I know, my LEAK St20s now sound a LOT better with a 6CG7 in that role, in LTP with a FET CCS.

Posted by Timbo in Oz (A) on August 14, 2017 at 14:50:50

In Reply to: No Gain if It's a Cathodyne posted by Triode_Kingdom on August 14, 2017 at 05:28:22:

My interest in audio has always, at bottom, been in simply recorded (minimal miking) acoustic music.

And, its reproduction at home as well as I can afford, on a low budget.

(NB I don't hate pop/rock music, it's just not very important to me, and the classical music just IS. then, Blues and Jazz, and pop.)

I have learned a LOT about what works, and enough of how / why, and have achieved a very high musical ROI in return. I will keep learning.

When I swapped the LEAK St60 I'd been gifted, for the St20s, it was my intention to use them in OEM form.

But I soon found that was going to mean $$$$$$ for decent NOS GZ34s. And $$$$$ for NOS PSU caps.

Then I found a whole bunch of NOS 6CG7s, 6DJ8s and the amazing EL84M. And, then found out about SS SR diodes. And, CCSs for splitters. And how that all might work. WITH a really high storage PSU, too. ALL for far less money than a restoration, and far more dbw. (? real watts.)

One day soon I - might - come up with the funds to convert one of the LEAKS to CLCL... OR LCLC... using PP film caps, and compare it to SR SS diodes and BIG electro caps, just to check. Valve rectifiers will not be in the mix.

But, ...... I do keep putting it off! I wonder why? ;-)

Viz? I _ will- be investing in two line-level SE/bal traffos so as to run each LEAK 'strapped, balanced' - and safely - into the rebuilt QUAD 63s. Giving 40Watts RMS / into 2/4/8 ohms! I'm expecting 4 ohms to be best, given that they and the QUADs won't be doing much in the bass. 1st HP @150 Hz.

Music? I got into performing music at 9 years old in a cathedral choir and soon was able to hear 'us and the place' in simple stereo. A Permanent convert, if you will.

It was revelatory. Systems that go deep and loud really are necessary. Mid 30 Hz minimum? Search here.

Yes, I do use (and have made) such recordings of choirs plus organs et al instruments, to asssess judge what I've done to the gear, and the layout / room. (Surround IS better if it's done to give more 3d).

So, 'audio' isn't my hobby, learning about it became necessary to progress on listening to music at home.

LBNL and for me. SS can help a lot to get tubes doing audio to sound blameless, whenever the recording is blameless.

Still learning, but I am confident I won't go off using SS to help valves do their excellent work as audio amplifiers.

Nor will I stop sticking to established and audibly superior design principles.

I'll leave you with a question?

How many amplifiers have you built that are capable of matching rise and settling times into real-life loads?

It matters, IMO a lot more than a given topology ever can.

Warmest

Tim Bailey

Skeptical Measurer & Audio Scrounger

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - I want to make an EICO HF81 or Rogers clone, sans preamp - DAK 20:35:06 08/11/17 (34)

Look up the following: - Ross 04:56:29 08/17/17 (0)

RE: I want to make an EICO HF81 or Rogers clone, sans preamp - SteveSchecter 05:38:03 08/14/17 (10)

I got it! use the EICO HF86 scheme with 6c4 tubes - DAK 18:06:55 08/14/17 (4)

RE: I got it! use the EICO HF86 scheme with 6c4 tubes - Eli Duttman 20:33:35 08/14/17 (3)

Yeah, i found that out quick! - DAK 22:52:33 08/14/17 (2)

RE: Yeah, i found that out quick! - Eli Duttman 02:28:35 08/15/17 (1)

RE: Yeah, i found that out quick! - DAK 10:58:18 08/15/17 (0)

RE: I want to make an EICO HF81 or Rogers clone, sans preamp - DAK 10:08:53 08/14/17 (1)

RE: I want to make an EICO HF81 or Rogers clone, sans preamp - SteveSchecter 05:12:19 08/15/17 (0)

RE: I want to make an EICO HF81 or Rogers clone, sans preamp - Salectric 06:19:03 08/14/17 (2)

SOOOO tempting.... - Ivan303 07:17:46 08/14/17 (1)

RE: SOOOO tempting.... - Triode_Kingdom 08:32:36 08/14/17 (0)

RE:What about the Pilot SA 232? - DAK 23:38:50 08/13/17 (1)

RE:What about the Pilot SA 232? - Eli Duttman 07:35:31 08/14/17 (0)

Simple...remember that EL84's are also signal tubes - PakProtector 18:16:47 08/13/17 (1)

RE: Simple...remember that EL84's are also signal tubes - DAK 22:22:27 08/13/17 (0)

RE: I want to make an EICO HF81 or Rogers clone, sans preamp - vinnie2 04:15:35 08/12/17 (0)

why not build an 'idealised design' PP EL84M amp? - Timbo in Oz 02:40:42 08/12/17 (11)

RE: why not build an 'idealised design' PP EL84M amp? - DAK 02:49:39 08/12/17 (10)

Do you know the make and model of the donor amp? - Ivan303 08:11:01 08/12/17 (9)

Maybe Admiral? - DAK 09:30:34 08/12/17 (8)

A 12AX7 as splitter? bad idea, way too much gain - Timbo in Oz 00:09:03 08/14/17 (6)

No Gain if It's a Cathodyne - Triode_Kingdom 05:28:22 08/14/17 (5)

I know, my LEAK St20s now sound a LOT better with a 6CG7 in that role, in LTP with a FET CCS. - Timbo in Oz 14:50:50 08/14/17 (0)

Cathodyne (Concertina) PI in Fender Princeton amps - FenderLover 07:54:35 08/14/17 (3)

Tone? we're talking about a hi-fi amp, aren't we? - Timbo in Oz 15:10:39 08/14/17 (2)

Actually, I'm kinda agreeing with you... - FenderLover 19:40:24 08/14/17 (1)

Interesting,... - Salectric 11:54:38 08/16/17 (0)

RE: Maybe Admiral? - Eli Duttman 12:15:58 08/12/17 (0)

RE: I want to make an EICO HF81 or Rogers clone, sans preamp - Eli Duttman 23:06:56 08/11/17 (4)

RE: Actually, i have another project that will use the Fisher schematic - DAK 02:53:57 08/12/17 (3)

RE: Actually, i have another project that will use the Fisher schematic - Eli Duttman 03:32:58 08/12/17 (2)

RE: Actually, i have another project that will use the Fisher schematic - DAK 09:44:31 08/12/17 (1)

I second the "post a photo" request. - FenderLover 17:43:26 08/12/17 (0)

Follow Ups

I know, my LEAK St20s now sound a LOT better with a 6CG7 in that role, in LTP with a FET CCS. - Timbo in Oz 14:50:50 08/14/17 (0)

I know, my LEAK St20s now sound a LOT better with a 6CG7 in that role, in LTP with a FET CCS.

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