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In Reply to: RE: Hogan 300B posted by lakerfan on November 02, 2009 at 19:09:28
Although I am sure it could be done, I would suggest you do not change the amp. I am lucky enough to have a number of John Hogan amps and know a little about his process for building them. I am not talking about technical issues of heater voltages or tube operating points, as I am not knowledgeable enough to comment on these. John’s process for building involved thinking about the circuit design and then tinkering the amp into existence. He would put it together, measure, tinker some more and then listen. Then he would go try a small change and go through the whole process again. Basically, he built his amps by ear. I happen to really like the resulting “Hogan” sound, focused on the midrange with a great combination of richness and detail. Also, I like the fact that his amps are sensitive to tube selection and as a tube roller, this makes them more fun for me. So I suggest you keep the amp as is but do some serious tube rolling to get the sound more to your liking. Between the multiple options for rectifiers, 6SN7’s, 26’s and 300B’s, you should be able to make some noticeable changes in the sound.
Note: I have reread my comment above and want to add to it. First, I wasn’t sure the word “tinkering” was really correct. Then I looked at synonyms as saw “fiddle, toy, mess and play” and thought tinker was just about right. Second, as I was reading, I remembered that at one point I emailed John, asking about the possibility of his making some changes to one of his amps that I had purchased from someone on Audiogon. His reply was, something like, “Yes that could be done, but I would have to change this, and that, and several other things. You know, it would be easier if I just built you a new amp.” So I had him build it. Sadly that is no longer an option, but I am happy to be able to enjoy the unique machines he left behind.
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