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I am having trouble with pilot sa-260 amp.
Few facts dont know much about amp repair>all you guys are way ahead of me on knowledge of subject here>Just hope to get some help on usigng this amp.
Had little work done on it caps replaced minor stuff.
Problem is I cant listen to it because it sounds too sharp for my ears, Running it with a Pas3X pre Telefunkin tubes in pas.
Would changing the tubes to Mullard make a diferance in the pre to improve the sound. It has great detail and a very nice sound but it is like listening to CD's which my ears cant tolerate really just walk away from sound. I know this is strange sounding post but true. Hope I can get some suggestions. The Pilot has Mullard xf 1 tubes? according to teck who worked on amp says they are great tubes.
Any help much appreciated.
Follow Ups:
Back in the late 80s TAS ran a series on vintage equipment by Lennice Werth and Walt Bender. They called the 232 and 260 Pilot amps "lean and bright", so maybe there is something to it. Hopefully Al Nico can help you.
The pilot lets a lot of music through. I do not have the MK IV Dynas but have heard unmodified Stereo 70's sound dull.The sum of components can work like this:
Bright phono cartridge + bright speakers + Soft Mk IV = Balance
Bright phono cartridge + bright speakers + revealing Pilot 260 + "bright" sounding capacitors + aural pain.
The suggestions for capacitors in prior posts make good sense.
I share your pain for distortions that I sometimes feel no one else can hear. My friend Jim and I both are both sensitive to them and like my Pilot 260.
If you wish to conduct a lenthy discussion you are welcome to contact me directly. I will be glad to help.
Another possibility is that the caps replacement did you no favors.To my ears, the default often used for replacement: Sprague Orange Drops (big orange jobbies in the middle of the amp under the hood) are often responsible for unlistenable highs on this amp. The original Pyramid caps were oil caps, and replacing them with a similar type is important to the sound quality. I used Russian K40's as coupling caps in mine and I'm very pleased with the sound quality on LP's.
Remove the bottom plate and have a look. If you see lots of orange, that's part of your problem IMHO
I would assume the Mullard xf1 tubes are used, right. I think they should sound good quite quickly. I assume the tech set the bias?I have two of these amps and sharp is not a word I would ever use to describe them. xf1 is as good as it gets, practically. I use them in my Red Rose 2A Silver Signature, but would agree that they might be overkill in the Pilot.
What brand of coupling caps did the tech install?
As said run it for a while before passing judgement. There are some very decent new EL34's out there, so I think MUllards XF-1's or other mega buck tubes would be overkill. My experience is that you can easilly dial in the sound with the 12AU7 and 12AX7 tubes on the Pilot. I think this would be much more cost effective. No matter what output tubes you pick, you will still need to dial in the sound with the other tubes. I personally think that the PAS is the weak link, and would recomend that in the long run that you refurb that unit or replace it, but, having said that, you should be able to achieve a nice sound with your setup.
The pilot is supposed to be a great amp. The PAS3x esp. with teles is noted for rolled off highs. I have one I know what it is like. CD source may be a problem. Have you tried phono or a tuner, or possibly changed the CD player. No matter what CD I have played through my PAS3x I have always noticed that the highs are rolled off. The Mullards should be excellent in your amp. Mullards in your PAS3x will put a big dent in your pocketbook.
I dont even listen to Cd's truthfully. It is just that I prefer the lps sound that I have a nice little turntable that I listen to all my music on 99 percent of the time, I dont get the sharp sound with the other amps I had been using the dynaco Mk IV;s. So not sure maybe the tube burn in time will do some good. The Pilot had great detail heard more of the music just picked stuff up deeper into the music but the sound was sharp, had to walk away from it after a one lp side or so.
Sounds strange I know, I dont know much about amps but have loved music all my life.
Thanks all
Just run it for a few hours. If the tubes have been changed they need to burn in.
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