No Disc Posted September 20, 2002 Share Posted September 20, 2002 Thanks to Edster, Mobile and others for the pre-amp suggestions. Amazing that it all came together in one week. New in the house: - Wright 2A3 Monoblocks (NOS RCA blackplate 2A3) - AES AE-3 DJH NOS RCA 5692 - '85 Klipsch Cornwalls - Walnut First test of the Wright AMPs showed that the 2A3 tubes were not working correctly, after some trial and error determined the tubes like being inserted a certain way even though the four pins are indentical. Initial impressions are a larger and deeper soundstage over the Eico. More pics and impressions to follow. - tb ------------------ tb ------------------ Two Channel Phono Future - Music Hall MMF-7 or Aries Scout CD Player Rega Planet Preamp Cary / AES AE-3 DJH Amplifier Wright Audio 2A3 Monoblocks Alternate Vintage EICO HF-81 Speakers Klipsch '85 Cornwall Links home.attbi.com/~tbabb/eico.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted September 20, 2002 Share Posted September 20, 2002 I hope you don't light the fire place up with those beauties sitting there Real nice looking setup Tims !! So what I want to hear is was the expense proportionate to the sound quality gain over your HF-81 of coarse have you had the Cornwall's hooked up to the HF-81 long enough to get used to its sound ? Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted September 20, 2002 Share Posted September 20, 2002 Just got back into town.... BE VERY CAREFUL with the Wrights as the ceramic tube sockets do NOT block tubes from being inserted the wrong way. Glad it has come together. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Disc Posted September 20, 2002 Author Share Posted September 20, 2002 NOS - Thats a good question. I took the Eico out of there for the picture, but will be doing more comparision testing to determine the sonic benifits. BTW: I don't use that fireplace, it's one of two in the house. The benifits of course are only there if you can hear them. Thats why I'm going to need to sit down and have a good set of listening sessions with this setup. Your right, I have not had the Cornwalls long enough to make good enough a distinction, so I'll have to move back to the kg4s and make some comparisons there too. Mobile - Now you tell me! Maybe I'm dim, but I didn't see any way to determine which is the correct way to insert the 2A3s Other than trial an error. Educate me please. - tb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted September 20, 2002 Share Posted September 20, 2002 Search for a pinout on a 2A3 tube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted September 20, 2002 Share Posted September 20, 2002 The soundstage is one thing.... what you should also hear is an amazing increase in air around the instruments along with a more transparent, open sound, even compared to the EICO. It should sound less strident, more liquid, more relaxed, with an increase in resolution. I admit, a good EICO gets a lot of this in a system setup very well. Which brings me to your speaker placement. You might want to aim them at your ears and sit a bit farther back from the center line. I really find near-field listening to not be what that Cornwalls demand as you need a bit of distance to let the sound integrate. Good tubes with the Wrights bring an amazing sense of delicacy with quality recordings. It is a much more organic sound than PP, even triode wired push pull. As for the tubes, if you look at the arrangement of the holes and match them up to the bottom of the pins, you can see the shape correctly and figure out how it is aligned. There is a pin out and on the RCA, two of the pins are actually a bit larger(just a hair). You can see the pattern in the socket. Most sockets will not allow you to insert them incorrectly but those do. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Disc Posted September 20, 2002 Author Share Posted September 20, 2002 Mike / Mobile - Now that you mention it, the 2A3s did feel different going in, sometimes more difficult, other times nice and easy. Thanks for the clarification on the pinouts. I'm glad I didn't damage the Wrights. I was hoping you would suggest some speaker placement ideas. I'll give those a try and see how it sounds. Back to listening.... - tb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted September 21, 2002 Share Posted September 21, 2002 You need to get a backup set of Sovtek 2A3 to compare. Also, the Gray Plate RCA 2A3 are not supposed to be up to the same sonic level as the Black Plates, although if in great shape, should sound good. Still, the RCA might be slightly soft sounding if old. Any other differences besides the soundstage? kh This message has been edited by mobile homeless on 09-21-2002 at 01:10 AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted September 21, 2002 Share Posted September 21, 2002 Just realized you didnt get Edster's AE-1. What 6SN7s are in the AE-3? Also, what is the rectifier? I was really surprised you got the AE-3 DJH; that must have cost some ducats, even used. Big changes come with rolling the 6SN7s in the Wrights and the AE-3 (ditto with the rectifiers). EDIT: I just now saw your new signature. OK. As I remember, I thought the picture showed RCA Gray plates in those Wrights. Are they really Black Plates? Man, what version are the RCA 5692? Take a pic of the tubes. Get a Mullard 6CA4. Man, you sure got it all in one fell swoop!!! kh This message has been edited by mobile homeless on 09-21-2002 at 04:31 AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted September 21, 2002 Share Posted September 21, 2002 I do believe he is running the RCA Redbase in that AE-3. Did you know RCA made all the CBS/Hytron, GE, and Sylvania Brownbase 5692's. They are identical to the Redbase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Disc Posted September 21, 2002 Author Share Posted September 21, 2002 Mobile, Edster told me there was a problem with balance with his AE-1 and he didn't want to sell it to me that way. Lucky for me I found the AES AE-3 on ebay. Here are the pics you requested taken with my new Nikon Digital Camera... Writing on the Rectifier lists National - Made In Holland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted September 21, 2002 Share Posted September 21, 2002 Great camera, those are fantastic pictures. Man, those are clean! Think I'll save those, since I run the same preamp. It's a great unit, it really is. I just bought a pair of NOS 5692 CBS Brownbase for $90 as bench-stock. Right now I'm running some 1950's NOS Sylvania 6SN7WGT Chrometops. A lovely sound. Another channel imbalance problem with an Edster AES unit. The AE-3 Ed sold me had the same problem, and I changed out the Noble pot with a new one, which helped a little. I ended up doing two other things that made the problem go away completely. 1) I checked each KT-88 individually in my SuperAmp, and found a weak tube. Not bad, but weak compared to the others. 2) I removed the SVS sub out of the corner behind the right RF7 (I believe the close proximity to the RF7 was attenuating it's output). The combination of all the above were contributing factors to the problem. This message has been edited by deang on 09-21-2002 at 05:23 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted September 21, 2002 Share Posted September 21, 2002 First of all, let me say right off the bat what an excellent job you did with the pictures, both camera quality and your editing via PSP or Photoshop. Nice work, Tim. I almost got a Nikon digital but opted for the Olympus which is also an excellent camera (and I got it for a steal). Again, nice work with the preamp and amp. Those are excellent 5692. I had some black dot red base 5692 that were super select, hand picked by Dennis Had back in 1989 before they were so hard to find. I have to tell you, they were extraordinary tubes, that lasted over 10 years, this being left on ALL the time as well. A good 5692 sounds so damn organic with atmosphere galore. They probably have some of the best soundstaging around. Dean, you got some good stuff too, as you knew I would say. Pay attention to that 6SN7 version, with the 60s coming in high. Very clean tube with a touch of the 5692 sound. I have virtually given up giving tube recs online, but will do email. I was watching tubes disappear right and left. Tim, usually National tubes are rebranded tubes from all over with Russia coming in a lot along with others. I have seen crappy Russian with National, then again, they could be from Holland, which would obviously not be a bad thing, except I think this was stock and probably from the 80s. When you can, float a Mullard 6CA4 off ebay when you get the chance; I would if I were you. It appears those RCA are Black Plates but not the VT-95 CRC version that are a bit more robust. Still, the black plates are VERY nice. I would go ahead and pick up some Sovtek as I said before. These are great workhorse tubes. The Wright amps going into A2 bias scheme to get more power out of inefficient speakers. This is a bit controversial but if using those CW, and not driving them too hard, it shouldnt be a problem. My buddy just ordered a pair of vintage 2A3 Monoplates and is gushing about them in his Wrights (too bad they are $$$). I am going to hear them in a few weeks so I'll let you know. You must be having some serious fun with all this new stuff. The cable makes some difference at this level, too, despite what others claim. The Sovtek will sound slightly more