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| Model: | Dynaco ST-120 Kit: Wired & Tested |
| Category: | Amplifier (Tube) |
| Suggested Retail Price: | $995.00 |
| Description: | Bob Latino built 60 wpc kit: wired and tested |
| Manufacturer URL: | Dynaco ST-120 Kit |
| Review by Mark1101 on August 05, 2008 at 09:10:58 IP Address: 192.249.47.71 | Add Your Review for the Dynaco ST-120 Kit: Wired & Tested |
I recently purchased an ST-120 kit from Bob Latino. At first I wasn't sure about the purchase and had many questions. Bob provided quick, cmplete, knowledgeable answers that helpedme decide about my purchase. I received very good communiction throughout the entire process / transaction.
I purchased Bob's ST-120 kit wired and tested with power supply and coupling cap (auricap) upgrades. Bob also sells the kit as a DIY project for less money.
To my surprise Bob built my amp, tested, burned in, and shipped it in just 2-3 days. The amp arrived in a very well protected package and in perfect condition. In looking at the equipment it is beautiful, like a work of art. Inside and out Bob's work is meticulous. I have owned several other tubes amps and am familiar with the parts and Bob uses all very good quality parts. I was immediately very happy with what was deliverd to me. I could tell it was built to last.
You can see the equipment list I use in my system below. I'll explain my speakers. I use a slightly modified Klipsch MCM grand cinema all horn speaker system with custom Al Klappenberger extreme slope networks. This is a 104+ db setup that will absolutely punish you with any and all upstream noise and anomalies. It is a very efficient and highly detailed setup. The rewards with clean sounding equipment are enormous. Obviously, this is a very large 2 Ch. speaker system, but it can be driven by even low powered amplifiers with great success.
I loaded the 3 Mullard 12AT7s, Valve Art KT-88s, and Sovtech rectifier, fired up the unit and biased the tubes using the 4 external pots on the driver board. Quick and easy. All weekend the bias was rock steady. I let the amp play for around 72 hours straight and listened for about 1/3 of that time over the weekend. I gave it a real good workout.
Up first was the noise test done by shorting the RCA inputs. With the speakers I'm using I can detect any anomalies very easily and this amp is dead silent. If there is a theme to this review it would be that this amp scores mightily in the "cleanliness" department. I can't say enough about how quiet and clean sounding it is. No hiss, no hum, nothing but sweet music. I wish my darn preamp was even close to as quiet as this amp. Unfortunately it is not.
I used a lot of different music over the weekend ranging from blues to rock and jazz. Only CDs were used.
The ST-120 has beautiful extension from deep low end to crystal clear highs. All weekend long I was following bass lines delivered with strong emphasis, crystal clear, and sounding effortless. There is not even a hint of "tube slop" in the bass. Cymbal strikes are all there including the trailing edge. Again, crystal clear but not edgey or grainy. Vocals from the midhorn were smooth and detailed regardless if man or woman rock or jazz, softly spoken or "screams". All smooth and sweet.
The amp has a very tight clean and detailed signature while still retaining all the warmness of tubes and it is real powerhouse in a small package. It stays clean and clear right to ear piercing levels.
The output transformers never got hot but just warm and while the power transformer did get a good workout it runs cooler than my other tube amps and several others I've been around. Although I really pushed the amp at various times for 2-3 hour intervals it just never gave any indication that it was even breaking a sweat.
Soundstaging. Now here I have to say the jury may still be out. I don't have enough information yet. I have other Klipsch speakers (Lascalas, corwalls, and heresys) that I have not tried yet that I know image very well (Lascalas). My big cinema speakers are not the best at imaging and eclipse my room. So I can not fully comment on the 3D image. I was however fully engaged in the music all weekend wanting for nothing more. This amp is very true to life and provides great accuracy.
Bob is a grat guy to deal with and he has hit the nail on the head with this amp. It truly does everything very very well.
I don't even have the best tubes in it yet and I give it a big thumbs up and say "highly recommended".
| Product Weakness: | None yet. |
| Product Strengths: | Clarity, clean sounding, detailed, accurate, powerful, both high end and low end extension, fit and finish !!! |
| Amplifier: | Bob Latino ST-120 kit |
| Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): | Juicy Music Audio Peach |
| Sources (CDP/Turntable): | Jolida JD-100 |
| Speakers: | Modified Klipsch KPT MCM Grand |
| Cables/Interconnects: | monster |
| Music Used (Genre/Selections): | Blues, Rock, Jazz |
| Room Size (LxWxH): | 26 x 18 x 11 |
| Room Comments/Treatments: | 12 panels of Owens Corning 705 |
| Time Period/Length of Audition: | First week of ownership / entire weekend of listening (~24 hrs listening time) |
| Type of Audition/Review: | Product Owner |
tubes, not SS
This is not, in the commonly understood sense of the word, a Dynaco amp. Dynaco sold a 60 watt tube mono amp, I believe, that was based on the 6550 output tube, called a "Mark III." But these guys don't claim that they're using that circuit on this chassis.
But, to my knowledge, their only stereo tube amp was the Stereo 70, which I built.
The ST-120 was a not particularly good-sounding transistor amp (Dynaco's first). The st-80 (essentially the same amp with a less tightly regulated power supply) sounded better.
So it's kind of confusing that they've chosen to name this product this way. I wonder who -- if anyone -- owns the rights to the Dynaco name and trademark any more?
Doc,
Bob's ST120 is just a beefed up ( via larger transformers )version of his ST 70. It's rated output is 60 wpc as opposed to 40 in his ST 70. The ST 120 is also limited to the use of the 6550 family of output tubes. No relation to the old Dyna sand amp, despite being called ST120.
Then why call it Dyna, anyway?
Kal
Kal,
You'll have to ask Bob Latino about the " ST 120 " designation. Trust me when I say I had nothing to do with it.
having owned a real Dynaco ST-120 thirty some years ago. The guy should call it something different.
rw
He probably should. I wonder about the legality of this eventhough Dynaco is no longer around and many tube amps ARE still based on the Dynaco circuit, might as well call it what it is I suppose. I see the words Dynaco and Marantz pop up when I see descripions of the Chinese amps acoustic sounds sells.
Who would want to buy a Dynaco ST-120 today? That would be like calling your new car the Vega!
rw
I apologize if I named or classified the amp incorrectly. If you follow the link you can see exact nomenclature used by Bob Latino. My fault.
I am a newb on this site and I have enjoyed reading around. But it was a bit difficult to write a review without using the site first. I think this is my first real post.
of the old 60's SS amp, which we owned (family) to drive AR 3a's. I sold it later, got a Hafler DH 200 a few years later. But we have the matching PAT 4a still in a box in the garage.
A bright clean sounding SS amp, nothing like the ST 70 modded to this new amp, a modded ST 70. Competitor then was the HK Citation 12, a much darker sounding amp.
No issue, it's just that the title on the site shows as a tubed modded ST 120??? Or at least that's how it seems to us when we saw the review title. The review was good, and it seems to be an intriguing product.
I see but, although the name seems to have been assumed by the company, the design under discussion was not an original product and the use of the name Dynaco may be legal but imho misleading.
Kal
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