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For some unexplainable reason, the '40's Ken-Rad VT231's draw an excessive amount of current in the Supretek Cortese preamp, risking overheating of the power supply. (The tubes otherwise function OK.) The PS chassis is **much** hotter running this pre with the Ken-Rad than with '40's Tung-Sol round plate 6SN7 or the stock Shuguang 6N8P.I've never had this kind of problem running the Ken Rad VT231's in other applications, including the Supratek Syrah I once had. (The Ken Rads were my faves in the Syrah, although I do prefer the Tung-Sols in the Cortese.)
Follow Ups:
Todd,
My Cortese is using the Tung Sols and the power supply still runs extremely hot. I had emailed Mick on this and, as he told you, it's perfectly normal- "The heat is ok -the chassis is copper plate under the chrome and acts as a heatsink for the internal heatsink.
As long as it has some ventilation it will be ok."
Haven't tried the KenRads yet. This is one hell of a preamp, isn't it ? !
Tom
t
I sent him an email. I initially voiced concern to him (about six weeks ago) about the PS module running "hot," especially for a preamp. (It ran hotter than most **power** amps!!) I don't think Mick realized how hot it was actually running, but I didn't realize the Ken Rad VT-231's were causing the problem. When I was running the pre, I was constantly monitoring how hot the PS module was, just to to be safe. My paranoia would limit its run time per session- the limit was two hours. (It probably could take it, but I didn't want to take any chances.) When I slapped in the Tung-Sols, I was struck by how much "cooler" the PS module was running. (The rectifier and regulator tubes had no effect on this, BTW.) The PS module still gets warm, but not "hot." In fact, I'm no longer concerned about the PS possibly overheating, and I've since run the pre up to six hours...I should get a response in a few days. I personally think it's an anomaly where a specific tube is not compatible with a specific piece of electronics. (The Syrah didn't like Sylvania 6SN7's and VT-231's- Crackling sounds, intermittent hum, strange noises, etc.. But other tubes mostly ran OK...)
Although the fact the Tung Sols run this pre cooler does add some peace of mind.Mick responded promptly- He said the Cortese PS running unbearably hot was perfectly normal.
A power supply running unbearably hot would still concern me, even if it was the designer's intention. If this was the way it worked, one would have thought that extra heat-sinks, heat chimney designs or some such would have been worth while. Surely too much heat shortens useful life.
NT>
Dealing with Mick was nothing less than a great, and a professional exprience. I am probably one of the most impatient people on God's green earth. I shouldn't have ordered one of his preamps knowing that it was going to take up to 6 months to get. I canceled my order several times during my wait, he was always courteous, gracious, and uderstanding. I did end up staying with the order and did finally get the preamp. Mick may be slow, but a dishonest, or a "cheat" he is not..........Bob
I've *never* had a problem with Mick.You have to realize that this is literally a "one-man" company, and if the problem is waiting several months for a unit, Mick is up to his eyeballs in orders all around the world.
I don't want to read speculation.
(The Syrah didn't like Sylvania 6SN7's and VT-231's- Crackling sounds, intermittent hum, strange noises, etc.. But other tubes mostly ran OK...)Never have these problems with these or any other tubes with my Syrah preamp. Never, never, never.
Magnetar
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