[baronbeehive]

That looked like alot of unnecessary wiring as the board trace still there...

Yes, but I bet he's learning a lot about the amp, and his soldering work looks much improved! Yes P2P would be the way to go though eventually. Less hassle.

There is a thru-hole connection in middle of power supply that gets easily broken when replacing parts, leaving the PSU broken.
It is in the center connections and was talked about here with another member..
So check you have continuity in PSU from the big caps to before the diodes section in center trace.

I think you mean the pads on the big caps we put in. I think Sonic broke his and I did the same. We were all too keen to do the mods to bother to desolder properly LOL and get every last bit of solder out before pulling out the cap.

Hey Maxx when will you be able to put those Nichicon caps in, they really make a big difference, both bass and treble are improved nicely!

Edit: I've even got a half decent soundstage with my HE-500's now, after all the latest mods!

 

[Maxx134]

Hey Maxx when will you be able to put those Nichicon caps in, they really make a big difference, both bass and treble are improved nicely!

I started to fix another friend's Cary 300b tube amp before I finish work on mine.

I own two amps in my pic that still need a bit more tunning to squeeze final improvements to compare to others, but it is unclear what my future plans are with them and what will be my next amp.

 

[klnglim]

Yes, but I bet he's learning a lot about the amp, and his soldering work looks much improved! Yes P2P would be the way to go though eventually. Less hassle.



I think you mean the pads on the big caps we put in. I think Sonic broke his and I did the same. We were all too keen to do the mods to bother to desolder properly LOL and get every last bit of solder out before pulling out the cap.

Hey Maxx when will you be able to put those Nichicon caps in, they really make a big difference, both bass and treble are improved nicely!

Edit: I've even got a half decent soundstage with my HE-500's now, after all the latest mods!

Just almost finish PSU prototype, still need upgrade from the picture?Can anyone give simple info about grounding?
I m just a bit unsure about grounding

 

[baronbeehive]

Just almost finish PSU prototype, still need upgrade from the picture?Can anyone give simple info about grounding?
I m just a bit unsure about grounding

I don't know about that in your prototype PSU.

Only issue I had was one of the wires from the tube sockets to the output jacks was grounded when compared with the other wires and the other channel. This is the only way I found out. So I suggest you do that and look at resistors also to check the correct end is properly grounded etc.

Edit: You could also look at the LD schematics.

 

[baronbeehive]

I started to fix another friend's Cary 300b tube amp before I finish work on mine.

So how does the Cary compare with the other amps you've heard, the Eddie Current and the Cayin? All great amps so I hear.

I own two amps in my pic that still need a bit more tunning to squeeze final improvements to compare to others, but it is unclear what my future plans are with them and what will be my next amp.

Really happy with my 2 amps now!

 

[SonicTrance]

Just almost finish PSU prototype, still need upgrade from the picture?Can anyone give simple info about grounding?
I m just a bit unsure about grounding

If you look at the schematic here you'll see that both B+ and B- rails share a ground (0 V)

You also need to connect the power transistors. Don't see them in your pics?

 

[Maxx134]

I have not mentioned this, but my MK8se has had a stubborn lingering issue I have not address all summer because of personal issues of moving to new location.

I know the problem is a cold-solder joint in one of the left side op-amp chips.
I had solved it temporarily with replacement chip, then bending pins, then trying to heat the socket pins from the top, because I did not want to remove the board as it is such a pain in the *$$ to do with all mods, but anyways I still plan some last changes.

1- I plan to upgrade the cathode caps to to Nichion KZ / Muse at larger size so meters won't dip at high volume with planars (remember I have the lesser current MK8)

2- Then the caps WCF caps to jupiter (expensive) or actually the "Clarity Cap CMR"

3- install the impedance selector for using the HD800 optimally again (currently is not set at stock setting but at a low impedance setting)

Since I have manually tuned my driver stage, I am holding back on the CCS for the driver cathode.

4- last is to compare the unit to see if I can get it to perform like SonicTrance new "Oblivion" amp (which is a single ended design) .

In truth I already know the answer, from recent upgrading of other amps.
I know I can get the performance level up to top-level, but these designs will always be "colored" in some tube (or capacitor!) way...

The plan, is to try and help another member single out just what are the most desired harmonic traits that tubes give which make a person love a thicker sounding amp, like say a 300b amp.

My LDMK8SE is tuned to not have any tube "flavor" at all, but still cannot get away from having tube characteristics.
For example, its bottom end is a tiny bit wolly and rich compared to a totally clean SS amp, or SonicTrance new amp.

The "modern amp" build of SonicTrance amp is truley ALL it was said and speculated to be.
We are talking true MODERNIZING the tube amp market which is HEAVILY old school designed.


So thats the plans for the new year lol.

I also have to verify today's recent improvement in my new HD800 experiment.
Measuring is key to solidifying listening observations.

 

[SonicTrance]

4- last is to compare the unit to see if I can get it to perform like SonicTrance new "Oblivion" amp (which is a single ended design) .

Just so there's no confusion. Oblivion has SE input stage but balanced LTP output stage.

