Home Tubes Asylum

Questions about tubes and gear that glows. FAQ

Re: I need opinions! Getting ready to take the tube plunge...

The Dynaco St70 is a "rite of passage" as you enter the tube world. I'd suggest you go for it if the price is reasonable - around $250 US for a nice condition unit seems to be about the going rate, a bit more via auctions/dealers.

There is a tremendous amount of information about the ST70 available, making it a perfect amplifier for the beginner. They were extremely popular for a good reason - they sound very nice and work well. Assuming you have reasonable soldering skills they are easy to bring up to good working condition. Virtually all replacement parts are still readily available including circuit boards, transformers and tubes.

I've listened to HF87 and Mc240's - I doubt you'll find either at any where near the cost of a Dynaco St70. The HF87 is a very nice sounding unit, but not particularly common. Information about rebuilding will be less easy to come by for a beginner.

The Mc240 is 3-4x the cost of the ST70. It does sound very different - a bit more restrained, with a much more substantial low end. Any modifications to the Mc240 will decrease resale value, making it less fun to learn with.

There are schematics for the ST70 (and all other vintage tube dynaco gear) on my web site. I have manuals etc should you need them.





This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
  Signature Sound   [ Signature Sound Lounge ]


Follow Ups Full Thread
Follow Ups


You can not post to an archived thread.