Vintage RCA amps-could these make a killer stereo?

[Dan C]

These are going for a nice chunk of change. Are enthusiasts using these for their system? How would something like this sound with the right speakers?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=800194691

Dan C

[Sckott]

They look like PA amps, with different dates and times of purchase possibly. Might have been from a school or church. 280w a piece? Good lord.

IMHO, you could do better with most any other 6L6 amp or even a 2A3 with a much better suitability twords audiophile playback. Heck even a Dynaco ST70 would be better suited in audio.

Those are monsters. They tranny's possibly weigh 60lbs each, and the heat dispersion! Amps like these don't ship very well unless the seller wants to buy $40 in bubble wrap, and then it's OUCH time at UPS money wize.

Remember - No tubes. Add that on top of each amp and tell me if you wanna "go there" :(

[Steve Hoffman]

No, I wouldn't advise it. Industrial amps don't have the musicality of actual home Hi-Fi units of the time. They were made for "professional" applications, and don't have much in the way of top end, bass extension, etc.

They look neat, but my buddy Brian has gone the whole RCA amp route, and Altec and everything else. The pro stuff (not counting the McIntosh pro studio stuff) just doesn't have what we like...

[Dan C]

Thanks for the info guys. Now onto the next bright idea.;)

Actually, I'm very interested in exploring low power amps and high efficiency speakers. It just seems that the speakers are SO expensive. The Moth speakers is about all I could possibly afford. Vintage Tannoy are so cool but impossible to find in the US.

Dan C

[Steve Hoffman]

I found my Tannoy Lancaster Gold's in a thrift shop in the San Fernando Valley (actually Robert Pincus found them for me). $100.00 for the pair, including delivery.

You'd be surprised at what folks dump out or donate. I'm not one of those "garage/estate sale Saturday mornings" kind of guy though.

[Dan C]

Originally posted by Steve Hoffman
I found my Tannoy Lancaster Gold's in a thrift shop in the San Fernando Valley (actually Robert Pincus found them for me). $100.00 for the pair, including delivery.

You'd be surprised at what folks dump out or donate. I'm not one of those "garage/estate sale Saturday mornings" kind of guy though.

:eek: Cool!
The odds of stumbling onto some vintage Tannoys here in Wyoming are pretty slim, but I'm always looking. Perhaps when I move to the Oregon area sometime next year my luck will improve. :)
Dan C

[Sckott]

Is there anything you don't like specifically about your Fisher? Or are you just prowling....:)

[Dan C]

Originally posted by Sckott
Is there anything you don't like specifically about your Fisher? Or are you just prowling....:)

Just prowling. I adore the Fisher. :love: I keep hearing about people's love affair with SET's so I'm quite curious.

I'm most ready for a speaker upgrade. I heard the Tannoy Saturn line. Beautiful sound and efficient enough to play well with the Fisher.
Dan C

[Dan C]

Oh yeah, and those 7868 tubes are getting rather rare and pricey!
Dan C

[aashton]

Exporting them from the UK may make it un-economical but from time to time there are Vintage Tannoys on http://music.loot.com for what appears to be reasonable amounts.

All the best - Andrew

[Sckott]

Oh yeah, and those 7868 tubes are getting rather rare and pricey!
Dan C


Ha! You're telling me!

I was lucky, My Sherwood 8000-III I just rebuilt a bit in the power supply uses the same tubes. They're all OK, but expensive to replace without landing on a Fisher or another Sherwood like it. The tone, like Steve mentioned a while back, is very neat. Not one of my best amps ever, but nice.


But the 7868's are very strange tubes.

[Dan C]

I want to at least get a full set of replacements to keep on hand. I found a guy in Salt Lake who had a couple of NOS RCA's he'd let go for $20 each. I futzed around for a couple of weeks and by the time he got my check he'd already sold them. :mad: My bad, I should've been more on top of things.
The Fisher is an amazing performer for the price, but the higher and higher cost of those tubes will make it too troublesome for regular use in the near future. :sigh:
Dan C

[BradOlson]

I do spend lots of time looking around garage sales, thrift shops, estate sales, etc. looking for music for cheap. In fact I did buy a mint used Bob Dylan John Wesley Harding CD at a shoe repair shop of all places for $3.

[Gary]

You can probably have them retubed, you know. I know of someone who is doing that to a Fisher using GE 6L6 tubes.

Glad all your tubes work, Sckott. I may nose around for spares anyway - I know of a couple of Fisher receivers that are for sale.... not that I need any more equipment, mind you... :rolleyes: