Scott LK-48 Tube Integrated; NOS Valves Full mod

[Audio Flynn]

This is a totally biased review. Short and overdue version. Since i cannot type in the same room I listen to.

Like all reviews are but rarely clearly stated.

Origoanlly acqired in 2-03; refurbed by Craig in July.

It was a nice amp in the beginning. Smooth top end good mate to the ChorusII. Very authentic instrumentl sound in all but the low end.

My speakers cannot be in the corners due to the furniture configuration.

They are toed in about 5-10 degrees on the 14 foot wall about 7 feet apart. Depth of room is 22 feet.

Even without being toed in much the center soundstage is quite full. Even more since the mod.

And now a taller soundstage. Annie Lennox seems about 7 feet tall like she is on a 2 foot elevated stage in a small club.

Bass after the mod was just like it was a different am p for the better.

Reviews always complain bass can be undefined, sluggish or soft on the low end.

Not here!

After 200 hours and 30 hours of critical listening I found a neat CD for auditions.

Yes Live from San Luis Opisbo. It is from the late 90s reunion tuor with Rick Wakeman on keyboards.

There are some very low synthesiser notes in the mid 30HZ range that make it sound like a subwoofer is in play.

No sub in the 2 channel room.

CDs sound much better since the NOS Valves mod. No harsh edge at all.

Phono just gets better.

Larry Carlton "Friends" was on the TT last night. Another $ 1.00 thrift shop mint find.

This is a tight LA Jazz LP that was made by a group of obsessive comulsive people.

Jeff Pocarro drums are firm, meaty and clearly defined; but not overwhelming.

---------------------------

This amp is just a real treat to come home to listen to every night.

How could I have listened to SS for so many years after growing up with tube HIFI as a boy in the 60s and early 70s?

Craig should chime in on what was encompassed in the mod, tube complement and so forth.

[Colin]

interesting review, thanks, what are the specs on that amp- I am not familiar with it...

[Audio Flynn]

LK-48 Integrated

48-watt

Stereo Amplifier Kit

20-wpc (RMS) 1961-1963 $125 (kit)

$190 (wired)

See "Editor's Picks"

Second ScottKit

Integrated Amp

very similar to 299B design

Early units featured unique-to-kits, dark brown faceplates

11 tubes:

(4) 12AX7

(2)6U8/6GH8

(Split-load phase inverter)

(4) 7189

(1)5AR4/GZ34

[Audio Flynn]

This is from the vintage Scott site.

It is a Kit from Scott.

The LC-21 would be a kit preamp.

The LK-48 is a bit stripped down it has less bells and whistles on the various types of phono EQ form the 50s.

Simple but potent.

I likenit to a Corvette with a 3 speed manual, V-8 350, no power sterring no power brakes...just AM/FM radio.

And the wind in your hair!

[hurdy_gurdyman]

I have a LK-48-B and completely concur. These are WONDERFUL amps! And bass? These have better bass then any vintage tube amp I've ever heard, and I've owned and heard a lot of 'em. I'm keeping mine!

BTW, they mate perfectly with my '73 Heresys.

Dave

[Audio Flynn]

HURDY,

Nice to have a knowledgeable newbie chime in. There are allot of old timers here. I started on Hereseys in 1977.

If you like the bass in the Heresey; the 15 inchers gets really nice.

You have full range LS-12 speakers?

An experiment I have considered but have not have the time to pusue.

[hurdy_gurdyman]

Yes, I have EV LS-12 fullrangers in open baffles. They have a charm of thier own. To compare with my Heresys, the Heresys are like sitting front row while the EV's are like like mid-hall. Very sweet and non-fatiguing. I use them with transformer coulped modifyed piezos and open backed subs. Same subs work fantastic with the Heresys. I keep switching back and forth between them, using the Heresys for a few days then the EV's. Love 'em both. Glad I don't have to pick one over the other.

