[markmaxx]

The few places I see ral CV181's/ECC32's, the price seems to be .$500 a pair or more, these days.

Ouch.

 

[Frihed89]

Single Power MPX3 Slam SE.  The amp has no defects or design problems.  I am one of the lucky ones.  However, I wasn't convinced the high power option was worth it, so I simply rewired the transformer connections so that the output tubes only run in the low power mode and bypassed the switch. I also added some bleeder resistors, but put them on the board instead of on top of the PS caps. I just finished replacing the Sprague orange drop coupling caps with some AN copper foils and may add some low impedance bypass caps, later, to see if they help improve the sound once the new coupling caps burn in. I have always been very happy with this amp and use it with both K-701s and Audeze LCD-2s with (5687 output tubes). Sounds pretty good to me.

 

[Frihed89]

The build of the first generation of SP amps (prior to the Extreme) was generally pretty good to excellent, but as things progressed the work got sloppier and sloppier and some of the components were not rated to the specs of the original design, and so on....or at least that is my impression from reading the many damage/fraud posts.  Even the badly built and badly constructed amps sounded pretty darn good until they blew up or burnt out.  The boxes SP stuffed with cheap bogus parts wired together like a Rube Goldberg contraption (to put it kindly) that sold for big bucks are another story completely.
 
Quote:

purk,
 
For some reason, Mikhail's amps could sound quite good even though the build quality on many if not all his amps was terrible.  I am not sure how this was possible.  I would think a badly built amp would be prone to a lot of noise.  Yet in general Singlepower amps seemed to be quiet, very musical, and easy to tune to one's liking by rolling tubes. 
 
For now, I am using a Luxman P1-u and a Singlepower Extreme that was rebuilt by Bolder Cable.  The Luxman is a very good amp and I really don't ever worry about it breaking down on me.  But I still prefer the sound signature of the Extreme ever so slightly, even with low impedance headphones.  I am thinking about buying a Woo 22, mainly to compare how it sounds to the rebuilt Extreme.

 

[purk]

Quote:

The build of the first generation of SP amps (prior to the Extreme) was generally pretty good to excellent, but as things progressed the work got sloppier and sloppier and some of the components were not rated to the specs of the original design, and so on....or at least that is my impression from reading the many damage/fraud posts.  Even the badly built and badly constructed amps sounded pretty darn good until they blew up or burnt out.  The boxes SP stuffed with cheap bogus parts wired together like a Rube Goldberg contraption (to put it kindly) that sold for big bucks are another story completely.
 

 

Are you refering to the "Solidstate One"?  Wonder who own it now?

 

 

[daveDerek]

did he do anohter ss amp other than the squarewave? last i heard HeaphoneAddict had the squarewave.

 

[palchiu]

I sold my Supra years before, it's can't back

 
Couple years didn't read thread in Headfi
 
A short question, Wooaudio has similar signature?
 
 

 

[kevin gilmore]

It has taken the work of at least 4 different people over a period of more than a year to nail down
everything needed to actually fix every single thing that is wrong with the ES1/2. The result
is pretty spectacular. But depending on how the unit was originally built, the amount of labor
required to make it perfect is well into the 50 hour range, plus modifications of the chassis
for extra bias pots, and umbilical connectors.
 
So it comes as no surprise to me that no one in their right mind would want to tackle
the repair of a concerto which has all of the ES1/2 problems, and a few more in addition.
 
If there was such a person that wanted to tackle a concerto, i would estimate a $3k to $4k
bill for the labor plus another $500 or so in parts.

 

[spritzer]

Yeah, it's just now that the ESX is finally getting to the "works properly state" and I don't even want to think about how much time this has taken or how much I've spent on it.  It's worth it in the end as it is a very, very good amp even with the output tubes running slightly shy of their optimal setting. 

 

[Frihed89]

Hi Purk, I'm not sure what it was called.  It was filled up with a bunch of wall-wart power supplies and cost like $16-20K.  It was criminal.
 
Quote:

Quote:

The build of the first generation of SP amps (prior to the Extreme) was generally pretty good to excellent, but as things progressed the work got sloppier and sloppier and some of the components were not rated to the specs of the original design, and so on....or at least that is my impression from reading the many damage/fraud posts.  Even the badly built and badly constructed amps sounded pretty darn good until they blew up or burnt out.  The boxes SP stuffed with cheap bogus parts wired together like a Rube Goldberg contraption (to put it kindly) that sold for big bucks are another story completely.
 

 

Are you refering to the "Solidstate One"?  Wonder who own it now?

 

 

[Frihed89]

My unit was fine, except for the switch and shock hazard non the PS caps.  I think there are probably a whole lot more MPX3 models out there that are basically problem free and sound very good.

 

[MarconiSalad]

Quote:

My unit was fine, except for the switch and shock hazard non the PS caps.  I think there are probably a whole lot more MPX3 models out there that are basically problem free and sound very good.

Same here no problems. Using 6385 and 6bl7gta's for five years as headphone and preamp. Just opened it up for first time.
 
What was the switch problem?
 
 
 

 

[P+D-MI]

Wow, that circuit board looks cooked around the diodes. 

 

[MarconiSalad]

Quote:

Wow, that circuit board looks cooked around the diodes. 

 
 
Here's a closer shot. Thanks. P+D-MI

 

[kevin gilmore]

Depending on the tubes you use, all of the ones of that vintage will toast the
filament diodes. Solution similar to mrarroyo's unit. Remove the diodes
and replace with a 20 amp bridge bolted to the back panel.

 

[MarconiSalad]

Thanks! I have been using a 6385 and 2 6bl7gta. Should I substitute one or both tube types until I can get work done? The pictures of mrarroyo's unit are not available. Are there pictures or part specs posted somewhere? Thanks again for your contributions and valuable expertise you have added to this board.