|
Search of All Forums Enter your search criteria. Click here for tips on using our search |
For Sale Ads |
1: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: What about this setup ? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2023-03-11, 01:30:29 (86.137.134.238)
As there is no answer yet I'll venture an opinion. I suggest a Y split: c LC then split RC left and RC right. The first c (lower case) suggests a low value first cap, say 2uF. This value will allow yo .......
2: Tube DIY Asylum, Agreed (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2023-03-03, 02:34:51 (109.156.174.30)
I was about to say the same. I'll only add that R core transformers suitable for a preamp are cheap, though it takes a while for them to come from the far east. Custom values can be made. I find them .......
3: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: 6SL7 Mu Follower for CD Player -Result (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2023-03-02, 03:37:03 (109.156.174.30)
Now it has run in, I find the resulting sound is excellent. This is a medium quality Marantz player (CD583), TDA1541A chip. It was reworked by ebay seller amp-king2 in the UK, with upgraded caps, NOS .......
4: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Require advice on simple tube power supply (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2023-03-02, 03:08:26 (109.156.174.30)
Simple??? Sorry, this many stages looks way over complex to me. I suggest there is no one simple best answer, if there were we'd all use it. One important factor is the preamp circuit. An active loade .......
5: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: EH make good 2a3s too (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2023-03-01, 02:05:30 (109.156.174.30)
I liked my 300B SET, but out of interest I tried a 45 SET. I liked it very much but felt a touch more power would be useful, so I made a 45 parallel SET amp. Yes, I know the 2A3 is very much a pair of .......
6: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: 6SL7 Mu Follower for CD Player (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2023-02-26, 06:58:52 (109.156.174.30)
Thanks Robert for the good info and taking the trouble to help. I have some relevant experience as follows. I had a Basie preamp (diyhifisupply), ECC82 mu follower and CF. With a friend, we raised the .......
7: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: 6SL7 Mu Follower for CD Player (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2023-02-23, 12:00:06 (109.156.174.30)
Any suggestion for the upper valve of an asymmetric mu follower? With care I think I can run a 6SL7 lower valve at say 2.7mA; grid bias will be low but I think that's OK as the input signal is tiny. S .......
8: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: 6SL7 Mu Follower for CD Player - Working (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2023-02-23, 11:35:52 (109.156.174.30)
It sounds good to me, no doubt about that. Musical, rhythmic, foot tapping sound, better than expected in this respect. Tonality is good, fine female vocals. I'd say the sound is detailed, clean, neut .......
9: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: 6SL7 Mu Follower for CD Player (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2023-02-19, 01:23:06 (86.151.72.91)
Thanks for this! Noted, and will be tried. As I use one valve for both lower triodes and another for both uppers (to allow heaters to be floated a bit above cathodes), I can easily try a 6SN7 upper va .......
10: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: 6SL7 w/ MOSFET source follower (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2023-02-12, 06:18:40 (86.179.218.156)
Good suggestion; in my research I've found similar and I don't rule it out, I may try it among other things later. I have used a pentode active load in Kimmel mu stage cct many times with good results .......
11: Tube DIY Asylum, 6SL7 Mu Follower for CD Player (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2023-02-03, 12:47:03 (86.179.218.156)
I am in the process of 'lampizating' a Marantz CD player with TDA1541A in NOS mode. I plan to use a 6SL7 mu follower for the output stage. I have looked at many examples of output stages, all seem ve .......
12: Tube DIY Asylum, Excellent Service from Analogmetric (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2022-01-19, 10:59:03 (143.159.56.35)
Analogmetric have gone to the trouble of finding a way to send my order, when all normal methods from there were disrupted by covid. This is excellent service in difficult times, much appreciated. The .......
13: Tube DIY Asylum, Thanks (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-12-08, 02:48:52 (87.113.152.157)
Very good of you to reply. I'd half forgotten the ESR; as the caps are motor run, I guess it may be a bit less than 3 ohms, but results with 3 are encouraging. As the circuit is mu stage with high PSR .......
14: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: AC Analysis (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-12-06, 11:33:06 (87.113.152.157)
Thanks for your valuable time at a busy time. I fully take your point about the ac impedance of the load being high. I have sketched out something attached. I use 1kHz. Imaging is affected more by .......
15: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: AC Analysis (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-12-05, 06:22:22 (87.113.152.157)
OK, good analysis. It seems to suggest that pretty much anything will be OK in that the load circuit will see a constant and low impedance. First, I think you mean Z of the cap is small compared to th .......
16: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Your preamp power supply will be Class-A DC with a constant current draw (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-11-29, 16:43:19 (87.113.152.157)
I see your point about the DC supply. But isn't there a bit more to it as while the supply is DC, the load taken from the PSU contains AC. In the past, while working on pi filters with choke, advice h .......
17: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: PSU RC Stage Time Constant Question (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-11-28, 16:59:02 (87.113.152.157)
Thanks for your expertise and the thorough analysis. I need to study it a bit more but here's a few thoughts. Funnily enough, your different approach and my calculations converge at, guess what, 13 Hz .......
18: Tube DIY Asylum, PSU RC Stage Time Constant Question (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-11-28, 05:46:09 (87.113.152.157)
For a preamp I'm considering a PSU in the form: cLC then RC left, RC right I'm not sure about the configuration of the final RC stage, in particular the time constant to ensure good bass performance. .......
19: SET Asylum, Speaker Compatibility Question - Scanspeak B741 (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-11-15, 02:04:05 (87.113.152.157)
I've been asked to advise if a 300B SET amp could give good results with a Scanspeak B741 speaker; full details can be seen on the link. The amp is conventional 300B, no feedback, James OPTs, about 7 .......
20: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Sorry Folks (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-07-17, 05:33:23 (81.174.209.17)
Good reply to a good post. I guess that makes me a technician, but not a well trained one ! :-) But I do know where to come for good advice ...- thanks all. Best regards, Mike .......
21: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Sorry Folks (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-07-15, 05:45:22 (81.174.209.17)
Good reply to a good post. I guess that makes me a technician, but not a well trained one ! :-) But I do know where to come for good advice ...- thanks all. Best regards, Mike .......
22: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Lundahl (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-07-09, 11:12:40 (81.174.209.17)
Much as I found; I replaced the large Lundahls in a 300B SET, preferred James. OTOH, I find the best Lundahl MC SUTs to be very good, but not impressed at all with their cheaper ones. .......
23: Tube DIY Asylum, Sorry Folks (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-07-09, 11:05:15 (81.174.209.17)
I am sorry for my part in stirring up a hornets nest here, both about core material and to an extent, the old chestnut about measurements and science versus subjective sound quality ...- I thought the .......
24: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Question about OPTs for SET - Conclusion (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-07-09, 10:52:36 (81.174.209.17)
Taking note of the excellent discussions below, I've ruled out the idea of using a 'general purpose' SET OPT, but have been looking at some specific headphone OPTs. I'm half tempted by Lundahl; but I' .......
25: Tube DIY Asylum, Thanks, I'll follow up later, will try nickel (NT) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-07-03, 11:23:47 (81.174.209.17)
nt .......
26: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Question about OPTs for SET - Conclusion (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-07-02, 01:45:42 (81.174.209.17)
Taking note of the excellent discussions below, I've ruled out the idea of using a 'general purpose' SET OPT, but have been looking at some specific headphone OPTs. I'm half tempted by Lundahl; but I' .......
27: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Question about OPTs for SET (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-07-02, 01:13:13 (81.174.209.17)
Thanks Paul and Dave for a good discussion, I pretty much get it. With I think roughly 3kohm Ri for the trioded EL33, I'm sure there will be significant bass loss. I appreciate your expertise. ::: TOP .......
28: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Question about OPTs for SET (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-07-01, 01:00:35 (81.174.209.17)
Thanks Paul, well understood. Now I'm appreciating how an OPT for headphones differs from a general purpose one, and why a small Hashimoto would not be good. I also see that designing an OPT for low c .......
29: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Have you tried substituting a 6V6? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-06-30, 15:03:45 (81.174.209.17)
I know the 6V6 is very similar, but I think Mullard EL33 are well regarded so that's what I have. Nice! :-) .......
30: Tube DIY Asylum, Question about OPTs for SET (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-06-29, 02:31:42 (81.174.209.17)
My SET headphone amp runs at about 22mA and can easily be increased to about 30mA. It uses a 5.5k : 32 ohm OPT for 32 ohm headphones and sounds very good; source is ANK Dac4.1x, phones are Meze Empyre .......
31: Tube DIY Asylum, Headphone Valve (20mA, gain about 20) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-06-29, 02:02:19 (81.174.209.17)
A few weeks ago I asked for suggestions for a triode of the above spec for my headphone amp (single ended, single stage, which is why I need some gain). This is to replace parallel 12SN7 which do soun .......
32: Cable Asylum, RE: Silly Question about Silver/Copper Mix (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-06-14, 09:48:57 (87.113.152.9)
I have a very nice DIY valve headphone amp and I chose to use XLR 4 pin connector. As the amp has transformer output, each channel has its own return line. Thanks again. .......
33: Cable Asylum, RE: Silly Question about Silver/Copper Mix (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-06-14, 00:58:40 (87.113.152.9)
Thanks for such a well considered reply, duly noted. I have used pure silver on other phones (Toxic silver widow)and while it was very good, I had reservations. I could change plugs to use with the Em .......
34: Cable Asylum, Silly Question about Silver/Copper Mix (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-06-13, 06:02:55 (87.113.152.9)
Some people report good results with Empyrean headphones using a cable of silver/copper mix (not plated copper!). I now have some mixed cable, 8 strand, 4 of each. I assume it is best to use, for each .......
35: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: EML 20AM/B (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-06-02, 04:15:12 (87.113.157.200)
I'm not ruling it out in spite of the cost. I had a slight concern over high Ri of about 4kohms; but my parallel 12SN7 is almost exactly the same, so it should work OK. I'm just put off a bit by the n .......
36: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: 5687.. (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-06-01, 16:46:01 (87.113.157.200)
Sorry, slow replying as weather has been great in the UK, hardly been online. The DAC uses a pair of 5687 so I have a spare pair. I'm reluctant to use the same valve again, but there may be no issue a .......
37: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Suggestion for a triode, about 20mA, gain about 20? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-05-28, 11:41:38 (87.113.157.200)
Thanks! 7044 looks very interesting ...-. .......
38: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: FET + DHT? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-05-28, 11:27:31 (87.113.157.200)
Hi Andy; I'll look into the 4P1L, it seems very interesting; but the 12SN7 only just have enough gain so 4P1L would very likely need a gain stage as you suggest. I do like DHTs (main amp is 45 PSE) so .......
39: Tube DIY Asylum, Suggestion for a triode, about 20mA, gain about 20? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-05-26, 12:38:35 (87.113.157.200)
After a fair bit of experimenting I've arrived at a pretty good headphone amp. It is nothing more than 12SN7 paralleled, single ended, driving a suitable OPT. No gain/driver stage. High quality PSU (3 .......
40: Digital Drive, You are definitely not alone !!! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-04-14, 07:24:11 (84.51.183.123)
I have tried several CD players (mostly delta/sigma), a good SACD player with valve output stage, and high res downloads into a Luxman DAC with usb input. I am so fortunate now to have sound that I ab .......
41: Cable Asylum, Ecosse Soundman Digital XLR (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-04-14, 02:46:54 (84.51.183.123)
I have put together a seriously good digital front end for my headphone system, consisting of a Pro-Ject RS-2T CD drive and ANK DAC 4.1x kit dac (kit version of a high end Audionote unit). At first I .......
42: Digital Drive, Excellent Post! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-04-07, 01:46:47 (84.51.183.123)
Very clear and a fine unbiased conclusion. I'd just add that synchronous upsampling is ofen called oversampling, and of course it retains the original data points. .......
43: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: anybody know the name of oil filled gold foil caps? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-04-03, 04:17:20 (87.113.156.51)
I can't imagine anyone would use gold foil as gold isn't that good a conductor. You are probably thinking of Mundorf Supreme silver/gold/oil, where about 1% or so of gold is added to the silver of the .......
44: Digital Drive, RE: DAC for Red Book CD's (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-04-02, 12:00:27 (87.113.156.51)
Me too for Audionote. I have a kit version; ANK DAC 4.1x (the upgraded version with better parts and signal transformers) and it's so good I'm lost for words! But I'll try. In no particular order. Det .......
45: Digital Drive, RE: How much have CD players improved in the last 12 years? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-03-26, 10:44:08 (87.113.156.51)
A personal view that many will not agree with; based on my personal tastes in hifi and music. I'd say there have been some significant improvements ...- by going backwards! In particular, by better us .......
46: Digital Drive, Many,Many Sincere Thanks!! (nt) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-01-27, 10:51:35 (87.113.156.244)
nt .......
47: Digital Drive, RE: Half Width Transport - decision (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-01-25, 10:37:36 (87.113.156.244)
Thanks for all the good responses which I have looked into very carefully. On a more careful measure up, the width limit is exactly 22cm which rules out some very nice units. I don't fancy used, even .......
48: Digital Drive, Half Width Transport (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2020-01-24, 12:17:45 (87.113.156.244)
Having searched, I'm still confused hence this. To fit my cabinet I need a transport of about 220mm width maximum, and I want something very good to go with a superb ANK Dac4.1x. This is in a high end .......
49: Digital Drive, RE: Best affordable CD Player? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2019-10-13, 15:30:41 (213.162.116.20)
To answer your question, I can confirm that the Tascam CD200 is a fine sounding player and exceptional value. I bought one to use as a transport; it was good for that, but I was pleasantly surprised b .......
50: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: I think this is important ... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2019-02-01, 12:04:05 (87.113.73.14)
I suggest you wire the jumpers in an arc, not straight between the pins. Typically as a semicircle up above the pins. The reason is this. I find that pins on octal sockets can move about as valves are .......
51: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Mu stage question (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2019-02-01, 11:56:16 (87.113.73.14)
Hi, I've heard of the choke loaded mu stage but I think I build my preamps before I knew of it. I intend to try it sometime! Thanks. .......
52: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Andromeda Preamp (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2019-02-01, 11:52:53 (87.113.73.14)
Hi, Yes, do have a go. A dealer with experience in high end gear heard my system and liked it a lot; later we tried this preamp in a customers system (a very good system; Aesthetix gear) and it perfor .......
53: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Mu stage question (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2019-01-30, 16:39:03 (87.113.73.14)
Hi, Here is my reconfig of the cct in your first post, with B406. Summary: Anode load R was 9K2, change to 22k Grid 2 dropper was 56k change to 12k Grid 2 cap was 1uF change to 3.3uF Rk1 bias R was 2 .......
54: Tube DIY Asylum, My 27 / E83F Preamp - Andromeda (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2019-01-30, 03:09:50 (87.113.73.14)
Here are the cct and details of the heaters. The mains transformer is 280 - 0 - 280, heavily over spec i.e. rated at something like 150 mA or so if I remember. I use a pair of 6CJ3 damper diodes .......
55: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Mu stage question (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2019-01-30, 02:19:12 (87.113.73.14)
Hi, I'll look into this and suggest a config. I note your B+ restriction. This may take me a couple of days. I know nothing of the triodes so I cannot give an opinion, sorry. .......
56: Tube DIY Asylum, Details coming ASAP (NT) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2019-01-28, 15:11:29 (87.113.73.14)
NT .......
57: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Mu stage question (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2019-01-26, 16:09:46 (87.113.73.14)
Hi, I have made many mu stages; it makes an excellent line stage as here, on its own. I have done several line stages; E80CC/E83F was very good, 6SL7/E83F was better, 27 / E83F is a peach and that's w .......
58: Digital Drive, RE: cd vinyl differences - Long (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2019-01-06, 15:51:09 (213.162.117.4)
Hi, A few more comments; personal opinions of course so all will not agree. For one thing I may be a bit hard on Naim, but this is down to my taste in music. My experience suggests that a good tube ou .......
59: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Miller Effect (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2019-01-05, 00:40:52 (213.162.117.4)
I agree with Paul below that 250K is much too high a resistance pot and explains the loss of HF, so I'd suggest you replace this with a lower value. Furthermore I suggest you remove the balance contro .......
60: Digital Drive, RE: Moderately priced CD player for transport? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2019-01-04, 16:40:09 (213.162.117.4)
I'm not a CD expert as it's a second source for me but I hope this may be of interest. I have been using a Heed DT / DA transport and dac which is pretty good, though not the best. Recently the transp .......
61: Digital Drive, RE: cd vinyl differences - Long (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2019-01-04, 15:50:37 (213.162.117.4)
Hi, Like you I have found CD to lack fullness of voices and instruments, and to lack some tonality and realism; and this is by comparison to LP and to live music (I regularly attend concerts). But rea .......
62: Cable Asylum, RE: Considering HFC CT-1U RCA Interconnect (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2018-12-22, 15:45:17 (213.162.117.4)
Thanks, yes I've been there and read most of it. It really encouraged me to go further up the HFC range. Regards Mike .......
63: Cable Asylum, RE: Considering HFC CT-1U RCA Interconnect (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2018-12-22, 15:41:12 (213.162.117.4)
Hi, Thanks for sensible advice. Before posting here I'd phoned the UK distributor and it was encouraging. Yesterday I had another listen to some favourite and demanding female vocals and came to the c .......
64: Cable Asylum, Considering HFC CT-1U RCA Interconnect (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2018-12-21, 15:52:40 (213.162.117.4)
In my headphone system I currently have High Fidelity Cables CT-1 interconnect between CD player and amp. I am highly impressed by the superb transparency and overall sound quality of this interconnec .......
