Any Will Vincent 6V6 amp owners ?

[USNRET]

Phillip, I did get both PMs and I responed via PM and email.

Mike

[VacuumTube1954]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the reply and good luck with your venture. BTW I live in Columbus.

Thanks and good eating today. I grilled and am as full as a tick.

Phillip

[VacuumTube1954]

Mike, Which amp are you getting from Will ? The Super Baldwin ?

Phillip

[Erik Mandaville]

VacuumTube 1954:

I agree that these old organ amps are a very economical way to 'get into tubes.' To me the frequency response is balanced well, and there are no bias adjustments. Not to say that resetting bias voltage over time is necessarily a negative thing, just that the fact that the Baldwins are very much plug-and-play affairs, along with outstanding price/performance value. Tube rolling is obviously also very easily done. For those interested in a little DIYing or modification, the circuit again is really very simple. Minor changes in coupling cap value, for example, can have an influence on perceived frequency response and overall voicing. The sonic character of components is such a highly personal and subjective aspect of this hobby, and the big Baldwins are built in a way that gives the user a certain degree of input as far as input-output tube choice, rectifier type, etc.

The "Winged C" 6L6s (from AES) do sound great, and I also recently purchased a pair of 5V4 rectifiers. You asked about the 12AX7, and I believe they are original Baldwin branded tubes.

As mentioned before, this 6L6 amp worked great with Klipschorns. However, the Klipschorns can be pretty amazing on even a very, very low-calorie diet of less than a watt (in my opinion, in my room, with our music, and how we listen). I've been using them alternately with the Moth Audio 2A3 integrated amp I built several years ago (I purchased the parts and schematic from Moth) and an extremely good sounding little amp from Sophia Electric called the 'Baby.' Both the Moth and Baby have their own volume control, so along with a good source, the system is very simple to use and encourages listening over obsessive tweaking. Still, even with considerable headroom, the Baldwin is just fine for the big horns, and would be fantastic as part of an HT setup.

If you haven't seen one before, here is the direct-coupled (no coupling caps in the signal path!!!) 2A3 Moth.

Erik

[VacuumTube1954]

Good morning Eric,

Thank you again for the info. I agree with you on the possibility with the Baldwins. Good amp for tube rolling. I have used the SED 6L6's in my McIntosh Mc-240 and loved them. A good tube from top to bottom. For thoses who own the 240 another tube that is great is the RCA 7027A. No biasing which I like since I have been spoiled by the Macs I have owned over the years. Most important is that Will's price is right.

The Moth looks great that you have. It has that antique look which to me is very appealling. I know it must sound wonderful.

I will need to get my speaker act together soon. At the moment I am using a pair of older Edgarhorn speakers which are ok. I bought them several years ago when I thought I would go SET but that did not pan out. They are rated at 104 db, 8 ohms. But the drawback is that Bruce's disabilities have plauged him an it takes a long, long time to get things done and parts shipped. I have somewhat of a small listening room but would love to wind up with a pair of Belles or LaScalas. That would be nice ! That is my aim for the future.

I have a friend who has a pair of late 1960's Khorns and uses SS Marantz but the Marantz is a draw-back with them. Sound has an edge to it plus some harshness thrown in.

Eric thanks for the Moth photo and info. If you come up with other please post for me. I appreciate your help.

Phillip

[Erik Mandaville]

Hi, Phillip:

I'm glad this was helpful. For fun I hooked up one of Will's ST70 modifications which, whith a very interesting ground scheme I discovered for it, is extremely quiet. As you know, a quiet background is always a good thing! I can take a picture or two of that if you like, as well. I have been aware for years of the many dynaco modifications available from different sources, and I was just interested in Will's interpretation and tank-like, powder coat build quality of the original circuit. I'm sure the MC-240 was a marvelous amp.

I wanted to ask you about your Edgarhorns: Which were these? Do you happen to have a picture of them?

I hope things are going well,

Erik

[USNRET]

Mike, Which amp are you getting from Will ? The Super Baldwin ?

