avguytx

Without going into a lot of medical history with her health, it's down to the last hours as I sit with her in hospice care in the hospital. 6 trips to hospital and 5 weeks worth of rehab earlier in the year just haven't been able to clear the many things that have plagued her. She's on comfort care now...no medicine, no oxygen, no telemetry; just as her wishes were. Please keep her in your prayers for a comfortable and peaceful passing whenever that time comes.

I'd recommend a separate small tube amp of some sort and use the preamp out if it has it bypassing all those extras. Or even a separate preamp. I was an Onkyo/Integra rep for 9 years and had a full 7.2 system in my living room (all inwall and in ceiling speakers with 2 Sunfire subs) and still kept a separate 2 channel rig. But that's just me. Had Khorns, too, but they were in my office system with an EL84 tube amp. Living room 2 channel rig was big Carver amp and Polk SDA's.

Pretty cool. Thanks for posting that.

But the more I think about it, the more I'm pushed away from spending 5+ big ones on something from across the pond that I would have to figure out. Sure, iron could be changed out but that price could get me an amp from Maynard most likely and sound hella better, be built better, and I could understand him on the phone if it got down to it. ha I'll stay with my quest to find the right tubes for the ST70 and get it ordered.

Bob Latino emaimed me back saying he uses the Shuguang EL34 tubes and described them as "midrangy and very good with acoustical jazz". That might be about 20% of my listening

They are a sexy beast for sure. To do something other than what's there, I'd have to solicit someone to help out with that as I don't have that mental capacity. Ha

I won't be able to hear a huge difference with my tinnitus so I've been deliberating on the output tubes for the VTA ST-70. Go EL34 or 6550? Bob is recommending the standard EL34's it comes with but I do like the looks of those 6550 tubes...rather sexy. What's the advantage/disadvantage? Worth the extra money? Which are considered a high gain versus low gain tube? Am I over thinking? About to order so only want to do it once. May order one of those Bowei 2a3c Chinese amps on ebay. Curious about the raving on the sound of those smaller powered amps. It looks good, but not sure of its build. But that's another story.

Windows Vista 64? Holy cow...

Triamping? With two woofers and a horn? It's just a 2-way. What do you not like? I love the way mine sound on tubes and solid state.

I'd personally never use a A/V receiver for 2-channel listening but that's just me. Yeah, there are some that do sound decent and have nice features but then you are loaded with all sorts of bells and whistles that can, and do, add noise. Simple is better. Then again, I don't do home theater anymore either. I was in that industry for 25 years including being a Manufacturers Rep. Just let me with a sense of "don't want any of that". But that's personal choice. Definitely glad you got it figured out.

I spy a Dynaco ST-70 in that Forte III picture, too.

Let's see...based on LS II and Cornwall III pricing, about $4k I would bet. Maybe sub $3k. $2k would work. Not for me, but maybe others.

Take the crossovers out of the '78's and load them in the LS II's and see what happens. I think I would have already done that, personally, considering they were there. I see them sounding exactly the same when the new crossovers arrive. Maybe the new crossovers pulled the life right out of them.

I need to get me one of those "puss-pull" amps! ;-)

Your best bet may to reverse engineer the crossovers and get whatever cap values are on them. Most likely basic electrolytic and possibly mylar/film caps. No idea on other parts.

Haven't been able to start with all that's going on. Funny how the end of the year and Christmas break has been so hectic. Mom in hospital, I've been sick, wife and daughter were t-boned in a car wreck last week (all ok), can't finance another one right now because had just started on refinancing house (but found her another car), waiting on insurance check, etc. Always something life wants to throw at you, huh? I've got a new pair of K-33's but that's it. Going to order a new Dynaco VTA ST-70 amp here soon and, if it takes what I have to another level, I may hold off longer on the Belle's. Hard to say yet.

I was really looking forward to starting on my Belle bins during the Christmas break from school, but, I'm sitting in the CCU with my mother as I write. Been a rough year for her and things look dismal. I can build the bins but still thinking I need to solicit longdrive to build me a pair with all that's going on.

That's pretty sassy looking under the hood. Very nice!

Going to go with either the VTA ST-70 or the ST-120. 35wpc or 60wpc. (Tested a little more) There's about $190 price difference in kit form plus the tubes. I know that 35wpc is plenty for 100+dB sensitivity speakers and even for the CF-3's but 60wpc could be handy if I rotate something else in. Ugh...decisions, decisions. I'll start on the Belle bins and tops sometime after first of year. Was going to during Christmas break but my mother's health has been erratic in the last half of this year. Or I may ask if longdrive will build me a pair of bottoms since he's about an hour from me. Ha

There could be more to the story than meets the eye. There usually is.

Could be the cabinet possibly rattling. My CF-3's had the poor gluing syndrome on the back panels. After removing them and re attaching them, all good. Plus a little extra bracing. Play those tracks and push in on the back panel and see if it stops.

Good looking amp but looks like it was pricey when new. Even used is still up there. Looks like some on ebay for $1800.

Scratch that. Don't really want to go offshore. Thanks for the info.

I'm hearing crickets. ;-)

I bought a 1993 Mustang Cobra in Seattle back in 1998; flew to Seattle, bought the car, made the 3 day drive to Tulsa, OK. It was a weekend thing. IT didn't cost me a grand to do it. But, to each their own.