65: Digital Drive, RE: GUSTARD-A20H-AK4497EQ (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2017-04-04, 17:03:25 (87.113.19.170)
There is an informative thread on Headfi - link below. There are some comparisons between the A20H and X20/X20pro. It would seem that the A20H is slightly fuller and sweeter but the X20pro is slightly .......
66: Digital Drive, RE: What's the Best CD/DVD player from the past to be used as CD transport? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2017-02-25, 16:44:12 (87.113.152.223)
" .. computer USB transport? If the latter, you may be hearing how poor this format is compared to disc transports. A minority opinion I know" My opinion too, based on what I hear. I bought an expensi .......
67: Tube DIY Asylum, There is a 6SM7 (well nearly) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2017-01-23, 16:36:01 (87.113.10.61)
The 6C8G is in my view 'the 6SM7 that never was'. Octal with a top cap, mu just under 40, runs nicely at about 4mA and dissipation a bit under 1 watt. Pretty much midway between 6SL7 and 6SN7. I use t .......
68: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: My Take - with a Step Load (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2017-01-23, 16:13:24 (87.113.10.61)
My personal view here, which has given me good results in several units. I was pointed in this direction by Jeff and it's based on John Swenson's work. I suggest you look up his posts about PSUD. Note .......
69: Tube DIY Asylum, Headphone Amp - Reconfigure Stage 1 (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2016-10-13, 11:55:09 (84.51.189.50)
I have a headphone amp with a 12AX7 driving a parallel 6SN7 single ended output stage (transformers). It sounds good, with a fine CD player and AKG K812 phones; but it's not quite as good as my highly .......
70: Digital Drive, RE: New to DACs here...for better sound, get better CD player, or get a DAC for current player? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2016-10-08, 16:33:03 (84.51.189.50)
Hi, As a confirmed 'bottlehead' I am sure you have heard the considerable benefits of a good valve system, and it's the valves, not the source, that gives the good sound you heard. I hear many systems .......
71: Digital Drive, RE: Why Compact Discs Sound Great (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2016-05-20, 15:22:33 (46.208.119.71)
Todd, an excellent post, and an excellent article. I'm lucky to have hit "the other 5%" in that it sounds like music and not like RBCD; superbly enjoyable sound, very transparent, natural, dynamic, mu .......
72: VK Music - Elekit & Triode Japan Forum, RE: TU-882R Headphone Amp - Possible Mods (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2016-04-15, 15:49:04 (80.189.163.230)
Hi, I know very little about electrolytic caps as I rarely use them. I've tried Black Gates in the past and I'm not convinced even though many people rave about them. From what people say, Panasonic a .......
73: VK Music - Elekit & Triode Japan Forum, RE: TU-882R Headphone Amp - Possible Mods (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2016-04-12, 17:18:23 (80.189.163.230)
Hi, Simply remove R1 and R2. The two input caps have to be replaced by a link. I left all PSU caps as standard including C12 and C13 but I may replace these with good quality Panasonic. You must have .......
74: VK Music - Elekit & Triode Japan Forum, RE: TU-882R Headphone Amp - Possible Mods (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2016-04-11, 15:29:01 (80.189.163.230)
Hi, thanks for the comments. I like Takman carbon film resistors a lot; I'm not sure I can tell much difference if any to Shinkoh which were my resistors of choice until Takman. There are many choices .......
75: VK Music - Elekit & Triode Japan Forum, RE: TU-882R Headphone Amp - Possible Mods (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2016-04-11, 15:02:04 (80.189.163.230)
Thanks for the recommendation for GE 5*; I've just got round to trying these and I'm very impressed Stunning, as you say! I've been using the stock valves (not bad at all), and Sylvanias (better, very .......
76: VK Music - Elekit & Triode Japan Forum, RE: TU-882R Headphone Amp - Possible Mods (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2016-04-10, 16:28:34 (80.189.163.230)
Thanks for the recommendation for GE 5*; I've just got round to trying these and I'm very impressed Stunning, as you say! I've been using the stock valves (not bad at all), and Sylvanias (better, very .......
77: VK Music - Elekit & Triode Japan Forum, Slew Rate (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2016-03-24, 18:38:26 (80.189.163.230)
I've just looked up slew rate calculations, posted by Gordon Rankin on SET asylum. I made a silly slip in my original calculations; slew rate current is very much OK in the original configuration. But .......
78: VK Music - Elekit & Triode Japan Forum, RE: TU-882R Mods - Details Part 2 (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2016-03-22, 17:09:39 (80.189.163.230)
Having changed the op point of the first valve, some other changes were appropriate as follows. The circuit uses some global negative feedback via R9 and R7. This will increase the subjective 'drive' .......
79: VK Music - Elekit & Triode Japan Forum, RE: TU-882R Mods - Details Part 1 (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2016-03-21, 17:23:08 (80.189.163.230)
Here are details of my mods. First I must say I appreciate what a great job the designer has done to produce a very good sounding unit at such a reasonable price. OK, I've changed it and I know I've .......
80: VK Music - Elekit & Triode Japan Forum, TU-882R Mods - Results, Details (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2016-03-20, 18:03:06 (80.189.163.230)
I'll start by giving the results of my substantially modded build. A good friend Richard is very fussy about sound quality; he has a TW Raven turntable and superb electrostatic speakers. I am fussy ab .......
81: Cable Asylum, RE: XLR Right Angled Connectors (Female) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2016-03-11, 07:37:55 (87.115.198.85)
Hi Par, Thanks for the useful advice; I'll go for Switchcraft and I'm currently enquiring about the gold pin version as the CD player has gold plated outputs. I got the Hypothesis cables on Ebay very .......
82: Cable Asylum, XLR Right Angled Connectors (Female) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2016-03-09, 17:44:56 (146.90.150.57)
Due to limited space at the rear of my CD player, I need to use right angled female XLR plugs. It is quite a high end player (Gryphon Scorpio; fabulous), in a good valve based system so I'm looking fo .......
83: Hi-Rez Highway, RE: Still Having Issues with XLR connection on Oppo BD105 (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2016-02-23, 16:00:24 (146.90.150.57)
I'm wondering if it could be an earth problem. XLR and earthing can be complex, I think. Potentially, the balanced output could be configured in various ways. One way is for both signal + (pin 2) and .......
84: Digital Drive, RE: Goldnote CD-1000 player. Anyone actually heard one? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2016-02-22, 16:06:44 (146.90.150.57)
As I type this, my Blacknote SACD 300 is playing Sophie Milman via a nice valve headphone amp and superb AKG K812 headphones and the sound is simply *gorgeous*. Sound is equally gorgeous via my very n .......
85: VK Music - Elekit & Triode Japan Forum, TU-882R Headphone Amp - Possible Mods (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2016-01-04, 16:11:32 (87.115.0.99)
First may I say thanks to Victor for being a pleasure to deal with. I'm about to build this amp. I have a fair bit of experience designing and building valve hifi but I've never done a headphone amp a .......
86: Digital Drive, RE: I vote Tascam CD-200 (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2015-11-27, 15:43:43 (194.75.3.109)
I have a Tascam CD200 that I got to use as a transport with a Luxman DA-06 dac. This dac buffers and reclocks the data and I guess it does this very well, as I can't detect any difference in sound wit .......
87: Tubes Asylum, RE: Love EL84 (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2015-07-24, 11:47:43 (31.185.202.184)
Agreed 100%; I could not have put it better myself. I have a Cayin headphone amp using one EL84 per channel; after some significant parts upgrades it sounds excellent. I've tried Siemens and Genalex G .......
88: Digital Drive, RE: slow/fast roll-off filters pre-ringing in real world? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2015-07-19, 16:28:03 (31.185.202.184)
I have some limited experience with a Heed Obelisk DA dac which has 3 filter settings. F1 is 'linear phase soft knee' F2 is 'linear phase brickwall' (default setting) F3 is 'minimum phase soft knee'. .......
89: Digital Drive, Thanks and Sorry! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2015-06-17, 16:08:32 (80.189.51.86)
Thanks for pointing out my errors! And doing so nicely. I picked up some poor info from somewhere. I'm very familiar with synchronous data transmission where digital data is present on one conductor a .......
90: Digital Drive, RE: Digital cables (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2015-06-15, 16:12:38 (80.189.51.86)
The funny thing in all this is that the SPDIF signal is ANALOGUE, not a direct digital signal! From what I understand, what I'd call a digital signal is the typical RS232 signal from say a modem to a .......
91: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: PSUD Playtime (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2015-06-07, 15:28:40 (80.189.51.86)
" I also used the 15% step that has been discussed here and elsewhere by a few different people, but I confess that I am unsure of the extent step response results translate to the real-world" Quite a .......
92: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Help me tame my new potentiometer--too sensitive (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2015-06-07, 01:45:36 (80.189.51.86)
I have a firm recommendation which will both improve your problem and is also likely to improve the sound quality. It is to use a series resistor with the pot as below, in place of the 'upper half' of .......
93: Digital Drive, RE: CD Players are so yesteryear! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2015-05-27, 16:17:37 (80.189.51.86)
Or not ... depends on the player and the system. In my recent upgrade to my digital front end, taking note of similar views here, I first tried a computer solution of laptop, Exact Audio Copy and Jriv .......
94: Digital Drive, Suggestion and what to listen for ... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2015-05-01, 16:11:00 (80.189.51.86)
I'll suggest 'Breathe with Me' by Athena (available from Amazon). Here is a review: http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/bg25 I agree totally with the description of her voice; I *love* this CD! And it .......
95: Digital Drive, Low Level Detail (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2015-04-29, 16:58:34 (80.189.51.86)
" it had so much low level detail, and instrument separation, truly awesome" For me, low level detail is fundamentally important. The ability to resolve this, at the same time as a high level signal, .......
96: Digital Drive, RE: Considering Getting Accuphase DP-720 (Long) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2015-04-28, 16:26:18 (80.189.51.86)
Thanks! In fact I looked up more about the Esoteric and it's simply too big for my unit, no way round this; a larger unit isn't really on (WAF is an issue). It's a good point about diminishing returns .......
97: Digital Drive, Aesthetix (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2015-04-28, 16:05:40 (80.189.51.86)
Here's an impression of the Aesthetix Romulus vs Accuphase DP-510; it isn't a formal evaluation as they were heard in different systems, so use the info with care and don't base any purchase decision .......
98: Digital Drive, Considering Getting Accuphase DP-720 (Long) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2015-04-27, 16:58:48 (80.189.51.86)
First, I'm highly into vinyl with an excellent setup (Teres, Moerch DP-8, Zyx 4D, first rate phono stage). I have a good SET valve system. Musical tastes are classical, folk, some jazz, some pop, and .......
99: Tube DIY Asylum, Another Option to Consider (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2014-11-11, 05:42:29 (146.200.188.12)
I find that I need a small amount of balance control due to the room, even though the speakers are placed symmetrically. Changing the room is not feasible, and would also most likely result in needing .......
100: Tube DIY Asylum, 6CJ3 (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2014-07-25, 13:56:15 (91.125.92.19)
Work out your current draw and look up the voltage drop of a GZ34 and a 6CJ3 (and EZ81 and others). In a typical preamp the 6CJ3 will drop a whole lot less voltage .. typically 5v or so I guess. So th .......
101: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: On Separate Power Supplies... Agreed (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2014-07-25, 13:43:30 (91.125.92.19)
In the case of the two stage SET amps I've built, I agree fully about separate PSUs for the two stages having significant benefits. I'd suggest this contibutes to good leading edges, good dynamics, an .......
102: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: What is the best way to hook up 2 rectifiers? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2014-07-14, 10:04:49 (91.125.230.80)
With the rectifier taps you have, I personally would use a pair of 6CJ3 damper diodes as rectifiers. You can run these with the heaters in parallel from the 6.3V 8A supply. These are indirectly heated .......
103: Tube DIY Asylum, Fuses !!! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2014-06-16, 12:48:16 (91.125.230.80)
I had an appropriately low value mains fuse in a unit (OK, you can argue it wasn't low enough!); when a GZ34 rectifier shorted out, this fuse blew quickly ... but not quickly enough to save the mains .......
104: Digital Drive, RE: CD Player Upgrade / DAC Thoughts - MSB DAC (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2014-03-29, 04:38:57 (87.115.32.70)
I have the MSB Analog DAC on home demo and I am highly impressed. The improvement over the AT3500+ is substantial; and I think I'm hearing more improvement from this than from the Romulus. Vocals have .......
105: Digital Drive, Conclusions (rambling) and Action (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2014-03-29, 04:15:17 (87.115.32.70)
I realize the issue of transports is far more complex than I thought, confusing and at odds with simple theory; oh for more simple subjects like interconnect cables (evil grin!). I have issues with 'p .......
106: Digital Drive, RE: Cheap CD Player as Transport Questions (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2014-03-29, 03:50:37 (87.115.32.70)
That's exactly what I've done; I have the MSB Analog dac at home on demo, and indeed it is 'a great audiophile experience'. I'm getting one. More details later in my other thread. .......
107: Digital Drive, RE: CD Player Upgrade / DAC Thoughts - Sanity Check (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2014-03-29, 03:47:30 (87.115.32.70)
Hi, It's always hard to act on every suggestion (no matter how good!). I did look up this unit and it seems very promising with several strong recommendations here. I bore that in mind to try, but I h .......
108: Digital Drive, RE: CD Player Upgrade / DAC Thoughts - Sanity Check (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2014-03-29, 03:42:27 (87.115.32.70)
Good thoughts as ever here, thanks. Don't forget, I'm aiming high here. I've heard several Naim CD players and (though far more expensive than the AT3500) they jus don't do vocals anywhere nearly as g .......
109: Digital Drive, RE: CD Player Upgrade / DAC Thoughts - Sanity Check (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2014-03-21, 12:11:11 (146.90.151.179)
Thanks, this looks interesting. It seems to have an 'analogue' nature very similar to the MSB, and in fact one review suggests exactly this. I have some more planning to do, to get to a very short sho .......
110: Digital Drive, Thanks for SO many Valuable Suggestions! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2014-03-21, 04:54:28 (146.90.151.179)
Hi, I am pleased and impressed by the excellent responses, all of them are very useful. Here's where I am so far. First I just intend to try a good DAC on approval, using the existing CD player's digi .......
111: Digital Drive, CD Player Upgrade / DAC Thoughts - Sanity Check (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2014-03-20, 04:45:24 (31.185.186.102)
Background: I'm in the UK, I have a good valve based system, I like accoustic music (classical, folk, jazz) and some rock, with a special love for good female vocals (currently drooling over Cassandra .......
112: Digital Drive, RE: Cheap CD Player as Transport Questions (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2014-03-19, 16:16:01 (31.185.186.102)
Big thanks! I've had a quick look and will follow up. .......
113: Digital Drive, RE: Cheap CD Player as Transport Questions (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2014-03-19, 15:58:45 (31.185.186.102)
Sorry, I didn't make it clear. It's about the CD player used as transport only; disable its internal dac by cutting the signal to it, so the only thing active is reading the disc and sending the digit .......
114: Digital Drive, Cheap CD Player as Transport Questions (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2014-03-19, 11:50:54 (31.185.186.102)
Yes, I've read up on this subject and I'm still confused, hence a few questions. To get the high quality DAC which I *think* I want (subject to home demo), I may be obliged to use a cheap CD player as .......
115: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Finally got speakers for my SET-- DIYWH at 95dB (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2013-04-24, 11:46:36 (80.189.72.107)
Yes, 95dB will work fine with a SET amp. My DIY MTM's of a few years ago are about that, and they work well in a room 18ft x 14ft. A few more dB can always be nice but size factors and WAF can be a re .......
116: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: DC filaments or not,in an amp or a preamp (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2013-04-15, 10:46:34 (80.189.243.92)
My limited experience with DHT output valves is that a 45 with AC heating and a hum pot can be very quiet indeed, so I have not found any desire to try DC here. I'm not sure why AC heating of preamps .......
117: Cable Asylum, RE: Enquiry, RCA Sockets for Silver Plugs (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2013-04-12, 12:47:41 (80.189.243.92)
Ah, that's interesting! At present I have lowish quality gold plated sockets in preamp and power amp, and I must say I like the sound very much; tonality is fine, no trace of leanness; a full bodied s .......
118: Cable Asylum, Enquiry, RCA Sockets for Silver Plugs (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2013-04-12, 08:25:07 (80.189.243.92)
My system is all valve, high resolution, with good front ends. I like a natural presentation of accoustic music, with a special liking for female vocals of most genres; folk, classical, some rock. I r .......
119: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Balance Control (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2013-04-11, 11:25:45 (80.189.243.92)
I agree totally about not having two pots in series. I learnt that from my Assemblage pre (Sonic Frontiers), where the balance control could be switched in or out. Even though the balance pot was good .......
120: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Frederica (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2013-04-01, 01:11:09 (80.189.243.92)
Just have to reply as you mention one of my favourite singers - I have several LPs of hers, all absolutely gorgeous! .......
121: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: you want medium gm with some gain... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2013-03-28, 12:37:37 (80.189.243.92)
I've used the 12AV7 (E180CC) as the first stage; it wasn't bad but I'd call it only a moderate success (remember, that means it was still a lot better than my SFP-1). It fitted the application very we .......
122: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: low-gm tubes for phono (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2013-03-28, 12:26:40 (80.189.243.92)
I don't consider myself an expert but after building a few phono stages I've got something very much OK. To give an idea of quality level, I have a Sonic Frontiers SFP-1 phono stage which I tweaked wi .......
123: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Mundorf Cap (and other cap) Mavens Needed..... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2013-03-14, 16:03:11 (80.189.73.151)
I have used both silver/oil and silver/gold/oil in various ways. In phono stages I have used both as output caps. In a preamp I have used the silver/gold/oil as output caps, and silver/oil as couplers .......
