Parabee modified for interstage transformer

anystereo · 2265

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline anystereo

  • Newbie
  • *
    • Posts: 6
  • plugged in & glowing
on: May 16, 2016, 05:03:59 PM
I wanna mod my Parabees!  with a magnequest interstage transformer and possibly change the driver tubes.  Any advice/or ideas?  I particularly like the feel of the RIT-5 and really appreciate Mike L. craftsmanship  Is it just a simple to swap out, the coupling cap for the transformer, the bias in below 85 seems like it'll fit right in?  The original 6N1P's are running in a srpp an early mod to the stock parabee which i like but maybe its time for a change.  I have some nice other tubes that i have gathered including 417a and 801a which i think might make good simple driver circuits that could run off a CCS like the original Parabee schematic.  I am in real need of sound advice,  thanks for your help.  David 

 

ANYSTEREO bottlehead since 98'
Ortofon SPU - HisMaster'sNoisePhono,
Garrard401 w/
Ortofon RMG-309,
Thomas Meyer 01a Buffer,
Parabees with dc filaments, 6SJ7GT drivers w/ all nickel from Mike the Great
OB PM5A's,


Offline Paul Birkeland

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
    • Posts: 19365
Reply #1 on: May 17, 2016, 06:59:44 AM
Is it just a simple to swap out, the coupling cap for the transformer
No, the 5K load of that interstage transformer is not a good match or the driver in the Parabee. By the way, the RIT-5 is a parallel feed interstage transformer, so you'll need to feed them with a coupling cap if you do use them.  You'll need a very different driver tube or a three stage amp to use these appropriately.
, the bias in below 85 seems like it'll fit right in?
I would need some more clarification to determine what you might mean by this.

The original 6N1P's are running in a srpp an early mod to the stock parabee which i like but maybe its time for a change.  I have some nice other tubes that i have gathered including 417a and 801a which i think might make good simple driver circuits that could run off a CCS like the original Parabee schematic.  I am in real need of sound advice,  thanks for your help.  David
As a driver tube, you need a lot of gain (mu), which the 417A has.  You'll have to figure out how to deal with the enormous voltage drop required (417A doesn't want more than 200V on the plate), then I would listen to the whole thing without the interstage transformers before temporarily installing them to have another listen. 

Paul "PB" Birkeland

Bottlehead Grunt & The Repro Man


Offline RPMac

  • Full Member
  • ***
    • Posts: 220
Reply #2 on: May 19, 2016, 08:39:33 AM
Would a BeePre have enough output voltage to be able to use 801A driver?



Offline Paul Birkeland

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
    • Posts: 19365
Reply #3 on: May 19, 2016, 09:07:51 AM
You'll lose 11dB of gain by going to an 801A driver (you'll also have to figure out how to supply DC to the filaments).  If you have the BeeQuiet, you could assess whether or not you can tolerate 11dB of loss (it has ultimately very little to do with the preamp, but a lot more to do with your speakers and sources).

-PB

Paul "PB" Birkeland

Bottlehead Grunt & The Repro Man


Offline RPMac

  • Full Member
  • ***
    • Posts: 220
Reply #4 on: May 19, 2016, 10:30:13 AM
Source is BH-DAC, speakers Altec 605B

DC filaments will require a second chassis or complete rebuild on different platform.
Will the sound of 300B/6A3>>801A>>300B be worth the effort? I don't know.