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Has anyone modded a pair of Fi 2A3 monos?

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Posted on July 2, 2017 at 03:12:47
Frihed89
Audiophile

Posts: 15703
Location: Copenhagen
Joined: March 21, 2005
 I know Don was prone to changing OPTs over time, and I did upgrade my MQ OPTs to an interleaved version of the stock, as switching to ones on which some case-work was necessary. Otherwise, I haven't changed any caps or resistors, or modified the circuit in any way. Have you...for better or worse?

 

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RE: Has anyone modded a pair of Fi 2A3 monos?, posted on July 2, 2017 at 14:50:46
Cpwill
Audiophile

Posts: 1096
Location: DC
Joined: December 22, 2003
Contributor
  Since: October 24, 2008
 I haven't touch mine. Only opened them up once to take a look. Only piece of bought gear I have never had an inkling to modify. Don was an artist. With his unfortunate passing, I suppose unmolested Fi products will increase in value, not that I ever intend to sell mine. By the way, mine have Tango transformers.

What would you be looking to improve with modifications?
"Anyone who understands jazz knows that you can't understand it. It's too complicated. That's what's so simple about it." - Yogi Berra.

Cpwill

 

Just curious, posted on July 2, 2017 at 23:49:58
Frihed89
Audiophile

Posts: 15703
Location: Copenhagen
Joined: March 21, 2005
 Really, nothing in particular. I switched OPTs at Don's suggestion. I would have tried the MQ silvers, but the cost was $6,000, as I recall. I gave him feedback on the ones I did choose (MQ interleaved), and he was interested. By that time, he was using Hashimotos as I recall.

I have modded my various other, non-DC, SET amps with AN coupling silver and copper caps and with AN Kaisei electrolytics and AN non-magnetic silver resistors with a good effect.

I use the Fi 2A3 monos with an AN or a Wavelength NOS digital front-end, a deHavilland preamp, and Tonian Labs speakers, FYI. Sometimes I use all my SET amps with headphones connected to a Blue Circle headphone adapter with adjustable impedances, in and out.

 

I wouldn't change a thing., posted on July 3, 2017 at 13:56:33
91derlust
Audiophile

Posts: 1101
Joined: December 25, 2014
 I'd build something else to scratch the experimenter's itch.

Cheers,
91.

"Confusion of goals and perfection of means seems to characterise our age." Albert Einstein

 

RE: Has anyone modded a pair of Fi 2A3 monos?, posted on July 3, 2017 at 15:14:56
Donald North
Manufacturer

Posts: 1296
Joined: February 8, 2001
 From photos available online, I can see that in the original 2A3 stereo he used electrolytic power supply caps while later, at least in the monos, he used the Axon caps.

 

RE: Has anyone modded a pair of Fi 2A3 monos?, posted on July 5, 2017 at 20:14:28
Wojciech
Audiophile

Posts: 4124
Joined: June 23, 2009
 Oh please! Don was a practical man (some say that even slightly more than thrifty...) and used cheap, good sounding components.
The only thing is, why would you like to turn every amp you have into an Audio Note surrogate with tantalum resistors , AN Pio couplers and AN electrolytic caps ?

 

You know, for once, posted on July 6, 2017 at 12:11:36
jusbe
Audiophile

Posts: 5950
Location: North Island
Joined: April 4, 2000
 I completely agree with you. When I first talked to Don about his choice of components, he responded kindly but unequivocally that he chose items solely in service of the music. Yes, he was after great sound, but the music came first, second and third.

RIP.


Big J

"... only a very few individuals understand as yet that personal salvation is a contradiction in terms."


 

RE: You know, for once, posted on July 6, 2017 at 13:30:15
Donald North
Manufacturer

Posts: 1296
Joined: February 8, 2001
 From online photos he used some boutique parts including Black Gates for cathode bypass of the input tube.

 

RE: Has anyone modded a pair of Fi 2A3 monos?, posted on July 6, 2017 at 19:30:19
91derlust
Audiophile

Posts: 1101
Joined: December 25, 2014
 So, he was a practical man that produced creative, artisnal solutions... at a reasonable cost.

Cheers,
91.

"Confusion of goals and perfection of means seems to characterise our age." Albert Einstein

 

RE: Has anyone modded a pair of Fi 2A3 monos?, posted on July 6, 2017 at 23:58:34
Frihed89
Audiophile

Posts: 15703
Location: Copenhagen
Joined: March 21, 2005
 In fact, I have only modified 2 amps, an AN Conqueror Silver and a Donald North Audio headphone amp., the Stratus. In both cases, I communicated with the mfrs. Strangely AN waved me off, saying the sound would become "unbalanced", but I did it anyway. Yes, the AN sound almost completely disappeared and what I heard was a more immediate presence of the vocals and instruments and a better fit for my non-AN high-efficiency speakers. With the Stratus, I was guided by the mfr. as to what to try, and the major improvements were a darker background on an already very quiet amp, cleaner, tighter bass and a suburb top end.

I am not planning to modify the Fi monos, for the reasons everyone has given. But I will say that Don was an experimentalist. He did change some components in some of his offerings when it sounded right to him and also told me a little bit about some changes on the 2A3s that didn't sound right.

 

RE: Has anyone modded a pair of Fi 2A3 monos?, posted on July 7, 2017 at 08:36:25
Wojciech
Audiophile

Posts: 4124
Joined: June 23, 2009
 Actually , my suggestion was to modify Fi, but maybe try different components. But, if you like AN parts, go with it. I really don't think Don would mind if you changed a cap or resistor. My mention of Don as a practical man was related to him using what he had on hand rather than particular "philosophy". I say , mod it to your heart content. It will always be a FI amp .
Best Regards, W

 

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