Dynaco ST-70 project

Just got a crusty old Dynaco ST-70 tube amp off e-bay to rebuild. It’s a project I’ve wanted to do for a long time. It’s amazing that you can still get replacement parts for something so old. The unit I got is in good shape electrically, but needs a new chassis. The chrome is old and pitted with rust here ans there. The output transformers also need a nice coat of paint  too.  Going to listen to it for awhile then do a transplant into a new chassis. It will. Give me the opertunity to replace older components while I’m in there.

I have been looking over the schematics and it’s a really simple design. Elegant simplicity that has stood the test of time. Will take some pictures when I get the chance. Plan on using it on my main workstation. Currently using an Emotiva integrated amp but I think it’s more interesting to use a preamp and amp here. Going to use a cheap Schitt amp for now and maybe get a vintage Dynaco pre-amp to rebuild later on down the road. I have also been eying a Dynaco Stereo 400’s on e-bay but that’s way down the road.

Want to get more into repairing old vintage equipment. Might hit some estate sales and garage sales this year and see what I can find… Not much in terms of deals in e-bay… Most people know what they have. Someday maybe a Sanusi AU X11! That’s a grail for me. Anyway that’s enough for now.

Dynaco ST-70

Latest project completed

Finally finished a project I have been dragging my feet on for awhile.  The surround on my Vandersteen’s midrange detached.  I have tried  my hand at re-foaming speakers before and didn’t have very good luck with it.  I decided to remove the drivers are send them back to Vandersteen.

Model 3’s without the sock installed

Above is me testing them once I got the drivers back and re-installed.  Richard Vandersteen really is brilliant with this design.  Everything is well build but he saves so much money on the finishing just covering it with a sock and some fancy top and bottom plates!

Model 3's with sock installed
Model 3’s with a new sock installed

 

Above you see them under test after I installed the new socks and top and bottom plates.  They sound as good as ever even without proper placement.  Still working on getting this system back up and running.  I have some really nice vintage amplification going on them soon and my highly modified Rega P3 as the main source.

 

 

Teenage Engineering

Anyone ever get a chance to mess with an OP-1 from Teenage Engineering… it looks super cool. You can check out this review of it below.

I am tempted to go find a store selling this thing… I have been watching tons of videos of people working with this think and it seems really powerful and somewhat easy to use for a non-musically inclined person.

Upgraded to a Razer Phone 2

Wow, this phone is phenomenally good! The camera does suck but I could give a shit… If I want good pictures I will get out a real camera. The screen is velvety smooth, it’s fast, loud and built like a fucking tank. It feels super premium but looks very industrial. The Chroma rear snake is super cool and sets it apart from everything else. The gaming performance is stellar but it does get a bit warm when cranking. Even the box was crazy… It comes highly recommended if you can deal with the camera.  I also picked up the Hammer Head ear buds with noise canceling… They are excellent as well! That fruity company can’t touch Razer…

Roon Nucleus Plus Music Server

Does anyone out there have any experience with the Roon Nucleus Plus music server?  It looks like a really cool device!  I will be finally setting up a proper listening room in the coming months and I think the Roon music service really brings something to a digital collection. The server itself is kinda expensive and I can probably do the same thing under a Linux VM but sometimes it’s nice to just have something turnkey that just works without having to mess with it.  I think audio equipment should be that way so that is why I’m thinking about adding it to my setup.

If anyone has anything to say about this please chime in!

Just installed a Sense in my distribution panel!

I just installed a Sense with the solar option in my power distribution panel. So far it looks good.  It’s still learning so I can’t really go into it’s functions but I can say installing it is a snap.  If your comfortable working around mains voltage then you should be able to do this is about 10mins like I did. It’s basically 4 CT’s and wiring it up to a 240V breaker.

As I said it’s learning the devices in the house so at the moment it can just tell me usage and production numbers.  It the future it will be able to identify when a load comes on and off and kick off an action.  An example is when your washer stops blink your hue lights in a room.

Once it unlocks more features I will do a proper review of the device so check back!