124: Tube DIY Asylum, Agree totally about Schottkys or similar, good point! (NT) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2013-03-14, 12:15:39 (80.189.73.151)
nt .......
125: SET Asylum, RE: How did you put your current SE system together? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2013-03-13, 14:35:22 (80.189.73.151)
Long story - you asked for it! I'm in the UK, and as friends have Linn/Naim systems, that's what I got in the 1990's. I was considering a Naim upgrade but wasn't sure, wanted to hear valves but it was .......
126: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Slightly OT - Cap quality for Stax headphones bias supply (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2013-03-13, 08:17:06 (80.189.73.151)
Don't worry if it's a bit OT; folks will want to help and there's masses of expertise here. I have no direct experience at all with electrostatic phones. But as a general point, I find that just about .......
127: Vinyl Asylum, "That Thing's Not Going Round" (CD related, slightly OT) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2013-03-08, 13:25:54 (80.189.73.151)
I've recently acquired an excellent CD player with a very 'analogue' sound quality. The other day, my wife walked into the room while some excellent harp music was playing and was surprised, remarking .......
128: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Rid of the LP-12 on to mo better music reproduction (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2013-03-05, 11:01:14 (80.189.73.151)
Two issues here and I agree with both of them! I must admit I enjoyed my LP12 for a good many years, doing many upgrades so it ended up with lots of non Linn parts; Cetech subchassis, Pink Linnk PSU, .......
129: Digital Drive, Oops! (and a bit more info) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2013-03-03, 02:50:07 (80.189.73.151)
I meant to say ... I don't have many classical *CDs*. Now a bit of technical info. The Nohr uses Burr-Brown PCM1728 DAC; delta-sigma, with voltage outputs. It sounds decent, in this case with 24/96 up .......
130: Inmate Systems, Mike C's Lashup 45 SET System, 2013 (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2013-02-28, 11:30:46 (80.189.73.151)
Mike C 's Lashup 45 SET System, 2013 System
IP Address: 80.189.73.151
Last Update: February 28, 2013 at 11:30:46
Amplifier: Valve SET amp using 45 triode, built on an old 300B chassis; Ja .......
131: Digital Drive, REVIEW: Astin Trew AT3500 Plus CD Player/Recorder (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2013-02-27, 11:13:25 (80.189.62.189)
Model: AT3500 Plus Category: CD Player/Recorder Suggested Retail Price: $2500 Description: CD Player with valve output buffer Manufacturer URL: Astin Trew Model Picture: View Review by .......
132: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Verus Motor - Thanks! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2013-02-04, 12:41:48 (80.189.177.35)
Yes, I got it set pretty much right. With my acrylic/lead platter Teres, the following settings were all very close; I give the dip switches in order 8 down to 1: UDUUDDDU close UDUUDDDD ) UDUDUUUU ) .......
133: Vinyl Asylum, Verus Motor - Thanks! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2013-02-03, 12:35:03 (80.189.177.35)
I recently asked for advice about an upgrade to my Teres front end (or replacement) and the general consensus was to keep the Teres and fit the Verus motor. Well I've done so, and of course I'm amazed .......
134: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Assembage ST-40 Amp Mods (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2013-01-08, 10:42:00 (80.189.29.81)
I had one ... a pretty decent amp IMHO; mine was the parts upgrade version. I converted it to pseudo-triode which was just a bit tricky in that, if I remember, a PCB had to be removed; not too difficu .......
135: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Is it easy to be microphonic using D3a (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2013-01-06, 11:11:12 (80.189.29.81)
I have used them in 2 different phono stages. One used them as pentodes in a simple cct (g2 dropped by resistor from B+ and cap to cathode). The other used them triode strapped in the first stage. I n .......
136: Digital Drive, RE: All rounder CD player (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2012-12-14, 11:54:01 (80.189.78.165)
Well said, the last paragraph. I got out of Naim and Linn years ago. And the bit 'then it will sound really good'; I suggest this is more of a promise or expectation than reality (and I've heard many .......
137: Digital Drive, With Respect, I don't .... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2012-12-14, 11:46:21 (80.189.78.165)
With respect ... I did say I did not absolutely have to have tubes! I'm looking at all kinds of player, but 2 that stand out do have tubes. I'm interested because they stand out as good players, not j .......
138: Digital Drive, RE: Thanks! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2012-12-12, 02:47:52 (80.189.55.246)
First, sorry that I seem to have set off some unintended debates about tube output CD players. Relax folks; I have a preference based on what I hear but I don't insist on it and I don't say it's the o .......
139: Digital Drive, RE: Suggestions, one box CD player, tube output? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2012-12-10, 06:20:50 (80.189.55.246)
I agree to a fair extent .... But hey, I did say that it does not absolutely have to have a valve output stage! I agree about 'tubes added as an afterthought'; that probably would not sound good. But .......
140: Digital Drive, Suggestions, one box CD player, tube output? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2012-12-09, 10:57:24 (80.189.55.246)
I have a Nohr cd player (actually the QDS-15, same thing) and I really like it. My system is all valve (tube), I'm in the UK. I like the natural sound of the Nohr, good tonality on accoustic instrumen .......
141: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Possible Upgrade to my Teres/Moerch/Zyx? - Thanks (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2012-12-02, 03:14:25 (80.189.55.246)
Thanks to all for useful comments. I've decided to keep the Teres and fit the Verus rim drive (ordered). I'm looking into arm upgrades, pretty much narrowed down to Schroeder or Moerch DP-8 but I'll a .......
142: Vinyl Asylum, Possible Upgrade to my Teres/Moerch/Zyx? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2012-11-21, 12:26:57 (80.189.37.172)
Just idly wondering at present, as I love my system but am in a position to consider an upgrade. Electronics are all valve DIY and I intend to continue with this, so I'm not considering buying any ele .......
143: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: A High Altitude Choke (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2012-10-29, 03:48:33 (80.189.37.172)
I have a number of ex military potted high altitude chokes and find them very good; used in phono stages and driver stage of a power amp. They were good value when I got them ... I wish I'd bought mor .......
144: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Hey all I found a good help with learning how to use Ducans PSU (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2012-07-17, 12:58:52 (80.189.187.49)
I have seen this article before and personally I'm not impressed by the approach or the results. Jeff mentions one issue ... what relevance does the initial start up behaviour have on sound quality? I .......
145: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: A distinction should be made here..... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2012-07-13, 02:08:14 (80.189.187.49)
Hi Jeff, Yes, these amps are cap coupled. Your comments about DC coupled amps are well noted! I will remember this if I try DC, L-W etc. The supplies in question are (IMHO) good, both with major curre .......
146: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Does an individual power tranny for driver stage improve (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2012-07-12, 11:58:56 (80.189.187.49)
I *strongly* favour separate PSUs for driver stage(s) and output stage, particularly with a single ended output stage. I have used separate transformers on one amp, and separate secondary windings on .......
147: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Single PSU or dual mono best in amps?? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2012-06-18, 11:51:59 (80.189.242.240)
Excellent post. I agree about the different topologies; even so, I'll just add this. In the example quoted in my above post, the cct driven by the cLCLC psu is a mu stage which has very high PSRR so, .......
148: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Single PSU or dual mono best in amps?? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2012-06-18, 11:41:51 (80.189.242.240)
Option 3; and it works well if you can manage with 2 stages rather than 3. Reasons: The perceived result (noted and commented on by knowledgeable friends) is that it gives fast, clean 'leading edges'; .......
149: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Simplify the Topology (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2012-03-15, 15:06:38 (80.189.214.163)
" Left in it will just short out the DC plate voltage" But not for very long! After a few seconds it'll melt ... :-) .......
150: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Reichert 300b Flesh and Blood (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2012-03-14, 13:17:28 (80.189.81.103)
Like Jeff, I'm concerned at the lack of PSU decoupling between stages. I personally go even further and have separate supplies (from the same mains TX) for the two stages of a 2 stage amp; this is hig .......
151: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: grid chokes (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2012-03-09, 13:28:29 (80.189.26.168)
Hi, I use a pair of these on a successful 300B SET, which some knowledgeable friends rate very highly. By my relatively inexperienced standards, it was an attempt at a 'very limited' compromise unit . .......
152: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Gary Pimm's phono stage (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2012-02-23, 12:27:32 (80.189.40.208)
" ... or one like it?" you asked. There are some strong similarities to my most successful phono stage, though several differences in the way things are done. Similarities: . overall, two low Z gain s .......
153: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Best type of cap to use in RIAA (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2012-02-23, 11:59:37 (80.189.40.208)
Though I would not call myself an expert, I have built and rebuilt several phono stages and now have one (two, actually) that do justice to my Teres/Moerch DP6/Zyx 4D front end which I suggest is a bi .......
154: Tube DIY Asylum, We've Been Here Before .... :-) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2012-01-06, 11:55:55 (80.189.78.126)
I agree, it is not very linear especially when a normal angled load line dips into the region below 5mA. A 12AX7 is far more linear; a good FET is also far more linear; and a very high gain op amp wit .......
155: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: What's your opinion on frame grid tubes like the 6er5 and the 6gk5? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2012-01-05, 12:38:16 (80.189.78.126)
I use the very similar 6AN4 in a phono stage, with active load giving a flat load line. For this function of 1st valve in a phono stage, I have tried a few things; 12AV7/7062; D3a as pentode; D3a trio .......
156: Tube DIY Asylum, In the words of Meatloaf .... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2012-01-05, 12:30:05 (80.189.78.126)
Two out of three ain't bad! Applies to both your posts ... just choose which two. :-) .......
157: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: You've gotta break them in,... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-12-22, 13:01:27 (80.189.78.126)
I very much agree. I often run a new unit in using a signal generator and I always keep changing the frequency and amplitude at random. Even so, playing music seems to do more. And I tend to believe ( .......
158: Tube DIY Asylum, Thanks Everyone .. Some Conclusions (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-12-14, 11:54:09 (80.189.78.126)
Lots of great thoughts and suggestions, plenty for me to read up on. The issue of PP, SE, PSE remains open; also, the issue of 45 or 2A3. But I have a plan to start to investigate a few things. I'm go .......
159: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: What ?? !!! ?? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-12-12, 06:35:56 (80.189.78.126)
OK, I have not gone for ultra low DCR, and never said I did! But I have certainly used criteria stated by JS and I believe concurred by you and others: Response to a step current load should not oscil .......
160: Tube DIY Asylum, Thanks! :-) NT (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-12-11, 11:45:36 (80.189.78.126)
NT .......
161: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: "I'm sure I can get away with 3.5 watts, but I very much doubt that 1.8 watts" (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-12-11, 09:32:58 (80.189.78.126)
Thanks! All interesting stuff (as is *everyone's* contribution). The B+ variation isn't a problem; Sowter TXs have several primary taps which adjust the output voltage; or he might do multi tap; or va .......
162: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: I like your approach towards experiment....!!! you will get.. (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-12-11, 09:26:37 (80.189.78.126)
Many thanks! Lots to look into. The sub idea is a good one ... a very good one! Unfortunately it's not on; for reasons of space etc. Larger speakers or more speakers would be too obtrusive in the room .......
163: Tube DIY Asylum, 300B PSU (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-12-11, 09:04:54 (80.189.78.126)
OK, I'm always annoying someone! :-) There seem few absolute truths in this game, we all seem to find and use things that work for us, they can be very different. No wonder there are arguments! Anyway .......
164: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: "I'm sure I can get away with 3.5 watts, but I very much doubt that 1.8 watts" (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-12-10, 12:37:22 (80.189.78.126)
Thanks Donald, PSE 2A3 ... hm, could be interesting. I'll look further. I may look into a 'buck' approach (i.e. a development system), to try 45 and 2A3 in PSE. I use a separate mains TX for heaters s .......
165: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: "I'm sure I can get away with 3.5 watts, but I very much doubt that 1.8 watts" (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-12-10, 12:30:20 (80.189.78.126)
Many thanks ... Two years ago I took your advice on PSUs, to look at all posts by John Swenson and see how to tune a PSU for transient response; it *really* works! I'm taking the suggestion of 2A3 ver .......
166: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: "I'm sure I can get away with 3.5 watts, but I very much doubt that 1.8 watts" (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-12-10, 10:29:52 (80.189.78.126)
Thanks ... Yes, I'm well aware of dB and I note what you say ... you are probably right! But the same argument can be applied again; if 1.8 works, it is very likely that 0.9 will; and again, 0.45 watt .......
167: Tube DIY Asylum, Possible 45 Amp (many options) Long (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-12-09, 12:58:46 (80.189.78.126)
I have a very good 300B SET amp and well matched speakers. Amp is 2 stage, separate PSUs for each stage, PSUs are 2 pi tuned for good transient response(thanks Jeff and John S!). Driver is 6AN4 mu sta .......
168: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: M-CAP Supreme Silver & Gold vs silver oil (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-12-01, 12:40:17 (80.189.78.126)
My personal view: Silver/oil is exceptionally transparent and neutral, and in my book this makes it a very good cap (i.e. it does nothing!). But depending on the application it may sound slightly cold .......
169: Tube DIY Asylum, A Bit More Info ... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-11-16, 09:20:43 (80.189.5.35)
Hi, First, I have long been aware of how bad I am at evaluating hifi. My mind plays tricks on me but at least I know it; it is not uncommon. Pattern matching to stored 'sound images' may play a major .......
170: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: So, one change wouldn't be enough... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-11-15, 12:58:52 (80.189.5.35)
Some personal thoughts, some will disagree but here goes. I have limited experience with parts tweaking but some of it is rock solid and rigorous; I have two identical DIY phono stages (very good ones .......
171: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Need Advice: Power Supply for Tube Preamp (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-11-11, 12:02:23 (80.189.5.35)
Sorry, I'll have to let others answer your question. Good luck anyway. Care to give some more info about the circuit? Regards, Mike .......
172: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Need Advice: Power Supply for Tube Preamp (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-11-10, 12:59:21 (80.189.5.35)
My personal views: 1. Tube with 6CJ3 damper diodes (you need 2) gives pretty much the best points of both tube and SS, because the voltage drop (at preamp currents) is a mere few volts. So there will .......
173: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Ultralinear vs. Triode (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-10-23, 12:58:53 (80.189.5.35)
You should notice a more natural sound and assuming the rest of the system is good, you should get female vocals to amaze you; shivers down the spine, actually moaning with pleasure, the full works. O .......
174: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: What do you look for in a tube rectified power supply for a DHT? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-08-08, 01:31:04 (80.189.119.192)
Hi, I can't claim any credit for the idea; it was advice I received here many years ago. I forget who it was, but I should thank them as it seems to work well. Naim also use this technique a lot, eg p .......
175: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: What do you look for in a tube rectified power supply for a DHT? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-08-04, 12:36:38 (80.189.119.192)
As a wise person said below, you will get many conflicting replies! There seems merit in all of them, but I venture to make some suggestions as my latest SET amp has turned out very well indeed. Main .......
176: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: 2nd the 6AM4 ........... one of the finer tubes most have never heard.~NT (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-07-20, 12:19:11 (80.189.119.192)
I use its near cousin, the 6AN4, for two things; as 1st valve in a phono stage, and as driver in a 300B SET. In both cases I use active loading (pentode mu stage) for low output impedance. The 6AN4 is .......
177: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Yes, 0.26Hz, but that's only part of the calc. (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-05-22, 13:15:21 (80.189.203.136)
" As far as I know the only penalty for doing this is paying for Farads that you don't need." Pretty much right, but when looking for very high performance as you are, not quite. In general, the large .......
178: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Recipe for a great bias supply..... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-04-30, 11:57:09 (80.189.151.59)
Hi Andy, I've recently built one and it's good; well the 300B SET amp sounds fine. Rectify: full wave bridge with schottky diodes, highly over-rated (I had to get from the US, Mouser or Digikey I thin .......
179: Tube DIY Asylum, OK, I'll Howl (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-04-01, 00:26:56 (80.189.173.98)
"brilliant sound" ... "rich" ... "it makes me happy that I did it..." I'm going to howl: WELL DONE !!! That's what it's all about. :-) .......
180: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Lowering of line stage gain (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-03-30, 09:54:11 (80.189.235.1)
Wheezer has answered for me and the two of you have pretty much sorted this out. Just remember, to reduce the gain you will need a larger series R than 50k; I have used about 90k in the past (with E80 .......
181: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Lowering of line stage gain (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-03-29, 12:47:30 (80.189.235.1)
Perhaps in addition to other suggestions, do please try this. Use a series resistor with the pot as a volume control as follows. Disconnect the input wire (coming from dev2) from the 'top' of the pot. .......
182: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Best 6922 (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-03-25, 12:37:06 (80.189.235.1)
I hope some of this helps.... 1. Search on Tube Asylum and you'll get hundreds of results; then ask there? 2. As the units are your own DIY, would you consider changing to a different valve? Perhaps E .......
183: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Tools to Clean a Record (On a Budget) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-03-25, 12:21:43 (80.189.235.1)
I did get a few records cleaned professionally by a hifi dealer, many years ago, and wasn't impressed. That's why I tried DIY on some poor records, and after a bit of experimenting I found the paper t .......
184: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Tools to Clean a Record (On a Budget) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-03-24, 16:00:21 (80.189.235.1)
Paper kitchen towels; washing up liquid (tiny amount; clean newspaper. Put record on the newspaper, wet a piece of kitchen towel and add a tiny amount of washing up liquid, typically just touch the to .......
185: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: EL34 PP Pentode to Triode Mode, then 300B SET (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-03-24, 15:45:49 (80.189.235.1)
Well understood.:-) And a very interesting selection of speakers. Enjoy! .......
