What rectifier tube does the Chardonnay power supply use?
Is it interchangeable with 5u4g or 5u4gb, I hope so, I already have lots of those. |
Hi guys, a new poster here and soon to be a new Supratekie also. I have been a Audiogon member for years, but I have never posted before. I guess I just do not care for the format, much prefer AA.
Anyway Supratek has pushed me to post. So I have a few questions.
I just placed a order for a Chardonnay, Mick says he will have no Jarrah wool for 8 weeks, so I took the Sheoak wood with chrome top and gold knobs.
Does anybody here have a Sheoak wood model and can coment on how it looks compared to the picture.
The other question is, how do you get to the end of a tread here without scrolling through the whole thing.
Thanks for any help,
Allan. |
SLowhand, thanks very much for the reasurance, I was just a little worried as I had never seen anybody mention that they had that wood,which I cann't even pronounce.
I kind of like the look with the black top also, but the crome is so sharp. I guess I will be cleaning a little more.
Did you get the gold knobs? I also asked him for a gold emblem instead of the brand.
Allan. |
Braro, thanks for the info, How is the phono, is it really as good as everybody says. I did not get the Chenin as I have a AE ph1 that I built from the kit and I love it.
Maybe due for a later upgrade.
Allan |
Thanks Ray, I guess I will have to start another collection. |
Thanks, I know about the fast ramp up. Its just that those nice big Sovtek 5u4g would look so great on top of that chrome :) |
My Chardonnay is on the way. Mick emailed me this morning to say its done testing and ready to ship.
Its only been two months since I ordered it, so the wait wasn't too bad. Can't wait, I should have it by the weekend I guess. |
Thanks for the advice. Two question if you don't mind.
How long do they take to get here from down under, and
How long to burn in. |
Its coming by DHL. Mick didn't ask for my ss# and I didn't give it. I hope it doesn't get stuck.
Did he send you a tracking #, I asked him to send me one but I have not got it yet. |
Got my Chardonnay yesterday, took it out of the box last night and was just amazed. I just sat there for about a hour just looking at it. It is so stunning to look at.
By the time I did some rearanging and got it hooked up it was so late that I just played a couple tracks on a cd.
I just wanted to make sure it worked, but boy did it sound good.
I also was not sure if it inverts phase or not, as my old preamp did. I email Mick and he said it does not, so I have to go staighten out my speaker wires at the amp.
Otherwise so far so good, my only wish is that the manual could be a bit more informative specs wise. |
Well, I have about 60 hours on my Chardonnay now, and a couple nights ago it started sounding SUPER dynamic, real edgegy and hard.
I played with the gain controls for a while but they didn't help.
So I just turn it off and when to bed. I didn't want to start rolling tubes yet, but I suspected microphonics.
I am not sure why it would have just started after 60 hours when they should be getting better, not worse.
Anyway the next night I decided to roll the 6sn7, so I replaced the stock ones with a pair of RCA I had been using in my previous preamp, a AE3 DJH.
Well that did it, they tamed it dowm nicely, no more edgey runaway dynamics. Everything just smooth out and nice.
Now I cann't wait to roll the other tubes. I have some Golden Dragon Kt66 laying around I will try.
I know they may not be worth the effort but what the hell, they cann't be worse. Can they!! |
Thanks for the tip on the Sovteks, I will order a couple to try. |
Dbarger, that just was my impresion of it. It was like not even the gain controls could control it, the microphonics were so bad. |
I got a pair of Sovtec KT66 and tried them in my Chardonnay.
They made a big improvement in the soundstage, they just opened it up wide. They are really nice, looks great also. |
Its probably ok, not all tubes stay silery. Some get dark. |
Grounding Hum!! Never had it, never heard it.
If you had it or heard it, something wasn't right in your system. |
I wonder if Mick will ever make a stand alone phono stage.
I don't want to bug him to ask him, but I bet it would be great.
I like my phono stage seperate, thats why I got the Chardonny. I am now using a AES PH1 that I built from the kit, which I love, but I think if he ofered one I would be very tempted to change. |
The only disadvantages I see to seperates is maybe the extra cost of the unit, extra cables and maybe a extra shelf on the rack.
Other than that its all better. There is less on one chassis, less heat, less interferance, if something goes its easier to service.
As for performance, seperate power supplies are allways better, you have the flexability to upgrade either one without the other, and of course the main one for us tweakers, you have another whole box to tweak. |
I finaly took a look under the hood of my Chardonnay.I decided to change the feet for some Bright Star Isonodes, so first I open up the power supply, did some damping and Deoxit spray the power switch, made it feel much better, not as dry and cheap.
Then on to the preamp, as I opened it I was pleased to see two huge Auricaps looking at me. Everything looks nicely soldered with silver solder.
I bypassed the HT switch, which I don't plan on ever using. I did make it easily reversable incase the next owner needs it however.
Everything looks good, all quality parts, nicely laid out.
However there was one surprise that I am not sure how I feel about, those big silver domes were empty.
Now I do not remember reading anywhere that said they had something inside, but I figured they were transformer housing of some sort. So I was really surprised to see that they are just two empty cans, I guess for cosmetics.
Thats the only conclusion I could come to, or maybe they are tuned to some special frequency, as they do ring when you tap them.
Are the ones on the higher models empty too?
Just curious. |
IKKyu2, I have noticed the same image problem you mention with my Chardonnay. There do seem to be an emphasis to the right, but the funny thing is that I do not notice it when playing my tuner, just cd. I checked my speaker position, but that was not it, so I have been thinking it was my Jolida 100a.
Maybe some adjustment is needed inside, I did see two adjustable pots on the inside when I opened it. Maybe someone can say what they are. |
IKKyu2,
I found the source of my image drift to the right. I took out the NOS RCAs I have been using, and poped in the stock EH 6sn7s, and imediately everything lined up again.
Dead center, I guess one of the RCAs are a little weeker than the other.
So try a different set of 6sn7, or at least swap them around to see what happens.
AB. |
