• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Zenith console

epifanatic

epifanatic

acoustically suspended
I'll be picking this up after work today. It'll be my first foray into tubes. I'd appreciate any opinions, thoughts, ideas....should I make a stand alone amp? re-furb the whole thing and keep it a console? Any body know what the specs are for this?
thanks in advance......


Mike
 

Attachments

  • zenith1.jpg
    zenith1.jpg
    9 KB · Views: 96
  • zenith2.jpg
    zenith2.jpg
    8.7 KB · Views: 69
  • zenith3.jpg
    zenith3.jpg
    6.4 KB · Views: 57
Register to hide this ad
That looks like a great little amp, EL84 perhaps? Looks like it's missing two driver tubes, though.
 
epifanatic said:
Would it still work without those? The guy said he was listening to it when he took the pics.
Click to expand...

It "could" be that this amp was used in different units, some may have just played records, thus needing the preamp stage, others may have the preamp stage on the radio chassis. Zenith may have had one chassis for several models, that was configured differently depending on the inclusion of Radio, or not.
 
Phototone said:
It "could" be that this amp was used in different units, some may have just played records, thus needing the preamp stage, others may have the preamp stage on the radio chassis. Zenith may have had one chassis for several models, that was configured differently depending on the inclusion of Radio, or not.
Click to expand...
No TT in this AFIAK.
 
The drivers are there, it's missing two of the 6BQ5's. It would play like that. Take a look (or better yet post a pic) of the output transformers. I believe this is one of the amps with the "funky" ones that cross one channel to the other.
 
Looks like it should be a push-pull amp, and one tube on each channel is missing. As mentioned, it will work like that but at a lower output level and with non-optimal bias.

My vote is always on keeping the console intact unless the cabinet is trashed. Overhaul the amp and tuner, mod as desired for better sound, and let that thing rock.
 
Zenith is good stuff. I vote keeping nice consoles intact.

You might be able to mod the speaker cabinets with backs and stuffing and proper crossovers and find they sound very good. You could even move the amp to a shelf below the tuner for looks (and to get it out of the speaker cabinet volume.
 
6v6coalbed said:
... You might be able to mod the speaker cabinets with backs and stuffing and proper crossovers and find they sound very good. You could even move the amp to a shelf below the tuner for looks (and to get it out of the speaker cabinet volume.
Click to expand...
Moving the amp will make no difference. Most consoles utilize an infinite baffle speaker "enclosure", so having the amp there really has no effect.

Attempting to seal the speaker system by adding backs and sound absorption material would only serve to stifle the output of those drivers. IMHO.

Dave
 
I was referring to moving the amp in the event of engineering a more proper speaker enclosure.

I've been meaning to measure T/S parameters of one of my console woofers. Modern open-baffle candidate woofers have Qts between .7 and mid 1's before bass fidelity degrades into mush. I suspect a good quality console open-back woofer will test similar.

Aperiodic boxes work in that range, in fact, I think some "good" aperiodic speakers from the 70's used woofers with wonky high Qts. Many old speaker boxes I've seen are essentially aperiodic, with a "vent" (hole in the box) covered with heavy carpet/cloth. My C-M console is sort of aperiodic- it's got a solid hardboard back cover, except for vent holes near the amp and a similar number of holes behind each woofer to dissipate the cabinet resonance.

So I do believe may be possible to engineer a semi-modern cabinet. At a minimum, you could line the open-cabinet walls with foam, etc., to eat the muddy midbass. I've got some old throw cushions hanging out the back of my C-M doing just that (back cover is removed so I can trace wiring and stare at the tubes).

But until I actually test, I've just got educated guesses.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom