mike stehr Posted March 4, 2002 Share Posted March 4, 2002 Jazman, If you want to work something out, I would be really interested. Give me a Email. I'll research the net for info on these Eicos at the moment. THANX! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted March 4, 2002 Share Posted March 4, 2002 Lordy is right. Stripped, I am still recovering from that Marshall McLuhan reference... I lost my will to live for close to two hours after that and the six cups of French Roast did nothing to quell thy misery. Please dont do that again so early in the morn. If I had known about the EICO explosion, I would have bought 30 of the bastards years ago. I would be rolling in ducats about now wondering what my next move might be. Indeed, I just now turned my little HF-81 off after listening to it a good portion of the day; my PS caps on this one are finally going and I need to break out the soldering iron and throw in some alternatives. I had a pair of ELNA Cerafines waiting for this one but I decided not to make alter it since it would involve raising it up on a false bottom to clear the swine. You should be proud in that it appears to be more Klipsch owners with HF-81 now than any one brand of speaker! And for those on the fence about the paint job, I have two and the satin black unit with the brass faceplate looks amazing; it really stands out. I gave my knobs a few fresh coast of the same paint after taping the indicators over. I still say the HF-81 is closer to my Moondogs than any other push-pull amp I own. I think it is also more refined than the EL-34 choices. It really is an amazing circuit where the sum of the parts create something very special. I'm glad some others are enjoying it as well. kh ------------------ Phono Linn LP-12 Vahalla / Linn Basic Plus / Sumiko Blue Point CD Player Rega Planet Preamp Cary Audio SLP-70 w/Phono Modified Amplifier Welborne Labs 2A3 Moondog Monoblocks Cable DIYCable Superlative / Twisted Cross Connect Speaker 1977 Klipsch Cornwall I w/Alnico & Type B Crossover system one online / alternate components / Asylum Listing f>s> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShapeShifter Posted March 4, 2002 Share Posted March 4, 2002 jazman, Those Mullard rectifiers should add an additional smoothness to the music. Have you listened enough to detect any changes? I really had not planned to get amps first, wanted the preamp, so I broke off discussions with the seller. During the phone discussion I remembered your suggestion to get the amplification first, and we reached an agreement. My fear is once I see those Laurels, I'll throw caution to the wind in the search for a preamp. also scored a quad of NOS RCA 5751 Command Black Plate TRIPLE MICA Tubes last night off eBay. Will roll these into the HF-81 and Jolida to see how they compare to the Mullards. Mobile's comments a few weeks ago about the Jolida 102B got me interested in finding one. Nice inexpensive little amp with really good sound. How true about the giving of gifts to those who enrich our lives and the others through their kindness, compassion and respect. I have a younger sister that I have the highest respect for, because over a period of three years she sacrificed her family time to make our mothers last years the most pleasurable possible. The gifts and love I share with her are the result of my ever growing respect and admiration for her unselfish dedication and love. No amount of financial or emotional support I provided from out of state could ever equal her being there on a daily basis. My life is better by having her as an inspiration. Mike, Will be getting GZ33 & GZ37 Rectifiers, TJ 300B Mesh Plates, with 6AC7 and 6SL7 tubes. The Belles will get the nod, but will listen to the Cornwalls too. mobile, I'm really enjoying the Jolida 102B! It gives my HF-81 a much needed rest. Another dead on b@!!s accurate suggestion. Thanks to you another wonderful little inexpensive jewel has made its way to my home. Wes ------------------ "KLIPSCH IS MUSIC"f> This message has been edited by ShapeShifter on 03-04-2002 at 06:58 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted March 4, 2002 Author Share Posted March 4, 2002 Chris Robinson Which one did you score ?? The Cypress one or the one near Kelly ?? Either one in good working order isn't really a bad deal. I just paid $125 for a basket case and will most likely have more than either of them in it when I'm done. I like to tinker with stuff so that's the way I alway's go. Good luck and I wish you were my brother !!!! Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted March 4, 2002 Share Posted March 4, 2002 It was the one with the pretty face that MH inserted ... http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1337042378 Looking forward to hearing it and sprucing it up with the black satin magic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazman Posted March 4, 2002 Share Posted March 4, 2002 mike stehr, Check your email. This is the best place to start other than mobile's page. The Eico page Wes, I've been driving the Cornwalls with the HF81 and it's great listening. The Mullards are not a major difference to the Brimars but do seem to sound warmer. I'll have to drive the Belles again with the HF81 to get a better feel for the subtle changes. It can't get much better than having the Eico full of Mullards and the Moondogs to drive your Heritage Klipsch. Klipsch out. This message has been edited by jazman on 03-04-2002 at 09:20 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted March 4, 2002 Share Posted March 4, 2002 Here is the schematic for the HF-12 http://engr.uark.edu/~lar/hf12sch.gif A good friend of mine here in Wilmington is doing the two HF-12 thing as well. He is taking the amps and putting them in a wood chassis and making it totally dual mono but in one box with two cords. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clipped and Shorn Posted March 4, 2002 Share Posted March 4, 2002 Jazman, You have listened to your Cornwalls with the HF-81 and the Moondogs, and I assume you have had the volume up. My question is: with these nice tube amps is the harsh edge that the Cornwalls sometimes exhibit remedied? (eg. without going inside the Corns and doing that dampening thing). My Corns, as well as fini's, have a certain harshness somewhere between the mids and tweeters while running on these "nothing special" ss receivers. Just wondered if you are now totally happy with the sound of the Corns with your two different tube set ups? Is there hope for Corns? -Dr. and Mrs. Scholls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted March 4, 2002 Share Posted March 4, 2002 There will always be certain recordings that bring harshness from Cornwalls; indeed, from almost any Klipsch vintage speaker. Not sure how much Jazman has had a chance to listen to his Cornwalls as he is a pretty new owner. The harshness that you speak of IS really brought out much more with mediocre solid state amplification. But with good tube amplification and a good recording, most of this harshness is not there at all. As said, the SOURCE and AMPLIFICATION need to be good. And BAD digital is a cardinal sin! But if you pop on things that bring out that problem (recording-wise) it will still come out. BTW, I also am a big proponent of the original Type B crossover with the oil caps. The Cornwall will let you know what is going in, that is for sure. I personally have found that things like wire DO make a difference here as well although many will stand up and claim otherwise. To me, I have heard what the difference is. Some types of wire do exacerbate the harshness as well. Also, when you bring in the volume on certain recordings, that hard sound you speak of will intrude; once again, some recordings are worse than others here. I find that Cornwalls really do well with jazz and well recorded classical. Rock can be VERY good but also VERY bad depending on the recording. The Cornwall (and other vintage Klipsch I assume) is not always a forgiving speaker, that is for sure. But that being said, I have found to get the BEST out of the Cornwall, you do need quality tube amplication. And some tube amps do better that others. kh This message has been edited by mobile homeless on 03-04-2002 at 11:11 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clipped and Shorn Posted March 4, 2002 Share Posted March 4, 2002 kh, thanks. I will be looking forward to the tube pre and the tube amp mdeneen is helping me put together. I can really tell the difference between the quality of my various recordings now more with the Cornwalls than ever before. If I couldn't be looking forward to this upcoming tube gear I think I would find the Cornwalls somewhat frustrating since they exaggerate the shortcomings of so many recordings with this ss recvr. At some point I should take the back off the Cornwalls to verify what exactly is in there. I seem to remember from the photos on the original eBay spread, that it contains all the good stuff. Vinyl, Jazz, Tubes, and the Cornwalls hopefully will make me crave listening rather than wanting to avoid it. -laurelled and hardied Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted March 4, 2002 Share Posted March 4, 2002 What a minute...I just remembered... so many people here and so much banter. Ole CLipped and Forlorned! OF course! You are the one that got that $1800 Cornwalls! For some reason, I stopped associating you with that purchase. I happen to know it well. You got the same components as in my Cornwalls; hopefully, there is nothing amiss there. I do doubt it. But yes, horrible 70s and 80s mainstream music sounds pretty bad on ye olde CW. Throw on a first generation digital Atlantic recording of Zeppelin and you will run screaming from the room. Of course, this would be bad on just about anything. 40s, 50s, 60s jazz is just excellent however. And certain rock and lofi indie CAN sound great as well. But beware of the bad recording or of a release that does bring out the CW's faults. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazman Posted March 5, 2002 Share Posted March 5, 2002 Clipped, (alias laurelled and hardied) I've been listening to my Cornwalls for two weeks now and can't say I've had the "harsh" sound experience. I have had the volume UP. Severals factors are in play. 1. I play mostly Jazz from the late fifties to present. 2. I've only used tube amplification with the Cornwalls. Unlike when I first connected my Belles to SS amplification, and signed into this Forum not long after, trying to figure out what I needed to do to get the sound from them I knew was possible. That's what started my Bi-wire post and eventually my tube journey. The HF81 let me know how good the Belles can sound. It's (the HF81) doing the same for the Cornwalls. I am very, very pleased with the Cornwalls and their sound. Tomorrow I'll break out some BB King, Bobby Bland, and some Motown recordings, connect the Cornwalls to the Moondogs and turntable. Ooops! Here's the need for that second TT so I would not have to disconnect from the HF81 to do this listening check. (I must remember to buy that $1 Super Lotto ticket!) Don't forget to give notice of the next regular or irregular meeting of the Healdsburg Hill Gang with seminars by Prof Mdeneen. I'd like to make the drive and get together with you folks sometime in the future. Klipsch out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lindsey Posted March 5, 2002 Share Posted March 5, 2002 Clipped - Glad you have a good sense of humor. Wes - It sounds like we will have very similar tubes in our amps. Mine are coming with Mullard GZ37 rectifiers, NOS 6SL7 and 6AC7 (not sure which ones) and the TJ 300B Meshplates. I would be very curious to know the exact tubes you are using and what your impressions of the amps are, once you put some hours on them. It's very nice to know that there are others on this board that have the same equipment to share thoughts and ideas over... