Karl has modified Gary's MS 190 amp with a new front end circuit. It consists of transformer coupled Western Electric 417 tubes. This new circuit will be shooting off against my identical amp with the original cap coupled 12BY7a tubes. Of course the amps are not truly identical in every respect, but they are pretty close, close enough to judge what this circuit can do.
Maybe early Wednsday evening if anyone wants to join us? Small affair with the usual suspects.
My house ..say 4, 5 6, pm till 10pm(I need my beauty sleep)
We have had several of these things at my house for different reasons, I would like to open it up for anyone who wants come to maintain fairness. Sometimes they are eye opening.
As new ideas are developed I would like to continue to have these intimate evening listening sessions at my house to get peoples impressions and ideas.
I am looking at things in a more DIY approach these days. The glitz and glamour of big name brands have lost their luster for me, it must sound great to hold value for me. And of course price is not really an indicator of quality after a certain point. Soooo.... My gear is my lab. Since I don't own anything of very high worth I will mod it all and see how far I can go, not Vcap mods, but circuit mods and power supply mods, maybe change dacs, or tubes.
I remember going to RMAF 07, I went in all the big name rooms, sneaking a peak at the horn rooms and diy guys and just walking in and walking out. Now I will walk in and out of the big names, and hang in the horn rooms and the diy guys rooms, the specialty dark arts rooms!
This October I am taking my son to RMAF, he really wants to go. I changed tubes in a preamp last night, my son walks in after 5 seconds and says,"Dad, I can hear more low notes now" He was dead on right, those tubes had very extended bass. I was shocked he could tell so quickly. Yes, you and I ..no problem, but a 10 year old boy? Made me proud.
Must go back to my "history of audio transformers" by GAV Sowter, very interesting stuff
MIke