Phillip

Not ignoring you my man, I have penned up a couple of emails but got dumped. I have looking at VRD monos, VRD stereo, and the Super Baldwin (either stereo and mono or three monos). Waiting on transfer word and money from recent sales to pull the trigger.

and then I see the VRDS in the garage sale today....

[seti]

Mike, Which amp are you getting from Will ? The Super Baldwin ?

Phillip

Not ignoring you my man, I have penned up a couple of emails but got dumped. I have looking at VRD monos, VRD stereo, and the Super Baldwin (either stereo and mono or three monos). Waiting on transfer word and money from recent sales to pull the trigger.

and then I see the VRDS in the garage sale today....

I've also heard the VRDs. They are stunning performers.

[VacuumTube1954]

Evening Eric,

Yes please send me a couple of photos of Will's ST70. That would be great. I do not have a digital camera so I cannot take photos and post. (I seem to be stuck back in the 1960's)

The Edgarhorns are the older System 100. It is the pyramid scheme with three seperate enclosures. B&C tweeter, D-54 Dyna midrange, and an EV 15" woofer and I run the Seismic Jr. 15" sub with 250 watt amp.

My goal is a pair of La Scalas down the road. Maybe Belles if I am lucky.

Thanks again for your help and I apoligize for not being able to post some photos.

Phillip

[Erik Mandaville]

Hi, Phillip:

Absolutely no apology needed regarding pictures. It was quite awhile before I ever posted any at all, and it was actually through help from others on this forum that that started happening. My slow brain understands vacuum tubes and transformers much better than computers, although I learn everyday how little I actually know about the former!

Okay, I think I remember the Edgar system you have. Thanks for the information on that. La Scalas were the first pair of Klipsch Heritage we owned, and I sold those to upgrade (if that's the most suitable term) to the Klipschorns. With the 2A3 amps I had at the time, the La Scalas were awesome, though they didn't hit dungeon depths in the bass dept. I actually think they were among the best sound overall that we have had here. I've actually considered selling the Klipschorns for another pair of La Scalas, as odd as that may sound (perhaps to some).

I'll take a picture of the Dyna 70 amp for you. It's also on those small monitors seen above. Those little speakers (sealed system) are not very efficient and really need some extra muscle, although I know their are schools of thought that wouldn't consider 35 watts/channel too terribly powerful.

Erik

[jt1stcav]

Welcome to the forum, Phillip![]

Erik is the reason why I enjoy my current Baldwin 6L6 stereo amp...glad he's back online with us bottleheads and he's helping you out with advice and such. I'm extremely impressed with the Baldwin and how it performs with both high and low efficiency loudspeakers (horns and cones). Currently, my Baldwin is sitting on the sidelines with a sound issue (intermittent popping/scratching) that may be related to a bad cap...an easy fix once the offensive part's been detected, but I'm not a solder-slinger and will have to have the amp looked over by a person qualified to make such repairs. Once it's back online, it will be producing sweet music thru my Triangle Zephyr 2-way towers![Y]

[Erik Mandaville]

Hi, Jim!

Have you tried just checking/cleaning the tube sockets and pins? Make sure high voltage has drained off before you do anything -- and give that a try. If that doesn't help, and you still need help, I'd be happy to have a look for you. We'd consider this warranty work!

....no getting away from the fact that those amps are kind of heavy to ship, though.

Erik

[jt1stcav]

Hi, Erik. I did clean the tube sockets and even wiped the tube's pins, but did not go inside the chassis and fritz with the socket's pins. My dad said once his workload settles down to a more managable pace, he'll look at the Baldwin (he's receiving e-mails for radio repairs daily, and UPS is always dropping off packages 2 or 3 times a week). Thanks for the warranty offer...I might still take you up on that, even with the shipping expenses! I'll let you know in advance if that situation ever comes up.

[VacuumTube1954]

Evening Eric,

Just got in from Atlanta. Thanks for your understanding on the photo issue. I think my brain must have a couple of tubes going bad. :>)

Man I bet those 2A3s were great with the La Scalas. Also with the KHorns. I guess it would be a tough call for you. Both are great speakers. My listening room is small. I probably don't need as large a system as the KHorns or LaScalas but what the heck.

