Coincident Frankenstein mk.2 amps

@charles1dad  From what I understand, there are not many 6EM/A7 choices around.  I dropped in some NOS GEs and they were SUPER hot on the high end.  Almost unlistenable.  The amp came with RCAs.  Before I order a few backups, I wanted to see if you had anything to add.  Thank you.

tswisla,
My 6EM7 are the original ones that came with the amplifier, GE or RCA. Not exactly sure (I’m currently out of town). Which ever they are they’ve been fine and trouble free. The 6EM7 are very long lasting tubes. Mine are 10 years old. I had them tested about 2 years ago and they still tested as new. tswisla you’ll have no worries with the Frankensteins. They have been rock solid reliable while providing superb sound quality. You have the latest MK III model which is probably even better than my MK II.

At this early stage you have already recognized that the Frankenstein and Soul Supremes are a Splendid pairing. All you have to do is just enjoy your music and connect with it. Your sound will continue to improve as the amplifier’s transformers (and various parts) accumulate hours of use/burn-in. Same process is applicable to the speakers. I strongly suspect that your appreciation of your audio system with  grow as time goes by.
Charles

bump.


Anyone with a Mk III care to add an update on the amp? Has anyone tried Takatsuki 300B tubes?


Thank you.

I have the MK III.  Other than the stock Psvanes, I tried some KR Anniversaries.  They really sound great.  Definite improvement.  I am lusting after the Takatsukis, but I don't have 2K.  Trying to put together the cash to purchase Psvane Acmes.  Israel is very fond of them and he hasn't steered me in the wrong direction yet.  Send him a message, he replies very quickly.  Please let us know what he says!

Tswisla,

Thank you for your response. I have a Luxman MQ300 with Takatsuki 300b and it’s wonderful. A friend has a pair of Frankenstein mk III and loves them. He’s thinking about trying different tubes. So far the Acme are getting great reviews.

Partsconnexion in Canada is selling Takatsuki for around $1500.

I can’t say enough positive things about the Franks. Simply amazing. Thank you for the tip.

Hi tswisla,
Has the sound of your Frankensteins and Zu Soul Supremes evolved as you've acquired more burn-in/playing time?
Charles 

I tried the acmes and the eml-xls. I liked the former until I replaced the capacitors on my tweeters, then went back to the emls. Found the acmes a bit "rounder", or smoother, but lost detail and soundstaging. Thought the emls were more extended with better bass, clearer highs and better imaging.

@charles1dad  the amps sounded wonderful out of the box.  If anything, they are more cohesive now.  The treble settled down and bit and, especially with the KRs, the bass is fuller.  As we discussed, I am concerned about the XLS higher voltage requirements, but you and @cal3713 are both using them with no ill effects, so they must be an acceptable option.  As much as I want the Takatsukis, I simply don't have the money for them.  I wonder if the ones sold by Partsconnexion are seconds or ones that don't measure as well.  I am particularly drawn to the the Psvanes sold by Israel and the EMLs because both come with generous warranties, especially the EMLs.  

tswisla,
I understand your comfort in going with Israel’s recommendation as you have established a level of trust and confidence with him. I’ve never had any problems with him x 10 years, simply none. So I believe you’d be happy with his preferred Psvane.

I’d suggest getting in touch with tubesusa.com. The owner George is a very long time EML dealer and has sold them to  owners of a multitude of different 300b amplifiers. He is a source of considerable knowledge and experience. The EML XLS is just fabulous in the Frankenstein.
Charles

@tswisla What do you want more or less of with the tube upgrade?  Perhaps some talk of that will help folks help you make the decision...

I'll be honest, I love what I am hearing.  At the same time, I always am surprised and love to hear improvements.  I mainly want to be sure that the EMLs are a good match for the Franks before I splurge.  

I think all the tubes you're considering are a good match, but they also will change the sound in different ways. If you want a bit more of a mellow, vintage sound, then try the psvane, if you want more frequency extension and imaging precision, try the eml.  And ideally, try them both.

One caveat is that both Charles and I have tried both tubes and settled on the eml. In my experience, Charles has good ears and makes great recommendations. We also had similar speakers though (coincident super/total eclipses).

I have been tormented over this decision for months now.  EML XLS, Elrog, Psvane Acme or ?.  Israel has been right every time so far, so I am taking his advice.  I am ordering a pair of Acmes.  He claims they are the best for the Franks.  I will report back!

