[bcowen]

Bill have you learned nothing from your drug dealings? Sometimes things are free at first and then reality sets in and you realize you now have to pay for your fun? Geesh!

I *never* give drugs away for free.

 

[Paladin79]

I *never* give drugs away for free.

Let me get a few more reactions to my changes they I will have a better idea of what kind of price to charge lol. Maybe Ripper can drag a few people in off the street and I can count them as well. There are bound to be a few homeless people hanging around his place just hoping he nods off on the front porch so they can swipe the Lone Star beer can out of his hand. They should count.

 

[Ripper2860]

Yeah, spill the beans, @Ripper2860 . I must know if I need to send my free amp in for a free upgrade.

Ya do!! Although that's like putting lipstick on a pig in your case.

Maybe Ripper can drag a few people in off the street and I can count them as well.

My Chihuahua and American Red Heeler concur that it is a notable step up. But I didn't micro-manage the build and force @Paladin79 to deviate from his design parameters electronically (or aesthetically) like some here did.

 

[bcowen]

Let me get a few more reactions to my changes they I will have a better idea of what kind of price to charge lol. Maybe Ripper can drag a few people in off the street and I can count them as well. There are bound to be a few homeless people hanging around his place just hoping he nods off on the front porch so they can swipe the Lone Star beer can out of his hand. They should count.

LOL! But I think even the homeless people are scared of visiting Ripper's house. He would definitely have to drag them in.

 

[Ripper2860]

More $$$ for gear.

 

[Mr Trev]

The OTL I designed is working with 38 ohm cans, (Ripper), and I am using Focal Utopias, 80 ohm I believe, Alpha Primes, maybe 50 ohms, and Oppo PM1's which are 32 ohm I believe with a sensitivity of 102 db. I made an amp, according to those who have heard it that showcases the 6sn7 without doing a hybrid amp. I a trying to wind down my builds and in doing so the last five or six amps will get some exceptional parts that I need to use up. To date I have donated seven of the amps but @bcowen is the only recipient of a free one on this site. Now I have made some adjustments and @Ripper2860 is the only one here who can comment on the changes and SQ.

35 ohm Hifiman Arya -- but what's 3 ohms between friends?

Cool. So, OTL can deal with planar and other low impedance phones. I assume the amp need to be designed for it tho…

For what it's worth, I can assure you that one of your creations, in my possesion, would never be subjected to Marilyn Manson.
I'm a Nine Inch Nails kinda guy

 

[Paladin79]

Cool. So, OTL can deal with planar and other low impedance phones. I assume the amp need to be designed for it tho…

For what it's worth, I can assure you that one of your creations, in my possesion, would never be subjected to Marilyn Manson.
I'm a Nine Inch Nails kinda guy

Well with that assurance I will charge @bcowen extra and deduct it from the price of your amp.

 

[SomedoodIV]

After a few months with it, I still can't find a tube or reason to remove my cheap little westinghouse 6gc7 "grey ladder", it just sounds great. A little mid focused, but everything is just so crystal clear and punchy. Easily my favorite, but considering if the d-getter black plates version of it is really that much different or better.

 

[Mr Trev]

Interesting question. I have no idea. Even though I'm old, I'm not *that* old.

One thing that's for sure is they didn't have transducers (either headphones or loudspeakers) that are even close to what we have now. Could they have even heard a difference if one existed?

Maybe tube rolling started when the great manufacturers exited the business and we were left with the garbage Chinese and Russian tubes of the '80's and '90's. ???

Didn't mean to imply you guys are old… or did I…

So, not even by the time the mid-60s rolled around was gear adequate for critical listening? Maybe I need to start some research into bachelor pad hi-fi. Anybody got some old Playboys to donate? (for the articles, of course)

 

[Paladin79]

Didn't mean to imply you guys are old… or did I…

So, not even by the time the mid-60s rolled around was gear adequate for critical listening? Maybe I need to start some research into bachelor pad hi-fi. Anybody got some old Playboys to donate? (for the articles, of course)

You have to remember that early on some of the key players were Dyncaco and Klipsch. I would still own a pair of La Scala's to this day and I want to say that design is from around 64, Klipsch corner speakers even older. Folded horn design, natural amplification. Add a class A tube amp to those, and you were getting some great sound. Maybe a Thorens turntable. At one point Dynaco sold more speakers than anyone in the world and Klipsh has been building since the forties, some of the same speakers.

