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When Hobby turns to Business and Xmas Break


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This is just the beginning.... I've made the decision as to the direction for NOS Valves for the next 25 years. I'll just say supplies of good condition vintage have been dwindleling while at the same time costs have been steadily rising with no end in sight except insanity..........

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In fact this customer is the second one to jump on early at a discount to help me launch this new product. Thanks god for great customers!!

Raw Proto typing plate

Craig, you're up to no good. [;)]

I was expecting two quads of KT-88's for something in the neighborhood of 120 wpc.

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In fact this customer is the second one to jump on early at a discount to help me launch this new product. Thanks god for great customers!!

Raw Proto typing plate

Craig, you're up to no good. [;)]

I was expecting two quads of KT-88's for something in the neighborhood of 120 wpc.

Actually I'm doing something like that for Steve (Smilin) in the spring. I have no use at all for that much power myself. I rarely stretch the wings on VRD's past 10 to 20 watts. High power is not about using all of it, its about the window of sweet clean wonderful tone within those first 20 watts you normally use that matters. You know I see this misconception being spread as of late the lower powered amps have the lowest distortion in the mV output region and that is not always the case in fact rarely when you talking well designed higher powered amplifiers. PP or any high powered tube amps the distortion drops as the output used is lowered the same as lower powered tube amps. The thing about higher powered amps is the useable low distortion sweet sound window is much larger! So if you want to jam you can without tearing your system apart to do so.

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Actually I'm doing something like that for Steve (Smilin) in the spring. I have no use at all for that much power myself. I rarely stretch the wings on VRD's past 10 to 20 watts. High power is not about using all of it, its about the window of sweet clean wonderful tone within those first 20 watts you normally use that matters. You know I see this misconception being spread as of late the lower powered amps have the lowest distortion in the mV otuput region and that is not always the case in fact rarely when you talking well designed higher powered amplifiers. PP or any high powered tube amps the distortion drops as the output used is lower the same as lower powered tube amps. The thing about higher powered amps is the useable low distortion sweet sound window is much larger! So if you want to jam you can without tearing your system apart to do so.

I keep waiting for those. [H]

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plate2.JPG

Let's see...

4 front mounted mini-sockets (typically 2x12AX7/AU7 driver/splitter combo?) each pair on it's own copper-backed plate mount (4 corner mounting holes instead of socket clamps)

Central top-side attenuator in between...

6 octals very likely 4x EL34 or KT88s (in pushpull pairs of course) on each side with top-plate bias measurement point and adjustment pots

Hmm 2 left in the middle... maybe DUAL 5U4G/GZ37 (extra one for DC heaters?) or perhaps the extra is for a push-through top-side mount of a showcase filter cap ? like a 47+47 Black-Gate Muse?(looks too small though) Maybe BOTH for caps and we've gone to silicon rectifcation underneath?

Back corner mounting with 2 sided grommet pass-throughs of the output iron definately indicates Ei. I count 0,4, and 8 ohm taps on each back-end plate (with RCA) so maybe some big Hammonds or perhaps even a pair of Magnaquest (not Tamuras or other centrally pinned Japanese tranny and definately not toroidal Piltrons or OTL or anything else too wierd)

EIC and fuseholder in back right...

The extra cuts for the power transformer (and 4 extra 1/8" holes) has me going a bit though,..

Maybe one of them counter-sunk Fender types with both primary and secondaries fitted on one side? (or perhaps one of those huge 500-0-500 Harmon Kardon trannies you "ended up with" somewhere ?) Bottom side mounting for chokes... perhaps the extra holes????????

But then again I guess it COULD be 4 stage single-ended...

