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Vacuum State Electronics '98 News Letter
( FOR UP-TO-DATE PRODUCTS & PRICES: See
On-Line Shopping)
(Page One)
Hello you beautiful people, if you're on this mailing list you've done me
the honour of buying one (or more) of my books. I trust they've allowed you to squeeze more
performance out of your equipment, and get the music really singing. |
Tube Preamp CookBook
Those of you who own the original know there are some typos and a few small
mistakes... so we put out some correction pages. This didn't slow the flood of questions
so I wrote an extra chapter to answer them and bring every one up to speed with some new
designs. When we reprinted the book we rolled all these changes and additions into a
Second Edition, which became available mid '97. You can upgrade your 1st Edition with a 34
page supplement - available directly from us or our distributors. |
Preamp Kits Are Coming!
We have completed the first samples of our Modular Preamp Kits and are
tooling up to deliver worldwide later in '98. A prototype kit FVP5 was displayed
at the Malaysian HiFi show way back in August 97 - and the innovative modular concept was
a big hit with the tube fans there.
The kits use the FVP5 and RTP5 designs from the TPCB,
but you can mix and match the modules to get exactly the format you want.
This pictured FVP5 uses a single SuperReg power supply module with SE
Lineamp Modules on each side. We didn't need multiple inputs so we mounted the SE
Phono Modules directly outside the lineamps: |
 99K
- FVP5 Kit Prototype |
| The beauty of the this concept is that you can add the Switching Modules
or even pull the Phono Modules for a minimalistic CD only FVP5 or RTP5
- if you're happy [with what] digital gives you. |
FVP news
The FVP2 preamp (FVP/Page12) has been built by quite a few readers and they
seem to love it:
"I built your FVP2 with the SuperReg - excellent! My records are as
new now!" AS Holland
"A great preamp.' I've compared it in my system to the Audible
Illusions Modulus 3, ARC SP9 Mk2, & Conrad Johnson PV-8 and the FVP2 beat the pants
off all of them! " LK USA
But honestly, it's way off the pace when compared to the new FVP5
whose circuit topology is much closer to a sliced in half RTP5 than any sort of
update of the feedback'ish original.
The 2nd edition TPCB (and update) gives schematics of the FVP3, 4
and finally an FVP5. Famous last words, but I believe this new design is
sonically equal to (or better than) any commercially available preamp - anywhere! And I'm
not holding anything back for a FVP6... it's all there in the '5.
For more info on the FVP5, check out my article in the upcoming SP
#15... |
|
The TPCB (2nd Edition) contains a lot more info on setting up and
using the SuperReg - but the real news is that the long promised SuperReg kit is
available now and shipping. And while it might sound even better if hard wired - using a
PCB makes sense for all but the absolute fan! |
26K - SuperReg kit/PCB |
| The PCB is well laid out and quite compact at 125mm x 90mm, yet contains the
full SuperReg circuit with decent sized heatsinks for the two MOSFETS, and 10
turn trimmers to set output voltage & shunt current. And there are six low Z
access points for earth and + voltage outputs (on both edges of the PCB) to allow for
accurate star wiring. I've made up a bunch of them myself and they've
all worked perfectly from switch on, and adjusted up as expected. No signs of
instability or other funnies, and they really do improve the sonics of whatever tube gizmo
you use them with - preamp, A to D, power amp front end or whatever...
The normal comment is that the unit loses it's tuby, colourations -
but does not gain any unwanted sandy effects! About what I expected...
Some extremists have demanded an all tube SuperReg but that's a
problem that I haven't solved - yet. Such a thing (SuperReg/Page7) was used in
the 1984 RTP (RTP/P9) and was clean and natural but soft.. - and very
very unreliable. It drifted with time and temperature - and would quit without smoke or
warning...
Replacing it with the current solid state SuperReg was a huge relief
from the service point of view, and it sounded better to me anyway! One obvious idea is to
keep the current source and opamp sections in silicon and replace the shunt
MOSFET with a tube - which was done by Boyle and Camille in SP#6. I haven't tried it and
if you have - feedback please! |
Line Amp Discoveries
If you access our web page you'll be able to read Joe R's story of tweeking the
FVP2 to extremes. One of the things he did was to take the "Super Cathode
Follower" concept (CM-A /P9) and polish it into what he calls the Super Linear
Cathode Follower (SLCF). Basically it's what I use in the FVP5 - and in
balanced form in the RTP5 line amp.
