tube fanatic

Even with properly rated wire insulation I would not be comfortable having an exposed run carrying 400 volts. You can certainly try it and let us know your conclusion. But I don’t see why doing that would offer any sonic advantage. Maynard

This was commonly done in console radios using field coil speakers. I agree with Mike that long runs of wire carrying B+ are inadvisable. If you have mono amps, you could try placing them very close to the speakers. But you would need very well shielded cables to connect the preamp or source to the amps. Maynard

Eico has always been one of the best values in tube amps, even when they were new. Restored, they typically can hold their own against almost any modern costly unit. Like Lafayette tube amps, they are always worth picking up at the right price. The “guy down the road”, a professional musician, said he wants to be buried with the HF-89 which I restored for him. It drives his CWs to perfection, and he says it is the best sounding amp he has ever paired with them. Maynard

The “RB Special” SEP: Maynard

The “Little Honey” stereo SEP: Maynard

You are quite the artist John. Looking at the schematic made me feel good! For the benefit of those following, can you explain why you chose to add the diodes in series with the opt and plate/screen supply of the driver? Maynard

Tube operating parameters generally stabilize within the first 50-100 hours of use. After that, it should only be necessary for the cathode to reach its normal operating temperature for all to be well. A minute or 2 of warmup is usually quite sufficient. Maynard

Doesn’t dreaming about these amps being in my system count? 😀 Maynard

Another beauty from Japan, the Wavac SH-833 SET Maynard

I have always considered this Leben amp gorgeous externally and internally. Maynard

For extreme levels it does not matter if you use tubes or SS. A simple expedient is to have a SS amp for the extreme listening and a tube amp for high quality listening. A couple of simple switch boxes allow selection of either. Maynard

Don’t fall into the trap of believing blanket tube recommendations as their performance varies greatly from one piece of equipment to the next. You will see claims that even the color of the glass affects the sound. If you are happy with the sound of your amp there is no need to start messing around with other tubes. It is easy to convince yourself that the more a tube costs the better it sounds. Maynard

Under chassis appearance is equally beautiful. Maynard

Before you consider shipping search for any ham or antique radio clubs in your area. Both often have members who are audiophiles, many of whom are very well trained in tube electronics. This is a very easy repair so it would be a shame to incur significant shipping costs and risk damage to the amp. Maynard

Lots more information is needed. Room size and characteristics, listening level, type of music you enjoy, distance from speakers when listening, etc. would be helpful. Can you provide more details about the Decware amp you saw with pictures of the underside? Maynard

Have the p/s electrolytics replaced first. Any amp tech can do that for you. Where are you located? Maynard

Your build looks very nice John! Can you post pics of the underside? If you have time, please add the pics to Henry’s picture thread in this section. It would be informative for those following this thread to discuss your power supply mods and why you chose to implement them. Maynard

Definitely post pictures and a schematic showing your changes. I’m glad you took the time to build them and I hope you get lots of pleasure from listening to them. Maynard

The “Little Simplicity “ SEP spud and p/s: Maynard

But how many who die from the vaccine would have lived if they didn’t take it? There are situations in which the vaccine will be required as a condition of employment, school attendance, and so on. Again, will those on whom it is being forced be screened in advance or are they considered expendable? Maynard

I don’t share your enthusiasm at all. Antibody dependent enhancement is a definite concern for some. Then there is the concern for people with autoimmune conditions like leukemia, RA, Lupus, etc. who could be in major trouble if their immune systems ramp into high gear due to some flaw in the messenger RNA. There are people using steroid immune suppressants who may not be suitable candidates for the vaccine. Will they be screened in advance? I doubt it. I can’t find any disclosure about this in the study populations (were any pregnant? Remember thalidomide) so how can anyone make an educated choice about taking the vaccines? With zero liability across the board, it has me a bit worried. Maynard

The “Little Bruiser” SET version: Maynard

So Jeffrey, are you claiming that a 2 watt tube amp can deliver hundreds of amps of peak current? Typical EEs would not find anything you said above to be reasonable because they understand electronics! Didn’t you once state on AA that your ears can’t hear much above 5kHz? Maynard

Among people I know the lack of compliance stems from arbitrary and ridiculous restrictions. For example, New York State has banned dancing at all gatherings. My daughter attended a tiny outdoor wedding with 20 people. She could not dance with her boyfriend with whom she lives, nor could the bride and groom dance with each other in spite of living together for the past 5 years. The absurdity of this scenario is evident. NYC has even issued sex guidelines for presumptive COVID protection with some weird suggested behaviors like having sex through a wall. They even make recommendations for prostitutes: https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/imm/covid-sex-guidance.pdf Connecticut has just banned indoor gathering of more than 10 people in private homes. Would it really matter if someone had 11? How long will it be until surveillance cameras are installed on every street to monitor what we do? While we all have a responsibility to each other to try to limit virus spread there is no way we can win against a pathogen as contagious as this one (just my opinion of course). As the noose of restrictions tightens the more people will push back. That is human nature and it will not change. Maynard

What about animal shelters? Would you kill off all the animals there? Regarding our food supply, it’s entirely possible that the virus will ultimately mutate and infect virtually all animals. Would you then kill all of them and eat synthetic food instead? Sadly, we humans think we can kill off all pathogens. Unfortunately, they are much smarter than we are. Maynard