thank you again for the great info. Not to get greedy but do you know anything about the quality of the Vincent CD-S6. There are a few post out here getting into pretty hard regarding its build quality. Others say it's amazing. Based on your experience with Vincent any advise on if it's s good buy to pair with my MK?

 

[livestrong]

I've had both the CD-S6 and CD-S7 - they're fantastic looking and sounding players. Both units are now in friends systems and neither have had any issues with them.

If budget is a concern and you're considering putting other digital sources in your system, a DAC might be a good option. Find a decent CD player to use as a transport and let the DAC do the rest of the work - then you can also use the DAC for computer audio, etc. In my opinion, the NuPrime DAC-9 offers a lot for the money, but there are loads of options out there.

What else do you have in your system? Speakers? Turntable? Computer?

 

[slippers-on]

Nice thread! Just a FYI...that new Vincent SV 237 is a little different under the hood and designed by a different designer and built in Germany. I thought it had a more refind sound with better inner detail than the previous SV-236 mk.....and that issue they had with those earlier Vincent CDP's have long been corrected. So no worries.

 

[livestrong]

Nice thread! Just a FYI...that new Vincent SV 237 is a little different under the hood and designed by a different designer and built in Germany. I thought it had a more refind sound with better inner detail than the previous SV-236 mk.....

I completely agree with your assessment of the SV-237 - it sounds more refined.

 

[GP Hill]

I've had my Vincent SV-237 for about a year. It's a phenomenal sounding amp that's smooth powerful and very detailed. One of my very best purchases.

 

[BackStage]

Thank you for the response, I can only hope I feel the same way about my SR 236 MK. I know it's the older model but it was so well reviewed. Waiting patiently but excited to get it.

 

[mjw21a]

That is a very fair question I'll try to keep my answer short, but no promises!

This hobby has taken me on an incredibly fun journey and unfortunately even when I'm completely happy with the sound I'm getting, I feel the "need" to hear something different in my system. In this case, much like young Anakin Skywalker, I was tempted by the Dark Side - I couldn't resist the temptation of the beautiful blue eyes of Emperor McIntosh. Ever since I could remember, I wanted to own one. It seemed to fit well with a direction of system simplification, too - the MAC6700 is pretty much the McIntosh Swiss Army knife. One unit for a preamp, amp, AM/FM Tuner, HD Tuner, DAC, MM phono pre, MC phono pre. That means 1 power cord and a lot less interconnects So I decided to GO FOR IT. It is no doubt an incredible piece and I had planned to keep it indefinitely. Then a sudden move came up that had me selling pretty much my entire rig to help fund the move. That same audio buddy ended up buying my speakers and turntable to pair with the Vincent Anyway - sometimes in this hobby you let go of things that you love as you play around with other things (and sometimes you don't know what you have until it's gone). When I started putting a system together again after moving to the new place, my budget was significantly smaller - and I was perfectly OK with that since I at least got to experience owning some fantastic gear, but knew I could still achieve exceptional sound without going quite so NUTS. I no longer have a dedicated room for my 2 channel system so I'm playing in a shared space and at the moment just enjoying experimenting. I know that when I'm able to finish a space in the basement for 2 channel I will be able to find another SV-236MK or just spring for a new SV-237. Meanwhile, I'll continue playing around and who knows...maybe I'll find something that'll trip my trigger more than the Vincent. So far that hasn't happened, but you don't know until you try.

Sorry - this is off topic, but I wanted to answer the question because it was a good one. Back to move Vincent chat...

Lol. Your approach sounds an awful lot like my own. I won a 236mk2 on eBay a fair while back at a tiny fraction of its value. The seller didn't get back to me for nearly a week and claimed they dropped the amp and could hear broken bits moving inside.... I suspect he was telling porkies though it wasn't a risk I was willing to take so I backed off that purchase quick smart. Since then I moved to my current Yaqin MC10T which after better tubes, coupling caps and volume pot were installed sounds absolutely amazing. When I have kids I may get a Vincent just as its safer around little fingers though that's a little while off (12 months at least) or I may get a Yaqin VK2100.

On the plus side the man cave is all low powered single ended tube goodness so even if I have to miss out on listening to my best gear for a few years I can still get my tube fix. Just need a better turntable down there though I have my eyes on an Ariston 1100 SL for that.

But yeah, I still want to own a Vincent integrated at some point. You know that if you buy one, changing tubes is all you have to do. No need for replacing other crappy Chinese parts for better German, Japanese, US and Russian parts.

 

[BackStage]

I wanted to get back on and thank you livestrong and others for all the advice and information you provided in just a few post. I also wanted to bring you up to speed on what's been going on with my equipment. While I was patiently waiting for my Vincent to arrive I made a change of my TT. So although I've had my amplifier for a week and a half I have not heard it yet. My new TT is due to arrive tomorrow afternoon and I honestly feel like a 10-year-old kid on Christmas Eve. (So much fun). The turntable I am receiving is a completely custom, restored and refurbished Yamaha GT-2000 from a guy on eBay known as Captain Mark. What a great guy. (If you care to see it here is his YouTube link on my table

). I think it looks amazing and I can't wait. At this point I have nothing to report on how my system has come together and how it sounds. But I'm really excited for the pieces that I have in place and I can't wait to hear him. I'll definitely post a few pics and comments once I have a chance to put it all together and listen. Until then be safe.

 

[livestrong]

Sounds like you're having a lot of fun - congrats on the new turntable! Enjoy

 

[ellison]

Nice thread! Just a FYI...that new Vincent SV 237 is a little different under the hood and designed by a different designer and built in Germany. I thought it had a more refind sound with better inner detail than the previous SV-236 mk.....and that issue they had with those earlier Vincent CDP's have long been corrected. So no worries.

Hello...
Ive had the SV-236 for a few years ...the last two of which its been in storage.In place of it Ive been using an MF -M6i ,paired with oppo bdp 105d.The oppo is a new edition and Ive never paired it with the Vincent so I'm going to set it up this weekend.Reading through the threads ,here though. I was reminded about the SV-236s problem with the volume increments, when using its remote control.That used to bug me a little too.Would you happen to know whether the problem is with the remote or the potentiometer in the amp itself?. If its the remote then would you know if the remote that's supplied with the 237 works on the 236?.
Thanks

 

[slippers-on]

I'm not sure. You might be better to call support over at Audioadvisor.com. Sorry I can't answer that.

 

[ellison]

I'm not sure. You might be better to call support over at Audioadvisor.com. Sorry I can't answer that.

Hello..
Thanks for reply...
I contacted Vincent shop.co.uk and they have confirmed that the remote is exactly the same for the 236 and the 237 and looking at pics at website the remote model is SYR-A so they are the same.I hooked the Vincent up tonight and there's no problem with manually adjusting the volume so in my mind it's definitely the remote.I would imagine that the problem still exists on the 237 .Apart from that minor niggle I'm enjoying the Vincent.....I'd forgotten how enjoyable it is.