alexberger's System

by alexberger on
System
My system
Turntable
My System
System
Turntable
Speakers
Amplifier Schematics
Amplifier
Phonostage
Werner Jagusch Crossover
1500N Crossover
Amplifier
Power Conditioner
Power Conditioner Under the Hood
Power Conditioner Schematics
Two powers supply boxes.
Power supply output. Under the hood.
Power supply input/driver. Under the hood.
Starting amplifier assembly.
Phonostage
The main amplifier chassis.
Power supply chassis. Left - output. Right - input/driver.
Main amplifier - under the hood.

Description

My YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoKPY28XI3Q5vWi95swzysA/
I always try to get a best sound that I can afford from vintage, DIY and new components.
I think the vintage audio equipment is underrated because most of modern audiophiles newer have deal with it. In opposite most of "vintage" lover audiophiles started from a new stuff and moved to vintage, because vintage components sound more musical and better value for money. 
https://youtu.be/B72ZPbM7aI0
https://youtu.be/KkoEgdyXVts
https://youtu.be/zN25YNxjr1M
https://youtu.be/7YXif2cd7Q4
https://youtu.be/spOiSAmdGjM
https://youtu.be/5Xlw7Lv7M8U
My philosophy is: 
1. Good dynamic and real instrument tone are most important.
2. Good mid-range - first. 
3. No HiFi-ish highlighted high frequencies and bass. The real acoustic instruments don't sound like this!
4. High sensitivity speakers  
5. SET Tube amplifiers.
6. Idler and direct drive turntables.


Read more...

Room Details

Dimensions: 20’ × 13’  Medium
Ceiling: 8’

Components Toggle details

    • EMT Audio 948
    Turntable
    • Altec Lansing 604E
    Speakers
    • DIY 300B SET Integrated Amplifier
    Tubes:
    6sn7 - input tube
    6f6 - driver tube
    300B - output tube
    5u4g - rectifier

    Parts:
    Hashimoto H30-3.5 output transformers and C-15-200CH choke
    James Audio  power  transformer
    Duelund Custom Cu - signal capacitors, Cu-Sn bypass capacitors
    V-Cap CuTF - signal capacitors
    DACT - volume control
    Shinkoh Tantalum an Audio Note Silver resistors
    Alan Bradly, Mills, Ohmite Gold resistors
    Audio Note Kaisei, Jensen 4-pole, Nichicon electrolytic capacitors
    Duelund, Jupiter Silver Silk and Neotech hook-up wiring 
    • DIY Phonostage
    Build used EAR834P scheme used Thorsten and Romy The Cat modifications included air capacitors.

    Parts:
    Air capacitors in feedback circuit
    Audio Note, Z-foil and Shincoh tantalum resistors
    Jupiter Cu coupling capacitors and Duelund Cu-Sn bypass capacitors
    Hammond AC transformer and chokes
    • Cary Audio CD 303
    CD Player. I use it like transport now.
    • Chord Electronics Ltd. Qutest
    • Werner Jagusch Crossover
    Updated HF capacitors to Duelund RS bypassed by Duelund Cu-Sn
    • Fostex T90A
    Supertweeters
    • Sun Audio - Tamura SAT-1000 Step-up Transformer
    • Dick Sequerra Pyramid T9 ribbon super twitters
    • Altec Lansing n-1500 DIY Crossover
    DIY crossover built using Altec n-1500 schematics.
    Original Altec inductors
    Duelund CAST and Standard resistors.
    14uF capacitor is built using: Jupiter VT 8uF, Duelund RS 3.9uf, AuriCap XO 2.2uF, Duelund JDM Silver Bypass 0.01uF, K71-7 Russian Military Polyester 0.01uF.
    3uF is built using: Jensen Aluminium PIO capacitors 2x1.5uF, Duelund Cu-Sn Bypass 0.01uF, K71-7 Russian Military Polyester 0.01uF.
    Plus Fostex T90a supertweeter 4th order crossover. 0.06mH, 0.35mH air inductors. 1uF Multicap RTX and 1uF Audio Note Mylar in oil Copper capacitors.
    • DIY Power Conditioner
    L-C-L power conditioner with Furutech FPX-Cu receptacles.
    • DIY Black Pearl 300B SET Integrated Amplifier
    My DIY Project. Integrated 300B amplifier with x2 external powers supply and Hashimoto interstage and output transformers A-107, A-305, H-30-3.5.
    6sn7, 6f6, 300B tubes. 
    Oversized cathode 100000uF capacitors banks.
    Big powers supply capacity with multi-bypass technic (combine electrolitic, polypropylene, oil motor, PIO and silver mica capacitors. 

