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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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    SP14 Thanks Roy!

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    Jeff V.


    Posts : 34
    Join date : 2014-08-02

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    Post by Jeff V. Wed Sep 17, 2014 8:25 pm

    Finished my SP-14 yesterday.  Before I continue I have to give Roy a huge thank you!  He was a great help on this project, answering all my questions, offering great support.  Excellent customer service!

    With minimal use, the preamp is sounding great.  I'm sure once the caps break in the preamp will improve.  Having used Clarity MR caps in the past I knew I wanted to use them with this project.  From what I can tell I think I made a good choice.  I like the fact the SP14 can use two different output caps.  I may try some Mundorf S/O in the other position or perhaps some of the more expensive caps if I fall into some cash.

    I'll post my listening impressions once I put more time on the SP14.  So far I couldn't be more pleased.

    -Jeff


    SP14 Thanks Roy! Vta1412
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    tiguan


    Posts : 27
    Join date : 2014-07-23
    Location : Istanbul

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    Post by tiguan Fri Sep 19, 2014 6:52 am

    Congrats.
    You will not imagine how it respondes to tube changes. Clarity caps are good caps. But gain tube upgrade takes sp14 to different level.
    I tried 2 RCA 60's gtb , 2 Raytheon same years gtb, 4 sylvania (later years not know) gtb and finally 2 days ago 2 Sylvania VT231.

    2 VT231 at gain and 2 RCA GTB at buffer gave me the best (within the tubes I have in my hand). My caps are even russian PIOS.
    I tried some tube or SS pres in my system. This beats even 5000-6000 USD second hand price(in my country of course) pre's.

    I would give priority to gain tubes then cap. Because changes shall be relatively drastic.

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    Jeff V.


    Posts : 34
    Join date : 2014-08-02

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    Post by Jeff V. Fri Sep 19, 2014 10:04 am

    tiguan wrote:Congrats.
    You will not imagine how it respondes to tube changes. Clarity caps are good caps. But gain tube upgrade takes sp14 to different level.
    I tried 2 RCA 60's gtb , 2 Raytheon same years gtb, 4 sylvania (later years not know) gtb and finally 2 days ago 2 Sylvania VT231.

    2 VT231 at gain and 2 RCA GTB at buffer gave me the best (within the tubes I have in my hand). My caps are even russian PIOS.
    I tried some tube or SS pres in my system. This beats even 5000-6000 USD second hand price(in my country of course) pre's.

    I would give priority to gain tubes then cap. Because changes shall be relatively drastic.


    Thanks for the advice!  I read up on some tubes while building the kit and purchased a quad of Sylvania JAN CHS VT-231.  Down the road I will roll in some other variants.  

    I'm going to pick up a pair of the Russian FT-3 teflon caps for my other output.  They are dirt cheap & are said to be very good.

    Unfortunately my preamp is acting up & I have to do some work on it this weekend.  Disappointing since it was sounding better & better, opening up & becoming more detailed.  Did you find the preamp sound change much during break in  Thanks again!

    -Jeff
    corndog71
    corndog71


    Posts : 840
    Join date : 2013-03-19
    Location : It can get windy here

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    Post by corndog71 Fri Sep 19, 2014 11:03 am

    I have lot of experience with the MR caps and they tend to sound great right away then after around 50-100 hours go through a weird sounding period. I just let them play and continue to break in. Eventually they settle down and sound excellent again.
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    Jeff V.


    Posts : 34
    Join date : 2014-08-02

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    Post by Jeff V. Fri Sep 19, 2014 7:31 pm

    Thanks Corndog. It was one of your post, along with other posts, that brought the MR's to my attention. I have previously used Mundorfs S/O & In my system the MR's sound better. There are a few caps out there I'd like to try but some are big money.
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    tiguan


    Posts : 27
    Join date : 2014-07-23
    Location : Istanbul

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    Post by tiguan Sat Sep 20, 2014 3:50 am

    Yes Jeff especially first 2 weeks for me it changed day and night. Later still some improvement but not like first 2 weeks.
    I recommend guys "Audyn True Copper Cap MKP" very much.
    I am a type of price/performance music listener and DIY person.
    This is the second cap which suprised me after obligato aluminium foil at my speaker. As I had to use 5 unit 22 uF caps at mid crossover I was looking cheap but good cap my friend recommended İ put them and wow.
    Back to subject I saw them at my friends PCB at his PCB the caps were located without solder by putting them into a hole. And compared with some caps 3 times expensive, but true copper were perfect to my ears. Detail, warm, more correct soundstage, natural do not put some frequencies infront same distance to all frequencies.
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    Jeff V.


    Posts : 34
    Join date : 2014-08-02

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    Post by Jeff V. Sat Sep 20, 2014 6:48 pm

    tiguan, thanks for the info! I'll look into the Audyn True Copper. Also, i'll let you know how the FT-3 caps sound.
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    tiguan


    Posts : 27
    Join date : 2014-07-23
    Location : Istanbul

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    Post by tiguan Sun Sep 21, 2014 2:48 am

    Thanks Enjoy...

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