larryi
Responses from larryi
| Do vacuum tube test values reflect sound quality? There are instances where someone gets tubes for well below market price, so it is entirely possible for you to have real Telefunkens. If they are not new in box, the price could be substantially lower than the price I mentioned. The good news i... | |
| Do vacuum tube test values reflect sound quality? I do hope you scored genuine Telefunken 803S tubes. These days, they sell for up to $2,000 a pair. The fakers have become increasingly sophisticated. They use to offer their fakes at a price so low as to tempt even the wary. These days, many o... | |
| Repair for speaker cabinet I am not someone who does such work, but I think it would help to know more about the specifics of the finish of your speaker (e.g., is it painted or stained wood or some kind of resin, is it a gloss finish or semi-gloss or matte), the extent of t... | |
| Do vacuum tube test values reflect sound quality? As lewn stated, one cannot tell by numbers what a tube will sound like. The sound will be determined by the particular amp and the particular brand and construction of the tube for any given type. Depending on the application, a tube can test qu... | |
| Are internal component upgrades worth it. No harm in just looking (yeah, right). For speakers with a lively sound like Cornwalls, but a bit more refined sound, I suggest looking at Volti. For speakers that can be used close to room boundaries, like the Cornwalls, I suggest looking at Au... | |
| Are internal component upgrades worth it. L-Pad attenuators look like a potentiometer, but they are two potentiometers in one, that will simultaneously increase resistance in one circuit while decreasing resistance in another. When wired into the speaker crossover circuit, they allow th... | |
| Are internal component upgrades worth it. Perhaps you can attend a show, not necessarily to scope out what to purchase, but to get a better idea of the kind of sound you hope to achieve. That would help in any effort to improve the speaker you have,or guide you in finding better cables, ... | |
| Big Jazz Band Music with Great Sound I don't know if its is good news or bad news, but, many older recordings remain among the best sounding recordings ever. For big band, try listening to Duke Ellington's "Blues in Orbit." This was recorded in 1959, in stereo, and remains one of t... | |
| Some people actively participate but rarely if ever start a thread. I have access to many knowledgeable people, including repair technicians and builders of gear, so I don't have many specific questions about problems that I need to ask here. As for equipment recommendations, I don't go along with something like ... | |
| Are internal component upgrades worth it. Any modification you try should be something reversible in case you don't like the results. Any change in the sound could b for better or worse and there is rarely anything that would constitute a universal upgrade. While often praised, I know f... | |
| If you think about capacitors, check out this video No way to know what went bad on the board. If you suspect certain caps, the only way to test this is to remove the cap from the circuit and test it with a meter that tests capacitance. You could do a rough, in-circuit test with an ESR meter (equ... | |
| How long should high quality speakers last? I know someone with a pair of original Western Electric 753 speakers. They are both probably from the late 1940's to early 1950's. They sound really good. He also has a pair of Western Electric 757 speakers from the same era that I also like ve... | |
| Why do tube amps often subjectively sound more powerful than SS ? For the way I listen, a crucial part of any audition is how softly the gear can be played and still sound full and engaging. How loud it can go is largely irrelevant if it gets loud enough. It’s like the old horsepower rating on Rolls Royce—“suf... | |
| Are EL34 based amps more musical than KT series based ? Or it's purely a matter of design? I suppose everything is important. There are drop-in replacements for the 349 that sound very good, and I could easily live with the MUCH cheaper alternative. However, the 349, as used in my amp, is run very gently and will last a very long time... | |
| Why do tube amps often subjectively sound more powerful than SS ? i tend to find, particularly with lower powered tube amps, the sound tends to be more full and rich sounding and more lively at any given volume level than is the case with solid state. Solid state tends to sound a bit dead and less engaging whic... |