Component Reviews
The Ah! Tjoeb 4000
CD Player with extras
Tube output and other mods added in Holland to a cheap Marantz unit result in a competing $1000-area CD player
Published on July 20, 2005
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The Ah! Tjoeb 4000 CD player
Specs:
Description: Remote-controlled CD player with tubed output stage, one pair of analog outputs, one headphone output, and one S/DIF digital output. Tube complement: two 6922s. Optional TjoUpsampler board adds 24-bit/192kHz-upsampling sigma-delta DAC. Maximum output level: switchable between 700mV, 1.25V, 2.5V, and 5V. Output impedance: ±275 ohms. Power consumption: 20W maximum.
Dimensions: 17.2" (440mm) W by 3.4" (87mm) H by 10.9" (280mm) D. Weight: 11 lbs
SRP: Basic player - $749. Options: AC Direkt power cord, $79; Tjoeb Shoes isolation feet, $69 set of four. SuperTjoeb package consisting of CD player and both options: $897. TjoUpsampler 24-bit/192kHz upsampler: $299. Sales: factory-direct through Upscale Audio. Warranty of 1 year.
Manufacturer: Dé Hifiwinkel BV, Stratumsedijk 67h, 5611 NC Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Tel: (31) 40 211 33 88. Fax: (31) 40 211 77 34.
Web: www.hifi-planet.com
US distributor: Upscale Audio, 2504 Spring Terrace, Upland, CA 91784. Tel: (909) 931-9686. Fax: (909) 985-6968. www.upscaleaudio.com
Specs:
Description: Remote-controlled CD player with tubed output stage, one pair of analog outputs, one headphone output, and one S/DIF digital output. Tube complement: two 6922s. Optional TjoUpsampler board adds 24-bit/192kHz-upsampling sigma-delta DAC. Maximum output level: switchable between 700mV, 1.25V, 2.5V, and 5V. Output impedance: ±275 ohms. Power consumption: 20W maximum.
Dimensions: 17.2" (440mm) W by 3.4" (87mm) H by 10.9" (280mm) D. Weight: 11 lbs
SRP: Basic player - $749. Options: AC Direkt power cord, $79; Tjoeb Shoes isolation feet, $69 set of four. SuperTjoeb package consisting of CD player and both options: $897. TjoUpsampler 24-bit/192kHz upsampler: $299. Sales: factory-direct through Upscale Audio. Warranty of 1 year.
Manufacturer: Dé Hifiwinkel BV, Stratumsedijk 67h, 5611 NC Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Tel: (31) 40 211 33 88. Fax: (31) 40 211 77 34.
Web: www.hifi-planet.com
US distributor: Upscale Audio, 2504 Spring Terrace, Upland, CA 91784. Tel: (909) 931-9686. Fax: (909) 985-6968. www.upscaleaudio.com
There is a lot of competition in the $1000 CD player area these days
and with so many options to choose from, it can be a daunting
task. I have been living with the Ah! Njoe Tjoeb 4000 from
Upscale Audio for over a year now and I am still as happy as the day I
took it out of the box.
While the basic model will only set you back $749 it is an outstanding value. It still has the tube output/buffer stage with a pair of 6922 tubes. You can upgrade the tubes with NOS types from the 6DJ8/6922/7308 family, but you will not necessarily get better sound, however, this will allow you to fine tune the player to your system. My test listening has been with the stock tubes supplied by Upscale Audio.
The next step up is the Super Tjoeb 4000, which includes a set of Tjoeb Shoes (isolation feet), a black disc stabilizer and the AC Direkt power cord for $897. With either of these players, there are a few different op amps you can swap our for further fine tuning of your system and they are very inexpensive in the $35-50 range. I decided to go for broke and spend another $349 to replace the stock D/A converters and op amps. Not to give the review away, but if you can swing the extra $349, this will give you an entry level world-class player for a very reasonable sum of about $1300 once you pay for shipping.
Customer service is one of the things Kevin Deal does best, and the Njoe Tjoeb is packaged better than a lot of $5000 components I’ve seen. Once out of the box, it will take you about 15 minutes to install the new feet and the upsampling board. Make sure to keep the box in case it ever needs service, and while you are at it get out your digital camera and snap a few photos of how the NT player comes apart.
The NT 4000 sounds great and it is a very smooth sounding player, with a somewhat relaxed presentation. If you are looking for that last hair of detail and resolution, you will have to spend more money. The reference player in my big system is a Modwright modified Denon and while it has more to offer in the imaging and soundstaging departments, it will set you back around $4000. Most of the listening for the test was done on my smaller system consisting of a pair of the newest Prima Luna components, the ProLogue 3 tube preamp and the ProLogue 5 power amplifier with KT-88 tubes. Speakers are the excellent Naim Arivas with DH Labs Silver Sonic Q-10 speaker cables. I also used DH Labs Silver Sonic Revelation interconnects between amp, preamp and CD player.
This player sounded very good right out of the box, but I did notice a bit more openness after about a weeks worth of listening about six hours a day. I listen to a lot of popular music and jazz, and some of my favorite disks to test a new piece of gear were not disappointing. The Steve Hoffman remaster of The Doobie Brothers Greatest Hits
was outstanding, showing off the NT’s ability to resolve individual voices and image placement. Once the NT is on for about an hour, as is typical with most tube components, it reveals much better depth and imaging detail. One mistake I made though, was to leave it on all the time. Doing so will burn through a set of tubes in 6 months, and is not covered under the warranty.
