NOSValves Posted February 28, 2003 Share Posted February 28, 2003 This stuff really looks interesting. I have just finished my first of 2 Stereo 70s using Curcio Audio's front end board. I'm still letting it settle in and getting accustom to the sound. I have a few steps to take till I can say what I like and don't like and so on. I may have to later this summer try Welbourne labs solution for kicks although a little on the pricey side it sure looks to be well thought out. http://www.welbornelabs.com/modsandmodules.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted February 28, 2003 Share Posted February 28, 2003 These arent new really (a few of the PS boards are under a year old I believe and he finally got it all on one page it seems). I think I posted a link to these ST-70 and other external boards last year several times. All the Welborne kits stuff is very well made, probably some of the finest online. That Alan Kimmel version of the ST-70 mod is another option. I posted links with pics to that last year as well but you were totally into the Scott stuff at the time. The Kimmel mod is a more radical departure than something like the Triode Board mod ans uses a constant current source approach with all triode front end. IT sure is nice to ditch the exposed circuit board on top. I suggested a version of this last year to others. http://www.welbornelabs.com/images/st70photo.gif kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted February 28, 2003 Author Share Posted February 28, 2003 When my money situation gets a lttle better. I may just give this option a whirl and compare it to the Curcio Audio board I have in there now. It sounds pretty good but I have a few things to play with another forum member is sending me some Jenson Alluminum paper in Oils to try in it. He gave me what I thought was a incredible deal at $30 shipping for them ! I couldn't resist I should order the other 2 values to and just may do that if these sound nice in there. I have a suspision the Jan Philips 6922 that were supplied with the kit are holding the entire amp up. Do you or anyone else have a opinion on these tubes ?? I also haven't strapped it in triode yet and expect this will imporve the sound greatly although it sounds pretty darn good so far until pushed then it seems to loose its sweetness and detail to some extent. I really haven't done much treaking with it yet just knid of getting used to the sound with a different preamp and all. I know one thing that Mark Deneen told me he said that there was no way it was going to have the dynamics of the Mark III and he was dead on there the Mark III didn't care if the volume was 85db or 110db they were very smooth, Open and detailed with awesome dynamics for hard hitting Rock while still playing any other gender of music real well throughout there useable range. Man I miss those amps !! I'm going to have to buy a pair for myself sooner or later. Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted March 1, 2003 Share Posted March 1, 2003 There's nothing really wrong with the Philips 6922. I ran them in one of my Anthem preamps, and I thought they sounded pretty good. The Amperex white labels were slightly warmer -- but nothing to get all worked up over. I'm starting to think we need to get over this triode fixation. I've been burning in the Quicksilvers, and they sound dynamite. The EL-34 is a little lean on the bass side of things, but the freaking midrange and huge soundstage are all enveloping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted March 1, 2003 Author Share Posted March 1, 2003 But have you tried them in Triode yet ? There can always be improvements ! You just never know until you try my friend. With such a easy mod that is entirely reversable I just can not see any reason not to at least try it ! Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted March 1, 2003 Share Posted March 1, 2003 Man, that's not what I wanted to hear you say. I wanted you to say, "yeah dude, ultralinear's the bomb". I'm a little nervous to change anything right this minute. I need to get some hours on the new boards in the RF-7's. Thank God I didn't muck 'em up -- it sounds really good. Leo was right about the noise floor going down, and the treble goes on forever. No amount of equipment changes could have given me the boost in performance that yanking those mylar caps gave me. I used to talk in terms of less grain -- now there is none. OTOH, Bob Gassel was right too. He warned me that they might end up too forward in presentation, and even though I managed to keep the signature intact for the most part -- it does sound a little more forward. It seems the bottom has dropped back somewhat. It's tough to sort out, because I remember my AE-25 sounding very similiar to this when I pulled the KT-88's and put the Siemens EL-34's in. One thing that is bothering me though, is that they sound a little 'spitty' when I get up to 100db. Of course, that is pretty darn loud, and I only do something like that once in a blue moon. I did go down to just two binding posts per speaker -- and got rid of the biwire option. I soldered both the woofer and tweeter wires directly to the posts. I'm hoping that in a week or two things will settle down. I'm just going to wait and see. Something I don't understand about these amps is they are rated at the same power output into any impedance. I don't get that. The manual says, "60 watts into 4 or 8 ohms", and then, "peak current -- 100 watts (8 ohm tap, 4 ohm load). Of course, that's confusing, because the amps have 4 ohm taps for the speaker cables, and why would someone hook up 4 ohm speakers to the 8 ohm taps? Man, I sound like a rambling fool. At any rate, what I was thinking was that if I stay with ultralinear, the amp will stay in Class A longer, right? I don't remember what you ended up thinking when you dropped those Dynacos into triode. How would you describe the difference you heard? I've been staring hard at the chassis in Kelly's post. My brother-in-law is a sheet metal worker, and there is a place here in Dayton that does chroming and such. I'm going to do some legwork on this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted March 2, 2003 Author Share Posted March 2, 2003 Dean, How the heck did you change your name without losing your post numbers ?? Ultraliniar may very well be the way for you !! I'm just saying its a simple mod and something you should try sometime !! You just never know until YOU try ! Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted March 2, 2003 Share Posted March 2, 2003 Craig, you should look into changing your name to "NOSValves" if you can. Wouldnt be that big a switch and would make sense. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted March 2, 2003 Share Posted March 2, 2003 I actually saw that Ryan had changed his, and it looked like fun to try it. Just click on 'my profile', then click on 'my profile' again when you get the new screen. There will be two 'my prolfile' buttons on the page, click on the one that's towards the middle of the screen. It's the same page where you make your avatar changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted March 2, 2003 Author Share Posted March 2, 2003 The reason for the name change by a certain new member is what I find funny !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted March 2, 2003 Author Share Posted March 2, 2003 Boy that was easy !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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