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Thread: All a glow. Real kit really does glow in the dark

  1. #1
    Join Date: Mar 2009

    Location: The New Forest

    Posts: 1,855
    I'm Steve.

    Default All a glow. Real kit really does glow in the dark

    my SoH all a glow



    Another angle



    and my PL-7 too

    System: Turntable : SP10 MKII slate plinth, Custom Ebony tonearm board, Arm : Fidelity Research FR64s, Cartridge : SPU Royal N. SUT : Lundahl 1:13. Phonostage : Icon Audio, Streaming RPi/Kali reclocker -> I2S -> DSP XO / Pre / 4 DAC's : WAF Najda, 5 Poweramps : 3 x EL84 SET's, 2 x D class amps on bass channels, Speakers : 5 way front loaded horn system: 2 X Tapped sub 15" LF drivers / 2 X Exponential mid bass 15" drivers / Tractrix 200Hz mid horns with JBL2482's, / Tractrix 550Hz upper wooden horns with factory refurb'd Vitavox S2's / Raal Lazy Ribbons as high frequency tweeters. Wires: good silver or good copper where best suited. DIY RCM.

    Maker of tonearm boards, armpods, Tannoy GRF style speaker cabinets, horn speakers, counterweights and more.
    For more information about my creations and products please click below

    http://fosworld.wixsite.com/magna-audio & on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/magna_audio/

  2. #2
    Join Date: Feb 2009

    Location: Stonehouse, Gloucestershire

    Posts: 723
    I'm Peter.

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    Ooh, nice.

    My wife just leaned over my shoulder and said 'Frankenstein things!'
    Followed by 'You'll need to get a proper stand before you can get some of them'
    Peter

  3. #3
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

    Default

    That's one of the coolest valve glows I've seen in a while - nice one, Steve

    Btw, what does "SoH" stand for?

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  4. #4
    Join Date: Mar 2009

    Location: The New Forest

    Posts: 1,855
    I'm Steve.

    Default

    Ah yes, SoH stands for Son of Heffa. Heffa was a first valve amp design that aimed to provide a reasonable tube amp for under £100.
    This was an Anglo Swedish project to provide the chassis and parts to help interested folk build a great valve amp.
    That was back in around 2000. The Heffa bit comes from the huge mains transformer in Swedish called 'Heffa Klump'. Named so due to it's weight.
    It was found in a surplus store in Sweden and cost 100SEK ~about £8 back then.
    It's size and flexibility meant the chance for a very good power supply.
    Heffa featured cheap mains transformers as audio output transformers!

    Here a pic of a Heffa transformer in situ


    Here's a link to a site with an original Heffa in use in Sweden.
    Cool with the HT lead tubes.
    http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?im...%3D63%26um%3D1


    Heffa sounded pretty good, was around 10W p/c. I borrowed one for a week or so and found it easily outperformed my MF A3 integrated / Power amp combo bi amping.

    SoH was a development of this. Using 6SN7's as Spliter / input stage and drivers & a pair of KT88's in familiar push pull class A operation.
    Heffa uses two 20W tail resistors with big heat sinks to achieve class A.

    The same mains transformer was used and the audio output transformers were Lundahl. Again most of the big stuff was sourced in Sweden as we worked / travelled there a lot. Exchange rate was favourable too.

    Total cost back then about £350.
    Cases were made at a metal box factory in Sweden and I brought most of them them over ~20 or so and transformers on my many business trips (Business class and special baggage is a wonder thing).
    The deal was Dave got to use the CNC / metal box machine in return for a built amp

    In the UK we used good quality passives / active parts from Farnell.

    I was one of the early ones to put one together and install the Heffa.
    Dave the Project leader had to help me a lot to commission it,
    smoke test and fix a few things.
    It was quite a feeling connecting it up to a cheap pair of speakers and portable CD player to smoke test. Both of these components were expendable. When you have 480V DC whizzing about inside you need to be careful. Always work with one hand behind you back is good advice.
    The original Svetlana KT88's were quite aggressive on current and we needed a 2nd PSU.
    The PSU's are soft start Silicon devices and are VERY quiet.