186: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: EL34 PP Pentode to Triode Mode, then 300B SET (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-03-21, 14:01:03 (80.189.235.1)
There's a lot in there that I like; 6SL7 LTP with CCS (the 6SL7 can swing a *lot* of volts with very low distortion). Then a follower with CC load (to overcome the high Zout of a 6SL7). Plenty of volt .......
187: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: EL34 PP Pentode to Triode Mode, then 300B SET (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-03-18, 14:51:56 (80.189.235.1)
V quick answer, more later with full details. Both amps are my own design. 1st amp has separate PSUs for driver and output stages (highly recommended for SET!). These are single pi with large 2nd cap. .......
188: Tube DIY Asylum, EL34 PP Pentode to Triode Mode, then 300B SET (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-03-18, 13:18:07 (80.189.235.1)
Started with Assemblage (Sonic Frontiers) EL34 PP pentode amp which was a decent, worthy performer. Having seen several (conflicting!) opinions on pseudo triode mode, I tried that on the Assemblage an .......
189: Vinyl Asylum, Other Music (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-03-11, 13:53:49 (80.189.235.1)
I have 9500 042, Rodrigo's Fantasia Para Un Gentilhombre, also by Pepe Romero and the ASMF/Marriner; it is *wonderful*, highly recommended. I do not have the 9500 563 but I can believe your write up a .......
190: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Limiting factor D3A (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-03-11, 06:33:02 (80.189.235.1)
Complex PSU overall. c1 L1 C2 L2 C3, then split ie C3 connects to these two legs: LC to the 2nd stage circuit LC, then split RC and RC to each D3a of the 1st stage; it is these final C's which are ele .......
191: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: ????? on power supply AGAIN!!!!!! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-03-10, 12:43:03 (80.189.235.1)
"If the preamp circuit deals with the closest stage(s) to it, then electrolytics in the earlier stages shouldn't have an effect, or too much of an effect on the sound. Correct?" Not correct in my expe .......
192: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: phono stage RIAA question. (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-02-26, 08:11:01 (80.189.235.1)
First, the circuit error. The 330k resistor going to earth should not be a resistor, it should be a capacitor of roughly 0.33 x the value of the other capacitor. I.e. 0.33 x 0.01uF giving 0.0033 uF. E .......
193: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Have you tried Hashimoto transformers yet? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-02-18, 11:25:27 (80.189.124.43)
I have tried Hashimoto OPTs in a 300B SET and I absolutely love them! I had a good 300B SET, but recently built another with a number of improvements. It has proved substantially better and I suggest .......
194: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Pinging Thorsten (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-02-07, 12:37:14 (80.189.225.158)
"with the EL-34 CCS in there the 6AS7 really doesn't see the power supply. Agree?" No, don't agree, both from my experience with active loaded ccts and from theory. Active loading does give a degree o .......
195: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Pentode Active Load (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-02-06, 09:35:24 (80.189.225.158)
Hi, I suggest you follow the link Ray provided to Alan Kimmel's article on Mu Stage Philosophy and study it carefully, it's magic. I have some experience with this circuit. When done well, I find it g .......
196: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Upgrade steps (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-01-28, 12:41:36 (80.189.236.75)
OK, but drawing a parallel .... these things seem like powerful, capable, solid state amps. For the delicacy, sensitivity, response AND peformance equivalent to a 300B SET, give me a Lotus any day! Mi .......
197: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Upgrade steps (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-01-28, 12:35:07 (80.189.236.75)
Hi Bill, What a simple question, and what problems trying to give a good answer for several reasons. There is a lot of illusion in audio, and self deception is common (I have certainly suffered). Ones .......
198: Tube DIY Asylum, Industry Standards (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-01-19, 12:08:30 (80.189.236.75)
There *were* de facto industry standards for signal levels; 100mV. And then along came CD at about 2 volts! .......
199: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: System gain. (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-01-19, 12:04:53 (80.189.236.75)
"Most of the time there is more than twice the gain in systems compared to what is required." I think you are right in general, and in my case I had more like 3 or 4 times the necessary gain until a f .......
200: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Interesting thread at DIY Audio ... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2011-01-11, 12:55:16 (80.189.236.75)
Laughing my silly head off!!!! OK, sometimes we lose the plot a little here, but the point is .... this person simply does not have a plot at all! :-) All those irrelevances, but no mention of the key .......
201: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Linn Lp12 Upgrade- 3 options (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-12-17, 07:25:51 (80.189.146.14)
My vote is to sell and get something better, and here are the reasons. The various upgrades are not cheap; if you go for this one, you will very soon fancy the next one, then the next one, and you cou .......
202: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Triode as plate load, opinions wanted (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-11-23, 12:40:08 (80.189.165.222)
I have some experience with three preamps all with active load. First was a Basie kit by Diyhifisupply. ECC82, loaded with ECC82 in a mu follower circuit (not SRPP), with a CF output stage. A pretty g .......
203: Tube DIY Asylum, Please have another think .... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-10-19, 01:33:34 (91.125.223.219)
No, no no .... I can see you have done a lot of reading and put some thought into this possible project, but you are getting into a bit of a mess here. The start point was IMHO a very poor preamp to s .......
204: Tube DIY Asylum, Some Thoughts (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-10-12, 12:36:58 (91.125.223.219)
Just kicking ideas around, nothing like ready to design or build. It does not matter if I don't make the best choice as I need another chassis for development anyway; so once I build something, I can .......
205: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: DIY Amp & Pre-Amp Kits (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-10-10, 10:42:13 (91.125.223.219)
Hi, I suggest you visit www.diyhifisupply.com and study everything on the site, the FAQs etc. I mention them as I built a Basie preamp and it was very good - better than the Assemblage (Sonic Frontier .......
206: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Good idea (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-10-10, 10:16:12 (91.125.223.219)
Yes, it does seem a good idea, thanks for the specific recommendations. I'll put this on the list of things to try. The existing preamp has Zout of about 400 ohms (measured) so it may not actually nee .......
207: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Fixed! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-10-09, 01:04:43 (91.125.223.219)
I agree it's hard to see what's what, with the bias supply, the grid resistor, and the miller capacitamce of the output valve. I tend to favour the view of the 'divide by ratio' factor you mention. Lo .......
208: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Siemens or Telefunken ECC88 Equivalents for Less $$$ ? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-10-08, 10:58:53 (91.125.223.219)
Hi, We all have to learn .... it was not that long ago that Par warned me, on another board, NOT to visit here! So here goes. By DIY we mean building valve equipment ourselves, i.e. amps, preamps, pho .......
209: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: 6P5G or 76 or 37. (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-10-08, 09:46:24 (91.125.223.219)
Great suggestions, many thanks .... they look ideal so I'll look them up (and the 27 suggested by Lew, thanks). As I said, I have had good results from mu stages, whereas a very experienced friend did .......
210: Tube DIY Asylum, Thanks Andy, I'll look it up (nt) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-10-08, 09:34:18 (91.125.223.219)
nt .......
211: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Suggestions to really improve iy. (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-10-08, 09:32:08 (91.125.223.219)
Hi Allen, Many thanks for the great 'lateral thinking' reply! The CD player is the QDS-15 which is the nohr under a different badge, with valves in the output stage though I believe it may also have o .......
212: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Siemens or Telefunken ECC88 Equivalents for Less $$$ ? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-10-07, 12:37:24 (91.125.223.219)
I tried many 6922's in my SF phono stage, back in the days before I got into DIY. Like you, I hoped to find something inexpensive that sounded *good*; never did, though. The 'value' Russians; well the .......
213: Tube DIY Asylum, Suggestions, Triode, mu about 10, to run at 5mA? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-10-07, 11:51:11 (91.125.223.219)
I have a very successful line preamp which is just an E80CC triode with E83F pentodes in a mu stage circuit. It is a beautifully simple unit, with a good quality PSU (cLC then LC left and LC right); s .......
214: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Fixed! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-10-07, 11:06:57 (91.125.223.219)
"With fixed bias (push pull or SE) the last cap(s) in the bias supply is/are completely in the signal path." But there is the grid resistor in the circuit, isolating the grid from the bias supply. Tak .......
215: Tube DIY Asylum, Fixed - With a Proviso or Two (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-10-07, 10:53:23 (91.125.223.219)
Like some others here, I favour not having a large cathode bypass cap directly in the signal path. Every time I have removed a large (electrolytic) PSU cap from a unit, the sound has improved signific .......
216: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Current vs. Watts in regards to power amplifiers (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-08-24, 11:45:45 (91.125.225.208)
This is all encouraging. There is potential to fine tune the bass reflex ports to improve the match to a future SET amp, but I have a feeling that this may not be necessary. As you cannot audition SET .......
217: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Current vs. Watts in regards to power amplifiers (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-08-22, 13:12:50 (91.125.225.208)
Hi, You have had some good encouraging answers. In particular, this business of current and damping factor is, as some suggest, too simplistic a way of looking into the very complex matter of amp/spea .......
218: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Favorite SET 300B circuit (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-08-12, 11:47:28 (91.125.232.27)
Here are some thoughts, from my very limited experience with the one 300B SET that I have built. OK, I have only built one and hence I know very little; but this amp is pretty good so I have not felt .......
219: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: A heretic question for peoples, who belive in simmulations (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-08-11, 13:19:01 (91.125.232.27)
Quote: My view on simulation is this. "They are hardly perfect at telling you what will work, but very accurate at telling you what won't work." this has been my expereince. A very perceptive commen .......
220: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Output Circuit Upgrade (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-06-18, 11:13:54 (91.125.118.51)
I agree totally about trying triode mode as it's cheap and easy, and for me it was a significant improvement. OK, results can be a matter of taste; but I really liked the more natural and organic soun .......
221: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Here I go again ... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-04-16, 11:52:47 (91.125.118.51)
A thought about the driver cct with anode load ... As I see it, the anode load choke acts somewhat like a CCS in that it will pass the DC that the valve needs, but will resist AC. I think that should .......
222: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: impedence of CCS mu output (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-04-12, 12:34:59 (91.125.118.51)
Hi Michael, I like the look of this unit a lot, even though I don't really understand the solid state parts. I also use active loads giving low Zout, which can then drive a low impedance RIAA (low ser .......
223: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Before you get all fancy like with that battery... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-03-30, 12:41:20 (91.125.253.3)
Surely the seriously high voltage out of the driver stage is doing the opposite, and turning the output valve fully ON? Have I got this right? I agree totally with the idea of trying a simple cathode .......
224: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: puzzled (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-03-30, 12:33:36 (91.125.253.3)
I was going to suggest you measure the voltages at various points across the output stage ie the anode and cathode of the 211; but on reflection I suggest you do NOT do this, and do NOT power up the o .......
225: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: No (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-03-26, 14:08:27 (91.125.253.3)
I did that in my preamp and it works extremely well. Highly recommended. In fact it is a cLC, then split LC left and LC right. I think I have seen this referred to as a Y split. I did a few things to .......
226: Tube DIY Asylum, Thanks, will do so! NT (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-03-09, 01:26:45 (91.125.253.3)
nt .......
227: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: There is more to it....... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-03-08, 12:28:21 (91.125.253.3)
Thanks Jeff for your encouragement; it *is* fun, learning! Yes, voltages quoted are output voltages. A quick run of PSUD with a single pi filter suggests that to meet 250mA ripple needs about 300uF fi .......
228: Tube DIY Asylum, A Thought about your Hum (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-03-08, 01:40:39 (91.125.253.3)
Hi, I call your PSU config a Y split and have used it several times, usually successfully, sometimes not. When the second stages (the parallel final legs) have the same time constant, they can sometim .......
229: Tube DIY Asylum, I have to Smile ... :-) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-03-07, 09:18:34 (91.125.253.3)
My present 300B SET amp, built about 8 years ago, uses (for the output stage) a single pi filter of 10uF, 10H, 600uF. This was fairly typical of the kind of PSU in published circuits; I just copied wh .......
230: Tube DIY Asylum, Power Supply Quandary, 300B SET (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-03-06, 01:39:14 (91.125.253.3)
I have been following the excellent thread about "question of power supply capacitor value". Superb, essential reading for anyone doing a power supply. I have learnt a lot, and I compliment all for .......
231: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: PIX ONGEN - Phono/RIAA amplifier (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-03-04, 13:02:14 (91.125.253.3)
Hi, Nice to chat about your fine unit. First, phono stages are not easy; anyone who gets one working reasonably well has done well. To also get great sound, that is a real success. Well done. The mu f .......
232: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: PIX ONGEN - Phono/RIAA amplifier (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-03-03, 11:44:20 (91.125.253.3)
Hi, I like this cct a lot. It shares some features and approach with my latest phono stage which is sounding pretty decent. I can well believe that your unit sounds very good indeed. I personally like .......
233: Vinyl Asylum, RE: phono stage. (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-02-25, 13:03:32 (91.125.253.3)
Hi, My DIY valve phono stages take about 100 to 200 hours of 'offline' running in to sound good, and then 3 to 6 months(!) of normal use to reach full performance (though there is not a great change o .......
234: Tube DIY Asylum, SRPP vs Mu Follower (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-02-25, 11:54:07 (91.125.253.3)
I found an opinion about mu follower vs SRPP, with the same valve; mu follower was rated "MAGIC, really MAGIC!!" and the improvement over SRPP was "incredible". A link to the post is below. ::: TOPIC: .......
235: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Excellent suggestion! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-02-21, 12:07:54 (91.125.253.3)
I agree about achieving isolation by using chokes and I do this myself in several units. Sometimes it gives problems ... It works very well in my line preamp, where the PSU is cLC, then split LC left .......
236: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Matching Transformer Specifications (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-02-20, 11:40:42 (91.125.253.3)
Hi, A comment or two. B+ supply rated 175mA will be no problem. It may give slightly higher B+ voltage; but assuming the B+ power supply has a capacitor input filter, you can compensate for this later .......
237: Tube DIY Asylum, Thanks ... updated now, I hope it works, NT. (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-02-16, 12:29:05 (91.125.199.115)
nt .......
238: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Comments on minimalist 6cg7 linestage (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-02-13, 02:48:14 (91.125.199.115)
I have some experience with single stage active loaded line preamps so here goes. Punch line first; the clear winner is 'Nina' (some details are on this board if you search). It is a triode/pentode Ki .......
239: Tube DIY Asylum, LL9206, LL1931 (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-02-11, 12:16:18 (91.125.199.115)
Hi, I really like the LL1931; a very detailed, natural sound and great dynamics. I find it very significantly better than the LL9206, having done direct comparisons. There is not a lot wrong with the .......
240: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: I use 1N4xxx (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-02-03, 01:14:58 (91.125.206.238)
Hi, Good advice, I know. But my scopes only go up to 25 Mhz, and in the nicest way, it's cheaper for me to buy some schottkys than a better scope! :-) Regards .......
241: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Bias Supply Diodes (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-02-03, 01:11:32 (91.125.206.238)
Thanks ... I think all options are OK, but I've found readily available suitable schottkys and will go with those. I know what you mean about direct coupling or grid chokes for 300B in fixed bias; it .......
242: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Bias Supply Diodes (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-01-31, 13:00:07 (91.125.206.238)
Thanks, I get all that ... I see how one dual device will do it. I'm in the UK but Digikey over here have it, and at a good price, so that's it. In fact for the small cost I might as well get 3, use o .......
243: Tube DIY Asylum, Bias Supply Diodes (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-01-31, 10:00:17 (91.125.206.238)
For a new 300B SET with fixed bias, I plan to use quality SS diode rectifiers, but the more I search here and at suppliers, the more confused I get ... hence this post. My present amp uses a very simp .......
244: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: just one refinement issue on using 6gk5/6gk5 or any two similar triodes (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-01-30, 09:36:05 (91.125.206.238)
Very interesting, thanks! I'm getting very good results from a 2 stage unit, with 6AN4 in the first stage and 6072A in the second stage. I have generally avoided using the same valve in successive sta .......
245: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Great news! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-01-28, 11:50:03 (91.125.206.238)
Quote: "I would be beside myself if it got better" When you have about 200 hours on them, in say 2 months time, will one of you please post the results here? I say 'one of you' because you will be bes .......
246: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Thanks for that... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-01-28, 11:36:16 (91.125.206.238)
Don't be too hasty to change from 6CJ3 ... I also use 6CJ3's, both in a line pre and in several phono stages. The high heater current and the need for two of them are inconvenient, so I'd love to find .......
247: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Newbie phono stage (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-01-28, 08:16:04 (91.125.206.238)
Hi, You certainly don't mind a challenge then; phono stages are by far the hardest thing to get right in most people's opinion. I've done five now and have learnt a lot, and now have something pretty .......
248: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: I not only agree with Triode-Kingdom but (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-01-27, 09:39:02 (91.125.206.238)
Thanks, that was my plan anyway, to split by stage rather than by channel. I have noticed posts here about the pros and cons of the monobloc approach and I'm happy to go with both channels from the sa .......
249: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Two Power Supplies from One Transformer? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-01-26, 12:11:33 (91.125.206.238)
Hi, Many thanks for passing on more of your expertise and in a pleasant way. My only answers to your points are: I'm not comparing company A vs compny B; I'm considering products from the one company. .......
250: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Two Power Supplies from One Transformer? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-01-25, 13:16:38 (91.125.206.238)
Thanks, I'm encouraged. I'll go for an over rated TX as usual, say 300mA when I'll take about 180mA. But I think I still need two sets of rectifers as the first caps in each leg are somewhat different .......
251: Tube DIY Asylum, Two Power Supplies from One Transformer? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-01-25, 12:08:23 (91.125.206.238)
I am planning a 300B SET, to be a development of my present DIY one; this has been a successful amp which is why I'm doing something similar. The present amp has separate PSUs for the driver stage, .......
