musiclover Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 I have the following system: Khorn speakers, McIntosh MX 117 preamp/tuner, Dynaco ST 70 amp. I listen to albums and cds to mostly classic rock and some classical and jazz. I have been reading a lot here that SET amps and the preamps by juicy berry really go good with the Khorns. I have pretty large room. I also use an ADC equalizer. I notice that the Juicy berrys do not have tone control. I do not know anyone close that has SET amp, which I could hear. I do not want to change or upgrade unless I/m pretty sure I will get better sound. The sound is not bad all with what I have. Just like to know if I maybe missing something. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks. David Hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 David, Yeh, the Juicy Music preamps are very good. I've done extensive listening with the Peach and Merlin. Have heard the BlueBerry, too, which has a phono stage, but since I don't spin records, the Peach and Merlin worked well for me. The Peach and Merlin were the first preamps I used without tone controls. I was sort of concerned about this, since I would use the tone controls to compensate for some poorly recorded CD's. What I found out though, the sound of these JM preamps was so complete, I didn't think I was missing anything by not having tone controls. They just sound very good across the frequencies. I used Geo Wright 2A3 SET monoblocks driven by the Peach and thought they sounded very good on Khorns. A couple of thoughts, you have got an excellent system and there could be a number of alternate pieces of gear to use that might sound "different" but not necessarily "better". SET sound does have a richer midrange and it has an almost seductive sound. One thing I noticed though, after listening to SET for a couple of years and then went to Dynaco Mark III's, I thought wow, there is something about the bass dynamics provided by the higher powered amp that was on balance, my favorite. One thought, if your Khorns are 20 years old or older, refreshing the crossover caps would essentially restore them to factory spec. This is not an expensive proposition (my favorite) and can yield astonishingly good results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musiclover Posted June 20, 2007 Author Share Posted June 20, 2007 Thanks for your information. The Juicy music Merlin is only one in my price range, but notice it only has 2 inputs. I have read where the SET amps. do not have lot of bass. Don/t think I could give that up, listening to classic rock. I bought my Khorns used. I think they were made in mid 80's. Where do you purchase the crossover caps? Can the average guy like me change them? Again thanks. David. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Bob Crites, (BEC) on this forum sells the caps for DIY projects or does turn key jobs. If you are comfortable with a little basic soldering, DIY is pretty achievable. You can reach him on e-mail: bobcrites@mac.com I've done business with him on a number of occasion over several years and have been pleased. On the Merlin, if you can live with the two inputs, it is an excellent choice. Compared to the Peach (in basic mode) I couldn't tell any difference in sound. If classic rock is your fave, SET might not be the ticket. They seem to shine best on acoustic blues/jazz and vocals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1101 Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 I agree that the very first thing I would do is upgrade the Khorn crossover caps. This would be a very cost effective upgrade where people usually notice a substantial sound improvement. Your Khorns are around 20 years old or more. You fit into the category of needing new caps in those crossovers. There are also aftermarket crossovers that can yield additional improvements. However, for simplicity and bang for the buck I would go with forum member BEC and his cap upgrade kit. Then......you might want to consider having the Dynaco amps brought back to factory spec. It's my personal opinion that those amps rebuilt by Craig Ostby (NOSValves) will outperform the SET amps out there. This is a heated topic on this forum and so I'll clearly state it is just a personal opinion. Rebuilding those amps would be cost effective and get you close to the sound of new units for less money. The only piece I would consider actually replacing is the preamp if you are interested in Juicy Music products (Blueberry, Merlin, Peach). These units are very cost effective for what they can do. Don't worry about no tone controls. Many here own these units, and some use EQs, some feel no need. They are very well balanced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbuckster Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 You really should try and hear a SET amp before you purchase.......they have their own sound......depends on your choice of music.....The 2 I have heard lacked bottom end, but the Highs and mids were right there..........It's a personal taste issue, I like my NOSvavled Scott just fine..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musiclover Posted June 22, 2007 Author Share Posted June 22, 2007 There is a Merlin for sale on Audiogon for $650.00. Would this be a good buy. Thanks. David. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryO Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 If you listen to a lot of vinyl make sure the preamp you're interested in has a compatable phono section. Some of these DO NOT. Sounds like you have some pretty nice gear! Sometimes "upgrades" end up being just more gear sitting around. But what fun it is! Some of the forum members might want to chime in with input on SET with Rock with SET amps. Many variables to consider. Weigh all variables and requirements before dropping the money on unneeded or unnecessary gear. Harry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tk49 Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 I payed $500 for a Merlin without the upgrades and thought it sounded great. I used it with an old HK Citation 12, the two out performed my Cayin TA 30. IMO it's worth it. I move onto the BBX, because of old record collection. No regrets. t Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musiclover Posted June 22, 2007 Author Share Posted June 22, 2007 Others have said this is great preamp. I/ll keep watching Audiogon and see if can get one little cheaper. Thanks. David. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musiclover Posted June 22, 2007 Author Share Posted June 22, 2007 Yes I listen to lot of vinyl, but have separate Dynavector and Monolithic phono preamps for both of my turntables. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 There is a Merlin for sale on Audiogon for $650.00. Would this be a good buy. Thanks. David. I think it's a good buy. There's not alot of these little guys floating around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjgeraci Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 I echo what others have said. I'm also a fan of the little Merlin, and there are not that many floating around. As for SET, I've actually liked some SET amps, but you've stated that you have a pretty large room. Depending on your SPLs, you might just run out of gas. I would listen to some SET in larger rooms before you decide. ' I would personally stop at the new pre, have your Khorns recapped and reevaluate. But, then again, I'm still a fan of the little Stereo 70s, the little push-pull amps that could..... Then again, I now like 60 watts of push-pull tube power, so what do I know??[:$] Carl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Flynn Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 I have the following system: Khorn speakers, McIntosh MX 117 preamp/tuner, Dynaco ST 70 amp. I listen to albums and cds to mostly classic rock and some classical and jazz. I have been reading a lot here that SET amps and the preamps by juicy berry really go good with the Khorns. I have pretty large room. I also use an ADC equalizer. I notice that the Juicy berrys do not have tone control. I do not know anyone close that has SET amp, which I could hear. I do not want to change or upgrade unless I/m pretty sure I will get better sound. The sound is not bad all with what I have. Just like to know if I maybe missing something. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks. David Hammer. I would upgrade caps in Dynaco and networks. Has the Dynaco had any work done to it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cut-Throat Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 I am a lover of SET amps. I own a lot of amps and can afford any amp I want. My preference is a 45 SET amp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 I also really enjoy SET amps, but can't afford any amp I want. That's not the point, though, for me. I like the way they sound and they work well for the majority of music we listen to. But.......for movie sound tracks and the more recently experienced high resolution SACD, the lower powered single-ended triodes could not quite stand up to what they were called upon to do. Like others have IMO correctly observed, if you have a fairly large room, it might be good, if possible, to audition one before purchase. Erik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrestonTom Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 I appreciate that you are trying to get every last once out of your system. However, It is not clear what the problem is. The cost on replacing the crossover caps is minimal, so there is no good reason not to do it. However, by all accounts you have some very nice equipment, where is the problem? What deficit are you trying to cure? I think that would be a better starting point. Good Luck, -Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cut-Throat Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 I also really enjoy SET amps, but can't afford any amp I want. That's not the point, though, for me. I like the way they sound and they work well for the majority of music we listen to. Erik Erik, If you could have only 1 amp, regardless of price what would you have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 That's a hard decision, but one that would be based on associations with friends and family rather than sonic perfection -- which doesn't matter since I'm not an audiophile anyway. The choice would be among the following three: 1. Moth Audio: My wife and I purchased in the form of parts which I built 2. ASUSA 6BQ5 single-ended kit given to me by my dad 3. Stock Dyna ST-70: Built for me by a good friend. Here are there portraits: Moth Si2A3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 The ASUSA: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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