Cool Old Kit You Never Heard Of

[User211]

The mains transformer does not appear to be shielded or shrouded with a mu-metal shield, so depends on the transformer core laminations not having any flux leakage. The transformer is however located distant from the electronics, so the effect of any flux leakage is minimised; although an additional magnetic shield between the transformer and the nearby valves wouldn't do any harm.

Rectification is provided by a pair of solid state diodes, rather than a double-diode valve, so putting the power supply in a separate enclosure would not offer any real benefit; it would just cost more.

What's your electronics background, Barry? Just curious.

[Marco]

Rectification is provided by a pair of solid state diodes, rather than a double-diode valve, so putting the power supply in a separate enclosure would not offer any real benefit; it would just cost more.

In your opinion. Experience tells me differently, as does that of Glenn Croft. My Croft preamp now has solid-state rectification, as opposed to originally a 6080 valve, and upgrading the PSU and putting it into a separate enclosure made a noticeable sonic improvement.

Carrying out this sort of modification can really make a difference *if* it's done properly by a qualified EE.

Marco.

[Barry]

What's your electronics background, Barry? Just curious.

Only what I was taught for my undergraduate degree in Physics. Did postgraduate work in Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics and later worked in the research centre for what was then the largest electronics company in the UK. My work there was the design of microwave components for radar and communications - somewhat removed from audio engineering.

My only experience with audio electronics has been in building valve and later solid-state power amplifiers, for my own use, and through that, learning about good practice when it comes to shielding etc.

[User211]

Only what I was taught for my undergraduate degree in Physics. Did postgraduate work in Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics and later worked in the research centre for what was then the largest electronics company in the UK. My work there was the design of microwave components for radar and communications - somewhat removed from audio engineering.

My only experience with audio electronics has been in building valve and later solid-state power amplifiers, for my own use, and through that, learning about good practice when it comes to shielding etc.

Respect level increased by a high order of magnitude

[User211]

Fancy a $16,000 Pioneer SX-1980?

https://ebay.io/m/oEK1qh

Apparently poor reliability so maybe not.

Looks cool, though.

https://youtu.be/MyepBbuICwo?is=d5SUTakf1f-jUJIU

[Macca]

Fancy a $16,000 Pioneer SX-1980?

https://ebay.io/m/oEK1qh

Apparently poor reliability so maybe not.

Looks cool, though.

https://youtu.be/MyepBbuICwo?is=d5SUTakf1f-jUJIU

The holy grail of 1970s receivers. Pal of mine got lent one when his amp was down back in the days when they weren't really valuable, I don't remember it being all that great but maybe it wasn't up to spec, I don't know. That would be around 1999 so it would have been 20 years old or so then.

[Pigmy Pony]

Looks pretty cool, but probably won't hold a candle to a Luxman L-509Z, which comes in at £5k less brand new.



All this audio jewellery is very nice, but common sense should prevail.

[User211]

No tuner in that Lux, though.

Also, I rate my 1975 Accuphase M-60s (when they work) as sonically better than a Luxman M-800A, which is a much later design i.e. 2007. I think mine was made late in the run i.e. 2012.

[Pigmy Pony]

Ofc, Accuphase... well, £16k would get you a new E-5000 (at Hifi Lounge), as well as this:



Enough buttons/meters/butchness going on there, and enough change to buy a foreign holiday pretty much anywhere.

[Lawrence001]

Tuner meters don't count they have to move in time to the music. Having said that I've never seen a Dolby level meter before, I would find that interesting to watch how the level of noise reduction varied with the signal.