My latest stay at home project is done, uhhh, check that....

[bill epstein]

Thought I'd wrap up the wiring last night and move on to the next but discovered one output capacitor had a broken lead and no spare on hand.

I let a pal audition this and it came back in pieces.
428534

Not his fault. UPS actually paid off. Found a nice piece of Bubinga for the rebuild and was sure I had ordered the few broken parts needed.
428535

Re-assembled and got to re-wiring last night and found the hidden miscreant.
428536

Forgive the less than half woodworking post but I've been in solitary a long time and had to vent :rolleyes:

[Andrew Pitonyak]

SO you show us all these pictures but do not actually tell us what it is? :eek:

Lets see, there is only one knob, a large transformer and something with a decent size heat sink. Is this an amplifier or a receiver?

Nice looking case, by the way.

[bill epstein]

Sorry. It's a pre-amplifier, the first stage, usually inside what is generally called an amplifier. Having it a separate enables that last bit of audio goodness. The knob is the volume control, what may look like a heat sink is a turret board that would hold 2 output capacitors but one now resides in the bin.

Edit: Forgot the regulator that feeds voltage to the signal tube filaments has the heat sink you see.

It has it's own power supply and filtering which then doesn't have to share power with the main amplifier as is done in "consumer" gear.

[Jim Matthews]

I hate it when the compressed smoke from Thermionic emissions get out. My thernambulator is Soviet bloc era construction and getting replacement powdered alkahest is expensive.

[Malcolm McLeod]

I hate it when the compressed smoke from Thermionic emissions get out. My thernambulator is Soviet bloc era construction and getting replacement powdered alkahest is expensive.

I've got ~35lbs in the bottom drawer and could certainly spare 5lbs. Where should I send it? .. Or do you have the big ones?

[bill epstein]

I hate it when the compressed smoke from Thermionic emissions get out. My thernambulator is Soviet bloc era construction and getting replacement powdered alkahest is expensive.

Had to Google "alkahest". As arcane to me as "tube filaments" to many others :D

[Bill McNiel]

Who are you people and where did you come from?

[Mike Allen1010]

They come from the rarefied land of "audiophiles" (eg. "those who are enthusiastic about high-fidelity sound reproduction").

In Jim and particularly Bill's case, they are from even more exotic land of "audio engineers"- my definition "audio engineering nerds who obsess over every conceivable detail of audio components that can possibly, even to the remotest degree, provide the best quality sound reproduction".

I'm absolutely not qualified to comment and most assuredly not worthy of clan membership. That said will just offer as an outsider that If you think discussion about "best" vintage plane types/handsaws etc. can get animated- you ought to hear these guys that about the relative merits/weakness of 30 year old vacuum tubes built in a specific factory- crazy!

Bottom line if they invite you to come over to listen to music- do it!

Cheers, Mike

[Bill McNiel]

They come from the rarefied land of "audiophiles" (eg. "those who are enthusiastic about high-fidelity sound reproduction").

In Jim and particularly Bill's case, they are from even more exotic land of "audio engineers"- my definition "audio engineering nerds who obsess over every conceivable detail of audio components that can possibly, even to the remotest degree, provide the best quality sound reproduction".

I'm absolutely not qualified to comment and most assuredly not worthy of clan membership. That said will just offer as an outsider that If you think discussion about "best" vintage plane types/handsaws etc. can get animated- you ought to hear these guys that about the relative merits/weakness of 30 year old vacuum tubes built in a specific factory- crazy!

Bottom line if they invite you to come over to listen to music- do it!

Cheers, Mike

Thanks for the response Mike. I actually have a couple of friends who fall into the "audiophile" category. One has approximately 8,000 45's. He only spins vinyl as it "represents the true depth of the artist intentions". I typically just zone out when he pontificates about the technology and let him entertain me.

[Jim Matthews]

I typically just zone out when he pontificates about the technology and let him entertain me.
Ask him which (speaker) magnets have the best sound.

Bring Popcorn.

[Mike Allen1010]

Ask him which (speaker) magnets have the best sound.

Bring Popcorn.

Hysterical - Jim you just made me spit good bourbon on my desk!

[bill epstein]

Some folks obsess over micro-bevels, others, A2, still more, chisel or fret saw or all of the above. Then there's lump or briquet, electric or gas, vinegar or brown sugar.

I do, too. Music, though, after 50 years sitting in the last row of the orchestra, playing an instrument that often made me more audience member than participant, fueled my pursuit of achieving electronics and speakers that sound like live music. Besides, everyone knows Alnico sounds best ;-}

428999