Dynaco tubed pre-amp

EndersShadow
EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
edited March 2012 in Electronics
Whats it worth? Seller has it listed for 1 buck but you are supposed to email in an offer. Interested in if this pre-amp is worth it and how much to offer.

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/ele/2894124067.html

It looks like a Dynaco PAS-3X pre-amp: http://home.indy.net/~gregdunn/dynaco/components/PAS3X/index.html
"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
Post edited by EndersShadow on
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,808
    edited March 2012
    Cragislist auction = prohibited :-(

    They are not great sounding preamps, but they go for pretty stupid money with the (very good) original tubes in them. Figure 300 smackers, give or take. It will benefit greatly from a rehab (and it will need power supply work - at least new rectifiers - if it's original). Plenty of folks selling boards and parts. I like the Dynaco rehab parts from www.audioregenesis.com

    DIY rehab's pretty straightforward... I used Curico's recommended approach to the P/S rebuild of this one for a friend, if memory serves, and stuffed it with Orange Drops. I thought that it sounded OK.

    DSCN5592.jpg
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  • stereo55
    stereo55 Posts: 418
    edited March 2012
    Looks like they go for alot on ebay , much more than i'd have thought , but that does not mean they worth the going price ??? . http://www.ebay.com/sch/items/dynaco%20pas%20preamp?_dmd=2&_cpr=249&clk_rvr_id=323353219663&MT_ID=69&crlp=7667470806_9406&tt_encode=raw&geo_id=1&keyword=dynaco+pas+preamp&adgroup_id=2170238526

    I have one myself just to play with , but at the going rates on ebay , heck I'd probably sell mine , lol . Sorry I really could not answer your question well enough .
    SDA-2B's ~ Pair SDA-CRS's ~ ,*** Main listening: Maggies MG1 ~ Polk SDA 2B's ~ Monitor 10's , 3-pairs (2 pairs moded into SDA's w/SDA-2B/CRS cross-overs) , * DCM TF600's * Mission M71/M72 *** Main brdrm FRT: RTiA-5's /Presence RTi-4 / LSI-704 Cntr / Rear FXI3's ~~~ Assorted Main listening rm : , 2- Heathkit W-5M /tube mono blocks (Parasound P/HP-850)* * 2- Altec Lansing 1590b's/mono blocks (Yamaha C-45) * CM Labs 35D * Dynaco ST-70 ~ Occasionally ~* Yamaha CR-820/A-760 ,* Sansui AU-317/AU-217 * Carver 900 rec *2-Dynaco ST 120* 1 Hafler DH-220* Marantz 1040 ... more
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,808
    edited March 2012
    There are far better sounding preamps, bith tubed and soiled state. Now, I cannot say for certain that you'll find a better sounding preamp for considerably less money... but, conversely, if you're gonna spend real money for a preamp... might as well get a good one. You'll also pay a premium price for the (very fine) Telefunken tubes that were included with the Dynaco preamps new.

    They're not terrible, they're just not great. They do look very nice - timeless. And they're easy to work on.
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited March 2012
    Cool. Think I will pass on this one then.

    My main thought is to get into tubes, but do it in the source or pre rather than the amp. Tube amps add a level of complexity I would prefer to avoid.
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,808
    edited March 2012
    The vacuum tube stuff I have is as far from complex as I can think of. Probably not 30 components (tubes, resistors, capacitors, inductors, wires) from source to speaker in toto... and I know what they all do and they can all be replaced (many inexpensively).

    Here's the innards of the power amp.

    DSC_0317-1.jpg
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited March 2012
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    The vacuum tube stuff I have is as far from complex as I can think of. Probably not 30 components (tubes, resistors, capacitors, inductors, wires) from source to speaker in toto... and I know what they all do and they can all be replaced (many inexpensively).

    Here's the innards of the power amp.

    I understand that, but I also want to be able to drive Maggies, Carver AL-III's and other speakers that will need lots of wattage. The price per watt on a tube amp v. SS is very different :smile:

    Plus tubes are quite expensive as well plus needing warm up time, ect
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,808
    edited March 2012
    Yeah, stick with sand if those are the kind of speakers you want to use.

    I don't know about the price differential, though - good amps cost big bucks, 'specially powerful ones - no matter whether they have hollow state or solid state active devices :-) EveAnna Manley's high-power tube amps, for example, don't seem ridiculously priced to me - on par with any really good 250 watt ss monoblocks ($12.5k a pair). http://www.manley.com/n250.php

    Unfortunately I don't know of any good, inexpensive vacuum tube preamps, vintage or new.

    One very cool little preamp opportunity, not too far removed from a toy but cheap enough to try just for the sake of trying one, is Doc Bottlehead's adorable little battery-powered Quickie for 99 smackers. http://www.bottlehead.com/store.php?crn=220&rn=438&action=show_detail

    I have been repeatedly tempted to try one out.
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