Seeking opinion on ASL AQ-1001DT

fredv

To be specific, I am thinking this:
http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?intatube&1134583076

It will be $600 as I can go to pick it up.

Thanks,

organ

If you're close, ask the seller for a demo. I don't think you can go wrong for $600. According to the seller, everything is functioning properly with only a cosmetic issue (cracked plastic on the bias meter).

ASL products are great for the $. Even though I have a better pre amp, I will keep my ASL to swap once in a while.

Dennis Gardner

Visit in person to demo and offer much less, since this amp has been on for over 2 months. He started out over $800, if I recall. This is his 3rd time to list.

You can get a current version of this amp on Agon with remote, for not alot more. One sold last week.

fredv

Dennis Gardner wrote:

Visit in person to demo and offer much less, since this amp has been on for over 2 months. He started out over $800, if I recall. This is his 3rd time to list.

You can get a current version of this amp on Agon with remote, for not alot more. One sold last week.

Thanks for the info, Dennis. It is good to know this is the third time listed.
Yeah, I saw the AQ1003DT for $675 that comes with the remote and warranty, but it only has 30wpc output which may not enough to drive the SDA 2.3. The McAllister looks good, but the prices have gone up, I can only blame myself not making up my mind :mad:

Dennis Gardner

I'm not saying the price is too high, the seller isn't dropping $$$ quickly enough or accepting offers being made. He may do so in person. Cash in hand talks.

fredv

Just curious, how does it compare to Jolida 302B, which seems to be only slight more expensive?

Dennis Gardner

The 1001/502B and 1003/302B comparisons are valid since the EL 34 configuration get 30-40 wpc and the KT88s run 50-60 wpc. The basic designs of both amps have really been around for years and both have proven track records.

Not to confuse you anymore, but I would look into the Onix SP3.This little integrated amp is truly an overachiever at the $500-600. New for $700 at this time from AV123.com.

6 Moons Review

fredv

I came across this thread
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32411&highlight=Jolida+502B
which suggests the Jolida over the Onyx. This
http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?intatube&1136492240
seems to be a very reasonable price except the seller has no feedback which kind of risky ....

Dennis Gardner

Fred,

Power is a main concern if you like to listen loud. With that in mind, I never asked, what speakers do you intend on driving with the tube amp?

I am currently using a set of ASL monoblocks on my RT55s and like the sound for low level listening. They aren't nearly as detailed and clean as my Odyssey Stratos with the tube preamp on my SDAs, but I didn't expect it either. I am so smitten with the synergy that I am getting with the tube pre/SS amp combo that I have shelved 6-8 different amps and preamps in the past 6 months to the dust gathering pile.

fredv

Hi Dennis,

It will be driving a pair of SDA SRS 2.3, and I forgot a must have requirement, it must be common ground!!! I am currently driving the 2.3 with a 200wpc SS McIntosh amp. The VU meters seldomly exceed 5W at my normal listening sound level (90% of the time). That's why I am thinking about 50-60 wpc tube amp maybe good enough. An alternative is to purchase a tube pre and mated it to the Mac which has reasonably clean power, but which is a good match? The synergy thing is what got me thinking about int tube. I like the Mac, so tube-pre is not ruled out in the foreseeable future.

Dennis Gardner

No loss in trying any of the mentioned used tube amps. They will resell easy if you don't care for them.

Don't forget that you could biamp those SDAs with the tubes up top and use you Mac down low. That might be really sweet and power would be almost no issue then.

organ

fredv wrote:

Just curious, how does it compare to Jolida 302B, which seems to be only slight more expensive?

EL34 vs KT88 output tubes.

fredv

Hee hee, the more research I do, the more questions I ask, the harder to make up the mind. As Dennis pointed out, those amp are pretty solid. Maybe just pick one and enjoy the tube experience for now .. I can always snap one from here when someone decides to pass the goodies!!!

Dennis Gardner

fredv wrote:

Hee hee, the more research I do, the more questions I ask, the harder to make up the mind. As Dennis pointed out, those amp are pretty solid. Maybe just pick one and enjoy the tube experience for now .. I can always snap one from here when someone decides to pass the goodies!!!

Just let us know what you get and review your findings. You can't go wrong with a smart buy.

