Rather than start a new thread and since this seems to be a U70 thread I did want to post something from the Hoffman forums. This guy presumes to speak for Frank, and I would like for Frank to see this and perhaps comment, if you like. I don't want to stir up any trouble, well, maybe a little, but I think if somebody is posting "Well, this is how Frank thinks" then i would sort of like to know if in fact Mr. Van Alstine does in fact think this way. I think the main point of this fellow's thread is that the Dyna transformers are not that great and there are better ones out there. I think certainly that may be true, but you can't deny that the U70 is a mighty fine sounding amp and equal of anything modern at it's price point and above. I still love my U70 and the magic it can produce.
From the thread "dynamo once more" on the Hoffman forums.
he said
"Much of the criticism, and much of the fame of Dynaco is actually based on its most (commercially) successful product, the Stereo 70 tube amplifier. Dynaco made many other products as well, but the ST70 was probably produced in volume greater than all the others put together, and was sold for at least thirty years. Variants are still being sold by multiple vendors in kit or finished form.
Plus which, no matter how much time and new parts you put into it, a ST70 will never equal the performance of many newer products."
Me
"I respectfully disagree. I have an Audio by Van Alstine U70. Depends on how you define new parts and time. Does the U70 qualify? It's basically an Ultravalve, which has been favorably reviewed by the Absolute Sound. My U70 is as good as anything that I have heard out there currently, and still seems, to me at least, to have some sonic magic in there as well. I love my U70!"
he said
"I have spoken with Frank and his daughter Vanessa, who wrote a paper that is fairly good on amplifier design (will find a link on request), they are nice people, but I don't get why he chooses to keep using these old circuits and especially the old Dyna output transformers. I think he secretly feels that the solid state stuff is really the way to go and if people want tube amps with output transformers the Dyna is good enough: or it could be price: he can get the Dyna parts cheap."