Upgraded Leak

[rollo]

  Bill have you given any consideration to the tube used when deciding on coupling cap ?
   I have found that the character of the tube kinda dictates the cap choice.
   For example when we use an RCA 211 the coupling cap chosen was an Auri T Teflon over Duelund CAST. Just to warm with Duelund. however when tube switched to GE 211 the Duelund was King. Same or input cap selection.
   You may consider some Teflon caps in the power supply over PIO. Very open with powerful dynamics.
    BTW the only amp for me besides my modded Arions are the Lamm 2.1 mono blocks. After the Lamm the search just stops. however the fun of tweaking stops as well, just no need to change a thing.
     Next up we need to get you to try some dipoles in lieu of the box design. Either Analysis, GTAudio Works or BG Radia. The Lenehans are good but compared to the the others no contest.
     The panel speakers change the game a bit.


charles

[bhobba]

Hi Guys
 
Its been a long wait but finally the last stages of the upgrade with the Duelunds and main power supply caps changed to Jensons is over.
 
Well the guy who did the last upgrades just contacted me after he completed it and heard it.
 
It evidently sounds AWESOME.

Can report more tomorrow when I pick it up.

However this guy knows the Arions very well and he thinks it has the edge - so we may another one besides the Lamm - and it certainly is a lot cheaper.

As far as the valves go I went with what the valve guru out our way suggested.  He is also a Duelund aficionado and likes the Duelunds.

I think it was mentioned though the new Duelund RF capacitors were used.  Couldn't find any info about them though - suspect they are the new Back line which is supposed to be halfway between the VSF and Cast.

All up cost for this amp was about $4k, and even before the latest upgrade it was excellent value IMHO. 
 
Thanks
Bill

[rollo]

   I would suspect that the Leak is a fine candidate for cap changes as it is a world class circuit.
   I just cannot imagine though that its limited power can drive your Lenehans properly. You will soon find out.
    Been fooling with the Arions. Replaced that Solen cap [ .10] on the input board and changed out the choke to a Lundahl. Removed top plate as well. Sounds more open with top off. Having a plexiglass cover with hole for tube made instead of Alum. plate.
    Not much else to mod. BTW have you tried the XLR outputs on the Arion ? Makes a good difference. They also love JPS SC-3 ICs and speaker cable. Heads and heels above the Ribbontek from Lenehan. Actually Triode wire Labs Spirit ICs are quite good bettering the Ribbonteks.
     What tube are you using in the Arion ? NOS Reflector 6H30 are the bomb. Makes the Sovtek sound broken in direct comparison.
     Anyways I hope the Leak does it better for you especially after $4000, oh my ! ENJOY !

charles

[_Scotty_]

Charles, have that top cover made out Lexan polycarbonate instead. Plexiglas has a marked tendency to fracture at the holes where the screws go through to secure it to the amplifier.
Scotty

[rollo]

Charles, have that top cover made out Lexan polycarbonate instead. Plexiglas has a marked tendency to fracture at the holes where the screws go through to secure it to the amplifier.
Scotty

  Thanks Scotty. Will do.



charles

[bhobba]

Ah yes - the cost.

From my viewpoint not much risk - they are evidently very collectable and have a good resale value.

BTW its not that my Arions don't do it for me - its just the Leak has this something about it that impressed everyone that heard it.

You would think it wouldn't bring the Lenehans to life.  Me and Lonewolfny (Chris) used to chat about the amp power thing all the time.

Surprise surprise, take my word for it - no problem at all getting decent volume - but I don't play anything to stretch it - mostly Dianna Krall etc etc.

Well I heard it - very good - no BS here - it did sound AWESOME.  Didn't have a chance to fire up the Arions, but checked it out against an upgraded Prima Luna with Jensen electrolytics and Jupiter beeswax.

A bit raw - which you would expect with heaps of new non burnt in parts such as Jensen electrolytics everywhere.

The Duelunds were RS - not RF.  They are evidently the replacement for the VSF copper which is supposedly being phased out - it is considered better than the VSF, closer to the Cast - but strangely cheaper.  I personally prefer the Cast, but some like the VSF.  I am happy with them - but it may disappoint the VSF brigade - evidently I got some of the first newly phased in VSF replacements.

It has a very immediate and in your face sound.  Compared to the Prima, the Prima was cleaner and clearer, better yes, not by a lot - but I would say better - still hard to say what it will be like once burned in. I suspect it will eventually outshine the Prima, but the proof of the pudding will be in the eating.

What I did was take it over to the person that owns the original Leaks place (he posts as Rawl out here) to compare to his upgraded Leak.  Clearly his amp was better - but had MANY more hours on it.  Still you could hear a family character.  It also became clear my amp had much greater gain that needed to be tamed - a pad will be put on the input and the valves changed to lower gain types.

While over there I had a chat to the person that provided the valves, and evidently there is a GTG down in Canberra (the capital here in Aus) soon that will have a lot of upgraded Leaks.  I can't make it down there but Rawl is going.  He will be taking his Leak down and people will be experimenting with different valves, etc to see which is best.

Anyway that's where it stands now.

Its going to be a drawn out process getting this just right.

Thanks
Bill

[bhobba]

Check out all the upgraded Leaks

Thanks
Bill

[topround]

Beware the leaky deuland caps!
Bunch of failures out there...perhaps a faulty run of caps?

[BobM]

I only read about one leaky Dueland on Audiogon. Leaking around where the wire exists the body. If you read the Dueland website it says they have oil impregnated paper as the dielectric, so it shouldn't be a can full of loose oil.

Another rumor has it that they are experimenting with a new cap that usses wax, like the Jupiters.

[rollo]

Good stuff Bill. The valve options should prove interesting with upgraded caps. I think that the tube/cap combo is the whole enchalada, not just the cap.
     Bees wax is good however can not take to much heat. It can melt. Be careful where they are located.
      Sounds like a fun day to be had by all. It will be interesting to read the results.
     

charles
     

[bhobba]

Hi Charles and of course anyone else interested

The latest is at that GTG with all those Leaks some experimentation was done and a number of Leaks took a bit of a leap (mine was one of them) from a small piece of what these guys called Holey Wire is an appropriate place.

I also got the terminals, speaker and RCA replaced by Eichmann.  The guy that did it also experimented with various resistors to drop the amps sensitivity and I think he chose some Shinkoh he had for that.  He also mentioned he may have done some further tweaks but can't recall what they were.

Anyway with all these changes it has taken a big leap - a certain resolute edginess it had is now gone.

The next big step is it needs to be burnt in so I contacted the valve guru out our way who got me some nice, but cheaper valves, for that.  I have it in my system right now with those cheaper valves and it recently took a big leap forward at about 250 hours - the bass is now very deep and rich and seems to be improving all the time - as well as naturalness and smotheness.

I used some Obligato as a stop gap measure in a less critical coupling capacitor position.  But with the release of the Jupiter copper have decided to use that and ordered two that will be put in when they arrive.

The Duelunds were the new RS type that replaced the VSF copper and many think its a bit above the VSF.

Once the Jupiter's are in it will be fully tweaked out and after a bit more burning in will put the uber tubes in and see how it sounds.

Will likely have a GTG comparing it to my Arions, Prima Luna's.

I think I may have mentioned out our way amp preferences have split a bit - some prefer the Arions - some the Prima Luna - I am in the Prima Camp - but haven't sold my Arions yet.

Thanks
Bill