What do you guys think about Scott LK79B integrated tube amp

[Oscarshock]

Hi, I saw this vintage amp for sale on my local market and according to what I read, it seems to have a good reputation, but just in case, I want to gather more advice before I pull the trigger. Here is the basic information about this unit,

According to the seller, it will come with all the tubes (not sure what brands are they) and is working properly. By the way, as far as I can tell from the photos he posted, there is no white tube at least, and no significant service either. What should be the normal price for something like this and how does it vary for different conditions?

Last but not least, a question that is raised quite often. Since I am going to use it primarily as a preamp (I already have an integrated amp), how does it compare with the modern preamp around 500 (See P.S.)? Feel free to leave your comment!

P.S. Before I met this, I had already paid half of the price of a stand-alone modern preamp, which is around 500, to let the store withhold it for me

 

[cademan]

Do you mean LK-72?

The LK-72 is power wise equal to the Fisher 400(?) and Sansui 1000A running the 7591 output tube. Excellent as far as I am concerned. It doesn't have separate preamp capabilities. It's a straight integrated amplifier however it does have a mono center channel which is controlled by a separate volume control on the front panel. HHScott calls this a derived center channel which is taken from both outputs with resistors to drive a mono power amplifier. Back then when stereo was still fairly new, the left and right speakers would be spread farther apart for stereo listening and the center was used to fill in a hole between channels. Ahh, the 60's and their experimentations hee hee.

 

[Oscarshock]

Do you mean LK-72?

The LK-72 is power wise equal to the Fisher 400(?) and Sansui 1000A running the 7591 output tube. Excellent as far as I am concerned.

opps, yes I mean 72. Can I still change the title? Or a mod can help me. Anyway, yes, I hear good thing about it but I will use it primarily as preamp. Do you think this will be a good unit for a introduction of tube sound?

 

[cademan]

opps, yes I mean 72. Can I still change the title? Or a mod can help me. Anyway, yes, I hear good thing about it but I will use it primarily as preamp. Do you think this will be a good unit for a introduction of tube sound?

Re read my message above. I was editing as you were replying.

 

[Oscarshock]

Re read my message above. I was editing as you were replying.

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I did realize this thing cannot be a preamp completely. I have read some posts saying that it is possible to use the tape out as if a pre out, but in this case, I won't be able to control the volume or the tonality. However, if I have an integrated amp, and I take the signal from the tape out, is it possible that I can control the volume from my integrated amp?

 

[Oscarshock]

Do you mean LK-72?

The LK-72 is power wise equal to the Fisher 400(?) and Sansui 1000A running the 7591 output tube. Excellent as far as I am concerned. It doesn't have separate preamp capabilities. It's a straight integrated amplifier however it does have a mono center channel which is controlled by a separate volume control on the front panel. HHScott calls this a derived center channel which is taken from both outputs with resistors to drive a mono power amplifier. Back then when stereo was still fairly new, the left and right speakers would be spread farther apart for stereo listening and the center was used to fill in a hole between channels. Ahh, the 60's and their experimentations hee hee.

Well, that center channel thing sounds to me like a subwoofer pre out now, which most of the integrated amp has, though I know nothing about the 60's, this amp is older than my parent.

 

[cademan]

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I did realize this thing cannot be a preamp completely. I have read some posts saying that it is possible to use the tape out as if a pre out, but in this case, I won't be able to control the volume or the tonality. However, if I have an integrated amp, and I take the signal from the tape out, is it possible that I can control the volume from my integrated amp?

No. Tape out is fixed and is before all the controls.

If you already have another integrated amplifier, you can use the tape out from the LK72 but it will only work with whatever is plugged into the LK72 like using the LK72 as a phono stage only. The LK72 needs to be used with speakers connected.

 

[Oscarshock]

No. Tape out is fixed and is before all the controls.

Really? I thought I could connect the tap out from the Scott to my another SS intergrated amp which has volume control. In this case, the Scott serves as a preamp, and my SS intergrated amp serves as a power amp with volume control.

