Filterlab
23-10-2022, 14:26
Well, it'll be a very long while before I get back into proper hi-fi, so I'm going to sell my handbuilt, balanced valve buffer / pre-amp, which I had made by David over at AD Audio a couple of years back.
Essentially it's a Satchmo 3, but reconfigured and built personally for me. It's incredibly simple and therefore exceptional sound quality goes wthout saying - David really does know his stuff. And he can convert it into a full Satchmo 3 if required.
One pair of balanced inputs in, one pair out. Power and gain on the front panel, and two switches on the rear; one for ground lift and the other for +20dB (from memory, I can't quite remember if that's correct as I simply haven't touched either switch on the rear - David said to leave them both in the up position for normal use).
Clean, clean, clean sound, but with the ability to give the full, unhindered presentation of any pair of 6SL7 valves you wish to try. And talking of valves, you're in for a treat with this set up. Am I going to leave you to source some of the best and most revered valves all on your lonesome? NO! I am selling this with ALL the valves listed below, and a pair of balanced interconects too. The whole lot, all in one package, delivered to your door by me personally so we can have a play.
Some pictures of the pre-amp. It has acquired a couple of tiny marks in my recent house move, despite my best endeavours to keep it unmarked. But it does perform as exceptionally as day one...
Click for full res images
https://i.ibb.co/wQPfN52/IMG-3098.jpg (https://ibb.co/Yd1x7HV)
https://i.ibb.co/5Ygvsc3/IMG-3099.jpg (https://ibb.co/PTv41Cy)
https://i.ibb.co/Dz3mHV6/IMG-3100.jpg (https://ibb.co/Xjm6r2d)
https://i.ibb.co/tHXq75m/IMG-3101.jpg (https://ibb.co/b6JsSnW)
https://i.ibb.co/bvq6Lw1/IMG-3102.jpg (https://ibb.co/gWHrwqy)
Dimensions are 43cm x 34cm x 9cm, although once the valves are in you're looking around 12cm tall.
I'll dig out an IEC power cable for it, I've got loads laying around.
So, what valves will you receive with this pre-amp? Well, let me paste in the text and images from my recent sales thread (which was up until I had second thoughts)...
1. Tung Sol 6SL7GT gold
Matched pair
10 hours
Purchased new from Hot Rox in 2020
https://i.ibb.co/XbP2Vgv/IMG-2893.jpg (https://ibb.co/QfVbXR1)
https://i.ibb.co/q5K2t4k/IMG-2894.jpg (https://ibb.co/3z2PD8B)
____
2. Sylvania VT-229 Black Base 1944?
Matched pair (L4 and K4 codes)
84 hours
Beautiful, natural sound. Look awesome too. Highly revered valves these.
https://i.ibb.co/pb7gzSr/IMG-2897.jpg (https://ibb.co/gm2GTxF)
https://i.ibb.co/RcH52HF/IMG-2898.jpg (https://ibb.co/cQTmJTB)
____
3. 1950s-ish Melz 6H9C OTK 99 metal base
Matched pair (498R / 4 28 codes)
500 hours
Weighty, crisp and immediate in their presentation. I love these valves! These are the military spec ones and are impossibly well made, even though they look a bit "Russian". :)
https://i.ibb.co/z8WHMYN/IMG-2899.jpg (https://ibb.co/M8y5v49)
https://i.ibb.co/hsfFB1V/IMG-2900.jpg (https://ibb.co/0qtyCVr)
____
4. 1950s-ish Melz 6H9C OTK 99 metal base
Single
250 hours
https://i.ibb.co/th2w0gV/IMG-2901.jpg (https://ibb.co/kyDVLjN)
https://i.ibb.co/jg3QdYt/IMG-2902.jpg (https://ibb.co/18RP3Nc)
____
5. 1959 RCA 5691 Red Base Black Plate
Matched pair (59 43 codes)
1,500 hours
Simply stunning audio, massive and clean presentation, incredible bass! My favourites, I used these almost exclusively in my system. These are getting very hard to find now. Rated for 10,000+ hours, these will easily go on for longer than that.
https://i.ibb.co/VwjMFdk/IMG-2891.jpg (https://ibb.co/kmHqLpP)
https://i.ibb.co/JQnkngK/IMG-2892.jpg (https://ibb.co/16Z2ZjL)
____
6. 1959 RCA 5691 Red Base Black Plate
Matched pair (59 43 codes)
NOS - Unused
Almost impossible to find in NOS condition without mortgaging your kidneys. :D
https://i.ibb.co/hcCdR4K/IMG-2895.jpg (https://ibb.co/nBR1sYD)
https://i.ibb.co/3RWCcrP/IMG-2896.jpg (https://ibb.co/QDnKMbx)
Here they are all together...
https://i.ibb.co/PQ7K2n2/IMG-3103.jpg (https://ibb.co/RyxfXmX)
The NOS 5691 Red Base Black Plates are worth getting on for £300 alone, and the whole collection of valves would probably fetch around £700 on eBay and the various forums... but I'm including everything you see here in the price.
This is a one-chance deal; no discounts, no trades - just as you see everything here. I paid £750 for the pre-amp and a whole load of cash for the various valves.