 

[baronbeehive]

I have not mentioned this, but my MK8se has had a stubborn lingering issue I have not address all summer because of personal issues of moving to new location.

I know the problem is a cold-solder joint in one of the left side op-amp chips.
I had solved it temporarily with replacement chip, then bending pins, then trying to heat the socket pins from the top, because I did not want to remove the board as it is such a pain in the *$$ to do with all mods,

Yes, I've done this too and mostly got away with it. However when I do remove the board I find either the joint is flooded with solder which could touch nearby joints, or might be an issue with the trace not making good contact, so I too at some point will have to make a couple of repairs to make good properly. I intend to do this when I finish putting in the OCC silver output wires to the headphone socket.

1- I plan to upgrade the cathode caps to to Nichion KZ / Muse at larger size so meters won't dip at high volume with planars (remember I have the lesser current MK8)

I think we are both agreed on this that the nichicons improve the bass and treble in the following ways: the bass bloat that was there before is gone and the bass is tightened up considerably while still having the desired heft so that I can at last say that I'm happy with bass response, but it will never reach the very highest level I don't think, which isn't a problem. Also the treble is now more extended and sharper which makes treble transients stand out more so that high hats are more prominent and plectrum strikes on the guitar come through with good textural detail.

I used 330uF's btw, good enough because I don't listen at high volumes.... I have speakers for that! Also the 1000uF's are larger.

The effect of the change is to elevate listening to a new level of pleasure and realism, though that included the change from OCC copper output wires to OCC silver internally as well which I believe increased transparency and neutrality also.

The plan, is to try and help another member single out just what are the most desired harmonic traits that tubes give which make a person love a thicker sounding amp, like say a 300b amp.

I can't remember which new 300b amp that a member mentioned which was reviewed recently did not have the usual 300b characteristics at all, on the contrary it was apparently a very fast, neutral sounding amp so, as we've been saying for sometime now the circuitry is key to understanding how a particular tube works in the amp.

 

[Maxx134]

Just so there's no confusion. Oblivion has SE input stage but balanced LTP output stage.

I really like this approach of a single ended driver stage, rather than worrying about dual triode differences and balance input circuits.
Balanced output is always desireable because many preefer to use XLR balanced cables.
So that topology I really like.

 

[SonicTrance]

Balanced output is always desireable because many preefer to use XLR balanced cables.

And, more importantly, it also sounds better than the SE output stage!

 

[MrCurwen]

The effect of the change is to elevate listening to a new level of pleasure and realism, though that included the change from OCC copper output wires to OCC silver internally as well which I believe increased transparency and neutrality also.

I'm sorry I can't help myself.

How is it that changing the material of the internal wiring changes audible outcomes? What causes this in your opinion or knowledge?

 

[baronbeehive]

I'm sorry I can't help myself.

How is it that changing the material of the internal wiring changes audible outcomes? What causes this in your opinion or knowledge?

I was as suprised as you, I didn't expect to hear any difference due to the internal wires... but I did have expectations regarding silver, ie. better high frequency sound. But my finding was observational, by comparing the LD to a fixed reference.... the other amp.

Because we are comparing 2 wires of identical construction and only a different conductor we can rule out most of the factors which might affect sound such as microphony, topology, capacitance, conductor types eg OFC or OCC and so on.

I think conductor resistance is the main relevant force, we are talking about similar types of wires for a given cross sectional area but different materials, so I would put it down to lower resistance of silver, so a more efficient signal, if that is the case. If I was comparing say solid conductors with silver plated copper or stranded I could say that solid conductors would be better for high frequencies due to larger area in the wire , the signal meets with less resistance, but I am not comparing different types only different conductors.

Oh... I just looked up a couple of things and have found that the difference in resistance is small, only 2 ohms higher for copper... but... silver has the highest thermal conductivity and the highest number of free electrons therefore making it a better conductor.

I don't know about inductance for the higher frequencies but I suspect, as you said before, that inductance of the silver wire could lower impedance at that high frequency band, I don't know however if inductance varies in the same types of wires but with different conductors ie. copper vs silver.

 

[MrCurwen]

When you talk about "higher frequency band" you get that you're actually talking about radio frequencies? Not even bat territory, but radar and FM radio and such? Lower conductivity in these regions is BETTER for a HIFI amp, not worse.

 

[baronbeehive]

When you talk about "higher frequency band" you get that you're actually talking about radio frequencies? Not even bat territory, but radar and FM radio and such? Lower conductivity in these regions is BETTER for a HIFI amp, not worse.

Yes of course, I've heard cases of RFI interference with the amp, therefore RFI needs to be taken into account at the 20khz limit for human hearing also, as the conduction, or induction of RfI could cause noise from various sources nearby. Therefore it would be necessary to block this RFI by various methods such as shielding, which Maxx mentioned.

But regarding the better high frequency sound I heard due to the silver wires this obviously isn't affecting it, presumably the same would occur with the copper wires I had in before, neither the copper nor the silver wire was shielded.

So if lower conductivity is better at high frequencies how is silver wires leading to increased perception of these high frequencies?

Edit: Seems like wire conductivity is a complicated subject from what I can see!