Sherwood S-3000 tuner

FM Tuner

The 5-3000 has been styled and designed primarily as an operating mate for the Sherwood Model 5-1000 amplifier, however it has operating flexibility which will work effectively with practically any good high-fidelity amplifier system.

The Model 5-3000 tuner can be used either in its self-contained metal cabinet (for open-shelf or table-top mounting) or the cabinet can be removed and the tuner built into your custom cabinetry. Refer to section under "Custom-Panel Installation" for further details.

Circuits:

AUDIO - cathode follower with level control.

FM - Low noise balanced antenna input transformer feeding cascode RF amplifier. Triode mixer, 2 IF amplifiers, cascaded limiters, and Foster-Seeley balanced discriminator. Delayed AGC applied to RF stage. AFC on oscillator. Feather-ray tuning eye.

 

Specifications:

Typical Sensitivity:

0,95 µV for 20 dB quieting

1,8 µV for 30 dB quieting

3,6 µV for 50 dB Signal-to-Noise Ratio

Typical Selectivity:  200 kc at -6 dB

FM Discriminator:  600 kc, peak-to-peak

Tuning Range:  87,5 - 108,5 mc

Frequency Response:  20 - 20,000cps ±0,5 dB

Distortion: 

Less than1/3 % Intermodulation DIstortion at 100% mod. (60/kc:4/1 w/std. Preemphasis)

Less than1% harmonic at 100% mod. 400 cps

Hum and Noise Level:  60 dB below 100% mod.

FM Drift:  ±2 kc (w/AFC); ±15 kc (w/o AFC)

AFC Corection: 16 dB

Output:  2,0 Volts at 100% FM

Oscillator Radiation: 6 dB below FCC requirements

Antenna: 300 Ω  balanced

Outputs:  cathode-follower audio FM multiplex

Power Consumption:  40 watts, 110 -120 V, 50/60 Hz

Dimensions:  14 x 10,5 x 4 inch

Weight:  16 lbs (shipping)

California Audio Labs Aria CD player

 Because of the revolutionary transformations in CD performance available through the inclusion of Waveshaping cicuitry, California Audio Labs has been able to design a tube/solid-state hybridCD player offering near-Tempest performance at a greatly reduced price. Called the Aria , this new CD player uses vacuu, tubes in the most critical areas, thus retaining the foremost features which distinguish California Audio Labs CD players from all others.

Using the latest 16-bit, 4x over-sampling technology as the basis for the Aria, California Audio Labs has integrated tube analog circuity with an entirely new design, as with the Tempest II, the circuit operates in Class-A mode and the de-emphasis is passive. Because of the inclusion of the Waveshaping circuitry, the Aria offers improved low level resolution, better imaging capabilities, and greater tonal accuracy.

Other details include separate power supplies for both the analog and digital stages, carefully selected components from leading suppliers like Gold Aero, Sidereal and Tiffany, and the use of high quality linear-crystal cable, for internal wiring. The handsomely-styled Aria comes complete with built-in , full-function remote control.

The Aria will enable even greater numbers of music lovers to experience the benefits of Waveshaping and tube technology . It is the affordable state-of-the-art..

 

 

 

California Audio Labs Tempest II CD player

 When plans for the Tempest were originally conceived, we knew that our player would require more than the mere modification of an existing unit. Having already selected the best available laser transport and digital technology, we integrated them with our optically coupled all-tube analog circuit. The Tempest II's analog stage is a full triode, pure Class-A design, and uses no overall negative feedback, and neither transistors nor integrated circuits contaminate the signal path. Other circuit details included passive deemphasis, the elimination of gain stages for a further reduction of noise-induced distortion, separate power supplies for the digital and analog sections, and a Class-A triode current-to-voltage converter. 

 

Naturally, the Tempest II features our Waveshaping circuitry, thus guaranteeing that the signal fed into the analog stages is as coherent and accurate as possible.

To ensure the reliability of the Tempest II as well as its performance, we have specified only the finest components. Tubes are supplied by Gold Aero, connectors are by Tiffany and internal wiring consists of high quality linear-crystal cable.

 

The combination of novel circuitry, attention to detail, parts specified to laboratory standards, as well as through subjective design input and assessment blend together to form the California Audio Labs Tempest II. It is the CD player of choice for music lovers the world over.

