here it is , heatsinks for TO220-ish critters
- M1, Q9 - something as https://www.digikey.at/en/products/detail/boyd-laconia-llc/577202B00000G/108322 ; no mica, thermal paste
- Q1+Q2 - something as https://www.digikey.at/en/products/detail/assmann-wsw-components/V5630-T/3511448 ; mica for each, thermal paste
- M1, Q9 - something as https://www.digikey.at/en/products/detail/boyd-laconia-llc/577202B00000G/108322 ; no mica, thermal paste
- Q1+Q2 - something as https://www.digikey.at/en/products/detail/assmann-wsw-components/V5630-T/3511448 ; mica for each, thermal paste
I went ahead and removed bridges, cleaned off goop. Took chassis apart and got the floor flipped to edge up, appropriately spaced for wire room as it should be. Screwed it back together with bridges again gooped and mounted. Now have transformers remounted as well.
Now to add extensions to transformer wires so power supply can be hooked up, powered up and tested.
Now to add extensions to transformer wires so power supply can be hooked up, powered up and tested.
Attachments
OK, so for the last few days I've lived with great trepidation... wondering if I should put a smoke detector on top of Mr. Macho's head.
So far so good. I've been very careful with the volume control.... listing for any signs of putative onslaught of smoke or any other untoward acoustic behavior.
To be honest, I've been scared shitless that it was gonna immolate itself. Again.
So far, all so good. Been turning up the volume a bit, and nothing bad happened.
Now for the good, the bad and the ugly.
Ugly? The amp is so quiet that I keep attributing to the amplifier noises that emanate from the dishwasher in the kitchen and the laundry in the garage. It's back to the old audiophile nervosa of the days when I ran two tubes stereo amps (biamped into two speakers). ANY sound, any noise and I run for the preamp volume...
Bad? Nothing. Well, see below.... It doesn't seem to be so loud. Huh?
Good? The amp is really clean. It has really good power bandwidth... from the deep bass to the treble, it just doesn't seem to have any preference for any band. Unlike the Sissy, which sounds like a triode... the Macho 252 sounds "solid state" in a good way, that is. The interesting thing is Mr. R. mentioned to me that sometimes distortion makes an amp sound louder while lack of distortion makes it seem as if it wasn't loud.
If this is the case, then Señor SIT Macho is just that. Sort of like the F4 with more oomph. ( I drive a tube preamp with a 20Vrms output so the F4 is a great match for that baby). I've yet to try it with a lower gain preamp (Iron Pres in the making... B1, B1K?).
So, in the meantime, I'm really enjoying the amp. It takes the Sissy to a new level by adding much better bass definition (power, slam, speed), extends the treble (cymbals, brass, xylophones, cow bells...) to the stratosphere but keeps the magical midrange. It's neither immediate (pushing the midrange forward ) nor reticent (with a dark, sweet treble) ...
One thing, though... with my preamp I have too much gain, I do wish I could adjust the amp's gain a little bit. The 12db gain from the Sissy is perfect in my stereo, the 20db gain of Señor Mucho Macho is a bit too... hmm... macho. I hear too many noises coming from the preamp when I switch the volume and coming from the record groove.
Oh. Monty Python wise... one more thing... the more extended treble makes my DAC sound a bit too aggresive... whether this is because I'm used to the Sissy and Aleph sound or because my DAC is too harsh ( it's running Burson v7 Classic Op Amps ) I don't know. Time will tell.
...
In the meantime, I'm happy.
Thanks guys.
So far so good. I've been very careful with the volume control.... listing for any signs of putative onslaught of smoke or any other untoward acoustic behavior.
To be honest, I've been scared shitless that it was gonna immolate itself. Again.
So far, all so good. Been turning up the volume a bit, and nothing bad happened.
Now for the good, the bad and the ugly.
Ugly? The amp is so quiet that I keep attributing to the amplifier noises that emanate from the dishwasher in the kitchen and the laundry in the garage. It's back to the old audiophile nervosa of the days when I ran two tubes stereo amps (biamped into two speakers). ANY sound, any noise and I run for the preamp volume...
Bad? Nothing. Well, see below.... It doesn't seem to be so loud. Huh?
Good? The amp is really clean. It has really good power bandwidth... from the deep bass to the treble, it just doesn't seem to have any preference for any band. Unlike the Sissy, which sounds like a triode... the Macho 252 sounds "solid state" in a good way, that is. The interesting thing is Mr. R. mentioned to me that sometimes distortion makes an amp sound louder while lack of distortion makes it seem as if it wasn't loud.
If this is the case, then Señor SIT Macho is just that. Sort of like the F4 with more oomph. ( I drive a tube preamp with a 20Vrms output so the F4 is a great match for that baby). I've yet to try it with a lower gain preamp (Iron Pres in the making... B1, B1K?).