 

[cademan]

Well, that center channel thing sounds to me like a subwoofer pre out now, which most of the integrated amp has, though I know nothing about the 60's, this amp is older than my parent.

It's not a sub woofer output but rather a full range mono output. I suppose you could use a powered sub woofer but it would have to be a mono sub woofer.

 

[Oscarshock]

It's not a sub woofer output but rather a full range mono output. I suppose you could use a powered sub woofer but it would have to be a mono sub woofer.

Interesting. What I mean is that, just like you said because the speaker had to put wide apart back then, and so they needed a center channel to fill the void. In nowadays, people need subwoofer to compensate the frequency response for their speakers system especially for Bookshelf speaker.

 

[Oscarshock]

No. Tape out is fixed and is before all the controls.

If you already have another integrated amplifier, you can use the tape out from the LK72 but it will only work with whatever is plugged into the LK72 like using the LK72 as a phono stage only. The LK72 needs to be used with speakers connected.

Yes, this is exactly what is in my mind. Is there anything I should worry before plug in the unit? I have a vintage turntable (MM) which is probably going to work fine with the phono stage of the Scott. However, I also want to connect my mordern dac to Scott. I knew the output voltage of the mordern dac is about 2V, would this overload the Scott?

 

[cademan]

Really? I thought I could connect the tap out from the Scott to my another SS intergrated amp which has volume control. In this case, the Scott serves as a preamp, and my SS intergrated amp serves as a power amp with volume control.

You're not understanding the term preamp! You're solid state integrated amp is not called a power amp but integrated amp because it houses a preamp (volume and tone controls) and power amp in one box.

This particular Scott is also known as an integrated amplifier just like your SS integrated amp is also known as an integrated amplifier which means it has a built in preamp section and a built in power amp section.

An integrated amplifier with a built in tuner is known as a receiver. They also make straight tuners which are known as just tuners. No preamp controls or power amps built into them.

The Scotts preamp section only involves the volume and tone controls. The power amp section only involves the output tubes (7591's), output transformers and speakers. The volume and tone controls are the main preamp that drives the main power amp and is not the same as a phono preamp. (Some integrated amplifiers and receivers are designed from the factory to have what's known as "MAIN-IN" and "PRE-OUT" capabilities which means you can mix and match and drive other amps with the original built in preamp or use the original main amp section with different preamps).

If the Scott were a straight power amplifier only, it would not have any inputs or tone and volume controls. Scott did make straight power amplifiers only and were used with straight preamps only.

They make separate preamps which only contain input and volume and tone control capabilities but no built in power amplifier to drive speakers.

The tape out is not a preamp and is not known as or called a preamp. It is strictly known as a line level output for tape deck recording purposes only.

I see that you are only 22 so this must be pretty new to you but this is the correct terminology to use when talking about tuners, preamps, power amps, and receivers.

The HHScott LK-72 is what's known as an integrated amplifier only. No preamp outputs of any kind to drive other power amplifiers.

With what you have told us here today, it sounds like you don't need the LK-72 as you already have a SS integrated amplifier which will do the same thing as the LK-72 just without the center channel. What SS integrated amplifier are you using?

You are now officially falling down the rabbit hole!

 

[Oscarshock]

You're not understanding the term preamp! You're solid state integrated amp is not called a power amp but integrated amp because it houses a preamp (volume and tone controls) and power amp in one box.

This particular Scott is also known as an integrated amplifier just like your SS integrated amp is also known as an integrated amplifier which means it has a built in preamp section and a built in power amp section.

An integrated amplifier with a built in tuner is known as a receiver. They also make straight tuners which are known as just tuners. No preamp controls or power amps built into them.

The Scotts preamp section only involves the volume and tone controls. The power amp section only involves the output tubes (7591's), output transformers and speakers. The volume and tone controls are the main preamp that drives the main power amp and is not the same as a phono preamp. (Some integrated amplifiers and receivers are designed from the factory to have what's known as "MAIN-IN" and "PRE-OUT" capabilities which means you can mix and match and drive other amps with the original built in preamp or use the original main amp section with different preamps).