W WALDECKER

i heard a pair of Response audios hottroded ASL Extreme Hurricanes at the very first meeting of the Mid Atlantic Audiocircles regional group driving a pair of VMPS RM 40 loudspeakers. they were by far the best sounding tube amplifiers i have ever had the pleasure to listen to. thanks....WCW III

fredv

Hi folks,

I just want to update everyone who provided me vaulable opinions. I don't think anyone cares what I ended up acquiring, but I feel owing you guys an answer.
What I ended up doing wasn't what I planned at the beginning, shouldn't be a surprise to any one :-)

I did quite a bit of reading about tubes before I made up my mind what to do. My conclusion were:
1. I want to know more about tube amps and would like to try some vintages.
2. No matter what I buy, I probably will end up wanting to try more ...
3. I don't have unlimited $$ to support the above :-)

My budget was around $1k, and here are what they were converted into:
- China made KT88 based amp $466.
- Vintage Fisher X-100 w/cabinet, EL- 84/6BQ5/7189 based, $180
- Vinatge Eico ST-40, 7591 based, $100
- Vintage Eico ST-70, 7591 based, $240
Total: $986
Over budget items
- Eico tube tester and some used tubes from a retired radio shop retiree, $200
- Approximately $150 of new caps and resisters.

Fisher X-100
This amp was used by the previous owner on a regular basis. There is no hum or noise, just sweet sounding, musical, good mids, very detail, smooth high, but not such bottom. I am hooking it up to a pair of RT800 in my bedroom. Even with only 18wpc, It is more than enough to drive my wife crazy. Next week I will go to my parent's hourse to get back my B&W bookshelves. My gut feeling is that the B&W will be better match.

the Eico's
The ST-40 is very original except one of the 7247 was replaced by a Westinghouse instead of the Mullard. It is a very natural sounding amp and has some weird (call it bad design) center speaker wiring and totally FU loudness circuit. The preamp especially the phono stage is very good. I am dreaming a project to convert it to a tube-pre :-)
The ST-70 provides a lot more punch than what I could imagine from an extra 15wpc. It is also very natural sounding as the little brother but has a lot more in the ****. This beast also has original tubes (Westinghouse 7591, Mullard 12AX7, Mullard 7247) except the 5AR4 which is Sovtek.
While both amps are working, they are in need of new caps and new resistors.

China made amp
From the one page Chinese user manual :-) It uses:
- Hitachi made transformer
- ALPS volumne and source switch, US resistors, and RIFA caps
- Amplication 12AT7x2, Driver 12AU7x2 (does it make sense? this is simple a word by word translation from the simplified Chinese)
I didn't open the case, so I can't verify whether the parts are indeed what it says.
More info here:
http://ectradehk.trustpass.alibaba.com/product/11124448/Music_Angel_Xd800mkiii_Vacuum_Tube_Pre_Amplifier.html
http://www.pacificvalve.us/MAXDSE.html
but mine looks a little different ...
Obvious quality flaws:
- it wasn't shipped with a power cable.
- the labels are wrong, it is wired 110V but says 220.
- the input source switch is for 4 sources, but only 2 are wired, and there is a spelling in the source name label.
It came with 4 Shuguang KT-100, 2 EH 12AU7A, and 2 no-label 6201 (looks like US tubes). I hooked it up to the 1.2TL and Dahlquist DQ-10. I played it for 4-5 hours per day over the last 10 days. So, it has approx. 50 hours burn-in time. At the beginning, the sound was bright and edgy. It is more subdue and rounded now. I have been using the triode mode as it is decisively better than the UL mode. Even with only 30wpc output, it is more than enough to drive either pair of the speakers. It must be the synergy thing, it sounds better with the DQ-10 than the 1.2TL!!!!! Even in low volume, the detail and the soundstage are amazing at this point.

Notice that I also have SS gears, not the top notch but not the bottom either. Here are my impression under my environment:
1. The 1.2TL's are better driven by the McIntosh. I don't think it is the output power as I don't listen to very high volume level. It is more like the SS's fast transient characteristics better match the big SDA than the tubes.
2. The 3 tube amps sound totally different!!! To say which one is better is a matter of playing material and personal taste. Judging by specs is not fair. None of the vintages has good specs by today's standard, and they are not much younger than. Yet, they provide tons of listening pleasure to me.
3. One clean watt of music is many times better than 50w of muddy crap.
4. These things are addictive. You just can't get enough :-)

audiobliss

Well, you've certainly grabbed you a lot of stuff to play with. Sounds like you're going to be having a lot of fun!

fredv

audiobliss wrote:

Well, you've certainly grabbed you a lot of stuff to play with. Sounds like you're going to be having a lot of fun!

Hee hee, you could also say that I didn't know what I was looking for , but it is certainly a lot of fun especially to try giving new life to those 40+ years old amps. These toys will keep me in check for some time .... (I hope).