howismydriving

I would get on ebay and purchase a Crown D-45 amp and try it out. I have two bi-amping some RF-3s and it sounds great. They are not harsh at all. They run about 120 used on ebay. You WILL need some 1/4th inch to RCA adapters, or Balanced to RCA adapters. For that little amount of money, you can't go wrong, and if you don't like it, you can flip it on ebay and not loose a cent on it.

I have been using the EQ to feed my Miridian 508.20 signal into a Panny xr-10 and I think that it is great. I am using the mike that DeanG is using and I have pretty flat response from 35hz to 20000 hz. Well my system may not be as good as some of the systems people have here, it replaced a Adcom GFA-5500 and a VTL 2.5 I am driving a pair of Vandersteen 2ci that I have rebuilt the crossovers with high quality parts, (Jensen caps and inductors) or can switch to JBL 130/175 based horns. I do have a Harman Kardon Award 500 sitting in the closet gathering dust because with CD playback, this system cannot be beat.

Ms. Carlos was one of the pioneers of surround sound recording. She first started using Quadraphonic, and that is why there are 4 suspended by the celing over the keyboard. In the early 1980s she worked with Dolby to create suround sound for music CDs. She has a very interesting article on her website about it. Can't say I like here choice in TOA amps though!

I do not think that they made any 2a3 tubes. I have never seen any before, and in a tube collection book, Mullard is never mentioned for making the 45, 2a3, or 300b, which you will see on ebay every once in a while. I would assume it is fake, or a rebadged RCA from the 1930s. Ben

I have an Adcom 5300 SS amp. It is 80 watts a channel. MOSFET so, it is a fairly warm sounding amp. Has as few scratches on top, other than that, great shape. 200 dollars shipped.

I would 2nd the Linn. I have heard it, and they are very very nice. I also would recommend a sealed box sub. To me, the bass is faster, and the bottom roll off is much more natural. My sub is DIY Peerless 10 inch sub in a sealed 1.5 cubic foot box. It has a f3 of about 30, but is only 15 db down at 18 hz in room.

The best, and I mean best tube amp for airy highs I have heard is the Humble Harman Kardon Award 300. Yes, it has tiny OPT, yes, the bass is flabby, but the highs are to die for. I know someone who has a custom 75 Watt Bass amp with MC transformers, midrange SET with the 300b tube and Tango OPT and the PP 6v6gt based Award 300 for treble. He has a 20k home built horn system that uses Western Electric and RCA horns. The HK award I have powers my Pi based horn system well, and provides highs that a Scott 299b that I had could only dream of.

I have to chime in and say the 7t, once brought back to spec is one of the biggest bargans out there. Also, the reissue 8b's do not sound nearly as good as the real deal. They real deal is cheaper to boot, too!

I had a problem with a old Sony CD player that was very much like yours. What I did was I put a small rubber gromit (or washer) between the screw and the side and very carefully turned the screws till it was snug, but not tight. That fixed it. How old is the unit and how long is the waranty? I have heard that NAD makes good high quality gear that is reliable for everything but CD players. Call up NAD and see if they have any suggestions. I find that often manufactuers can be very helpful in a situation like this.

I would have to say that Grand Funk Railroad went down hill after 1974. Grand Funk Live from 1971 is a great great, album.

English, American, German, or Japanese pressing? The last English pressing unopened I saw, went for 180, it was not a audiophile version. I talked to the person who purchased it, he wanted it for a PF memrobilia collection, and it he claimed it was only worth 80-100, but since he got to examine condition, and see that is was first pressing he paid that much.

I would suggest the McCormack DNA .5 It is a great sounding amp, very nutral, but not sterile, and no harsh, grating highs, like so many amps in the price range. (I mean you, ATI 1501!)

I have a Marantz 2230. It is a sweet sounding amp. For my Fortes I have found that Marantz 2230 or 2245 with the cap coupling instead of DC coupling is what makes them sound so good in my opinion. I would jump on a 2220 or 1060 if you could find it.

Its gotta be the cats. They improve everything.

Well, since the sub is off that eliminates my first question. I would have to say that smothing the frequencies off really helps in letting you hear the whole picture. It adds and subtracts little if nothing from the whole recording and lets it shine through, IMHO. Also, if it extended the high frequencies, that can add to the perception of a larger/better image. Just my 2 cents Ben

I will take you up on the offer. I might have time off this weekend. Email me at renigademaster@new.rr.com what times work well for you Ben

I just picked up a scott 200 and was looking for your imput on it. It hums, and needs new tubes, so am looking for good NOS or new tubes on the cheap. (20 year old college student) It uses a 4 6bm8 and 3 12ax7 s. It also uses a 5ar4 rectifer, but it is Mullard brand, so I don't really think it will need replacing. The outputs are telefunken brand, but are very weak according to a tube tester, along with the GE 12ax7s. Also, what caps are good to use, I saw a thread a few days ago, but I am trying to stay under 100 dollars for all the parts. Locally I can get orange drop 716s for about 2 dollars a pop, or spend a little more and get some Solen caps. My neighbor is a old ham guy and he will show me how to restore the amp which is cool. Also told me to replace the cans caps, as he said that if they go, it can be bad and while you are working on it, you might as well do that. Can I just use standard electrolitic caps for that? My neighbor has enough new electrolitics that he would give them to me for free. Is there anything else I should replace? He said that if I wanted to, it might be an improvement replacing the old carbon resistors with metal film in the pre amp section. Is this a good idea? Thanks alot Ben

The thing about the B&W speakers is that they have metal dome tweeters. Lets just say I hate metal dome tweeters and the way they sound, so that could have been what I was hearing. When are you planning on a new run of the amp, and how much would it cost? Thanks Ben

Thanks all for the info. I have heard the Zamp with B&W speakers and thought it was too bright, but it did have what you would call bass slam. Any reccommendations for a amp under 400 dollars that would work well? Would an adcom 5200 or HK citation 12 work well? Thanks Ben

Howdy. I have read a few comments about this amp here and at audioasylum and would be very interested in getting my hands on one. Who sells them? Also, has anyone driven non-horn or Single driver loudspeakers with them? I have some 92db eff 2 ways with a simple 8 ohm load that I would like to drive them with. I like the idea of the low distortion at low wattage, since I don't listen at high levels, and live in a fairly small appartment with thin walls. Thanks Ben