How are the La Scalas with nearfield listening ? Also what are the monitors in your above photo ? They look great.

Yes please take me a photo of your ST70 when you get the chance.

Many thanks my friend.

[VacuumTube1954]

Evening Jim,

Thank you for the welcome. Mighty nice. I went to your site and what can I say except it looks great. You have one fine system and your web site is very tastefully done. Those photos are well done. How are you liking your Triangle speakers with the Baldwin and the Bez units ?

Hope you are able to get the noise resolved soon. I hate when stuff like that happens. Let us know what you find out about it.

I am hoping to talk with Will again this weekend. I will talk some more about the Baldwin monos and will be sure to ask about a pair of Dynacos. I wish I could get both but I like to play it on the conservative side with the resession being like it is. Once I can get these I can hopefully find a pair of Klipsch down the road. We'll have to see. I still have to put food on the table.

Thanks again Jim.

[jt1stcav]

Thanks for the kind words, Phillip...glad you enjoyed the site, such as it is. As much as I miss the Cornwalls and the RB-75s, the 91dB sensitive Triangles do a respectable job with the Baldwin's 28Wpc and the BEZ's 6.5Wpc (the 300B SET amp will clip with the Zephyrs during loud passages, but they can still hold their own at 90dB SPLs).

[VacuumTube1954]

I bet the Triangles do a great job at 91db. Sounds pretty good to me. They look good and so does the BEZ units you have. I know you must be proud.

Take care,

Phillip

[Erik Mandaville]

Jim:

I'm sure your dad is very busy -- understood there. But gosh, what a true talent he is. The radio he did for us is a prized possession -- along with a very similar and very tiny SS version of something very similar my dad made, which runs off of a small battery pack. They are both so different, and both really cool. I'm sure he'll be able to check it out. The symptoms you describe could be many things, but are not serious. Things happen in the best of cases.

Phillip:

Your observation about La Scalas in the near(er) field is interesting. Something I have thought about the big Klipsch Heritage designs has to do with just that point -- listening in a smaller room at lower to moderate levels. I have to say that that 'personality trait' of the speaker is one of the aspects we particularly appreciate: performance at lower volume levels is great, IMO. The monitors pictured above tend to need some energy/wattage to get them going, while both LaScalas and Klipschorns have a sort of hair-trigger-like sensitivity that enables them to perform very well with such small amounts of power.

In a smaller room a good SET amp can be incredibly good. I have an interesting VTV article, which includes an interview with PWK as well as a review of the K-horn coupled to small (meaning power) amplifiers. As such the speaker was rated very highly. I have to say, though, that the first Baldwin I had here absolutely fit wonderfully with Klipschorns and Heresies alike.

When others say single-ended amps are dull, lifeless, distorted, etc., they are offering their own opinion -- which is totally fair. That description is not shared by others, which again is yet just another opinion.

I suspect what's nice about the Baldwin is that it works well at both higher and lower volumes, and, perhaps moreover, is not expensive to experiment with in terms of input and output stage tube rolling. Many of the 2A3s I have for my SET amps cost more than the entire Baldwin (or Dynaco ST70 amplifier -- complete WITH tubes).

I could be very happy with another pair of La Scalas. The seated listening height for me is actually better than the Klipschorns.

Take care,

Erik

[VacuumTube1954]

Hi Eric,

I see what you are saying about the nearfield listening with the Klipsch Heritage lineup with smaller powered SET's and other amps and totally agree with you. Besides life is too short to get drawn into arguments such as that, it takes away from the target we are aiming at, namely the enjoyment of listening to music. We can let others argue all they want.

Like you the seated height would be ideal for me, not that the Edgarhorns aren't, they are fine. But I want the Klipsch's. I need to dig through my VTV copies and check out the article you are speaking of. Thanks for mentioning that.

Thanks again Eric. Take care.

[Marvel]

Phillip - How big a room are you talking about? My living room is about 13 x 20 or so. I only sit about 10 feet back from my LaScalas, and my 2A3s do a great job, and the music just draws me in. If you weren't at the opposite end of the state, I would invite you over for a listen (you are still invited, but it's a long way)

Bruce