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has anyone compared Stereomour II and Fi 2A3 amps?

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Posted on February 28, 2017 at 07:23:57
rockdoc
Audiophile

Posts: 200
Location: Harwich MA
Joined: February 17, 2010
 I'm looking to build an amp or pair of amps, and currently have it narrowed to these two. Parafeed vs direct coupled. I'll build for 2A3, and possibly try with 45s also down the road.

 

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RE: has anyone compared Stereomour II and Fi 2A3 amps?, posted on February 28, 2017 at 17:10:17
OldNuke
Audiophile

Posts: 141
Location: Silicon Valley
Joined: November 18, 2014
 I have heard them both, but it's been years ago and all I can say is that they are different amps and sound different. I could clearly tell when either was switched in to audition speakers. But that could be in how the owner set his amp up.

Disclaimer, I have 3 Stereomours, 2 older and a version II so you can see where my preference lies.

 

RE: has anyone compared Stereomour II and Fi 2A3 amps?, posted on February 28, 2017 at 17:31:38
rockdoc
Audiophile

Posts: 200
Location: Harwich MA
Joined: February 17, 2010
 Thanks for your response! Are your Stereomours the amps listed on your system page? I have EXO 45 cobalts, EXO 46s, chokes and 8.1 power transformers waiting for another 45 amp project too.

Steve

 

RE: has anyone compared Stereomour II and Fi 2A3 amps?, posted on February 28, 2017 at 18:30:37
OldNuke
Audiophile

Posts: 141
Location: Silicon Valley
Joined: November 18, 2014
 How do Cobalts sound? I was just getting into building amps when these were going away. Now they are unobtaininium. I need to update my profile page; here's the latest:

2A3 Mesh Stereomour II - TFA2004 M6 Nickle Pinstripe -10uF Jantzen silver - BCP15+, ViNi BCP 16+ Grid chokes, 0.1 Copper coupling cap and obligatto gold bypass on cathode cap and last PS cap, Shunt Reg and DC filaments to FE207's on a stick (OB on mic stands)

2A3 40 Stereomour - TFA2004 Mexico Quad PinStripe -5.6uF Riken- Dowdy choke, BCP16+ Grid chokes, .1uF Supremes bypasses, choke in PS to MMG's

45 - 5K EXO-145 Nickle Litz wire - 8.3 uF SiAuOil - Dowdy choke, .1 uF Copper coupling, .1uF Supreme bypasses, choke in PS, BCP-16+ grid chokes to Frugal Horns

45 Headphones- TL404 - 3.3uF Supremes parallel with 1.5 uF Jupiter Flatstack, PC-3 plate choke, 0.1 Obligatto bypasses to Oppo PM3's

Mainline 6C45Pi - TL404 15uF Jupiter flatstack to HD800's

 

RE: has anyone compared Stereomour II and Fi 2A3 amps?, posted on February 28, 2017 at 18:34:43
OldNuke
Audiophile

Posts: 141
Location: Silicon Valley
Joined: November 18, 2014
 So 2 2A3 setups, 2 45 setups, lots of Mike's iron

 

RE: has anyone compared Stereomour II and Fi 2A3 amps?, posted on February 28, 2017 at 19:18:43
rockdoc
Audiophile

Posts: 200
Location: Harwich MA
Joined: February 17, 2010
 2A3s on MMGs... no kidding! 86 db , how are they?

My cobalts are screaming to be built up; soon.... I'll probably build another set of paraglows with them, or might swap them into the amps I have..

Steve T

 

RE: has anyone compared Stereomour II and Fi 2A3 amps?, posted on February 28, 2017 at 19:21:18
rockdoc
Audiophile

Posts: 200
Location: Harwich MA
Joined: February 17, 2010
 did you compare the TFA2004 M6 Nickle Pinstripes with the BH transformers stock with the 2A3 Mesh Stereomour IIs?

 

RE: has anyone compared Stereomour II and Fi 2A3 amps?, posted on February 28, 2017 at 21:28:42
OldNuke
Audiophile

Posts: 141
Location: Silicon Valley
Joined: November 18, 2014
 That one only had stock parts in it long enough to pass the voltage checks. It was planned for upgrades from the beginning. It went from stock to Nickel BH-5's then to the pinstripe TFA2004 juniors to the pinstripe 2004's. I would say about a month with the BH-5's, a week with the Juniors and now permanently (for the time being) with the 2004 pinstripes.

