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A tale of two Fishies - X-101-C integrated amp restorations

The pretty one has passed its 100 hours of continuous use test with flying colors. All that's left is some time testing the outputs on a scope and that's it.
Why do I leave a unit on for a hundred continuous hours?
Once restored, I believe that these units should get so hot and no hotter.
I like to make sure that, if for some reason, the unit was left on while someone went on vacation, that the heat will not continue to build and the unit will still be on when someone returns.
I have watched my AC voltage vary more than seven volts AC over four days. The intermittent testing of the B+ and bias voltages shows me how the unit behaves and adjusts to these changes.
 
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audiodon said:
The pretty one Fisher X-101-C has returned to its rightful owner. He seemed pleased to have it back.
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The unit was returned yesterday during the Frankenfest. I could write all day about the quality and love went into its restoration, the attention to detail, the pride in the workmanship, and on and on. And all that would be true, and no secret for those that have seen Don's work...

But for me, the magic was, (is), in listening to it. There was a moment when everything came together and all I could do was to stand in awe at the sound.

How to explain it? It felt like Mr. Fisher was with us. And he too had a smile in his face...

Yes, I am pleased. Thank you Don.
 
Retroman98 said:
The unit was returned yesterday during the Frankenfest. I could write all day about the quality and love went into its restoration, the attention to detail, the pride in the workmanship, and on and on. And all that would be true, and no secret for those that have seen Don's work...

But for me, the magic was, (is), in listening to it. There was a moment when everything came together and all I could do was to stand in awe at the sound.

How to explain it? It felt like Mr. Fisher was with us. And he too had a smile in his face...

Yes, I am pleased. Thank you Don.
Click to expand...

As another recipient of one of Don's "labors of love", I couldn't agree more. And I couldn't be happier with Don, his workmanship and attention to detail, or the sound of this........

P1020418_zpsc9e63499.jpg
 
All righteeoo.
Funny how people you meet in this hobby become friends. Thanks Retroman98 and Rapidan.

And now for, as Paul Harvey would have called it, "the rest of the story".

The ratrig sat idle for a while while I recovered from the Frankenfest, cleaned up my workspace, and actually enjoyed looking at my workbench top for a few days.

But, as you may recall, the top of the Ratrig originally looked like this:
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Then I cleaned up the chassis and got it to look like this:
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Then I finished everything but the power supply and it looked like this:
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I knew this one would turn out well. The volume knob was very smooth and equal at all levels, I'd already worked on a couple of these and had just finished one, making the update an assembly line kind of thing. You know how it is, do something once it takes a half a day, the second time a couple of hours.
Well, out with the old . . .
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I will find good homes for these caps in amps that have enough room under the chassis to accommodate them. But I love the X-101-C sound so much, I wanted to do this one up right. I suppose I could have repurposed some can cap pulls from other jobs to fill the holes, but . . . aah . . . I didn't!

And in with the new shot 1:
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In with the new shot 2:
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In with the new shot 3:
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So, when this one goes back in a case, nobody would consider the condition it was once in except for you.
This is a great unit. I'm genuinely considering keeping this one and selling what I thought was my lifetime keeper X-101-C. I'm not sure what it is about these amps, but I think the DC filaments on the preamp and tone amp tubes may have something to do with how great they sound.
Here are a couple of beauty shots. Just imagine this one in a case. You'd never see the old rust pockmarks and electrically it's better than when it was new.
All the controls move perfectly, the bias pot behaves, 23-24 watts/channel, I used some relcap tft teflon caps I had ordered in an incorrect value on the phono stage, some nice K42Ys, Kimbers, and the Psvanes for couplers, the Hayseed hamfest can caps . . . the new resistors and phono mod, this one has it all.

Beauty shot 1 - open panel:
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Beauty shot 2 - closed panel:
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I'll have to spend some more time with it and put it in a cabinet for some final photos to close out this thread, but I'll tell ya, it's still a ratrig, but I'm very fond of it.

Here's the test log of the 100 hour burn-in. I didn't spend enough hours burning in the teflon caps in the phono. They take some time and I didn't want to run a record on repeat for days.
I ran the bias a little hot because I like approximately 12 to 12.5 volts dropping across each series preamp/tone amp tube, though the tubes determine the ultimate drop themselves. But if bias is 40 and you run it through four 12Volt tube filaments, the average voltage drop would be 10 volts.