    I had roped a mate of mine iinto building one at the time. He copied mine and we tested it ourselves. Didn't work. Another mate also built one independantly and his didn't work either. After some badgering I got them together and using mine a working example we worked through the problems and both have been working since. The dual PSU was the heart of the problem.
    All these things come together to give a very authoritative, etched, powerful amp that seems to handle any speakers, any loads and once sorted is extremely reliable.
    I have learned a bit about valve amps, got a scope and can easily replace all the passives in the amp for about £40 and the actives for a further £30 should it need a refresh.

    Since 2002 I have changed the sig wire, speaker wire, tried some other sig caps. I've done a lot of tube rolling of both the 6SN7's and KT88's.
    Only last night I wondered what the Kenrad black glass 6SN7's (rear ones i the photo's above) would sound like vs the Sylvania browns.

    I have bought a lot of 6SN7's 2nd hand on ebay. All have worked / are still working.
    There is something rather magical about obtaining a tube from the 1940's, 50's or 60's, plugging it in and then hearing what a subtle yet different sound it has.
    The modern Electro Harmonix 6SN7's are pretty good too - esp the gold pin ones. My mate recommends the cryo treated ones. I remain on the fence as to this procedure.
    KT88's I have settled on Electro Harmonix's over the Svetlana's or Tesla's.
    I just prefer the sound.

    The tubes are pretty unstressed - I've never had a failure yet.

    So that is pretty much it.
    I have no plans to change this amp. It probably equals or betters a Berning (I've heard 2 now - both through big Tannoys incidentally).
    Plus side is I can fix this one should anything go wrong.

    This site shows some of Dave's other projects / his tech view on tube amps
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valve_a...hnical#Biasing

    His teflon cap and film resistor version sounded good but not enough to make me want to change to those components...
    Last edited by Magna Audio; 24-06-2009 at 21:47.
    System: Turntable : SP10 MKII slate plinth, Custom Ebony tonearm board, Arm : Fidelity Research FR64s, Cartridge : SPU Royal N. SUT : Lundahl 1:13. Phonostage : Icon Audio, Streaming RPi/Kali reclocker -> I2S -> DSP XO / Pre / 4 DAC's : WAF Najda, 5 Poweramps : 3 x EL84 SET's, 2 x D class amps on bass channels, Speakers : 5 way front loaded horn system: 2 X Tapped sub 15" LF drivers / 2 X Exponential mid bass 15" drivers / Tractrix 200Hz mid horns with JBL2482's, / Tractrix 550Hz upper wooden horns with factory refurb'd Vitavox S2's / Raal Lazy Ribbons as high frequency tweeters. Wires: good silver or good copper where best suited. DIY RCM.

    Maker of tonearm boards, armpods, Tannoy GRF style speaker cabinets, horn speakers, counterweights and more.
    For more information about my creations and products please click below

    http://fosworld.wixsite.com/magna-audio & on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/magna_audio/

  5. #5
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

    Default

    Thanks, Steve.

    Now that's what I call a thorough answer! - Very interesting.

    I get good vibes from that amp - I can just 'sense' that it sounds good...

    How are the Berkleys liking it?

    Btw, do you mind if I move this thread to the Blank Canvas, as that's where it really belongs

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  6. #6
    Join Date: Mar 2009

    Location: The New Forest

    Posts: 1,855
    I'm Steve.

    Default

    Oh yes please move - I put it hear as it had a pic of the PL-71.

    The Tannoys love it. Very easy to drive.
    I keep thinking to recab them but then listen and think - this is good, very good.