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted March 5, 2002 Share Posted March 5, 2002 "In vino veritas" ... Question: Can anybody tell me what the p/n is for the HF-81's power indicator lamp is? Is it just a standard base? Just curious. Kelly, are all black satin spray paints the same, or have you developed a preference? Also, any prep work that needs to be done prior to spraying? Thanks, as always, for your help avoiding the cost and annoyance of the learning curve. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted March 5, 2002 Share Posted March 5, 2002 The best "satin" black paint is Krylon "Semi-Flat Black." It dries quickly, covers well and has the PERFECT amount of gloss. I've been using in on McIntosh Amp restorations for about 15 years. You can't tell it from the original factory finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted March 5, 2002 Share Posted March 5, 2002 It is a pretty standard bulb. 6.3VO.15amp As for the Satin Paint, I actually have used several kinds here. Rustoleum Satin Black does well but can show fingerprints. Krylon works well too (semi-flat and satin can be the same shade depending)...might even be better as Allan said. I've used both. I believe the original HF-81 was Krylon to be honest. For the best results, I did multiple thin coats, done a few min between. As for prep, I had some scale on mine so I sanded it from coarse to find paper where needed. IT really wasnt that big a deal. If you do sand, make sure your last swipes are with some pretty fine stuff as you dont want sanding marks. It actually looks professionally done. I do the cover of just about every piece of gear I have put on ebay or Audiogon and the people end up thinking it is near mint! I get compliments on the condition of my gear all the time - believe me, it can come out perfect. Although I am very careful, some marks on old gear are inevitable when changing components in and out of your various systems. kh This message has been edited by mobile homeless on 03-05-2002 at 11:45 AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hetmann Posted March 5, 2002 Share Posted March 5, 2002 Provided your parts are disassembled, you can also bake the krylon onto your metal pieces. Search the seb for "japaning" for instructions. Tool collectors do this to planes they are restoring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted March 5, 2002 Share Posted March 5, 2002 Heh, another small irony. I DID bake my original EICO metal as well! It worked wonders and hardens it like no other. IT is really only three pieces of metal as many have the tube and input/output sticker on the bottom plate, so you cant spray. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted March 5, 2002 Share Posted March 5, 2002 Great input, guys. Thanks, appreciate it. It appears as though the answers to even simple, innocent questions are often well thought out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clipped and Shorn Posted March 5, 2002 Share Posted March 5, 2002 jazman, I use two turntables, one exclusively set up in case I want to spin an old 78 for historical purposes (I am too lazy to be changing cartridges all the the time). I use one of those inexpensive ratshack source switchers. It has three inputs and one output. I checked with mdeneen to verify that these simple switch boxes can just as easily be used in the reverse "direction", that is you can have one input switch to three different "outs". I think these little devices come in handy when you want to switch things around without plugging and unplugging all the time. also tnx for the reassurance that the Cornwalls will soon be sounding fine when all the tubes are in place. I too have a bunch of nicely recorded jazz, but I also listen to "historical" old latin recordings on atrocious budget labels. No getting around the fact that i sometimes need to listen to music that has lots of soul but sounds like garbage. Even some of the CD reissues of this important material have managed to preserve the garbage sound. I wish there was some kind of filter you could add to the equation, but if there were, I am sure I would have heard about it by now. I have to admit, I often resort to playing some of this old vinyl "wet", seems to help (with noise but not really with bad original recording-like over-recorded levels or inappropiate reverbs etc), but probably is not that great for the stylus-Disc fluid I mean. Have not had any problem so far. I brought back about 100 LPs from Havana last summer, almost all of that vinyl plays better wet, not sure why, something about Cuban recording technique, who knows. Must be the accumulation of tropical goo, sugar cane residue, and cigar smoke. -Bongoed and Congaed This message has been edited by Clipped and Shorn on 03-05-2002 at 03:08 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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