lshannon

Hi Colin, I've been trying figure out how to describe the new sound with my somewhat limited abilities. I came up with - The sound is so much better that I can now hear the singers draw in their breaths when they're singing. There is alot more detail to the music, it's more like you are there. By the way, a good cd to listen to if you like vocals is On Yoolis Night (medieval carols & motets) by the Anonymous 4. - Lee

DaddyDee and Colin, DaddyDee - You're right, it sounds good. I was solid state till about a year ago (still am at home). I'm not really up on the tube "lingo", i.e, spatial preservation, openness, and lifelike presence, soundstage, breadth, airiness, etched sound, etc., so, Colin, forgive me if my description is somewhat lacking. I'm more of a "I know it's art when I see it kind-of-guy". It does sound good and I am happy (until I hear better, of course). ;^) - Lee

Hi Colin, My old PAS-2 was making some noise. I tried to look for a Sound Valves VTP-101i Tube Preamp, but was unable to nail one on ebay. I was using a NAD 1020 pre that I had laying around when I saw a Van Alstine modded PAS-2 on ebay and snapped it up. I really preferred the PAS-2 to the Sound Valves actually as I have a dyna fm tuner and the pas-2 slid into a Dynaco factory wood case and really wanted to keep the vintage look in my office. I don't really know what all of the mods mean. I just know that they sound good. By the way, your review of the ASL av-8s were what got me to experiment with tubes. Here is Van Alstine mod info below: http://www.avahifi.com/root/equipment/preamplifier/super_pas_3_rebuild.htm Quote: "The basic rebuild kit consists of our new RIAA phono preamplifier circuit board, our new straight-line output preamplifier circuit board, our new six section power supply board, all of the parts for the boards, and stepped precision volume and balance controlsover 100 new parts including all precision film audio circuit resistors and capacitors. We provide all of the needed hardware, wire, and solder. When you are finished you will have a Super Pas Three preampone of the finest low-cost vacuum tube preamps ever built. All the original Dyna circuit boards are discarded, along with the original heater supply and quad filter capacitor. Our step-by-step illustrated color instruction manual makes it easy for you to install the parts on the circuit boards and interface them with your jacks and switches. We show you how to modernize the functions of your original selector switch and jack set to reduce cross-talk and change the obsolete tape head and special inputs into additional line level inputs. As excellent value, extra-cost options, this is a good time to install our new high-reliability fiberglass selector switch and our gold-plated jack ground-plane input and output connection set." End Quote - Lee

Just replaced my stock Dynaco PAS 2 with a PAS 2 rebuilt with Van Alstine super pas 3 modifications. It sounds really, really nice with my office Cornwalls and my Antique Sound Lab AV-8s (8 watts). Most of the controls were bypassed, but I never used them anyway. Just thought I would share. I should be happy with this for awhile, then again, I've heard that some of those 2-3 watt amps are supposed to sound nice. . . - Lee

Has anyone heard of this Dynaco modification? Does it work well? Significant improvement?

Wow. someone got a great deal.

Might be a good deal if you had a spare la scala around, swap out the parts.

Congratulations !! I have primarily a heritage system too. Some other interesting posts as well. Is there a big difference from moving from two cornwall mains with a La Scala center to three La Scalas across the front?

Try a La Scala (or Belle) center. I believe that was what the Belle was designed for, and the Belle is essentially (though not quite) a pretty La Scala. With all of those 15" woofers, you will have plenty of bass. If you want really, really low notes there are a variety of products reviewed in the HT forum here. Two that seem to be strongly thought of are the Klipsch and the SVS. - Lee

My PAS 2 had developed a hum/noise at low levels. Since I listen to it in my office with Cornwalls, it is usually at low levels. It got so bad it was giving me headaches during the day. I swapped it out and replaced it with a spare NAD 1020 preamp (my first preamp) that I had sitting around collecting dust. The difference was amazing. Very, very clean, but still warm. I am new to tube amps and they are entry level (ASL AV-8s) but it made me wonder what had happened. Did I have a really bad set of tubes in my tube preamp? Old wiring? It is original and I've toyed with the idea of sending it off to get upgraded. Now I wonder if I should keep it at all. Any ideas? - Lee

Or you can try a LaScala. Cheaper than a belle but has the great sound.