[:D]

WopOnTour

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So it's a PP class-AB ultra-linear mode stereo power amp between 20 - 45 WPC with quad KT88/6550s or EL34s or maybe even 6L6/5881s with bias adjustments, 9-pin 12AU7/12AX7/12AT7 driver/preamp tubes, dual 5AR4/5U4G rectifiers, beefy, good ol' fashion iron, and absolutely, positively NO Chinese parts (that's a given)! Can't wait to see the finished product...of course, owning one would be way better![Y]

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Let me see. My guess:

Integrated Craig Ostby Dynaco based amp. Portable, tube based, the fisherman's friend. In other words:

The iCod.

[;)]

Max,

Every time someone refers to my amps as Dynaco's I grit my teeth. If two amps both having an option to be run in Ultra linear makes them Dynaco's then I would say they're must be something in the neighborhood of 3000 different Dyna clones available on the market today. My amps could easily be described and would actually be more accurately called. Marantz, EICO, Fisher, Scott, Pilot, Stromberg Carlson and Dyna clones. The output section having an Ultra Linear option and two other very small items are the only thing my amps have in common with the Dynaco amps everything else is completely different even the Transformers to some degree and by design. I can pick some small things from just about every vintage audio company that are similar with the VRD amplifier. The one thing it does not share with these vintage counterparts is a modern strong and stable power supply. Now if I could just find a 100% reliable current production rectifier tube!!

Craig

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Some great well thought out speculation and some are very close but no one has got it all right yet. Some more picture will be posted soon so most of the mystery will come to an end. This amplifier will be the ultimate for customizing for the customers wants and needs will be my last hints. Looks like the maiden fire up will be just about on time at the stroke of 2007!! I'm off to do some wiring now!!

Craig

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Let me see. My guess:

Integrated Craig Ostby Dynaco based amp. Portable, tube based, the fisherman's friend. In other words:

The iCod.

[;)]

Max,

Every time someone refers to my amps as Dynaco's I grit my teeth. If two amps both having an option to be run in Ultra linear makes then Dynaco's then I would say they're must be something in the neiborhood of 3000 different Dynaclones available on the market today. My amps could easily be described and would actually be more accurately called. Marantz, EICO, Fisher, Scott, Pilot, Stromberg Carlson and Dyna clones. The output section having a Ultra Linear option and two other very small items are the only thing my amps have in common with the Dynaco amps everything else is completely different even the Transformer to some degree and by design. I can pick some small things from just about every vintage audio company that are sinilar with the VRD amplifier. The one thing it does not share with these vintage counterparts is a mordern strong and stable power supply. Now if I could just find a 100% reliable current production rectifier tube!!

Craig

Probably true Craig - I just needed a "D" for the iCod.

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Let me see. My guess:

Integrated Craig Ostby Dynaco based amp. Portable, tube based, the fisherman's friend. In other words:

The iCod.

[;)]

Max,

Every time someone refers to my amps as Dynaco's I grit my teeth. If two amps both having an option to be run in Ultra linear makes then Dynaco's then I would say they're must be something in the neighborhood of 3000 different Dynaclones available on the market today. My amps could easily be described and would actually be more accurately called. Marantz, EICO, Fisher, Scott, Pilot, Stromberg Carlson and Dyna clones. The output section having a Ultra Linear option and two other very small items are the only thing my amps have in common with the Dynaco amps everything else is completely different even the Transformer to some degree and by design. I can pick some small things from just about every vintage audio company that are sinilar with the VRD amplifier. The one thing it does not share with these vintage counterparts is a mordern strong and stable power supply. Now if I could just find a 100% reliable current production rectifier tube!!

Craig

Probably true Craig - I just needed a "D" for the iCod.

Max,

We are cool as always!! Not sure if I have ever stated this publicly but you happen to be one of my favorite Klipsch forum posters. I have immense respect for you on all things audio and life in general.

I was just using your post as a way to get something off my chest!! and I seen a great opening to do so..

Happy New year Max!! By the way how far ahead or behind EST are you in Greece?

Craig

PS can you tell I haven't yet consumed my pot of coffee and completely forgot to hit the spell check button Grrrrrrrr

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