Cheap amp for LS3/5A's

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

I have just finished a beautiful custom pair of LS3/5A's, built strictly to
spec except for lacewood veneer....anyway, silly me, I spent all my money on
drivers and falcon xovers and have very little left for an amp. I'll
probably get a Quad II at some point in the future, but can someone
recommend a decent > $100 amp to hold me over until then? Thanks a ton!

--

Jonny Durango

"Patrick was a saint. I ain't."

http://www.jdurango.com

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Jonny Durango <jonnybush_from_officedurango1@comcast.net> wrote:
>I have just finished a beautiful custom pair of LS3/5A's, built strictly to
>spec except for lacewood veneer....anyway, silly me, I spent all my money on
>drivers and falcon xovers and have very little left for an amp. I'll
>probably get a Quad II at some point in the future, but can someone
>recommend a decent > $100 amp to hold me over until then? Thanks a ton!

I don't know of any decent > $100 amp of any sort any more.

You might find an Adcom 535A in that price range, but you'd have to be very,
very lucky.
--scott


--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"Scott Dorsey" <kludge@panix.com> wrote in message
news:cqip04$jjf$1@panix2.panix.com...
> Jonny Durango <jonnybush_from_officedurango1@comcast.net> wrote:
> >I have just finished a beautiful custom pair of LS3/5A's, built strictly
to
> >spec except for lacewood veneer....anyway, silly me, I spent all my money
on
> >drivers and falcon xovers and have very little left for an amp. I'll
> >probably get a Quad II at some point in the future, but can someone
> >recommend a decent > $100 amp to hold me over until then? Thanks a ton!
>
> I don't know of any decent > $100 amp of any sort any more.

???????????
I think ALL decent amps are greater than $100 ( > is GT)

TonyP.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Paul, I don't suppose you've looked at what Dynaco ST70 amps go for these days. Even ones in
poor condition go for $250+, and nice ones are $300-450.

--
Stephen Sank, Owner & Ribbon Mic Restorer
Talking Dog Transducer Company
http://stephensank.com
5517 Carmelita Drive N.E.
Albuquerque, New Mexico [87111]
505-332-0336
Auth. Nakamichi & McIntosh servicer
Payments preferred through Paypal.com
"Paul Stamler" <pstamlerhell@pobox.com> wrote in message
news:R09zd.1158619$Gx4.782042@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>
> "Jonny Durango" <jonnybush_from_officedurango1@comcast.net> wrote in message
> newsP4zd.253909$V41.36832@attbi_s52...
> > I have just finished a beautiful custom pair of LS3/5A's, built strictly
> to
> > spec except for lacewood veneer....anyway, silly me, I spent all my money
> on
> > drivers and falcon xovers and have very little left for an amp. I'll
> > probably get a Quad II at some point in the future, but can someone
> > recommend a decent > $100 amp to hold me over until then? Thanks a ton!
>
> Well, you probably don't actually have LS3/5a's there, because the spec
> requires selected drivers, but ignoring that...see if you can get a clean
> Dynaco Stereo 70. They pair up surprisingly well with the LS3/5a's,
> especially if you drive from the 4-ohm tap, and the power's low enough that
> it's almost impossible to blow the speakers up. Plan to do a short-block job
> on the Dyna (recap supply and signal caps, the former with larger caps,
> maybe clean up resistors too, and almost certainly new tubes).
>
> Peace,
> Paul
>
>

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

> Well, you probably don't actually have LS3/5a's there, because the spec
> requires selected drivers, but ignoring that

Well the drivers are KEF and they came out of a matched pair of roger's or
fried's I believe.....either way, the selection and matching is just as good
as rogers or fried QC which is pretty damn good. Certainly not a random pair
of KEF drivers...... The cabinets are built of the proper 12-ply baltic
birch ply with 9-ply baffle and solid birch bracing all measured to within
1mm of original. Small improvements were actually made with higher quality
falcon crossovers built into an external box (similar to the Cicable
xover's) for complete isolation from the driver's magentic field, replaced
old tygan grillcloth with newer, more accoustically transparent cloth, and
added damping inside (a favorite mod of LS3/5A fanatics)

--

Jonny Durango

"Patrick was a saint. I ain't."