A friend gave me early Dynaco tube gear in the 70's and I have been trying to duplicate some of that sound to this day. My original Incubus comes pretty close. @FLTWS described it as coming from that era if I recall, when he first heard one. People still hunt down the old Dynaco tube gear. Think they would do that for no reason lol?

 

[Mr Trev]

You have to remember that early on some of the key players were Dyncaco and Klipsch. I would still own a pair of La Scala's to this day and I want to say that design is from around 64, Klipsch corner speakers even older. Folded horn design, natural amplification. Add a class A tube amp to those, and you were getting some great sound. Maybe a Thorens turntable. At one point Dynaco sold more speakers than anyone in the world and Klipsh has been building since the forties, some of the same speakers.

A friend gave me early Dynaco tube gear in the 70's and I have been trying to duplicate some of that sound to this day. My original Incubus comes pretty close. @FLTWS described it as coming from that era if I recall, when he first heard one. People still hunt down the old Dynaco tube gear. Think they would do that for no reason lol?

I know there is still a strong market for that vintage gear. A while back Stereophile even did some "re-reviews" of some of it. I'd like to own some myself one day, but for now I'll have to settle for the early 80s vintage Sansui component stack I got from my parents.

OK, then back to my original question. Were folks back then into tube rolling, or did they just buy whatever works/manf. recommended?
Almost seems to me like rolling is a relatively recent passion (within the last 20 years?). When I first got into the hobby (late 80s-early 90s), reading reviews of tube gear in Audio and Stereophile, switching tubes was rarely mentioned (or if it was I just wasn't paying attention).
Of course there are those that dismiss it completely, but that's another discussion

 

[Paladin79]

I know there is still a strong market for that vintage gear. A while back Stereophile even did some "re-reviews" of some of it. I'd like to own some myself one day, but for now I'll have to settle for the early 80s vintage Sansui component stack I got from my parents.

OK, then back to my original question. Were folks back then into tube rolling, or did they just buy whatever works/manf. recommended?
Almost seems to me like rolling is a relatively recent passion (within the last 20 years?). When I first got into the hobby (late 80s-early 90s), reading reviews of tube gear in Audio and Stereophile, switching tubes was rarely mentioned (or if it was I just wasn't paying attention).
Of course there are those that dismiss it completely, but that's another discussion

I really never heard of much tube rolling back then so my guess is that it is more recent. That is why I do blind and double blind testing on tubes. Tubes build a following or their prices sky rocket and there is an anticipation factor when you pay a large amount for a tube. Rarity can drive up a price but if you pick a $20 tube blind ahead of those going for $250 up, that in itself should tell you something.

 

[Ripper2860]

Rarity can drive up a price but if you pick a $20 tube blind ahead of those going for $250 up, that in itself should tell you something.

I'm gonna assume that you don't mean that perhaps that person is likely going deaf and should find another hobby.

 

[bcowen]

I'm gonna assume that you don't mean that perhaps that person is likely going deaf and should find another hobby.

If you're gonna talk about me you could at least put my name in there.

 

[bcowen]

You have to remember that early on some of the key players were Dyncaco and Klipsch. I would still own a pair of La Scala's to this day and I want to say that design is from around 64, Klipsch corner speakers even older. Folded horn design, natural amplification. Add a class A tube amp to those, and you were getting some great sound. Maybe a Thorens turntable. At one point Dynaco sold more speakers than anyone in the world and Klipsh has been building since the forties, some of the same speakers.

A friend gave me early Dynaco tube gear in the 70's and I have been trying to duplicate some of that sound to this day. My original Incubus comes pretty close. @FLTWS described it as coming from that era if I recall, when he first heard one. People still hunt down the old Dynaco tube gear. Think they would do that for no reason lol?

I kind of forgot about Klipsch. Not my cup of tea, but no question they were resolving enough.