Ideal Tube Amp for Klipsch Heresy III - What is your setup?

[Guest thesloth]

Yes I am calling him a liar. I understand intermittent issues all too well and frankly this wasn't that intermittent to not be found, I could recreate the noise and red plate issue by just touching the tube slightly. The shipping is very expensive so why would anyone want to ship something back and forth? Keep it until you find the fault and then ship it back.  

 

As you stated he didn't believe you at first that there was any problem, what a guy to pretty much call people a liar because he is incompetent in finding the fault.

 

What are you talking about me being impatient and quitting before what was done? I fixed the heaters and soldered the bad connection. The sockets currently work but have large pieces missing and the next person that retubes it has to be very careful if it doesn't get fixed. My friend is going to have me replace the sockets eventually when he decides to sell it, which is when I finish building a him a proper power amplifier. The reason I call it a POS is because the top panel is too thin and Craig had to glue wooden supports in (after thought of course), the glue broke on one and was rattling around in there loose, the top was caving in, I fixed that too. Also even when biased conservatively it chews through KT88's like nobodies business, I don't know what the plate to plate load impedance is but I am certain it isn't optimal for those tubes.

 

 

 

If the OP wants to buy it by all means I am sure he would be happy to see it go. When fixed he will want $1000 and not fixed he wants $800. I can take pictures of the amplifier and post it if the OP wants. When it's in for the socket replacement (next power tube replacement) I plan to find out the specs for the output iron and determine what tube will be optimum in that circuit.

 

It's not slander if it's all true. And seriously I don't know the specifics of your issue but like I said this problem was VERY easy to diagnose, when amps like that come to me for repair I consider it a piece of cake, apparently Craig doesn't know how to troubleshoot very well.

 

If people can give good reviews of amplifiers why can't people give reviews if they had a bad experience? Slander lol!!!!! I just don't want anybody to have to deal with incompetence.

[mdcrabbe]

What are you going to use for your source?

 

That's a great question. I have an audioengine DAC that I will hook up to my computer to stream music from Spotify Extreme to the amp. Does anyone have any suggestions? I know there has been a lot of debate over the quality of streaming services and this is where I will start. 

 

Has anyone ever tried Peachtree Audio's BT1

http://www.peachtreeaudio.com/bt1-bluetooth-receiver.html

 

It doesn't seem like many people who are into hi-fi have experimented much with these setups and I know it's because of losing quality but from what I have read it's pretty good espcially considering the convenience factor of listening to anything you can think of. 

 

I don't even know where to start with quality wires that aren't insanely expensive. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated for a basic Speaker to amp setup without breaking the bank.

 

By the way, where are you located?

 

I am in Southern California and have found a few amps I am going to check out this weekend. One is a Scott 299-D that was recently checked and brought back up to spec by Mike Zuccaro in San Diego.  

[Luv_sum_Horns]

 

 

 

 so my listening chair be positioned in front of my desk and will be 6-8 feet away from each speaker positioned in an equilateral triangle. 

 

I don't like to listen to my music too loud and am not familiar enough to give you a decibel level but don't ever want to damage my hearing listening to music. I am not trying to blow any windows out, I am looking for a very clean, warm, live sound from this setup. I want to close my eyes and feel like I am listening to a live performance. 

 

Given your listening position it's unlikely that you will need much power at all to achieve loud levels (should they ever be desired).  Another amp to consider is this Decware model:  http://www.decware.com/newsite/SE34I.htm

 

You can't beat the lifetime warranty and, if policy hasn't changed, it is returnable within 30 days if you don't like it!  By the way, where are you located?

 

Maynard

 

I can second Maynard's recommendation. This amp is available with a lot of really nice options, and I took all of them except the silly expensive cap upgrade. One of the really nice options is variable output, which you can use to drive a sub if you're worried about bass. I use it to drive a slave amp while bi-amping. You can choose up to 4 inputs, and the bias meters double as a clip indicator, when you get near clipping they start dancing. I wouldn't know as I have been nowhere near this level.  When I use this amp with my Heresys and a sub, they give my Cornwalls a run for their money and I think they actually sound better. This amp also sounds fantastic with the tubes it shipped with.

 

Good luck with your choice!

-bill

[muel]

Yes I am calling him a liar. I understand intermittent issues all too well and frankly this wasn't that intermittent to not be found, I could recreate the noise and red plate issue by just touching the tube slightly. The shipping is very expensive so why would anyone want to ship something back and forth? Keep it until you find the fault and then ship it back.  

 

As you stated he didn't believe you at first that there was any problem, what a guy to pretty much call people a liar because he is incompetent in finding the fault.

