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Top Ten Amps of all time


Colin

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The QUAD II-forties are insanely priced. I bought the three pieces used on Audiogon for $2200. They sound great, but the retail pricing is way over the top. Also, many of these amps sold in the U.S. have trouble with anything over 117v at the receptacle. Mine have flamed up so many times I probably couldn't get my money back out of them. So, I've become an expert at soldering in new bias resistors, electrocuting myself from time to time, and remaining content with the excellent sound they produce -- which really does help me put up with their bullsh!t.

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What? You've got to be kidding! Is it true then, that these beauties are also made in China? Someone told me that, but I thought that only applied to the Quad 11l and 12l loudspeakers! Not good Dean. Especially if someone did pay top dollar retail wise - which you didn't. But at least as you say, the sound quality is there - it would be disapointing if it wasn't. 6.gif

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Well, I didn't pay retail, like I said -- I paid $2200 for the two monoblocks and QC-24 preamp. For those that did pay retail early on, I'm sure they experienced the same problems I did. QUAD did remedy the problem in later runs, but I guess I didn't get those. I do have the mod kit on order from QS&D that will fix this, but I've been waiting over two months. I also ordered replacement terminal boards and have the schematic. One of my down the road projects is to rebuild the boards with my own parts and wiring. These amps are worth the trouble.

Yes, they are "made in China", but all of the parts are sourced from QUAD and sent over. The parts count is surprisingly low for a push-pull amp, and I've actually seen some SET amps that have more parts than these QUADs. Oops, I shouldn't have said that.9.gif

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Craig, I actually think the resistor came off because of the heat. I mean, each time this has happened, enough heat is generated that the resistor melts off the terminal. Seriously though, I don't want to exaggerate the problem. It has only happened three times:

1) One amp when I first got them. I ordered some Kimami 5 watters from Percy because QS&D didn't have any 6 watters on hand (try finding a 6 watt resistor). However, some reading revealed that the wattage rating doesn't tell you everything about a resistor, since they also have a voltage rating which isn't much talked about. Though the Kiwamis are only rated at 5 watts, they are high voltage resistors specifically designed for tube gear. Once I soldered those into the amp, I haven't had a problem with it.

2) I didn't do the second amp, and a month later it went up in smoke. I put the Kiwamis I had ordered into that one, and it's been doing fine until last week.

3) Last week the second amp went up again. I had the 6 watters that QS&D finally got around to sending me -- and I put those in. I need to put the other set into the other amp, or it's just a matter of time before it goes up again too. Now, the 6 watters that QS&D sent me are not the same 6 watters the amp originally came with. Definitely different resistor types.

The thing that really bums me out is that there was so much heat generated from one of the flame ups, that one terminal board really got scorched. I repaired it with epoxy. I can't decide if it looks better or worse. :)

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I am quite surprised that Art Dudleys lists of list in the September issue of venerable Stereophile magazine did NOT include the classic Dynaco ST70 integrated EL34 tube amplifier. Over 300,000 units of this hefty 35 IHF-watts per channel stereo amplifier sold from 1958 to 1977. Today, the ST70 is remains a popular model among tube enthusiasts and a benchmark of quality performance. Its EL34 define the pentode sound. This summer, the original and modified versions of this perennial classic are selling on eBay between $275 and $375.

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I never considered a Phase Linear 400 (I had one once!) to be a 10 best amp. It was the cheapest 200 Watts per at the time, I think. I traded my Phase stack for a Crown stack in the late 70's.

Neither of which would be on my list of 10 best but had to say "been there - done that".

DM2.gif

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On 8/23/2004 2:40:15 PM D-MAN wrote:

I never considered a Phase Linear 400 (I had one once!) to be a 10 best amp. It was the cheapest 200 Watts per at the time, I think. I traded my Phase stack for a Crown stack in the late 70's.

Neither of which would be on my list of 10 best but had to say "been there - done that".

DM
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Been there with both, done that with both........AND I VERY MUCH AGREE!

tc

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