Joe has stayed with the ECC88 as he still needs 30dB gain for his FVP2's
- but I've tried various tubes to get the gain down nearer to the x3 or so that's more
universally needed. The 5687 sounds good and can be squeezed down to a gain of x5, but
it's rare, can be expensive and needs a lot of heater current - so just for laughs I tried
the previously disliked (and microphonic) ECCB2 - and it works just fine! In the SLCF it
also gives x5, sounds great and for whatever reason is no longer microphonic!
Thorsten Loesch was kind (and smart) enough to feed it into his Pspice program
- and said:
"I've run it through Pspice. Impressive linearity. Decent frequency,
response. Low Gain. I'm definitely going to build that one!"
So try it yourself or get a kit - it may be just what your system needs! |
 12K -
FVP Phono In to Line Out THD |
RTP News
The 1st Edition question asked by almost everyone:
"From the three options, what output stage did you choose for the
RTP3?"
Sad to say, the SRPP and the µFollower were given early
retirements...
The TPCB 2nd Edition contains a corrected, updated and more detailed
(computer drawn even) RTP3 schematic with all values clearly visible. It also has
an RTP4 that used a SRPP line amp...which I freely admit was a mistake - and an
update sheet introducing the RTP5...
I have done a lot of development work on the FVP5 for the kits, and
while it sounds great - the RTP3/5 is unquestionably sonically superior.
It may look more complex but the balanced topology actually allows a simpler
and more elegant signal path. The bass is way better and overall it's far more tactile,
it allows absolute polarity switching and pretty much ignores the buzzy e/m fields that
exist in most domestic environments - which then allows you to use really freaky (and
sonically superior) unshielded interconnects - like C37'ed 3mm foils inside
teflon tubes...
You can easily build a fullhouse RTP5 from our Balanced Module kits - but you
can also go really over the top...
For example, I am currently finishing off a four box dual mono RTP5 with
incorporated electronic cross-overs for a seriously music loving dude - which shows off
the ease and versatility of this modular approach. |
PP-1 Poweramp Kits
Instead of marketing yet another superamp at yet another superprice, we're
offering these advanced designs as our first power-amp kits. And while liking what DHT SE
amps do musically, many music lovers still prefer the sound of a very good push-pull
amp on a long term basis.
 | Elegantly symmetrical push-pull topology - only 4 tubes in two stages.
|
| Fast, clean & very dynamic sound with great bass ! Your typical soft, low
detail sloppy bass PP amp - Not! |
| Point to point wiring delivers a major sonic improvement over PCB construction -
and allows easy upgrading of circuit and/or components |
| The Forced Symmetry and no NFB versions have the
musicality of SE with the power & control of PP! |
| Stable and effective into difficult loads such as electrostatics and complex
dynamic speakers - and really beautiful into horns! |
| Precision laser cut stainless chassis. |
| Comprehensive assembly book with clear step by step instructions and lots of
diagrams and photos. |
|
 63K -
Prototype PP-1 Tube Power Amplifier |
| The PP-1 is easily upgraded to the more advanced PP-1A and PP-1B
designs which use the Forced Symmetry concept (check out our web
site) or to the NFB free PP-1C, my current long term music companion. And
by changing some parts and internal wiring - but not the topology - you can even run
300B's [reckon 30 Watts to be possible from a pair of 300B's - Joe]
for that ultimate DHT sound!
AW |
Vacuum State Electronics '98 News Letter
(Page Two)
|
Good News on our SuperCables...
The concepts and designs in the SCCB have been a great success, with
lots of readers trashing some very high priced commercial wires in listening tests with
their home made cables! And we've had some great reviews, here's one from someone you may
have heard of: |
| HI-FI NEWS & R. R., February 1997, "Headroom": God bless the Internet. Otherwise, how would I have known that that ex-pat
and now Germany-based Aussie loonie, Allen Wright, was at it again? This time, the head
honcho of Vacuum State Electronics has penned a book, not about tubeware but about cables.
And I have to say that the SuperCables CookBook is the most sensible, unapologetic
discourse yet on a topic I loathe, detest, hate and despise. This ring-bound wonder is an
explosive little tome. OK, so initially it looks like DIY taken beyond the pale - how to
make your own cables (and of every type) - but it simply presupposes that you're
pro-cable. As specialist wire has been around long enough to have established an anti-wire
brigade made up of miserable, close-minded, anti-progress assholes, Wright correctly
assumes that if you bought the book, you're already in agreement with those who feel that
cables can fine-tune a system. Like most well-adjusted audiophiles. (How's that for an
oxymoron?)