252: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Capacitors (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-01-21, 09:32:48 (91.125.33.151)
Some comments, some questions. First, I'm pleased by the many great responses you have had already. People say there is no simple 'best' or great choice; you have to try things and evaluate for yourse .......
253: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Me too! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-01-14, 10:59:18 (91.125.33.151)
Hi, Disconnect all connections to the mains tx and don't connect anything to the mains. As no fuse blew, there is just a chance the tx might be OK but check everything carefully and if in any doubt, d .......
254: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Me too! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-01-09, 08:22:43 (91.125.10.70)
OK, a few things. 1. When you powered it up and it smoked, what happened? Did you switch off right away, did it blow a fuse in the unit, blow a fuse in the plug, blow a fuse in the house, or trip an e .......
255: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: How to install FT-3 teflon caps? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-01-07, 07:58:30 (91.125.10.70)
For foil caps: If there is no recommendation from the maker; and if you don't know which end the outer foil is connected to; then I suggest the following. First and most important, install both channe .......
256: Tube DIY Asylum, Me too! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-01-07, 07:50:49 (91.125.10.70)
Hi, About 2 months ago I had a mains TX overheat and fail, in my phono stage. It was a bad rectifier tube that caused it. The mains TX overheated and was ruined before the fuse blew. To the original p .......
257: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Nice to see you! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2010-01-04, 01:06:07 (91.125.10.70)
Indeed, I'm pleased to see you here again (though we have crossed swords once or twice!) :-) Us UK members must stick together, we are in a minority! Regards Mike .......
258: SET Asylum, RE: 300b mono amplifiers (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-12-20, 07:01:03 (91.125.228.112)
Several years ago I was advised (on Tube DIY Asylum) to consider splitting the PSU by stage rather than by channel. I.e. to have one PSU for the driver stage (both channels) and another for the output .......
259: Tube DIY Asylum, My Thoughts ..... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-12-18, 03:21:43 (91.125.228.112)
For what they are worth; I don't know this unit, not an expert but have done some phono stages, some OK, some not! :-) Have you ever considered doing tuning mods to a car? Then you look at the big pic .......
260: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Why EL34? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-12-07, 11:53:38 (91.125.228.112)
Thanks, a never ending learning experience as ever. I have become quite good at configuring mu stages and usually get them to settle very close to design conditions without needing to experiment with .......
261: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Why EL34? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-12-07, 11:38:25 (91.125.228.112)
Use of D3a as a load; yes, in more than one mu stage (see a post above). All were successful. What's more I can say that I found the D3a to sound better than E180F as a load, but not a major differenc .......
262: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Mu Stage Sound Signature (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-12-07, 11:29:10 (91.125.228.112)
An attempt at an answer and some further comments. Some playing around with mu stages in phono stages suggests to me that the sound is say 80 to 90% that of the triode, 10 to 20% that of the pentode. .......
263: Tube DIY Asylum, Why EL34? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-12-06, 14:07:08 (91.125.228.112)
To supply 18mA, the EL34 does not seem quite right to me. Why not use a D3a which I find runs very well at about 20mA so should be well suited to your application; and it is an excellent pentode, good .......
264: Vinyl Asylum, RE: MC step up transformer (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-11-03, 12:33:15 (91.125.228.112)
Hi Tigro, I'm sure you have searched and found the usual problem which is that some of us have tried perhaps two or three SUTs, but as good ones are expensive it is rare for anyone to try several. Mys .......
265: Vinyl Asylum, RE: DIY Cole vs. K&K Maxxed Out (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-08-28, 12:26:18 (91.125.29.127)
I cannot help with the phon stage units you mention but can confirm that the Lundahl LL1931 is a superb SUT. I have compared it to the S&B ones which I also own, and I have a definite preference for t .......
266: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Going to need more tone & timbre (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-08-24, 12:02:08 (91.125.7.197)
In my opinion, you have implied the answer yourself in your post, I quote: "As a tube-rectified SET ... person such as myself, I must have timbre and tone". Quite simply (in my pesonal view based on e .......
267: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Which of these tube configurations do you prefer? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-07-22, 11:31:11 (91.125.6.4)
Hi, I suggest that, for your questions, you can't consider the amp in isolation; the amp/speaker interaction is what it's all about. OK, in a later post, you suggest some speakers that are easy to dri .......
268: SET Asylum, RE: Can 300Bs play rock? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-07-21, 12:20:44 (91.125.6.4)
A 300B SET certainly can play rock - and in a solid, startling way, just about knocks me off my chair. But the speakers have to be right, and I suspect that yours simply are not. My speakers are less .......
269: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Ideas Needed! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-07-13, 14:44:20 (80.189.117.227)
Just my view here ... Sorry to be blunt but the setup you have is so poor that I would not myself try to rework it, as there is a simple cheap elegant solution. For just a pair of 6SL7's, a small 6v t .......
270: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: 12au7 advice & accurate reproduction (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-06-21, 11:39:10 (91.125.45.236)
Agreed about the transformer capacity, total power demand etc. The thing that might cause a problem is if the heaters are powered from a regulated supply of only just enough current capacity to drive .......
271: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: 12au7 advice & accurate reproduction (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-06-19, 12:41:51 (91.125.45.236)
Agreed, the E80CC is far superior. And I also tend to prefer Tungsram E80CC to Mullard/Philips. But the latter are fine, and can be a valid 'voicing' option. Just a word of caution to the original pos .......
272: SET Asylum, RE: Newbie question about SETs (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-06-06, 01:31:16 (91.125.45.236)
OK, I'll be pleased to post the cct, no time now, will do tomorrow. It uses 6SL7 (both halves parallelled) as the triode, as the Welborne Laurel. Pentode load is E83F pentode which I like a lot in thi .......
273: SET Asylum, RE: Newbie question about SETs (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-06-05, 08:41:41 (91.125.62.42)
Hi, I'm not enough of an expert to give much of an answer. I'll make suggestions on two points though. The 300B takes a lot of driving due to its high Miller capacitance; a low impedance driver should .......
274: SET Asylum, RE: Newbie question about SETs (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-06-04, 12:26:55 (91.125.62.42)
I only have experience with 300B but even so I can offer a suggestion or two. First, you can't consider an amp in isolation; it's an amp-speaker system, and this applies to any amp, SS, whatever. It a .......
275: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Bottlehead Seduction Advice (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-06-04, 12:00:05 (91.125.62.42)
Just one small suggestion as you mentioned the iron; it may not be relevant but here goes. I suggest having a spare soldering iron for this reason. Sometimes I find it necessary to solder many wires ( .......
276: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Jennifer Warnes (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-06-01, 12:17:53 (91.125.62.42)
OK, it's all a matter of taste, but for me her best LP by far is 'Shot through the heart'. More solid and substantial than her others, but also with more subtle details, more quality and sensitivity t .......
277: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Linda Ronstadt & Nelson Riddle "For Sentimental Reasons" (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-05-28, 13:03:43 (91.125.62.42)
Yes, superb. Rumour has it that she learnt to sing before making this LP (yes, took lessons), and it shows ..... :-) .......
278: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Rather than getting stuck with a stock LP12 if you can't afford the Keel, Jim ... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-05-28, 13:01:15 (91.125.62.42)
Andy, I agree completely - assuming the Cetech is still available. The Cetech was the biggest single upgrade I ever made to my Linn and is highly recommended. I only take issue with one thing - the Ce .......
279: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Nina Preamp - Picture (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-05-28, 12:36:58 (91.125.62.42)
Attached, a picture. I mentioned a short signal path. Well you can see the signal valves at the rear left of the unit; you can judge the shortness of the signal path from this. .......
280: Tube DIY Asylum, Nina Preamp Circuit (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-05-28, 12:16:42 (91.125.62.42)
Attached should be the circuit. Note, the resistor above the E80CC anode is 12kohm. Some things of interest (may be mentioned in my original posts but here goes anyway). I found the shunt resistor .......
281: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Alan Kimmel's FET load mu-stage vs. choke loaded mu-stage? Which? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-05-26, 13:07:55 (91.125.62.42)
Hi, With respect, and with some relevant experience, may I suggest a very different choice of valve and more thought about the design. One strength of the mu stage is that you don't need high Gm in th .......
282: Vinyl Asylum, RE: The Reiner Scheherazade (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-05-01, 11:56:25 (80.189.36.229)
The new reissue I bought for a friend a few years ago was most disappointing! We found an old original record of the same Reiner performance and, though it had noticeable noise, it was far more *music .......
283: Vinyl Asylum, RE: UK source for a perspex plinth lid (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-05-01, 11:42:23 (80.189.36.229)
Look in Yellow Pages for a local supplier of perspex that can make things up. I've had two TT covers made for me. One was cut and glued all round; another had 2 sides bent, the other 2 sides cut and g .......
284: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: E180F vs E810F vs E280F vs D3a (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-04-21, 13:38:14 (80.189.36.229)
Here's a *small* amount of information, based on a comparison in one circuit in one unit. The unit was a phono stage (pretty good in fact, better than my tweaked Sonic Frontiers unit, but I went on to .......
285: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Assemblege ST-40 (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-04-21, 13:15:03 (80.189.36.229)
Hi, First, it's a good amp. Mine had the 'parts upgrades' fitted from the start; mainly this is better multicaps. I guess that even better caps would make a useful improvement. Try to get opinions her .......
286: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Morch DP-6 setup hints or tips anyone? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-04-09, 12:36:03 (80.189.36.229)
OK, a few thoughts. First, it's an absolutely superb arm, worth getting the best out of it. If this means going to some trouble to get the right arm wand, consider doing so e.g. see if anyone wants to .......
287: Music Lane, RE: Beth Rowley (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-04-02, 13:00:43 (80.189.36.229)
At last! Recognition over there for one of the best recent UK CDs. Yes, it's good. Within say my top 4 or 5 of the last year or so. But my favourites of 2007/2008/2009 remain: Martha Tilston, Milkmaid .......
288: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: PHONO PREAMP LF PROBLEM (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-04-02, 12:49:42 (80.189.36.229)
I tend to suspect a complex oscillation within the PSU. By this I mean an interaction between parts of the PSU, possibly the final part of the feed to different stages. In particular, I tend to suspec .......
289: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: swapping coupling caps, the last 1% (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-03-23, 14:10:35 (80.189.36.229)
Hi, You ask about break-in so here's a comment or two. I'd agree about OCD behaviour if it were the last 1% of performance that comes from breaking in, but IMHO it's far far more than that. In a sense .......
290: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Mundorfs (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-03-16, 12:09:46 (80.189.9.143)
Yes, it's the silver/oil ones I'm using. But I'm about to build a 'development' version of the same phono stage circuit on a spare chassis, and I'll try K40Y's - I already have some. Should be interes .......
291: Tube DIY Asylum, Mundorfs (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-03-15, 03:05:53 (80.189.9.143)
I wonder if you gave the Mundorfs long enough to run in. At first they sound poor by any standards (and awful for the price!), but I find they really do improve after a few hundred hours. I have just .......
292: SET Asylum, RE: I put a sock in it... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-03-09, 15:12:36 (80.189.9.143)
Well done! That kind of thing is exactly the thing to try first of all, as it's easy, free, does not involve physical mods to the speakers, and sometimes it can work. I would like to think you might h .......
293: SET Asylum, Quasi Sealed (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-03-03, 09:10:54 (91.125.118.126)
Thanks for that. Quasi sealed; ported at really low frequency. Yes, I guess that's promising, especially with valve amps. My speakers (MTM) needed porting at a fairly low frequency (about 32Hz I think .......
294: Vinyl Asylum, RE: I can hear the next groove playing quietly... what setup problem is this indicitive of? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-03-02, 11:43:51 (91.125.168.242)
It's not a problem with your equipment or setup. One possible explanation: In the cutting process, the groove spacing is continuously varied to get a decent playing time on an LP. When music is loud, .......
295: SET Asylum, RE: What's the cause of "slow" bass? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-03-02, 11:19:23 (91.125.168.242)
Slow bass and loose bass with SET are almost always due to a fundamental mismatch between amp and speakers which gives a wrong "bass alignment"; wrong, in that it is not how the speaker designer inten .......
296: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Inputs Please! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-02-21, 12:03:42 (91.125.168.242)
If it were me, I'd be very tempted to do the following. Remove the RCAs, put grommets in, take the interconnects right into the unit. Put the output cap close to the output valve, terminate the interc .......
297: Vinyl Asylum, RE: 1st time poster-please help! Hum in MC step up I built (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-02-18, 01:29:31 (91.125.168.242)
There could be a very easy solution. Take a wire from each TX, at the point where it goes quiet when you touch it, and connect them to the grounding post on the back of the preamp or amp where you con .......
298: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Almost... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-02-17, 13:13:28 (91.125.168.242)
Ok, perhaps I'm getting my terms a bit wrong but I think between us, we've identified the type of circuit in question. It appears to be both. Switched to one mode, it seems to be a capacitor multiplie .......
299: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: So what is this (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-02-17, 00:22:56 (91.125.168.242)
Yes, when I saw about the unit in question I thought it was some kind of gyrator circuit. I know of the gyrator (never used it), also IIRC known as an "amplified capacitor" or "bootstrapped capacitor" .......
300: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Linn Ekos on a non-Linn Turntable? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-02-14, 01:20:58 (91.125.168.242)
OK, I'll dive in with a personal view. I've owned a Linn with Ittok, and I hear several systems with Linn LP12 and Ekos and Ittok. The Ittok was a good arm and good value (bought used when many people .......
301: Tube DIY Asylum, That Does Make Sense (to me at least) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-02-12, 11:36:15 (91.125.168.242)
For a start, I use exactly the values you quote for the RIAA components in two phono stages, and they are both good. I'm trying to choose between them even now. A high output impedance of the 1st stag .......
302: Vinyl Asylum, Cartridge Loading / SUT Choice (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-02-09, 07:18:33 (91.125.168.242)
There's lots of info on this asylum about the 901. First, it seems that 10:1 stepup works well; several people use this. Next, loading; 20 ohms specified by the maker when using a SUT; Doug Deacon get .......
303: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Using two phono stages (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-02-09, 01:05:16 (91.125.168.242)
There really is no alternative to using a proper stepup device. I have used a Lentek battery powered head amp which is good; but a decent stepup transformer (eg Lundahl LL9206) is better, with much be .......
304: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Shinkoh or Tantalum (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-02-03, 01:48:38 (91.125.168.242)
That's interesting ... can you say what you hated about the Kiwames? I'm tempted to try tants as anode load. Regards Mike .......
305: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Resistor Recommendation (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-02-01, 14:07:18 (91.125.168.242)
I'm getting very good sound and an exceptionally quiet result in two phono stages from Kiwames as anode loads. Combine these with tanatalums as cathode bias resistors (unbypassed in my case), and then .......
306: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Back to the cap leakage issue (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-01-28, 00:27:38 (91.125.28.142)
This DC offset; what resistance is it measured across? Are we talking a dc offset at the output terminals when these are not connected to anything? If so, do you have a bleed (often about 1 megohm) ac .......
307: SET Asylum, RE: SET bass issue, would appreciate insight (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-01-23, 00:51:17 (91.125.28.142)
Hi MP, A simple model based only on Thiele-Small parameters and approximate measurements of the cabinet would give some useful info, I think. But I understand your concerns. I'll see if I can put some .......
308: SET Asylum, Thanks! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-01-23, 00:38:22 (91.125.28.142)
Yes, you're right that 1.6 isn't low. Thanks for helping my education. :-) The lovely Seas ER18RNX that I use has Qms of 1.58 . I see several drivers of 2 to 2.5, but I didn't realise that Qms could b .......
309: SET Asylum, RE: SET bass issue, would appreciate insight (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-01-22, 01:47:08 (91.125.28.142)
A quick look at the damping values shows the problem. Qms is high at 1.6, meaning there is little mechanical damping. The speaker relies on electrical damping. When that is reduced, by using an amp wi .......
310: SET Asylum, RE: SET bass issue, would appreciate insight (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-01-21, 09:51:56 (91.125.28.142)
Hi, I have some positive experience at avoiding the kind of problem you have, and can offer advice on how you can obtain the insight you are after, and possibly work towards a solution. It is possible .......
311: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Cap Identify (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-01-20, 00:44:44 (91.125.213.181)
The colour and the style of printing suggests the type of cap that Maplin UK sell as 'audio grade film cap' which I believe are metallised film, probably made by LCR. I have used Maplin audio grade fi .......
312: Vinyl Asylum, RE: REVIEW: Morch DP-6 Tonearm (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-01-17, 00:51:04 (91.125.213.181)
That's very much how I'd describe my DP-6 which I first used on a Linn LP12, but now is on a Teres. I know exactly what you mean by 'organic'. If you try to listen for what the arm *does*, you hear no .......
313: Tube DIY Asylum, Grid Connection for 7 Pin TV VHF/UHF Valves (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-01-07, 12:57:33 (91.125.213.181)
Valves like 6AN4,6J4 etc often have multiple grid connections. I believe it is to give an evenly distributed potential to the grid or some such good reason. I plan to use one of these (possibly 6AN4) .......
314: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: valve heaters (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2009-01-03, 01:34:21 (80.189.125.95)
I doubt if it's a good idea; a 6.3V psu is easy to make using a 6V toroid transformer and say Steve Bench's cct which I use. But here's one tip about the 12V / 12.6V supply. If you have a regulated 12 .......
315: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: mounting motor run caps (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-12-28, 00:39:55 (80.189.125.95)
I use builders silicone sealer, a good blob on each corner of the flat area, to glue it to the underside of the chassis. Don't push it down too much, leave it about 1/8 to 1/4 inch off the chassis; if .......
316: SET Asylum, I Like That ... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-12-24, 02:23:16 (80.189.125.95)
"I've designed my high efficiency speakers to take this source impedance into account for proper voicing" Oh yes, yes, yes! I hope you are doing well with your products as you deserve to. For the b .......
