Bottlehead Forum
Bottlehead Kits => Legacy Kit Products => Stereomour => Topic started by: kevner21 on October 20, 2014, 07:59:30 AM
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is it nessessary to take the 4 resistors completely out of the circuit or can I leave one lead connected and cover the other lead? thanks
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I would take them all the way out.
I think it would take more effort to secure them properly so that they won't move with one detached lead compared to just removing them completely.
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I am guessing you want to see what it sounds like before committing to the change?
I agree with PB on the practical and safety aspects. All these resistors are as accessible as possible; that was part of the layout design. Remember that resistors get hot, so plastic ties are not a good way to immobilize them! The power supply resistors are nearly impossible to tie down anyhow, and dangerous because of the high voltage on them.
Nevertheless, I will admit that it's not technically necessary to do more than disconnect one end in order to get the circuit working.
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Thank you , I have safety drilled into me every job I go to , so I will remove them .Thanks
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theres not a lot of writing on this 45 tube , and the nos tubes I acquired are probably half life at best . Is it worth the endeavor????
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ill answer this myself . "you bet it is!!!!!
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The 45 is a very special tube. I use them myself in a pair of Paramour II mono-blocks with the Stereomour Iron upgrade. As long as you don't expect rock concert dB levels and have relatively efficient speakers They really are a nice option.
I'm considering a consolidation project to downsize my system a bit. What I'm thinking is replacing a FPIII and Paramour II's with a Stereomour. That way I'd go from 3 boxes to one and eliminate a couple of interconnects and power cords in the process.
If I go this route the Stereomour will be adjusted to run 45's.
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hi natural sound having listened to the 2A3 STEREOMOUR ,which is really fine and changed the amp over to a 45tube . the transformation is truly magical. At 1.5 wpc ,its not for everyone .only the most efficient speakers will do.
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I built my Stereomour for 45's but found out that it's running the tubes at 11.25 watts. I changed the resistors so it would run at 8 watts. I'm using the same old, used tubes from ebay for about 2 years now. The resistors are Mills 12-watt, no problem with heat.
Here's the link:
http://bottlehead.com/smf/index.php?topic=3252.msg27830#msg27830
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I built my stereomour completely stock . Why?, because I've reasoned ,over the years , you do not get a lot better sound out of boutique caps , resistors , wire . I've done that with too many pieces of equipment. It's the circuit that sounds so good, or not !!!! Give the stock kit a chance , it will amaze you!!!!
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Thinking of going this way also. Need to source some relatively inexpensive tubes first.
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I'd second the "Build it Stock" notion.
Attention to the build quality, wiring routes, good solder joints etc will deliver you an Amp with excellent performance.
There is a time when "the Law of Diminishing Returns" applies. There is an arguement as to just how different % wise a $100 dollar capacitor will sound over a $10 cap. Will it sound 10 times better ? Will it even sound twice as good ?
As Peter Walker (QUAD) said, "if you can hear it, I can measure it".
With my Stereomour, the only thing I have done is change the Tubes to Miniwatt 2A3s from the 50s and a Mullard M8162 for the driver, because I had them in the "old tube box". They do sound better than current Russian or Chinese offerings to my ears, on my speakers and are less microphonic.
I would think some of the greatest changes in the sound of the amp are achieved with a good set of tubes. It may take some time to find, but that's the fun of tube rolling.
I did a similar experiment with the Crack amp. After about a dozen 12AU7 changes from the box I found a Haltron that sounds just perfect and after 5 6080/6AS7 changes , an RCA just excelled. All other parts are absolutely stock, although I did use some cloth covered wire in different colours for the nostalgia.
Maybe obtain a less expensive pair of 45s to set it up and test then move to a premium set when you're sure you're not going to burn them up.
Anyway, that's my 2c worth . The design is what makes it sound the way it does to the greatest extent.