jhawk92 Posted January 22, 2004 Share Posted January 22, 2004 Guess it's been a while since I have been here on the boards, but I've got a good excuse. Well, actually several. Long story short, we (wife and I) quit our jobs in CT, moved to CO, I started working at Lockheed Martin, bought a new house, and had a baby! So, it's been rather busy around the household. I'll get some baby pics posted soon. I'm excited about the new house as it has one and a half perfect corners, so the K-horns are sounding much better than they did in CT. I'll be rigging up something to act as the other half corner and then be in heaven. The 299B/Khorn combo sounds even better. And the HT will have a dedicated spot in the basement. It is unfinished right now, but hopefully this summer I'll be able to do up a dedicated HT room, so that is also very exciting. But the main reason for dropping in was to ask if anyone has any experience with Sophia Electric amps, www.sophiaelectric.com. Certainly the Princess tube seems kinda interesting, but pricey. What really intrigued me is the EL-34 amp. Anybody had a chance to audition this unit? Seems like it would be a pretty sweet sounding system. Any advice would be great. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted January 22, 2004 Share Posted January 22, 2004 Congrats. New house, new job, new baby. So what have you been doing in your spare time? I would like to hear the 299b with Khorns. I can see that being a nice complementary match. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhawk92 Posted January 22, 2004 Author Share Posted January 22, 2004 Spare time...yeah, right. I've been lucky enough to get the Scott/K-horn rig set up, but not yet tweaked. It is amazing what good corners can do for the mid-bass. I don't think I need a sub at all now. Speakers are much tighter and have more presence. I knew what I was missing with them not tight in the corners in CT, but wow, what a difference. I still need to build my Flexy rack at some point so I can get the components off the makeshift cabinet they are on now. And then there is the work required in the HT. Could be spring before I'm really enjoying movies again. The 299B/Khorn sounds great. Anytime you are out in the Denver area, let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyKlipschFan Posted January 22, 2004 Share Posted January 22, 2004 I have heard the Sophia amp with some nice speakers before. I do think like alot of tube amps... It is a fine piece, just make sure you like the lower end too. (sometimes a lack of it) Welcome back to the forum too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted January 22, 2004 Share Posted January 22, 2004 Congratulations on all the news! Just be sure not to make the the "three" rod Flexy rack as I dont think this provides as solid enough support in the long run. The four rod version is much more stable. I considered both and after some experience with the Deluxe Justarack, I opted for the four rod approach. Not sure if that Sophia EL-34 is a better option than some others used that might be a better bet for equal or less money. The "Baby" is inexpensive but I dont know about the EL-34 option. You dont want to move sideways. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhawk92 Posted January 23, 2004 Author Share Posted January 23, 2004 Indy- You bring up a good point. Certainly would want to try it out first. I'm pretty impressed with the Scott low end, but this is a pretty nice looking amp. Maybe I can get the seller to bring it by for a demo. MH- Yep, going with the 4-rod Flexy. Like you, I didn't think the 3-rod was going to be as stable as I'd like, especially with small pink bodies running, er, crawling around someday. Mine is going to be out of walnut plywood, and I'll veneer the edges. Gregorius turned me on to a place in MO that sells different finishes of plywood. I bought enough for four shelves, and the rods are/will be brass with brass washers and nuts. Got the brass hardware at a local (back in CT) metal supply store. Once I put on a poly finish, I think it will look pretty sharp next to the walnut K-horns. This EL-34 is a demo model, very low hours, and the seller is a dealer, so the price includes the warranty. The amp new runs about $1500, and I've been quoted $1150. A bit steep, but who knows. If I could get it for under $1K, I might think about it, but with a new baby, not sure that I can justify that price, especially since I'm still learning with the 299B. Ah, the perils of audio fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted January 23, 2004 Share Posted January 23, 2004 You have some more details and shots of the amp? The site wasnt as specific. Also, where did you get the plywood? kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted January 23, 2004 Share Posted January 23, 2004 This one is on ebay. BIN $750. Rick http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3072429695&category=3280 http://www.sophiaelectric.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted January 23, 2004 Share Posted January 23, 2004 Congrats on the move, the new job, and the bundle of joy! And good luck on your near-tube amp purchase. The Sofias are really nice; I bet they sound as nice as they look. Used to live in East Hartford back in the '70s (folks now live in Vernon-Rockville). Spent 12 weeks in Denver in '81 and traveled from one end of the state to the other...love those Rocky Mountains! What a difference from those rolling hills up in CT, huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhawk92 Posted January 23, 2004 Author Share Posted January 23, 2004 MH- As 3D posted below, that is one of the amps. Actually, I found three on Audiogon. The eBay listing is also there, same seller and description. The listing I am going off of is http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.pl?ampstube&1079410463 and the third amp is at http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.pl?ampstube&1078788756 but has no pics, unfortunately. I'll get you the name/number of the plywood place tonight after work. It is very nice looking stuff and they also have some pretty exotic flavors as well. JT- Yeah, for me, moving back home is great. I missed CO quite a bit, and while the East Coast was nice, I'm happier out here. Not sure what to think about the amp. It's kinda pricey, but maybe I can figure out a way for at least a demo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubai2000 Posted January 23, 2004 Share Posted January 23, 2004 The amp looks very similar to a Unison Research (?) model from Italy. Does Sophia Electric actually produce their own amps or are they just rebranding different designs? Just a question. Wolfram Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhawk92 Posted January 23, 2004 Author Share Posted January 23, 2004 Wolfram- I believe they are producing their own amps, at least that's what I can get from reviewing their website. They are certainly doing lots of tube work; check out the Princess tube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubai2000 Posted January 23, 2004 Share Posted January 23, 2004 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhawk92 Posted January 24, 2004 Author Share Posted January 24, 2004 Kelly- Here is the website for the plywood. http://www.woodnshop.com I also got walnut veneer from them to apply to the edges for a totally finished look. I forget who I spoke with on the phone, but he was very helpful and answered all my questions. Prices seemed to be pretty reasonable, at least on the walnut side, since I didn't research any of the exotics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubai2000 Posted January 24, 2004 Share Posted January 24, 2004 From their website: - With assistance from an overseas firm, we sourced a less expensive chassis with less expensive way to make it. - That explains the visual similarity...of course they wouldn't be that forthcoming about internal 'facts' - though the Unison EL-34 isn't/wasn't a bad sounding amp. Wolfram Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted January 24, 2004 Share Posted January 24, 2004 Thanks for the info on the wood. I agree with Wolfram on the amp. IT's not exactly my first choice either and the details are scanty. I think some better stuff can be found used. That's where I would head. For that money, some good things can be found. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhawk92 Posted January 25, 2004 Author Share Posted January 25, 2004 Wolfram- Ah yes, I didn't catch that in the reading. Guess you may be correct on your earlier post. Certainly the slick website and magazine ads help sell the amp. kh- Happy to help. I was very impressed with all the different types of wood they have there. Certainly reasonable prices too. Heck, maybe I'll become a woodworker... Thanks for your thoughts on the amps in general, and Wolfram's too. Since I am still pretty new on tubes, especially expensive systems, I take your inputs seriously. Used sure seems to be the way to go...just pick something up from someone who likes to move things through their audio rack at a discount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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