[BackwardPawn]

I agree--I really like the symmetry. When I fixed my La Figaro, one of my P2P connections was at an odd angle, but the connection was good so I went on. This makes me want to go back and fix it. Straight lines just sound so much better.

I just opened my amp to check another issue, but was noticing my poor soldering work. Story here is that my soldering iron conked out and I called a neighbor who does electronics. He told me to bring the amp over. It turned out that he was using a plumbing iron for electronics and just reduced the time. So, as a result, my lead-free solder joint got overheated and oxidized. Will these black joints affect the tone at all or do they just look bad? Its been this way for several years, but if its affecting the tone, I'll redo the work.

 

[UntilThen]

@BackwardPawn any improvement you do to your LF339 would be worth it.

I bought my LF339 from @tintinsnowydog and he upgraded some stuff. Aside from looking good, it's a much better sounding amp than my old LF339. The high notes are more crystal clear, the mids more vibrant and the lows has more impact.

So if your chassis is still good, it's doing some improvements. Of course the custom amp up above that Tintinsnowydog posted would be the ultimate - which is why I want to hear it.

This is my amp interior.

 

[UntilThen]

Week 3 with the LF339 in this setup. I reckon it's the best bang for your buck amp. I've been trying to put into words what it is that I find appealing about this amp sonic signature. To put it crudely, I find it more piercing in it's musical soundscape presentation. More crystal clear and penetrating. On top of that, it manage to wrap fast transients with tube warmth and a lovely bass presentation.

I'll put in an order (for a 2nd time ) for a DNA Stratus but I am no hurry for that because the La Figaro 339 is titillating my aural senses right now. I think it will stay on the rack for a long time.

 

[tintinsnowydog]

I just opened my amp to check another issue, but was noticing my poor soldering work. Story here is that my soldering iron conked out and I called a neighbor who does electronics. He told me to bring the amp over. It turned out that he was using a plumbing iron for electronics and just reduced the time. So, as a result, my lead-free solder joint got overheated and oxidized. Will these black joints affect the tone at all or do they just look bad? Its been this way for several years, but if its affecting the tone, I'll redo the work.

May or may not affect the tone, but it could potentially cause connective issues down the track. Keep an eye on it for sure

@BackwardPawn any improvement you do to your LF339 would be worth it.

I bought my LF339 from @tintinsnowydog and he upgraded some stuff. Aside from looking good, it's a much better sounding amp than my old LF339. The high notes are more crystal clear, the mids more vibrant and the lows has more impact.

So if your chassis is still good, it's doing some improvements. Of course the custom amp up above that Tintinsnowydog posted would be the ultimate - which is why I want to hear it.

This is my amp interior.

Just swapped out some resistors for higher tolerance Would be fun to roll some 0.47uF capacitors too; I plan on trying out some different ones once my amp arrives, dependent on space in the new chassis (it is a bit smaller than the old).

My custom build is going well, yuking is experimenting with some changes to the power supply and doing further testing to ensure all is well. This is the first custom build for the new LF339i so a few slight design tweaks/optimisations and further customisations are expected.

 

[tintinsnowydog]

Was talking tonight with yuking (the amp maker for those who are new to this thread/amp). He has just discovered yesterday that all emails to his public email addresses were being blocked since a few years back, and can't access or create new emails any more. If anyone needs to contact him directly with orders/questions/anything else, please mention it on this thread and tag me or message me directly to pass it on. Yuking only reads and writes English messages through a translator app, so it may be easier and less likely for something to be lost in translation if you go through me as a human translator

 

[BackwardPawn]

@BackwardPawn any improvement you do to your LF339 would be worth it.

I bought my LF339 from @tintinsnowydog and he upgraded some stuff. Aside from looking good, it's a much better sounding amp than my old LF339. The high notes are more crystal clear, the mids more vibrant and the lows has more impact.

So if your chassis is still good, it's doing some improvements. Of course the custom amp up above that Tintinsnowydog posted would be the ultimate - which is why I want to hear it.

This is my amp interior.

I'm sure your amp does sound better than mine, but I'm not good enough with electronics to start experimenting too much. Maybe I'll get a Crack to play with. I replaced the resistors because one of them burned out and took an earphone with it. The new resistors sound much better, but I'm worried that the oxidation is a problem. Also didn't mean to throw my neighbor under the bus as he was extremely helpful. I just wish I'd gotten a new iron when he said he'd been using his plumbing iron. I think his low heat iron was in storage.

