Vintage Vacuum Tube Audio

And I'll tell you another darned thing... Don't even think of trying to clean the dial glass on a Scott tuner or receiver, like a 350D, 340B, LT-112 etc. Those numbers and letters will disappear like magic! Been there... Done that... (Unfortunately...)

Projects update:

Well, I wound up using the Baldwin (actually, made by Woodward-Schumacher) output transformers. Not in a 6L6 amp... I found that they were 8K CT primaries, so I used them, on a reclaimed Pilot chassis (the Pilot had been in a fire, and had been stripped before I got the chassis, BTW), with 6BQ5 PP outputs, as an integrated amp (loosely based on the Stromberg-Carlson ASR333 schematic, but using a 6CG7 preamp/input stage).

HOLY COW!

This is definitely the STRONGEST 6BQ5/EL84 amp I've ever heard.

A friend of mine heard it, and demanded that I let him take it home with him, to compare to his Audio Research SP50 integrated amp. Well, now he won't bring it back... says it kicked the ARC amp to the curb!

On the bright side, he gave me money for it... so now I have money to build MORE AMPS!!

Now, I'm back to working on the Dumont chassis. After the success with the Pilot chassis, I'm motivated!!

Regards,
Gordon.

Don Cavey wrote:And I'll tell you another darned thing... Don't even think of trying to clean the dial glass on a Scott tuner or receiver, like a 350D, 340B, LT-112 etc. Those numbers and letters will disappear like magic! Been there... Done that... (Unfortunately...)

Same goes for many Fisher receivers. A friend of mine was almost in tears after finding this out...

Regards,
Gordon.

I've been a "DynacoHead" ever since I first saw the pics of them in the 1969 Allied Radio catalog. I got my first Stereo 70 and PAS3-X setup with my first paycheck from the grocery store when I was 16. Over the years I've kept that set going and it's STILL pumpin'. I've collected another four ST70s and about six more PAS units, and three or four of the killer FM-3 tuners.

I know there are those who do endless tweaking and "modding" to these babies, but I do my best to keep 'em all original. I just love that sound! I guess if you wanna draw an automobile analogy, Dynaco equipment could be seen as the Vee-Dub: a "Tubes For Everyman" idea that put killer sound within reach of anybody who wanted it. And to go further with the analogy, if you treated an air-cooled VW exactly like you were supposed to (oil change and set your own valves every 3,000 miles and keep it STOCK), they would last forever. It was when you tried to "soup it up" that the VW cratered! Same with the Dynaco...if you don't "mod" it or try to "hot rod" it, but maintain it in original shape, it just keeps going.

About five years ago, I go finally got my first set of the Dynaco speakers, the originals made in Denmark. Blew me away. Realized that they were built with the same philosophy: give the Average Joe the best sound he's ever had for the smallest amount of cash and the highest quality possible. Every Dynaco speaker's woofer has got a rubber surround: they last practically forever. I've never seen one blown or burnt. No "re-foaming" to do...the surrounds just won't rot! And as far as "presence" and presentation of a real "sound stage", they're amazing. I've since collected two pairs of the little A-10's, four pairs of A-25's, one pair each of the A-35's and the mighty A-50's (huge babies with double woofs).

Our main system that we're listening to at the moment is a pair of ST70s set to "mono", one for left channel, one for right, with an A-10 and an A-25 hooked to the speaker outs of each. The A-10s are hung on the wall about seven feet apart at sitting "ear-level" and the A-25s are nearer the corners of the room. That setup generates a killer "Sweet Spot" and will blast you out of the room!

For my money, if you want to "get into" tube audio, you can't find a better entry point than Dynaco ST70/PAS/A-25 setup. You'll never listen to "sand" again.

beebs

I have one Dyna tuner that I got for a little of nothing. I also have a Stereo 120 cheap but that is transistor. Sits on a shelf in queue with other items. I wouldn't mind having an ST-70 but not for what they get today. There really isn't much there with them. They are just the in the group of "Chosen One" items. Nothing against them, I just don't want to spend what it costs to get one.

Speakers, I found vintage Bang & Olufsen. I stumbled across them a few years ago. I have several pairs of the S45-2 and S75 speakers. The S45-2 uses basically the same woofer as the Dyna and it is from SEAS. Butyl rubber surrounds also. However, the original S45 had foam surrounds and you know where that goes!

And as you obviously know now, Scott is my choice of tube amplifier. Doesn't mean I don't like others, I am just more familiar with them.

I also collect Knight Kit amplifiers. They are very easy to get going and always have the same problems. Plate resistors on the preamp tubes and filter capacitors. They usually don't have coupling capacitor issues because they often used disc ceramic caps. Not the best choice but they worked. For an amp that I am keeping, disc ceramics in the signal path get changed to tubular. Not very expensive and work just fine.

My line-up is as follows:
Heath W7-M 55 watt mono amp, running original Mullard EL34s, WA-P2 preamp, BC-1A am tuner (wish I had the FM tuner), Pilotuner T601 FM tuner, unknow model RCA 45 tt, Columbia 104(?) 33 tt, and Kanazawa speaker. That may not be 50s or 60s speaker, tho.
Also a small Knight Kit mono amp with pair of 6BQ5s; needing repair are: Heath EA2, EA3 amps and an AJ-10 am-fm tuner.