So, before you dig out your soldering iron,
you're treated to a lengthy introduction, a history of the topic, and chapters like the
20-pages-plus, deep-science section titled 'Theory' by our own Malcolm Hawksford, plus
discourses on skin depth, thick-versus-thin, tools, connector basics and more. Then, the
meat of the book: How to make your own. Do-it-yourselfers, precisely those who absolutely
refuse to pay more than 10p a metre for wire can now fashion their own politically-correct
'No Cost Super Twinlead', 'Double Cost Twinlead', 'Flat Stuff', 'Interleaved Ribbon
Cable', 'Airspaced Finewires', a variety of foil cables, unbalanced and unshielded types,
braided and unbraided, professional balanced/shielded, solid core, interconnects, AC
cables, digital cables, video cables - it's all here.
Tweaks (would you believe Swissmade violin lacquer?
), parts sources and lots of plugs for Wright's other products fill the remaining pages.
And I have to admit that it's worth reading even if you have no plans whatsoever to make
your own cables. Partly, it will make you feel warm, cosy and smug if you've been a cable
devotee all along. Partly, it's just a fun read. But what's so great about The SuperCables
CookBook is that it's unrepentant and unashamedly cultish. This book is set to join its
predecessor The Tube PreAmp Cookbook, and Harvey Rosenberg's canon on the Definitive Audio
Casualty Bookshelf. - Ken Kessler |
| I recently regained contact with Harvey R (AKA Dr. Gizmo) to find he
has (independently) made exactly the same discoveries about thin silver foils that I have
- and has been writing about them in Positive Feedback Magazine. He said to me: "BTW ultra thin silver foil is best for digital cables"
and Clark J is reporting about insiders using silver foil for constructing AC power cords!
Maybe this thin silver foil thing is just a little more than my imagination... |
| OK, for starters, let's hear from the "finewire" crowd:
"My friend bought your SuperCables CookBook
about half a year ago, and we have been busy for many evenings making interconnects from
your recipes. The results are far above expectations. We have had visitors bringing their
interconnects worth hundreds of dollars (one time more than $1000) and each time the
conclusion was that our interconnects (based on your recipes) sounded better. But we also
want to try out your "Intimate" silver foils, so with this you'll find an order
form for two kits #108... " - 'Two Microsurgeons' Holland. |
| "I initially used the braided finewire between
the CD and the preamp. The sound was very open and gave an increased sense of space and
air around the individual players. There was increased clarity across the frequency range.
On voice the breath at the end of the singing was more apparent and brass instruments had
a more realistic rasp to the notes. Decaying notes could be heard and the bass was tight
and strong. Between the phono stage and preamp similar results were obtained. My existing
cables were Esoteric, van den Hul and Mogami. None were as good as the finewire ".
- C.B. Australia. |
| And from someone who has gone from "finewire" to silver foils:
Jan. 97: "The # 2 interconnect (twisted pair)
showed promise, #3 (braided) was substantially better than Kimber but #7 (using copper
rather than silver foil) was stunning..." - May 97: "I
have to eat crow in a big way. I was quite confident my copper foil interconnects would
handily dispose of the new silver foil C-37 Speziallack coated pretender. The silvers'
were, despite my prejudices, one of the most monumental improvements I have heard! The
most impressive thing is how extremely natural they sound. More music, more sense that the
performers were living, breathing humans - less Hi-Fi. No spit, grain nor fizz...Rave
Rave. - June 97: "All who have heard the foil
interconnects thus far have wet themselves in wonder.'" - R.F. New
Zealand. |
| And from a enthusiast with a $50K tri-amped Edgar Horn system:
"So far I've completed the silver foil speaker
wires and am working on the interconnects. The speaker wire is wonderful: Clean, very open
stage, tight bass and harmonically correct. The C-37 Speziallack does sound much better
than a polyurethane coating. For directional effects, the end coming off the reel sounds
better going toward the piece of equipment." "Later: ...I had Clark Johnsen
(Positive Feedback magazine reviewer) up last night, and he loved your cables. He said
that he was going to place an order with you in the next few days! Again, thank you for
the chance to use your cables. They are worth much more than their cost, and as of yet I
haven't found better sounding ones." - B.G. USA |
| Do you like the idea of having the absolutely best sounding I/C and
speakercables in your system? |
| Can you afford what competent low to middle class commercial cables would cost?
|
| Have you said "No Way!" to the silver foil designs in the SCCB because
of their construction complexity? |
I understand this - but now you can have the best because there's a solution -
the SCCB supplement gives new recipes for silver foil cables that are up to
four times faster to make. Using Teflon strip & heat-shrinks, they look
great, are mechanically rugged, and sound even better than the time
intensive designs - yet even the very best kits are only a fraction of the
cost of lesser commercials.
Enjoy the Music!
AW |
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