Another favorite test disc of mine is Steve’s version of Miles Davis – Cookin’ With The Miles Davis Quintet. Again, many players in this price range just don’t have the ability to achieve the amount of depth that the NT does - imaging is great on this player! Discs similar to the DCC stuff that is very smooth and not possessing an artificially boosted high end will sound a bit laid back at first, but after a little seat time you get used to how much more music you are hearing. Listener fatigue is zero with this player.
Going for a bit bigger, more dynamic sound, I decided to put the NT through its paces with the MoFi version of Dark Side of the Moon (I know I should have outgrown this by now, but it’s still a great system test after all these years!) and the NT did not disappoint. Bass was excellent and transient response was also very good, especially on the track Time, with all of the alarm clocks. MoFi’s version of Johnny Winter’s Second Winter is a disc I use to see how a system or component does with a high level of music density. The first track, Memory Pain is a killer for this. If your system has midrange congestion, this will just come off as a wall of sound. Not so with the NT, all of the vocal and guitar overdubs came through very clearly delineated.
Again, I have to remind you that my bias is towards a very smooth, neutral presentation. I am not one swayed by some of the more “audiophile” sounds out there. If this is a sound that you also prefer, I suggest giving the Ah! Njoe Tjoeb 4000 player a listen before you plunk your credit card down on something else. Highly recommended. [A previous review also suggests including the Rega Planet in your listening evaluations...Ed.]
- Jeff Dorgay
While the basic model will only set you back $749 it is an outstanding value. It still has the tube output/buffer stage with a pair of 6922 tubes. You can upgrade the tubes with NOS types from the 6DJ8/6922/7308 family, but you will not necessarily get better sound, however, this will allow you to fine tune the player to your system. My test listening has been with the stock tubes supplied by Upscale Audio.
The next step up is the Super Tjoeb 4000, which includes a set of Tjoeb Shoes (isolation feet), a black disc stabilizer and the AC Direkt power cord for $897. With either of these players, there are a few different op amps you can swap our for further fine tuning of your system and they are very inexpensive in the $35-50 range. I decided to go for broke and spend another $349 to replace the stock D/A converters and op amps. Not to give the review away, but if you can swing the extra $349, this will give you an entry level world-class player for a very reasonable sum of about $1300 once you pay for shipping.
Customer service is one of the things Kevin Deal does best, and the Njoe Tjoeb is packaged better than a lot of $5000 components I’ve seen. Once out of the box, it will take you about 15 minutes to install the new feet and the upsampling board. Make sure to keep the box in case it ever needs service, and while you are at it get out your digital camera and snap a few photos of how the NT player comes apart.
The NT 4000 sounds great and it is a very smooth sounding player, with a somewhat relaxed presentation. If you are looking for that last hair of detail and resolution, you will have to spend more money. The reference player in my big system is a Modwright modified Denon and while it has more to offer in the imaging and soundstaging departments, it will set you back around $4000. Most of the listening for the test was done on my smaller system consisting of a pair of the newest Prima Luna components, the ProLogue 3 tube preamp and the ProLogue 5 power amplifier with KT-88 tubes. Speakers are the excellent Naim Arivas with DH Labs Silver Sonic Q-10 speaker cables. I also used DH Labs Silver Sonic Revelation interconnects between amp, preamp and CD player.
This player sounded very good right out of the box, but I did notice a bit more openness after about a weeks worth of listening about six hours a day. I listen to a lot of popular music and jazz, and some of my favorite disks to test a new piece of gear were not disappointing. The Steve Hoffman remaster of The Doobie Brothers Greatest Hits
was outstanding, showing off the NT’s ability to resolve individual voices and image placement. Once the NT is on for about an hour, as is typical with most tube components, it reveals much better depth and imaging detail. One mistake I made though, was to leave it on all the time. Doing so will burn through a set of tubes in 6 months, and is not covered under the warranty.
Another favorite test disc of mine is Steve’s version of Miles Davis – Cookin’ With The Miles Davis Quintet. Again, many players in this price range just don’t have the ability to achieve the amount of depth that the NT does - imaging is great on this player! Discs similar to the DCC stuff that is very smooth and not possessing an artificially boosted high end will sound a bit laid back at first, but after a little seat time you get used to how much more music you are hearing. Listener fatigue is zero with this player.
Going for a bit bigger, more dynamic sound, I decided to put the NT through its paces with the MoFi version of Dark Side of the Moon (I know I should have outgrown this by now, but it’s still a great system test after all these years!) and the NT did not disappoint. Bass was excellent and transient response was also very good, especially on the track Time, with all of the alarm clocks. MoFi’s version of Johnny Winter’s Second Winter is a disc I use to see how a system or component does with a high level of music density. The first track, Memory Pain is a killer for this. If your system has midrange congestion, this will just come off as a wall of sound. Not so with the NT, all of the vocal and guitar overdubs came through very clearly delineated.
Again, I have to remind you that my bias is towards a very smooth, neutral presentation. I am not one swayed by some of the more “audiophile” sounds out there. If this is a sound that you also prefer, I suggest giving the Ah! Njoe Tjoeb 4000 player a listen before you plunk your credit card down on something else. Highly recommended. [A previous review also suggests including the Rega Planet in your listening evaluations...Ed.]
- Jeff Dorgay
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