mint604

Responses from mint604

Best Preamp under 10K
General Electric mono phono $12.95! Circa 1957. Single 6sc7. Beats any phono up to $65,000! 
Best EL-34 Amps?
I have not listened to any new EL-34 amps and have no desire to, BUT I am certain that Sol Marantz and the Altec engineers had a far greater understanding on how to design tube circuits and still they could not get the harshness out of the EL-34's... 
Best EL-34 Amps?
The El-34 (6CS7) began life in the mid-fifties as being the highest power pentode. It was designed for use in Walt Disney "Fantasia" film. It trickled down to consumer use and was sold to sucker "hi-fi" enthusiasts in the late 50's who could then ... 
Best EL-34 Amps?
None. The El-34 is the WORST sounding audio output tube ever made. There is no way to make it sound like anything but a freight train. It has no redeeming sound qualities. I suggest trying a 6L6, 6BQ5, or a 45 output to hear the music instead of h... 
What is the best phono preamp you have heard?
The General Electric MONO one tube(6SC7) phono preamp circa 1955- 959. 1957 Price: $10.95. YES, it is the First and still the Best preamp ever made (millions sold over the years). This is the preamp that started the moving magnet revolution. SIMPL... 
Best Cartridges for the Money You've Experienced
General Electric variable reluctance ($10 NEW price 1957, $25 USED price 2008, stylus still avaiable at Radio Shack for $10.) 
Brag About Your Vinyl Collection
100,000+ mint clasical. I live in the motherload of used vinyl 
best preamp ever - cost is no object
I have been using the General Electric single tube mono 6SC7 phono preamp for 40 years. Original NEW cost $12.99 (twelve dollars and 99 cents). I have A-B compared this to 20 professional radio station phono preamps and it was the winner. I have n... 
Is Direct Drive Really Better?
I use a SUPERIOR belt drive mechanism. under the platter a large 10lb. live rat (rodent) runs on a BELT, the heavy 50lb platter (and three ball govenor) does indeed smooth out any speed irreglarties. There is NO measurable rumble. Completely indep... 
Burned out hi fi salesman
The reason that all the components HE has heard sound within 5% of each other is based on the principle that 95% of ALL stereo equipment is absolute JUNK to begin with. 
Is live reproduction the goal of audio?
To ACTUALLY perfectly reproduce a live orchestra is TOTALLY 100% impossible. Just as a television cannot create a living person. I my opinion the "GOAL" of home audio is to recreate as closely as possible the sound that the recording engineer hear... 
Biggest Baddest Audio Cables
I use common HOME DEPOT #14 AC SOLID COPPER, plastic insulated, HOUSE WIRE (15 cents/foot) for my RCA interconnects. I run a SINGLE WIRE from preamp to amp without any shielding. The amp and pre-amp are then grounded together with common standed w... 
Top Ten Speaker Cables of all time?...
Duanegoosen: I recently replaced my #14 guage HOME DEPOT solid core plastic insulated 115 AC volt HOUSE WIRE speaker cables with #12(thicker diameter) guage and I noticed a dramatic improvement. I am now using a SINGLE WIRE #14 guage 115 AC Volt H... 
What was you most expensive accidental damage?
Bigjoe: I agree completely with your philosophy that it is not worth giving up ones freedom for revenge, this #$%!@#s has recieved his punishment by becoming a slave to alcohol and by his self induced alchoholic brain damage comas, and you and I a... 
What was you most expensive accidental damage?
BIGJOE: You should have poked pencils in his ears while he was passed out.