Did I just scroe? NRG Class A monoblocks

While I recognized WhiteSE was selling the amp he mentioned, (I even considered it as a possible purchase) can't a person be selling a piece of equipment, and yet, still love it??

I think so. I hated seeing my Sansui 9090db go bye-bye in the trade to obtain my McIntosh XRT 20's, but I I had to acknowledge it didn't have a place in my stable.

Aye, I was a bit like that with respect to my old Ariston RD110 SL + Fidelity Research FR-24 Mk2 combo. Produced the most beguiling sound I've ever heard. Problem is, my wife restricts me to two tables so I need each to be multi arm capable. I regret the sale to this day
 
Most of my mates that are into records haven't hit 40 yet. We've all gone from MM/MI to LOMC (Fidelity Research FR-1 Mk3, Supex SD900, Audio Technica ART9) and have discovered that the Pickering / Stanton carts exceed their performance when retipped with ruby cantilever and micro scanner 2 tip.... Just spectacular.

We've gone different paths on turntables though most have settled on recapped Realistic 42-2101A and EAR 834P copies. Can get some incredible performance from these cheap little stages though the 834P seems best with Telefunken Ribbed Plates.

I still prefer the Valab LCR-1 phono over everything else though.

Any rate, there are a few in my generation definitely not happy with the sound from Bluetooth / MP3 though most are. I rather suspect that is true of every generation actually.
 
Since we are talking turntables, my long term plan for when the Nrg's are completed is to acquire an EMT 938. Doubt that will come from the recyclers tho.
 
Jesus christ, older generation constantly complains that us young folk aren't up to their standards, that we only want ipods and bluetooth speakers, then when someone younger is actually interested in this hobby he gets told to give up.

Think about that for a moment.

You certainly have a point there.

The other thing to consider is that sometimes a repair is not possible without the correct information.

I guess the other question is do you have the right tech for this job? It sounds like he does work for you at a very reasonable cost, and you don't make immediate demands of his time. However, does he have the right skill set, equipment, and experience for this kind of restoration? The kind without schematics and requiring superb detective skills? Is this a job past his abilities?

I got no idea to the answer, don't know the fellow or his work. I am just asking. Which translates to maybe a different tech can make this repair. It might cost you more money to do it that way, but maybe it will lead to success. Or not. Then again many techs don't like to take jobs where someone else has mucked under the hood, and this one has had at least 2 techs in it who have not had success.

Just thoughts from a simple country pig. I hope you do save them, but it would not surprise me if it did not happen either. But hey, everyone needs a hobby!

Cheers
Mister Pig
 
My tech is in his late 20's and has been in to electronics his whole life, he's repaired a huge amount of stuff in the time i've known him, amplifiers are absolutely no issue for him, rewinding transformers and building tube amps is a hobby for him so I don't doubt his ability. He told me straight up that he's learning alot from this project and wants to understand the reasoning behind various parts of the circuit design which is why it's taking so long. No issue with me, he's determined to make them work perfectly not just take my money and have them fail 6 months down the line. He also wants to resolve the find out what caused the original fault and see how to beef the circuit up to avoid it happening again.
 
My tech is in his late 20's and has been in to electronics his whole life, he's repaired a huge amount of stuff in the time i've known him, amplifiers are absolutely no issue for him, rewinding transformers and building tube amps is a hobby for him so I don't doubt his ability. He told me straight up that he's learning alot from this project and wants to understand the reasoning behind various parts of the circuit design which is why it's taking so long.
Excellent. It's encouraging that at least one young tech is willing to take the time to both do the job properly and learn from it.

It's attitudes like his that will keep this hobby -- and its technical support systems, particularly for vintage exotica like your NRG amps -- alive and vibrant, rather than fading away as old techs die off.
 
Excellent. It's encouraging that at least one young tech is willing to take the time to both do the job properly and learn from it.

It's attitudes like his that will keep this hobby -- and its technical support systems, particularly for vintage exotica like your NRG amps -- alive and vibrant, rather than fading away as old techs die off.

Honestly this guy lives and breathes electronics, currently has some very expensive studio equipment of mine(synths effects mixers ect) and its not uncommon for him to tell me about the hours he's spent researching a piece of gear during it's repair. I recall he spent 8 hours searching for a micro crack in the pcb of a korg synth. He also etches pcb's for studio equipment he's cloned (808 and 909 mainly) and is designing what he reckons will be the best tube phono pre in existence (which is going in to a DJ Rotary mixer he's designed and is building himself)
It's absolutely nuts.
 
Just received an email from Denton Clarke, I guess I bugged him enough. He said that he is aiming to retrieve all the NRG documentation he has left in storage next summer to keep handy for future reference. I'm sure there are many NRG owners out there who will one day really appreciate this, just as I did when he sent me the schematics for the low level boards!
 
You may have done the world a service in doing this :)

Hope so, i'm going to see if I can buy some replacement handles and faceplates off him to make mine as mint as possible, alternatively i'll get my handles reanodized and try touching up the fascias.
 
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