The Steve Hoffman Amplifier Sell-Off Continues

[Unknown]

This baby sure didn't last long:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1305271855

A Marantz 8B, sold for $1599. I wonder whether Steve has any other vintage amps to sell off.

[Sckott]

Keep looking under humorem, the Ebay ID that the Steve Co. uses for Ebay stuff. The Siemens EL-34's are great tubes, and that amplifier has been known to be quite a piece. What's tasty is that Steve keeps all of his original recipts when possible, and everything he's owned stays in great shape; a testiment to the inviornment in his home, and his gentle care.

For the most part, don't be afraid to snoop for Dynaco ST70's or Mark III's on Ebay or elsewhere. If you want to score a great vintage tube amp, the Dynacos can be very tweekable, and have a sound that sometimes surpasses models hundreds of dollars more.

Depending on your desire, you should also look at estate sales and go to local electronic flea markets if and when they end up in your city. Try Audiogon.com as well, as many audio enthusiasts don't let good stuff go for Ebay hiked-prices.

The last 4 Dynacos I've seen were the two I bought, second one was on audiogon for $80 because it was "no worky" (just bad tubes-sheesh) and another two, estate sale, and an electronic sell-off, both sold a little too high-a-price.

The harder you look, the more you read, the more sucessful you'll become. Now, weild that Visa like a sword!

[Steve Hoffman]

"Humorem" on Ebay is actually Tom Port's "Better Records" Ebay home.

I really only have one more vintage piece that I am going to sell ('cause I never use it).

It is a dead mint 1967 McIntosh 240 stereo tube amp, filled with its original RCA Black Plate 6L6GC's (marked "McIntosh") and Telefunken input tubes. A beauty. Should go for about 2 grand.

All of my other vintage pieces I'm keeping as I use them in my work, or at play!

[Gary]

Steve, have you ever run the 240 as a monoblock (with another 240, of course)? Have you noticed any improvements with 80 McIntosh watts as opposed to 40 McIntosh watts?

I'm thinking about getting a second MC240 amp just for the 80 watts of power a side.

I don't really have a power problem right now but in the future it'll give me much more versatility!

Thanks in advance for any comments!

[Steve Hoffman]

Gary,

For what it is worth, I have found that making a monoblock out of a McIntosh stereo amp diminishes the "magic" of the sound quite a bit. Why? Dunno. But it does!

Anyway, you will only gain about 3 db in headroom by doubling the power, so I wouldn't.

Just my 9 cents...