This is what EveAnna Manley wrote to me about a long delay in shipping my 300B Preamplifier:
“We DID send some 300B Preamps to Europe already this year (to Germany and Austria). They noticed some mechanical hum with the power transformer, more than the old version chassis. With the new pointed cone feet on this new version of the preamp, now the mechanical vibrations of the old power tranny, with 50Hz making it worse, tend to couple the noise to a hard stand more. This was making this worse a problem than before. It was not so severe, but since we always like to improve, we decided to make it even better.
Mitch got involved and we brought his super lo flux power transformer as used in the Neo SEPP 300B amplifier into the 300B Preamp. Besides being lower flux and inherently much quieter than the old 300B power transformer, it also has a few other improvements such as center tapped supplies. We got this working beautifully. It is not only mechanically quiet, it also is electrically quieter than the old version.
Now look, we could have sent you the old version several weeks ago, but knowing how excited about getting this you were, I made the decision to only give you our very best and newest. Your preamp IS now built. Last night Baltazar showed it to me with the new transformer and the new circuit for it. This morning the assemblers were putting on the faceplate and knobs and then it went into the Quality Control room for testing. You can see a picture of it attached. Martin is testing it now. It isn't all finalised and prettied up yet, but you asked for a picture of your preamp's inside view and here it is, as it is tonight. It is working perfectly.
Nicola, please be patient. I know you have been very anxious about getting your preamp. I have personally been very involved in the new improvements to it and pushing the production to get this whole order done as fast as we can. Please understand that while I wish we could just go outside and pick these things off trees, the reality is my 40 people have to work very hard and there is a lot of human time required for every unit to be built and tested”.
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I think that this is a signal of a serious work!!! But I must to wait for my unit more 12 days…
Nicola
“We DID send some 300B Preamps to Europe already this year (to Germany and Austria). They noticed some mechanical hum with the power transformer, more than the old version chassis. With the new pointed cone feet on this new version of the preamp, now the mechanical vibrations of the old power tranny, with 50Hz making it worse, tend to couple the noise to a hard stand more. This was making this worse a problem than before. It was not so severe, but since we always like to improve, we decided to make it even better.
Mitch got involved and we brought his super lo flux power transformer as used in the Neo SEPP 300B amplifier into the 300B Preamp. Besides being lower flux and inherently much quieter than the old 300B power transformer, it also has a few other improvements such as center tapped supplies. We got this working beautifully. It is not only mechanically quiet, it also is electrically quieter than the old version.
Now look, we could have sent you the old version several weeks ago, but knowing how excited about getting this you were, I made the decision to only give you our very best and newest. Your preamp IS now built. Last night Baltazar showed it to me with the new transformer and the new circuit for it. This morning the assemblers were putting on the faceplate and knobs and then it went into the Quality Control room for testing. You can see a picture of it attached. Martin is testing it now. It isn't all finalised and prettied up yet, but you asked for a picture of your preamp's inside view and here it is, as it is tonight. It is working perfectly.
Nicola, please be patient. I know you have been very anxious about getting your preamp. I have personally been very involved in the new improvements to it and pushing the production to get this whole order done as fast as we can. Please understand that while I wish we could just go outside and pick these things off trees, the reality is my 40 people have to work very hard and there is a lot of human time required for every unit to be built and tested”.
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I think that this is a signal of a serious work!!! But I must to wait for my unit more 12 days…
Nicola
