Question: Adapting New PAS3 Tone Control PCB To Original 4 Knob Layout

I'm interested in building the new PAS3 Preamp using the PCB boards offered by Tubes4HiFi. The original PAS3 had 4 knobs, a bass and a treble control for each channel. Whereas the Tubes4HiFi tone control board uses one control for treble and one for bass that effects both channels.

In other words, the original PAS3 had 4 controls, the new Tubes4HiFi boards uses two controls.

How does a DIYer deal that issue? How does the new face plates/chassis, that Dynaco Parts announced, deal with that issue? Will the new faceplates have two holes for two controls or four holes?

Thanks....jim

Jim,

Roy furnished me with a four tone control option!

Best Regards,
Charlie

Charlie,

That's great information. How are you dealing with the filter switch, power switch, tape switch, etc.

Regards...jim

yes, that preamp is available with either stereo bass and tone (2 controls) or 4 mono controls as the original, with matching faceplates
no difference in price

tubes4hifi wrote:yes, that preamp is available with either stereo bass and tone (2 controls) or 4 mono controls as the original, with matching faceplates
no difference in price

Thank you, that answered my question perfectly.

Question #2: What about the 4 switches, the power, filter, tape, loudness? How are those addressed? Are some of them eliminated completely?

I hope I'm not asking questions too early in production.

Best Regards...jim

for a CLONE of the PAS3, you need to use a volume control with a loudness tap, I believe the Radio Shack stereo 100K pot has one,
the FILTER is a simple capacitor filter with a DPDT switch, neither of those would be on the improved Zmod version, but of course the POWER switch and TAPE/SOURCE switch are no problem.

tubes4hifi wrote:for a CLONE of the PAS3, you need to use a volume control with a loudness tap, I believe the Radio Shack stereo 100K pot has one,
the FILTER is a simple capacitor filter with a DPDT switch, neither of those would be on the improved Zmod version, but of course the POWER switch and TAPE/SOURCE switch are no problem.

Thanks again for that information. Now I understand how the PAS3 clone chassis and faceplates and the electronic components will work together.

My current system is laptop computer, an outboard USB DAC, and an ST-35 amp powering efficient full range speakers in 1.4 cu ft cabinets. I am driving my ST-35 directly from my outboard DAC, using iTunes software controls for volume control. In other words I don't use a preamplifier.

I can get by fine until the PAS3 chassis /faceplates clones become available.

Thanks again, Regards...jim

JimOfOakCreek wrote:

tubes4hifi wrote:for a CLONE of the PAS3, you need to use a volume control with a loudness tap, I believe the Radio Shack stereo 100K pot has one,
the FILTER is a simple capacitor filter with a DPDT switch, neither of those would be on the improved Zmod version, but of course the POWER switch and TAPE/SOURCE switch are no problem.

Thanks again for that information. Now I understand how the PAS3 clone chassis and faceplates and the electronic components will work together.

My current system is laptop computer, an outboard USB DAC, and an ST-35 amp powering efficient full range speakers in 1.4 cu ft cabinets. I am driving my ST-35 directly from my outboard DAC, using iTunes software controls for volume control. In other words I don't use a preamplifier.

I can get by fine until the PAS3 chassis /faceplates clones become available.

Thanks again, Regards...jim

So the preamp is to add a phono input?

[quote="j beede"

So the preamp is to add a phono input?[/quote]

Yes, I'd like to add a phono input, plus have more line inputs as well as tone controls. Then again,I just like the Dynaco retro-look. I also feel that a PAS3 offers good performance and value.

JimOfOakCreek wrote:[quote="j beede"

So the preamp is to add a phono input?

Yes, I'd like to add a phono input, plus have more line inputs as well as tone controls. Then again,I just like the Dynaco retro-look. I also feel that a PAS3 offers good performance and value.[/quote]

The Dynaco PAS-2 or PAS-3 preamps in stock form do not offer good value with respect to sound quality in light of what is available today for preamps. You may like the retro look of the PAS-2/3 but these preamps must be heavily modified to give sound quality equal to the Dynaco amps. If you pair even a stock ST-70, Mark III, Mark IV etc. amp with a stock PAS-2/3 you are holding the amp back. The other thing is that if you do modify a PAS-3 with better boards, bypass the tone controls etc. - it will sound better but you will add no "value" to the preamp and may even devalue the preamp if you ever decide to sell the preamp. I have seen a number of cases where a person buys a stock PAS-2/3 in good to excellent condition for $250 - $275 and then puts in another $150 - $200 in new boards, tubes, power supply capacitors etc. and then sells the preamp later for the same $250-$275. Original PAS2/3's are worth as much or more in dollar value even though they may not sound as good as a modified PAS-2/3.

Instead of using a PAS-2/3 preamp on a system you are going to play on a daily basis, you are better off both sound wise and dollar value wise to just buy Roy's SP-10 preamp kit for just under $600. All the parts are new and the sound quality will exceed even a modified PAS2/3.

Bob

Bob Latino wrote:
Instead of using a PAS-2/3 preamp on a system you are going to play on a daily basis, you are better off both sound wise and dollar value wise to just buy Roy's SP-8 preamp kit for just under $600. All the parts are new and the sound quality will exceed even a modified PAS2/3.

Bob[/size][/b]

Thank you very much for your input . I am debating my options in my mind.


Regards...jim