Battery biased 76 impressions (Paramours). Attn: JeffreyJ (This one is wordy, as usual)

Bottlehead Forum

Welcome! Need support, you got it. Or share you ideas and experiences.

First of all I have to say again that the 76 driver mod (with resistor bias) really smokes, really takes the amps to a new level. I don't recommend doing this mod if you don't have an upgraded plate choke. You can't do this mod without the C4's upgrade. And I suspect that NOS 2a3's or better should come first as well. This mod is about finesse.
Now about battery biasing: Very easy to do. A pair of 9v radio shack NiMH rechargeable batteries cost $25(a bit more than the 76 tubes themselves!) A little velcro and voila! They biased those darn 76's up very nicely. 8.14v or so -cathode, ~194v at the plate. I have ~284v at the top of the C4's.
Upon listening, notes just slightly more defined. A little more punch and authority, but also SMOOTH. It was a subtle but easily heard difference. I have this mono recording of Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald on vinyl that brought tears to my eyes.
Next time I'd get the batteries from Mouser for ~$11 the pair.
Jason
p.s.(JeffreyJ,
I just saw your last post, but it's already done. I never felt any REAL pressure to do it so forget about it. I was just kidding when I said "Thanks for the kick in the ass". I'm too self conscious to use those smiley faces made out of punctuation. They don't compliment my disposition.
Anyhow, for some reason this mod caught my wife's attention and she was anxious for me to do it (ever since I put those EXO-03's in she has been following along very closely). I also had the last couple of days off from work and couldn't stop listening so I got to hear at least a dozen records with the resistor bias. It sounded really really good. Now it sounds really really really good. And I now understand how to read the plate-curve charts. Thanks.)

Childhood perhaps comes closest to the "real life." -A. Breton

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Topic - Battery biased 76 impressions (Paramours). Attn: JeffreyJ (This one is wordy, as usual) - Jaybug 11:53:20 10/16/01 (3)

Re: Battery biased 76 impressions (Paramours). Attn: JeffreyJ (This one is wordy, as usual) - DRCope 19:41:50 10/16/01 (0)

Re: Battery biased 76 impressions (Paramours). Attn: JeffreyJ (This one is wordy, as usual) - JeffreyJ 15:07:28 10/16/01 (1)

Mine are so quiet.... - Jaybug 15:51:22 10/16/01 (0)

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