 

 

Conrad-Johnson MV125 power amp

Vaccum Tube Power Amplifier

The Conrad-Johnson MV125 offers an unparalleled level of sophistication and refinement in music reproduction, but it cannot transform an inferior stereo system. Only the very best loudspeaker systems will be capable of fully revealing the capabilities of this precision instrument. Proper set-up is important in any high-fidelity system, but with state-of-the-art components it is essential. Given a system of high quality components, there remain a number of important details which must be attended to.

 

Absolute Phase

Musical notes are heard through the ear’s response to waves of alternating rise and fall of air pressure. Musical transients are exclusively positive: that is, the initial effect is a rise in pressure. The ear is capable of distinguishing these positive transients from the musically unnatural alternative of a negative transient (an initial fall in air pressure). In your stereo system, these transients are created by your loudspeakers. If the speakers respond to musical transients by first moving out, they are creating a rise in pressure, and the system is said to be "phase correct". If they respond by moving in, they create a fall in pressure and the system is said to be "phase inverting". Each component in the stereo system is either phase correct or phase inverting (including the cartridge and speakers-these are normally phase correct). Your MV125 is phase correct. It is of no consequence if an individual component is phase inverting, as long as the system as a whole is phase correct. This will be the case as long as the number of phase inversions is even (or zero). If your system has an odd number of inversions, then you must add one phase inversion. This is conveniently done by reversing the positive and negative connections on either your cartridge or your speakers (be sure to reverse both channels).

 

Circuit Design

It has been our experience that simple designs with few active stages when executed with care and great attention to detail will be both more musical and more reliable than overcomplicated alternatives. Accordingly, the audio circuit of the MV125 is remarkably straightforward. A triode input amplifier comprised of paralleled sections of a 5751 is direct coupled to a cathode coupled differential phase inverter using high

current triodes to provide balanced, low impedance drive to the push-pull output stage. The output stage features ultralinear operation of two pairs of 6550s for high power levels with reduced source impedance. As a result, the amplifier is capable of supplying the large current demands of high amplitude musical transients driven into reactive speaker loads.

A substantial main power supply of massive polypropylene capacitors enables the MV125 to easily meet these extraordinary current demands. Voltage regulators for the voltage amplifiers and phase inverters provide nearly absolute isolation of these sensitive stages from the output stages.

 

The MV125 uses twelve vacuum tubes of three different types: two 5751 (V1 and V2), two 6FQ7 (V3 and V4) and eight 6550s (V5 through V12).

 

Specifications

Power:  125 watts per channel RMS both channels driven into 8 ohms from 30Hz to 15KHz at no more than 1% total harmonic distortion or intermodulation distortion.

Sensitivity:  880 mV to full power.

Small Siganal Distortion:  Less than .1% at midband

Phase:  Phase correct (non-inverting)

Frequency Response:  20 Hz to 20 kHz +0, -.5 dB

Hum and Noise:  96 dB below full power output.

Input Impedance:  100 K Ω 

Dimensions (W x H x D) : 19" x 20.5" x 8.75"

Weight: 80 lbs

 

Carver SD/A-490t CD player

Our ultra-advanced new SD/A-490t includes two vacuum tubes whose classic design has remained unchanged for over 50 years. We and many other critical listeners believe that this anachronistic addition to an already excellent CD player design significantly enhances its sound.

 

The amplifier that doesn't amplify - Between a CD player's D/A converter and external outputs is circuitry called a buffer amplifier which actually doesn't boost the signal strength at all. Instead, the buffer amp is a unity gain device which increases output current, and acts as a sort of electronic shock absorber, isolating the relatively fragile D/A chip set from the nasty outside world of demanding analog components.

 

Tubes versus Solid State -  More than 98% of all CD players use solid state deivces for buffer amplifiers. A handfull of hard-to-find, esoteric designs in the $1200to2500 range employ one or more tubes instead.  In ultra-expensive preamplifiers and power amplifiers, tube sound is subjectively described as "mellower", "warmer", "more open and natural" or simply "less harsh than solid state". Objectively, it's safe to say that tubes; - produce even-order distortion versus transistors odd-order distortion, particularly 3rd harmonics which are especially unpleasant to the ear; - act as a pure Class A device when used in a buffer stage (Class A outputs is considered the optimal amplifier configuration); - "Round off" the waveform when they clip, while over-driven solid state devices cut off sharply, causing audible distortion.

