Do you think this amplifier still makes sense today? Examples seem to fetch quite a lot, around £800. I remember paying £500 for mine back in the mid nineties. Thank you for your advise. The example/s below are not my amplifier btw.
http://amp8.com/vv-amp/innovat/inn500.htm
http://amp8.com/vv-amp/innovat/inn500.htm
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In what respect? Design of the circuit? Do you have a schematic?
The tube layout is pretty weird to me. It's not an attractive amp, but that's purely subjective.
jeff
I would like to see more spacing among all of the tubes. Form follows function.
Audio Innovations (from 1984) products had a great reputation, there was a very good designers of tube equipments (like Erik Andersson) and hard marketing (Qvortrup).
Later the group fell apart, Erik Andersson stands out (1986) -to Audion- , Peter Qvortrup in 1989 joined with Hiroyasu Kondo in Audio Note.
AI products nowadays are good, the audiophiles likes its (I use -modded- AI 200MM phono).
Schematics:
DrTube
Later the group fell apart, Erik Andersson stands out (1986) -to Audion- , Peter Qvortrup in 1989 joined with Hiroyasu Kondo in Audio Note.
AI products nowadays are good, the audiophiles likes its (I use -modded- AI 200MM phono).
Schematics:
DrTube
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The transformers in it are excellent quality. The power supply is not anything special, SS bridge rectification into CRC, etc. The phono is powered way down the chain, and somewhat muffled sounding from what I remember. Original coupling caps were polyester ERO's.
Replacing the electrolytic caps in the power supply is likely a must. Swapping all coupling caps with polypropylene/film is probably a good idea as well. Oh, and of course swapping out all cathode by-pass caps with new.
£800 seems a lot imho. I sold one a few years ago for much less than this.
Replacing the electrolytic caps in the power supply is likely a must. Swapping all coupling caps with polypropylene/film is probably a good idea as well. Oh, and of course swapping out all cathode by-pass caps with new.
£800 seems a lot imho. I sold one a few years ago for much less than this.
The volume pots and selector switches were cheap as well.... Seriously, I wouldn't pay half of what they might be going for.
Good amp in terms of "sound" but disaster in terms of installation and maintenance, moreover this amp tends to burn out over time.
Thank you all. Considering the cost here in the UK for second hand examples I have struck this off my list now as I did with the John Shearne Phase 2 which I mentioned in another thread. Both amplifiers I had in the distant past and which, by memory at least, I immensely enjoyed at the time.
I guess time does not stand still for everything and memory is perhaps nicer than reality.
Thank you all for the helpful feedback. I am learning as I go along.
I guess time does not stand still for everything and memory is perhaps nicer than reality.
Thank you all for the helpful feedback. I am learning as I go along.
No, the Transformers are really decent quality and they should last forever. This amp can be upgraded to solve all the problems if a DIY'er wishes. The chassis is decent too, although there's not a lot of space in there for 'exotic' caps, etc.
My valuation would be based on using the decent parts in it (Mains, OPT's and chassis). For this it is worth something to someone for sure.
Seriously Parafeed813? That company basically became AudioNote UK... the OPT's are seriously over-sized and are probably the main reason those amps sounded 'good'.
I had to de-gauss the OPT's of course, but never saw an OPT well and truly 'burned out'. After de-gaussing (which is easy) they sounded BETTER than new. Due to the privative (Cheap) cathode bias which the original circuit employs, these amp need matched tube pairs on the output stage all the time... Non-matched power tubes cause the OPT's to get magnetized. Similar problems exist with many esteemed amplifiers of that 'vintage' (such as Jadis).
Of course, no problem to service these if you know what you are doing. But yeah, the circuits were not that great...
In any case, I would not say no to the mains transformers or OPT's. Sadly they built these with tiny chassis and no choke...
I had to de-gauss the OPT's of course, but never saw an OPT well and truly 'burned out'. After de-gaussing (which is easy) they sounded BETTER than new. Due to the privative (Cheap) cathode bias which the original circuit employs, these amp need matched tube pairs on the output stage all the time... Non-matched power tubes cause the OPT's to get magnetized. Similar problems exist with many esteemed amplifiers of that 'vintage' (such as Jadis).
Of course, no problem to service these if you know what you are doing. But yeah, the circuits were not that great...
In any case, I would not say no to the mains transformers or OPT's. Sadly they built these with tiny chassis and no choke...
Not sure what happened to it before landing on my bench.
The OPT was probably the casualty of some catastrophic failure somewhere else.
Tube runaway or arc overs can take out the best OPTs.
There wasn't much choice of good new production tubes back then either.
The OPT was probably the casualty of some catastrophic failure somewhere else.
Tube runaway or arc overs can take out the best OPTs.
There wasn't much choice of good new production tubes back then either.
That doesn't make it a good amp and even less a durable amp.
It's like a Ferrari from the 80s/90s/2000s, the base is good but the implementation is catastrophic.
Would it be feasible to re-design the corcuit to something more durable/practical or would that be unrealistic considering the current asking prices of around $1000? I guess there are far better options around now, not least from China?
It's a real dilemma, an amp where everything is accessible and easily dismantled and replaced but with an average schematic and an average iron.
or a poorly implemented, poorly built amp, but with a correct schematic and very good iron but which often ends up like that.
For my part, if I could buy a cheaper one, carbonized but with the PT and OPT intact, I would take it right away to do something else, on the other hand, 1000€/£/$ for this amp, for my part, it's no.
Too many parameters come into play, your level of knowledge, your expectations, your current system, your budget.
Other speakers will be able to give you other equally relevant advice with other arguments and you will be able to synthesize all that and make your choice.
or a poorly implemented, poorly built amp, but with a correct schematic and very good iron but which often ends up like that.
For my part, if I could buy a cheaper one, carbonized but with the PT and OPT intact, I would take it right away to do something else, on the other hand, 1000€/£/$ for this amp, for my part, it's no.
Too many parameters come into play, your level of knowledge, your expectations, your current system, your budget.
Other speakers will be able to give you other equally relevant advice with other arguments and you will be able to synthesize all that and make your choice.