[morzh]

So, how much of that amp is now original China kit?
Has been going since 2022.

[TV MAN]

So far, everything except the tubes is original. The next one, well, not so much. 

[radiorich]

Hello Tim,
One thing that worries me is with those kits the cheap tube sockets .
Sincerely Richard
P.S. I would only use good name brand electrolytics.

[TV MAN]

Rich, I feel the same, I did use a better input cap, but the 1st kit I built, I use the supplied caps after the better input cap. While it's not a daily driver, it does get a lot of use when I'm at the bench, and so far, I've not had any cap failures. I did, however, have cap failure on my BK1080 that I recapped using ecaps from AES. They were about 5 years old at the time. I think I have a couple threads on that project and the later repair. On my current build, I'm doing the same, using better caps for the HV input and supplied caps for the rest. Except couplers. Yeah, there's a difference. They don't need to be "audiophool" grade, but cheappie caps just don't cut it. IC, Solen, etc seem fine and wont break the bank. 

I really haven't had any issues with the supplied tube sockets, however, I have had issues with other tube sockets purchased. There is a seller from Florida that I have bought sockets from and his seem decent. One issue, NOS and USA sockets have different screw hole spacings and wont line up.

[radiorich]

Hello Tim,
Yeah, I agree with you—Audiophile caps, give me a break. I also have a B&K receiver that needs some repairs. It’s a 7-channel model, and after it warms up, some channels start cutting in and out.
Sincerely Richard

[morzh]

Audiophile caps...do they add Himalayan salt, shilajit, tears of innocent babies and bird milk into the dielectric recipe? And the foil is made from gold-pressed latinum?

[radiorich]

Hello morzh,
Yes, like the speaker and power cables !
sincerely Richard

[glyphmon]

Audiophile caps...do they add Himalayan salt, shilajit, tears of innocent babies and bird milk into the dielectric recipe? And the foil is made from gold-pressed latinum?

Mike,

I should hope it's gold-pressed latinum.  We all know that gold by itself is comparatively worthless.

Best wishes,
Roy

[morzh]

>>We all know that gold by itself is comparatively worthless.


Well...gold is soft and so used to reduce connector friction and oxidation. By the same token, audiophiles use it to reduce the friction electrons experience while moving through conductor. Also because it soft, it mellows the audio signal and makes sound having only nice harmonics and not having those that are not nice.
Millions of people paying $700 for a speaker cable cannot be wrong!

[Arran]

Mike;
Those must be the mid priced speaker cables, everyone knows that the best ones are made from copper, and nickel extracted from meteorites, and plated with Welsh gold, otherwise they have to use an alloy of cesium and Dalekanium, with a touch of strontium 90, but those are harder to find, as well as needing to be shielded in lead. It's like the phonograph stylus can only be made from Sapphire mined by spider monkeys in Eastern Borneo, otherwise they need to use blood diamonds from Northern Antarctica, mined by Orion slave girls, but only virgin ones, (the diamonds not the girls) on Captain Picard's birthday, and those are much too expensive.
Regards
Arran

[morzh]

>>best ones are made from copper...

You forgot "...de-oxygenated."

But the best copper is the one mined from the spent bullets' jacketings.

[radiorich]

Hello Arran
You and Mike always crack me up. Don’t forget your AudioQuest Rocket 88 speaker wires—a 10-foot pair with eight solid copper conductors per cable for optimal signal transfer. The battery-powered active Dielectric-Bias System keeps a steady 72-volt charge for consistent performance, and it can all be yours for the low price of $1,749.95.

Sincerely Richard

[glyphmon]

I want to see Arran identify Northern Antarctica on the map, particularly where these diamond mines are.

Best wishes,
Roy

[Arran]

Mike; Roy;
That is why the best speaker cables are made out of copper, and nickel extracted from meteorites, first they travel through the vacuum of space, then they have all of the impurities burned out of them via traveling through the Earth's atmosphere at 1000s of miles per hour.
As for the diamond mines of Northern Antarctica, those were discovered by Emelia Earhart, and only Jimmy Hoffa, and D,B Cooper know where they are, and neither are talking.
See I should come out with a quack audiophool product, you don't need a good product, just a good story, and a good pitch, like a snake oil salesman.

Regards
Arran

[462ron]

LOL, so talking about audiofools and their obsession for the ultimate must have product, there are companies out there that will cater to these susceptible customers. I once saw a special, whoopty-do, 6’ line cord advertised for I think $200+ that goes from your stereo to the wall receptacle that they swear makes an audible difference! So I emailed the company and asked them to explain to me how that 6’ cord makes all the difference when you look past that receptacle you have everyday garden variety 14-2 copper wire running so many feet back to the service panel and then miles of wire after that going back to the utility company who could be a couple hundred miles away! I suspect they caught my loaded and flippant question and chose to ignore me!

Ron