robust but will not have the delicacy and air of the RCA. kh This message has been edited by mobile homeless on 09-21-2002 at 09:00 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted September 21, 2002 Share Posted September 21, 2002 Tim, That Camera and you take some awesome pictures. You have to love the look of those new peices of yours. I'm sure they also sound awesome ! I bet I know what your doing all weekend Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted September 21, 2002 Share Posted September 21, 2002 Kelly, please enlighten me a little. I don't understand what you meant when you said: Pay attention to that 6SN7 version, with the 60s coming in high Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted September 22, 2002 Share Posted September 22, 2002 I got jacked for a pair of russian bootleg 6CA4 rectifiers off Ebay. Reprinted National 'Made in Holland'. And they look just like yours. Watch out for these! go with Mullard, I just received a good strong used pair. It's subjective, but I think they sound better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edster00 Posted September 22, 2002 Share Posted September 22, 2002 Tim, Nice looking setup and great photos! What Nikon did you get? How about an update on your "first impression" listening weekend...inquiring minds want to know. I am sure your electronics sound sweet with the Cornwalls. BTW, the balance problem I had with the AE-3 was slight in my system. I had been advised that it was the nature of the Cary volume pot which was magnified by the efficiency of the K-horns. The problem I am having with the AE-1 isn't really a balance problem it is an output power problem. One channel has several dB higher output than the other, I'm talking about a 10 dB or more difference. One speaker completely drowns out the other one. Due to my workload at work the past couple of weeks I have not been able to call Kirk @ Cary and ask him what he thinks is going on with it. I had returned the AE-1 to Kirk to replace a broken input selector switch and to go over the AE-1 completely to be sure it was in proper working condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Disc Posted September 22, 2002 Author Share Posted September 22, 2002 deang - That didn't make any sense to me either. Hopefully Kelly will clarify that... Mike - So what did the bootleg rectifiers do or not do? The one in mine seems to work ok, I'll go ahead and get some mullards anyway. Ed - I got the Nikon 5700, real nice digital camera IMHO. Mobile was right on the money with his description of the sound as compared to the EICO. I did several switches back and forth yesterday using the Patricia Barber - Companion "Use Me" track to compare, It was evident after the switch. Vocals were more detailed, relaxed, more air between instruments. The instruments seemed also further back and not as forward. The Eico is surprisingly very good, but it's evident that this is a whole new level of sound. Craig asked if the sound improvement over the EICO is worth the money... As with all audiophile upgrades the return on your money can diminish. I can tell that some CDs I have do not show the difference as much as some better recorded stuff. If the source is good, the Wright / AES combo will reveal much more of the music than the EICO will. If the source is crappy, then it won't matter at all. Generally speaking, if the music is not well recorded, I tend to not listen to it very often. So for me, the money is worth it ... I'm never going to sell the EICO though. - tb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazman Posted September 22, 2002 Share Posted September 22, 2002 tbabb, Congratulations on your new system. It looks great. You've assembled some sweet components along with very nice NOS tubes to boot. Like you, I have no plans to sell my EICO, but the 2A3 SET is another level. Though I have an idea of the expense level required to get where you are, I agree with mh that quality interconnects will further influence and enhance the level of your system. Definitely take a few moments however, to pat yourself on the back. Think about how nice vinyl is going to sound with your system. Enjoy! Klipsch out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Disc Posted September 22, 2002 Author Share Posted September 22, 2002 jazman - Thanks. The next additions to my system will be quality interconnects and speaker cable. Please feel free to make some suggestions as well as what to stay away from. Also planning to add a turntable by end of the year, which depending on funds will probably be a Music Hall MM-7 or perhaps even a VPI Aries Scout. - tb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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