So, in the meantime, I'm really enjoying the amp. It takes the Sissy to a new level by adding much better bass definition (power, slam, speed), extends the treble (cymbals, brass, xylophones, cow bells...) to the stratosphere but keeps the magical midrange. It's neither immediate (pushing the midrange forward ) nor reticent (with a dark, sweet treble) ...
One thing, though... with my preamp I have too much gain, I do wish I could adjust the amp's gain a little bit. The 12db gain from the Sissy is perfect in my stereo, the 20db gain of Señor Mucho Macho is a bit too... hmm... macho. I hear too many noises coming from the preamp when I switch the volume and coming from the record groove.
Oh. Monty Python wise... one more thing... the more extended treble makes my DAC sound a bit too aggresive... whether this is because I'm used to the Sissy and Aleph sound or because my DAC is too harsh ( it's running Burson v7 Classic Op Amps ) I don't know. Time will tell.
...
In the meantime, I'm happy.
Thanks guys.
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I didn't say it was harsh... it isn't. Just the treble is more obvious. Surprised me... since I've been listening to the DAC with the Sissy, A2s, A5s and even an ARC D70-II (with nice Svetlana 6550s).
The P3 sound is much more laid back.
Both the P3 and DAC are using the Burson V6 op amps... and I was playing fancy 24/96 FLAC and 45RPM MoFi LPs... so, the sources are darn good.
Toobe preamp is also very good sounding.... just perhaps too much system gain. The CJ preamp sounds extremely good with the F4 and Sissy... so maybe that's the route I should take with that.
At this point, though, I've started the P3 tube rolling, I'm almost two months behind on that... so I'll keep the rest of the set up with Señor 252 and CJ preamp.
The P3 sound is much more laid back.
Both the P3 and DAC are using the Burson V6 op amps... and I was playing fancy 24/96 FLAC and 45RPM MoFi LPs... so, the sources are darn good.
Toobe preamp is also very good sounding.... just perhaps too much system gain. The CJ preamp sounds extremely good with the F4 and Sissy... so maybe that's the route I should take with that.
At this point, though, I've started the P3 tube rolling, I'm almost two months behind on that... so I'll keep the rest of the set up with Señor 252 and CJ preamp.
if I'm understanding that correctly, maybe it's rather another effect I found with proper amplification & speakers chain, formed without usual Kosher limitations - when everything is sweet enough but also clean enough, you get to effect of no power compression neither in amplification part of chain nor in speakers itself so, if room is up to task, whatever SPL is - there is no impression of Too Loud ......... so you can dial it up and up ...... to some level where you got to said compression at ridiculous SPL, be it amp or speakers or even room starting to crack
in short - not "not loud enough" but rather "not too loud" effect/behavior
if former - change speakers
if latter - you're good
I'm sorta sleepy, so my ZMEngrish even ZM-ier than usual
You're ZMEngrish is quite good and clear.
As a rule of thumb I find that every recording has a natural sound level... or at least, a natural dynamic level... that's why when you lower the noise level and have good dynamics you can play music at lower levels and it still sounds natural.
Over the years, I've been working at lowering the noise floor of my systems so I find that I play music at lower levels.
Of course, I don't play Umlaut Heavy Metal. Nothing but 130db sounds 'natural' for that.
As a rule of thumb I find that every recording has a natural sound level... or at least, a natural dynamic level... that's why when you lower the noise level and have good dynamics you can play music at lower levels and it still sounds natural.
Over the years, I've been working at lowering the noise floor of my systems so I find that I play music at lower levels.
Of course, I don't play Umlaut Heavy Metal. Nothing but 130db sounds 'natural' for that.
OK, I can mock ya for that or any other (similar) preamp, but without mocking - sheer reality is that said preamp is simply horses for another courses
not even mentioning fact that you're choking puny signal by - what - 30db or so, just to amplify it then by 20-25db ........... (which is blasphemy per se) but just fact that you have toob stage with 20+db of gain simply idling in front of amp not asking for more than decent 6db of preamp gain is ...... not just inconvenient but also detriment
again - hissssss - even if you ( by some wonder) don't hear it - is obscuring tiniest trepidations which can (once unburdened) increase level of your eargasm
HA board questions
Do the two sides need to be wired together, and what if any value of resistor be used for power supply bleed off? I left cap legs long to attach if needed.
I see several with ground wires from power supply to chassis, on First Watt clones I usually do this through a CL 60..
Good idea here, or unnecessary?
Finally speaking of CL 60, I see a place on board for one, is this for the purpose of grounding through CL 60? Holes are tiny, maybe for some other purpose?
Thanks! Getting closer to fire up!
Russellc
Do the two sides need to be wired together, and what if any value of resistor be used for power supply bleed off? I left cap legs long to attach if needed.
I see several with ground wires from power supply to chassis, on First Watt clones I usually do this through a CL 60..
Good idea here, or unnecessary?
Finally speaking of CL 60, I see a place on board for one, is this for the purpose of grounding through CL 60? Holes are tiny, maybe for some other purpose?
Thanks! Getting closer to fire up!
Russellc