valvecue

Sorry- this was intended for the la scala/altec subject earlier.

I am also using a 511/902-8b in my belle. Simply wonderful! As people have already said, it is smoother, bigger soundstage, more balanced. Highly recommended.

What is this that I have done? I was just too excited and could not wait for my first order crossover. I replaced the k-55/400 with the 511/902. I clipped it to tap 3 in the autoformer, following a lead in one of the threads suggesting the same, except for a type a crossover. Remember that i am using an AB crossover. It worked fine and sounded better to my ears. The weight and body of the midrange improved. The forwardness leaned back without necessarily losing the 3d/in-the-room presence horns are known for. And somehow the bass became a little enhanced. I also thought that I would hear a bump somwehwere in the crossover point, but then again- could be psychoacoustic. i tried it with and without a variable l-pad. i left the l-pad out. Can anyone provide me an explanation why this would sound better...or do you all recommend i go visit an ear doctor?

I am contemplating simply to just build a fresh first order 2-way crossover. Leaving the original AB crossover intact for whatever i may decide to do with it in the future. I intend to crossover to the 902 at 600hz. I will also install a variable l-pad to allow me to optimize the balance between the two drivers. I have a new question. Someone has just offered me an altec 806. I was wondering if any of you has had any experience using any of these 2 drivers. I recall reading that the 806 is not as extended as the 902, is this truly significant?

I will be resting the 511/902 on top of the cabinet as I am but a minority who love the way the horns look in the raw. Currently my belles have the ab crossover but intend to convert it to an A crossover as some have recommended. While i do have an 18w fisher sa100 i most often use my 300b and 2a3/45 amp to drive them. Thanks to all for your comments and suggestions. You are a great bunch.

Thank you all for your replies. Dear Al- Do i still need to be worried about blowing the driver even if the max amplification i have in my house is 18w? Thank you.

Thank you all for your replies re the 511/902 on a belle. Dear Al- Do i still need to be worried about blowing the driver even if the max amplification i have in my house is 18w? Thank you.

I will be getting my 902-8b/511 and will be installing it in place of the k-55m. My crossover is a type A. Can i just swap the horn without any changes to the crossover?

With a sensitivity of 102db/1w/1m you could get a way with flea-powered amps especially if your room is modestly sized. I sometimes use a 2.5watt amp on my 25square foot room and they sound fine. Most of the time I do use an 8watt 300B, I suspect I barely use 3 watts of output. Starting off with the Cayin/Jolida is a good entry point to tubes. I did the same many moons ago, then started buying vintage amps- fishers, scotts, stromberg carlsons as I got convinced that they sounded much better. But getting into vintage amps could be tricky- after all mine were more than 40 y.o. and a cap/resistor would occasionally have to be replaced. With what you described, you could get away with an 18w fisher x100 using el84 tubes. This could be had for really cheap. Or if you are not convinced go for el34 based amps that do churn out 35w or so. I doubt very much whether you will get to set your volume at 12 o'clock. Buy second hand- try even ebay or audiogon. In case it does not please, you could sell it and recover pretty much your own cost, and possibly make money from it. Discovering new things about this hobby is part of the fun.

I am not a technical person and could consider myself a complete idiot in DIY or performing major tweaks. I think I understand the concepts behind audio, but nonetheless I prefer that others do the repair and tweaks for me. I have never been happier with my system until I started using vintage turntables. Many speak of the magic between SET/Horns/Vintage tables. And my system has evolved to that. I feel that there is more music and character. I agree with Allan Songer that especially with a 3012 and SPU, a thorens 124 is very hard to beat. When I got my 124 it seemed a bit "weathered". I live in the Philippines and that means that even if you keep it in a closed container in an attic, corrosion does find its way. A friend of mine restored it for me. He cleaned and lubed the motors/bearings. I went to ebay and ordered some new mushrooms etc.. I went to a local woodworking shop, had a new plinth and armboard made as well. Everyone had so much fun in the process. And hearing it was even much more enjoyable. I have been using this setup for close to a year now. I do not think it requires more maintenance than my RPM9. In my system the 124 produced more music, more emotion, and was a much more real experience. The more modern RPM9 to me was "high-end", which was not to my liking. Perhaps there is smarter engineering in today's tables. But that does not necessarily mean better musical retrieval for everyone. I know of others who have disposed of their Pink Triangles, VPI-TNTs for TD124s and the like . If you can find someone in your area to help you have fun with setting it up,go for it- it is a great table. Others have used 124s with a Rega to good effect as well. If I were you, I would get the P25 fixed and purchase the 124 as a project. Am sure you can let go of the 124 at a profit or use the P25 to re-imburse the restoration.