Comments 24

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Owner
Here is the Black Pearl 300B amplifier project page: https://photos.app.goo.gl/isJsvYM3x7hDaput9

alexberger

Owner
Hi @subterranean6 ,
I had the old 300B DIY amp, and did a lot of upgrades on it. There were a lot of parts that I put around the amp. So I decided to build the new 300B amp "Black Pearl" reusing parts of the old 300B amplifier.

alexberger

Owner

alexberger
724 posts
05-04-2023 at 02:33pm 

I used my Altec 604e with the original N-1500 crossover.

After 10 years I bought an autotransformer DIY crossover from Germany. I liked it more than the original one. As I understand lately the schematics of this new crossover wasn’t good but better parts quality made speakers sound more transparent despite losing some neutrality.
Then I upgraded it with Duelund RS, Jupiter VT and Duelund Cu-Sn bypass that made the sound even better - more resolution, tone and clarity.

When I bought a measurement mic MiniDSP I found some significant issues with this crossover schematics that caused serious dips in frequency response.
So I decided to build the original N-1500 with better parts. I used old N-1500 inductors with Duelund RS, Jupiter VT, Jensen Aluminium foil, Duelund Bypass (Cu-Sn and Silver) that I already used in German crossover plus constant Duelund Cast resistors (that I used instead of variable resistor in original N1500). So I get even better and more neutral sound with much better midrange and bass. In the end I exchanged the inductor to Jantzen copper foil Wax Coil inductor that improved dynamic and bass even more.

I never tried the famous Mastering LAB crossover that should improve bass extension of price of sensitivity and smooth high frequency frequency response. I don’t think it will sound better than my current crossover that use much better quality parts than Mastering LAB does.

alexberger

Owner
Hi @noromance,
I did a small number of mods with my Croft preamp. it was the older model with one stage cathode follower in the line stage path. And the most important was to exchanging the output capacitors to better quality capacitors (the best I could afford that time).
Regards,
Alex.

alexberger

Owner
Hi @noromance,
My phono stage is based on EAR 834p schematics. I had original EAR 834p and Croft phono stages. They were very close in therm of sound quality. But I prefered EAR a little, because it sounded more solid. Inspired by “End of Life" Phonostage I made my own DIY project.
http://romythecat.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PageIndex=1&postID=5953#5953
Here is the latest upgrades I did in my phono stage that were very effective - 
1. Output signal capacitors mix - 2x60uf ASC polypropylene capacitors per channel bypassed by Jupiter Cu 1uf, Duelund Cu-Sn 0.01uf, Soviet K71-7 0.01uf.
2. Power supply capacitors per each channel the mix of capacitors - 820uf CDE, 22uf Solen, 22uf Obbligato, 4.7uf Siemens MKV, 0.5uf Soviet KBG-MN, 0.008 Soviet Silver Mica.
Regards,
Alex.

alexberger

Owner
Hi lidler,
Yes I did change crossover to n1500 with my Altec 604E.
n1500 gives much more flat frequency response and sounds better than WJ with 604E.
Just very important to change original capacitors and potentiometers to better parts! I use Duelund CAST carbon resistors instead of potentiometers.
Original inductors are OK. But I tried Jantzen Wax Coil inductors and they are even better.
Regards,
Alex.

alexberger

Owner
If you ask about black panels? There are my DIY speakers grills .

alexberger

Owner
On Amazon. There are plastics acoustical tiles 30x30cm.

alexberger

Owner
Hi @cal3713, @islandmandan,  @jond 

Thank you all!
Old good speakers are very musical and sound more natural and real than a big part of modern speakers. I'm glad there are people on this forum that share my passion for great vintage equipment.

Regards,
Alex

alexberger

Owner
Hi Shop1,

The cabinets of my speakers were made by previous owner.
I didn't try 6cu. ft. cabinets. But I think 9cu. ft. cabinets should sound deeper in base. I use Werner Jagusch Crossover. I just replaced HPF capacitor to high quality Duelund RS bypassed by Duelund Cu-Sn capacitors.
I also don't like most of modern tower speakers. They sound compressed and  have a deep between mid bass and upper mids. They also have too much high frequencies. They try to do a virtual kind of sound that modern audiophiles like. In contrast Altecs sound more like real live music.
I listened JBL L300 and Olympus C50. And I steel prefer Altec's more alive more breathing sound.
Regards,
Alex.

alexberger

Owner
Thanks!

alexberger

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