INTRODUCING GARY DODD'S FIRST BORN

[DonZ]

Rollo---excuse me---BILL (inside joke going back to college, guys!  ),

I don't know if I am more impressed with the electronics or the wood appearance! Looks great; maybe in my fading years I will go back to the (tube) technology of my youth....

Let me know how it sounds.

DZ

[StereoNut]

Rollo---excuse me---BILL (inside joke going back to college, guys!  ),

I don't know if I am more impressed with the electronics or the wood appearance! Looks great; maybe in my fading years I will go back to the (tube) technology of my youth....

Let me know how it sounds.

DZ

She sure does look purty!

Considering I've been running SS (solid state) electronics for my whole life, this tubed Dodd pre and my "soon to be back home" hybrid (Moscode/Tube) amp will become the basis of an "audio renaissance" for me.  Hopefully, the great God of Synergy will be kind and I will enjoy this new gear for many, many years to come!

I will keep you and everyone else here on AN posted as things come together and I get everything played through their brake-in period.  Gary Dodd says to expect a 200-300 hours of run-in time before those Platinum caps settle in. 

In the immortal words of Todd Rundgren... "the waiting is the hardest part!"

T.B.C.

[topround]

 In my experience with Mundorf SIO , it started out great, truly wondrous but after break in I had to remove them, they bothered me, and I guess it may be because they are not a true foil cap but a sputtered metalized cap. I know the Auricap, which I like is sputtered or metalized as they say, as well, but I like it better as a general non boutique cap. In other words a nice cap. Boutique caps tend to have a specific sound, and you have to be careful with them. Can you get better than Auricap? Sure, but be careful which way you go because you may go in the wrong direction.

Bill if you don't have your amps soon you might as well stop by and i will lend you an amp. Don't let George Kaye push you around yell at him, and if he gives you a hard time I know others that were involved with NYAL that can get it done.
For Christ;'s sake it is just a cap job, could be done in 2 hours the most, don't let him give you a yarn.

[StereoNut]

... Bill if you don't have your amps soon you might as well stop by and i will lend you an amp. Don't let George Kaye push you around yell at him, and if he gives you a hard time I know others that were involved with NYAL that can get it done.  For Christ;'s sake it is just a cap job, could be done in 2 hours the most, don't let him give you a yarn.

Actually, Mike.  My amp is done.  Hoo-Ray!!!  I sent an overnight UPS letter-pak to George with my check $$$ today.  He will get my payment on Monday (1/14) and ship it out to me.  UPS Ground is usually 3 days, so I figure it will be here this coming Thursday or Friday.  
Regardless, thanks for your support.

BTW - For all of those who are interested, here's what was done on the NYAL Moscode 600 for me.

1) M600 (MIT) MultiCap capacitor set installed
2) Fan Circuit power resistors were relocated away from the thermostat
3) High Voltage capacitors (2 large, 3 small) replaced
4) IEC connector installed with hum loop breaker circuit
5) Tube replacement: (4) 6GU7's tested, matched & installed

[topround]

Were the electrolytics replaced?

Looks like you have a bunch of burn in to do, get a cheap cd player and just leave it on repeat for a few days.
 Does your preamp recharge automatically? Or do you have the option to use a AC power cord on it?

[StereoNut]

Were the electrolytics replaced?

Looks like you have a bunch of burn in to do, get a cheap cd player and just leave it on repeat for a few days.
 Does your preamp recharge automatically? Or do you have the option to use a AC power cord on it?

Re: Electrolytics - I have no idea!   Besides, I wouldn't know what an electrolytic was if it jumped up and bit me!

The Dodd pre recharges automatically, once it's turned off.  No direct AC connection is available purposely, by design.

[richidoo]

Re: Electrolytics - I have no idea!   Besides, I wouldn't know what an electrolytic was if it jumped up and bit me!

OK Bill, you asked for it!

Electrolytic capacitors are the can type, usually with 2 leads coming out of one end. They usually have a liquid electrolyte inside, hence the name. Over time and due to internal heat the electrolyte wears out, and the cap can start to swell and leak. If the goo hits something hot, it smokes and stinks - This is the classic "letting the blue smoke" out joke. That dimple around the waist of an electrolytic gives it away, that seals in the goo. Films don't have a dimple.

