jrdmedford

Research the Sangean HDT-1X. I know, it's probably a brand you've NEVER heard of unless you followed Ham Radio. Sangean has made a number of exemplary FM and SW receivers over the years. The HDT-1X is a broadcast monitor. It has an analog tuner section to die for, as well as HD reception. Unlike other tuners, you can opt out of HD and force the tuner to take the analog signal. It also has a SPDIF digital out, so you can pair it with an outboard D/A converter, or, record the digital stream to a computer! -- Jim

Exceptional pictures here. Loved the Radio and the wire bundling discipline! Sometimes downsizing is part of a new phase of discovery. I am a former yuppie. Before the economy imploded, I owned B&W 801s with dual Counterpoint NPS-200 amps, Audio Research LS-22 preamp and Cal Tempest CD. Seeing the writing on the wall, I liquidated and downsized my entire life. Today, my finances are sustainable and my life is good: I have time for things, I dont work 80 hrs a week to sustain a life of paying for things just beyond reach. Perhaps the greatest liberation and step forward into musical enjoyment was buying a pair of used $400 Klipsch and building an 845 amp on my own time. The commercial audio literature would have NEVER pointed out to me that a mass-market HiFi vendor and a 5W amp would bring me happiness. -- Jim

If you can read a schematic and fix PCB's then you are sane and sure-footed enough to build from a kit. The important thing is to follow the directions to a T. Never try to do it all in one night.. Go slow, and do it while you are alert and not bound to rush or make silly oversights. You definitely need a DVM. One that can go up to at least 500VDC. As a beginner, you shouldnt go above 400V max. Fortunately, that means nearly all the 300B/EL34/etc amps out there. Dangerous things to try would be 811/211/845 type amps or direct coupled amps. Klipsch + Single Ended Directly Heated Triodes is amazing. 5W will do ya! Check out the Bottlehead Paramours - hear these alot, great deal, and work with Klipsch. Your other option is to scavenge for parts and actually scratch build with someone guidance... I always start by screwing parts down on plywood. Save the metalwork for later.. I think a great sounding and attainable scratch-build would be a Push Pull triode wired 6V6GT amp. You'd be really surprised how good these can sound! -- Jim

Its heavy, has to be moved in two separate parts. It's only 5W but damn does it sound like nobodys business. The glowing blue tubes are mercury rectifiers for those who havent seen 'em before. 845s are Chinese $49 jobbers. Thought you Klipscheads would like to see 'em. http://world.std.com/~doyle/845pictures/pics.html Click here -- Jim

Is there any point to cracking open the RF-3s and attempting upgrade any of the components or is whats in there already good to go? I'm using my RF-3s with a DIY amp, a 5W SE job using the 845 transmitter tube. The sound reproduction is astonishingly good on the RF3. -- Jim