If the Scott were a straight power amplifier only, it would not have any inputs or tone and volume controls. Scott did make straight power amplifiers only and were used with straight preamps only.

They make separate preamps which only contain input and volume and tone control capabilities but no built in power amplifier to drive speakers.

The tape out is not a preamp and is not known as or called a preamp. It is strictly known as a line level output for tape deck recording purposes only.

I see that you are only 22 so this must be pretty new to you but this is the correct terminology to use when talking about tuners, preamps, power amps, and receivers.

The HHScott LK-72 is what's known as an integrated amplifier only. No preamp outputs of any kind to drive other power amplifiers.

With what you have told us here today, it sounds like you don't need the LK-72 as you already have a SS integrated amplifier which will do the same thing as the LK-72 just without the center channel. What SS integrated amplifier are you using?

You are now officially falling down the rabbit hole!

Sorry for my vague terminology and thank you for correcting me. As you said, since I already have a SS intergrated amp (Denon pma-600ne), I don't need a preamp anymore. However, the reason why I am interested in the Scott was because it is a tube amplifier and I am curious about the tube sound as I have never heard one before. Indeed, Scott is not a preamp and it can't act as preamp either. But my plan is to connect my DAC to the Scott and connecting the tape out from the Scott to my Denon that has a volume control, in which case, Scott is similar to a "phono preamp " or a "buffer" in this case even though it is a intergrated amplifier. Although I also want to use it for my turntable, since I don't listen vinyl that much, so I was concerned mainly by the digital sources.

In terms of terminology, that reminds me the first time I bought the Denon. I was using receiver and integrated amplifier at the same time interchangeably because I didn't know their differences.

 

[gadget73]

if you do that with the DAC, the Scott will do nothing but heat the room. Input from the aux jack goes through the source selector and directly out the tape output jack. No electronics between those points at all. It will work without it even being plugged in to the wall.

The phono might work but unless the input on your amp is higher than about 100k it won't work well. The phono stages in these are not bufferd and have a high output impedance, external load makes them act funny.

Honestly this isn't a good use of an integrated amplifier, it sounds like what you want is an actual tube preamp to bypass the preamp stage in your existing amp and this isnt' going to do that for you. Its best used as what it is driving speakers.

 

[kvflyer]

The LK-72B was also the kit version of the 299D for comparison. And, the description of tuners, preamplifiers and power amplifiers above is exactly correct.

 

[Bill Ashton]

Also, as it is a tube amplifier with somewhat rare output tubes, you do not want to run this unit without speakers attached...

 

[zackthedog]

If it's in good condition and the price is right, why not try in *in place* of your SS intergated amp? Will your speakers work well with 30 watts per channel?

 

[trainbuftony]

Yeah, once you get the 299 working it should be able to replace the denon so that you can get a sense of what tube audio sounds like. I'd say a Scott 299 is an excellent way to see what tubes sound like. Those Scott amps sound really really nice once fixed and they hold their value and won't disappoint. Sure a person could seek out and buy a better tube amplifier but if they have a working 299d they probably won't. They get the work done. 60 years old and far from obsolete...

 

[Selmerdave]

Using an LK-72 as a dummy stage into a preamp is a bit like using the wheel on a Porsche as a lazy Susan. It could theoretically be done, but it would make a lot more sense to use it for what it was designed to do since it's pretty good at that.

 

[Dswankey]

Hi, I saw this vintage amp for sale on my local marketplace

What should be the normal price for something like this and how does it vary for different conditions?

@Oscarshock

Asking for pricing advice is limited strictly to the Dollars & Sense forum here at AK, once you get everything figured out with regards to what's what and how they may or maynot work together create a separate thread.

Dollars and Sense

What's my gear worth? Check out this deal! Is this a good buy? All these questions and anything relating sound to a price have a home in this forum. No buying experience posts allowed !

www.audiokarma.org

Fyi, the folks who have replied so far are some of AK's resident tube gurus who know what the speak of so feel comfortable that you're getting good advice, clarification etc