  Electrolytic Caps

The opposite is a film capacitor which is dry inside, no electrolyte, just layers of conductor and thin insulator wound together. It is much larger for equal capacitance, and less susceptible to change in capacitance and ESR over time, lower leakage current makes them sound better, but they usually cost a lot more.

     Film Caps

Note there is no polarity arrow on the films labels. Installing an electrolytic cap backwards makes it overheat and fail, so you will almost always see an arrow stripe on the side of an electro to indicate the negative terminal. Some electros are bipolar however. Films don't care about polarity, (unless you ask an audiophile.) All of the sexy caps people talk about here are film caps. Duelund, VCap, teflon, OIMP, Paper in oil, AudioCap, Multicap, Sonicap, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyester, mica, bypass, coupling caps, output caps, etc.  Some mfgs even use film caps in the power supply storage. 

When we need values of capacitance that are larger than that available from films, or need it in a smaller package than films can provide or when we need ultra low cost even in small values then we choose electrolytics. In hifi gear, they are usually limited to use in the power supply where large "storage" caps smooth ripple in the DC before hitting the amplifier power rails. This ripple actually causes their eventual demise. In your case it would be the "High Voltage Capacitors" that were replaced. Using electrolytic capacitors in the signal path results in a grainy blurred sound. Consumer gear that has electros in the signal path are prime candidates for upgrade to films.

There are some high quality Japanese electros that sound better than some films. coughcoughsolencough 

[rollo]

In my experience with Mundorf SIO , it started out great, truly wondrous but after break in I had to remove them, they bothered me, and I guess it may be because they are not a true foil cap but a sputtered metalized cap. I know the Auricap, which I like is sputtered or metalized as they say, as well, but I like it better as a general non boutique cap. In other words a nice cap. Boutique caps tend to have a specific sound, and you have to be careful with them. Can you get better than Auricap? Sure, but be careful which way you go because you may go in the wrong direction.

Bill if you don't have your amps soon you might as well stop by and i will lend you an amp. Don't let George Kaye push you around yell at him, and if he gives you a hard time I know others that were involved with NYAL that can get it done.
For Christ;'s sake it is just a cap job, could be done in 2 hours the most, don't let him give you a yarn.

   Just curious about how many hours you put on them before surgical removal Speedy Gonzalez ?


charles

[topround]

I had the Mundorfs in for about 4 months.
If they need more than 4 months I have to move on because i am old and life is short.

The Vcaps copperfoil teflons were much better, right out of the box ...and stayed that way

Besides I am not alone in this camp, there are lots of people in the DIY world that have experienced what I have.
Sometimes you have to get past the hype and just be honest.
I was honest, I bought them, installed them, used them, and removed them. And learned alot along the way.
It was great in the beginning, but in the end they bothered me. I wanted them to work, they were not cheap, but who was I foolin?

Mike

[StereoNut]

My Dodd VGP is "in da house!" Package came yesterday. Thanks, Gary!  
It's an absolutely beautiful piece.  I can't wait to get a listen to it.

Hopefully my Moscode 600 will be here before the end of this coming week.

T.B.C.

[richidoo]

My Dodd VGP is "in da house!"

I don't believe you. 

 

[StereoNut]

My Dodd VGP is "in da house!"

I don't believe you. 

 

Uhhhmmmnnn, Rich.... Did you miss page#1, Post#1? 

The pix in the original thread starter are MY Dodd pre.  Gary Dodd sent me pix before he packed and shipped it, so I could drool while waiting for it to arrive.

She sure is purty, ain't she?!? 

[S Clark]

I'm eager to hear your impressions.  I've been running a Dodd pre with Moscode amps ( the 300 and the 401HR) happily for several years.  I've been please with the combo.
Scott

[richidoo]

No I didn't notice those. Often I browse without logging in, so the pics are not visible. It looks great! Thanks

[StereoNut]

I'm eager to hear your impressions.  I've been running a Dodd pre with Moscode amps ( the 300 and the 401HR) happily for several years.  I've been please with the combo.
Scott

Cool, Scott!  I didn't know you were running a similar set-up.  Now I'm even more anxious to get my Moscode 600 back this week!  I will keep everyone posted. 

SN