317: SET Asylum, RE: I suggest a simple test (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-12-23, 00:28:46 (80.189.125.95)
Hi, I don't doubt your figures. I gave up trying to measure mine, must try again sometime. But I am sure the difference between 2.5 and 4 ohms will not invalidate the process, or upset the bass modell .......
318: SET Asylum, I suggest a simple test (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-12-22, 02:50:39 (80.189.125.95)
First, I don't think volume will be a problem. A good SET seems able to over drive to handle peaks. Subjectively I find my 6 wpc 300B SET produces as much volume as 20 wpc EL34 trioded PP, or 45 wpc N .......
319: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Capacitors recommendation (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-12-21, 12:42:28 (80.189.125.95)
OK, you are looking for: "very high-end ... fast, very clear, detailed, clean and sweet sound". I assume you want coupling caps. I suggest two that come close to the above: Mundorf silver/oil Audyn Pl .......
320: Tube DIY Asylum, Strong Recommendation (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-12-16, 11:36:44 (80.189.125.95)
I suggest you first try adding a shunt resistor to the existing pot; then possibly upgrade with a better pot. Here's how. Disconnect the 'top' end of the pot, where the signal live comes in. Take the .......
321: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Ran the numbers....... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-12-16, 00:17:15 (80.189.125.95)
Yes, done deal in my opinion. If you want a bit in hand, to allow the unit to drive just about anything in the future, you might double it to 1uF. Regards .......
322: Tube DIY Asylum, E180F, D3a etc (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-12-06, 00:57:21 (80.189.125.95)
Hi, I'm about to try D3a triode connected as 1st stage in a phono stage. It has high gain and very low Ri so it looks promising for this. It's an interesting and fairly easy project using the chassis .......
323: Tube DIY Asylum, Thanks Chris (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-12-05, 13:27:25 (80.189.125.95)
I didn't know that - but I'm willing to learn .... I use ac on my 300B's, not enough hum to bother me even with fairly sensitive speakers; and this SET amp sounds very, very good. Everywhere else I us .......
324: Tube DIY Asylum, Why do you want to use AC? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-12-05, 11:39:22 (80.189.125.95)
Why do you want to use AC heater supply? A very good dc supply can be made up at little cost and fits on veroboard size 25mm x 100mm. I use Steve Bench's cct with a couple of small variations. This .......
325: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: In a sense we're all doing this (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-12-01, 05:34:48 (80.189.125.95)
Good post Andy. Can I just add that some of us choose some tubes because *nobody* else uses them! :-) Those tubes tend to be very cheap. Sometimes it's done just for the fun of it; and this is a hobby .......
326: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: I've been buying stuff from Brian Cherry since he first opened shop... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-11-28, 11:56:13 (91.125.4.156)
Same here; I was also one of the first; built probably the first Basie preamp of anyone here. It sounded very good. Later I did a parts upgrade and it sounded better. Then I did my own design, taking .......
327: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: D3a Pentode (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-11-27, 11:14:45 (91.125.4.156)
Hi, I hope the cct is attached but here's the data. 185V B+ 1st stage: 51 ohm Rk, 1500 ohm Ra, G2 dropper 6800 ohm, G2 cap 6.8uF D3a should run just over 20mA, G2 at 150V. RIAA based on 21.6k R1 gr .......
328: Tube DIY Asylum, D3a Pentode (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-11-26, 01:51:06 (91.125.4.156)
Hi, Good suggestion - butI've already tried that, with mixed results. I used a lower load than that, but about 20mA. 2 stages with passive riaa in between, riaa being about 22kohm series R, 0.1uF and .......
329: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: 6072 Operating Points, Dissipation (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-11-25, 01:09:48 (91.125.4.156)
Hi Dave, Thanks to you and others for suggesting the op point. Here's what I propose (I can easily vary it and see). I might shade the current up a touch from the general suggestion of 3mA, and try sa .......
330: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: 6072 Operating Points, Dissipation (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-11-25, 00:47:25 (91.125.4.156)
Do try the gold EH; I'd say they do sound *better* than NOS GE and others that I've tried. .......
331: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: 6072 Operating Points, Dissipation (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-11-25, 00:45:24 (91.125.4.156)
Thanks Jim, advice noted! It is the tubes (or rather, how I'm misusing them); the EH all started quiet (and superb sounding) but went off after a few hours. After 3 times, different batches (two gold, .......
332: Tube DIY Asylum, 6072 Operating Points, Dissipation (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-11-24, 13:58:17 (91.125.4.156)
I've had good sonic results using a 6072 in first position in a phono stage, active loaded with a D3a. But there was a problem. I ran it at 5mA, about 180V anode and about -1.2V bias. 0.9 watt dissipa .......
333: SET Asylum, RE: Futher thoughts... (about 12 o'clock and 75 dB) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-11-19, 03:41:52 (91.125.4.156)
Another thought. Pop over to Tube DIY and ask about how to build a simple buffer to put between the phono stage and the power amp. Won't even need a volume pot; just a power supply, input cap, bias (e .......
334: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Mike C (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-11-18, 23:40:08 (91.125.4.156)
Yes, the gold pin (Mullard, Philips, Amperex etc) E80cc are sweet, lovely sound, but I generally prefer Tungsram. Nice to have both! I don't use any 12AX7. My CD player came with these and I put in 57 .......
335: SET Asylum, RE: First venture into the SET world...some advice please. (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-11-18, 11:05:42 (91.125.4.156)
Line stage preamps are often said to be unnecessary, and that is often but not always true. I heard a system with a passive preamp that sounded good, didn't need any extra gain; but sound quality impr .......
336: Tube DIY Asylum, I Feel Mildly Insulted .... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-11-18, 09:50:26 (91.125.4.156)
... and I think many others here might do also. I fall more into the B category - but that does not mean I dismiss plug and play. What's more, many good projects have started directly through a bit of .......
337: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: BTW- 6922 or 12AX7 cathode follower or RC (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-11-06, 12:48:18 (91.125.4.156)
6922s: Most I've tried were poor. I've not tried CCa's, but a normal Siemens was just about OK. Tungsram, one type was very good, another wasn't. Mullard ECC88 was OK, fairly good. The best I ever fou .......
338: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: kits (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-11-05, 09:54:00 (91.125.4.156)
Just a quick suggestion, especially now you look like having some support. Avoid kits which are primarily PCB based, as you won't learn much. A kit which builds up the cct on the valve base and tag st .......
339: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Looking for 6SL7 + 6SN7 MM phono preamp schematic... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-11-05, 09:48:07 (91.125.4.156)
You raise some good points and, like Stephen R, I agree in part. Stephen knows more on the subject than I do and has given me good advice and guidance in the past. Tre, the part I generally agree with .......
340: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Running large lytic's far under their rated voltage is risky....? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-11-02, 08:09:54 (91.125.4.156)
I've also seen this, from a reputable source but I forget where; quite possibly a cap manufacturer. I personally comply with it. I would not dismiss it as hogwash! .......
341: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Do I need 4uF ? Here are my preamp and amp specs (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-10-29, 12:26:46 (91.125.4.156)
Hi, In fact we get very close agreement here. My quick calculations were based on 50kohms input impedance of the driven unit, and gave about 0.5uF. In fact you have say 10kohms input impedance; one f .......
342: Vinyl Asylum, RE: off topic but is that Jim Clark in a Lotus? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-10-28, 07:40:21 (91.125.4.156)
One of my other passions is a 1976 Lotus Elite 4 seater .... when it's running (which it isn't at present). .......
343: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: 4uF Coupling Cap Suggestions for this CCS stage (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-10-28, 06:37:22 (91.125.4.156)
I'm surprised nobady has raised this point so here goes. I assume this is an output decoupling cap and it will connect to a normal preamp with input impedance of something like 47kohms. If this is the .......
344: Vinyl Asylum, Arianna Savall? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-10-22, 09:09:06 (91.125.4.156)
I wondered if she might be related; turns out she's his daughter. And what a voice she has, with her delicate harp playing. Her CD Bella Terra is a favourite of mine. Sorry, I know this is VA; but gor .......
345: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Phono construction ideas (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-10-21, 01:04:14 (91.125.4.156)
I agree about 21k, that's not a high Z for riaa and I use exactly your values in one of my phono stages; 0.1uF and 0.033uF nominal values, selected for the right ratio. It's very interesting to know .......
346: Tube DIY Asylum, The key word is 'Drive' (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-10-20, 12:17:01 (91.125.4.156)
Some may disagree, but my view is you really have to drive a 300B to get the best. And that means at least +/- 100V signal swing, preferably more. And from a low output impedance driver stage, able to .......
347: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Phono construction ideas (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-10-20, 12:09:24 (91.125.4.156)
What's the cct? This will have a big effect on the component choices. E.g. silver mica caps in the RIAA means small value caps and this further means a large series resistance; I personally don't favo .......
348: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Go octal perhaps....No (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-10-20, 11:57:32 (91.125.4.156)
Hmmm ... I very very much doubt that any 12AX7 would outperform any one of the many good NOS 6SL7's available! My experience of the 6SL7 in several units is that it sounds really good. In a ready buil .......
349: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Phono construction ideas (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-10-20, 11:49:41 (91.125.4.156)
I use 6CJ3 damper diodes in a cLCLC psu to good effect. Small initial c of a bit under 1uF allows B+ to be set, and I believe it's good for the 1st choke. Recommended ... better than GZ34 and a fracti .......
350: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Suggestions for DIY phono amp (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-10-20, 11:43:40 (91.125.4.156)
Hi, Here's some thoughts on phono stage design and a suggestion or two. http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=tubediy&n=65007&highlight=kurt+strain+phono&r= This is worth a read! Note the scheme o .......
351: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: What's a good front end for a 300b? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-10-15, 11:50:43 (91.125.33.139)
"Only the best sonics need apply". Well, I'll apply anyway. :-) The front end of my 300B SET was somewhat inspired by Welborne Laurels but taken further. I use a 6SL7 mu stage, as does the Laurel. The .......
352: Vinyl Asylum, RE: I Like It (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-10-15, 09:47:24 (91.125.33.139)
Hi, This may be getting off topic for this Asylum? Might I suggest you post something on Tube DIY; I'm sure you'll get lots of replies and I'll take part. My better phono stage PSU is cLC and then spl .......
353: Vinyl Asylum, I Like It (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-10-14, 10:57:30 (91.125.33.139)
Hi, You're talking a whole lot of sense. :-) I agree on almost all points, eg no electrolytics when motor run caps are so good; and indeed, why on earth start with poor sounding valves. My better unit .......
354: Vinyl Asylum, Questions .... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-10-13, 11:19:09 (91.125.33.139)
How high end are you aiming? What is your budget? How experienced are you at building valve gear? Are you prepared to do a fair bit of tweaking or do you want a good result first time? Do you specific .......
355: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: looking for tube amp sound (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-10-05, 12:13:57 (91.125.90.199)
Your first DIY amp and it sounds very good - well done! So now relax a bit and enjoy some music and stop listening so hard. Two of my DIY efforts didn't sound all that good at first (Nina preamp and 3 .......
356: Digital Drive, RE: Tubes for Audio Note DAC? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-10-03, 02:00:12 (91.125.90.199)
I'm not sure I'd call these readily available or reasonably priced, but they really do sound good. I recently lent a selection of good 6922's to a friend for him to try in his Audionote DAC. The clear .......
357: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: why so many circuit using 6SL7 SRPP driving power triode ? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-09-28, 11:37:20 (91.125.90.199)
Much, much better: 6SL7 with both halves in parallel as the triode, in a triode/pentode mu stage as per Alan Kimmel. You can then get a bit over 4mA total in the 6SL7. The load below the pentode can b .......
358: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: 807 ccs-loaded. How to? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-09-15, 11:18:42 (91.125.253.167)
I suggest using the Alan Kimmel mu stage circuit, where a pentode is used over a triode as both a CCS type load and as an output buffer. I use this circuit very successfully in several applications in .......
359: Tube DIY Asylum, OK, no problem! Regards (nt) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-09-09, 01:29:16 (91.125.253.167)
nt .......
360: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Re-phrasing that question (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-09-08, 08:14:52 (91.125.253.167)
Douglas, You clearly know a lot about the 6AU6 and it's good that you think it'll work well. I have just a thought about the configuration of the cct though. I've used similar methods in mu stages and .......
361: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Re-phrasing that question (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-09-08, 07:50:06 (91.125.253.167)
I've never done this and don't know anything about the 6AU6, but I'll venture an opinion based on some relevant experience. I commonly use the Kimmel mu stage cct with very good results. This cct uses .......
362: Vinyl Asylum, That's Good Advice (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-09-04, 11:00:59 (91.125.253.167)
I think there's a lot of truth in the above. Knott, do try to get in touch with other local enthusiasts, and try out all combinations; good and bad records on both systems. See what reaction you get f .......
363: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Reviewing answers (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-09-04, 10:42:01 (91.125.253.167)
Hi, Those tubes should be fine so we'll have to look elsewhere; I'm puzzled myself. Regards Mike Teres, Moerch DP-6, Zyx Airy DIY valve phono stage, line pre and 300B SET 4000 LPs ..... .......
364: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Reviewing answers (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-09-03, 11:46:07 (91.125.253.167)
Hi, You say the tubes in the Wright are new ... can you please let us know what they are? In my experience, tubes in a phono stage are very critical indeed, so if these are a bit substandard the sound .......
365: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: The debate with myself still goes on about power supplies (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-08-29, 11:53:36 (91.125.253.167)
Personally, I'd say it's hard to generalise! So much will depend on the circuit; e.g. is there active loading or CCS loading or anything like that? These will increase the PSRR (power supply rejection .......
366: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: You could do something like this. (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-08-29, 11:43:38 (91.125.253.167)
Yes indeed; I did very similar in my 'Nina' preamp and it works extremely well. My PSU was cLC then split LC left, LC right. 'Nina' is a single stage line level preamp and is nothing more than an E80C .......
367: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: What is needed to get really good bass out of a 300B amp? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-08-25, 12:01:19 (91.125.253.167)
You're on the right lines IMHO. Low DCR PSU, yes indeed. This means quality chokes of course. For rectifiers, how about 6CJ3 damper diodes? They have low voltage drop. My 300B SET uses GZ34 rectifiers .......
368: Vinyl Asylum, RE: One thing i hate about Philips classical... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-08-15, 11:56:20 (91.125.28.161)
OK, I understand your frustration but doesn't that happen with most labels? Myself, I'm just pleased that for some reason Philips records are not as 'collectable' as several other labels such as Decca .......
369: Tube DIY Asylum, Well Said, Dan (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-06-16, 06:41:57 (91.125.207.158)
I started in a small way by doing exactly that; changing caps in my Sonic Frontiers phono stage. I'm sure I'm not the only one here to have started with a small step like this? I then went on to build .......
370: SET Asylum, Yes (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-06-11, 01:33:36 (91.125.207.158)
Every now and then I get to that state, where it sounds right and gives that compelling result; I then tell myself, Mike do not beggar about with this! Sometimes I do ... and usually regret it! Then I .......
371: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Cartridge/Turntable Recommendations for Classical (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-06-10, 01:52:24 (91.125.207.158)
"Any suggestions on where to start?" Hi John, May I suggest some more research, with as much listening as you can arrange, before going further. Try to listen to any vinyl systems you can, at dealers, .......
372: Vinyl Asylum, Moerch DP-6 and Zyx, Lovely! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-05-30, 12:05:53 (91.125.226.33)
I have a Teres (with lead weighted acrylic platter), Moerch DP-6 and Zyx Airy 3; absolutely wonderful! I think there may be something a bit special about the Moerch / Zyx combination ..... ::: TOPIC:: .......
373: Vinyl Asylum, So just step up, transform her .... nt (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-05-26, 09:28:24 (91.125.226.33)
nt .......
374: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Has anyone here sprung open their wallet for this? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-05-23, 12:08:40 (91.125.226.33)
Save your money and get the version by Neville Marriner and the Academy on Argo label; top quality performance and excellent sound quality ... arguably the best of the many dozens of versions. ::: TOP .......
375: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Can you help me with Classical Music (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-05-23, 12:02:20 (91.125.226.33)
Some suggestions ... Sources: Thrift shops Local record dealers - as classical isn't in very high demand they may accept a low offer for the lot Ebay, if you can find someone in driving distance selli .......
376: Tube DIY Asylum, Many Thanks (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-05-10, 07:55:28 (91.125.226.33)
Thanks to both you and Tim for your help. Now I see why cct B seems more commonly used eg in the Yaqin buffer unit. I'll have a go at configuring the B cct and see what it looks like. I'm aware of the .......
377: Tube DIY Asylum, Buffer Circuit for Passive Preamp - Questions (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-05-10, 02:24:33 (91.125.226.33)
I'm considering making a buffer stage, initially to go between a passive preamp and a power amp; possibly later I might add a switch and volume pot to turn it into a buffered unity gain preamp. I h .......
378: Music Lane, RE: Melody Gardot (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-05-07, 12:18:08 (91.125.226.33)
Very classy performance and sound quality; highly recommended! That's all I need to say. .......
379: SET Asylum, The Boat (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-04-21, 06:39:08 (91.125.168.103)
She looks lovely so I hope she gets fixed well for you. I guess she dates from the 1960s? Long straight keel and masthead rig? I'm thinking an offshore racer of her day .... early S&S design? But as f .......
380: SET Asylum, RE: amp run in time ? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-04-13, 14:17:06 (91.125.168.103)
There can be a major change due to running in, and it can take several weeks. My DIY 300B amp sounded poor at first, so much so that after 2 or 3 weeks I redesigned the power supplies totally (with ad .......
