Dynakit PAS-3: The calm before the storm

[GainFactor99]

After having way too much fun inhaling solder fumes with my son as we worked on getting rid of the hum on his Dyanaco SCA-35, I bid on a Dynakit PAS-3 preamp being sold at an auction in Arizona. Keeping my bidding in the lower $200's I thought I'd just get the thrill without the bill.

But, I won and now that I've paid the bid, the 20% buyer's premium, and the $86.00 (!) shipping, I get the fun of opening it up and staring at for a few weeks before the real work begins. My first impressions are positive. The tubes are original and the inside is immaculate. I'm posting the pictures now because you may not hear from me for a while. At dinner tonight, I'll need to explain what, exactly, was in that UPS delivery that arrived while I was out.

 

[daveshel]

That's a beauty.

 

[Lavane]

Nice and clean inside.

 

[seacliffe301]

I still have my PAS3-X in storage (got it in my teens). Brings back great memories seeing this.

 

[trainbuftony]

Explain it like this:
Theres no place where your kid is going to get this kind of hands on experience doing real work, at any price. You could send them to a very expensive college and pay for a very expensive set of engineering credentials which are useless compared to having the actual ability to diagnose and repair as well as accurately and affordably source parts and compile a restoration plan.
A professor can't teach that.
In terms of creating a well rounded and useful young adult, not only are you doing the right thing, its something which must be done, if it's to be accomplished. That is to say it cannot be bought at any price.
A+ Excellent parenting.

 

[crooner]

I love the PAS series of preamps. Specially in their original form with no modifications. There is something about them that is very appealing to me. Their construction and simplicity perhaps. The sensation that they belong to a different era and time.... They are indispensable IMHO. Congrats on the purchase!

 

[GainFactor99]

Thanks everyone for reducing the post sales cognitive dissonance. 'Train, I like your well-reasoned justification for my not so discretionary spending. I particularly liked your line that "a professor can't teach that." In my case, as a recently retired professor, that may be true, given that I was in the Liberal Arts College of our university.

So far, there hasn't been a need to explain anything about the PAS purchase, which is dangerous because now I'm beginning to think that the pre-amp needs a vintage stereo amp to go with it. I don't think I'd be happy with the results of using the two very different mono amps (Muzak 800 made by Universal Broadcasters Corp. and a Bogen CHB 100) that I have in the basement.

As a guy of a particular age, I have to say that worrying over the PAS is much more fun than worrying over my PSA.

 

[trainbuftony]

The PAS and several other Dynaco and heath products were designed to be pretty simple to buil at home for amateur builders. They give the builder the satisfaction of powering up one of their creations and using it to do something fun. Listen to music. I would say the point of the operation isnt necessary to end up with a top performing state of the art amplifier. It gets you a pretty good amplifier, that works but what it really does is it empowers the builder with skills and knowledge that can be used to make truly excellent amplifiers, and to embark on a life long hobby that's fun and rewarding and keeps your brain active.

I know that in my journey I did build out a few PAS preamps before I took the reigns and did things my own way. I'm glad that I did. Theres a whole lot of satisfied PAS owners over the last 50 years and who am I to argue with them? (I wont) however, if after building the PAS you entertain the thought of building something else, then by all means, have the confidence to order the stuff and build something else. In my opinion the PAS is a stepping stone to the DIY audio hobby, which can be extremely rewarding.

See you at Burning Amp.