The continuance of my tubification

quadzilla
quadzilla Posts: 1,543
edited June 2011 in 2 Channel Audio
Tom at Aural Thrills offered me a pair EL34 monoblocks that I can't pass up.
Will be picking them up when I get back from Israel. Really looking forward it, and will, of course, post my impressions.
Turntable: Empire 208
Arm: Rega 300
Cart: Shelter 501 III
Phono Pre: Aural Thrills
Digital: Pioneer DV-79ai
Pre: Conrad Johnson ET3 SE
Amp: Conrad Johnson Evolution 2000
Cables: Cardas Neutral Reference
Speakers: SDA 2.3TL, heavily modified
Post edited by quadzilla on
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Comments

  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited May 2011
    great-- keep us posted please--congrats
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited May 2011
    Cool. Now all we need to do is get you some decent speakers.
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • quadzilla
    quadzilla Posts: 1,543
    edited May 2011
    So you're giving me a set whatever you consider decent, then?
    Turntable: Empire 208
    Arm: Rega 300
    Cart: Shelter 501 III
    Phono Pre: Aural Thrills
    Digital: Pioneer DV-79ai
    Pre: Conrad Johnson ET3 SE
    Amp: Conrad Johnson Evolution 2000
    Cables: Cardas Neutral Reference
    Speakers: SDA 2.3TL, heavily modified
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  • quadzilla
    quadzilla Posts: 1,543
    edited May 2011
    Got back from Israel, and the amps were waiting for me. I can run, like a lot of EL34 designs, a lot of different tubes. I'm told that KT77s sound best in them, but Tom gave me a set of EL34s and a set of 6L6s to start with. So, without further ado, here's some pics. But I need power cables before I can hook them up. I refuse to use the crappy PC power cables I have now, but that's all I got. Still, ain't 'a gonna' do it. No sir, just ain't. And I'll post some better pics later. Those were taken in pretty low light, so they don't come close to doing the amps justice. They's purty.
    Turntable: Empire 208
    Arm: Rega 300
    Cart: Shelter 501 III
    Phono Pre: Aural Thrills
    Digital: Pioneer DV-79ai
    Pre: Conrad Johnson ET3 SE
    Amp: Conrad Johnson Evolution 2000
    Cables: Cardas Neutral Reference
    Speakers: SDA 2.3TL, heavily modified
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited May 2011
    Sweet!
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • audio_alan
    audio_alan Posts: 770
    edited May 2011
    Nice looking amps. Congrats!
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  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited May 2011
    Plug in the crappy cables and go for it. Otherwise, how will you know if the cool new cables sound better?
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
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  • 55LS70
    55LS70 Posts: 184
    edited May 2011
    Real Nice!!! Congrats!!
    Decware CSP3 Preamp, RCA 6DJ8, 2 X Rocket 6N1P-EV's, Cary SLA70B Signature V2 Amplifier: 2 X Mullard GZ32's, 2 X RCA/GE 5691's, 4 X Tung-Sol 6550's

    Cambridge Audio 640C V2 CD Player & Dacmagic DAC

    Rega Planar 3: Deep Groove Subplatter, P3 Motor
    upgrade, Dynavector 10x5, JA Michell counterwieght, Cardas tonearm wiring and Mapleshade stand

    Parks Audio Budgie Hybrid Phonostage with BEL 6922 tubes, Polk Audio LS70's

    H.H. Scott 330D AM/FM Tuner with H.H. Scott 335 Multiplex adaptor.
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  • soundfreak1
    soundfreak1 Posts: 3,414
    edited May 2011
    Very purdy indeed! Bet it looks cool with the lights out!
    Main Rig:
    Krell KAV 250a biamped to mid/highs
    Parasound HCA1500A biamped to lows
    Nakamichi EC100 Active xover
    MIT exp 1 ic's
    Perreaux SA33 class A preamp
    AQ kingcobra ic's
    OPPO 83 CDP
    Lehmann audio black cube SE phono pre, Audioquest phono wire (ITA1/1)
    Denon DP-1200 TT. AToc9ML MC cart.
    Monster HTS 3600 power conditioner
    ADS L1590/2 Biamped
    MIT exps2 speaker cable
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  • quadzilla
    quadzilla Posts: 1,543
    edited June 2011
    Update on the amps. Didn't seem like I was getting their rated power, so sent them back to Tom. Found out the xformer used to supply AC to the tube input tube heater was putting out low voltage. So we modded them. Converted the input tube from a 12ax7 to a 6dj8, got rid of the xformer for the heaters and used the main power xformer since the 6dj8 uses a lower voltage. Also switched them from a solid state rectification system to a tube recitifier. You can see the 5u4gb RCA black plate in the back on the second pic.

    I also added Cardas CCGR binding posts.

    Sound is very nice. Center imaging is solid already. All the tubes in them are new, so I'm working on burning them in. Besides the RCA black plates, I'm running a Philips ecc88 for the input tubes and Gold Lion reissue KT88s for the power tubes. They have a suprising amount of bass authority already.
    Turntable: Empire 208
    Arm: Rega 300
    Cart: Shelter 501 III
    Phono Pre: Aural Thrills
    Digital: Pioneer DV-79ai
    Pre: Conrad Johnson ET3 SE
    Amp: Conrad Johnson Evolution 2000
    Cables: Cardas Neutral Reference
    Speakers: SDA 2.3TL, heavily modified
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  • engtaz
    engtaz Posts: 7,663
    edited June 2011
    Glad you found the problem. Congrats. Now just enjoy the music.
    engtaz

    I love how music can brighten up a bad day.
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  • headrott
    headrott Posts: 5,496
    edited June 2011
    Glad you are enjoying the amps. All of Tom's Aural thrills stuff I have heard have been great! Are you using the Tube powered cables with them? Wish I could have a listen to them. Did you do the tube rectification mods yourself? Or did Tom do them for you?

    Greg
    Relayer-Big-O-Poster.jpg
    Taken from a recent Audioholics reply regarding "Club Polk" and Polk speakers:
    "I'm yet to hear a Polk speaker that merits more than a sentence and 60 seconds discussion." :\
    My response is: If you need 60 seconds to respond in one sentence, you probably should't be evaluating Polk speakers.....

    "Green leaves reveal the heart spoken Khatru"- Jon Anderson

    "Have A Little Faith! And Everything You'll Face, Will Jump From Out Right On Into Place! Yeah! Take A Little Time! And Everything You'll Find, Will Move From Gloom Right On Into Shine!"- Arthur Lee
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  • quadzilla
    quadzilla Posts: 1,543
    edited June 2011
    Yes, I'm running the tube powered cable between the pre and the amps.

    I gave them back to Tom to do the work, except for the binding posts. I barely have time to listen any music these days, and he offered, so....
    Turntable: Empire 208
    Arm: Rega 300
    Cart: Shelter 501 III
    Phono Pre: Aural Thrills
    Digital: Pioneer DV-79ai
    Pre: Conrad Johnson ET3 SE
    Amp: Conrad Johnson Evolution 2000
    Cables: Cardas Neutral Reference
    Speakers: SDA 2.3TL, heavily modified
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