MechEngVic

Trooper, Don't know if you're still around, but if you are and still have these questions, I can answer them for you. I got the schematic and lots of assorted info. Sorry it took so long to see this post, this forum seems to stop notifying you of answers to threads if they are older.

Would love a to read your review of the Carver.

More pix please!

How's the Will Vincent sounding? Is it an st-70?

Well, price increases lead us right into the economy, and with as polarized as we've become in the last few years, everything gets political real fast. It sucks. I saw a video of a horrible big rig accident and the very first comment was someone blaming it on a political party!!! We're all just a little jaded Fido, after someone got us all riled up.

As a student who tried my best to consistently and painfully milk every STEM professor of every ounce of knowledge they possessed, I fully agree.

A MILLION TIMES THIS.

🤣😂😝😂🤣 Too educated.....!!! The real problem!!!

Very informative comment. I have not tried the Gold Lions simply because they are too expensive. You can buy used old production Mullards for that price. What you say about your Mac amp is true of well-made amps. A well designed amp is heard as much as a well built tube. Mac's have such well designed circuits that they can sound good with almost any tube, and they bring out the best of well made tubes.

If the diamond is raised, it's probably real, if it's etched or sunk, it's definitely fake. I have yet to hear for sure if fake tube makers have gone to the trouble of making the raised diamond pattern.

I have yet to find a new production 12AX7 that I like better than a Blackburn Mullard. There were several versions over the years (long and short plate just to name a couple), but they all have a characteristic sound common to just them. Many love the NOS Bugle Boys or the Telefunkens, but you take a chance on getting fakes. The Mullards are easy to get right because of the production numbers etched onto the glass. Only a few makers did this. Yes, almost all new production tubes come from the same factories in Russia, and are made with a similar quality (that does need improving). But they DO NOT all sound the same. They are made with different designs. I've bought and listened to JJ's, Sovteks, Mullards, EHs, and Tung-sols. They all sound different, they all have their merits, they will last in a circuit that doesn't tax them too much for a few thousand hours, but once you swap in that Blackburn, you'll never want to listen to anything else.

You're tempting me to hump my own horns!

Get a good DAC between that Chromecast Audio and the amp. The 1/4" plug doubles as a mini-toslink (fiber optic) connection that'll give you 24bit/96Khz resolution.

Truth is, DCR is less important than the impedance of the coil in its position in the crossover. When a crossover is designed, coils are measured in place and the measurement includes any mutual-induction of other coils/components nearby. Variations in DCR or impedance, and even mH and capacitance for that matter, will be impossible to differentiate audibly if values are within about 10% of original. If a coil is close to another coil in the original design, consider that in your 10% range. Crosstalk is the real issue and coils have to practically be on top of one another for it to be an issue. There is an article (the second link I posted) where the guy measures various coil positions, it can give you a fair idea of how coil proximity will raise or lower the overall value. In other words, if you are building a copy of an existing crossover or stuffing new parts on an existing crossover, you'll get real close with just a couple of careful considerations. Here are a couple of links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrVobPkP6fk http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/coils.htm

I think a cap replacement combined with either an upgrade of the tweeters (MAHL) on your Khorns or maybe even a diaphragm replacement will bring back all the life your khorns are missing. Don't mind some of the audio snobs on this forum who want to put down folks for using the equipment they feel like using, and like to throw their supposed wealth around thinking that makes them better able to understand or produce audiophile quality sound. From what you describe, you have everything you need to make good music and enjoy your DJ skills! Do a search for MAHL on this forum or on ebay. Check out the following websites for cap upgrades and diaphragm replacements. https://www.partsconnexion.com/ https://critesspeakers.com/ Do research on this forum and on your khorns to find the values for your caps or for possible mods to the original crossovers.

Oh man, just reading about this now. Did business with him on a few occasions and I was always satisfied. Good thoughts to his family. He will be missed by the audio community.

What amp is this?

That's quite the amp. You'd probably do yourself better by getting a good powered subwoofer to help beef up the LS's bottom end.

Interesting. So, any advances in speaker tech that will render tubes obsolete and SS king of the hill?

Even worse: When they say a tube amp sounds just like an SS amp. Yuk!!!

EGG-ZAT-LEE!!!

I wonder how those monster RF-7II's would sound with a tube preamp...

Amen and amen. I recently listened to a Mcintosh MC2505, a world class SS amp. It sounded fine, flat, neutral and great loud. But it didn't have the width and depth of soundstage of even my modest ST-70 Series II. It lacks that midrange emphasis and the ringing harmonics of tube amplification. If pressed, I might admit to a bit more definition, but that could have also been the difference between my highly modified but still humble Klipsch KLF-10 two-ways, and a several thousand $ pair of B&W speakers. I think the linearity of tubes becomes less of an issue with a thoughtfully designed circuit, a well-put together system, and the simple desire to listen with your ears instead of with your scope. I will never give up that gorgeous amber glow. Consider me like-mindedly obsessed.

I'm thinking Decware or one of Tube Fanatics designs.

I'm this close to getting a single ended, just to have both sides of tube-ampery: A PP and a SE.