Selling the whole lot for £600, delivered. Payment by cash, BT or PPFF, whichever is easiest for you.
Any questions, PM me. :)
Essentially it's a Satchmo 3, but reconfigured and built personally for me. It's incredibly simple and therefore exceptional sound quality goes wthout saying - David really does know his stuff. And he can convert it into a full Satchmo 3 if required.
One pair of balanced inputs in, one pair out. Power and gain on the front panel, and two switches on the rear; one for ground lift and the other for +20dB (from memory, I can't quite remember if that's correct as I simply haven't touched either switch on the rear - David said to leave them both in the up position for normal use).
Clean, clean, clean sound, but with the ability to give the full, unhindered presentation of any pair of 6SL7 valves you wish to try. And talking of valves, you're in for a treat with this set up. Am I going to leave you to source some of the best and most revered valves all on your lonesome? NO! I am selling this with ALL the valves listed below, and a pair of balanced interconects too. The whole lot, all in one package, delivered to your door by me personally so we can have a play.
Some pictures of the pre-amp. It has acquired a couple of tiny marks in my recent house move, despite my best endeavours to keep it unmarked. But it does perform as exceptionally as day one...
Click for full res images
https://i.ibb.co/wQPfN52/IMG-3098.jpg (https://ibb.co/Yd1x7HV)
https://i.ibb.co/5Ygvsc3/IMG-3099.jpg (https://ibb.co/PTv41Cy)
https://i.ibb.co/Dz3mHV6/IMG-3100.jpg (https://ibb.co/Xjm6r2d)
https://i.ibb.co/tHXq75m/IMG-3101.jpg (https://ibb.co/b6JsSnW)
https://i.ibb.co/bvq6Lw1/IMG-3102.jpg (https://ibb.co/gWHrwqy)
Dimensions are 43cm x 34cm x 9cm, although once the valves are in you're looking around 12cm tall.
I'll dig out an IEC power cable for it, I've got loads laying around.
So, what valves will you receive with this pre-amp? Well, let me paste in the text and images from my recent sales thread (which was up until I had second thoughts)...
1. Tung Sol 6SL7GT gold
Matched pair
10 hours
Purchased new from Hot Rox in 2020
https://i.ibb.co/XbP2Vgv/IMG-2893.jpg (https://ibb.co/QfVbXR1)
https://i.ibb.co/q5K2t4k/IMG-2894.jpg (https://ibb.co/3z2PD8B)
____
2. Sylvania VT-229 Black Base 1944?
Matched pair (L4 and K4 codes)
84 hours
Beautiful, natural sound. Look awesome too. Highly revered valves these.
https://i.ibb.co/pb7gzSr/IMG-2897.jpg (https://ibb.co/gm2GTxF)
https://i.ibb.co/RcH52HF/IMG-2898.jpg (https://ibb.co/cQTmJTB)
____
3. 1950s-ish Melz 6H9C OTK 99 metal base
Matched pair (498R / 4 28 codes)
500 hours
Weighty, crisp and immediate in their presentation. I love these valves! These are the military spec ones and are impossibly well made, even though they look a bit "Russian". :)
https://i.ibb.co/z8WHMYN/IMG-2899.jpg (https://ibb.co/M8y5v49)
https://i.ibb.co/hsfFB1V/IMG-2900.jpg (https://ibb.co/0qtyCVr)
____
4. 1950s-ish Melz 6H9C OTK 99 metal base
Single
250 hours
https://i.ibb.co/th2w0gV/IMG-2901.jpg (https://ibb.co/kyDVLjN)
https://i.ibb.co/jg3QdYt/IMG-2902.jpg (https://ibb.co/18RP3Nc)
____
5. 1959 RCA 5691 Red Base Black Plate
Matched pair (59 43 codes)
1,500 hours
Simply stunning audio, massive and clean presentation, incredible bass! My favourites, I used these almost exclusively in my system. These are getting very hard to find now. Rated for 10,000+ hours, these will easily go on for longer than that.
https://i.ibb.co/VwjMFdk/IMG-2891.jpg (https://ibb.co/kmHqLpP)
https://i.ibb.co/JQnkngK/IMG-2892.jpg (https://ibb.co/16Z2ZjL)
____
6. 1959 RCA 5691 Red Base Black Plate
Matched pair (59 43 codes)
NOS - Unused
Almost impossible to find in NOS condition without mortgaging your kidneys. :D
https://i.ibb.co/hcCdR4K/IMG-2895.jpg (https://ibb.co/nBR1sYD)
https://i.ibb.co/3RWCcrP/IMG-2896.jpg (https://ibb.co/QDnKMbx)
Here they are all together...
https://i.ibb.co/PQ7K2n2/IMG-3103.jpg (https://ibb.co/RyxfXmX)
The NOS 5691 Red Base Black Plates are worth getting on for £300 alone, and the whole collection of valves would probably fetch around £700 on eBay and the various forums... but I'm including everything you see here in the price.
This is a one-chance deal; no discounts, no trades - just as you see everything here. I paid £750 for the pre-amp and a whole load of cash for the various valves.
Selling the whole lot for £600, delivered. Payment by cash, BT or PPFF, whichever is easiest for you.
Any questions, PM me. :)