 

What are you talking about me being impatient and quitting before what was done? I fixed the heaters and soldered the bad connection. The sockets currently work but have large pieces missing and the next person that retubes it has to be very careful if it doesn't get fixed. My friend is going to have me replace the sockets eventually when he decides to sell it, which is when I finish building a him a proper power amplifier. The reason I call it a POS is because the top panel is too thin and Craig had to glue wooden supports in (after thought of course), the glue broke on one and was rattling around in there loose, the top was caving in, I fixed that too. Also even when biased conservatively it chews through KT88's like nobodies business, I don't know what the plate to plate load impedance is but I am certain it isn't optimal for those tubes.

 

 

 

If the OP wants to buy it by all means I am sure he would be happy to see it go. When fixed he will want $1000 and not fixed he wants $800. I can take pictures of the amplifier and post it if the OP wants. When it's in for the socket replacement (next power tube replacement) I plan to find out the specs for the output iron and determine what tube will be optimum in that circuit.

 

It's not slander if it's all true. And seriously I don't know the specifics of your issue but like I said this problem was VERY easy to diagnose, when amps like that come to me for repair I consider it a piece of cake, apparently Craig doesn't know how to troubleshoot very well.

 

If people can give good reviews of amplifiers why can't people give reviews if they had a bad experience? Slander lol!!!!! I just don't want anybody to have to deal with incompetence.

We are krapping on the OP's thread so I'll make this brief.  It is obvious you have strong feelings and I won't change your mind.  Craig wasn't calling me a liar... he merely insisted we eliminate other possible causes prior to sending it back in to him.

 

You and your friend decided to fix it yourself instead of pursuing it with Craig any further.  Great... but don't expect any company to reimburse you or have much to do with you after that (or after having your buddy who is a tech call and get in the middle of things).  I get it... it sounds like it was quick and easy for you to fix when you saw the problem.  I understand you for just taking care of it.    

 

POS?  There are many VRD owners who will not agree with you!  I've bought a couple of used mono blocks and a used stereo VRD as well as brand new mono blocks from Craig.  The transformers are very heavy and will bend the metal plate if/when the UPS apes slam them around.  The force can also crack the wood blocks to which the plate attaches. Better the mounting blocks break than the wood frame itself!  Epoxy will take care of the wood better than new and the plates don't appear to be thin at all to me.  You could make it thicker I'm sure but you would pay more.  With some effort it can be bent back.   They DO have to be packed properly using all the hard foam that Craig packs them with... you can't leave any of it out as the foam will keep any forces distributed so those big transformers can't do any damage.  My used ones ALL had a bit of damage just like this and were not completely packed with the foam.  My new ones were completely packed with foam.  My repairs on the used ones were complete and easy so I didn't even bother to complain to the sellers.   It is obvious that the packing was needed but they must not have realized as it would be easy to think that it was already pretty snug in its custom made box. 

 

Side note: I found out the hard way that the Blueberry Xtreme could be fragile as we discovered that some solder joints were cracked on the circuit boards after shipping.  At that time Mark Deneen would not service it so we sent it to Craig who repaired it.  

 

Chewing through KT88's?  Never in my experience.   May or may not be related but I know there was a revision to the design at one point (early on I think) where Craig sent me (free of charge) some resistors of a different value to change out that he said would be easier on the tubes because it allowed for a lower bias.  That said, I'm still running the stereo VRD on the same power tubes (that I got from the seller) I was using a few years ago. 

 

I would buy VRD's again without hesitation!

 

To conclude, I wish you and your friend the best and I hope the OP finds the perfect combination for his office/listening room.  Sounds like the OP is off to a great start!

[jimjimbo]

Yes I am calling him a liar. I understand intermittent issues all too well and frankly this wasn't that intermittent to not be found, I could recreate the noise and red plate issue by just touching the tube slightly. The shipping is very expensive so why would anyone want to ship something back and forth? Keep it until you find the fault and then ship it back.  

 

As you stated he didn't believe you at first that there was any problem, what a guy to pretty much call people a liar because he is incompetent in finding the fault.

 

What are you talking about me being impatient and quitting before what was done? I fixed the heaters and soldered the bad connection. The sockets currently work but have large pieces missing and the next person that retubes it has to be very careful if it doesn't get fixed. My friend is going to have me replace the sockets eventually when he decides to sell it, which is when I finish building a him a proper power amplifier. The reason I call it a POS is because the top panel is too thin and Craig had to glue wooden supports in (after thought of course), the glue broke on one and was rattling around in there loose, the top was caving in, I fixed that too. Also even when biased conservatively it chews through KT88's like nobodies business, I don't know what the plate to plate load impedance is but I am certain it isn't optimal for those tubes.

 

 

 

If the OP wants to buy it by all means I am sure he would be happy to see it go. When fixed he will want $1000 and not fixed he wants $800. I can take pictures of the amplifier and post it if the OP wants. When it's in for the socket replacement (next power tube replacement) I plan to find out the specs for the output iron and determine what tube will be optimum in that circuit.

