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Comparing and contrasting EL84 PP Integrateds

Dmannnnn,
I've done it with a number of amps, some vintage, others DIY. The first amps were Eico ST40 and 70 amps. Then a couple of console amps. I've also restored several vintage amps and receivers but have usually left them as original. They never sound as good to me as the modified and DIY amps. My current amp is a DIY triode connected 6AR6 amp. It's all PP differential using CCS's in the cathodes.

A nice thing about triode connecting a pentode or UL amp is that you can always go back. Depending on your speakers and listening habits, you may find that the loss of power is too much.

I see you're in Denver. Did you go to RMAF this fall? I've been the last couple of years and really enjoyed it.

John
 
pilot 245a amp related question

GordonW said:
Stromberg ASR333 and ASR433 are big-time performers, IMHO. The amp circuit is especially good. My best home-build integrated amp was based on the output amp section of this, with a 6CG7 preamp (like the original, just stripped-down with a lower gain input tube and no tone controls).

Pilot SM245 may be the best of all, IMHO, comparing units in stock form...

Regards,
Gordon.
Click to expand...

I have acquired a set of Pilot 244 and 255a amps and have listened to Pilot 245a amp for a while, but one thing I am now complaining to the amp is that there is not an enough phono gain even to a good MM cartrige. Do you have any idea what the problem it might have or any suggestions?
 
I love my little Lafayette integrated. Dead quiet, and wonderful sounding.
 

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mmmm Heathkit AA-151, with a lil reworking certainly a condenda. I kinda like a pair of Eico HF-32's PITA but I like the sound.
 
dmadmc said:
I have acquired a set of Pilot 244 and 255a amps and have listened to Pilot 245a amp for a while, but one thing I am now complaining to the amp is that there is not an enough phono gain even to a good MM cartrige. Do you have any idea what the problem it might have or any suggestions?
Click to expand...

My 245 certainly seems to have enough phono gain. It's not appreciably different, in terms of where you need to place the volume control, compared to the signal from a typical CD player, connected to a line input.

I'd check for heater voltage to the phono preamp tubes, and for bad caps. Something may not be biased up properly in the phono stage.

BTW: I was using an Audio Technica AT92 to test mine.

Regards,
Gordon.
 
rudedogg said:
I love my little Lafayette integrated. Dead quiet, and wonderful sounding.
Click to expand...

Wow, that Lafayette's got some big iron too... And Lafayette built that?

Gordon mentioned the TA-600 earlier in this thread. I had seriously-considered buying one back when I was tube amp shopping, but I ended up going with the 800C instead because of the headphone-output (and anybody who knows Fishers knows about the killer headphone-out the *00C series receivers have). Still, I'd love to try a TA-600 at some point because of the EL84's as well as the fact that it's tube-rectified (I wonder if it's possible to throw a tube-rectifier in my 800C in place of the solid-state one... My old Super Reverb guitar amp I used to have originally came with a tube rectifier, but you could buy solid-state ones that you could just pop right in there without a bunch of modifications, so I wonder if it's possible with the old Fishers as well... Something tells me it's a lot easier to go from tube to SS rectification than it is to go from SS to tube rectification).

Still, Larry D. likes his TA-600 above ALL of his old Fishers, and I like the look of it, so I might still try one sometime. I'm nuts about my 800C though (THAT'S got some big iron). That receiver powering my W90's is one serious combination. Synergy up the wazoo.
 
Fisher X-100-3 is a 7189 amp, but sure is schweet.
The Fisher 30As are also totally transparent sounding.
The Stromberg-Carlson Jamanaa did up that happened across my bench was one fine sounding box.
 
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