    Took the photo's last night on wife's Canon 20D (best birthday present I ever got her:-) using a 15 to 30sec exposure. Tripod it not brilliant though.
    On the PL-71 pic you can see the arm sway has cause a little blur.
    Last edited by Magna Audio; 24-06-2009 at 11:09.
    System: Turntable : SP10 MKII slate plinth, Custom Ebony tonearm board, Arm : Fidelity Research FR64s, Cartridge : SPU Royal N. SUT : Lundahl 1:13. Phonostage : Icon Audio, Streaming RPi/Kali reclocker -> I2S -> DSP XO / Pre / 4 DAC's : WAF Najda, 5 Poweramps : 3 x EL84 SET's, 2 x D class amps on bass channels, Speakers : 5 way front loaded horn system: 2 X Tapped sub 15" LF drivers / 2 X Exponential mid bass 15" drivers / Tractrix 200Hz mid horns with JBL2482's, / Tractrix 550Hz upper wooden horns with factory refurb'd Vitavox S2's / Raal Lazy Ribbons as high frequency tweeters. Wires: good silver or good copper where best suited. DIY RCM.

    Maker of tonearm boards, armpods, Tannoy GRF style speaker cabinets, horn speakers, counterweights and more.
    For more information about my creations and products please click below

    http://fosworld.wixsite.com/magna-audio & on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/magna_audio/

  7. #7
    Alex_UK's Avatar
    Alex_UK is offline Spotify + Facebook Moderator / Chilled-Out Wino and only here for the shilling
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Sunny Suffolk, UK

    Posts: 15,952
    I'm WrappingALilacCurtainAroundMyBobby.

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    Sorry for resurrecting an old thread but just have to say WOW - those valves look fantastic - is it wrong to feel strangely aroused after seeing pictures like those?
    Alex

    Main System: Digital: HP Laptop/M2Tech Hiface/Logitech Media Server/FLAC; Marantz SA7001 KI Signature SACD Player and other digital stuff into Gatorised Beresford Caiman DAC Vinyl: Garrard 401/SME 3009 SII Improved/Sumiko HS/Nagaoka MP-30
    Amplifier: Rega Brio R. Speakers: Spendor SP1. Cables: Various, mainly Mark Grant.
    Please see "about me" for the rest of my cr@p! Gallery


    A.o.S. on Facebook - A.o.S. on Spotify - A.o.S. on Twitter

    There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing and be nothing Aristotle

  8. #8
    Join Date: May 2008

    Location: Cricklewood

    Posts: 9,074
    I'm ILOB.

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    Lovelly work Steve and Imagine the Tannoys loving them
    Loves anything from Pain of Salvation to Jeff Buckley to Django to Sarasate to Surinder Sandhu to Shawn Lane to Nick Drake to Rush to Beth Hart to Kate Bush to Rodrigo Y Gabriela to The Hellecasters to Dark Sanctury to Ben Harper to Karicus to Dream Theater to Zero Hour to Al DiMeola to Larry Carlton to Derek Trucks to Govt Mule to?

    Humour: One of the few things worth taking seriously

  9. #9
    Join Date: Mar 2009

    Location: The New Forest

    Posts: 1,855
    I'm Steve.

    Default

    Yes, all is working very well.
    Oddly my hifi ownership cycle sees my loving a setup then has a slight dip over a few weeks (familiarity perhaps) now I'm coming out the other end of that dip thinking it's better than ever.

    Next step DIY GRF's - I have been saying this for months but WILL start them soon. 2nd daughter is a keen DIY'er so will be on at me again soon.
    System: Turntable : SP10 MKII slate plinth, Custom Ebony tonearm board, Arm : Fidelity Research FR64s, Cartridge : SPU Royal N. SUT : Lundahl 1:13. Phonostage : Icon Audio, Streaming RPi/Kali reclocker -> I2S -> DSP XO / Pre / 4 DAC's : WAF Najda, 5 Poweramps : 3 x EL84 SET's, 2 x D class amps on bass channels, Speakers : 5 way front loaded horn system: 2 X Tapped sub 15" LF drivers / 2 X Exponential mid bass 15" drivers / Tractrix 200Hz mid horns with JBL2482's, / Tractrix 550Hz upper wooden horns with factory refurb'd Vitavox S2's / Raal Lazy Ribbons as high frequency tweeters. Wires: good silver or good copper where best suited. DIY RCM.

    Maker of tonearm boards, armpods, Tannoy GRF style speaker cabinets, horn speakers, counterweights and more.
    For more information about my creations and products please click below

    http://fosworld.wixsite.com/magna-audio & on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/magna_audio/

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