 

RE: has anyone compared Stereomour II and Fi 2A3 amps?, posted on February 28, 2017 at 21:42:47
OldNuke
Audiophile

Posts: 141
Location: Silicon Valley
Joined: November 18, 2014
 It makes no sense on paper and all the forum gossip is that they need massive amounts of power but I'm near field (8ft away) and I'm satisfied. They have a magic with vocals and jazz. They could use a super tweeter and a sub but I knew that going in.
What are you waiting for, put those cobalts to use. They won't wear out and you can swap them into a new build in a hot minute.
I have 3 sets of outputs that need a home, but my latest wish list is for silver wire nickel pinstripe parafeed outputs to replace the EXO-145's I have.
Alonzo

 

RE: has anyone compared Stereomour II and Fi 2A3 amps?, posted on March 1, 2017 at 01:11:08
Frihed89
Audiophile

Posts: 15703
Location: Copenhagen
Joined: March 21, 2005
 Who can say which sounds "better", but you?

I do own a pair of Fi2A3 monos and they also do well with 45s with just a change in the rectifier. Don says they sound almost the same as his 45 monos.

Since I bought my monos, Don has switched from Magnequest OPTs to Hashimoto, I think, and I have added an interleaved version of the original Magnequests.

If you are using highly sensitive speakers, I would look into the noise levels of the two brands.

 

RE: has anyone compared Stereomour II and Fi 2A3 amps?, posted on March 1, 2017 at 04:26:41
rockdoc
Audiophile

Posts: 200
Location: Harwich MA
Joined: February 17, 2010
 Noise is the one concern I have with the Stereomours, at least when AC heated. My current Zu Soul Superflys are 101 db, and do bass (and hum) very well.

 

RE: has anyone compared Stereomour II and Fi 2A3 amps?, posted on March 1, 2017 at 07:16:07
rockdoc
Audiophile

Posts: 200
Location: Harwich MA
Joined: February 17, 2010
 not looking for "better", as with these it's more about different flavors.

 

Does that Stereomour II have the, posted on March 1, 2017 at 12:34:32
Dingojazz
Audiophile

Posts: 1045
Location: Sonoran Desert
Joined: January 3, 2005
 shunt regulator upgrade? Made quite a difference to my amp!

K.

 

RE: Does that Stereomour II have the, posted on March 1, 2017 at 13:56:53
OldNuke
Audiophile

Posts: 141
Location: Silicon Valley
Joined: November 18, 2014
 Both shunt and dc filaments

 

RE: has anyone compared Stereomour II and Fi 2A3 amps?, posted on March 1, 2017 at 15:19:55
Frihed89
Audiophile

Posts: 15703
Location: Copenhagen
Joined: March 21, 2005
 Fi also uses AC heaters.

 

AC on 2A3s., posted on March 2, 2017 at 07:06:11
drlowmu
Manufacturer

Posts: 9730
Location: East of Kansas City
Joined: January 10, 2005
 AC heaters on a 2A3 at 2.5 VAC sound better than DC, and myself and others, ( DrummerWill, Serious Stereo, etc etc etc ) have no problem running 2A3 JJs, etc. with AC filament noise-wise, on ALTEC or GPA High Efficiency speakers.

Many a potentially good sounding circuit is ruined, when the designer makes lowest noise measured, the priority. The complex cure, on a 2.5 VAC Ef DHT, is worse than the original problem. In fact, that is one of several reasons why one should use a 2A3, because it HAS a 2.5 Ef voltage requirement, VS, say, a 300B, etc.


Two more mono amps to build. Am designing a new power transformer next week, out of M6, to do DCed 2A3 types of circuits. Fun stuff.

Low Mu....Jeff Medwin

 

RE: AC on 2A3s., posted on March 3, 2017 at 02:01:31
Frihed89
Audiophile

Posts: 15703
Location: Copenhagen
Joined: March 21, 2005
 I don't deny most of what you say, but I have found DC heaters that do produce very low noise floors, without killing the tone and texture of voices and instruments. Some designers do look at (listen to) both. Both are possible with AC and DC. That is my experience as a "listener".

 

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