http://www.jdurango.com



"Paul Stamler" <pstamlerhell@pobox.com> wrote in message
news:R09zd.1158619$Gx4.782042@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>
> "Jonny Durango" <jonnybush_from_officedurango1@comcast.net> wrote in
message
> newsP4zd.253909$V41.36832@attbi_s52...
> > I have just finished a beautiful custom pair of LS3/5A's, built strictly
> to
> > spec except for lacewood veneer....anyway, silly me, I spent all my
money
> on
> > drivers and falcon xovers and have very little left for an amp. I'll
> > probably get a Quad II at some point in the future, but can someone
> > recommend a decent > $100 amp to hold me over until then? Thanks a ton!
>
> Well, you probably don't actually have LS3/5a's there, because the spec
> requires selected drivers, but ignoring that...see if you can get a clean
> Dynaco Stereo 70. They pair up surprisingly well with the LS3/5a's,
> especially if you drive from the 4-ohm tap, and the power's low enough
that
> it's almost impossible to blow the speakers up. Plan to do a short-block
job
> on the Dyna (recap supply and signal caps, the former with larger caps,
> maybe clean up resistors too, and almost certainly new tubes).
>
> Peace,
> Paul
>
>

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Paul Stamler <pstamlerhell@pobox.com> wrote:
>
>Well, you probably don't actually have LS3/5a's there, because the spec
>requires selected drivers, but ignoring that...see if you can get a clean
>Dynaco Stereo 70. They pair up surprisingly well with the LS3/5a's,
>especially if you drive from the 4-ohm tap, and the power's low enough that
>it's almost impossible to blow the speakers up. Plan to do a short-block job
>on the Dyna (recap supply and signal caps, the former with larger caps,
>maybe clean up resistors too, and almost certainly new tubes).

A decade ago I would have strongly recommended the ST70, aside from the
unavailability of the 7199 tube. It was a good, simple amplifier that showed
up cheap on the surplus market.

Now they are selling for crazy money. You don't see them at yard sales any
longer. What they sell for on Ebay is FAR more than they are actually worth.
I don't get it.
--scott
>
>Peace,
>Paul
>
>


--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

On Sat, 25 Dec 2004 10:33:54 -0700, "Stephen Sank" <bk11@thuntek.net>
wrote:

>The ST70 is the #1 choice for people that want a first amp to do DIY upgrades upon. With a
>substantial amount of work, they can actually sound darn good, but for the weak low bass,
>caused by the output transformers. I do agree that the prices being paid for them are well
>more than they're worth.

The Stereo 35's work well with usually fairly little reworking.
They're rarer and don't have a 4 ohm tap, though. I wonder how
important that would be for the OP's speakers?

Chris Hornbeck
"They'd meet at the Tout Va Bien."
-JLG, _Bande a part_, 1964

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"Chris Hornbeck" <chrishornbeckremovethis@att.net> wrote in message
news:3e9rs0defom2croaojvg4926ctttmct99g@4ax.com...
> On Sat, 25 Dec 2004 10:33:54 -0700, "Stephen Sank" <bk11@thuntek.net>
> wrote:
>
> >The ST70 is the #1 choice for people that want a first amp to do DIY
upgrades upon. With a
> >substantial amount of work, they can actually sound darn good, but for
the weak low bass,
> >caused by the output transformers. I do agree that the prices being paid
for them are well
> >more than they're worth.
>
> The Stereo 35's work well with usually fairly little reworking.
> They're rarer and don't have a 4 ohm tap, though. I wonder how
> important that would be for the OP's speakers?

I've tried a Stereo 35, cleaned up, and it was okay on LS3/5a's, but not as
good as a Stereo 70, even stock. And as of a couple of years ago, the driver
tube was hard to get. Dunno if it still is.

Peace,
Paul

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Stephen Sank wrote:

> Sadly, I've measured many 3020's, and the non-flat response
> is consistent.

Hmm .. yes, it appears that my 302 has a "us-style" imponator riaa that
boosts 40 Hz some 4 dB - estimatede on measuring cartridge response with
a B&K test record, an incorrect riaa interpretation that my Audire
preamp from 1977-78 also had ex-works. I assume that that is the
response error you refer to? - if there are other problems with it they
ougth to be clearly defined. Just saying "non-flat response" is a
wording that is, in todays context of riaa use being rare, potentially
misleading in case it is the only issue.

> Stephen Sank, Owner & Ribbon Mic Restorer


Kind regards

Peter Larsen

--
*******************************************
* My site is at: http://www.muyiovatki.dk *
*******************************************

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"Stephen Sank" <bk11@thuntek.net> wrote in message
news:cqtck2$no7$1@reader2.nmix.net...
> Actually, I never dared measure the RIAA response on the phono of any NAD.
The roller coaster
> response is just in the line preamp & power amp stages.

Whilst I never thought much of it, for many other reasons, mine does not
have this particular problem.

TonyP.