I find early sound reproduction technology fascinating, however I never seem to find the time to get to some of the vintage shows here in Canada and the United States.
I know a couple of guys that have virtual museums in their homes of theater speakers, amps and studio recording equipment including a eye popping collection of phonographs.
Abe I would be interested in your impressions of this preamp when you get it built.
Hi Abe, We have been traveling, we never checked our e-mails while we were away. Good to hear the 45s worked out!
As you know from what I understand Mick has packed it in and is going to start up farming grapes for wine.
Afew years ago I e-mailed Mick asking if he had any plans on making a amp to go with the Chenin. Back then he was concerned if he could compete with what was coming out of China. He told me there were some good amps from China he has heard and I should look into them, off hand I forgot what the brands were. Well , I'll keep my Chenin. Someone posted a heading here on Audiogon alittle while ago stating , [ So much for Preamp deal of the century ].
I can't say what his intent was for doing so, he is another Aussie. His handle is Downunder.
Oh well , the sun will still rise from the east and set in the west.
Hello Abe, Regarding the RCA Radiotron 45s, I have a pair if you like for $20.00 each plus $8.00 shipping.
The Cunningham RCA 45s ,both are no good.
The Radiotron 45s are nice and clean looking inside with no burn marks at all.Good looking getter flashing. Nice tight bases and 45 markings on the glass.
I,m leaving tomorow and will be gone until next week. Shoot of an e-mail next week and we'll go from there.
Really sounds like a great little project building the 2A3 45 amp! I should look into something like this to do myself.
Hello Abe, I have not got around to testing these vintage 45 tubes, I have two pair.
Just had too many things to take care of this weekend before I leave for out of town again.
If they test good ,I would certainly sell them to you for more then a reasonable price.
A very attractive looking tube these Cunninghams.
Something you could look into in your neck of the woods for a great cheap source of vintage radio tubes like the 45 and others. Is to hunt down vintage radio shows in your area and or collectors of vintage radios. Many do not know about vacuum tubes being used in high end audio. A shocking price for some of these old timers would be $50.00 apair new in the box. I know afew up here.
I once owned apair of Magnapan 3s back in the 1980s along with apair of Quad electrostats. There was nothing like them back then.
I had a Dynaco 400 on the maggies then switched to a Threshold Stasis 3. Always had a tube preamp of some brand.
I still have the Quads. I had them overhaualed in 1997. There is nothing like them even today.
I know we beat this to death ,our Chenins are in the best of the best of buys category.
Over the years I have only compared acouple of other brands of pres and phonostages that sold for almost double the price of the Chenin.
I sold my turntable acouple of months ago and been on the search for a new or used one.
My focus this past 5 weeks has been on a Galibier Gavia record player. However Thom Mackris , the owner cannot seem to get it together to take my order....VERY STRANGE!!!! I think I'm going to past and look else where.I may even look at Teres or even Raven.
I read your building a 45 amp . Last week I traded a mint Telefunken German table top radio for afew hundred vacuum tubes. I have a nice bunch of Cunningham tubes ,In the bunch I did notice apair of 45s with etched bases .
I have to get around testing them. I did test abunch before the trade but never got around to all the RCAs and Cunninghams.
Most are very old vintage from the 1920s.
Well ,I shall see what happens today with my turntable hunt.I e-mailed Thom of Galibier on Thursday ,Friday he e-mailed me back asking that I should phone him. Which I did. He said he would call back last night ,but never did.... I did buy a used Graham Phantom, traded a really nice pair of Philips MiniWatt metal base EL-34s new in their original boxes and some cash for the arm. I'm really looking forward getting up and running again.