Gotta get some of that shrink wrap that fits over can caps for the stuffed one . . .
 

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I've figured out something on the ratrig that wasn't obvious.
I thought the front panel had a lot of nicotine on it and it was going to require a second cleaning, but it's actually a light champagne color. I've never seen that on one of these. Then again, this one has two new style knobs on the front panel also.
I put the last of the teflon caps in the preamp positions. I've turned lemons into lemonade after ordering incorrectly and the vendor stating in advance that there's no return on caps.
So, Teflons at the front, K42Ys and Kimbers in the middle, and Psvanes at the output.

I've put the Tung Sol 12AX7s in the preamp positions, RCA triple mica black plate 5751s in the tone amp positions and Raytheon 12AX7s as phase inverters. The outputs are all Sylvania coin base 7591s.

I've never heard a Fisher extend so low in the bass with such authority. Stiffening the voltage doubler part of the power supply with 220uf caps and all the other tweaks have helped.

I ordered an additional cap for each position summing to .03uf on that line stage.
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DAMN DON! GORGEOUS JOB!! Love to have that one, but $$$ TIGHT Right now. Plus i know that one will pull in >$450.00. I'd have to get a newer tuner to go with it too, but after the MPX -100 gets fixed I'd be better off getting an amp that can accomoodate the 101-R without all the attendant BS in hooking it up. Right now the 101-R would take up the TUNER and AUX just for FM and AM on the 101-C. You haven't got an older 59-60 amp laying around would ya that's set up for AM-FM Stereo? :D
 
Larry,
I tend to avoid the older receivers with 7189 outputs, which are the only ones from that early I believe.
Thanks for the comments.
 
audiodon said:
I tested every coupling cap and matched values in microfarads and put the shield side towards the input.
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Hi Don! :banana:
How big a difference does that shield orientation make?
Ours is together and running at the moment, but when we do the IBAM if Daddy's is not like you've done yours should we reorient them?
(we used those same Russian caps like you have, and we put them in all going the same way, but I can't remember which right now).

Hope you are fine! :yes:
Phyllis
 
Shield orientation is probably a last 1% issue in terms of quality, and that may be on the high side. I wouldn't worry about it. After all, i did put in teflon caps n'stuff, but then again, some of my speakers are pretty high end. That'd be the only likely time you'd ever notice a difference and I'm not sure even then.
 
your reference 101-c vs. Ratrig 101-c

Hi Don, Here is a question for you. . .

Is it just the extent of the transformation that tempts you to keep the now lovely Rat-rig or does it outperform your reference 101-C?
 
The ratrig outperforms my reference integrated, the Kymers X-101-C, by a pretty wide margin. I don't know if that's anything other than my skill level in voicing now or if there's something else at play.
I know what to change in the reference unit, I just haven't done it yet. It may top the ratrig, but likely it won't get the fussy cap treatment. It would get the "how close can I get for less money on coupling caps" treatment.
For example, I recently bought some new brown body K40Y 400V caps to try as interstage couplers, to mix with the K42Ys.

Also, I think the collecting bug aspect of having a perfect unit is dissipating in my mind as being of the utmost importance.
 
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audiodon said:
Shield orientation is probably a last 1% issue in terms of quality, and that may be on the high side. I wouldn't worry about it. After all, i did put in teflon caps n'stuff, but then again, some of my speakers are pretty high end. That'd be the only likely time you'd ever notice a difference and I'm not sure even then.
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Hi Don! :banana:
Thanks!
But I have to ask, 1% of what? Assuming that you could hear the difference on any given system.
Bass, highs, overall distortion?
Is it something that can be measured whether you can hear it or not?
Thanks Don! :yes:
Phyllis
 
If you have highly resolving speakers, optimized in your room, likely by a professional or a digital signal processor, you use the right interconnects and speaker cables, expensive players, and have spent lots of time obsessing over this stuff, capacitor shield towards the source might make a difference.

I'm not trying to be flip. I try to balance the tech and the subjective aspects of this hobby.
 
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