381: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Scheherazade querry. (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-03-25, 09:27:45 (91.125.157.133)
A few years ago I bought a new Reiner/CSO recording of this for a friend. I forget if it's Chesky and I don't know if there were other reissues. The system is a good one - top spec Linn/Ekos/Arkive fr .......
382: Vinyl Asylum, RE: would like to go tubes but the wife is already suspicious Lengthy Post (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-03-24, 13:14:59 (91.125.157.133)
Simple answer; as you have electric/electronic skills and DIY abilities, you really should consider tube DIY of some kind. I suggest you do some searching in Tube DIY Asylum about phono stages and kit .......
383: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: New to DIY (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-03-08, 08:43:15 (91.125.157.133)
Don't agonise, go for it! And you are at the best place on the web for help and advice, so keep asking as your ideas start to firm up. Specific answers: 1. How practical is it to make your own? Very p .......
384: SET Asylum, RE: Damping factor "Limitations" : Have you read Nelson Pass?.. (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-02-27, 13:19:17 (91.125.133.115)
Excellent post. I've just designed my own speakers (with a *lot* of help on diyaudio.com) specifically for my SET, so I've improved my knowledge somewhat (but still don't know that much!). I'll add a .......
385: SET Asylum, All due to great advice and help HERE - Thanks (NT) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-02-27, 11:52:40 (91.125.133.115)
nt .......
386: SET Asylum, RE: Any 300B SET amps pull off push-pulls greatest attribute (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-02-27, 11:51:35 (91.125.133.115)
Thanks, I'll look into the grid chokes; though my chassis is pretty crowded! Grid chokes in fact are on my list of things to try on my next amp, along with 2 stage pi filter PSU on the output stage an .......
387: SET Asylum, RE: SET 300B use 3500 or 5000 Impedance Primary? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-02-25, 13:31:30 (91.125.133.115)
I'd say 5000, based on my limited experience with a Lundahl OPT configured that way. I measure 6.5 watts and very much doubt if I'd ever notice the slight loss cf about 8 watts I might get with 3500 o .......
388: SET Asylum, RE: Any 300B SET amps pull off push-pulls greatest attribute (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-02-25, 12:37:45 (91.125.133.115)
Hi, I find this interesting, as my own DIY 300B amp was to some extent inspired by the Welborne Laurels in that it also uses a mu stage driver with 6SL7 triodes. It appears we both get an open, dynami .......
389: SET Asylum, RE: Common SET Malady, Too bad because it's so avoidable.. (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-02-25, 12:23:48 (91.125.133.115)
Hi, I was about to post here as I can honestly say that my DIY 300B SET does not suffer the problems by the original poster, and I was going to suggest two reasons why not. But I find that you Thomas .......
390: SET Asylum, Active Naim (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-02-16, 07:17:38 (91.125.133.115)
It's interesting what you say about an active Naim system, as I'm familiar with this setup. A good friend has a high end Naim system, active SBLs with Naim Naxo active crossover and a pair of 250s. So .......
391: SET Asylum, RE: Entry Level SET Recommendations? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-02-06, 11:47:17 (91.125.50.144)
Though you may doubt this, I'm trying to save you money in the long run. I understand your desire to take a small first step in case it is wrong so you don't lose much. I was much the same. But I'm su .......
392: SET Asylum, RE: How Many Hours??? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-01-16, 08:07:58 (80.189.122.59)
First, I'd say give the TJs about 50 hours; that's my default running in time for anything and it works fairly well. However, I doubt if that will give the degree of change that you need. Above all, l .......
393: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: All in one, passive Riaa filter (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-01-15, 12:18:10 (80.189.122.59)
Here's a link to a very relevant post which I think covers most of your points: http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=tubediy&n=7769 I've used this methodology and it works well. What's more I've .......
394: SET Asylum, RE: Curious about Cary 300SEI 300B Integrated (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2008-01-04, 09:36:18 (80.189.122.59)
Hi Abe, Do please look up my responses to a similar question by Leroy on this board, a couple of weeks ago. Please study and take note. All you need do is put a few ohms in series with your existing a .......
395: SET Asylum, Flabby Bass - Suggestions (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-12-17, 07:11:51 (80.189.122.59)
If a SET (or a simulation of the reduced damping of a SE) does give flabby bass, there can sometimes be a solution to the problem. Assume we have a bass reflex speaker with a good alignment for a low .......
396: SET Asylum, RE: Question About Speaker Compatibility with 300B SET Integrated (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-12-17, 01:35:18 (80.189.122.59)
I agree totally - esp "Audio is still about engineering". My post below yours shows how to vary the damping to simulate the effect of the SET, and hear the effects that Peter mentions - it DOES work ( .......
397: SET Asylum, RE: Question About Speaker Compatibility with 300B SET Integrated (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-12-16, 02:13:30 (91.125.4.112)
Here's a test you can do to give you more of a clue. An SET will of course have a lot less power than your present amp and it will also have higher output impedance. You can simulate the output impeda .......
398: SET Asylum, RE: Question About Speaker Compatibility with 300B SET Integrated (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-12-15, 12:03:57 (91.125.4.112)
A few odd comments. First, many spkr makers exaggerate the sensitivity of their products. I see many claims for a value only a couple of dB below the driver sensitivity; if you have say 4 to 5 dB of b .......
399: SET Asylum, RE: Anyone try those TJ 300b/C tubes? Haveing a new amp made. (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-11-23, 12:22:33 (91.125.4.112)
Hi, The TJ mesh 300Bs are good; the second best I've used. But the new production WE's are far superior. See the post a few below this one, or do a search; I'll confirm all the glowing praise you will .......
400: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: What "corss talk"? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-11-20, 11:40:55 (91.125.4.112)
I'm pleased to hear your comments on discrete PSUs for each stage, as that's what I did with my 300B SET amp; even to the extent of having separate power transformers. The PSUs were simple CLC and wer .......
401: SET Asylum, RE: Can you share your views/experiences of using 5K vs 3K load for 300B SETs? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-11-12, 10:08:54 (91.125.226.80)
OK, here goes. In my DIY 300B SET, I wired the Lundahl OPT (LL1620 I think) for 5k primary. It's hard to work out, from the documentation, what the various connection methods mean in terms of nominal .......
402: SET Asylum, RE: Newbie Tube Amp Story (longish) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-11-05, 11:20:51 (91.125.226.80)
Hi David, Nice to hear that you're 'getting there' with valves. I'll make a couple of suggestions from my own limited experience. First, even though amp/speaker matching is important for ultimate res .......
403: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: driver recommendation for 300B (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-11-02, 13:47:37 (91.125.226.80)
Here's my take ... not all will agree! But the amp concerned does sound pretty good, with plenty of 'drive'. The 300B takes a lot of driving for two reasons. It needs a lot of voltage swing ... over + .......
404: SET Asylum, RE: Naz and others - how can I improve on Lundahl OPTs? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-10-24, 13:41:38 (91.125.245.9)
Hi Andy, I may soon be able to tell you how Hashimoto compare to Lundahl, as I'm currently using Lundahls but bought Hashimotos to try as a possible upgrade. So why have I not put them in yet? Because .......
405: SET Asylum, RE: First SET amp experiences (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-10-15, 06:09:58 (91.125.127.43)
Hi Andy, You're in the UK? Fancy a trip to Essex to hear mine? Some comments. First, as below, do run them for a few weeks and revisit the 'problems'; some will have gone away. Constrained climaxes co .......
406: SET Asylum, Fabulous Info! Big thanks. (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-09-28, 01:23:13 (91.125.127.43)
Thanks to you and Paul - this is exactly what I want. It also clarifies the thing about 5k load - that's how I wired my Lundahl OPT. And it seems very similar to a 2.5k OPT using the 4 ohm tap, anothe .......
407: SET Asylum, Output Impedance of a 300B SET? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-09-27, 14:49:26 (91.125.127.43)
I'd like to get a rough idea of the output impedance of a typical SET with 300B valves. Yes, I know it varies with the OPT, and the impedance setting if it is switchable; but I'm not after an exact va .......
408: SET Asylum, RE: Why does analogue make you cringe even with SET? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-06-21, 11:54:45 (91.125.201.64)
Before everyone jumps on me - I have given many players a chance including a Garrard SP25. All my digital sources sound incredible. . . I think it is just the analogue thing. Even when it sounds prett .......
409: SET Asylum, RE: Why does digital make your ears bleed even with SET? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-06-21, 00:13:20 (91.125.201.64)
I certainly won't jump on you! However, though I find some truth in what you say, there are definitely some CD players that are exceptions. That suggests to me that it is not 'digital' per se; rather, .......
410: SET Asylum, RE: 6SL7 : SRPP or Parallel ? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-06-12, 03:39:33 (80.189.79.124)
6SL7 with both halves in parallel as the triode in a mu stage works very well indeed. That is, with a pentode load; Alan Kimmel's circuit. This is used in the Welborne Laurels; I use it in my DIY 300B .......
411: Vinyl Asylum, RE: Help with UK records: Decca, Phillips, then ... what??? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-06-08, 11:36:57 (80.189.79.124)
Don't dismiss CFP (Classics for Pleasure) due to it being a budget label; there are many really fine recordings on this label. I still reckon that the Concierto di Aranjuez by Zaradin on CFP is the be .......
412: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: DC Filament voltage regulator problem... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-06-07, 13:03:51 (80.189.79.124)
OK, we have found the problem but here's some comments. I've never used DC heating on 300Bs but I have had similar problems with regulated supplies for other valves. First, even with good heatsinking, .......
413: SET Asylum, Speakers (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-05-30, 01:02:03 (80.189.79.124)
I have very limited knowledge of horns etc but I tend to agree with your final comment. More comments about my setup, of 300B SET driving 89dB TL speakers in a room 18ft x 14ft. I have no problem gett .......
414: SET Asylum, 3rd Option? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-05-27, 00:47:04 (80.189.79.124)
Your original question assumed two options; your 88dB speakers, or very high eff (full range or horn). The 3rd option is high efficiency conventional speakers. Typically using lots of driver area by m .......
415: SET Asylum, RE: Does anyone use low sensitivy speakers with their SETs? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-05-25, 09:17:28 (80.189.79.124)
Small TL speakers (IPL S3TL) of about 88 dB, using a single 6.5 inch woofer and about 1 inch fabric tweeter. Driven by a 300B SET of 6.5 watts. OK, I believe the experts that it's not an ideal match a .......
416: Tube DIY Asylum, RE: Adding turns to a toroid? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-05-22, 05:11:51 (80.189.79.124)
Yes, I've done it and it is that easy. I often use a small toroid for heater supplies and it can be useful to adjust the voltage so the voltage regulator drops the right amount of voltage; too little .......
417: SET Asylum, Re: Burn in first (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-04-11, 01:31:05 (80.189.82.193)
Do try burn in for a few weeks - I bet you won't be sceptical after that. :-) I have this with every DIY project; the sound is usually good in parts but with something poor or even 'wrong' about it. I .......
418: SET Asylum, Re: A 300B SET will output about 8 watts (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-04-05, 00:46:14 (91.125.10.25)
> Absolutely right; do please go for tubes! > Just like me when I started. Don't let it stop you. I'll make some suggestions. If you have any DIY abilities, get into DIY; kit or established design to .......
419: SET Asylum, Re: Output Transformer Choice for 300B (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-04-04, 00:55:40 (80.189.194.171)
Hi Steve, Very good suggestion - but not as a mod for this amp as it's tightly packed in. It's on the list for my next amp though. I wonder if Hashimoto iron would work well ... perhaps by the time of .......
420: SET Asylum, Re: Output Transformer Choice for 300B (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-04-03, 05:57:40 (80.189.194.171)
Hi Ian, I really like your post! Re the uneasy, concerned guys wandering trying to find what they like; I was perhaps a bit like that (not as bad as most of my friends). But the situation changed tota .......
421: SET Asylum, Re: Output Transformer Choice for 300B (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-04-03, 00:33:09 (80.189.194.171)
Hi, Reports of direct comparisons suggest that Sowter are not up to the standard of sound quality of the best Japanese. I use their PSU tx's and chokes though. SJS is a thought - this amp uses his pow .......
422: SET Asylum, Re: Try Tweeking The Driver Stage First (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2007-04-03, 00:14:15 (80.189.194.171)
Good thoughts, but I'll save that for my next project. The main point about that will be better 2 pi PSUs and that won't fit on the existing chassis. Once I design a new chassis I'll consider ITs or g .......
423: Cable Asylum, Kimber (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2006-12-18, 05:31:58 (80.189.213.195)
Thanks 'superguru', that came at just the right time. Mainly through info on this board, I was coming to the conclusion that a low L cable, probably of woven construction, might work well. As I have a .......
424: Cable Asylum, Many Thanks! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2006-12-16, 05:12:43 (80.189.213.195)
I'm pleased the moderators allowed this, as (1) your comment about inductance is very useful, (2)the products are worth me looking into and (3) the data you give sets a benchmark for me (even if I don .......
425: Cable Asylum, QED X-Tube Range? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2006-12-15, 11:09:18 (80.189.213.195)
I saw somewhere a suggestion that these have low inductance and I wonder if that's a good thing with a long cable run? This range seem to be well rated by the UK mags, cost is within my budget, and th .......
426: Cable Asylum, Re: How is your access to surplus electronics materials? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2006-12-15, 11:01:33 (80.189.213.195)
Hi, Thanks for ideas; I use JR type interconnects of twisted 89259 inner and solid core, and am willing to buy the large amounts necessary. However, 4 runs of this kind of stuff will be too big to ins .......
427: Cable Asylum, Re: Kimber KWIK-12 might do the trick.... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2006-12-15, 10:57:29 (80.189.213.195)
Thanks, I'll follow up on this one. FYI, I don't mind spending a fair bit to get a good result, as I'd rather get it right first time. The system is fairly high end (Teres tt, all tube gear, nice tran .......
428: Cable Asylum, Speaker Cable Problem - Long Run, Thin wire (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2006-12-14, 11:00:17 (80.189.213.195)
I currently use mains twin and earth solid core that was built into the house, and am looking to upgrade this to something sensible! The problem is that one speaker cable has to run across a doorway ( .......
429: Vinyl Asylum, Re: Step Up (MC to MM) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2006-02-03, 02:02:53 (80.189.202.202)
Yes, I have a strong recommendation if you can solder and do a bit of simple DIY work with veroboard. The Lundahl LL9206 transformers are truly excellent sounding devices. I believe the S&B's are bett .......
430: Tube DIY Asylum, Me Next! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2006-01-04, 11:09:24 (80.189.202.202)
Early retirement, at age 57, at the end of this month! That should give me time to produce a really good phono stage; both Isabelle and Sindi are working well and sounding good but they are not quite .......
431: SET Asylum, Re: Volume Controls (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-09-07, 00:17:51 (136.8.152.14)
The direct replacement, 50k for 100k, will have no effect on the sensitivity of control; the same dial position will give the same volume. However, there are things that can be done for good results, .......
432: Vinyl Asylum, Re: Teres 150 + Expressimo RB250 (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-08-24, 04:23:25 (136.8.152.14)
Agreed on all points. Above all, it really is an absolutely superb sounding tt. Which reminds me, I must put my Linn LP12 up for sale. The Linn does sound good, with all the mods I've done to it. But .......
433: Vinyl Asylum, Re: Linn LP12: Valhalla vs Lingo - Comments? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-06-09, 00:59:31 (136.8.152.14)
OK, personal views here that some will disagree with; based on several upgrades to my own LP12 and hearing several other versions. I'd say the Lingo tightens and tidies up the sound; it is an improvem .......
434: SET Asylum, Agreed (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-05-26, 01:58:13 (136.8.152.14)
I'm not sure what I was expecting when I built my 300B SET but I'm really pleased with the result. It's better than expected! Resolution, detail, transparency, musicality, naturalness, control, rhythm .......
435: SET Asylum, Re: Reichert's "flesh & blood" (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-05-26, 01:30:38 (136.8.152.14)
Never, never underestimate the effect of running in! I've built things where my initial reaction was 'well, I tried and it works electrically but sounds like rubbish', and a friend described it as sou .......
436: Tube DIY Asylum, Re: It's not triode wired (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-04-19, 00:38:27 (136.8.152.14)
> Plate is indeed fixed, at B+. Voltage across the pentode varies (that's the input signal amplified by the triode, ie the output signal). So the pentode cathode is varying - and the screen is varyin .......
437: Tube DIY Asylum, Re: It's not triode wired (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-04-19, 00:26:06 (136.8.152.14)
Paul, With respect, the best way to understand this circuit is to have a good look at the 'mu stage philosophy' article by Alan Kimmel - a search for that exact phrase will soon find it. The circuit o .......
438: Tubes Asylum, Re: 300b tube amp question and recommedations (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-04-08, 01:02:18 (136.8.152.14)
You can get superb bass and great dynamics from a 300B amp. But the bad news is, it *costs*. A lot. Oversize mains transformers, several good chokes, top quality PSU caps, and large high quality outpu .......
439: SET Asylum, Re: "flesh & blood" (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-04-06, 00:08:35 (136.8.152.14)
Well you don't seem to have a direct answer from an owner of an exact 'Flesh and Blood' amp, so I'll dive in with a comment or two. I studied the article and design when researching my own SET design .......
440: Vinyl Asylum, Re: Sonic Frontiers phono 1 upgrade to SE or SE+ (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-04-05, 00:35:40 (136.8.152.14)
As you already know and like the sound of Mundorf SIO, why not go for those for the 0.1 and 0.22uF caps? I use Mundorf SIO in my DIY phono stage with very good results. I have never tried other oil ca .......