 

[BackwardPawn]

Deleted

 

[UntilThen]

I just wish I'd gotten a new iron

I thought you were talking about golf irons. because I just got a new Callaway set yesterday and I'll be eagerly hitting the fairway today. My twin love now. Golfing and music.

 

[UntilThen]

Was talking tonight with yuking (the amp maker for those who are new to this thread/amp). He has just discovered yesterday that all emails to his public email addresses were being blocked since a few years back, and can't access or create new emails any more. If anyone needs to contact him directly with orders/questions/anything else, please mention it on this thread and tag me or message me directly to pass it on. Yuking only reads and writes English messages through a translator app, so it may be easier and less likely for something to be lost in translation if you go through me as a human translator

That's great. We need someone who can act as translator with Yuking.

 

[BackwardPawn]

I thought you were talking about golf irons. because I just got a new Callaway set yesterday and I'll be eagerly hitting the fairway today. My twin love now. Golfing and music.

lol. I haven't gotten into golf, yet. I spent my money on a new mountain bike over the summer, so not much money or time left for golf at the moment.

 

[mordy]

That is for certain Will also be reviewing a lot of the different L63/6J5/6C5 tubes, which can be used in pairs with adapter in amps that take 6SN7 (admittedly more common)

Hi ttsyd,
I have some experience with the 6J5/6C5 family. These tubes are excellent and some people have sold off their 6SN7 tubes in favor of these tubes. There are some true bargains in this category - the all metal 6C5/6J5 tubes which sound very good.
Then you have the 6J5G tubes as well. The 6C5 is derived from from the 6J7 which is a pentode - the 6C5 is supposed to be the same tube with some of the internals disconnected to act as a triode.
There are many good deals on the 6J7/6J7G tubes as well. It uses the same adapter as the EL32 to 6SN7.
ATM I am listening to a pair of Brimar 6J7G - very nice sound.

 

[tintinsnowydog]

Hi ttsyd,
I have some experience with the 6J5/6C5 family. These tubes are excellent and some people have sold off their 6SN7 tubes in favor of these tubes. There are some true bargains in this category - the all metal 6C5/6J5 tubes which sound very good.
Then you have the 6J5G tubes as well. The 6C5 is derived from from the 6J7 which is a pentode - the 6C5 is supposed to be the same tube with some of the internals disconnected to act as a triode.
There are many good deals on the 6J7/6J7G tubes as well. It uses the same adapter as the EL32 to 6SN7.
ATM I am listening to a pair of Brimar 6J7G - very nice sound.

That's great to hear mordy! Have been closely following the dedicated 6J5 thread and have many tubes on the way. Am excited to hear how the super affordable black metals one sound in particular, have managed to source a pair of most US brands to roll through.

That's interesting for the 6J7 how it can use EL32 adapters, had not considered that. I wonder if there's any complications strapping the pentode into a triode via adapter instead of internally, especially if 6J7 straight --> 6J5 instead of 6SN7. Will keep an eye out for Brimar 6C5/6J7 for sure. Thanks!

 

[tintinsnowydog]

Testing is complete and the amp can now take L63/6J5/6C5 as well as EF86 and EF80 via adapters. Yuking had to do some slight changes to the fixed bias circuitry to facilitate this. Amp will be burned in for a few more days and then shipped out some time next week. Excited!

 

[UntilThen]

lol. I haven't gotten into golf, yet. I spent my money on a new mountain bike over the summer, so not much money or time left for golf at the moment.

There was a time when I would be excited over a new mountain bike too but alas there are too many things to occupy me now.

I haven't change the tubes on my La Figaro 339 for 2 weeks. Still using RCA 5693 Red Hots and Mullard 6080. Life's good when this amp can thrill me with cheap affordable tubes.

 

[UntilThen]

Hi ttsyd,
I have some experience with the 6J5/6C5 family. These tubes are excellent and some people have sold off their 6SN7 tubes in favor of these tubes. There are some true bargains in this category - the all metal 6C5/6J5 tubes which sound very good.
Then you have the 6J5G tubes as well. The 6C5 is derived from from the 6J7 which is a pentode - the 6C5 is supposed to be the same tube with some of the internals disconnected to act as a triode.
There are many good deals on the 6J7/6J7G tubes as well. It uses the same adapter as the EL32 to 6SN7.
ATM I am listening to a pair of Brimar 6J7G - very nice sound.

Ah.... Mordy.... so you're the one who have bought all the good 6J5/6C5 tubes. I must raid your inventory.