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Scott Tuners multiplex out low signal

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Posted on September 30, 2009 at 08:44:24
kintyre695
Audiophile

Posts: 691
Location: Toronto
Joined: September 6, 2003
 Hi, I read on the yahoo group fmtuner forum that Scott mono tuners have a "low composite signal level output" from the ratio detector. This appears as a low level signal at the multiplex output jack. Because of this they don't work well with non Scott multiplex units. The output level is too low.

Has anyone heard of this and is it possible to boost the signal from the multiplex out?

I have just bought an LT10 in great shape and good mono sound. The pilot multiplex I have doesn't seem to work well with it. There is stereo, but the output from the mpx is low. The Pilot does work with the Pilot tuner/preamp I have.

Thanks for any suggestions. I would prefer not to spring for a Scott multiplex even if I was able to find one.

David
RE: Scott Tuners multiplex out low signal, posted on October 2, 2009 at 18:01:17
Eli Duttman
Audiophile

Posts: 6156
Location: Plainsboro, NJ
Joined: March 31, 2000



David,

Can you DIY? DIYer EXTRAORDINAIRE STEVE Bench has provided us with the attached design. Don't poo-poo the "sand". Mr. Bench is a stone cold "tube head". If he published it, bank on GOOD sound.

Eli D.
Throw away that Stereo!, posted on October 1, 2009 at 10:06:31
Bambi B
Audiophile

Posts: 2942
Location: Los Angeles
Joined: March 24, 2005




PHOTO: Scott 330D mono tube tuner, 1958

kintyre695,

I have a Scott 330D mono tube tuner that was refurbished by Bob Hovland no less. About four years ago, when I was buying NOS tubes for the Scott- it uses some types that haven't been made in 40 years- I decided to have an MPX unit for it and bought a Heathkit AC-11 MPX decoder. Like you, I had in mind to extract the glory of stereo, but then I listened more seriously to the Scott and all thought of adding stereo flew away! Mono FM is very, very convincing once overcoming the idea that mono is only half the sound.

In mono, FM sound has a clarity and directness and seeming dynamics that I don't hear in stereo. The imaging is surprsing too, it has a centre image that of course does not have left or right information, but for some reason- perhaps there is a greater phase coherence without "competing" slightly different signals- the front to back image is deeper than any stereo image my system makes. Mono FM is also much, much quieter.

I enjoy mono FM so much, that I sometimes listen in mono with my McIntosh MR67 tuner- spectacular sound! You might give your Scott a good run without prejudice and, as I did, find you won't need to add stereo.

If, however, you must still have stereo, to my knowledge you would be best off finding a Scott 335. These have gotten expensive but I wonder how difficult it would be to make a clone.

Cheers,

Bambi B


PS: Tubes in the Scott 330D :

Scott 330D

2- 12AU7 -- CBS/Hytron black plate 5814A
4- 6AU6A -- Raytheon 7543 (this is a mil spec, low noise 6AU6)
6U8-- Amperex 6GH8A
6BA6-- RCA
6BE6-- Telefunken EK90
6CN7-- RCA
6BS8-- RCA
6X4-- RCA
RE: Very nice, posted on October 1, 2009 at 17:18:11
Neff
 Just by your tube line up, I can tell you know your business. I have a modified Eico 2200 Classic that sounds better in stereo than mono & that is rare. A good multiplexer can make or break a tuner.

RE: Very nice EICO, posted on October 1, 2009 at 19:16:04
Bambi B
Audiophile

Posts: 2942
Location: Los Angeles
Joined: March 24, 2005




PHOTO: EICO HF-12 (mono tube integrated amplifier 2X12W > 3-12AX7, 2- EL84, 1-EZ81 )
Neff,

I prefer most equipment in stereo, but as you say, good multiplex is rare in tuners, and perhaps that's the reason that every tuner I try sounds better to me in mono. - That plus the much lower noise. Tuners at home: Scott 330D, Mcintosh: MX110, MR67, MR77, Fisher 800 (receiver), Marantz: 2235 and 2275 (receivers), Revox B160.

Yes, I liked the Scott tuner so much I began thinking of doing a mono system around it and acquired an EICO HF-14, which despite having 50 year-old Mullards and capacitors makes an intriguingly a wonderful sound from what appears to be about 15 parts. The photo is an HF-12, the HF-14 is an HF-12 but with a more modern faceplate- instead of the 1942 Bureau of Consumer Appearance design.

It's amazingly good- I can now understand - I think- what the SET crowd is after. I'll use a Dual 1019 turntable with a Grado 78 cartridge also. For speakers, I'm thinking of modern- and I have them already- an Infinity Primus 362 which I'm thinking of thanks to the 93dB rating. I'd like to use the AR-3A's of my youth, but vintage speakers are another whole world to learn about. I even had a momentary dream of buying another HF-12 or -14 and using the transformers- with carefully selected modern components and deleting tone controls- as the basis for a pure dual mono integrated.

What kind of sources do you use with your EICO 2200 Classic?

Cheers,

Bambi B

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