Wardsweb

Ok, you have now seen my Custom DIY direct coupled ultra path 2A3. Well I will show for the first time my Bottlehead Paramour 2A3's at the meet just outside of Dallas. Here is a sneek peak of them on the bench during assembly last week.

The SAE TWO line was done after Morris Kessler had sold SAE to the Japanese. The first SAE TWO were designed and made by Marubeni (now bankrupt) and another vendor (Inkel) had to be found. These are not anything like the original Mark or Computer Direct-Line series. They were modular and were price driven to try and create a more mass market appeal. They are nice units on the level of a Pioneer, Kenwood or Sony, to name just a few. They lost their niche high end market. This proved to be the downfall of SAE, which was then sold to DAK for liquidation. Your problem sounds like a dirty/oxidized volume pot. Buy a good contact cleaner with lubricant and give it a good squirt. Should be fine after that.

What is the model number?

Before going to a full AV recevier, I used a Parasound P/SP-1500AV with very good results. You can bypass all the processing by running it in 2-channel audio (button on the front panel). You can read all about it here: Wardsweb's PSP-1500 Preamp Page

I will second the recommendation for Echowars. I have arranged to have my Father's SX-3900 sent to him to be gone through. This was my Father's last receiver he purchased before his death in 1986, so it is near and dear to my heart. I wouldn't let just anyone open her up.

Please bear with the Klipsch newbie here. I'm trying to get a feel for pricing. There have been 6 sets of Cornwall speakers sell on Ebay in the last 30-45 days. They ranged from $599.99 to $967.00, with the average of $750.00. So, what is special about these that would bring $1000+? Not trying to be mean or ugly, just really trying to learn. My only dealings with Cornwalls was less than a year ago when my buddy bought a walnut pair from a vintage audio dealer in Austin for $350 and they were mint. Do I need to be looking a specific year model or types of drives used?

Absolutely there is something to vintage gear. Vinatge gear has been my focus for years. I've only been into tubes for the last year. I have a Marantz 2270 running some JBL L-26 that is awesome. Then a Yamaha CR-640 and JBL L-40 that is really good. While the Marantz line seems to have more punch and brillance, the Yamaha CR series (late 70's) is very smooth and lush. You should pop over to Audiokarma.org and check it out, as vintage gear is the main focus over there.

I knew when my T1 at work didn't show them instantly others would be waiting for a while to view. You will need to edit them in some photo software. Take your pick; PhotoShop, PaintShop, Kodak, Canon...etc Most likely the software that came with your camera will do it. Look for resize image button or a pull down menu.

Not to be picky but you might like to attach smaller pictures. Anyone on a dialup is going to have a tough time viewing the 2048x1536 image at the 1.27meg size. I would suggest resizing your pictures to 800x600 in jpg format with about a 10% compression to get the file size down to less than 100K. If you would like, I can do this for you.

If I may say a few things. I believe (emphasis on I) there is no true ultimate amp that does all things well. Conversly not all amps are bad. I own solid state, SET and push pull tube amps. I presently have seven different systems in my house. I don't push any as nirvana. I do believe that you must take many factors into consideration. Not the least of which would be matching your amp to your speakers. I have speakers that can produce 110dB with 5 watts. For reference, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health states you can only listen to sounds at 110dB for one minute and 29 seconds before causing hearing loss. I also have speakers that I run with 2200 watts. Each is aimed at a specific use. I have over 3000 watts with inefficient speakers for home theater and 3 watts with 104dB efficient horns for just listening to audio. So, singling out any portion of a system does not give an accurate representation of it's capabilites. There are a lot of pros and cons to every system, you must adjust each to achieve your desired effect. Audio is a passion for me, dare I say obession.

---------------- On 12/22/2003 2:43:20 PM stream wrote: ... as well as provide sexual substitution when my girlfriend isn't in the mood. -Jesse ---------------- You bet, no problem, because I think if you buy these you just got screwed.

How about the most expensive speaker cables ever, $23,500 for a pair of 8 foot cables?

diamonds in platinum...if that does't work you could try a Mercedes.

Erik thanks for all the accolades. As you may suspect, I have a passion for audio. Tie this to a life spent in electronics and I have the perfect hobby, shall I dare say, obsession. The next Bottlehead meet will be Jan 17th in Terrell Texas, just east of Dallas. You may read more about it on at Official Lone Star Bottleheads Website As for me, I'm in San Antonio.

"Voice of the Theater" sometimes just VOT. Altec originally designed these to go behind the screen at movie theaters.

Caps are secured to the chassis with tie mounts The transformers are new Hammond. All the part numbers are on the schematic.

The caps are held down with waxed cotton cord used in lacing wiring harnesses. Something I learned while working on a deep space satellite for NASA. You are not allowed to use tie wraps and must hand lace all harnesses.

You can tell her, this doll's face and hands are made from a paste of ground oyster shell called "gofun". The other dolls you saw are in traditional kimonos and have faces done in a painted silk. The one is holding a Samurai battle dress helmet.

I didn't want to totally hijack jazzmansound's thread for his KHorns. So, here is a picture of a vintage doll in a traditional Japanese wedding dress.

Sorry guys, I know this is a Klipsch site, but I've went with VOTT too.

Here are a couple of pics for easy reference: Click Here For My 2A3 Page

---------------- On 12/20/2003 4:43:33 PM mdeneen wrote: welcome---short question regarding the 6SL7 bypass. It looks like 220uF is much larger than would be required - maybe by 10X. Did you do that because of what you had in the stash? And, was the extra 6dB or so of gain required? Again, welcome! mdeneen ---------------- Sure, you can use a smaller cathode bypass cap, or an unbypassed cathode resistor. It happens that I have a bag of really good 220uF Sprague Extralytics that I like for this function, so that got used. The bigger the bypass cap, the less the low frequency phase shift. Other concerns of cap quality and availability really predominate over numeric value in this setting. It isn't "wasteful" or shameful to use "too big" a cathode bypass cap. I usually prefer the sound of a bypassed cathode. Theoretically, you get less "distortion" with an unbypassed resistor contributing degenerative feedback. Resistor quality and sound then become very important. I would use 1/2 Watt or 1 watt carbon comp if I did that, or expensive bulk foil, like Vishay, not metal film; maybe a high quality wirewound if it sounded good. That's the final arbiter, how it sounds, not theoretically "lower distortion".

A little background, as the builder of this amp: Direct Coupling: There is no cap or interstage transformer between the driver tube and the output tube. They are "directly coupled". In most amps a capacitor or interstage transformer is used to couple the tubes for AC signal, while allowing for a DC offset of 100 to 200 volts. If we expend the 100 or 200 volts to raise the cathode voltage of the output tube we can eliminate the coupling device, but the plate voltage of the drive tube must be just right to set the output tubes' bias condition. By use of cathode resistor bias on the output tube a self correcting condition is obtained as long as the values are close to begin with. That is to say that if too much current goes through the output tube then the current across the cathode resistor causes a greater voltage drop across the cathode resistor, which raises the cathode voltage of the output tube. Since the grid voltage on the output tube is fixed by the plate voltage of the drive tube, the grid of the output tube is now more negative compared to the elevated cathode voltage of the output tube. As the grid of the output tube becomes more negative with regard to its' cathode it reduces the current through the tube and therefore auto-limits the current through the tube. Viola; auto-bias. Ultra Path: The ultrapath caps do act as filters by reducing AC potential between the plate and cathode of the output tube. They should be seen as filter caps. Notice the large values of inductance employed in the high voltage filtering of this amp. This allows for smaller filter caps of higher quality. As regards the high voltage to ground AC filtering of the final cap stage, it is completed through the ultrapath and cathode bypass capacitors together. The final choke in the high voltage supply blocks audio signal from the output circuit from traversing the prior filter cap and the other channel. This is to compartmentalize the different stages of this circuit and avoid the "smearing" effect which can be a complaint when two caps of different characteristics are in parallel, such as an electrolytic bypassed with a polypropylene. It also improves stereo separation. Isolation: The key to isolation of the simple ultrapath output circuit in this design is the high value chokes which are placed between the main filter cap and the audio stages. Notice that these large chokes are on the same order of magnitude as the primary inductance of the output transformers and are run well under their rated specs for good audio linearity. So each channel is isolated from the power supply and from the other channel by the very high audio frequency impedance of the chokes. The cathode bypass cap on the output tube really bypasses the signal loop which includes the driver tube, the cathode resistor of the output tube, and the grid of the output tube. It is also a high quality polypropylene type, as is the cap from the high voltage to the cathode of the driver tube, a drive stage ultrapath arrangement. Why is the cathode bypass cap on the driver tube an electrolytic? Size is the problem with big values like that. Also, it's from a stash of really good Sprague "Extralytics". The 2uF ultrapath cap from high voltage to the cathode of the driver tube will always have 10 times the impedance of the 20 uF ultrapath cap in the output stage circuit, limiting the contribution of this cap in what is an AC voltage divider between the driver stage and the output stage. This 2uF cap may be what was meant by "the first filter cap". Careful analysis reveals a much larger effect of the caps around the output stage bypassing the 2uF ultrapath cap on the driver tube. Indeed that cap is not necessary, but I hoped it might benefit midrange and high frequency clarity in the driver stage. It can safely be omitted. Note that this is a situation of bypassing like type caps (poly with poly) for the most part. (The Sprague "Extralytic" caps in the cathode bypass of the driver circuit are of really super quality, my pick of probably 30 or more cathode bypass caps I've auditioned, including Black Gates, silver tantalums and many other Sprague Extralytics.) Now this is how I hear it. Your mileage may vary. Flame away