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The Dynaco Tube Audio Forum

Dedicated to the restoration and preservation of all original Dynaco tube audio equipment - Customer support for Tubes4hifi VTA tube amp and preamp kits and all Dynakitparts.com products


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    The most amazing tube amp/preamp system ever.

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    Sprags


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    Join date : 2013-02-27

    The most amazing tube amp/preamp system ever. Empty The most amazing tube amp/preamp system ever.

    Post by Sprags Fri Jul 19, 2013 9:31 pm

    Every day I navigate to Audiogon to see if I'm able find any great audio deals and one day I saw a listing for Legacy SE speakers that intrigued me because of the shape of the cabinet and speaker configuration. I then noticed that the seller was about 20 miles south of where I lived. I messaged the seller and asked that even though they were out of my price range if there was a chance I'd be able to audition the speakers. The seller then told me that in reality he did not actually possess the speakers because he was a dealer but that if I wanted to hear an awesome system I was more than welcome to hear his own personal system which he was quite proud of.

    His system consisted of a pair of Lansche #7 and two Legacy powered subwoofers. The Lansche's, which retail for $108,000, were driven by tube biamp system that consisted of a pair of SE 300B Confident monoblock amps driving the midrange and plasma tweeters and a pair of Push/Pull Confident mono blocks driving the woofers. The amps were connected to a Confident preamp. A BMC CD player and DAC along with a Bergman Turntable with a linear tone arm. Both the tone arm and platter were driven by an air bearing. To be honest I forgot the name of the Phono preamp but he did tell me it was valued at $50,000. The phono cartridge was $5000 alone. He demonstrated his system and at no time tried to sell the product he developed, manufactures, markets and sells. In fact after listening to his system, both some classic jazz CDs I brought long with and LP's that were in his collection he gave me as a gift one of the less expensive products that he sells. We listened to music on his system for three hours. He also talked to me about ways I could even improve my system despite it being about $200,000 less expensive than his simply by putting pillows or cloth shaped cushions in the corners and cloth sound panels on the walls to reduce standing waves. He also showed me the first pair of 300B monoblocks that that he built and uses as part of a second system in the Home Theater room along with all the antique and vintage audio equipment he owned. Both the Confident 300B amps as well as his own amps he built himself put out 8 watts per channel. To me that power rating seems low despite the volume levels he was able to obtain. Of course he did say the speakers were relatively efficient...putting out about 95dB at 1 watt.

    The guy's name is Mike Morrow and he sells audio cables. Both interconnects and speaker cables. The prices for his cable are higher than Best Buy interconnects but not astronomically high. For me to purchase cables for all of my audio equipment from his company would cost about $450 which after hearing my CD player connected to my preamp with his cables did rove to me that better quality cables can help. His company's name is Morrow Audio and I'd recommend his product.
    hawaii.ken
    hawaii.ken


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    Post by hawaii.ken Fri Jul 19, 2013 11:05 pm

    cyclops I'm just drooling....
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    Sprags


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    Post by Sprags Sat Jul 20, 2013 1:58 am

    The price I quoted was for 1and1-1/2 meter interconnects as well as 2 meter speaker cables. I have a CD player, tuner, turntable, a cheap phono preamp, preamp and amp and one pair of speakers...so when you add it all up that's really not a bad price for all the cables. And to me I was a little in convinced that a higher priced cable could really improve sound...but I''m convinced now.
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    ramon68


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    Post by ramon68 Sat Jul 20, 2013 7:08 am

    What cable were you using before?
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    Sprags


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    Post by Sprags Sat Jul 20, 2013 12:56 pm

    I was and am using a combination of interconnect cables I purchased years ago that better than those really cheap ones with the thin gauge wire and red and white plugs. They are the ones that are more heavy duty...and they do have the gold plated ends. I got them in 1993 or so. I also bought a few pair of cables from Parts Express. As far as speaker cables I found some 12 gauge 'speaker cable' that I also got in 1993. I added banana plugs when I got my amp.

    The one pair of Morrow Audio interconnects I added between the CD player and preamp 'seems' like it added clarity to the music...as if I can now hear more than just the basic sound. Hard to describe and quite honestly perhaps stuff I heard before but just didn't notice. I'm still skeptical about these high end cables.

    I can say that the $200,000+ system was phenomenal to listen to music with. I think that if I were just a millionaire I still wouldn't have a system that was that expensive...though if I did have $50 million maybe I would. I figure the most my dream system would cost would be $20 to $30 thousand. My belief is that a system of that value would be at 99.5% of the sound quality. There is a point of diminishing return as we all know. I'd even say that my current system would be at 90 to 95% compared to that system.

    No offense intended...I believe the reason Mike Morrow can justify a system like that is because of the product he has. He needs something that allows him to eliminate the chance that anything else can deter from the sound quality.
    Roy Mottram
    Roy Mottram
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    Post by Roy Mottram Sat Jul 20, 2013 1:16 pm

    I came to the same conclusion and it's pretty much my standard point of view on hi-fi, you can get 90% of the ultimate sound for 10% of the ultimate price.
    Think of a $10,000 system compared to a $100,000 system. Either way it's a lot of money, but it's all relative. Back in the mid 80s I had a stereo system
    worth about 1/3 of my annual salary, that's back when people thought a $2000 stereo system was overkill.
    That's when I started selling kits. If you build all your own equipment, you can get a $50,000 system for about $2500.
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    Sprags


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    Post by Sprags Sat Jul 20, 2013 1:46 pm

    With all being said I am still intrigued with those Single Ended 300B amps. While visiting Mikes house he showed me the SE 300B he built. One did not have a bottom cover and when he flipped it over the entire assembly looked so simple. The caps however looked like they were about 3/4 the size of a Coke can and there were four per monoblock. That being said even the kits being sold seem kinda pricy for everything in the kit...though of course it's dependent on the price of the components. Not how many you get.
    Maintarget
    Maintarget


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    Post by Maintarget Sat Jul 20, 2013 10:46 pm

    Interesting topic this is the very thing that got me interested in DIY kit audio Bang for the buck.
    so what would a $2500 build specifically consist of that sounded like $50K?
    hawaii.ken
    hawaii.ken


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    Post by hawaii.ken Sun Jul 21, 2013 2:48 am

    tubes4hifi wrote:on hi-fi, you can get 90% of the ultimate sound for 10% of the ultimate price.
    On another forum the question was asked:

    "What has the greatest influence on the sound of your system?"

    My answer was:
    1st: One's hearing.
    2nd: The source.
    3rd: One's budget.
    Roy Mottram
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    Post by Roy Mottram Sun Jul 21, 2013 4:02 pm

    Ken
    yeah, that's true, maybe some of us should spend $5K on hearing aids instead of $5K on speakers!!Very Happy Shocked What a Face lol! 

    $50,000 system for about $2500
    I probably way exaggerated - depends on your DIY skills and on your knowledge and abililty to find great electronics parts for a cheap price.
    For $2500, about $1000 for speakers ( a good kit for that price would compare with $5K speakers (with ALOT of labor and ALOT of great DIY wood-working skills).
    An SP14 in a DIY cabinent, a PH16 in a DIY cabinent, and then add a decent turntable and/or CD player and/or DAC
    hawaii.ken
    hawaii.ken


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    Post by hawaii.ken Sun Jul 21, 2013 5:19 pm

    Makes me wish that I had the skills to build me a pair of DIY ESL speakers.

    Lacking the skills and budget I settled for a pair of already built vintage DIY Speakerlab 4's.

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