 

The SD/A-490t's output section - Our new CD player uses two 6DJ8 dual triodes placed between the digital-to-analog converter and a motorized volume control. Operated at less than 30% of their maximum capacity, the tubes achieve a highly linear output voltage with very low static and transient distortion while providing very high dynamic headroom. And because they're "loafing" at ⅓ their rated current capability, the SD/A-490t's tubes are designed to last the life of the CD player without replacement or need for adjustment.

 

An array of features as rich as its sound - We've designed the SD/A-490t to be both useful and easy to use. 21-key front panel or remote programming. Fixed and variable output. Programming grid display. Random "shuffle" play. Variable length fade. Automatic song selection to fit any length of tape. Even index programming for classical CD's. plus our proprietery Soft EQ circuitry which compensates for variables in special (L-R) information and midrange equalization found in many CD's mastered from analog tapes.

 

Specifications

Decoding:  1-bit linear, two channels

Frequency Response :  8 Hz - 20 kHz (+0,2 dB -1,0 dB  nominal)

De-emphasis Error:  +0,5 -1,0 dB Nominal

Output Level at 0 dB :  2,5 volts +_0,5V

Harmonic Distortion:  0,25% Nominal

Signal-to-Noise Ratio  104 dB Nominal

Channel Separation(EQ Off / On):  88 dB / 17 ±1,5 dB Nominal

Channel Balance at 1 kHz , 0 dB:  ±0,5 dB Nominal

Wow and Flutter:  Unmeasurable (quartz crystal accuracy)

Power Requirements:  120 V or 220 V 50/60 Hz

Power Consumption:  30 W

Dimensions (W x H x D):  483 x 96 x 311 mm (19 " x 3,8" x 12,25")

Net Weight:  4,5 kg (9,941 lbs)

 

Genesis I 60 amplifier

Introduction

The Genesis Integrated 60-Watt Stereo Valve Amplifier uses proprietary technology, high quality components, and state-of-the-art vacuum tube topology to deliver sonic performance rivaling other amplifiers costing much more. The design objectives of this product are to:

1. Deliver musically accurate amplification,

2. Provide a vacuum tube amplifier that would approach the reliability and ease of use of solid state amplifiers,

3. Provide an affordable vacuum tube amplifier that would be able to drive the Genesis family of loudspeakers.

A valve amplifier matched with an appropriate loudspeaker can produce a sound that we can only call magic. The hard, brittle, and edgy presentation of many transistor amplifiers is contrasted with the rich, lush and silky sound of the tube amplifier. Often, tube amplifiers offer much better imaging and sound stage presentation compared to an equivalently priced solid-state amplifier. It is more musical, and the performance seems almost alive. A properly designed and built tube amplifier, such as the Genesis I60, is capable of reproducing midrange and treble with crystal clear definition – the

sound can only be described as smooth and silky, and musically accurate with the right timbre and harmonics.

As for the bass, the I60 is designed to maintain tight control over the bass, and deliver the powerful punch and dynamics at the low end with the solidity and weight of transistor amplifiers.

 

Design and Construction

The I60 is an integrated amplifier with four high-quality selectable inputs and a discrete resistor ladder potentiometer as a volume control. It uses a single 12AX7 per channel as the main voltage gain stage, with 6SN7’s as the driver stage. No ordinary 6SN7’s for the I60 – military spec 6N8P are selected for their reliability and durability, and then hand-picked for linearity and low noise. Two sets of matched-pair KT88 power output valves are used to deliver a very conservative 60 watts RMS per channel.

While the I60 is developed as a value-priced product, quality has not been scaled down. Extensive listening tests were done throughout the design process, and expensive components were used where they were appropriate. Custom-made military-spec paper-in-oil capacitors with aluminum cans are selectively used; a hand-built discrete resistor stepped attenuator is employed as a volume control; low-noise gold plated militaryspec ceramic tube sockets are used throughout.

Very little feedback is used – just enough to make the amplifier unconditionally stable. Not the excessive amount that is sometimes employed to make amplifiers measure better at the expense of musicality.

During construction, all components are handselected and precisely matched. The output transformers and power transformer are laboriously hand wound to precise specifications tailored to the circuit and tubes used. Point-to-point wiring using solid-core silver wire is used in the entire signal path. This reduces the resistance, capacitance and  nductance normally associated with ordinary printed circuit boards.

 

The only PCBs you see in the “guts” above are the boards associated with biasing of the power tubes, and the soft-start lectronics. The output transformers are custom designed and hand-wound with a core of grain-oriented silicon steel specifically for the output tubes used. Two output taps are provided on the secondary – 4ohm and 8ohm – with the 4

Ohm tap specifically tuned using Genesis loudspeakers. Each amplifier is extensively inspected and tested at every stage of manufacturing. It is also allowed to burn-in before the valves are biased and calibrated, and then run-in for 100 hours before finally being electronically tested prior to packing for shipment. Hence, it should come to you ready to use straight out of the box.

 

 

 

 

 

The Genesis Integrated 60-Watt Valve (or vacuum tube) Amplifier is a limited-edition product that was created as proof of concept that a welldesigned, well-executed, value-priced amplifier will be able to drive any Genesis loudspeaker with ease and authority.

The transparency, detail retrieval, dynamics, and wide frequency extension of Genesis loudspeakers place great demands on the quality of amplification. Because of our emphasis on absolute fidelity™ above all else, the speakers do represent a difficult, but not impossible load for an amplifier to drive. The I60 was created as a partner to a pair of Genesis loudspeakers, and as a result, it has the quality of amplifiers costing much more.

 

The I60, together with a pair of Genesis loudspeakers, will give your entire music collection a whole new life. In a well set-up system, it is capable of transporting the musical performance into your room. The hiss and hum normally associated with vacuum tubes are completely absent, while retaining the richness and rightness of the best of this genre of amplifiers.

While developing a value-priced product, quality has not been scaled down. Hand-selected, precisely matched components are used throughout: custom-made military-spec paper-in-oil capacitors with aluminum cans are

selectively used; tantalum-film resistors are used on a hand-built discrete resistor potentiometer as a volume control. The output transformers and power transformer are laboriously hand wound to precise specifications

tailored to the circuit and tubes used. Point-to-point wiring using solid-core silver wire is used in the entire signal path. This reduces the resistance, capacitance and inductance normally associated with ordinary printed circuit boards. Each and every unit is first burned-in on the test bench, and then run in for over 100 hours before final test and packaging.

Very little feedback is used – just enough to make the amplifier unconditionally stable. Not the excessive amount usually employed to make amplifiers measure better at the expense of musicality. The result of all this obsessive attention to detail is a fabulously musical amplifier capable of driving almost any loudspeaker in the world.

 

 

Specifications

Vacuum Tubes:  4 x KT88; 2 x 12AX7: 4 x 6N8P (or 6SN7 equivalent)

Rated Power Output:  60 W + 60 W RMS

Total Harmonic Distortion :  less than 2,0% at full rated power

Frequency Response:  20 Hz - 30,000 Hz, (<1% T.H.D.)

Input Impedance:  250 k Ω 

Output Impedance:  4 Ω   or 8 Ω 

Preamp Input Sensitivity:  380 mV

Signal to Noise Ratio:  >90 dB

Dimensions (H x W x D):  185 x 480 x 380 mm (7 ¼” x 17” x 15”)

Weight:  27 kg  (60 lbs)

 

Dynaco Dynatuner FM-3

The Dynatuner is the culmination of more than threee years intensive research on a new concept of FM tuner design. Both the tuner and the stereomatic multiplex integrator represent a totally new design so inherently non-critical, so completely stable, so accurately reproducible, and so easily aligned that the average kit builder will have no difficulty in meeting its specifications in full, without the use of any test instruments whatsoever. The Dynatuner will be most recognized for its low distortion, but it has achieved the most successful blend of sensitivity, stability and linearity yet realized.

The Dynatuner is a kit in every sense; no sections are pre-built or pre-aligned - but Dyna's proven engineering has made it the easiest of all FM tuner kits to build,, and simpler than most competitive amplifiers. The use of heavy duty XXXP and fiberglas pre-punched circuit boards assures exact placement of all components - an essential factor in critical tuner circuits. The excellent specifications of the Dynatuner are possible, and guaranteeable, unit to unit, lab model to production kit, because of the extraordinary uniformity which etched circuits provide, and the inherent stability of the Dynatuner circuit configuration.

