Tube amp for Forte's

silversport said:
Craig (NOSValves) does great work on EICO too and my HF-81 does well with Heresys...Chorus II...Quartets...K'Horns...:D

Bill
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My 299D has been sitting on a shelf since 2009. It is mostly restored, bt I don't have the time to really get it done. I think I will turn it over to Craig and let him do what ever needs to be done to finish it up.
 
moray james said:
I know that you said it had to be American but if you bought ARC you would be buying Chinese designed and built iron ,has been for a long time. So Antique Sound Lab AQ1003DHT and switch out the stock 12AU7 tubes for better sounding 12BH7 and you will be done like dinner. Set12 has used one of these and was very impressed and he is a hard man to please. You can likely find one used for $5 -600.00. Best regards Moray James.
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X 2 on all of the above...minus the $5-600.00 price tag. At least not for a low mileage pristine specimen :thmbsp:
 
Brand new version with the remote volume is $1500.00 CND and they came out about ten years ago so that should not be out of line. They never got a lot of attention and they a very clever yet simple looking in design. Try a pair of 12BH7 tubes in yours in place of the 12AU7 they are a direct drop in. Best regards Moray James
 
Pair Jeff Korneff 2A3 are excellent. I use a DIY 2A3, a Sony 6060FW & a Sansui 3000A on the Forte. The SS are a little more dynamic sounding, 2A3 more open sounding with a little softer bass. My Forte are modified with B. Crites upgrades.
 
Heathkit ua-1

sberger said:
Check with forum member Dan055. He restores Heathkits, Dynaco, etc. I bought those UA-1's that I referred to above a few weeks ago from him, and he recently sold a similar pair within your budget. His stuff is amazing, like new, and he stands behind everything he builds. A great guy to boot. Well worth an inquiry.
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I bought the other set of ua-1 from danno :thmbsp:and love them with my K-horns:music:
 
You can't get any better for a starter integrated step into tubes. Good choice:thmbsp:

I'm eight years into a rebuilt NOSValves 299C, and it is nothing but pleasure when you turn it on. It currently is loaned out to a friend, driving a stacked pair of New Large Advents to sonic bliss. It also played quite well with a pair of Totems.:yes:

There is something to be said about getting a restored piece of American gear. Pride of ownership, great looks, wonderful sound, American made, and American maintained.:tresbon:
 
Luckytiger said:
View attachment 410332
Scored this NOSVlaves restored Scott 299D off Bartertown from Bigerik. I have to tell you that the man was an absolute pleasure to deal with. I have only had about 3 hours with it but I can tell you that I am completely blown away. This baby is an improvement in every area. More to follow after I spend the weekend with it......
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And never had a finer transaction. I'll shed a tear knowing that it is gone, but this amp means a LOT to me, and it could not have ended up in a better home.

And, again, Craig at NOS Valves does amazing work, and is one of the finest gents I have had the pleasure to deal with.
 
I feed my Forte 1's with a restored Fisher 500C and it just sound beautiful.

The fortes give the holographic sound like nothing else with this receiver. Always brings a smile to my face when I listen to them. With some patience and shopping around you can find some of the old Fishers in your price range gone through and restored sonically.
Fisher gets the edge over my Scott LK-72 with the Forte's, but only a little. It sounds sweet with them too.

Scott tube gear has never disappointed me and sometimes can be had cheaper than Fisher, Lafayette etc. Build quality is top notch on the Scott.
 
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Luckytiger said:
View attachment 410332
Scored this NOSVlaves restored Scott 299D off Bartertown from Bigerik. I have to tell you that the man was an absolute pleasure to deal with. I have only had about 3 hours with it but I can tell you that I am completely blown away. This baby is an improvement in every area. More to follow after I spend the weekend with it......
Click to expand...

Fantastic choice but, I am biased. The 299D is the amp I used from my college days to 1994 when I bought my first McIntosh SS gear. I am back to all tubes now and loving it. The 299D is still on my rack. I will never sell it.

What are you using for power tubes.
 
Nice! You are going to love that combination. I have the kit version of that same amp and every speaker I have (especially the Forte's) sound beautiful with it.
 
I wanted to resurrect this thread since I'm in the same position as the OP; having Forte 1's (and ALK crossovers due in January). Currently I'm running a recapped Sansui 5000A but am thinking of getting a tube amp. I read about people raving about Forte's with tubes but I have no way to audition this.

What are current recommendations for a tube amp? (my budget is $1000 to maybe $1500). Considering both new and vintage. I'm wide open to suggestions at this time. I listen to a wide range of music but do need to crank up Led Zeppelin upon occasion :)

Right now Bob Latino's ST70 kit is looking really interesting. Is 35 WPC enough power for Fortes or would I need the ST120? And if I go with this kit then I'll also need a preamp (and want tone controls).
 
ickyfrog said:
Right now Bob Latino's ST70 kit is looking really interesting. Is 35 WPC enough power for Fortes or would I need the ST120? And if I go with this kit then I'll also need a preamp (and want tone controls).
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I'd say t he ST-70 kit from Bob would be plenty enough. I'm tempted to run down to Sturbridge and hand him moneys for a wired ST70.
 
My Fortes have hooked up with a:

Scott 299c
Fisher kx100 (modded with bias tranny)
Fisher 400
Fisher 800b
Couple modded Maggie’s and packard bells... (EL84, 6L6)
Rogue Audio Cronus
Dynaco st70
Bob Latino st70
MC -230
MC 60s
Marantz 8b
And last but not least an Ampex 6973 stereo amp.

The 8b won for me.
... but for under a grand, I’d recommend an Ampex 6973 amp, update it and worship it. There is something about it and the liquid mids, and the silky smooth highs that creates a wonderful marriage with the klipsch.
Good luck!
 
biscuithead said:
My Fortes have hooked up with a:

Scott 299c
Fisher kx100 (modded with bias tranny)
Fisher 400
Fisher 800b
Couple modded Maggie’s and packard bells... (EL84, 6L6)
Rogue Audio Cronus
Dynaco st70
Bob Latino st70
MC -230
MC 60s
Marantz 8b
And last but not least an Ampex 6973 stereo amp.

The 8b won for me.
... but for under a grand, I’d recommend an Ampex 6973 amp, update it and worship it. There is something about it and the liquid mids, and the silky smooth highs that creates a wonderful marriage with the klipsch.
Good luck!
Click to expand...

where do you usually see the Ampex 6973 stereo amp these days? Was this built into stereo consuls or was it primarily found as a stand alone amp or perhaps in their tape decks/powered speakers? Which were the cherry amps using this tube (I see a lot on google search which use this tube)? Thanks.
 
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moray james said:
where do you usually see the Ampex 6973 stereo amp these days? Was this built into stereo consuls or was it primarily found as a stand alone amp or perhaps in their tape decks/powered speakers? Which were the cherry amps using this tube (I see a lot on google search which use this tube)? Thanks.
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Consoles.... Cresendos to be exact. But there are usually 2-3 a year on EBay.
 
moray james said:
do you have a schematic for the Cresendos? Is this one of the best examples of Ampex amplifiers?
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The crescendo was a console, my 6973 amp is a console pull. I don’t have a schematic.
Ampex made many an amplifier and this 6973 amp that I cite, just comes in under the 1k mark, I don’t have enough experience with their other amps to call it a best example.
 
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