Dave

[NOSValves]

Ryan,

Send me all the 299's you can get your hands on

The LK-48, LK-48B , 222C and 222D all use the same basic output Iron as a 299B and are basically capable of making same sweet sounds as a 299 A/B.

Craig

[Audio Flynn]

Craig;

Thanks again,

Rick

[Audio Flynn]

Something about this amp with its new life really likes my MSB Link II DAC.

I felt like listening to old singer songwriters tonight.

Jim Croce

James Taylor

Everly Brothers

The Band

THe first 3 CDs were from the mid 80s; and they sound better than you could expect.

Vocals were not always mastered the best but the guitars and drums had weight and realism.

I am going to shelve the "musical" descriptive term for a while.

The Jim Croce definitely has "groove".

Groove: sound that makes you move back and forth so there ends up being a depression in the couch cushion

[Guy Landau]

You can now further improve your system and replace it with Craig's eico/ST70 combo that are listed for sale.

[mark1101]

Guys,

Yesterday I received my 222 back from Craig after the full rebuild job. That little amp is absolutely marvelous. It easily out details my 299, which in fact I just sent to Craig this morning for the same Auri-cap job. Ryan, I think you mentioned it would out-duel the 299 some time ago. Well, it does.

Granted, it doesn't have the same balls, but almost. I don't mean to knock the 299s by the way. The 222 lacks some of the controls we all like. But as a basic power amp, it's wonderful.

I have the 222 driving the corns. Like I told Craig, I can't wait for the weekend to relax, grill, BEER, and really let it bleed. Been working too hard.

I am totally satisfied with Craig's pretty work, and knowledge of how to get it right. Worth every penny.

I can't wait for the 299 to get back for the LaScalas.

I imagine if those kits are done right, they would awesome as well.

Enjoy.

[NOSValves]

I was pretty amazed at just how great that little EL84 basic amp sounded. Its a self Biasing no matinence amp that just sounds wonderfull. I do believe however when the 299 arrives back with you after those Illinois capacitors are out of the signal path and the rest of the circuit is fine tuned it will dethrown the 222 in every respect but not by a large margin. Bargin parts like Illinois capacitors give you every bit of your money's worth !

Craig

[dodger]

Greetings:

A side note. As I rated GaryMD's system within the top six (6) I have heard, I have also heard another Cornwall system with amplifiers desigened and built by a long standing close friend.

That system threw out one of the top six (6) systems. I wish I could get a set of those amplifers, nothing personal Craig. I like owning a lot of equipment. It's my retirement.

BUT, the similarity is that both systems were Cornwalls NOT in corners. That makes me re-think the positioning of my own Cornwall IIs.

I have always been a "speaker in the corner" person. Toe-in, definite sweet spot. Both that I have heard had a larger sweet spot, excellent bass definition, great sound staging and to sum it up, great to listen to.

Both using lower power amplifiers than my McIntosh 60s.

Never too old to learn a different trick but also understanding the corner placement.

Win dodger

[mark1101]

Craig,

Sounds good to me. If the 299 will end up better than that little 222, I'll be an even happier guy. It will be quite a house having these combinations. I won't know which room to sit down in.

On the "corner" comment with cornwalls. I have had corns for many years. Consequently, they have been played in a few different houses and different type of rooms. I was always a corner guy years ago. Definitely sound good in corners with a toed in sweetspot.

But I learned for my best sound experience with corns in the places I've had them has been playing the wide side of a rectangular room as the sound stage with the speakers on the long wall out of the corners. So you can walk "outside" the speakers and hear all the way around the extremities of the horns. I toe in to approximately the width of the sofa. The wide stage lets the base envelop the room. I usually set one speaker and move the other either closer or further away until the image is there.

I was telling Craig that I found this pair of Heresys I picked up image better than the corns. Maybe no secret. I haven't had Heresys in a long time, and the corns are pretty old. But the configuration I mention above is what I use, and it sounds better than corner placement to me.