 

It's not slander if it's all true. And seriously I don't know the specifics of your issue but like I said this problem was VERY easy to diagnose, when amps like that come to me for repair I consider it a piece of cake, apparently Craig doesn't know how to troubleshoot very well.

 

If people can give good reviews of amplifiers why can't people give reviews if they had a bad experience? Slander lol!!!!! I just don't want anybody to have to deal with incompetence.

Sloth, I'm going to be a bit less PC with this....OK, here's the deal.  You want to call someone a liar, and trash a long time respected member of this forum, you can go somewhere else.  Your attitude and your bullshit is not welcome.   I think you owe Craig and the forum an apology.   See ya.

Edited August 13, 2015 by jimjimbo

[muel]

 

What are you going to use for your source?

 

That's a great question. I have an audioengine DAC that I will hook up to my computer to stream music from Spotify Extreme to the amp. Does anyone have any suggestions? I know there has been a lot of debate over the quality of streaming services and this is where I will start. 

 

Has anyone ever tried Peachtree Audio's BT1

http://www.peachtreeaudio.com/bt1-bluetooth-receiver.html

 

It doesn't seem like many people who are into hi-fi have experimented much with these setups and I know it's because of losing quality but from what I have read it's pretty good espcially considering the convenience factor of listening to anything you can think of. 

 

I don't even know where to start with quality wires that aren't insanely expensive. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated for a basic Speaker to amp setup without breaking the bank.

 

 

 

By the way, where are you located?

 

I am in Southern California and have found a few amps I am going to check out this weekend. One is a Scott 299-D that was recently checked and brought back up to spec by Mike Zuccaro in San Diego.  

 

I'm not familiar with the Audioengine DAC but it sounds like it will get you started. Might be a weaker link in your system but I can't say for sure.   As far as Spotify "extreme" at 320kbps I still prefer ripped FLACs or downloads but I do use it sometimes.  "Fidelify" is a way to slightly improve the sound from Spotify.   Computer audio can be daunting and you can get pretty hard core with your equipment and setup (which I do).  Fidelizer is a tool that can help optimize Windows for audio if you are using a PC.  

 

Let us know what you get and how it goes.

[mdcrabbe]

Muel, thanks for your input. I will check Fidelify out. Hopefully I'll be able to piece together something that I will enjoy, I have had the DAC for a few years but I was using it with very old equipment so it was difficult to hear a big difference and wasn't sure what the reputation was here.

[Guest thesloth]

How is your search going?

 

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/H-H-Scott-299C-Integrated-Tube-Amp-/301593020919?hash=item46385849f7

 

This unit appears to be in nice condition. Spend another $300 for a restoration and you will have a nice integrated amp for under $800.

[FloridaBoy]

Thank you for the warm welcomes and quick response. 

 

The dimensions of the room are 14 x 16 ft and will also serve as an office so my listening chair be positioned in front of my desk and will be 6-8 feet away from each speaker positioned in an equilateral triangle. 

 

I listen to a very wide range of music (Classic Rock, Acoustic, Country, R&B, etc)

 

I don't like to listen to my music too loud and am not familiar enough to give you a decibel level but don't ever want to damage my hearing listening to music. I am not trying to blow any windows out, I am looking for a very clean, warm, live sound from this setup. I want to close my eyes and feel like I am listening to a live performance. 

 

I would like to stay under $2,000 but if something came up that was a good deal and paired well with the speakers, I would consider going over it. I am looking for an integrated tube amp in the $600-800 range. I would like to stay away from buying a pre-amp if possible. 

 

I have read the Heresy line of speakers are known for lacking in bass but I am not one who wants so much bass it rattles items in the room. I have a feeling the bass will be sufficient for my taste but I could always add a sub down the road if I'm wrong or my tastes change. 

 

Anyone have any experience with the Peachtree Decco65 or Nova65SE? I don't think this is a full tube amp but do not know enough about tube buffer technology and if these amps would even be called a true tube amp like the other vintage tube amps I've been looking at. 

 

I have found the Scott 299 is a popular choice and have been on the lookout for one. 

 

I also took a look at NOS Valves and it looks like he has sold most of the amps he has in stock. Should I send him a message to get an up to date inventory? 

 

Thanks again for the replies. 

 

I have Heresy III's and am driving them with an Inspire amp and preamp. Bass is a good as it gets w/o a sub and I don't need or want one. Dennis Had, the retired founder and CEO of Cary Audio, builds these as a 'hobby' and sells them on the auction site. They are single ended pentodes and a great match for the Heresy...or any Klipsch Heritage speaker. Google Inspire amplifier. No affiliation, just a very satisfied owner.

[wax waves]

The Scott 299c would be an excellent match for Heresy. Even better would be a nice McIntosh MC225 IMHO. I think that the sound of 7591 power tube lends itself well to the Heresy. I have had a really good experience with a Terry DeWick updated MC225, C20 preamp and Heresy. Truly wonderful sound to my ears.