441: Vinyl Asylum, Re: Sonic Frontiers phono 1 upgrade to SE or SE+ (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-04-04, 01:20:12 (136.8.152.14)
As you say you intend to do the mods yourself, here are suggestions based on the upgrades I did to my SFP-1. This is an earlier model and very similar, but there may be differences so take care. The u .......
442: SET Asylum, Re:What about a *human* mode, Mr. Thorsten (and the "Mr." is an overstatement) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-03-30, 00:28:26 (136.8.152.14)
> No, he was being sarcastic; and things of the tone 'anyone but a blind man can see ...' are just plain rude IMHO. All so unnecessary. Thorsten, we respect your knowledge but you don't have to bully .......
443: Tube DIY Asylum, Re: A Suggestion (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-03-28, 23:28:38 (136.8.152.14)
Given that the pentode is already working as a CCS, and very effectively as far as I can see, I can't see where another one would give a benefit. I also suspect that 'less is more' with this circuit a .......
444: Tube DIY Asylum, A Suggestion (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-03-23, 00:36:04 (136.8.152.14)
I cannot claim this is the best! But I do know it's very good indeed; supremely musical, good dynamics, and drives my 300B power amp very well indeed. Someone else has built one with similar results . .......
445: Vinyl Asylum, No, it's Karla Bonoff (and yes, it is v good) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-03-21, 03:49:50 (136.8.152.14)
About 2 weeks ago I saw one on Ebay and persuaded a friend (and inmate here) to get it (I have two copies already). So, last week I gave mine a spin .... ah, lovely, delicate, subtle, musical, persuas .......
446: Vinyl Asylum, Re: VPI vs Teres.....Not a Troll.....Seriously... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-03-16, 01:05:09 (136.8.152.14)
Just a couple of suggestions ... > Nice TT; I had one many years ago. But I upgraded to a Mantra, then to a Linn, then I upgraded the Linn; now I have a Teres (acrylic/lead platter and DIY base). At e .......
447: Tube DIY Asylum, Re: SRPP question (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-03-15, 01:46:00 (136.8.152.14)
OK, I see you know a lot about the subject. (I went into some detail as the cct under consideration is a lot different to SRPP in its working). given freedom to do what it does best ... The lower tube .......
448: Tube DIY Asylum, Re: SRPP question (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-03-14, 02:40:01 (136.8.152.14)
Hi DanL, I suspect that the quote came from Alan Kimmel's article, and suggest you search for the phrase 'mu stage philosophy' to find it. Re the ability of the upper valve to track and correct the cu .......
449: Tubes Asylum, Re: Philips Miniwatt E80CC (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-03-08, 00:25:10 (136.8.152.14)
Take Care! The E80CC takes twice the heater current of a 12AU7, which may well be a problem. If you're lucky, a regulated heater supply may have enough capacity and then the E80CC will fit right in an .......
450: Tubes Asylum, Re: Is There a Tube that.... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-03-08, 00:12:53 (136.8.152.14)
Well done Andy, you got there before me. Todd; the E80CC and E180CC are excellent sounding valves. I use the E80CC in a line preamp. The gain is a more than I need but the sound is superb; far better .......
451: Vinyl Asylum, You have described a Zyx to a T (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-03-07, 03:43:05 (136.8.152.14)
"High on my list is timbral accuracy, tonal beauty, soundstaging, ambience retrieval, liquidity, warmth, and sound that seems to float free of the speakers." Well the Airy 3 does all these things and .......
452: Vinyl Asylum, I like both your suggestions .... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-03-07, 03:19:56 (136.8.152.14)
... but I prefer the first one, 'Get a Teres and be done with it'. My full disclosure - I also own one. And it's the best TT I've ever heard, and personally given a $3000 budget I'd spend most of it o .......
453: Vinyl Asylum, Very Good Post (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-03-04, 03:09:54 (136.8.152.14)
I'll just add a thought or two. Generally, in my experience and that of friends, Linns like to sit on a piece of glass preferably about 10 to 12 mm thick. Note that opinions differ on this one. The ca .......
454: Tube DIY Asylum, Re: Power supply for a phono stage (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-03-01, 01:28:14 (136.8.152.14)
I'm not an expert, but having recently done two decent phono stages I've learnt a fair bit so here are some thoughts. About instantaneous current demands: I don't think you can take liberties or compr .......
455: Tube DIY Asylum, Re: Attn: Mike C oscillation hunt (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-02-28, 23:50:22 (136.8.152.14)
I'm not an expert here so I hope others will answer ... Anyway, I've seen it mentioned here, and I've seen circuits done that way. If using a simple dropper resistor from B+ to grid 2, and a cap to re .......
456: Tube DIY Asylum, Re: tracking down the oscillation (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-02-28, 02:54:47 (136.8.152.14)
Thanks, all looks reasonable to me. One question; you mention the 12AX7's; are there two stages fed from the same PSU point? If so, I guess you could consider further decoupling such as say 50kohms in .......
457: Tube DIY Asylum, Re: tracking down the oscillation (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-02-25, 00:38:37 (136.8.152.14)
Can you please give details of the PSU, and in particular the decoupling between stages. If there are chokes, can you tell me the DC resistance. I note that you have two driver stages. With this, and .......
458: Tube DIY Asylum, Re: OK, I see what you mean, thanks (nt) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-02-22, 07:23:29 (136.8.152.14)
nt .......
459: Tube DIY Asylum, Ah ... basically a pot divider off B+ (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-02-22, 00:12:20 (136.8.152.14)
OK, not entirely a pot divider as there's the cathode current to take account of, but basically that's what it seems. Now a quick example and a thought. Say I have 300V B+, running a driver valve at 5 .......
460: Tube DIY Asylum, Spot on, the best answer of all IMHO (nt) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-02-21, 00:44:54 (136.8.152.14)
nt .......
461: Vinyl Asylum, Re: Shelter 90x - Were do we go from here? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-02-16, 03:30:14 (136.8.152.14)
Two suggestions. Cartridge: Zyx Airy. My experience with it is, it's everything it's said to be, it lives up to the hype. Phono stage: Try a stepup MC TX into the MM input of the SF Phono 1. I had a v .......
462: Tube DIY Asylum, Nina ! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-02-16, 01:52:15 (136.8.152.14)
Owen, I think you have commented on the past on my 'Nina' preamp. This is pretty well where you're going on this one: E80CC triode as the lower valve. E83F pentode as the upper valve in a standard Kim .......
463: Tube DIY Asylum, Re: Lotus Elite (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-02-16, 01:33:54 (136.8.152.14)
The 4 seater fixed head type (not the gorgeous and ££££ original 2 seater Elite). The less favoured and hence 'affordable' classic Lotus. Awkward to work on and horrendously unreliable. But an absolut .......
464: Vinyl Asylum, Re: Morch DP-6 vs Hadcock 242. (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-02-15, 02:17:15 (136.8.152.14)
Mick, I see you are in the UK; feel free to contact me offline if you are interested in a listen to my setup (with Moerch of course). Also, a friend is considering a Schroeder and will probably be hav .......
465: Vinyl Asylum, The Problem .... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-02-14, 02:39:40 (136.8.152.14)
Well, my problem in answering is that I have never done a direct comparison, and this seems a general problem. (In fact I've never heard a Hadcock). So it seems you are getting three different types o .......
466: Vinyl Asylum, Re: Good Scheherazades (IMHO) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-02-14, 01:08:48 (136.8.152.14)
All very subjective .... First, I just don't rate the Reiner/CSO reissue. I have done a direct comparison between that and its original issue (on a good system) and the original was better; the reissu .......
467: Vinyl Asylum, QDS-15 (same as norh) valve output (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-02-10, 03:14:54 (136.8.152.14)
Very good sounding. Unlike almost every other CD player I've heard, this one has absolutely heavenly female vocals. Still can't touch analogue though. .......
468: Vinyl Asylum, Odd Thoughts (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-02-10, 01:28:06 (136.8.152.14)
First, don't give up until you are really sure it's fully run in. And I seem to think that's not just hours of use, but also involves total elapsed time and number of playing sessions. So give it at l .......
469: Vinyl Asylum, My Version .... (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-02-10, 00:34:21 (136.8.152.14)
Just one or two slight amendments required: 1. Mats: My first choice is the Donut mat (do a search here) which I find far better than the Linn one; not sure about others like the Ringmat. But whatever .......
470: SET Asylum, IPL S3TL small trans lines, 6.5in bass/mid, 89dB (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-02-09, 23:42:46 (136.8.152.14)
Speakers are only 8 inches wide and stand just over 3ft high, so the WAF factor isn't bad. Drive units are SEAS, high quality, including their excellent soft dome tweeter. Front end: Teres TT, Moerch .......
471: Tubes Asylum, Re: Mullard CV2492 vs CV2493? Need some help. (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-02-02, 00:12:31 (136.8.152.14)
I'm sure both are fully interchangeable with 6922 other than perhaps in the AI Mod 3A. From using both in a Sonic Frontiers phono stage I'd say the CV2492 is OK but very ordinary; however, the CV2493 .......
472: Vinyl Asylum, Experience with CD and a somewhat similar QDS/norh (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-01-19, 01:09:19 (136.8.152.14)
My somewhat limited experience with CD players suggests the following rough generalisations. There are always exceptions so please don't flame me if your experience is different to mine. The DAC type .......
473: Tube DIY Asylum, Re: Signal coupling caps - Jensen or Mundorf Silver in Oil ? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-01-06, 03:07:09 (136.8.152.14)
Good analysis and probably a good result for you. Just two small comments. Keeping the Kube, this boosts the bass so I'd suggest the 1uF size. Though 2Hz rolloff is often used in sizing caps, I really .......
474: Tube DIY Asylum, Re: Signal coupling caps - Jensen or Mundorf Silver in Oil ? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-01-05, 02:14:06 (136.8.152.14)
A few comments. First, the size; smaller is better. 2.2uF is 'one size fits all' approach that may not be ideal for your system. Size it for your power amp using its input impedance using C = 1/(2 * p .......
475: Vinyl Asylum, Please, don't do anything yet! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2005-01-04, 04:23:41 (136.8.152.14)
All the new valve gear I have had has changed dramatically as it runs in. Typically it can sound like poor solid state for a few weeks; usually harsh, with totally unnatural vocals and a 'thin' sound .......
476: Vinyl Asylum, Re: Cartridge Loading? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2004-12-16, 01:56:03 (136.8.152.14)
Odd problems and poor sound are what I'd expect before things are run in, but if there really is *no* bass then I think it's something else, most likely cartridge loading. Good highs and lack of bass .......
477: SET Asylum, Re: No need to agonize - just do it :-) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2004-12-16, 01:47:28 (136.8.152.14)
I was in your position about 3 years ago. I had a very nice Assemblage ST-40 EL34 PP amp ( a fine unit!). I did the simple conversion from UL to triode mode and liked the result. That made me think .. .......
478: Tube DIY Asylum, Re: Grid 2 R and C (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2004-12-15, 01:02:25 (136.8.152.14)
Yes, you're getting there. But do be aware that grid 2 current isn't a fixed value (7mA in the case you quote). It's usually pretty much a fixed proportion of anode current, about 22% or so. If you lo .......
479: Vinyl Asylum, No, It's spelt Jonah Snore isn't it? (nt) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2004-12-12, 23:51:56 (136.8.152.14)
nt .......
480: Vinyl Asylum, Re: Classic Rock LP Must Haves? - New Vinyl Listener (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2004-12-09, 01:23:13 (136.8.152.14)
Supertramp, Crime of the Century Fleetwood Mac, Rumours Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac Heart, Dreamboat Annie (mmm, superb!) Little Feat Jethro Tull Marshall Hain, Free Ride However, I'd say this. A goo .......
481: Tubes Asylum, My E80CC Project (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2004-12-09, 00:09:15 (136.8.152.14)
Search for 'Nina' on Tube DIY asylum and you'll find details of my line pre. This has turned out very well, entirely due to the E80CC that it uses. Someone else has recently built a Nina and rep .......
482: Vinyl Asylum, Re: Alternative Approach (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2004-12-07, 00:12:57 (136.8.152.14)
> Yes, because the TT is *really* worth it. I have heard an SME 20 and prefer the Teres. It really is that good. But a Rega arm is very good indeed and will do justice to a Teres. Assume $2000 for tt .......
483: Vinyl Asylum, Re: & then..... You're right about that point! (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2004-12-06, 23:53:26 (136.8.152.14)
OK, I overstated the position about 80's amps; I guess I meant that *all* 80's amps/pre's had phono stages, and some of them (in good hifi units) were pretty good. To OakIris: 'J' is right, the idea o .......
484: Vinyl Asylum, Re: Alternative Approach (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2004-12-06, 00:47:50 (136.8.152.14)
Here's a totally different approach that you probably won't go for :-) but I suggest it's worth *very* serious consideration. I hope this post may lead to some useful discussion. I have recently chang .......
485: Tube DIY Asylum, Re: OVAL teen (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2004-12-05, 23:53:52 (136.8.152.14)
Given a choice (due to space considerations) between GE 97F 50uF ovals, or Aerovox motor run 50uF round caps, do you have any advice to offer? .......
486: Tubes Asylum, Re: BEST E80CC (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2004-12-01, 23:59:06 (136.8.152.14)
> Depends on the heater supply of the unit, as the E80CC takes twice the heater current of a 12AU7. I've used E80CC's in a Basie preamp designed for 12AU7 without problem, but that had a regulated he .......
487: Vinyl Asylum, Re: Seeking advise on LP12 motor, power supply upgrades (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2004-11-22, 00:03:16 (136.8.152.14)
> Not really, IMHO. For that kind of money you could sell the Linn and buy a Teres. A Linn is nice and does make music; any owners can relax, enjoy good music and ignore the Linn bashing, even do som .......
488: Vinyl Asylum, Re: What are the best Linn LP12 Mods? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2004-11-11, 00:51:22 (136.8.152.14)
A personal view. First, in absolute terms: 1. Cetech 2. Unstick the feet and mat every time you use it! 3. OL DC motor (by reputation; I have not heard one) 4. Good support eg wall shelf with 12mm thi .......
489: Tube DIY Asylum, Re: Thanks (and more details) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2004-11-09, 07:45:14 (136.8.152.14)
The cct is a phono stage inspired by your thoughts a few months ago. Two stages of D3a in pentode mode and RIAA in between. The present stage 1 design: Approx 185V B+ 1500 ohm anode load Approx 18mA a .......
490: Tube DIY Asylum, Good Idea (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2004-11-08, 23:54:26 (136.8.152.14)
Yes, try parallelling the sections of the 6SL7. That way you keep the high gain, large signal swing and good sound of the 6SL7 but double up the 'drive' that you may be lacking. It's a technique used .......
491: Tube DIY Asylum, Re: Try BOTH caps (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2004-11-08, 07:18:28 (136.8.152.14)
Good thinking but space will be tight. However, the 30uF Ansar bypassed with say 0.5uF Mundorf would fit and might work OK. .......
492: Tube DIY Asylum, Pentode Grid 2 Caps, Two Questions (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2004-11-08, 05:54:25 (136.8.152.14)
I will be using D3a small signal pentodes as voltage amplifiers, pentode mode, simple standard circuit. I intend to use a simple connection for screen grids, as I've seen in many circuits I've found. .......
493: Tube DIY Asylum, Small Signal Pentode and PSU Noise Questions (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2004-10-27, 08:01:59 (136.8.152.14)
I'm about to try a phono stage using D3a pentodes in pentode mode. It will be a 2 stage unit with RIAA in between. Using load resistors of about 1400 ohms, Zout of each stage will be approx this 1400 .......
494: Vinyl Asylum, Re: Help with old (script type= (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2004-10-27, 05:21:26 (136.8.152.14)
As an owner for many years I suggest: New oil in the bearing A new drive belt as others suggested. Then check the bounce and perhaps try setting it up yourself. I suggest new springs and grommets only .......
495: DIY HiFi Forum, Both; Diags 1st, words 2nd, photos 3rd (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2004-10-25, 04:57:39 (136.8.152.14)
All are important. Diagrams are most important Words are VERY important to convey the order of build, indicate whether to fix or to solder at that time, and other info. Need not be wordy. Photos are u .......
496: Tube DIY Asylum, Valve Sockets for Phono Stage? (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2004-10-20, 06:33:58 (136.8.152.14)
Can anyone suggest a good type of 9 pin socket (ECC8*/12A*7 size) for use in a phono stage? I normally use the commonly available ceramic type with gold plated connectors but I've experienced poor con .......
497: Tube DIY Asylum, Ta for a sensible ans to my brain-dead Q; I'll go with that (nt) (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2004-10-15, 00:13:09 (136.8.152.14)
nt .......
498: Vinyl Asylum, Re: ZYX Fuji - and Female Vocals (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2004-10-15, 00:04:20 (136.8.152.14)
Thanks for the interesting and informative response. > Excellent. > No problem with the following then : Kiri and Kari Doris and Dorris Erna and Frederica Jennifer (mmmmm) Astrud, of course! Alexandra .......
499: Tube DIY Asylum, Re: Then your bias disappears. (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2004-10-14, 06:43:52 (136.8.152.14)
Yes of course it does! I guess I was only looking at the AC view ... oops! Now earthing the cathode and sticking negative bias onto one side of the TX, other side to the grid of V1 looks a lot more pr .......
500: Tube DIY Asylum, Question - Input from MC TX to Phono First Stage (0.00)
Posted by Mike C on 2004-10-14, 02:54:16 (136.8.152.14)
Say we have a first stage, cathode bias, with a small bias resistor which is not bypassed. This is to be fed from a MC transformer with a load resistor across the secondary. My first thought is to con .......
Found total of 500 records, Query: , Author: Mike C in All Forums, Time: 1 sec.