Interested to hear the result

Hi tswisla,
The Truth of the matter is that there’re no bad choices on your list as all are excellent options. Each of them will have their positive attributes and distinct signature. I believe that you’ll be very happy with the Psvane Acme but I also believe that you’d be very happy with any of them.


It’s good to have such wonderful choices available for the superb Frankenstein mono blocks, Congratulations on your selection and I look forward to your listening impressions. It’s good to know that the Frankenstein and Zu Soul Supremes pairing is so successful for you.
Charles

After wanting them for a very long time, I'm now currently awaiting a pair of Coincident Frankenstein MKII's to appear for sale in Audiogon, or one of the other used audio sites online. Sadly, a serious family medical emergency that thankfully ended well, took me out of the loop for a few months (late December through mid March) and I just missed out on at least four that I would have snatched up instantly. Now its just a question of waiting. The only currently available option is is a pair of MKIII's being offered in a forum, whose owner has an extremely overpriced opinion on what they are worth. And while a MKIII would certainly be optimal, given the average prices for the MKII's, it would be hard to pas on one of those. Hopefully a pair in excellent condition appear soon. 

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion as you have provided invaluable insight into tube options for the Franks, which I was searching for, and truly appreciate. It is good to see some notable online audio forum contributors perspectives, in particular. Thanks especially to Charles1dad for your always well considered, insightful and kind thoughts which I have greatly enjoyed over the years in various discussions. And in this instance, on the Franks, in general, and your extensive tube experiences. I hope to be joining you as an owner soon.

JC

Hi JC,
Thanks for your kind remarks.
I’m pretty confident you will be happy with the Frankensteins in your system. At first listen to my new Franks in August 2009 I knew I’d made the right choice. Now nearly 12 years later that feeling has only grown.
Charles

@nightfall Good luck on the search! I followed Charles' advice as well and loved those amplifiers too. 

Also, I haven't heard a mkIII, but am somewhat sceptical that there's much difference between it and the mkII model.  I suspect the primary difference between the two is the price. 

Hi Cal,
10 years elapsed between the introduction of the Frankenstein MK II and the upgrade to the MK III model. Israel Blume was always very proud of the part quality of the MK II particularly the Japanese made double C core output transformers.

The MK III is said to have even better output transformers, power supply capacitance and other parts improvement. I have no reason to doubt these stated improvements. I can however say the MK II is a marvelous SET amplifier and a tremendous value purchased used.

With money saved buying a used Frankenstein MK II, one could (If so desired) purchase upper tier quality 300b output tubes. With the appropriate speakers, one would have the foundation of a superb sounding audio system.
Charles

What a disappointment. After waiting all this time for a very nice pair of used Frankenstein's, either a Mark II, or Mark III to appear, I finally came across one. I contacted the owner, a very nice guy, and we worked out a negotiated price and I was extremely happy. Even better, these were Mark III's, barely  used, and not even broken in, with far less than a hundred hours on them, in mint condition. And as a very nice bonus, the owner lived four hours away from me, and even suggested that he meet me half way, to avoid shipping concerns, which I always have with tube gear. We were going to meet up next week and I was overjoyed that my search had come to an end, and also that I would finally have these wonderful amps in my hands by next week. 

And then, the owner called me earlier today. He was very sorry to tell me that something had come up, and he wouldn't be able to part with the amps, after all. I understood when he explained the situation, but that was it. How incredibly disappointing. Not to mention that he had several lengthy discussions with Israel about the Mark II vs the Mark III, and, in our first call, carefully described all the improvements to the Mark III's that Israel spoke to him about, in depth. So, even worse, I now feel like I won't be satisfied unless I buy a used mark III, and not only are those quite a bit more expensive than the mark II's that appear for sale, but the Mark III's also appear very seldom at all. :(

@nightfall,
That is quite a letdown and I understand your disappointment after reaching an agreement for sale.  Used MK III Frankensteins will be rare for a while.
Charles 

Thank you for understanding, Charles. It's doubly disappointing given that this could drag out for quite some time now, and I'm not getting any younger, I may, though I would definitely rather not, have to possibly consider other alternatives given, as you said, that MK III on the used market may be extremely difficult to come by for quite an extended period. And even if one should appear, it's value may be very skewed as in the only other one I have seen in six months, whose owner wanted $5,700.00 for it.