While collecting I've seen many brands of stereo items but not a lot made by HH Scott. I've been collecting Fisher and McIntosh for several years but in my collecting/hunting I don't run into a lot of Scott gear. I've seen a few of the smaller amplifiers but never the larger, more powerful ones so when I saw a Scott 296 integrated amplifier for sale I bought it. Recently I found a Scott 355 tuner/pre to use as a tuner with the 296. When looking for a tuner I wanted a Scott that fit the large "G" chassis cabinet to match the 296. The rare and expensive 4310 is out of the question as they usually sell in the $4000 range which to me is crazy for a tuner. The 355 was the perfect solution and both items sound wonderful and look great together. I'm now getting really hooked on the look and sound of Scott gear.
Anyone here on the forum have any HH Scott gear?
(This post was last modified: 08-26-2018, 08:13 PM by thirtiesradio.)
I had an opportunity to buy an H.H Scott tuner amplifier from 1968 about a year ago, until I looked up the model number and found out it was an entry level unit. H.H Scott kind of rubs me the wrong way, they manipulated the civil courts to prevent E.H Scott from selling products under their own name even though Edmond Humphrey Scott's company predated the latter by 20 years at least. H.H Scott must have joined Fisher in going downhill during the 1970s as I haven't seen anything of note with the name newer then that. Apparently they were bought by whomever owns the Emerson brand in 1985, so I guess they really went to garbage after that, much like DuMont did before them. I can't explain the prices some of this stuff manages to get, like Fisher their tube tuners appear to use Miller/Automatic K-Trans IF transformers, pretty much bog standard coils.
Regards
Arran
(This post was last modified: 08-27-2018, 04:15 AM by Arran.)
I did not know that they had their own ultra high end tuner, like Fisher's "holy grail" FM-1000 which also sells for crazy money these days. Personally I like the look of the FM-1000 better, as I prefer the slide rule dial and symmetrical knob layout to the dial on the tuning knob of the Scott. But to each his or her own...
Yes the Scott 4310 was the FM-1000 for Scott. I own a FM-1000 and it's a pretty good tuner although I've found the MF300 and FM200B almost as sensitive. The 4310 is ultra rare and really a great tuner. I compared my rebuilt and professionally aligned FM1000 to a friends 4310 and the 4310 was clearly a better performing tuner. I'd love to own one but the rarity and performance made the price sky rocket the last 10 or so years to about twice of a rebuilt FM1000.
I've never been a fan of Scott as the few items I had were built on cheap, thin aluminum chassis and the components were not up to the standards of Fisher and McIntosh. These were the early tube items too which should be built better than the later items. The Scott items I owned did sound OK but two 222C's I bought both had hum problems that were difficult to remove. I've heard good things about the popular 299 series but have never owned one. I was just to turned off by the 222's to buy another Scott. I had heard about the 296 but never saw one for sale and I don't want to pay close to $2000 for an integrated amp no matter how good it is. Mine came up for sale real cheap so I grabbed it.
The 296 amplifier from 1961 is the exception of the Scott's I've owned and has a reinforced chassis. The weight of the amp and size of the transformers out do my Fisher X1000 and sound wise there is no comparison. The Scott 296 is in a league of it's own. I never thought I'd be so fond of a Scott. I'm still a Fisher and McIntosh fan and listen to a Fisher system almost every night.
I'd love to hear about any Scott's out there as I've heard great things on the 299 series as well as many of their tuners. I believe the 299 series went through many changes and a lot were made.
If anyone's interested in what the Scotts look like, here's a photo. That's the 355 preamp/tuner on the right. I'm only using the tuner section of the 355. I did have a Fisher system on this cabinet but it's been moved into a different room.
Since the Fisher FM-1000 was mentioned, here's a photo of what it looks like, here being used with a Fisher 400CX-2 preamp. They are now in the master bedroom. The FM-1000 matches the X-1000 integrated amplifier in size and both are larger than all other Fisher items. I always preferred the sound of the 400CX2 when used with a separate Fisher amplifier over the X-1000.
That Fisher system is the most splendid system, pleasing to eye, and to the ear!! When restored and made to operate correctly, It can slug it out with the best of today and tomorrow and leave them wanting. (even mine)
However, I've got a HH Scott system that bears consideration too. My family has had it since 1961, and I've humbly had the pleasure of inheriting it and enjoying it since 1988. Pop collected the pieces between 1958 to 1961.
Sorry, I've been away, a couple of Zenith Transoceanic radios have been calling me away. a B600L, and a D7000Y recap, tubes, rare Germanium Transistors, and realign.
I still love my Philco the best as our everyday radio!
My late Pop's HH Scott still kicks rump!! With those EV Wolverine 3-way speakers with 12" woofers (EV Regal 300 12" Styrofoam cone drivers) Nothing like the sound of tubes and vintage speakers!
(This post was last modified: 09-01-2020, 04:02 PM by Cliff Byers.)
I built the amp for my sister when i was in the 9th grade. The tuner was not a kit. She didn't trust me to get that right. Probably just as well cuz I discovered a wiring error I made in the amp.
Did you set the amp right??? Lucky for me, Pop was an engineer and did his LK-48 right! Since then it has been overhauled five times.... and still sounds just lovely. Steve Miller Band never sounded better!!
It was a very minor wiring error that caused one channel to have a slightly higher harmonic distortion level. Hardly audible. I rebuilt this one a year or so ago. Set the output bias to shut the outputs down ever so slightly. My studio does not push it hard so a slight reduction in full power capability doesn't bother. Things run a bit cooler. If I were ever to put it in an enclosure, there would be a cooling fan as it did when I built it in 1965.