 

The design of the Dynatuner evidences several engineering innovations. A cathode coupled RF stage, rather than a cascode input, has been refined to provide equivalent sensitivity without the disadvantages of cross-modulation (images) generally associated with the cascode design. Outstanding AM supression has been achieved,, with noticeable improvement in difficult urban reception areas, and reduced interference from multipath dispersion. Four stages of IF amplification, furnishing four stages of progressive limiting, plus careful attention to limiter design, result in superior suppression of impulse noise such as auto interference, and yield more usable low level signals than other tuners of equivalent sensitivity. We have expended some gain (sensitivity) to achieve better low level limiting, where it counts the most. The Dynatuner limits on noise alone - contributing to its low interstation noise level.

 

The Dynatuner's combination of performance 9high sensitivity, lack of drift, low noise, high selectivity, and lowest distortion) reliability (top-grade etched circuit construction, highest quality parts, conservative operation of components, ease of alignment) and simplicity of construction and operation, plus unsurpassed flexibility (with the FMA-2 and the FMX-3) make it an outstanding example of the Dynakit reputation for obsolescence-proof design.

 

Specifications

Based on IHF standard T-100

Useable Sensitivity:  4 mV for total noise and distortion 30 dB below 100% modulation

Signal-to-Noise Ratio:  70 dB at 100% modulation

Total Harmonic Distortion:  less than 0,25% at 100 % modulation

IM Distortion:  less than 0,5% from 10 mV - 100,000 mV at 100% modulation

Drift:  less than 0,03%

Frequency Response:  10 Hz - 15 kHz ±0,5 dB

Audio Output:  2 volts at 100% modulation

Output Impedance:  less than 5000 ohms

Discriminator peak to peak Separation:  greater than 900 kHz

Antenna Input:  300 Ω (balanced), 75 Ω (unbalanced)

Dial calibration Accuracy:  0,2%

Useable Sensitivity Stereo:  3 dB less than mono mode

IM or T.H.D. :  less than 1% ( including 19 kHz and 38 kHz residual)

Stereo Separation :  30 dB

Capture ratio:  5 dB

Selectivity:  54 dB

Audio Hum:  73 dB below 1 V output

AM Suppression:  greater than 63 dB

Power Consumption:  55 watts

Audio Note P2 SE power amplifier

The P2 SE is a pure Class A, single-ended amplifier. Its development is the result of Audio Notes ongoing research to find ways to make better audio products. A side from the six key features on which the design is based, atechnique called "Comparison by Contrast" is used to ensure that the product is developed with the most important specification of sound quality as the overriding factor.

The P2 SE design is derived from the Audi Note 's key technological features originally embraced by the On Gaku and kegon amplifiers.

These features include:

Pure Class A operation

Zero negative feedback

Single-ended output stage

Valve rectification

Directly heated, triode output stage.

Pure Single-ended operation.

The P2 SE is a single ended amplifier. This means that the complete music wave form reproduced by the amplifier is preserved as one "whole". Consequently, a true single-ended amplifier must be pure class A and operates in a coherent and natural way.

This produces significant sonic advantage compared to convetional push-pull amplifers since push-pull amplifers demand that a new "mirror" image wave form be created for the topology to work. Creating this perfect mirror image of the original wave form is rather a tall order and far from the only problem associated with push-pull amplifiers.

The stage uses one 6SL7 dual triode per channel. These tubes are connected in a SRPP method and this stage generates most of the required gain.

Since the amplifier is single-ended, no complex phase splitting circuitry is required and the signal from the 6SL7 tubes can be coupled to the output stage. Here, Audio Note aluminium foil, paper in oil capacitors are used instead of the inferior quality film types used so commonly in the audio industry.

The final output trasformers (one of the most critical components in a vacum tube amplifer) are of custom Audio Note design and provide previously unavailable performance characteristics. These transformers use massive cores to reduce saturation effects. This allows the P2 SE to produce impressively extended and controlled bass performance.

Specifications:

Maximum Output:  18 Watts RMS per channel into 4 or 8 Ω loads

Tube Compliment:  4 x 6L6 / 5881;  2 x 6SL7

Input Impedance:  100 k Ω

Power Consumption:  165 VA

Fuse Ratings:  2 A anti-surge (110 to 120 V supply);  1,2 A anti-surge (220 - 240 V supply)

Dimensions (W x H x D):  300 x 140 x 410 mm

Weight:  19 kg