I know it's a pain to change the wiring all around, but you may want to give it a try. It's detailed with diagrams on the Wilsonaudio.com under technotes / room acoustics.

[mobile homeless]

To show you different beliefs, the only Scott I have heard at great length IS the 222C. I thought the EICO HF-81 has a more open sound, was more transparent, quicker, and overall more musical. A few others agree, but this is just opinion. I no longer even waste time with these "blows it away" type of comments as I think it shows something. I see that phrase in here from time to time and all it does is bring a pain. These amps generally dont BLOW THE OTHERS AWAY. While I prefered the EICO to the Scott 222C, others might think the Scott can go louder or is more suitable in their conditions. Regardless, these Scott 222 is better than 299 is better than EICO is better than Dynaco threads have become more a misrepresentation of the subtle differences and different characteristics than anything.

Music selection, system setup, speakers, experience and what one is looking for plays such a huge roll here. Using a phrase like "blows it away" doesnt serve much.

A few months back in the vintage forum in Audio Asylum, someone asked "what is the best EL-84 amp they had heard" and a load of people responded. The results were interesting. One thing for sure, I love the EL-84 and its derivatives as an output tube.

kh

[NOSValves]

Ryan,

This topic may get heated but I too also think the 222 betters the HF81 in every respect but I think the 299's do also. I was rebuilding a HF81 at the same time I did this 222 and did side by side comparisons. As far as the 222 staying in class A longer I seriously don't think that is a across the board correct the Plate voltage is almost Identical to the original 299 A first or second addition and also not all that far off from the 299B early versions unless they have it biased hot which wouldn't surprise me it runs hot I never figured what it biased at with the stock value cathode resistors I just replaced them . The only amps that really cooks the voltages are the 222C, 222D and the later model 299B which happen to use the same Iron of the 222C/D. The early version 299B used almost Indentical Iron to the 299A second addition. Its really strange that Scott never release any schematics of all the different versions of there amps. The 299C is absolutely nuts with what 6 different versions you figured !

This 222 had to come back for the silliest thing that never popped up here ! The darn light would occasionally go crazy and this would bleed thru the output of the amp as a zzit zzzzzit sound ! Crazy I've seen a few lights do the wink thing with no effect to the sound but this one was possessed. In fact when it came back I played it for 4 hours without a problem I had to force to do it by turning it on and off real quick (I know not good but what do you do ?) I would guess his wall voltage must be a good margin higher then mine. Why else would it go spastic there and not here?

I just scored a 222B what do you think of them ? Although I still haven't had time to do my 272 so who knows when I'll get time for the 222B!! The 272 currently sounds like a POS I'm going to have to do Cans and all on that one for sure.

Craig

[NOSValves]

Kelly,

I can respect your accessment here but I still say you have never heard a really well rebuilt Scott ! They really can sound absolutely horible if everything isn't just right. They are not like a HF81 they deterate in sound quality horribly after sitting for years unused.

Craig

[mobile homeless]

It's amazing how totally different one's take can be. OF course, both of you like American Muscle iron and I prefer British, German, and Italian, although I have had some American cars I enjoyed.

Taste and perspective is an interesting thing.

kh

ps- Just saw your last post, Craig. The 222c had been totally rebuilt by my guitar amp maker buddy. He probably had about the same level of caps/resistors that Ryan uses but it was a very competent rebuild (IOW, no oils etc). He loves Scotts too and this was his main amp besides his EL-34 options.

But like I said above, there are different tastes, uses, and needs from this gear.

[NOSValves]

Kelly,

I still think your into that SET sound and I'm not. The brief incounters I have had with SET remind me very much of the HF81 to some it may be a type of sound they love. I find it very lose around the edges and lacking true dynamics. You call this musical I don't no big deal !

I have a customer and his friend say it like this after listening to a excellant in fact the very best HF81 I had ever heard for months and then sliding a 299B into the realm they said the sound just came to life and the HF81 sounded dull by comparison. Before the 299B came into the fray he thought nothing could topple the HF81.

Craig