Hi Erik, Thanks for the feedback on the PAS's and thanks for the offer of the PAT. Based on that, I'll probably send it off to get rebuilt sometime soon. I have my first preamp (NAD 1020) lying on my workbench that I can use while I ship the PAS off, so I think I'll pass on the PAT. But thanks, I really appreciate the offer and the info. - Lee

Hi Erik, I notice that you use a Dynaco PAT-4. How do you like it? I assume that you have had a PAS 3 or 3X at some point in the past. If so, how do they compare? I am using a PAS 2 in my office system. I use it with some Antique Sound Lab AV8s and cornwalls. I was thinking about sending the PAS 2 off to get it rebuilt and upgraded. What are your thoughts on that? Good bang for the buck? Or is it an obsolete design? - Lee

I assume that it is for HT, so how about a lascala?

Why does a 300B kick butt? Does that mean a 2A3 can't? This isn't baiting, until recently I was soley into solid state stuff (Carver/NAD, etc.) I have read some postings and it seems that a 300B may have 8 watts as opposed to the 2A3s 3.5 watts. Does a difference of 4.5 watts constitute "kicking butt"? Is there a consensus that 2A3 gives more detail? If 2A3 gives more detail, why does the 4.5 watt greater ceiling of a 300B matter (assuming you are using heritage speakers)? - Lee

I spoke with him about a year ago. He gets La Scalas on a regular basis as they were used frequently with some organ brands in churches. --Lee

Thanks for the congrats. Went at lunch to pick it up and smuggle it into my basement while the wife was at work. The place was amazing, He was in this huge warehouse of old organs and speakers. I told him I was looking for a subwoofer. He had this large bass-bin that he wanted to sell for $150. It looked like one of those concert style Klipsch bass bins but without any markings. I passed on it. The guy said he was expecting some big old 6-foot speakers from chicago with 30 inch Electro Voice speakers if I was looking for some big speakers for sub-woofers. He showed me a table full of JBL 075 RING TWEETERs 8 OHM. He said some guy in Japan? bought almost all of them. He pulls this stuff from old churches mainly I think. I think he works for some organ company and installs new equipment. There was old speakers and speaker components everywhere (and it was a large warehouse).

Thanks for the tip. I just bought one for a center channel. That makes a total of eleven klipsch full-sized speakers. Nine of them bought in the last two years. Hmmmmm . . . . I'm in my early 40's, maybe I can claim to my wife that its a mid-life crisis.

Thanks for the tip. I just bought one for a center channel. That makes a total of eleven klipsch full-sized speakers. Nine of them bought in the last two years. Hmmmmm . . . . I'm in my early 40's, maybe I can claim to my wife that its a mid-life crisis.

Whoa Dude. . . for a second it looked like you started with a really nice khorn and ended up with a pile of parts. . . then I read the text of the emails. What I would have definately called and "extreme makeover".

So are these just a scaled-up Cornerhorn? What is the quality usually like?

14 guns, 3,000 rounds of ammunition and 6.5 months of freeze dried food for two. The question is not whether you're paranoid . . . but whether you are paranoid enough. Seriously, though, I was raised out in the sticks with woodstoves, firearms and we kept a large pantry. I live in a city now, but old habits are hard to break (and half of them were my dad's, don't shoot them, but can't give them away either . . . I'll just keep cleaning them and give them to my kid). Now I keep all of my guns (well most of them) in a large gun safe in the basement rather than on a wall in the living room.

You might try antique sound lab av8s monoblocks (8 watts per channel), you will need two. You see them on ebay fairly regular. They are discontinued model. They were essentially a loss-leader for the company. They are self-biasing, so you don't have to adjust them. They sound nice and were $119.00 each. I use a pair in my office and they sound very nice. They are an inexpensive way to get into tubes. - Lee

Previously purchased last week by someone out of state. He indicated that they had been trying to sell them since last year and only got a flurry of calls recently. - Lee

There are new 5.1 music formats? ? God, where have I been? I thought that everyone was listening to their HT systems in two-channel when they were listening to music. - Lee